For how much uncertainty surrounded the NHL heading into Week 25, Week 26 brings with it a surprising amount of clarity. This week, a large chunk of teams at the top of the standings claimed their spot for the playoffs, and the Boston Bruins even locked down the Presidents’ Trophy before the calendar flipped to April.
At the bottom of the Rankings, teams that were left for dead before the All-Star Break are starting to be whittled off the list of playoff hopefuls. In short order, the top-10 and bottom-10 teams in the league will be locked in for either the postseason or the off-season.
Related: NHL 2022-23 Power Rankings: Week 25
However, in the middle is where things get really interesting. Over the last few games, we’ve seen teams fight their way into a playoff spot, while some former Stanley Cup favorites are struggling and losing ground in the race. This means there is a lot to keep track of, with every win and loss changing the standings and the Rankings.
32-21: Fighting at the Bottom for Bedard
32. Chicago Blackhawks (Last Ranking: 29) – Eliminated
31. Anaheim Ducks (Last Ranking: 28) – Eliminated
30. Arizona Coyotes (Last Ranking: 26) – Eliminated
29. Columbus Blue Jackets (Last Ranking: 30) – Eliminated
28. San Jose Sharks (Last Ranking: 32) – Eliminated
27. Montreal Canadiens (Last Ranking: 31) – Eliminated
26. Detroit Red Wings (Last Ranking: 27)
25. Philadelphia Flyers (Last Ranking: 25) – Eliminated
24. Washington Capitals (Last Ranking: 23)
23. Vancouver Canucks (Last Ranking: 20) – El
22: Ottawa Senators (Last Ranking: 22)
21: St. Louis Blues (Last Ranking: 24) – Eliminated
If you thought the race for the last wildcard positions in the 2023 Playoffs was a barnburner, then you may have been missing out on what is the most competitive fight in the NHL this season; the race to the bottom and the best lottery odds to draft Connor Bedard!
Since January, it has been a venerable arms race to be the worst team in the NHL, and it appeared for a moment that the San Jose Sharks would wrap up their position with a nine-game losing streak, yet they not only broke this streak with a shutout win this week, but they followed it up with two more, which rocketed them up the standings.
With this ill-timed winning streak, the Chicago Blackhawks re-took their rightful place at the bottom of the standings, and the Columbus Blue Jackets sit just above them along with the Anaheim Ducks, who are bringing in losses by the fistful. This leaves us with four teams who still have yet to break the 60-point mark, which means we are leading into a nail-biting final to see who finishes last in the NHL this season.
Given the generational talent available at the 2023 NHL Draft, no one can blame these teams for doing their best to be bad to end the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lose every game remaining on their schedule, as they really have no reason to win.
20-12: Every Point Matters in the Playoffs Race
20. Buffalo Sabres (Last Ranking: 21)
19. Winnipeg Jets (Last Ranking: 14)
18. Nashville Predators (Last Ranking: 19)
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (Last Ranking: 15)
16. Calgary Flames (Last Ranking: 17)
15. New York Islanders (Last Ranking: 13)
14. Florida Panthers (Last Ranking: 18)
13. Seattle Kraken (Last Ranking: 12)
I keep trying to write off the Buffalo Sabres for dead, yet they keep finding a way to claw back into the playoff picture, even if their odds are long. Over their last five games, they posted a 4-0-1 record, and with games still left in hand, they have a legitimate shot at the postseason, even if it is slim.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins are doing their best to back out of the postseason. The Jets suffered, arguably, their worst loss of the season after being shut out by the Sharks, where the Penguins lost their hold on the final Wild Card spot to the Florida Panthers briefly this weekend. Both teams are dealing with significant issues right now, and while they may still control their own destiny, I wouldn’t be surprised if these struggles continue in the coming days.
It’s not all bleak at this level of the Rankings, however. The Seattle Kraken continued their improbable season with big wins over the Nashville Predators and the Ducks, which pushed them over 90 points and moved them even closer to clinching a spot in the postseason. Given how their season has gone, I wouldn’t be surprised if they lock this down and claim their first playoff trip in just their second year as an NHL franchise.
Also, in a bit of a unique moment from the week, Keith Tkachuk had some choice words for Matthew Tkachuk’s team, the Panthers, which are deep in the playoff hunt. As he said on TSN 1050:
“I’m a little disappointed in the Panthers,” Keith told TSN 1050 on Wednesday morning… “They’re a soft team and they’re getting everything they deserve right now.”
Now, this comment came before the Panthers won three-straight games, including a 7-0 drubbing of the Blue Jackets, but it still has to feel odd to get your motivating lockerroom smack-talk from your own dad, but what else should you expect from a Tkachuk?
11-2: Dominant Play Carrying Playoff Implications
12: Tampa Bay Lightning (Last Ranking: 16) – Clinched Playoffs
11. Dallas Stars (Last Rankings 11)
10. Minnesota Wild (Last Ranking: 10)
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (Last Ranking: 9) – Clinched Playoffs
8. New Jersey Devils (Last Ranking: 7) – Clinched Playoffs
7. Vegas Golden Knights (Last Ranking: 2) – Clinched Playoffs
6. New York Rangers (Last Ranking: 5) – Clinched Playoffs
5. Carolina Hurricanes (Last Ranking: 3) – Clinched Playoffs
4. Los Angeles Kings (Last Ranking: 6) – Clinched Playoffs
3. Edmonton Oilers (Last Ranking: 8) – Clinched Playoffs
2. Colorado Avalanche (Last Ranking: 4)
Well, I have some bad news for the NHL… the Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be back. After struggling for close to a month, the recent two-time Stanley Cup Champions had one of their best weeks of the season, where they won three-straight games, outscoring their opponents 14-1. So, if you had any doubts, Andrei Vasilevskiy is not washed up just yet.
In other news, the Pacific Division is looking like one of the best in the NHL, after being written off as the worst for most of the season. In recent weeks the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings all went on lengthy winning streaks and locked down their spot in the postseason. These teams have few weaknesses, and they will be a lot of fun to watch in the playoffs.
Also, in case you were wondering, yes I do believe the league should be terrified of the Colorado Avalanche. The reigning Stanley Cup Champions have battled through a long list of injuries, but appear to be getting healthy at the right time of the year. When you consider that their captain, Gabriel Landeskog, hasn’t even taken the ice yet this season, you know that they still have at least one more gear for the playoffs.
1. Boston Bruins – Clinched Presidents’ Trophy
Last Ranking: 1
With five games left in the 2022-23 season, the Boston Bruins have nothing left to play for. This week, they clinched the Presidents’ Trophy, which means they have locked down home-ice advantage for the postseason, an outcome we all expected pretty much since November.
However, if Boston are interested in re-writing the history books, then they still have plenty left ahead of them. Depending on how they handle their remaining games, they could set the record for the most regular season wins and points in NHL history. For a storied franchise like Boston, it would feel right in some ways for them to claim this record, especially given how exceptional this team has been.
Given all that we know about the Bruins, I would expect them to play every remaining game like their season depends on it. This team just hasn’t taken a break, and with the allure of history in front of them, I believe they will push to claim it and etch their names in NHL record books.
Postseason Anxiety Kicking in for Bubble Teams
The end of the NHL season is upon us. With just a handful of games left, we are expecting to wrap the regular season up shortly and prepare to roll into what will be an incredible postseason. With this in mind, we will have one more regular season Power Rankings next week, then likely a Playoff Rankings before we let this series take the summer off for a well-earned vacation.
For some teams, this remaining week won’t have any effect on their postseason plans. For others, every point will dictate whether or not they get a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. So, if you’re ready for the end of the season, we still have a long ways to go.
