NHL Power Rankings: Trade Deadline Aftermath

With the NHL Trade Deadline over, teams are focusing on the push towards the playoffs. Some of the better teams added players, while other teams kept the status quo. On the flip the teams who needed to sell did, while others teams who should have sold off assets did not. Three of the Big Four in the West all made splashes. As Winnipeg, Nashville, and Vegas had an arms race going on. While Columbus in the East decided to upgrade as well. Let’s go inside this week’s power rankings to see where teams stand.

NHL Power Rankings: Trade Deadline Aftermath

1. Tampa Bay Lightning – No changes were needed as the Lightning continue to steam roll their competition.
2. Calgary Flames – The Flames really get no love why because no one believes in Mike Smith. Smith is playing good lately, and the Flames kept things status quo.
3. San Jose Sharks – The Sharks added Gustav Nyquist who will bring even more to this team. Karlsson will be out for a week let’s see how the Sharks respond.
4. Boston Bruins – No major splashes at the deadline, but Marcus Johansson is a good depth move until Pastrnak returns.
5. New York Islanders – If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That is Lou’s motto with this group with Barry Trotz at the helm.
6. Nashville Predators – Getting Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund at the deadline were great moves. Let’s hope these moves pay dividends.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs – Doing nothing at the deadline may be costly for the Maple Leafs who just lost two more defensive. Their depth will be tested.
8. Winnipeg Jets – Adding Kevin Hayes was great move for a team that needs depth at center. Losing Morrissey on the back end will definitely hurt.
9. Washington Capitals – Just like last year, the Capitals are just lurking in the weeds, adding Carl Hagelin will boost the team’s penalty kill.
10. Columbus Blue Jackets – Its boom or bust. Columbus goes all in trading for Duchene and Dzingel. This group has to get it done or Columbus might lose all these guys for nothing.
11. St. Louis Blues – Considering everything that is going on, the Blues could get home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
12. Carolina Hurricanes – These “Bunch of Jerks” are in the playoff picture and continue to not get the respect they deserve.
13. Vegas Golden Knights – Adding Mark Stone was huge for the Golden Knights, they won’t catch San Jose or Calgary but could win a round or two again this year.
14. Pittsburgh Penguins – The name of the game is consistency. Penguins made some depth moves on defense, but this team is on the verge on not even making it.
15. Montreal Canadiens – To quote the late great Dennis Green, “The Canadiens are who we thought they were. If Montreal gets in they can compete with anyone.
16. Dallas Stars – How unfortunate that Mats Zuccarello breaks his arm in his first game as a Star. He was playing so well. Its must win time for Dallas.
17. Philadelphia Flyers – With Carter Hart out of the lineup, a refreshed Brian Elliott is looking good in his last couple of starts.
18. Minnesota Wild – Trading away Mikael Granlund was a surprise, but it’s a wake up call to this group, that things have to change in order to win.
19. Colorado Avalanche – By adding Derick Brassard the Avalanche add depth to their secondary scoring they desperately need. Plus he can play top six minutes again.
20. Florida Panthers – Imagine if the Panthers got it together at the beginning of the season and kept it throughout the season. Florida might be contending for a playoff spot.
21. Buffalo Sabres – This young group is right on track as they continue to move in the right direction. The best thing for this group would be to miss it.
22. Arizona Coyotes – The West is so weak even the Coyotes still have a chance at the playoffs. Can Darcy Kuemper get this group in the playoffs?
23. New York Rangers – Ideally, the Rangers would like to start balancing out starts for Henrik Lundqvist. Trading away pieces was good, but its time to transition away from Hank.
24. Chicago Blackhawks – As Corey Crawford returns, will he be able to bring the Blackhawks into the playoffs or is the hill just too big to climb?
25. Vancouver Canucks – Getting Tanner Pearson back will bring some veteran leadership to this young group. Good on them on keeping their draft picks with the draft in Vancouver this year.
26. New Jersey Devils – Imagine if Marcus Johansson was actually healthy during his time in New Jersey what this team could have been.
27. Detroit Red Wings – Another trade deadline has come and gone and Detroit is slowly moving in the rebuild direction.
28. Edmonton Oilers – Got to feel for Connor McDavid. How many times are the Oilers gonna go through the process of rebuilding?
29. Los Angeles Kings – All the Kings can do is keeping evaluating what they have in their system.
30. Anaheim Ducks – Regardless of what the standings look like, the Ducks needed to be sellers at the deadline to get things going in the right direction.
31. Ottawa Senators – Dealing Duchene, Dzingel, and Stone will guarantee a last place finish. Too bad they don’t have their first round pick this season.

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Photo Credit: By Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA (IMG_4455) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons