The 2025 NHL season has been one of thrilling excitement for some teams and gut-crushing disappointment for others. Some teams have surprised us, while others have fallen dreadfully short of expectations.
Atlantic Division:
Currently, the Toronto Maple Leafs sit atop the Atlantic Division standings. This success comes despite missing their star player and the NHL’s top scorer, Auston Matthews. They are four points ahead of the second-place, the Florida Panthers. Florida, the former Stanley Cup champion, has underperformed but still managed to stay in contention in the Atlantic. Over the past five years, the Atlantic Division has been a powerhouse, with Tampa Bay winning the Cup and the Bruins breaking the record for most wins in a regular season. Right now, however, the division appears to have two real contenders and several pretenders.
Metropolitan Division:
The Metro has been one of the most competitive yet disappointing divisions in all of hockey. The bottom five teams are miles behind the top three, and many of them have fallen far short of expectations. The Rangers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular-season team last year, are currently sixth in the division and traded their captain, Jacob Trouba. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals are one of the hottest teams in hockey, propelled by a strong start from the seemingly ageless Alex Ovechkin and a physical style of play. The Devils, in second place, occasionally look like a team to be feared, but their inexperience leads to their inconsistency. Finally, the Carolina Hurricanes began the season as a dominant team with almost no losses but have stumbled over the past month, falling to third in the division.
Central Division:
The Central Division has been one of the most erratic in hockey. The Winnipeg Jets started the year by winning 17 games in a row, breaking a franchise record, and, for many, cementing themselves as the best team in the league. However, their momentum fizzled, allowing their rivals, the Minnesota Wild, to take over the division lead. Wild star Kirill Kaprizov has been one of the hottest players in fantasy and a key force on the ice for Minnesota fans. Former Stanley Cup winners, the Colorado Avalanche, have stayed in contention. With a potential back-to-back Hart Trophy winner in Nathan MacKinnon and the league’s best defenseman in Cale Makar, they look playoff-bound. Farther down the standings, disappointing campaigns from the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks stand out. Nashville has gone from potential Cup contenders to near the league’s bottom, while Chicago has struggled to build around young star Connor Bedard. Even the NHL’s newest franchise in Utah started strong, but has recently failed to meet expectations, mirroring the struggles of many Central Division teams.
Pacific Division:
The Pacific is arguably the most consistent division in the NHL currently. The Vegas Golden Knights lead the division—and the league—with an astounding 57 points at the halfway mark. Even two years after their Cup win and trading their captain, Mark Stone, Vegas continues to prove that, in their city, you win big. Six points behind, the LA Kings sit in second place with the best defense in the league. They are followed by Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers. After that, the points drop. The Vancouver Canucks have had a disappointing season, likely fueled by disagreements between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The last-place Sharks started the season strong with their new prospect, Macklin Celebrini, but have since faltered—a recurring story for many of the NHL’s rising teams.
We still have three more months to go in the NHL regular season. These remaining months could cement the contenders, expose the pretenders, and lead us into one of the most exciting playoffs in professional sports.
