The postseason is about two months away now and the teams can see the finish line. The next few weeks will be filled with teams jockeying and battling for position, trying to secure home ice advantage or trying to secure a spot in the playoffs in general. You can also expect some big trades to happen in the next couple of weeks leading up to the deadline. Let’s take a look at how each team is holding up heading into week 20.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Connor Bedard is back and hopefully the offense will be back with him. This is a team that has struggled mightily to score goals since Bedard left the ice with a fractured jaw. If you can only produce offense when a single player is healthy and playing, then things need to change and they need to change fast.
31. San Jose Sharks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
As awful as this season has been for the Sharks, they can at least take solace in the fact that they’ve hit rock bottom and that the only direction left for them to go is up. They’ll most definitely need a way to rebuild confidence, but things absolutely cannot get much worse for this team.
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: 29)
John Gibson is once again injured meaning the already hopeless Ducks have to rely on Lukas Dostal to support them in net. Dostal has been shaky at best for the Ducks and with Gibson’s inability to stay healthy (plus the fact that he has been vocal about his frustration with this team) it may be time to move on and try to find a more suitable netminder for the future.
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29. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 30)
When Johnny Gaudreau came over to Columbus, he brought hope along with him. That hope has been put through the shredder, taped back together, and then shredded again. Now Columbus finds themselves with some inflated contracts, and no real plan for the future. Some changes need to be made this offseason, or people are most likely going to start losing their jobs.
28. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: Unchanged)
With nowhere to look, but the future, Ottawa is playing some of their best hockey this season. It seems this team performs best when the stakes are down and there’s nothing really at risk. Such a shame, this team really does have the potential to be something if they could put it all together.
27. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: 26)
Despite all that has happened this season, Montreal remains hopeful. They remain hopeful because their future is bright. They clearly have a lot of confidence in their young stars and hopefully their confidence will pay off in the near future and they can start being a playoff team again.
26. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 25)
Buffalo strutted their stuff in a 7-0 thrashing of the Kings last week, but once again the high points didn’t last long. While they have been playing better, they still haven’t lived up to the hype surrounding them. Disappointment is the best word one can use to describe a season such as this.
25. Arizona Coyotes (Previous rank: 20)
The Coyotes were once playoff hopefuls. That’s fading quickly as they struggle to gain any sort of footing amidst a nine game losing streak. They’ve taken massive strides forward this season, but they’re in danger of squandering it if they can’t find a way to get their bearings back.
24. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: 27)
The Wild have won four straight and are trying to find a way to claw their way back into the playoff race. It’s still hard to see this team as any sort of Cup contender, but at least they’re showing that they have no intention of lying down and accepting an adverse fate.
23. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Phillip Grubauer is finally back in action, though he may have permanently lost his starting position to the stellar Joey Daccord. Their struggles are far from over however, and their playoff hopes still remain in a dangerous position. It’s do or die time for Seattle if they want to prove they’re the same team from last season.
22. New York Islanders (Previous rank: 24)
It’s been three losses in a row now for the Islanders. At one point in time they looked like they were going to be a surprising playoff team. Now it looks like that was misplaced hope, as they’ve still been unable to stop their tailspin from directing them right into an early offseason.
21. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 22)
Ovechkin appears to have finally regained his scoring touch, but it may be too little too late. Even with the renewed Great 8, the offense is still heavily struggling. There have been bright sides for Washington this year, such as stellar goaltending, but it hasn’t been enough to keep them afloat.
20. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 21)
The Penguins are the oldest team in the NHL, with most of their roster being over the age of 30. They’re showing that age. As much as fans and team alike will hate to admit, it may be time to start a rebuild into a younger team or else there are going to be rough times ahead.
19. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Nashville is struggling to make it to the finish line. Despite Jussi Saros’ best efforts this team continues to slip. Luckily, they’re still pretty close to a playoff spot, with time to turn it around. That time will get shorter and that gap will get wider if they don’t figure it out soon though.
18. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Panic turned to hope which turned to panic again. However, even if Calgary fails to make the postseason this year, they’ve already shown they’re looking towards the future, as they’ve begun tearing down their core and building it anew. There’s hope to be had in Calgary after all.
17. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Devils never should have been in this position to begin with, but they are. And they have no idea how to get out of it. Nico Daws has been doing his best to fill the shoes of Vitek Vanecek, but the team around him is struggling to back him up.
16. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 15)
The Red Wings spent years trying to get back into the postseason and regain their former glory. They’re on the brink of doing at least one part of that. Ville Husso has gone down to injury, but I’m not sure it’ll do much to hinder the Red Wings from their goal.
15. St Louis Blues (Previous rank: 16)
The Blues had their momentum briefly stunted by a surprising loss to Nashville, but they still hold the second wild card spot. Since hiring their new coach this team has really come together and has given hope to the city of St Louis. They still have a lot of a hard work ahead of them.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: 13)
The Flyers have long been the surprise of the year. Even without Carter Hart they still continue to find a way to win games, partially due in part to Samuel Ersson being surprisingly game to step up in net. The Flyers have the third place spot on lockdown, fighting tooth and nail to prevent the others from reaching it.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: 14)
The Bolts are once again getting hot at the right time. The loads of experience they’ve gathered from the last few years of winning Cups and making the playoffs have helped Tampa to remain absolute despite any adversity they may face. And now they’re making their final push and hoping to bring the momentum into the postseason.
12. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Kings appear to have finally gathered themselves after a disastrous last few weeks. David Rittich has been a surprising hero, keeping the Kings’ net guarded while the Kings figured out their crisis. Three wins in a row have LA back on track and one point away from Edmonton. Can they keep it up, or are they doomed to fall apart once again?
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Can anyone stop Auston Matthews? The man has six hat tricks this year. He leads the league with 48 goals and has shown no signs of slowing down or stopping. He may very well be the best goal scorer this generation has seen. If Toronto could build a more solid core around him, he could very well lead them to a Cup.
10. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: Unchanged)
You know a team craves success when even winning isn’t enough to appease them. Rod Brind’Amour has continued to plead with his team to be more aggressive, even despite their recent success. This is a team that knows what they’re capable of and won’t be satisfied unless they reach their pinnacle. That’s a recipe for success.
9. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: 8)
Let’s all give a big hand to Alex Pietrangelo. The long time NHL defenseman played his 1,000th NHL game last week, a very coveted milestone. The man wears the A on his jersey for a reason. It was nice to see him be rained down in affection for his accomplishments and his dedication to every single team he’s played for.
8. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 6)
Hard times have fallen on the Avs. They’ve won only two games since the All-Star break, and have barely kept themselves in second place of their division. They find themselves only one point ahead of Winnipeg, and three points behind the division leading Dallas.
7. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Winnipeg has rebounded from their skid quite nicely. With a three game winning streak in tow, they’ve pulled themselves right back into the race with Colorado and Dallas. It helps that Connor Hellebuyck has been playing incredibly behind the net these last couple of weeks.
6. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 5)
It seemed that the Oilers had regained their composure after routing the Red Wings, but then they lost yet another crucial game to the Blues. While they pulled themselves into playoff positioning with their long winning streak, their position is hardly solidified and they’ll have to keep winning if they want to avoid falling behind. LA is only one point behind them now.
5. New York Rangers (Previous rank: 9)
It’s been all systems go since the end of the All-Star break for New York. They’ve now won seven games in a row and are quickly establishing the dominance they had to start the season. Their skid did allow teams like Carolina to close that gap on them, but they’re quickly turning that around as they win game after game. This was the New York everyone was missing.
4. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: 3)
Dallas holds a three point lead on the Central right now. Jake Oettinger appears to have broken out of his slump and regained that star form we all know he’s capable of. The margin for error is very, very thin at the top of the Central, and so far Dallas appears willing to step up to the challenge. With Colorado and Winnipeg having their momentum halted, the time is now for Dallas to try and build their lead.
3. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: 2)
The Bruins have struggled coming out of the break. They’ve now lost four in a row and have been overtaken by the streaking Panthers for the lead in the Atlantic, a lead that up until this point, Boston had held all season long. If that doesn’t drive a dagger into their hearts I don’t know what does, given that Florida is the team that ended their historical season last year.
2. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: 4)
The Panthers are playing some of the best hockey this team has played in decades. Everything appears to be clicking for last year’s runner ups. With a chip on their shoulder, and a lot to prove, this team is out to send a message to everyone around the league. They’re here, and they’re not going anywhere for a very, very long time.
1. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
There can be no doubt in anyone’s minds that Vancouver is the best team in hockey right now. Yet, despite all this success, Vancouver still wants more, still adding to their already deep roster. This is telling us that Vancouver isn’t content with just making the playoffs. This team wants to buckle down and make a Cup run.
