We’re just a few short days away from the All-Star Break. Once that ends, it’ll be a sprint to the finish and the postseason will be here before we know it. The race has gotten very tight, as some teams begin to falter while others are just now gathering steam. Let’s take a look at how the teams rank after this last week of games.
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
For the first time this season, San Jose has actually amassed a fairly decent streak. 3-0-2 in their last five games is the best run of games San Jose has had this season. It doesn’t do much for them now as their playoff hopes are pretty much gone, but it’s a decent consolation prize.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Chicago made some moves in the free agency department this last week, looking to add some veteran saavy to the locker room. Goaltender Petr Mrazek and forwards Nick Foligno and Jason Dickinson all signed two year contracts with the team. It’s a surprising move from a team that had appeared to have accepted its fate and was hoping for draft capital.
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Offense has been the name of the struggle for Anaheim this season. They’ve got one of the lowest goals for percentages in the league and it takes one look at their last few game scores to back up that percentage. This is a team that frequently struggles to even score three goals in a game.
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29. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 28)
Columbus was almost the team to end Edmonton’s winning streak before completely falling apart and losing yet another game. That’s pretty much the entire story of this train wreck of a season. Anytime they manage to gather any sort of momentum for themselves, they manage to throw it away just as fast.
28. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: 29)
There’s not much left to say about Ottawa. They had hope coming in, that hope quickly faded as everyone came to the realization that this team has no idea how to use the talent it has on its roster. It’s been a bitter pill to swallow as this team continues to try and compete to no avail.
27. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 25)
Underachieving is the word that best sums up Buffalo’s season this year. The star talent that gave them so much hope heading in has woefully under performed (Tage Thompson can’t stay healthy to his credit), and the result has been a team that’s never really been able to get its feet underneath it.
26. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: Unchanged)
I would not be surprised if Jake Allen was sent to a new home come the deadline. He has played very subpar hockey this year and it’s never been more apparent than this last week. If Montreal wants to continue going in the right direction, they need some direction and a reliable netminder and Allen simply hasn’t been that guy. The 2024-25 season will be the last year of his contract, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a taker.
25. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: 27)
The Wild were looking to bounce back with a three game winning streak, but saw it ended with a two game losing streak. This team has still got a chance to turn it around and make something happen, but time is running out fast. If they’re going to do something they’ve got to do it quick.
24. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 23)
The Islanders showed so much grit and promise at the start of the season. Turns out you need more than that in order to compete with the best. They aren’t taking defeat lying down however, as they shockingly hired former goaltender Patrick Roy to be their new head coach. Roy was able to turn the Avalanche from a bottom of the barrel team to the top of the Central back in the 2013-14 season, so maybe he can do something here.
23. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 22)
The Caps are watching their playoff hopes get further and further away with every passing week. Right in the midst of a four game losing streak, the Caps simply don’t have the ability to provide their defense any goal support in order to win games. This may truly mark the end of an era for this team.
22. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 20)
After a thirteen game point streak, which saw them win nine games in a row, the Kraken have now gone 2-6-1 in their last nine games. They once again find themselves on the outside looking in, but that thirteen game point streak still has them in position to compete for a spot. The inconsistency is going to be their downfall though.
21. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Calgary’s four game winning streak looked to be the beginning of better things for this struggling Canadian team. Then they lost three in a row. Even if this team manages to make the playoffs, and that’s a pretty big if, what are they even going to do once they get there?
20. St Louis Blues (Previous rank: 24)
Since hiring their new head coach, St Louis has looked exponentially better. They’ve still got a ways to go, but they’ve been finding ways to consistently win games and have pulled themselves into a wild card spot. The race is very tight at the moment and every game matters, so St Louis has to keep up this level of play.
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Pens are having a skid at the worst of times. With just two wins in their last seven games, the Pens are finding themselves slowly starting to lose playoff hopes. The old core is desperately trying to carry, but are finding no support from the rest of the team.
18. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: 16)
The Preds’ recent skid has found them outside of playoff positioning. It’s far from over for them, but the walls are closing around them. They’ve been far too inconsistent as of late and they’re starting to pay the price. They need to get their foot on the gas sooner rather than later.
17. Arizona Coyotes (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Coyotes made NHL history last week when they became the first team to ever score a powerplay goal without ever having a shot. They owe their thanks to a historic mistake by Pittsburgh, when Kris Letang dropped a pass off the stick of Malkin and into their own empty net.
15. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: Unchanged)
New Jersey needed a lifeline. With all the injuries and the poor results, this battered young squad needed something to lift the spirits. They got just that when they rallied from behind to defeat Vegas 6-5 in OT. Now they need to use that lifeline and turn it into momentum to make their final playoff push. The time is now guys.
15. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 14)
Detroit has gotten hot at the right time. Despite an ugly loss at home to the Stars, and some minor goaltending issues (were Ville Husso and James Reimer ever going to work out as a goalie tandem?) they have really rallied behind their talent and pulled themselves back into playoff positioning.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: 11)
Things keep getting worse for the Broadstreet Bullies. What started out as a hopeful season with a potential playoff berth has turned into chaos for the struggling Flyers. They will now have to rely on backup goalie Samuel Ersson (who has been a pleasant surprise to be fair) and struggling Cal Peterson as their goalie tandem as Carter Hart has taken an indefinite leave of absence amidst this sexual assault scandal involving the Canadian national team.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: 17)
We need to stop counting out Tampa Bay. They always pull it together at the right times and they’ve pulled it together once again. They’re battle tested veterans and they’ve shown time and time again they know what it takes to win games at the highest level. You just can’t help yourself from thinking they’ve finally burned out though.
12. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The struggle continues on for the Kings. They can’t seem to score goals, Cam Talbot has struggled immensely, Dubois is not producing at the rate you want, and the team seems to have forgotten what got them to the race in the first place. The All-Star break cannot come any faster for this squad, who desperately need to find a way to regroup and get back to their winning ways before they lose playoff positioning entirely.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 13)
If Toronto could figure out what they’re doing on defense they’d be a pretty dangerous team. It doesn’t help that they seem to lack a truly elite goaltender. Joseph Woll has been good, but not great and Ilya Samsonov has been far from what he was promised when they snatched him out of Washington. Toronto has elite talent, but lacks the depth to be a true Cup contender.
10. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: Unchanged)
For months we talked about how badly Carolina was underperforming. The ship appears to be righting itself as Carolina makes their own final playoff push. They owe a big part of that to Sebastian Aho, who has been nothing short of spectacular since December.
9. New York Rangers (Previous rank: 6)
The struggles continue for the Rangers. The offense is struggling to put the puck in the net and the goaltending is getting left out to dry. They managed to rebound Saturday by beating Ottawa, but they’re far from the powerhouse they were to start the season. The holes need to be patched and soon or New York may end up sinking farther than they can afford to recover from.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: 9)
Adin Hill is finally back for Vegas, and he came back in style. With the Thompson-Hill tandem back in place, hopefully Vegas can find their groove again, having just been scraping by the last month or so. This is far from the only issue Vegas has had, but it’ll most definitely be a boost in morale for the team as the goalie that helped them win the Cup is back in his rightful place.
7. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: 8)
Despite recent struggles, Dallas has remained good on the road. They have an overall road record of 14-5-4, which is the third best currently in the NHL. Winning away from home is extremely important, and it’s something Dallas has done well all season and is a big reason for a lot of their success.
6. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 5)
Arrtturi Lehkonen has returned to the lineup at long last. The forward missed 35 games with a scary neck injury earlier this season. His return is good news for Colorado as the young forward has shown a lot of talent and grit in his time there. Hopefully he can get back into the swing of things and quickly pick up where he left off before he was injured.
5. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: 4)
The Panthers have good news on top of good news. They’ve now won four straight once again, and captain Aleksander Barkov has returned to the lineup. With the captain, and one of the team’s best offensive players, back this team should be pressing down on the gas pedal to try and catch the Bruins. They have a point to prove and they’re dead set on proving it.
4. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 7)
Sixteen wins in a row for the Oilers. That’s tied for the second best win streak in NHL history, and just one win away from the best. After a disastrous start to the season, Edmonton made a coaching change and has now pulled themselves out of the depths and into the top three of the Pacific division. What a story.
3. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Canucks have been nothing short of impressive. They’ve been racking up points again and again, building their lead on the division. The only worrying thing right now is their top line, dubbed the “Lotto Line,” has been faltering. They’re not producing at their normal rate and have been relatively outplayed the last few games.
2. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Despite their success, you can’t help but feel a big move coming from Boston at the deadline. They don’t have much cap space at the moment, and they’ll likely need to free some up soon if they wish to continue their success into the future, with multiple contracts expiring at the end of the season, including star net minder Jeremy Swayman. They’ll definitely want to free up cap space and resign him.
1. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Their streak may have come to an end, but in my opinion this is still the best looking team in hockey right now. It’s been a long time coming for Winnipeg, as they’ve built and climbed their way up year in and year out. Hopefully they can finally turn this into some long term playoff success, rather than just more heartbreak.
