The 2024-25 season is underway, and that means the first NHL Power Rankings are here. There have been a few surprises in the early going, and that means there may be a lot of volatility in these first few weeks.

“They need to play games. They have to play games. They’re too young,” Nill said. “You’ve seen the development with the Logan Stankovens, Mavrik Bourques, go back to Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, all these players spent time in the minors. You need to play games.”

The Nashville Predators host the Dallas Stars for their season opener on Thursday, October 10. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans looking to watch this MLB game can do so with ESPN+. ESPN+ plans are $10.99 a month or $14.99 a month if you bundle with Hulu and Disney+.

In several cases, prospects are getting a nine-game look at the NHL level before their team must decide whether to send them back to the Canadian junior leagues. The rest have already begun their seasons there or in the NCAA or other leagues worldwide.

There's a ton of movement in the NHL power rankings early on in the season, although it's not time to overreact yet. Here's what stands out already for each team.