Across the NHL, it feels like the calm before the storm. Everywhere you turn there are trade deadline rumors swirling, yet nothing has materialized yet. The Pittsburgh Penguins will be fire-selling their roster. Or maybe not. The Calgary Flames are trading every piece that isn’t tied down. Or they are looking to buy while pushing for the final Wild Card.
You can have this kind of discussion for just about every seller and even a few buyers simply because so many teams are still in the postseason hunt. In previous years, it was very clear who was in contention and who wasn’t, which allowed teams on the outside looking in to make decisions weeks before the deadline.
For example, last year the Washington Capitals pulled the chute on their season on Feb. 23rd despite being in playoff contention at the time. This season, they are six points back of the playoffs, yet it feels like they will be less willing to admit all is lost with how attainable third place in their division looks.
Due to this, I’m not expecting much to happen on the trade front before Mar. 1st, but potentially as late as Mar. 6th. Yes, it looks like it will be a seller’s market based on trades earlier this month, but I think general managers of fringe teams will use every moment they can to evaluate the field before jettisoning this season for future assets.
Speaking of fringe teams, if a few of them had played this well all season, there wouldn’t be any question about whether they were buying or selling in the first place. However, that’s why we are in this awkward position in the first place. There are a lot of mediocre teams dotting the Rankings, so your opinions may vary wildly from my own. However, I’ll do my best to make some sense out of the NHL in Week 21 of THW’s Power Rankings!
32-22: New NHL Trade Deadline Candidates
32. Arizona Coyotes (Previously 29th)
31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously 32nd)
30. San Jose Sharks (Previously 31st)
29. Anaheim Ducks (Previously 30th)
28. Montreal Canadiens (Previously 28th)
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously 27th)
26. New York Islanders (Previously 19th)
25. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously 23rd)
24. Seattle Kraken (Previously 22nd)
23. Buffalo Sabres (Previously 25th)
22. Ottawa Senators (Previously 26th)
I’m so mad at the bottom of the Rankings this week. The Blackhawks have won one (1!) game in their last 10, yet I’ve been forced to move the Coyotes below them after they put together an epic 12-game losing streak. Really, you can argue that teams from rank 27-32 don’t need to bother showing up for the rest of the season, as they haven’t shown much interest in playing competitive hockey over the previous month anyway.
It’s the top of the bottom of this section that I find fascinating. After many weeks of debate, I finally moved the Kraken and Islanders into the seller’s category. Yes, they are both in playoff contention and could easily grab the final Wild Card spot in their Conference, but this week felt telling to me. In must-win games, New York went 1-2-1 and Seattle went 1-1-1, and I just haven’t seen enough out of either team to make me think they are capable of playing the type of hockey over the remaining 25 or so games to make a postseason run. Plus, they have a few valuable pieces that could fetch a high price on the trade market, which could jumpstart a retool.
Overall, the bottom section of the Rankings continues to grow, but it might be a few more weeks before I add any additional teams to it. In fact, I might end up being forced to pull a team like the Islanders out of the bottom if they go on a run they’ve been promising all season.
21-11: Grasping at Their NHL Playoff Chances
21. Calgary Flames (Previously 24th)
20. New Jersey Devils (Previously 16th)
19. Washington Capitals (Previously 21st)
18. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously 17th)
17. St. Louis Blues (Previously 14th)
16. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously 13th)
15. Nashville Predators (Previously 18th)
14. Minnesota Wild (Previously 20th)
13. Los Angeles Kings (Previously 15th)
12. Colorado Avalanche (Previously 10th)
11. Edmonton Oilers (Previously 9th)
It’s time to sound the alarm in the middle of the Rankings this week, as big changes are happening. I held out as long as I could, but the Avalanche are no longer in the top section for the first time this season. Yes, the team I marked down as my Stanley Cup favorite heading into Week 1 have just been off for the better part of two months. I still think they are a contender, but they will need to get their heads on straight, win some games, and potentially make a smart trade or two before I’ll put them back in the top.
Speaking of surprises, the Oilers have fallen out of the top section of the Rankings. While we all expected the sheen from a 16-game winning streak to wear off, this market correction has felt a bit harsher than expected. If they aren’t careful, they will lose third place in the Pacific Division to a surging Kings team.
For a few quick notes, the Capitals, Wild, Predators, and Flames (yes, the Flames again) kept their playoff hopes alive with solid wins. I could see any of these teams taking a big swing at the deadline, so they are worth keeping an eye on as the rumor mill continues to churn out new ideas. Also, Nikita Kucherov posted his 100th point of the season in 59 games played, which is simply ridiculous. He is carrying the Lightning back to the postseason on his own at this rate.
10-1: Maple Leafs Staking Their Playoffs Claim
10. Detroit Red Wings (Previously 12th)
9. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously 5th)
8. Boston Bruins (Previously 7th)
7. Vancouver Canucks (Previously 2nd)
6. Dallas Stars (Previously 4th)
5. Winnipeg Jets (Previously 8th)
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously 11th)
3. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously 6th)
2. Florida Panthers (Previously 1st)
1. New York Rangers (Previously 3rd)
When something bad happens to a team, it can either cause a downward spiral or galvanize the squad into a better unit. For the Maple Leafs, Morgan Rielly’s five-game suspension looked like it was going to be a major setback for a franchise already experiencing an up-and-down season. Many thought they would be lucky to go 2-3-0 in five games without their top defenseman.
Against all odds, the opposite occurred. Toronto shook up their often questioned defensive corps which produced new pairs that were far more successful than before. Oh, and Auston Matthews continued his freakish goalscoring season by crossing 50 goals scored this week. Things are starting to come together for Toronto, and if they can make the right choices at the deadline, this could be a more dangerous postseason team than we are used to seeing.
Other teams at the top haven’t been this successful. The Canucks and Stars experienced some of their worst stretches of hockey this season, as they lost five and four straight games before pulling off big wins Saturday. There are always up and down points in the season, however, so I’m not ready to sound the alarms quite yet unless these struggles continue for weeks instead of days.
Also of note, the Golden Knights are being torn apart by midseason injuries, and the Bruins are barely holding onto first place in the Atlantic Division from the Panthers. It wasn’t that long ago that both of these teams looked unbeatable, yet they are going through the trials and tribulations of a long regular season.
However, the Rangers were the one team that was unbeatable for the better part of two weeks. Before a disappointing loss to Columbus on Sunday, New York was on a 10-game winning streak, and making good on all the promise they showed during the offseason. They are true contenders that can’t be overlooked heading into the deadline.
A Calm Before the 2024 Trade Deadline Storm
Yes, a small trade did take place this week, but as of now we are all just waiting and watching some fun on-ice hockey until the big moves kick-off. In some ways, this makes things more exciting, as any win could signal a team is going for it, while a few bad losses could be enough to throw in the towel.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline
If your team is on the bubble, expect a few tense days in the lead-up to Mar. 8th. Here’s hoping the right choices are made to either shore up a playoff push or retool on the fly to maximize the value of your team’s top assets.
