This past week, we saw the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights finally come away empty-handed, as both teams suffered their first regulation losses of the campaign. In fact, neither club got in the win column, going a combined 0-2-4 in Week 3.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils (8-1-0) and Utah Mammoth (8-2-0) won all four of their contests and enter Week 4 of the 2025-26 NHL season tied atop the league standings with 16 points apiece. Colorado (5-1-4) and Vegas (5-1-3) still are among the top 10 but took a few steps back as a result of their performances.
Each week during the season, I’ll rank the league’s top 10 teams based on both the previous week’s performances and their overall bodies of work in 2025-26. I’ll also give a brief synopsis for each club that explains why they’re ranked where they are.
Let’s dive into the power ratings after Week 3 of the 2025-26 NHL season and highlight a few of the teams’ notable accomplishments.
NHL Week 3 Power Ratings
1. New Jersey Devils (4-0-0 in Week 3; 8-1-0 overall)
The Devils were defeated 6-3 by the Carolina Hurricanes in their 2025-26 opener but haven’t lost since as they enter Week 4 with an eight-game winning streak. They posted three multi-goal victories last week before needing overtime to knock off the Avalanche last Sunday. Jack Hughes registered a hat trick last Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and tallied in OT to give him a share of the NHL lead with eight goals. Backup goaltender Jake Allen has been superb in place of the injured Jacob Markstrom (lower body), winning all five of his starts, and he ranks fourth in the league with a 1.93 goals-against average.
2. Utah Mammoth (4-0-0; 8-2-0)
The Mammoth likely won’t be in the top 10 a month from now, but let’s enjoy the ride while it lasts. They began Week 3 with an overtime win against Colorado and then scored a total of 16 goals in triumphs over the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets. Logan Cooley was sensational in those victories, racking up five tallies and three assists. The 21-year-old center registered a natural hat trick in the first period versus St. Louis and followed by scoring twice in the first 4 minutes of the win against Minnesota. Nick Schmaltz also had a pair of goals versus the Wild.
3. Colorado Avalanche (0-1-3; 5-1-4)
Yes, the Avalanche lost all four of their games last week. They earned a point in three of them, as did Cale Makar, who tops all NHL defensemen with 11. Center Martin Necas hasn’t notched a point in his last two outings.
4. Vegas Golden Knights (0-1-1; 5-1-3)
The Golden Knights spent last week in the Sunshine State and scored a total of one goal in their two games. They earned a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (3-0-1; 7-2-1)
Malkin and Crosby are tied for first and fourth in the NHL with 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Penguins’ captain notched his 1,700th career point in a recent victory.
6. Montreal Canadiens (2-1-0; 7-3-0)
The Canadiens recorded two victories last week, with Suzuki scoring points consistently.
7. Carolina Hurricanes (1-1-0; 6-2-0)
Aho continues to perform well, even amid mixed results from the team.
8. Winnipeg Jets (1-2-0; 6-3-0)
Scheifele is among the NHL’s points leaders and has maintained scoring consistency.
9. Seattle Kraken (2-1-0; 5-2-2)
Daccord had an impressive shutout against Winnipeg.
10. Detroit Red Wings (1-2-0; 6-3-0)
The Red Wings struggled last week but showed resilience with a comeback win against St. Louis.
