NHL Power Play Rankings: Best NHL Power Plays in 2024-25

A potent power play can disguise a subpar team in today’s NHL.

The cream inevitably rises to the top come playoff time, but we have seen teams blitz the NHL over an 82-game season by dominating at 5-on-4. This is especially the case when one team goes on a historic season-long PP burner, as we have seen this season.

Here are the NHL power-play rankings with percentages accurate as of Feb. 14.

NHL Power Play Rankings: Best NHL Power Plays in 2024-25

1. Jets 

The Jets lead the entire NHL in points (81) and goals (202), so it stands to reason they are on pace for the greatest single-season power play since the league started tracking PP percentage in 1977.

Gabriel Vilardi has nearly as many power-play goals (11) himself as the entire New York Islanders (15), yet his 22 power-play points still trail Kyle Connor’s 23 for the team lead. 

Whether Winnipeg can keep this historic pace up for the rest of the regular season remains to be seen, but its dominant man-up is a main factor why it is the favorite to claim the Presidents’ Trophy.

2. Red Wings

The Red Wings’ PP has been a huge factor in their quick ascent in the Eastern Conference standings. Detroit’s power play was dormant under previous coach Derek Lalonde, but it has taken off since coach Todd McLellan was hired by scoring at a 39.7 percent clip since Dec. 27.

The Wings’ PP spearheaded their seven-game winning streak that pushed them from the Atlantic Division basement to the second wild card spot as of mid-January. Its man-advantage will need to keep being great if Detroit can reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

17. Avalanche

The Avalanche are still Cup contenders, but they have been stuck in fourth place in the Central Division, and therefore still are just a wild card team with about two months left. Much of their struggles have been attributed to goaltending, but their incomprehensibly average power play also has been a culprit. 

Despite icing some of the most skilled players on Earth, like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Devon Toews and more, Colorado’s power play is scoring the 10th-fewest power-play goals per game (0.63) in 29 seasons since it moved from Quebec City.

Somehow MacKinnon still leads the NHL in points despite the average PP. But if he, or the rest of the Avalanche power play catch fire the rest of this season, Colorado may catapult up the standings and get into the top-3 in its division.

But it hasn’t done so yet.

18. Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are still very much in playoff contention despite their recent skid, both in play and on the power play. Columbus scored just one power-play goal in 21 attempts over a month since Jan. 14.

Maybe it is just a skid, since Columbus had scored a PPG in 13 of 18 games while winning 10 of those before the recent downturn. If Norris Trophy candidate Zach Werenski can get Columbus’ power play going, it is likely to separate itself in the hunt for the final wild-card spot in the East.

21. Hurricanes

The Hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantanen to aid its ailing power play, but their man-advantage has cratered since they sent Martin Necas west to Colorado for Rantanen. Carolina is 1 for 14 on the man-advantage since it acquired Rantanen, and now there are rumblings of Rantanen being dealt again before the March 7 deadline.

The Hurricanes power play, like the Stars’, has been their undoing in the playoffs over the past three years. If Rod Brind’Amour can’t get the man-advantage going before the postseason, it could be a problem again, which is important since this is an important year for the Canes.

32. Islanders

The Islanders are the anti-Jets, with a power play on pace to be one of the worst in NHL history. New York is currently on pace for the fewest power-play goals per game (0.27) in an 82-game season since 1977.

New York is currently riding a 1 for 18 streak on the PP (5.5 percent) over its past nine games, yet its power-play percentage has actually risen over the past month from 10.5 percent. At the moment it is only the 11th-worst power play in league history, which is an improvement since mid-January.

The Isles added power-play specialist Tony DeAngelo last month, but their man-advantage could crater further if they traded Brock Nelson before the trade deadline. Nelson may only have one goal and two points with the man-advantage this season, but more than 20 percent of his career points have come on the power play.