The 2026-27 NHL season hits one month old this week and two Connors have dominated the recent news.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is off to a red-hot start that puts him in Wayne Gretzky territory if he can sustain it.
Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils pulled off a blockbuster trade with award-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck heading to the Metropolitan Division. The move happened on the day that Hellebuyck was eligible to return from his team-imposed suspension for failing to report to training camp amid a trade request.
How did those items affect NHL teams' outlooks? Here are USA TODAY Sports' NHL power rankings:
NHL power rankings
Number in parentheses is the change from the previous power rankings two weeks ago:
32. Vancouver Canucks (-5)
The Canucks are at the
bottom of the NHL standings again amid a 10-game losing streak. The latest was to the Wild in former captain Quinn Hughes' return to Vancouver. He got a goal and his 500th career point in the game. The league's worst penalty kill gave up two more goals.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
Connor Bedard is back from injury and averaging a point a game, but offseason acquisition Bowen Byram is out with an injury. The defenseman with the $12.5 million cap hithas one point in six games.
30. Los Angeles Kings (-2)
The Kings were the last NHL team to pick up their first win of the season. Scoring (2.33 goals per game) and penalty killing (65.5 percent) have both been a problem.
29. Philadelphia Flyers (+2)
They finally won in their 10th game, ending a team-record worst start, and are now on a 3-1 run. Matvei Michkov has led the way with six goals and two assists in his last five games.
28. Calgary Flames (+4)
The Flames are turning things around with a 4-1 run after an 0-5 start in which they were often blown out. That includes wins against Anaheim, Carolina and Minnesota.
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (-3)
Coach Rick Bowness called out players again after a 7-3 loss to Florida. "If they're not embarrassed, we don't want them on the team," he said. The Blue Jackets played a couple stronger games afterward before a 6-2 loss to Toronto.
26. Anaheim Ducks (-20)
The Ducks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Flyers and end a five-game losing streak. Leo Carlsson, whom the Flyers signed to an offer sheet (the Ducks matched), had a goal and an assist in the game.
25. Detroit Red Wings (+4)
With Hellebuyck traded, will fellow U.S. Olympic goal medalist Dylan Larkin be next? The Red Wings center and former captain reportedly has expanded the number of places where he'd accept a trade to 10 teams. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned.
24. Pittsburgh Penguins (-2)
Forward Ben Kindel is on the injured list after he collapsed on an Oct. 22 flight. General manager Kyle Dubas described the incident as a "vasovagal episode." According to the Mayo Clinic, that occurs "when you faint because your body overreacts to certain triggers."
23. Buffalo Sabres (+3)
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had been mentioned in trade rumors involving Hellebuyck but is staying. He has given up at least three goals in every game, including two to former Sabre Alex Tuch in a loss to the Capitals.
22. Winnipeg Jets (-8)
The Jets received goalie Nico Daws, forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, prospect Alexander Command and two draft picks in the Hellebuyck trade. They lost the Heritage Classic in their first game after the trade. Mercer had two shots and no points in his Jets debut.
21. St. Louis Blues (0)
Offseason acquisitions Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael are playing on the second line. McTavish is tied for the team lead with six goals and 10 points.
20. New York Islanders (+5)
Coach Peter DeBoer's Islanders lost 6-3 in his return to Dallas, where he led the Stars to three consecutive Western Conference finals berths before being fired. Everyone kept focus on the game, not the return. "I think what's important is the way we won the game, not who we were playing," said Stars forward Jason Robertson, who scored two goals.
19. Nashville Predators (+4)
The Predators scored four power-play goals on Oct. 25 against the Avalanche, their most in a game since 2012. That 4-for-7 performance moved them to the league's third-best power play at 33.3 percent.
18. San Jose Sharks (-2)
No. 2 overall pick Ivar Stenberg is tied for the rookie scoring lead with 12 points. He has a rookie-best seven of those on the power play.
17. Washington Capitals (-8)
With Vincent Desharnais expected to be out four to six weeks after an emergency appendectomy, the Capitals claimed defenseman Jack St. Ivany off waivers from the Jets.
16. New York Rangers (-12)
The Rangers signed veteran goalie James Reimer as they cope with a season-ending injury to Igor Shesterkin. Dylan Garand, handed the No. 1 role, has lost three of his last four games, though one was a 1-0 shootout loss.
15. Colorado Avalanche (-7)
The Avalanche dealt away some depth during the offseason and it's showing. They have fallen to a 6-5-1 record after losing three of their last four. Colorado was 7-1-4 last season after 12 games.
14. Florida Panthers (+1)
The Panthers became the first team in NHL history to record three consecutive natural hat tricks. Brady Tkachuk had the first two and Carter Verhaeghe had the third. But they have been dealt another injury blow when goalie Jacob Markstrom was hurt in practice.
13. Montreal Canadiens (+7)
Playoff hero goalie Jakub Dobes continues to struggle while Jacob Fowler continues to shine. That includes the Heritage Classic, where Fowler made 33 saves for a 2-1 win against the Jets.
12. Seattle Kraken (+1)
The Kraken's depth will be tested after Jared McCann suffered a lower-body injury. He will miss 10 weeks and has been placed on the injured list.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (+7)
Auston Matthews has rebounded nicely from his injury-filled 2025-26 season. He's among the league leaders with 19 points in 13 games.
10. New Jersey Devils (+9)
The Devils get a bump because they won the Hellebuyck trade sweepstakes. They were off to a solid start even before acquiring the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
9. Ottawa Senators (+3)
Senators fans booed Brady Tkachuk on his return to Ottawa and got the win. However, goalie Linus Ullmark left the game with an injury and was placed on injured reserve.
8. Dallas Stars (+9)
The Stars have signed veteran forward David Perron as insurance after injuries to Matt Duchene and Oskar Back. He'll be playing in his 20th NHL season once he suits up.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (-2)
Nikita Kucherov became the Lightning's all-time scorer, passing Steven Stamkos with an assist on Oct. 24. The 2025-26 MVP has 1,138 career points.
6. Utah Mammoth (+4)
The Mammoth lead the league in power play percentage at 38.1 percent, slightly above the Oilers. Clayton Keller leads the way with 10 power play points. The team also had been linked to Hellebuyck rumors.
5. Vegas Golden Knights (-2)
Despite trading 37-goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev, the Golden Knights are scoring at a higher pace this season. Jack Eichel has 19 points in 13 games.
4. Minnesota Wild (+7)
Defenseman Quinn Hughes gave an update on his mindset as he's eligible for an extension. "My two feet are planted in Minnesota and, you know, something could happen soon. I'm not really too sure," he told reporters on Oct. 24. "I'm really enjoying playing here."
3. Boston Bruins (+4)
Rookie James Hagens has had a strong start with nine points in 12 games despite playing a little less than 13 minutes a game.
2. Edmonton Oilers (0)
Connor McDavid is having an otherworldly start, averaging three points a game during his season-opening 11-game point streak. The Oilers have the top three scorers in the league in McDavid (33), Leon Draisaitl (23) and Evan Bouchard (tied for third at 21).
1. Carolina Hurricanes (0)
They lead the league in points and that's without defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract on Oct. 25. Stanley Cup-clinching goalie Brandon Bussi still hasn't reclaimed his form (yielding a five-point game to McDavid) but Pyotr Kochetkov is 6-0 with a 1.70 goals-against average.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL power rankings: Connor McDavid on fire; Devils land Connor Hellebuyck
