The Rantanen trade seems to have opened the floodgates this year as other teams have quickly followed suit, trying to get big trades for less demanding costs. This could mean that we can expect a massive trade deadline, but it also means that we could end up seeing all the big moves happen before the deadline even approaches. I expect some more moves to happen throughout February, even as the Four Nations tournament approaches. Trades aside, let’s take a look at how all the NHL teams are performing up to this point.
Who are the top teams in the NHL power rankings after week 17?
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: 31)
The Mikael Granlund trade all but confirmed what we were suspecting all season long. The Sharks are blowing it up once again. They might as well. The current system wasn’t working out at all, and they needed to change. It’s not a terrible idea to tear it all down and start from scratch. They’ve gotten some decent draft picks from the pieces they’ve moved so far, and their position in the standings will get them good draft capital, too. It’ll probably be another few years of being bad, but maybe they can get a better direction.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: 32)
Last week I said the only reason the Hawks were behind the Sharks was because the Sharks had a better idea of where they wanted to go. Honestly, I still think that rings true. Both teams appear to be attempting to tear it down, but as of right now the Sharks are doing a better job at it. The Hawks will have to hope they manage to win the draft lottery again, or manage to move more pieces to get the draft capital they need.
30. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 28)
It’s official: the Kraken have given up on Phillip Grubauer. Quite frankly, they probably held onto him too long. With his poor performances over the last couple of years, his trade value went down exponentially, and the Kraken likely couldn’t find anyone to take on his NHL contract. Seattle was forced to have him clear waivers so they could send him down to the minors and free up cap space for something else. Grubauer was far from the only disappointment this season, though. Chandler Stephenson only has nine goals so far this year. It is not the value you want, given the money they spent signing him long-term.
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29. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 30)
The Sabres have yet to make any real moves this season. I can’t tell if it’s because they’re holding off to get more out of their pieces or if they’re once again mismanaging their assets. The way this team is run it wouldn’t surprise me if they don’t move anything and delude themselves into thinking what they have is still good enough to go on a cup run.
28. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: 29)
It will be interesting to see what the Ducks decide to do moving forward. I said earlier that out of the basement NHL teams, they seem to have it more figured out, but that doesn’t mean that they are quite there yet. They still need to move things around and get some more pieces to boost them to the next level. They don’t have the assets to really make a huge trade splash unless they’re willing to give up someone like Troy Terry, which I doubt they are.
27. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: 25)
I keep saying that while I don’t think the Preds are a playoff team anymore, I still think they’re better than this. Honestly, maybe they aren’t better than this. Maybe it’s time to face the reality that they really are just a bad hockey team. The good news for them is that they have plenty of assets they can use to make things better. Better start looking around Smashville!
26. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Daniel Briere at the very least has shown us that he wants to make this NHL team better. Yes, they were hoping that guys like Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee would be vital parts to their new core. While they definitely had their contributions, the Flyers needed more. Getting Andrei Kuzmenko was a good move. I think he will fit well on this roster. Jacob Pelletier and a second round pick were just a bonus.
25. Utah Hockey Club (Previous rank: 24)
On the bright side, Utah is one step closer to having an actual name for their team. Unless the Hockey Club gets voted for, which is an actual possibility. That would be depressing. Come on Utah, it’s hard enough to watch your team not make the playoffs, don’t stick them with that name. It’s so hard to say. Give us something catchier.
24. St Louis Blues (Previous rank: 22)
There really isn’t much change with the Blues. They’re still hovering around the .500 mark, pretty much where they’ve been all season. Outside of the Cam Fowler trade, they haven’t made many moves this season. It’ll be interesting to see if they decide to start actually moving assets around or if they keep going business as usual and try to hope for the best.
23. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 27)
The Penguins have a lot of contracts expiring at the end of this season. If I was in their position, I would certainly be considering some moves right now. They have around 6 million dollars in cap space which isn’t a whole lot, but it isn’t nothing either. If they move the right pieces they should definitely be able to bring in some assets to bolster their roster.
22. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 20)
The Canucks recent trades tell me that they’re getting desperate but being smart about their desperation. They know they can’t blow it all up one season removed from a decent playoff run. But they also know they can’t just sit around and take this season’s shortcomings lying down. I actually respect that a lot, even if it doesn’t end up working out for them. They at least acknowledged that their issues needed to be addressed and are working to fix them.
21. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: 15)
Well, nothing lasts forever. It was certainly a good run while it lasted Montreal and you definitely showed us you’re not a bottom of the mill team anymore. They just need to find something that will help them sustain success like that when they find it, so they don’t just fizzle out like this.
20. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 19)
The Flames are rounding out the top 20 of this list but are still in a playoff position. How does that happen? Well, the wild card race in the West right now isn’t exactly the highest of competition. The Flames have had their glaring issues all season, mainly their inability to score goals and their overreliance on their goaltender, but they’ve done what they need to to stay in the race. They haven’t stopped making moves either, as shown by the fact they just acquired Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from the Flyers.
19. New York Rangers (Previous rank: 16)
A massive congratulations to Jonathan Quick for being the first American born NHL goaltender to reach 400 career wins. What an absolutely massive accomplishment that is. His future rests in the Hall of Fame for sure. That being said, the Rangers still haven’t shown the consistency that you want to see from them and it doesn’t exactly look like fans are super happy about the J.T. Miller trade.
18. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: 14)
The Bolts are probably very grateful that the Four Nations tournament is coming up. Normally, they would’ve had the All-Star break by now, and this old team could’ve gotten some rest. Things were different this season, though, and the Bolts are in desperate need of a break to rest, recuperate, and get back on track.
17. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: 18)
The Bruins have been better, but they still find themselves on the outside looking in for the NHL playoff race right now. This is a position they haven’t been in for a couple years now and we’ll see if they have any ability to navigate it. They need strong leadership right now to stop the ship from sinking completely. Well, what they need is for Jeremy Swayman to regain his confidence, but we’ll have to wait and see if that happens.
16. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 17)
The Jackets currently hold down the last wild card spot, and they’ve looked pretty dang good doing it. The team is just clicking right now in a way we haven’t seen in a really long time. With Boone Jenner’s return seemingly imminent, one can only hope that this success continues. The Jackets deserve it. It’s a storyline we all want to see, considering the tragedy that happened this summer.
15. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 21)
Todd McLellan joined this team and taught them how to play defense. They’ve been so much better since the coaching change and now find themselves in a NHL playoff position rather than verging on irrelevancy once again. Six straight wins give them a 7-2-1 record in their last ten, and they really don’t show many signs of slowing down.
14. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 23)
Much like last season, it looks like the Islanders are starting to get hot at the right time. A 7-3-0 record in their last ten has pulled them within four points of a playoff spot after previously flirting with a basement position. I can’t say that their play is the only reason they’ve been bumped this high. The poor play of the teams behind them also has a hand in it.
13. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 12)
The Avs have looked pretty okay since moving on from Mikko Rantanen. Their new goalie tandem is working out pretty well, and Martin Necas seems to fit in pretty well in this club. That being said, they’re still in danger of missing the NHL playoffs and most likely have to find a way to get hot soon. The hole they dug themselves at the start of the season was deep, and they hadn’t finished climbing out of it quite yet.
12. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: 13)
If the Sens end up making the playoffs this year, you can color me impressed. After years of disappointing seasons and failing to meet expectations, I fully expected this team to start from scratch. They’ve proven themselves quite well this year, though. They continue to gather wins and still hold a top-three spot in the Atlantic, albeit only by one point. Do they have what it takes to keep things this way?
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 9)
The other Ontario team isn’t having as much fun as their counterparts. With a record of 4-6-0 in their last ten, the Leafs are starting to lose position. Ottawa has pulled within four points of them, and Detroit isn’t far behind. A bit ago, it seemed like a given that Toronto was going to cruise into the playoffs. However, I pointed out a few weeks ago that something felt off. Now, they may have to fight just to make the NHL playoffs.
10. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: 7)
The Kings are facing a slump at the same time they did last season, albeit not nearly as bad. The bad news? They’ve struggled heavily to score goals, and the elite defense that carried them has been slipping a bit. The good news? Drew Doughty is back, and guys like Kuemper and Kopitar are still playing very well. Also, they looked really good in their 4-2 win over Carolina. Hopefully, that sparks something for them because, at their best, this team is really good.
9. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: 11)
The Wild are still struggling with injuries, as Kaprisov is once again out for another few weeks. They’ve managed to keep their heads above water and maintain position, but it’s certainly been a struggle for them. Luckily, the wild card race is the way it is, and Minnesota will likely still have a solid chance to make the NHL playoffs. The Four Nations tournament also gives them a much-needed break for their injured players to recover.
8. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: Unchanged)
It hasn’t been a great run for New Jersey as of late, but they haven’t been as bad as they could be I suppose. They’ve slipped to third place in their division, but the closest team behind them is Columbus who is still 5 points behind so they’re still in decent position. That being said, the two teams ahead of them are Washington and Carolina, both of which are red hot.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: 3)
Vegas has had a rough couple of weeks. They’re 2-5-3 in their last ten and have officially lost the first place spot in the division. They’re only consolation right now is that LA has also been struggling and hasn’t been able to close that gap quite yet. If LA gets hot again though, Vegas could be in trouble. They saw a similar slump last year, which forced them to enter the NHL playoffs as the last wild card and play Dallas in the first round.
6. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: 10)
The Panthers are inevitable. They saw that February was getting close and decided to turn on the afterburners. They’re now in the lead of the Atlantic division and with Toronto starting to fade it looks like they might run away with the division. There’s still plenty of time for a fall apart, but this team is so sturdily built I just don’t think it will happen.
5. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 6)
Frederik Andersen being back has given the Canes a much needed boost in net and that alone has sparked them to new levels of play. Rantanen has also fit in quite well and Carolina has quickly picked themselves out of their slump and took their place back in the top two of the division. It’ll be a challenge to catch Washington, who hasn’t really slowed down at all this season, but they should secure the number two spot.
4. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Stars are one of the hottest teams in hockey right now. The only downside is that their division rivals, the Jets, are also just as hot and have a seven-point lead in the division. That doesn’t matter, though. Dallas should be able to easily secure an NHL playoff spot and will hopefully make another deep playoff run.
3. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 2)
Connor McDavid not only got suspended this year, but he has looked surprisingly human, at least by his standards. Despite Edmonton looking as good as they have, I still have the feeling of an impending collapse. I don’t know if it’ll be in the regular season or the playoffs, but something about this team still doesn’t feel quite stable. They’re more than welcome to prove me wrong.
2. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: 5)
The Jets continue to prove that their early season success was not a fluke. They are just a really good hockey team. And yes, they are a really good hockey team. They need to make something happen in the playoffs though. They haven’t won a playoff series since they made it to the conference finals back in 2018. Another quick first round exit will not do it, this team needs to start having success.
1. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: Unchanged)
While the Jets have the number one spot in the NHL’s official standings, the Caps still have the number one spot in my power rankings. This is because they just haven’t stopped. They continue to win and exceed every single expectation anyone has for them this year. Ovechkin has moved within 19 goals of Gretzky’s record, and at his pace, he may very well break it before playoffs roll around. Just an absolutely insane turnaround for a team that was considered dead in the water.
