Off the ice, this week brought with it a resolution as the Columbus Blue Jackets fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. Oftentimes, drama like a firing will feel like a spur-of-the-moment decision, but this outcome only occurred after years of buildup.
Throughout his tenure with the Blue Jackets, Kekalainen did many things to help bring the often struggling franchise to relevancy, including winning their first playoff series and qualifying consistently for the postseason. However, in recent years, there just wasn’t the on-ice success necessary to justify the often mystifying choices made by the man in charge. Sometimes change is necessary, and it feels like this is one of those moments.
If you’re interested in learning more about why this move was made, I highly suggest reading the article linked below by THW’s own Mark Scheig. Mark has covered the Blue Jackets in depth for many, many years, and he is one of the premier voices about anything going on with the franchise.
Related: Blue Jackets’ Kekalainen Left Lasting Impact But Time Was Up
Also, I know that a lot of people were riled up about the Morgan Rielly suspension this week. Whenever it comes to something like a suspension there really isn’t much to be said about it in my opinion, as the NHL hasn’t ever set a clear precedent for what warrants a long suspension versus a slap on the wrist. However, if you’d like to learn more about this topic I’m going to link to another THW article here to carry on that discussion.
On the ice, it was the week to smash the over button when it came to scoring. Three separate teams posted nine goals in a single game, along with three more scoring at least seven. Needless to say, hats flew across North America as the league’s stars and sometimes unexpected depth players posted three-goal games. While this may be a bane for goaltender’s save percentages, it does make for a very fun week.
This could cause some meaningful shifts to Rankings this week, as we all still wait for decisions to be made about the upcoming trade deadline. It’s only a few weeks away now, so we’re waiting with bated breath for the next big move to happen. Until then, let’s discuss Week 20 of THW’s NHL Power Rankings!
32-23: Flames and Penguins Struggles Continue
32. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously 32nd)
31. San Jose Sharks (Previously 31st)
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previously 30th)
29. Arizona Coyotes (Previously 26th)
28. Montreal Canadiens (Previously 29th)
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously 28th)
26. Ottawa Senators (Previously 25th)
25. Buffalo Sabres (Previously 27th)
24. Calgary Flames (Previously 19th)
23. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously 21st)
Whenever I praise the Flames, they always seem to follow up with a poor outing. That happened again this week, as they lost three straight and put themselves firmly back into the selling bucket again. They are one of the only fringe teams I just can’t figure out this season, but as of now, they are back at the bottom section of the Rankings.
I’m also finally taking a firm stance on the Penguins, and saying they will be sellers at the deadline. With the injury to Jake Guentzel and their team just generally underperforming this season, they are simply running out of time to make a grand comeback to pull themselves back into the hunt. They aren’t a bad team on paper, but general manager Kyle Dubas wasn’t able to work miracles in his first season, either.
Outside those two teams, there really isn’t a lot to discuss at this part of the Rankings. The Sabres had a decent week, but that’s probably the high point. The Ducks got blasted twice, the Senators managed to lose to that same Anaheim team, and the Coyotes are on a nine-game losing streak. There’s just not a lot of interesting things happening here until the moves start taking place.
22-11: Tightening Races for the NHL’s Wild Cards
22. Seattle Kraken (Previously 22nd)
21. Washington Capitals (Previously 20th)
20. Minnesota Wild (Previously 24th)
19. New York Islanders (Previously 18th)
18. Nashville Predators (Previously 15th)
17. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously 14th)
16. New Jersey Devils (Previously 23rd)
15. Los Angeles Kings (Previously 17th)
14. St. Louis Blues (Previously 13th)
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously 12th)
12. Detroit Red Wings (Previously 11th)
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously 16th)
So, I’ve said it all season, but the middle of the NHL is just this weird mosh pit of mediocrity. The Blues are one of the hottest teams right now with a 7-3-0 record in their last 10, but they played one of the worst games this season against the Maple Leafs. Toronto, for their part, lost their best defenseman to a suspension but proceeded to win their next three games on the back of superhuman efforts by Auston Matthews and (checks notes) Bobby McMann? Strange times indeed.
The Lightning won two big games this week against Stanley Cup contenders before getting absolutely shellacked by the Florida Panthers 9-2. Speaking of shellacked, the Kings lost 7-0 to the Sabres before winning their next two games. Oh, and the Predators also dropped a nine spot to the Stars before beating the Blues Saturday, so they will either be the next team to see their postseason dreams close with the trade deadline approaching or go all in for the final Wild Card spot in the West no one apparently wants.
Weeks like this make it impossible to judge anyone in this section of the Rankings. They all have solid cases for and against their future, which makes me think a general manager is going to either double down on a team that has no reason to believe in their playoff chances or try to sell everything off before it feels like it’s actually time to do so. Needless to say, I don’t envy anyone in charge of making those decisions.
10-1: Division Leaders Finding New Success
10. Colorado Avalanche (Previously 10th)
9. Edmonton Oilers (Previously 8th)
8. Winnipeg Jets (Previously 9th)
7. Boston Bruins (Previously 1st)
6. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously 6th)
5. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously 2nd)
4. Dallas Stars (Previously 4th)
3. New York Rangers (Previously 5th)
2. Vancouver Canucks (Previously 3rd)
1. Florida Panthers (Previously 7th)
I would like to apologize to all the Bruins’ haters of the NHL world. Last week I left them at #1 despite some signs of shaky play, and they rewarded me by dropping four straight. I’m a bit surprised by this skid, and even more so by the fact that they no longer have control of the Atlantic Division. No, that honor now belongs to the Panthers, who are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games played and are absolutely tearing their opponents apart. This team is getting hot again and will likely be adding even more talent to their stacked roster, which should terrify the rest of the NHL.
I also want to give a lot of love to the Rangers, who’ve won seven straight games, and the Hurricanes, who are 7-3-0 over their last 10 games. Both of these teams are the creme of the crop in the Metropolitan Division, and while New York holds the division lead, I wouldn’t count Carolina out yet either.
Also, I don’t want Canucks fans to think that I’m ignoring them. Vancouver has almost been a bit boring with their success, which can sometimes cause them to slip into the background of the league. If they had beaten the Jets I would have put them back at #1, but overall they just keep doing what they need to do most nights. With a 12-point Divisional lead on the Golden Knights, I have no reason to believe they won’t be a contender for the rest of the season.
Waiting for the Trade Deadline Kickoff
It really feels like the NHL is in the 2024 Trade Deadline waiting room. At any point I’m expecting something to happen that will set off a series of moves across the league. This could shift the balance of power if teams get creative, or just shore up needed depth if they don’t.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline
Either way, I think we are all getting a little bit antsy. Here’s hoping our collective patience pays off and by next week there will be a big news story to talk about involving trades and not firings leading up to Mar. 8th.
