KVSP NHL Power Rankings: Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas lift Avalanche to top spot with brilliant chemistry
Written by Lucky Wilson | KJMM.COM on October 22, 2025
Just weeks into the season, a new team stands atop the NHL Power Rankings. The Colorado Avalanche earned that bump thanks in particular to the dynamic duo of Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.
After arriving in Denver midway through the 2024-25 season, Necas immediately looked like a fit alongside MacKinnon. His speed and puckhandling were a perfect fit with one of the league’s best players.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, after a full offseason with the Avalanche, Necas took that connection to another level. Coming into Tuesday night’s game against the Utah Mammoth, Colorado outscored opponents 8-0 with MacKinnon and Necas on the ice together at five-on-five. Those results were not a fluke either because their expected goals share was a jaw-dropping 63.7%.
On the scoresheet, Necas and MacKinnon combined to score 11 goals while adding 10 assists. Necas’ latest tally was this game-tying beauty against the Mammoth.
When Mikko Rantanen went to the Hurricanes in that deal for Necas, I’m not sure anyone predicted that the latter would fit in so seamlessly alongside MacKinnon. Frankly, that makes it even more absurd that the Avs haven’t signed Necas to a contract extension yet. They probably won’t get that lucky on the trade market again.
With MacKinnon and Necas torching the league together, here are the updated NHL Power Rankings.
All expected goals and goals saved above average data via Natural Stat Trick.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Avalanche |
With Mackenzie Blackwood out to start the season, backup Scott Wedgewood has been terrific in goal. His .938 save percentage and 5.55 goals saved above average are among the best marks in the league. | 1 | 5-0-2 |
| 2 |
 Golden Knights |
Does Jack Eichel have yet another level to his game? It sure looks that way. He has six goals and 10 assists through the first seven games. It’s still way too early for Hart Trophy talk but … Jack Eichel for Hart Trophy? | 5 | 5-0-2 |
| 3 |
 Hurricanes |
The Hurricanes are rolling, and they haven’t even gotten much production from big-ticket free agent Nikolaj Ehlers. Once he gets comfortable in his new digs — and I’m sure he will — Carolina will look even more dangerous. | 2 | 5-1-0 |
| 4 |
 Devils |
New Jersey has rattled off five straight wins and Jack Hughes has six goals in six games. Now 24 years old, Hughes has 100-point potential and then some. If he can get there, the Devils are every bit the Stanley Cup contender they appear to be on paper. | 2 | 5-1-0 |
| 5 |
 Jets |
On Monday night, Jonathan Toews scored his first NHL goal since April 13, 2023. There’s still some question about how much the 37-year-old can bring to the Jets, but there may have been times over the last 18 months when Toews thought that next goal may never come. | 3 | 5-1-0 |
| 6 |
 Capitals |
Aliaksei Protas seems determined to build upon his 66-point showing last season with eight points in his first seven games. A 6-foot-6 and 250-pound tank, Protas is a treat to watch when he gets going. I recommend queuing up some Capitals games soon. | 5 | 5-2-0 |
| 7 |
 Stars |
It was clear to everyone that defensive depth could the the Stars’ Achilles heel this season, and it certainly has been in the early going. Once you get past Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell, it’s not pretty. I expect GM Jim Nill to make a move at that position. | 6 | 3-3-0 |
| 8 |
 Canadiens |
The young Habs keep playing (and winning) one-goal thrillers. Can they sustain that? I don’t know! Will I continue to watch because they are an absolute blast? Absolutely! | 5 | 5-2-0 |
| 9 |
 Oilers |
The Oilers have nine 5-on-5 goals so far. That’s tied for 28th, and it puts them in a tier with the Sharks, Sabres, Wild and Flames. The team’s 5.96% shooting percentage in those situations is almost two full points below where it was last season. | 6 | 3-3-1 |
| 10 |
 Panthers |
It has been a brutal start for 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett. He has two points and a minus-7 goal differential at 5-on-5. I do think a lot of that is poor luck because his sparkling 57.8% expected goals share suggests better days are coming. | 6 | 4-4-0 |
| 11 |
 Maple Leafs |
The Maple Leafs are tied for third in the NHL with 24 goals scored, and their 25 goals allowed are tied for 27th. Toronto is making sure that fans on both sides get their money’s worth on those tickets. | 2 | 3-3-1 |
| 12 |
 Mammoth |
Nick Schmaltz has suddenly caught fire with eight points in his last four games, and that’s a big reason why the Mammoth have rattled off four straight wins. I will continue to pound the drum here. Utah will be a problem for the Central Division. | 6 | 5-2-0 |
| 13 |
 Red Wings |
In each of the first three games, Dylan Larkin registered one point. In the next two, he notched two points. In his last outing, Larkin totaled four points. If I’m doing my math correctly, he should have an eight-point night on Wednesday. | 6 | 5-1-0 |
| 14 |
 Blues |
The early returns on the Blues’ acquisition of Logan Mailloux are quite poor. Zack Bolduc is playing quite well for the Canadiens, and St. Louis has been outscored 7-0 with Mailloux on the ice at 5-on-5. There’s still plenty of time for the 22-year-old to grow, however. | 1 | 3-2-1 |
| 15 |
 Penguins |
First-year coach Dan Muse has the pesky Penguins at the top of the Metro Division race after seven games. Hands down the biggest surprise so far for the Pens has been the goaltending. Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs have combined for 4.17 goals saved above average. | 8 | 5-2-0 |
| 16 |
 Ducks |
The kids are flourishing in Anaheim already. Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish. Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke have combined for 11 goals and 12 assists. Is the elusive “next step” finally happening? | 8 | 3-2-1 |
| 17 |
 Wild |
It’s still an extremely small sample size, but my antenna is up in regard to this Wild team. They’ve been carried by a red-hot power play while their 5-on-5 expected goals share (45.8%) and goal differential (minus-5) are among the worst numbers in the NHL. | 1 | 3-3-1 |
| 18 |
 Canucks |
Through his first four starts, Thatcher Demko looks healthy again. His .897 high-danger save percentage is exceptional, and the Canucks are 3-1-0 with him in net. Vancouver just needs to hand the crease over to him full-time again. | 4 | 4-3-0 |
| 19 |
 Senators |
Shane Pinto is off to an exceptional start with seven goals in seven games. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Sens, goaltending has let this team down in a major way to this point. | 9 | 2-4-1 |
| 20 |
 Kraken |
If the Kraken are going to make any noise whatsoever in the West, Joey Daccord needs to be better than his .889 save percentage and -1.45 goals saved above average. | 1 | 3-2-2 |
| 21 |
 Kings |
Anze Kopitar has been labeled week-to-week with a foot injury, and that’s poor timing for a Kings team off to a slow start. The Kings don’t really have enough firepower to make up for losing a two-way player of Kopitar’s caliber. | 7 | 2-3-2 |
| 22 |
 Blue Jackets |
It took a few games for the Jackets to get going, but back-to-back wins over the Lightning and Stars might be enough to get the jumpstarted as we near the end of October. | 4 | 3-3-0 |
| 23 |
 Lightning |
Tampa has been awful in one-goal games to this point, but there may be more too that than bad puck luck. The goaltending has been poor, and the underlying 5-on-5 numbers have taken a dip to this point. | 11 | 1-3-2 |
| 24 |
 Rangers |
The Rangers rank fourth in the NHL with 25.1 expected goals. They rank 27th in actual goals with 16. Their offensive struggles to this point have been truly baffling. | 7 | 3-4-1 |
| 25 |
 Flyers |
Trevor Zegras is tied for the team lead with five assists, and his three primary assists are first. If Rick Tocchet can help Zegras realize his full playmaking potential, Philadelphia will have gotten him for a steal in the offseason. | 2 | 3-2-1 |
| 26 |
 Blackhawks |
I don’t think the Blackhawks are totally inept. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but I can assure you it is sincere. Chicago has been unwatchable for much of the last two seasons, so this start is a breath of fresh air. | 4 | 3-2-2 |
| 27 |
 Islanders |
I can’t believe I’m typing this, but Ilya Sorokin has been outright bad. He ranks 57th in the NHL with 3.85 goals allowed above average, and his .874 save percentage is shocking. I thought New York would have problems. I didn’t think he would be one. | 5 | 3-3-0 |
| 28 |
 Bruins |
After their 3-0 start, the Bruins have lost five straight games in regulation. At least they had the decency to ice a watchable product until basketball season rolled around. | 8 | 3-5-0 |
| 29 |
 Predators |
Nashville is not a team built to score at full strength, and that lack of offensive prowess has been exacerbated by a power play operating at a league-worst 8.3%. That red light won’t get a lot of work at Bridgestone Arena this year. | 4 | 2-3-2 |
| 30 |
 Sabres |
Jason Zucker leads the Sabres with three goals, which is both a testament to his play in the early going and a condemnation of the team’s top players amid a slow start. | 2 | 2-4-0 |
| 31 |
 Flames |
The Flames have now lost six straight, and they haven’t even managed to pick up a loser point in that stretch. Their minus-15 goals differential is the worst in the NHL. | 2 | 1-6-0 |
| 32 |
 Sharks |
Yaroslav Askarov has allowed 6.56 goals above averaged (62nd in the NHL) while posting a .837 save percentage. Good start for my Calder Trophy pick! | 1 | 0-4-2 |
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