All 32 NHL Teams Ranked by Penalty Kill: 2025/2026 Season

Which Teams Have the Best Penalty Kills in the NHL?

The elite tier sets the tone. These units actively kill momentum, and a few of them turn penalty kills into scoring chances going the other way.

• Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa owns one of the league's best PK rates, sitting above 86% and ranking first or second on multiple leaderboards. Their aggressive forward-pressing box forces quick decisions at the blue line and consistently denies clean entries.
• Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo sits neck-and-neck with Tampa above 86%, pressuring high but collapsing quickly to the slot. Their speed up front generates short-handed rushes, turning kills into mini momentum swings that can flip a game's betting narrative.
• Colorado Avalanche: Colorado runs an 86% PK and combines an active blue-line gap with forwards who read seams early. Any breakdowns tend to get covered by strong team goaltending, keeping their numbers elite despite heavy offensive zone time.
• Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh sits in the mid-85% range with veteran centers winning draws for quick clears. They switch smoothly between a passive box and an aggressive diamond depending on the opponent, and they rarely give up multiple power play goals in a single game.
• New York Islanders: The Islanders hover in the mid-80s, tracking top five to top seven in PK percentage. Tight lanes, sticks in passing channels, and strong goaltending mean that when they bend, they almost never break.
• Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago sits north of 83% on the kill, a massive shift from previous rebuild years. Better gap control and more disciplined stick work have turned this into a genuine strength on a team still developing at five-on-five.
• Calgary Flames: Calgary checks in around 82-83%, solidly top 10. Their defensemen close quickly at the dots and allow low-angle point shots while cutting off the bumper. Not overly aggressive, but very well drilled.
• Florida Panthers: Florida posts numbers in the low-80s while facing heavy volume due to their physical style. Pressure on the half walls and quick clears stop teams from settling into long setups, and goaltending covers the rest.

Read more: NHL Betting: The Ultimate Guide for the 2025/2026 Hockey Season

Which Teams Have Strong but Not Elite Penalty Kills?

These units are above average and reliable in most betting contexts. They won't single-handedly win you bets, but they won't cost you them either.

• Vegas Golden Knights: Vegas sits in the low-80s, excelling at denying zone entries and steering rushes to the boards. Once set, they keep everything to the outside.
• Boston Bruins: Boston runs a low-80s PK backed by reliable goaltending and a long-standing defensive culture. Experienced penalty killers rotate smoothly, keeping blown coverages rare.
• Dallas Stars: Dallas sits just over 82%, with forwards aggressively hunting the points to force turnovers. The Stars' goalies track cross-ice pucks well enough to cover the occasional seam against.
• Utah Mammoth: Impressive for a relocated roster still building chemistry, Utah falls in the low-80s with a conservative shape that prioritizes the middle over blue-line chasing.
• Philadelphia Flyers: Philly sits just under 82% and blocks a ton of shots. Depth forwards buy in completely, so there's little drop-off when the first unit comes off the ice.
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Toronto hovers around 81-82% after climbing from past seasons. Their forwards pressure the half wall more, and their defense pivots quickly to protect the slot.
• Nashville Predators: Nashville sits at roughly 81% with a physical identity in front of the net. Their main weakness is occasional over-pursuit high in the zone, which can open back-door looks.

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Which Teams Have Average Penalty Kills?

These teams sit right around the league average band. Their PK won't lose you a bet on its own, but it's not an edge either.

• Minnesota Wild: Around 80-81%, with tight structure but limited pace and stick pressure compared to the elite units. Goaltender support keeps the numbers respectable.
• Los Angeles Kings: Roughly 80% efficiency, conservative pressure, comfortable letting goalies see shots rather than chasing at the points. Steady, if unspectacular.
• San Jose Sharks: Just over 80% and a genuine bright spot for a rebuilding team. They tighten up quickly once set, but limited depth means heavy minutes for their best killers.
• New York Rangers: Sitting in the 80% band, their forwards can be overly aggressive hunting short-handed chances, which opens back-door plays. When they rein that in, the unit looks considerably better.
• Winnipeg Jets: About 80%, with the main strength being their goaltender erasing missed assignments. The skaters themselves can be too passive, conceding point shots with screens.
• Edmonton Oilers: Just under 80%, a slight weakness on an otherwise high-octane team. They can be caught cheating for offense while down a man, which leads to seam passes and back-door tap-ins.
• Detroit Red Wings: Around 79%, with better structure than previous seasons but rotations that still break down against elite power plays.
• Carolina Hurricanes: Surprisingly in the high-70s, below expectations for a team with their five-on-five profile. Their aggressive identity sometimes spills over into over-committing while short-handed.

Read more: All 32 NHL Teams Ranked for the 2025/2026 Season

Which Teams Have the Worst Penalty Kills in the League?

These units are active liabilities. When betting games involving these teams, factor in that every power play against them is a genuine scoring threat.

• St. Louis Blues: Just under 78%, with slow PK rotations and point shots through traffic causing consistent problems.
• Montreal Canadiens: Just over 77%, with a young defense still making coverage mistakes in the slot and goalies seeing too much east-west puck movement.
• Anaheim Ducks: Around 75-76%, spending too much time in their own zone with inconsistent clears. Young defenders are still learning when to pressure and when to collapse.
• Washington Capitals: Mid-70s, with an aging core and slower feet showing up on seam passes and point rotations. They block shots, but gaps open far more than in their prime years.
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Around 72%, near the very bottom of the league. Positioning breaks down under extended pressure, and goaltending can't fully cover for those mistakes.
• Vancouver Canucks: Roughly 72% as well, allowing clean entries too frequently and struggling to clear pucks once they gain control. That leads to long, draining kills that wear teams down.
• Ottawa Senators: Around 71%, giving up seam passes and net-front position on a regular basis. Discipline is also an issue, meaning they spend too much time short-handed in the first place.
• Seattle Kraken: Last in the league at roughly 66%, a clear outlier at the bottom. Slow rotations, limited pressure, and conceding both entries and high-danger looks make this unit a major liability every single game.

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How Penalty Kill Rankings Should Change Your Bets

Here's the practical application before you place anything tonight.

• Totals betting: Elite PK teams push totals toward the under in penalty-heavy matchups. When two bottom-tier PK teams meet, the over gets considerably more attractive.
• Puck line value: Teams with top-five penalty kills cover puck lines at a higher rate in games where the opponent draws multiple penalties. A clean kill in the third period is as good as a goal.
• Live betting: If a bottom-tier PK team like Seattle or Ottawa takes two penalties in the second period, their live odds to lose shift more than the market often reflects. That's a live betting edge worth knowing.
• Underdogs with elite PKs: Buffalo and Tampa killing penalties at 86% while sitting as underdogs in certain matchups is a value signal. Great PK teams keep games close, and close games mean underdog value on the moneyline.

Read more: All 32 NHL Teams Ranked by Defense: 2025/2026 Season