The Carolina Hurricanes hang on to the No. 1 spot in the NHL power rankings, with some major jumbles in the poll thereafter. At 8-2-1, the defending Stanley Cup champions are being chased hard — and fantasy hockey managers have plenty of waiver-wire targets to consider across all 32 teams.
Carolina’s identity remains its suffocating defense: the league’s best expected-goals share (62%), a penalty kill clicking at 89.2%, and just 2.45 goals allowed per game.
NHL 2026-27 season (Credits: ESPN)
NHL Power Rankings: Hurricanes No. 1, Lightning and Rangers Climb
Behind the Hurricanes, the Edmonton Oilers hold the No. 2 spot, powered by Connor McDavid’s league-leading 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists) in nine games, plus a power play operating at 31%. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the week’s big climbers, jumping to third after a perfect 3-0 week — Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel each scored three goals in those games.
The New York Rangers are the season’s biggest surprise at No. 3 in some polls, with Alexis Lafreniere breaking out at better than a point per game. The Florida Panthers surged 11 spots after righting the ship, while the Pittsburgh Penguins tumbled 13 places.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Pickups: McDavid, Bouchard, Carlsson, Bedard
For fantasy managers, the early standouts are clear. Connor McDavid is lapping the field in scoring, and teammate Evan Bouchard is an early Norris Trophy candidate — the first defenseman in NHL history to open with five points in a game. Jack Eichel is off to an MVP-caliber start for Vegas, while Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson is leading the Ducks in scoring and Connor Bedard remains Chicago’s biggest lever for production.
At the bottom, the Vancouver Canucks (2-8-1) sit last in the rankings after allowing 51 goals, the most in the league. For fantasy purposes, though, even bad teams produce: check which young players are logging big minutes on struggling rosters — that ice time is where breakout pickups are born.
Also Read: Panthers’ Cooper Black, 6-Foot-9, Becomes NHL’s Tallest Goalie Ever in Debut vs Penguins | Patrick Kane Sets NHL Assist Record for U.S.-Born Players
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.