We’re getting closer and closer to the coveted Stanley Cup Playoffs. If teams weren’t feeling the heat before they are certainly feeling it now. With every loss having the ability to set you back miles, teams are becoming desperate to collect as many points as possible. The playoff picture isn’t as clear as we thought it would be, with some teams dropping out of contention while others are surprisingly clawing themselves back in. Let’s take a look at how they stack up after this last week shall we?
32. San Jose Sharks (Previous week: Unchanged)
Connor Bedard is the difference maker between San Jose and Chicago right now. Both teams are laughably bad with not much hope for the immediate future, but Chicago at least has the NHL’s next big super star. Realistically, who does San Jose have that stands out in the slightest?
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
It’s looking like Connor Bedard might end up being the only player on this team to hit the 20 goal mark. While that’s great for him, that’s terrible for Chicago as a team. Bedard can’t be on the ice for all sixty minutes and they need other players to step up and start producing. That’s probably not very likely though.
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previous rank: Unchanged)
If it wasn’t for the fact that the Ducks have a lead over the other two teams in the actual standings, they would probably find themselves in last place. Everything that appeared to be going right for this team at the start of the year has disappeared leaving them right back to where they started. A deep, dark pit with no end in sight.
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29. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previous rank: 27)
Columbus is in a tough spot. Most of their contracts are all over-inflated and for the long term making trades unlikely. They do have some cap space, but who’s going to want to sign? Their starting goalie wants out, but they’re in no position to bargain a good return for him. None of their prospects appear to be panning out and the stars they did sign have fallen off cliffs. It’s going to be a long road guys.
28. Montreal Canadiens (Previous rank: Unchanged)
While Montreal is looking a bit better in terms of the prospect pool, they still have a long way to go before they’re considered Cup caliber. But at least they have a direction to go in. They’re banking their future on Sam Monteambault and Cayden Primeau panning out in net which isn’t a bad way to go. The shadow of Carey Price has loomed large over this team for years and I’m sure they’re desperate to find the next great goalie (no offense to Jake Allen).
27. Ottawa Senators (Previous rank: 29)
This season couldn’t have gone much worse for Ottawa. From having playoff hopes, to being mildly disappointing, to becoming a complete tire fire all in the span of one season. Jonas Korpisalo has not been the starter they were hoping for, but you can’t really pin it on him when the defense in front of him hasn’t been very good. This team has big names, but no real system to use them in and seemingly no ability to coast off talent alone.
26. Arizona Coyotes (Previous rank: Unchanged)
I had a lot of hope for Arizona this season. While things may not be panning out at the moment, for all intents and purposes they did give a really good account of themselves this season. They also have A LOT of draft picks to use up and/or trade going forward. This season is far from a failure, whether they make the playoffs or not. They took steps forward and the future is looking bright for the Desert Dogs. If they can figure out their arena situation that is.
25. New Jersey Devils (Previous rank: 23)
The Devils waited until the deadline to address their goaltending issues (and they were bad). They lost Toffoli, one of their best scorers. When they lost guys due to injury they were unable to compensate. To go from the position they were in last year, to the position they were in now, is quite the shame. This team is talented no doubt, but you can’t shake the feeling they’re being horrifically mismanaged.
24. Detroit Red Wings (Previous rank: 20)
If Detroit falling apart and potentially missing the playoffs was in your 2024 bingo card, congratulations you’re a winner. Detroit is quickly finding out that you can’t just out shoot your opponent to win games at the highest level. Their blue line has completely fallen apart and let them down when they needed them the most and they’ve lost eight of their last nine games because of it. No longer in playoff position, Detroit is in danger of missing out entirely if they don’t figure it out soon.
23. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previous rank: 24)
Unless you count Detroit, Pittsburgh hasn’t had a win over a top team in the league since they beat Vancouver back in February. They haven’t beat a team not in a slump since they ended Seattle’s thirteen game point streak back in January. Morale has clearly taken a hit since Guentzel departed and it’s painfully obvious that this team’s time in the sun is done. Poor Crosby.
22. St Louis Blues (Previous rank: Unchanged)
If it wasn’t for their goaltending I’m not sure St Louis would’ve made it this far. As it is however, they find themselves still in playoff contention despite not particularly excelling in any area outside of goaltending. Remarkable. I don’t know if that speaks more about this team or of the division as a whole. They still have a long road ahead of them though, with a top three spot very unlikely and Nashville as hot as they are.
21. Seattle Kraken (Previous rank: 18)
The Kraken’s playoff hopes are quickly sinking. Seattle was already struggling to gain ground when they were getting points and now they’re on a skid. At this time of year that’s basically a death sentence, especially with the position Seattle was in. Frustration must be setting in, but there’s still hope in the future, especially if they can add to their depth and maybe add a super star.
20. Buffalo Sabres (Previous rank: 25)
Once again, the Sabres have chosen March as the ideal time to get hot. This is the best hockey they’ve played all season, and they’ve dragged themselves back into the competition for a playoff spot. A playoff berth is still relatively unlikely, but it’s no longer out of the realm of possibility, especially with Tampa and Detroit unable to get hot and distance themselves from the rest of the pack.
19. Washington Capitals (Previous rank: 21)
I truly have no idea how this team has managed to stay in playoff contention for as long as they have. It speaks volumes as to how shallow the Metro division has been this year. This team has been carried by goaltending this season which was hardly what anyone expected from the team that used to be an offensive powerhouse. At least they’re doing better than Pittsburgh right?
18. Calgary Flames (Previous rank: 17)
The Flames can’t get hot enough to truly put themselves into playoff contention, but I think they already knew that playoffs were a pipe dream this season. That’s why they began selling before the deadline, this team is looking to the future. After years of mismanagement and disappointment maybe Calgary can finally get themselves back to where they need to be.
17. Minnesota Wild (Previous rank: 19)
The Wild are another team that by all intents and purposes should not be competing for a playoff spot. The goaltending has been mediocre, the defense has been bad, and the penalty kill has been atrocious. Yet here they are, winning games again and sitting just four points behind Vegas for that last wild card spot. Maybe hockey doesn’t always need to make sense.
16. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Every time you think the Bolts are going to get hot and push themselves into the playoffs, they suddenly drop off again. They’re a hard team to get a read on, and that’s not the spot you want to be in this close to playoff time. This is a team that has a lot of experience, and has been at the top of the heap for many years now, so they can’t be counted out quite yet, but everyone slows down eventually.
15. Philadelphia Flyers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Flyers are struggling to pull away from the pack and to be completely honest that’s to be expected. This is a young, budding team that’s supposed to be in the middle of a rebuild not in playoff contention. That being said, this is also a team that has exceeded expectations every single step of the way this year. They’ve been in playoff position for the vast majority of the year and it would be an awful shame if they ended up not making it after all that they’ve gone through.
14. New York Islanders (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Islanders have been a different team as of late. They’re high-pressure style is working wonders under the tutelage of Patrick Roy. Ilya Sorokin does appear to have refound some of his game that made him so legendary, and that’s been a big boost as well. They’ve pulled themselves into a wild card spot and within reaching distance of Philly.
13. Vegas Golden Knights (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Golden Knights may be tied with the Kings for points, but they find themselves barely holding onto that last playoff spot. With Mark Stone once again out to injury, Vegas is trying as hard as they can to get in and go from there. They’ve once again managed to find their way around the salary cap in order to add some additions at the deadline, but will it be enough?
12. Los Angeles Kings (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Kings are trading wins and losses and quite frankly that’s not what they need right now. They’re within distance of Edmonton and they have the tie breaker over Vegas. This is when they need to start taking advantage and pull themselves away or else they too will end up finding themselves barely holding onto a playoff spot.
11. Nashville Predators (Previous rank: Unchanged)
The Predators have gotten hot at the right time. They hold the first wild card spot and continue to pull away from the rest of the pack. They’ve played absolutely spectacular hockey down the stretch which is not something I would’ve expected out of them this late in the year. They’ve proven me and many other doubters wrong and they may own a playoff berth as a consolation prize for doing so.
10. Edmonton Oilers (Previous rank: 9)
The Oilers are in a good spot. You’d like to see them put their foot on the gas a bit more and pull away, but at the moment they don’t really need to as the Kings and Knights continue to struggle to gain any real traction. That being said, the Oilers also can’t afford to take any deep breaths. Things can change in a moment’s time, and the pressure can be right back on them.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previous rank: 7)
Leafs fans truly believe the refs are out to get them and it’s kind of funny to see. That being said, this team should probably stop blowing leads. They have the offensive firepower to melt just about any defense in the league, but they struggle to keep the momentum on their own side at times.
8. Winnipeg Jets (Previous rank: 8)
Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan have fit like a glove into this team. They’ve gotten hot once again and find themselves at the top of the Central, tied at 91 points with the two other teams there with them. It’s a competitive race at the top of this division, and Winnipeg is showing they’re up to the challenge. It’s far from over, but this team has finally showed up to play.
7. Colorado Avalanche (Previous rank: 10)
After the All-Star break it really seemed like Colorado had lost their mojo. They appear to have found it again. The offense is clicking and that’s a scary scene for any team facing them. Nathan Mackinnon has of course been a rock star all season long as per usual, however you would’ve liked to see a bit more from Alexandar Georgiev. They’re tied with points with Dallas and Winnipeg, all three battling for that top spot.
6. Vancouver Canucks (Previous rank: 4)
The Canucks lost some steam after a bit of a break between games. They still own the Pacific by a pretty good margin and unless they have a monumental breakdown, a playoff spot is fairly guaranteed. Whether or not they can end up making a splash in the postseason is yet to be seen, their time on the top this year has apparently taken a bit of a toll. Elias Lindholm has not fit in as well as they’ve hoped either.
5. Boston Bruins (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Boston may not be in charge of the Atlantic anymore, but they are still a force to be reckoned with. Not minding them also blowing their game against Philadelphia, this team is scarily well-rounded and they have the best goalie tandem in the league to back it up. We can brag about their regular season success all we want though. It won’t mean anything to the fans if they once again under perform in the playoffs.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (Previous rank: 6)
I declared the Hurricanes the best team in the league at the start of the season. For most of this year they didn’t look like it. Now they are finally starting to show their stuff and it’s great to see. This is a team that has all the pieces to make another deep playoff run, and to see them finally playing like it feels like everything is normal in the hockey world again.
3. New York Rangers (Previous rank: 2)
Alexis Lafreniere was a first round pick a few years ago. He hasn’t made the gigantic splash he was expected to, however he has made progression each and every year. Right now he’s closing in on fifty points, the first time in his career he’ll have ever hit that milestone. This is hopefully good news for New York and for Lafreniere.
2. Dallas Stars (Previous rank: 3)
I know the Stars are technically ranked third in the Central right now. I know they are tied in points with Colorado and Winnipeg. But let’s be honest. There aren’t many teams that look as good as Dallas right now. Everything is just clicking for them. This is a young, talented team. They’re coming off a deep playoff run and they’re hungry for more.
1. Florida Panthers (Previous rank: Unchanged)
Dallas is good, but Florida takes the number one spot once again. The reason why is simple. The last few weeks they have been the best team in hockey. Vezina caliber goaltending, top scorers producing, incredible depth, and every single player on this roster is playing their role perfectly. It’s like watching a well oiled machine going out there and working together in perfect harmony. That’s the best way to describe how well Florida is playing right now.
