ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings, Week 16: Rasmus Andersson, you’re a Golden Knight

One of the most highly-anticipated trades of the 2025-26 NHL season got over the finish line on Sunday, with Rasmus Andersson being shipped to the first place he was ever linked to — the Vegas Golden Knights. The Swedish defenseman has been a heart and soul player for the Calgary Flames since being selected by the franchise in the second round back in 2015, but over a decade later, he’s headed to the strip.

The Knights certainly gave up a lot in their quest to create one of the most dominant blue lines in professional hockey. That includes Zach Whitecloud, who has spent his entire career in Nevada, along with prospect Abram Weibe, a first-round draft pick in 2027, and a second — that becomes a first if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup this season.

It’s a swap that at first glance looks like it will benefit both organizations. Andersson will get an opportunity to chase a championship, and it’s expected that he’ll sign a long-term extension with his new team. Meanwhile, Flames GM Craig Conroy recouped some serious draft capital as he looks to build a contender in the near future.

For those keeping track, that’s the third legitimate blockbuster trade of the campaign. Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner changed squads in early December, and Quinn Hughes got sent to the Minnesota Wild on that same Friday. Now, exactly 37 days later, Rasmus Andersson is a Golden Knight.

Heading into Week 16 — beginning with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday in the United States — it’s the week of 1,000 games in the National. A full three players are set to reach the impressive milestone over the next seven days, including Alex Killorn, Charlie Coyle and Roman Josi. It’s also going to be a week of homecomings, with Mitch Marner and Jonathan Toews playing their first career games as an opponent at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and the United Center in Chicago, respectively.

It goes without saying that it’s another busy stretch in our great National Hockey League. Speaking of that, the stretch run continues in earnest; every single point is crucial for teams with playoff aspirations — and there are still plenty of them with under three months left. As usual, the movement in ClutchPoints’ NHL Power Rankings is momentous nearly two thirds of the way through January. Scroll down for the updated list.

Previous 2025-26 NHL Power Rankings: Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. Colorado Avalanche (no change)

Here’s an outrageous stat: it took the Avalanche 46 games before they lost in regulation at home in 2025-26. That’s over half the season! There’s the good news; the bad news is, Colorado has lost two games in a row twice over the last two weeks, and for those doing the math, that’s four losses in six tries overall. A 33-5-8 record is still incredible, but it’s been a challenging stretch in Denver nonetheless. After winning two and losing two in the first four of a seven-game homestand, the Avs will play three more tilts at Ball Arena, starting with a visit from the Capitals on Monday afternoon — a contest that got underway shortly before the latest NHL Power Rankings was published.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (no change)

If there’s any team that has any chance of dethroning the Avalanche at the top of the NHL Power Rankings in 2025-26, it’s the Lightning. Colorado and Tampa Bay have emerged into the two best teams in the league, just like they did en route to one of the most exciting Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory back in June of 2022. After a slow start, the Bolts have been unbeatable in regulation since Dec. 18, and the only loss in that span was a tight shootout L to the Blues, in a game that could have went either way. The Lightning have still won 12 of 13 and are showing no signs at all of slowing down. We all know how good this core can be at its best, and we’re seeing that level in real time, even without Victor Hedman in the lineup. Next up is a visit from Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks on Tuesday night.

3. Carolina Hurricanes (+1)

The Hurricanes won the first game of Week 16 on Monday afternoon, utilizing a Seth Jarvis third period powerplay goal to squeak by the red hot Sabres, 2-1. It was also a history-making victory, as Brandon Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 18 of his first 22 starts. He’s been excellent in Raleigh, and the Canes are surging, now winners of three in a row and seven of nine. They’ve opened up a seven-point lead on the Islanders at the top of the division, and at this point, they’re focused on winning the East and earning home-ice advantage for the first three rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Is this the year the Hurricanes finally get over the hump? We’ll see what the front office does ahead of the trade deadline before making any predictions.

4. Detroit Red Wings (-1)

In no way do the Red Wings deserve to be losing a spot in the NHL Power Rankings, but the way the Lightning and Hurricanes have been playing as of late, it made for a very difficult decision in Week 16. Still, Detroit has won six of seven and, by all means, are looking like one of the Eastern Conference elite. The John Gibson experiment took some time, but you’ve got to tip your cap to Steve Yzerman, who took a gamble on the veteran despite a couple of tough years in Anaheim. He’s been electric in Motown, and one of the reasons the Wings are 30-16-4 and well on their way to breaking one of the longest postseason droughts in hockey come April.

5. Vegas Golden Knights (+6)

What a time to be a Golden Knights fan. Not only did Vegas secure one of the big fish on the trade market in Andersson — kudos to GM Kelly McCrimmon — but he’ll join a team that has won seven games in a row and finally welcomed Shea Theodore and Adin Hill back to the lineup. The squad is firing on all cylinders and looking unstoppable on its way back to first place in the Pacific Division. Andersson could make his debut as soon as Monday against the Flyers or Thursday vs. the Bruins. But the big game on the schedule is Friday, when Mitch Marner returns to Toronto. More on that later, but the atmosphere should be nothing short of electric at Scotiabank Arena as the star forward plays his first game in Canada’s most populous city not as a member of the home team. Boos? Cheers? Golden Knights fans won’t care too much, they’re just happy to have Marner on the strip — and you know No. 93 would love a victory in his home province.

6. Dallas Stars (-1)

What on earth is wrong with the Stars? After looking like one of the league’s best teams for almost three months, Dallas has lost three in a row and 10 of 12 since Dec. 23, which is genuinely extremely hard to believe. Once an insane 25-7-5, the club is now 27-13-9 as the skid continues. The goaltending has certainly been a culprit; Jake Oettinger is not having his best year. And Miro Heiskanen being in and out of the lineup hasn’t helped. But this roster is stacked with talent, and just should not be losing as prolifically as it has been over the last few weeks. Once secure in the No. 2 spot in the NHL Power Rankings, the steady decline slowly continues in Texas. Things don’t get any easier on Tuesday against a Bruins team that has won six straight games.

7. Montreal Canadiens (no change)

Steady as she goes for the Canadiens, who have won three and lost three since Jan. 8. That’s not great, but a 27-15-7 record and third place in the Atlantic Division through 49 games certainly is. Montreal continues to look like one of the better teams in the East, and they’re finding ways to win games even when they aren’t at their best. Alexandre Texier inked a well-deserved two-year extension last week, and after being discarded by the Blues, he’s found a home on the Habs’ top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. That line has been productive, as has the excellent trio of Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. The future is so bright for this franchise, but so is the present — and that will be even more true if GM Kent Hughes adds another piece or two ahead of the deadline.

8. Minnesota Wild (-2)

With the novelty of the Quinn Hughes acquisition starting to wear off, the Wild have really struggled in the New Year. After looking unbeatable for stretches, both Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt have cooled off, and the injury bug has hit Minnesota hard. The entire second line is out of commission, with Matt Boldy, Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek all on the shelf. And the results have reflected it, with the Wild having lost six of nine games. Their third place standing in the Central Division is safe for now — the Mammoth are a full nine points back — but they’re on a collision course with a very tough Stars team in Round 1. That’s still a ways away, though, and right now, the team is focused on getting back in the win column, starting with a back-to-back in Toronto on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday.

9. Buffalo Sabres (no change)

The Sabres lost the first game of MLK Day on Monday afternoon, dropping a 2-1 final to the surging Hurricanes in Raleigh. Despite that, Buffalo has lost only four times since Dec. 8, and they’re still in the top wildcard berth in the East. It’s still a toss up as to whether they will break the longest playoff drought in profesional sports come April, but so far, so good. A critical portion of the schedule awaits; after Monday’s loss, the Sabres will play four more games away from Western New York, visiting Nashville, Montreal, Long Island and Toronto between now and Jan. 27. It’s been an incredible month and a half for this franchise, but the hard work is only beginning as the stretch run really begins to heat up.

10. Florida Panthers (-2)

Panthers fans, the time has finally come. After a long 47-game absence, Matthew Tkachuk will return to the lineup against the Sharks at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday night. His return can’t come soon enough for a Florida team that is four points out of a playoff spot — and a few days removed from getting dismantled 9-1 by Carolina on Friday night. Brad Marchand and Seth Jones continue to work their way back from respective injuries, but the boost Tkachuk is going to give this roster can’t really be explained in words. He’s not the captain, but with Sasha Barkov likely out for the year, he might as well be. The back-to-back champion will be relied on to help the Cats start stringing some wins together — especially as the club has been .500 since at the end of December. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of restrictions the superstar forward has right off the bat, but expect him to be effective right away.

11. New York Islanders (-1)

It’s been an overall outstanding campaign for the Islanders, but they’re headed the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 16. New York is exactly .500 since Dec. 28, which has them in second in the Metropolitan Division but just one point away from being out of a playoff spot entirely. The East is insane, and .500 hockey is not going to be good enough to get any of the bubble teams into the dance. The Isles know this, and to their credit, they’re in the midst of a long seven-game road trip. After going 2-2-1 over the first five, they’ll try to end it on a high note in Vancouver on Monday and Seattle on Wednesday.

12. Boston Bruins (+5)

The show goes on for the Bruins, who looked like they were going quietly into the night after losing six consecutive games at the end of December. It’s been a completely different Boston team in 2026; Marco Sturm’s group has won six in a row and eight of nine, with Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo looking lights out during that stretch. Over three victories last week, the B’s allowed just four total goals, proving that, when Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm are both healthy, this blue line is still well above average. The heater has earned Boston the top wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference, and they’ll look to create even more separation in Dallas on Tuesday night.

13. Edmonton Oilers (-1)

Connor McDavid’s 20-game point streak was snapped in a 1-0 shutout loss to the Islanders, and Leon Draisaitl is taking a leave of absence to attend to a family illness in Germany. That’s enough to send the Oilers the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings. Despite that, Edmonton bounced back by posting back-to-back shutouts over the weekend, which we don’t often see from this club. Tristan Jarry made 31 saves in a 6-0 shellacking of the last-place Canucks on Saturday, and Connor Ingram posted his first SO of the season in a 5-0 defeat of the Blues the next day. It’s certainly encouraging to see this level of defense and goaltending from a high-flying offensive team, but we can’t forget that no one scores less goals than Vancouver and St. Louis in 2025-26. Still, the Oil are 25-17-8 and two points out of the Pacific Division lead ahead of a long seven-game homestand that will keep the club in Alberta until the first week of February.

14. San Jose Sharks (-1)

The Sharks just continue to impress in 2025-26, but on the heels of six wins in seven tries, they’ve dropped two of three. One of those was a 7-2 shellacking at the hands of the Golden Knights, proving that this team isn’t yet quite on the level of the Pacific Division elite. But Kiefer Sherwood should help rectify that; he was shipped from British Columbia to California on Monday for a couple of second-round draft picks. For San Jose fans, it’s got to be encouraging to watch management add, instead of subtract, ahead of the trade deadline. It’s clear the franchise has its sights set on a playoff spot in 2025-26, and Sherwood — who is currently injured but has 17 goals in 44 games this year — will really help. After two straight road games, the Sharks finish the trip in the State of Florida, playing the Panthers on Monday and Lightning on Tuesday.

15. Washington Capitals (-1)

The steady decline continues for the Capitals, who remarkably have not won back-to-back games since the early days of December. This team has just been unable to build any kind of positive momentum, and it’s really hurting them in the playoff race. Washington, having lost six of nine games, is 24-19-6 and on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoff picture, just a year after finishing first in the conference. With a very similar roster to last season, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason for the fall off, but injuries and inconsistent play have certainly played a big part. Following back-to-back regulation losses, maybe the hardest and most important portion of the Capitals’ schedule is here; a six-game road trip that has begun against the juggernaut Avalanche at Ball Arena on Monday afternoon.

16. Toronto Maple Leafs (+2)

The headlining question of Week 16: how is Mitchell Marner going to be received at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night? He’s undoubtedly one of the most skilled players in Maple Leafs history, but his Toronto tenure was marred by playoff failures and constant media scrutiny. The Leafs and Golden Knights got a warmup at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas last week — the Knights won 6-5 in an overtime thriller — but this will be the main event. Both teams have been excellent as of late, but regardless of the records, this is a game that the Leafs fan base has had circled on the calendar since the 2025-26 schedule came out. Regardless of the ovation Marner receives, cheers or jeers, it will be a loud one. Besides that, the Leafs have won five of seven and are now just a point out of a playoff berth in the East.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)

The Penguins looked like they were turning a corner after racking off six straight wins a few weeks back. But fast forward to present day and Pittsburgh has dropped four of five, scoring only six goals over the four defeats. That’s brutal, and the lack of offense will need to be rectified if Evgeni Malkin hopes to have one more playoff run with the only NHL team he’s ever known. The Pens are 22-14-11 and holding onto the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division by one point over their arch-rival Capitals. A critical West Coast road trip begins in Seattle on Monday, and also takes Pittsburgh through Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver over a busy four-game week.

18. Utah Mammoth (+6)

The Mammoth are back to relevance — and not a moment too soon. On the back of the NHL’s No. 3 star of the week Karel Vejmelka, Utah has won three in a row and six of seven, with the Czech netminder between the pipes for all six of the victories. He’s slowly creeping into the Vezina Trophy conversation, and giving his team a great chance to win every time he’s in. The Mammoth are back into the top wildcard berth in the West, with a three-point cushion on the Sharks, Ducks and Kings. But it’s critical they keep banking points if they hope to treat fans in Salt Lake City to playoff hockey for the first time. They’ll look to make it four straight against a fading Flyers team at the Delta Center on Wednesday.

19. Ottawa Senators (no change)

Welcome back to the show, James Reimer. The 37-year-old journeyman signed a one-year pact with the Senators last week as Linus Ullmark remains out of the lineup. And he was solid if unspectacular in his season debut, making 30 saves on 34 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Red Wings on Sunday. He figures to be at least close to as good of an option as Leevi Merilainen in the short-term, who has struggled as of late. Ottawa has also struggled as of late, losing six of eight games. But, at the same time, they’ve picked up a point in four straight, which has them standing pat in the NHL Power Rankings in Week 16. After losing in Detroit, they’ll pass through Columbus and Nashville before returning to Canada’s capital over the weekend.

20. Philadelphia Flyers (-5)

The Flyers are mired in their worst stretch of the 2025-26 season, having lost six games in a row for the first time — the final five of them in regulation. That is catastrophic for a Philly roster trying to come out of the rebuild, and the skid has knocked them right out of postseason positioning in the East. The overarching problem continues to be goaltending, as, with Dan Vladar on the shelf, Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov form probably the worst tandem in the National Hockey League. They each gave up six goals in their last respective start, and you’re just not going to win games in those scenarios. Still, the Flyers have scored only 12 goals over those six defeats, and the offense badly needs to come around else it be another playoff-less spring in the City of Brotherly Love.

21. New Jersey Devils (-1)

We’re still concerned about the Devils from a big picture perspective, but they got back on track last week by winning two games in three tries. It’s not much, but it’s a start for a club that had dropped eight of 10 directly beforehand. Jack Hughes still doesn’t have a goal since mid-December, and that’s not ideal, but a few other forwards are picking up the slack. It looks like Jacob Markstrom has reset as well after getting nine goals scored on him by the Islanders, and he’s going to need to step up in a big way down the stretch. Now 24-22-2 and a full seven points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, we’re approaching desperation time in Newark.

22. Nashville Predators (+1)

The Predators continue to hang around the playoff picture in the West, and five wins in eight games is doing nothing to hamper that quest. Nashville has fully come around, and the question now is whether GM Barry Trotz will have seen enough to not trade a couple of his veterans ahead of the March 6 deadline. It’s still a very hard decision to make; does Trotz believe this roster can compete with the best of the West if they do slide into postseason positioning? We should get some clarity on that in a couple of weeks. But first, a fitting milestone for Roman Josi, who will ring in his 1,000th game against the visiting Senators on Thursday night. The longtime captain and all-time scoring leader is arguably the greatest player in franchise history; he’s won the Norris Trophy once and finished as a finalist three times, and he was oh-so-close to helping the Preds win their first ever championship in 2016-17. With or without a Stanley Cup, he will very likely be earning the Hall of Fame call someday.

23. Calgary Flames (-1)

Despite winning three of their last four games, the Flames are headed the wrong way in the NHL Power Rankings after moving on from a franchise cornerstone. Andersson has had his ups and he’s had his downs in Alberta, but he has been great in 2025-26 to the tune of 10 goals and 30 points in 48 games before the trade. It’ll now be MacKenzie Weegar quarterbacking the top powerplay unit for the foreseeable future. Calgary will miss Andersson, but the return should give them some serious hope for the future. As it is, they’re five points out of a playoff spot with four straight home games on the menu this week, with the Devils, Penguins, Capitals and Ducks visiting the Saddledome, in that order.

24. Seattle Kraken (-3)

The Kraken have become an unbelievably streaky team in 2025-26. Seattle lost 10 of 11 games between Nov. 23 – Dec. 18, won eight of nine directly after that, and now have dropped five of six since Jan. 8. Things are either going extremely well or extremely poorly in the Emerald City, and unfortunately, right now it’s the latter. Part of it has to do with goaltending; Joey Daccord and Phil Grubauer were both exceptional in December, but have struggled since the calendar flipped. Despite that, the Kraken remain 21-17-9 and third place in the Pacific Division. The hold is precarious, and it’s crucial they start to right the ship over a six-game homestand that begins against the visiting Penguins on Monday night.

25. Anaheim Ducks (+3)

After an absolutely miserable holiday stretch, the Ducks are finally turning things around in 2026. Anaheim has won three games in a row, squeaking by Dallas 3-1 before beating a flailing Los Angeles team in both games of a home-and-home — and both by one goal. It’s not much, but it’s a start for a club that had lost nine straight directly beforehand. The Ducks are still hanging around the wildcard race, and it’s critical that they keep building on a strong Week 15 showing. The Rangers are in town on Monday before Joel Quenneville’s group heads out on a five-game road trip. The first game is in Colorado, and that will mark No. 1,000 for Alex Killorn, who has declined with age but will be remembered as a key cog on back-to-back Lightning Stanley Cup teams in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

26. Columbus Blue Jackets (+4)

The Blue Jackets were the first team to fire their coach in 2025-26, and although Dean Evason admitted he was blindsided by the move, it looks to be paying off. Columbus has won three games in a row under veteran Rick Bowness — and four straight overall — outscoring their opponents 15-9 in that span. It’s a small sample size, but it looks like the change made by GM Don Waddell was a smart one. The Jackets are still third last in the Metro, but they’re now just six points out of a playoff spot, and momentum is a funny thing. Let’s see if the Ohio-based franchise can keep this up. And congrats to Charlie Coyle, who has spent his career as a reliable middle-six center but has really found his stride this season — especially defensively. He’ll play game No. 1,000 when the Stars visit Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

27. Los Angeles Kings (-2)

The Kings just cannot seem to figure it out, and the way things are going, they are in serious jeopardy of missing the postseason for the first time since 2020-21. This is probably not how Anze Kopitar envisioned his last season with the team; he’s been in and out of the lineup with injury, and LA is scoring less goals than every team not named St. Louis or Vancouver. Now losers of six of seven, you’ve got to think that head coach Jim Hiller’s seat is getting hot with only 34 games left. There’s still a path to the playoffs in California, but the Kings badly need to get out of this slump ahead of a visit from the Rangers on Tuesday night.

28. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)

Homecoming week gets started in Chicago on Monday night — but we’ll save the Jonathan Toews bit for a few teams down. There aren’t very many players on the Blackhawks’ roster who actually played with the franchise legend; Toews endured a two-year hiatus as he battled chronic inflammatory response syndrome. But there will be quite the buzz at the United Center as a hero returns to the Windy City. It’s a big way to start the week, but the roster will just be looking for the two points after losing four of five — and that’s with Connor Bedard back in the lineup. The season is slipping away from the Hawks, who are 19-22-7 and a point away from dead last in the Central Division.

29. St. Louis Blues (no change)

Status quo for the Blues, who have been playing .500 hockey since the New Year, with four wins and four losses dating back to January 2. Being five points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference means it isn’t time to give up on the season, although this mediocre level of play will probably convince management to continue with the selling plan ahead of the deadline. Getting Dylan Holloway back in the lineup is great, but it comes at the expense of Robert Thomas; the team’s leading scorer was placed on IR on Thursday and is expected to miss at least two weeks. There already isn’t enough scoring to go around with Thomas in the fold, and a 5-0 loss to the Oilers to end the week on Sunday just proves that there’s not nearly enough offense to realistically get the 2019 champions back to contention.

30. Winnipeg Jets (+1)

For the first time ever, Jonathan Toews will play hockey at the United Center as a member of the visiting team when his Jets visit Chicago on Monday night. The Blackhawks legend won three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Selke Trophy over 15 seasons in the Windy City — while playing 1,067 games for the franchise. The ovation should be raucous for the 37-year-old, who represents a bygone era that saw the Hawks absolutely dominante the NHL in the early 2010s. You know the former captain would love to beat his old team, and not just because the reigning President’s Trophy winners have captured four of five games and returned to relevance directly after losing 11 in a row.

31. New York Rangers (-5)

Not the dreaded rebuild letter. For the second time in the last decade, Rangers management penned a memo to fans letting them know that, basically, they’d be waving the white flag on the 2025-26 season. It’s been a nightmare campaign in the Big Apple; New York didn’t win at home until mid November, suffered 10-2 and 8-4 defeats in a span of four days this month, and have now lost eight of 10. We most certainly didn’t think we would see this team at No. 31 in the NHL Power Rankings this year, but the game comes at you fast. Artemi Panarin immediately becomes the top name on everyone’s trade board, and it’s going to be intriguing to see where the Russian superstar ends up. Besides that, we won’t blame fans of this franchise for checking out over the last 32 games.

32. Vancouver Canucks (no change)

The 2025-26 Canucks are quickly becoming the 2023-25 Sharks — if you know, you know. San Jose spent virtually zero time out of the NHL Power Rankings basement over the last two seasons, and we’re in a similar boat with Vancouver this year. After winning four straight games directly after trading Quinn Hughes, this team has lost 10 games in a row and 12 of 13. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel here, unless it’s a high pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Kiefer Sherwood is gone, and a couple other veterans will probably hear their number called ahead of the deadline. Adam Foote’s first campaign behind the bench will be synonymous with one of the worst seasons in franchise history, and until further notice, Vancouver will be pulling up the rear in both our leaderboard and league standings.

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