The 2024-25 NHL season is almost over, with the Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin on April 19.
So for this week's edition of the Power Rankings -- the final regular-season edition -- let's look ahead to what fans should expect out of every team in the 2025-26 season.
ESPN analysts Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash placed each team into one of four tiers: Stanley Cup contender, playoff team, on the bubble, still developing and draft lottery. Victoria profiled the Western Conference teams, while Sean handled the East.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list.