The holidays have come and gone and it’s back to business for the NHL. The All-Stars have been named, and the trade deadline is just a couple months away. Expect teams to start making moves in order to bolster their roster before the season comes to an end. There’s been a lot of changes these last couple weeks so let’s take a look at the rankings.
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The one constant you can expect this season is that the Sharks will continue to perform badly. We’re almost halfway through the season and they’ve still yet to win double digit games. The sad thing is, where do you even start when it comes to trying to fix this?
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Things couldn’t get much worse for Chicago. The one good thing they had going for them was Connor Bedard and he was just put on IR with a fractured jaw. Without his offensive production, it’s likely Chicago sinks further than they were before.
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Ducks are already looking forward to the draft. They came so close to snagging Bedard last draft, and who knows how much that would’ve helped them. They’re once again in position to win the draft lottery, but have some stout competition in Chicago and San Jose.
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29. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: Unchanged)
This was supposed to be the year Ottawa made a splash. Instead they crashed face first into a frozen lake. You have to feel bad as this team on paper seemed primed and loaded with talent. They’ve played like anything but, however, and find themselves on the cusp of another season without playoffs.
28. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Columbus has shown they can compete in games, but they’ve also shown they lack the ability to finish strong and win those games. Morale appears to be at an all time low as well, as this team has most likely resigned themselves to the draft lottery.
27. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 25)
The Flames’ find themselves in an ironic position, as they themselves are “on fire.” It’s not a surprise however. Repercussions were coming the second players started speaking out on Darryl Sutter and demanding to leave the team. With Gaudreau, Toffoli, Tkachuk and others all shipping out, plus a coaching change, this team was doomed from the get go.
26. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: 25)
The Habs showed promise early on, but injuries and the lack of experience crippled this young team into the bottom of the standings. There’s hope to be had though. The young core appears to really be coming into their own and Sam Montembeault has shown signs of brilliance in net this year.
25. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 26)
If you look up the word disappointing, you may find a picture of the Sabres right next to the definition. This team had nothing but hype heading into this season and they’ve done nothing but throw it all away. It’s a travesty really, they had such high potential.
24. St. Louis Blues (Previous rank: Unchanged)
If the Blues had been able to keep up the pace of which they started, then this would’ve been a very different entry. Sadly they couldn’t, and with the goaltending slipping as well, this team has burnt out. There’s still time for a playoff push if they can muster the stamina to make one.
23. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: Unchanged)
This looked like the year fans were finally going to see their beloved Red Wings back in the postseason. Now those dreams are fading farther and farther away as Detroit struggles to grasp any momentum they used to have. They didn’t have the stamina to maintain their pace, and now they find themselves sinking fast.
22. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 16)
The Pens are getting hit with a massive drop simply because so many teams have done enough to get pushed ahead of them. Maybe it’s unfair, but Pittsburgh has just been the definition of mediocre this season. They have plenty of time to change that around however.
21. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: 19)
It’s an incredible feat to make two deep playoff runs in a row. It’s even more impressive to make the Stanley Cup Finals three years in a row and win two of them. As impressive as it is though, it’s also exhausting. Burnout and salary cap have caught up to Tampa and they’re struggling to remain the same team they once were.
20. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 17)
The Capitals have been an oddity this year as they flipped their script and went on the defensive rather than the offense. It turns out it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks however, and the decline of Ovechkin pretty much sums up the state this team is in.
19. Arizona Coyotes (Previous rank: 20)
Arizona is finally getting results after years of playing the draft and moving pieces. It couldn’t have come at a better time as relocation rumors and arena struggles have plagued this team for the last four years. A playoff berth would be monumental, but even if they fail to make it they’ve shown a lot this year.
18. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: 21)
The Wild have overcome a lot of adversity this year to crawl themselves back into the playoff race. That’s impressive in its own right, but it’s hard to see this team going anywhere with its glaring goaltending issues and that awful penalty kill.
17. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 15)
The Hurricanes were a surprise this year, but not in a good way. What was widely considered to be one of the best teams in the league heading into the season, now finds itself struggling to maintain a playoff berth. Anything can happen once you make the playoffs, but they have to make it and give themselves a chance.
16. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: 14)
The Devils, much like the Canes, were expected to be contending for the Metro Division title. However, also like the Canes, they find themselves battling to even make the playoffs. They have some decent momentum, as they’ve been able to show flashes of the team they can be, but still far from where they should be.
15. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 13)
The Islanders have one of the oldest rosters in the league, yet they find themselves right in the thick of it with everyone else. Part of that is because they have an amazing goalie by the name of Ilya Sorokin, but another part of that is because they’ve managed to find a system in which they can slow down the younger, faster teams.
14. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 22)
The Kraken haven’t gone without a point in ten games now. They’ve skyrocketed themselves back into the playoff race in just a month. They owe dinner to Joey Daccord, who has become one of the leagues premiere goalies this last month.
13. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: 18)
The Preds were considered to be down and out at the start of the year, but here they are again competing for a playoff spot. It’s yet to be seen if they can make the final push and get themselves in after missing last year, but they’ve put themselves in good position to do so.
12. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: 11)
The Flyers weren’t supposed to have come this far, this fast, but they have and now they find themselves on the cusp of a playoff berth. They’ve also raised their own expectations and have to prove to everyone that they belong here.
11. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 12)
After an atrocious start, the Oilers are the hottest team in the NHL right now. Multiple long winning streaks have propelled them into playoff contention very fast, but they still have some burning questions left to be answered, the biggest of all is if they’ve improved or is this still the same team that’s doomed to never go all the way?
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: Unchanged)
You’ll be hard pressed to find an offense as high powered as Toronto’s, but it won’t take much looking to find a defense that’s better. Despite some really good play from Joseph Woll, this team is still below the league average in goals allowed per game, and that’s because of some relatively poor play from their blue line. At least they signed Nylander to an eight year deal right?
9. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: 6)
The Stars are quickly falling behind in the Central race, due in part to a three game losing streak. Of the three juggernauts that are competing for the title, Dallas looks the weakest at this point in time. That’s not saying a lot though considering the weakest of those three teams is still a really good team.
8. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Avs hold second place in the Central right now. They don’t look as high powered as the team that won the Cup a couple seasons ago, but make no mistake, this is still a very good team. They still have all the potential to make a deep playoff run.
7. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: 4)
The Kings are facing their first real skid of the season. Despite the goaltending and defense still performing very well, this team is losing games and it’s mainly due in part to the fact that they can’t seem to score goals when they need to. They still have all the time in the world to pull it together though.
6. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: 2)
Vegas also appears to have hit a bit of a snag, though not as much of one as LA. Vancouver has seized the division lead from them and they should probably count themselves lucky that LA is also in a snag or else they might have dropped down even further.
5. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: 9)
The Panthers are streamlining themselves into Cup contention once again. All the pieces seem to be moving right now as they ride a seven game winning streak into week 14. The defense is still a bit concerning at times as is their tendency to play down to their competition, but they’ve still looked good nonetheless.
4. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 5)
The Canucks spent years putting together this roster and it’s finally paying off in a big way. Stars like Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson have really come into their own. Thatcher Demko may be their best goalie since Luongo, and they’re just a team that looks primed for the playoffs.
3. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Bruins needed to prove that they were still capable of great things after an all time great fall apart in the first round of last season. So far, they’ve done just that. High powered on both sides of the ice and with the best goalie tandem in the sport right now, Boston wants to shake off the failure of last season and start blazing a new trail.
2. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: 7)
The Jets are the other hottest team in hockey right now. After a slow start, they’ve quickly established themselves as a juggernaut in the West, and have finally seized the lead in the Central division from Colorado. They also took the title of the best defensive team in the league right now.
1. New York Rangers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Rangers barely clung onto this spot this week, with the Jets nipping right at their heels. They’re still by and far the best team in the East right now, but they have some real competition for the best team in the league. They’ll need to make a splash in the playoffs as well, to prove this is all more than just noise.
