2026-27 Team Pulse: where every NHL team is heading

Standings say who's good; Team Pulse says who's improving. First the trajectory of the last five seasons (−100 to +100): is the team rising or falling? Then this season against last. The rating this year, separately, says how good it is right now (0 to 100); it changes as the season goes, last season weighing less with every game. Each dimension — results, offense, defense, power play, penalty kill, goaltending, possession, roster — is compared with the league of the same season.

Early season: 34 games played. Team Pulse rests mostly on the roster (players' trends), and last season still weighs heavily in the rating this year. Both sharpen with every game; recalculated daily.

Rising the most over 5 years

Montreal Canadiens54↑↑ +52
Utah Mammoth95↑↑ +51
Philadelphia Flyers24↑ +26
Detroit Red Wings37↑ +25
Buffalo Sabres63↑ +23

Declining the most over 5 years

#	Team
1	Montreal Canadiens2 GP	54	↑↑ +52	→ 0	72→	21→	65→	19→	55→	47→	81→	—	+1	+8(core +19)
2	Utah Mammoth2 GP	95	↑↑ +51	→ +7	87→	88→	92→	60→	99→	88→	65→	—	+7	-1(core +5)
3	Philadelphia Flyers3 GP	24	↑ +26	→ -10	15↓	61↓	15→	39→	33→	20↓	37→	—	-10	+7(core +5)
4	Detroit Red Wings1 GP	37	↑ +25	→ +2	26→	35→	60→	32→	56→	41→	50→	—	+2	+6(core +11)
5	Buffalo Sabres2 GP	63	↑ +23	→ +4	87→	39→	30→	62→	54→	68→	49→	—	+5	+7(core +11)
6	Columbus Blue Jackets2 GP	47	↑ +23	→ 0	59→	42→	42→	8→	48→	58→	57→	—	+1	+3(core +12)
7	Ottawa Senators1 GP	78	↑ +21	→ +2	72→	89→	66→	50→	14→	89→	81→	—	+2	+7(core +15)
8	New Jersey Devils2 GP	43	→ +14	→ +1	33→	39→	61→	62→	23→	70→	52→	—	+1	-3(core -2)
9	Anaheim Ducks1 GP	36	→ +14	→ +2	77→	10→	21→	23→	27→	63→	55→	—	+3	+11(core +20)
10	Chicago Blackhawks3 GP	1	→ +12	→ -6	7→	2→	9→	64→	38→	1→	1→	—	-6	+2(core +5)
11	Dallas Stars2 GP	80	→ +11	→ -1	50→	82→	95→	74→	70→	51→	84→	—	-1	-2(core 0)
12	Vegas Golden Knights2 GP	81	→ +10	→ +1	63→	88→	95→	95→	10→	86→	74→	—	+1	-1(core +3)
13	Washington Capitals2 GP	66	→ +7	→ +1	76→	25→	23→	46→	94→	50→	79→	—	+1	-5(core -5)
14	Colorado Avalanche2 GP	99	→ +6	→ +4	100→	93→	28→	96→	83→	97→	88→	—	+5	-1(core +8)
15	Seattle Kraken2 GP	20	→ +5	→ +3	10→	51→	34→	6→	71→	11→	29→	—	+3	-5(core -7)
16	Winnipeg Jets1 GP	21	→ +4	→ -1	13→	41→	34→	39→	27→	22→	39→	—	-2	-12(core -12)
17	Tampa Bay Lightning2 GP	84	→ +2	→ 0	91→	73→	36→	78→	50→	84→	79→	—	+1	+1(core +5)
18	Los Angeles Kings2 GP	46	→ -4	→ -1	20→	97→	15→	8→	21→	76→	30→	—	-1	-4(core -1)
19	Minnesota Wild2 GP	75	→ -7	→ +5	47→	60→	92→	45→	89→	60→	77→	—	+6	+6(core +6)
20	San Jose Sharks2 GP	16	→ -9	→ +1	32→	25→	51→	14→	17→	14→	31→	—	+2	+6(core +11)
21	Edmonton Oilers3 GP	63	→ -12	→ +1	73→	47→	99→	24→	7→	76→	75→	—	0	0(core +1)
22	Pittsburgh Penguins2 GP	81	→ -13	→ +8	93→	61→	87→	89→	30→	77→	65→	—	+8	+1(core +1)
23	New York Islanders2 GP	52	→ -14	→ +6	40→	52→	13→	50→	99→	35→	21→	—	+6	0(core +3)
24	Nashville Predators2 GP	30	→ -14	→ 0	24→	21→	50→	63→	49→	26→	54→	—	0	-3(core +6)
25	Carolina Hurricanes3 GP	93	→ -19	→ -3	88↓	70→	78→	96→	30→	98→	95→	—	-3	+2(core +5)
26	St. Louis Blues2 GP	20	↓ -22	→ -3	31→	36→	4→	44→	24→	31→	30→	—	-4	-6(core -7)
27	Vancouver Canucks3 GP	2	↓ -26	→ +1	12↑	3→	51→	4→	8→	5→	7→	—	-1	-9(core -6)
28	Florida Panthers2 GP	63	↓ -28	→ +2	38→	91→	33→	83→	23→	64→	65→	—	+1	-4(core -5)
29	New York Rangers3 GP	64	↓ -33	→ +5	13→	87→	80→	87→	94→	25→	46→	—	+6	-1(core +5)
30	Toronto Maple Leafs3 GP	20	↓ -38	→ +6	33→	7→	28→	70→	45→	11→	54→	—	+3	-1(core -1)
31	Calgary Flames2 GP	5	↓ -41	→ -2	14→	11→	9→	79→	49→	20→	0→	—	-3	-7(core -3)
32	Boston Bruins3 GP	57	↓ -43	→ +5	53→	67↑	55→	3→	89→	40→	47→	—	+5	+3(core 0)

How it's calculated

Each measure becomes an index against the league over the same period: 100 = NHL average, 120 = 20% better (inverted for goals against). Comparing with the league, not raw numbers, keeps seasons comparable.

OFF — Offense (20 %) :: Even strength: goals and xG for, high-danger chances, shots, finishing.
DEF — Defense (20 %) :: Even strength: goals and xG against, high-danger chances, shots.
PP — Power play (8 %) :: Goals and xG per 60 PP minutes, PP %.
PK — Penalty kill (7 %) :: Goals and xG against per 60 PK minutes, PK %.
GOAL — Goaltending (15 %) :: Goals allowed against expected.
POS — Possession (15 %) :: Even-strength xG%, Corsi%, Fenwick%.
ROSTER — Roster (15 %) :: Current players' ratings, and their trend.

Rating this year: each dimension blends this season with last (weighing like 20 games), then is ranked among the 32 teams; the rating weights the seven ranks. Team Pulse: the change in each dimension (this season vs last for the main pulse; also 10 games, season and 3 years), pulled toward zero while the season is young — 20 index points = ±100 — plus Roster Trend: each player's trend (PAL, WAR per 60, ratings, age), weighted by ice time and importance.

Team engine version 1.0. The 5- and 10-year horizons and the competitive window (Team Window) will come with past seasons' history.