The Carolina Hurricanes have slipped from the number one spot in NHL.com’s latest power rankings, a move that stings for fans who expected them to hold firm after a solid start to the 2026-27 season. This drop comes despite the team posting a 2-1-1 record through their first four games, a mark that still places them well above .500 in the early going. The new ranking puts them at number three in the league, trailing both the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild in the eyes of the NHL.com panel.
This shift highlights how quickly the landscape changes when the season is only ten days old. The Hurricanes earned 181 total points from the voters, a solid score but not enough to keep the top seat. Per reports, the team dropped from their preseason spot at number one after the panel weighed the early results against the rest of the league. The panel of broadcasters, reporters, and analysts sent in their 1-32 polls based on games played through Wednesday. Those ballots combined to create the new order we see today.
The Rivalry Shift
The team that now sits on top, the Colorado Avalanche, has climbed two spots to claim the number one rank with 234 points. They are riding a wave of high-powered offense that has averaged 5.33 goals per game so far. Their power play has been a major factor, converting at a 40.0 percent clip through their first three contests. This is a massive jump from last season, when they finished 27th in the league with a 17.1 percent rate on the man-advantage.
Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial, noted the specific impact of this change. “Look, it’s a small sample size for sure, but the Avalanche have found themselves a power play,” Roarke wrote in his analysis. He added that if this unit stays even average for the rest of the year, the Avalanche could be even more dominant than last season when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. The Hurricanes will need to find their own offensive rhythm to catch up to this new leader.
Goaltending and Defense
While Colorado rides the offense wave, the Minnesota Wild have impressed with their stingy defense. They sit at number two in the rankings with 190 points, a jump from their seventh-place spot last week. Over the first three contests, the Wild have surrendered only five goals, a pace projecting to elite status across a complete 82-game schedule. Three of those goals came in the final third of a single game against Buffalo, meaning they gave up only two in the other eight periods of hockey.
Starting every one of those three matches, Jesper Wallstedt anchored the net by halting 70 of 75 shots to record a .933 save percentage. Paul Strizhevsky, a staff writer for the outlet, praised the structure in front of the net. “Minnesota surrendered all of two goals through its first eight periods of hockey, a pretty good way to start a season,” Strizhevsky said. The Hurricanes have a strong defensive core, but they must match this level of consistency to regain the top spot.
What Lies Ahead
The Hurricanes face a tough schedule in the next week to prove they belong at the top. They will host the Washington Capitals on Friday night, followed by a trip to the Boston Bruins. The team needs to secure wins quickly to build momentum and push their point total higher in the eyes of the voters.
Every game matters this early. A loss to Washington would hurt their standing even more, while a win could help them climb back toward the top two. The panel updates their rankings weekly based on the latest results. Fans will watch closely to see if the Hurricanes can reverse this slide or if the Avalanche will hold the crown. The race is wide open, and the next few days will define the early narrative of the season.
