NHL power rankings: The Red Wings are red hot again under Todd McLellan

Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan reacts from the bench against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena.

Credit: © Sam Navarro

Is the trade deadline March 7 or February 7? With the league only a week away from breaking for the 4 Nations Face-Off, some teams have very clearly decided they want to make their moves before the break. Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee are Flames. J.T. Miller is a Ranger (again). Marcus Pettersson is a Canuck. Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci are Stars. There’s already lots of movement, so how do these teams look with new players on the squad?

Hunter Crowther and I continue to navigate through the results so far this season with another week of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 37-14-3, +64
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Hunter: Winners of six straight and 10 of their last 13 games, everything is clicking for this team. Not only do they have the best record in the league, and a handful of players on pace for 80 points, and a goalie whose … you know what, I feel like I’m repeating myself each week. They have the most goals in the league and a league-leading plus-64 goal differential. If anything, they shouldn’t be afraid to use assets in acquiring another piece or two on the blueline, or more depth up front. This may be the best chance you’ve had with this group, might as well go all in.

2. Washington Capitals

Record: 34-11-7, +53
Last Week: 1st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: Did you know that this past week or so is the first time that the Capitals have lost three games in a four-game stretch all season? They’ve had a couple two-game skids, or the odd stretch of three losses in five games, but they’ve never lost three in four. It really speaks to the consistency of this Capitals team this year, and while I do think there are a few teams better than them that were blocked by the lowly Jets due to the five-point rule, this is still a very strong squad. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of committing to Logan Thompson at this point in time though, as you may want to see how he can handle the workload down the stretch and in the playoffs before giving him term. It’ll probably be fine, but it’s more or less the same concerns I had with the Mackenzie Blackwood extension.

Hunter: After this week’s news of the salary cap expected to go up in the next few seasons, I’m less worried about the Thompson extension than I was when it was first announced. It’s hard to argue he isn’t worth it when he’s led the Capitals to this point, and he’s without a doubt Canada’s best netminder at this point in time. By the way, what would you have to offer one of Canada’s three 4 Nations Face-Off netminders to have them fake an injury and pull out of the tournament? Money? New cottage? Bruce Springsteen tickets? Everybody’s got a price!

3. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 32-16-4, +29
Last Week: 3rd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Scott: Connor McDavid really is human this season, huh? After all the headlines that have been made over the past two weeks about his suspension and how upset he and the team were over the length of it, I was expecting a revenge tour. Instead, he got a goal and an assist in two games against poor defensive teams in the Kraken and Red Wings, and then he didn’t even get a point against his boyhood team, the Leafs. I’m sure McDavid will make these comments age like milk, but in a season where he hasn’t stood out of the pack like he usually does, I was hoping that this would light a fire under his ass. Maybe the 4 Nations Face-Off will do that instead.

4. Dallas Stars

Record: 34-17-1, +40
Last Week: 5th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: The Stars are one of the hottest teams in the league, riding a five-game winning streak that has allowed them to start separating themselves from the Wild and Avalanche for second in the Central. This team looks a lot better than the start of the season when I was low on them, especially with Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston remembering who they are. That said, I’m still a bit concerned about their defense, and not just because of the Miro Heiskanen injury. The right side of their blueline is still very weak, and Ceci probably isn’t the solution there. Granlund is a nice forward depth add though.

5. Florida Panthers

Record: 32-19-3, +25
Last Week: 9th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: You know what the Florida Panthers are? Inevitable. They’ve won three straight and six of their last eight, and Matthew Tkachuk has found his offensive groove, scoring in four of the last five games. Even Sergei Bobrovsky has looked like his old self in the last few weeks. Florida’s game against the Capitals on Tuesday could be a great preview of what could be an incredible playoff series this spring.

Scott: Any concern I had about them struggling to turn it on again is gone at this point in time. Not only do I think they can turn it on, I think they are on again, and will probably run away with the Atlantic Division title at this point.

6. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 32-17-4, +30
Last Week: 7th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Hunter: What’s better than a new toy? Two new toys! Both Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall found the scoresheet this week, and while there’s still some kinks to work on – Rantanen finding chemistry on a line, figuring out how much ice time to give Hall – there’s plenty of time to sort that out. Let me just say: watching two full games of theirs this week, their defensive pairs are so smooth when it comes to breakouts and moving the puck up the ice. The term “good first pass” is used ad nauseam in sports cliches, but it fits perfectly when it comes to talking about any one of their defenders.

7. New Jersey Devils

Record: 29-19-6, +30
Last Week: 6th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Hunter: Daily Faceoff writer/podcast host/resident hockey historian Jeff Marek has made the point on his show The Sheet that home-and-homes between two teams – two consecutive games with one at each other’s barn – were highly entertaining when he watched growing up, and now I can see why. The Flyers took two points from the Devils last Monday, only for New Jersey to storm back with a 5-0 win two nights later, a game that saw plenty of post-whistle scrums and “f–k you,” “no f–k you” shouting matches. Either way, that loss to the Sabres on Sunday wasn’t pretty. The Devils can be better, and they will be.

8. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 31-16-6, +28
Last Week: 4th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: It felt like a few weeks ago, everyone was proclaiming the Golden Knights as a Cup contender, but I’d imagine those voices have silenced just a bit with losses in 10 of their last 13 games. As great as this team is, they’re still lacking some forward depth and some stability in between the pipes. We’ll see how Brandon Saad helps the former, and I guess Vegas will just have to hope that 4 Nations helps Adin Hill find his game again, if he’s even the goalie that gets the starts.

Hunter: Hockey really is an amazing thing. A player like Saad, who had seven goals this season and has been nearly invisible for the Blues this season, suddenly became the recently single prom queen in just a matter of days. I don’t know what he’ll bring to Vegas, but he now has better linemates than he did a week ago. Also, this is the Golden Knights: they’re going to somehow find a way to get someone we haven’t even contemplated and we’ll all go, “Ah, of course they did!”

9. Minnesota Wild

Record: 31-18-4, +3
Last Week: 11th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Scott: The Wild were finally starting to get healthy, with Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon back in the lineup over the past few weeks, and Kirill Kaprizov finally returning on Jan. 23… aaaaand Kaprizov is gone again. While the four-to-six week absence feels daunting for a Wild team that’s been a bit more inconsistent without their star winger, the 4 Nations Face-Off will at least eat out a third/a half of that timeline. There’s still some surviving required though, and I’d be a lot more worried about this team’s playoff chances if the battle for the final Wildcard spot in the West wasn’t such a mid-off.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 31-19-2, +9
Last Week: 10th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Hunter: This team, man. The Leafs last month has seen them win five straight, lose three straight, win three straight, lose three straight, including a snooze fest against the Wild earlier in the week, then fly to Edmonton and beat the Oilers 4-3 off the back of Joseph Woll, whose 45-save performance was every bit as impressive as Anthony Stolarz’s 37-save performance against the Devils in December. Toronto lacks any scoring depth, and they still need another defender – or maybe Morgan Rielly can snap out of whatever funk he’s in – but they need more.

Scott: It’s a good thing Brad Treliving is well-known for making big moves at the trade deadline… oh wait, he’s not.

Hunter: Not to wax poetic about Brian Burke, whom you can hear every Friday on The Sheet with Jeff Marek, but that guy wasn’t afraid to take swings. Can you believe it’s been 15 years since the Dion Phaneuf trade?!

11. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 27-17-6, +12
Last Week: 8th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Scott: I feel like we’re starting to see the second-half slog from the Kings that I called earlier in the season when they looked like one of the best teams in the league. They’d lost four in a row before their 4-2 win over the Hurricanes, and have just three wins in their last 11 games. Their underlying numbers have slipped a bit during this stretch as well, especially their defensive metrics that had been the best in the league up to this point. They’re still 11th in expected goals against per 60 minutes during this slump, but when the big catch to their game was their elite defense, seeing that struggle has me concerned about any chance this team has at making noise in the playoffs.

12. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 31-21-2, +12
Last Week: 13th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: I’m not exactly going to speak on behalf of Avalanche fans, but it does feel like the shock of the Rantanen trade has worn off in Colorado. Not only is that due to the fact that the Dallas Mavericks one-upped the Avs in the “trading an elite superstar out of nowhere because you’re worried about paying him too much” department, but also because the Avs have won three of five games since the trade, including back-to-back shutouts over the weekend. We’ll see how the trade ages, but Martin Necas has looked like a strong fit so far, and it doesn’t feel like the Avalanche are done either.

All that said, do you think the Avalanche wish that the league would have announced the salary cap projections for the next three years before they traded Rantanen?

Hunter: I have to believe the teams knew about the salary cap projections, but wouldn’t that be worse if they did? You knew the cap would skyrocket and still didn’t want to retain Rantanen? Say what you will about long-term planning for Cale Makar’s extension, but even Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen needed help.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 27-20-4, +34
Last Week: 12th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Scott: The Lightning have been a bit inconsistent of late, going 7-9-2 in their last 18 games, and it’s not really the kind of play that they can afford at this point in time. They’ve now been usurped by the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets in this Wildcard race, and the Bruins, Islanders and Rangers aren’t too far behind. Tampa has games in hand on all of them, but it does feel like they need to string some wins together soon before they slowly start to slip back.

Hunter: As one of the oldest teams in the league, it feels like they’ll come back from the 4 Nations Face-Off rested and rejuvenated, even with Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel making their respective teams. I still don’t know how I feel about Cirelli making Canada’s roster, but I’m sure he’ll throw one quasi-legal hit and I’ll immediately fall in love.

Scott: Honestly, out of all of the fringier selections for their forward group (Sam Bennett, Cirelli, Seth Jarvis, Travis Konecny), Cirelli is the one I’m least worried about with the elite-level defense he brings to the table.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 26-20-7, +1
Last Week: 14th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Scott: While the Lightning have been inconsistent, the Blue Jackets have pulled ahead by being a bit more consistent, as they were rocking four wins in five games before they lost a close one to an even hotter Stars team. I’m not in love with the team from an underlying numbers perspective, but they’re certainly good enough to hang around with the current competition for the Eastern Conference Wildcard spots, and of course, they’re the best story in the league right now.

15. Ottawa Senators

Record: 28-20-4, +8
Last Week: 16th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: The Senators are third in the Atlantic Division, just four points behind the Maple Leafs, and if the season ended today, the two would face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you asked me who would win in a seven-game series between the two, I’d still take Toronto, but I would hesitate. The fact they’re doing all this without Linus Ullmark tells me they’re going to be the upset pick this spring … that’s if they actually do make the playoffs.

Scott: That series is an “unstoppable force meets an immovable object” in terms of playoff curses. Outside of one playoff series, the first round has been a nightmare for the Leafs, but the Senators have also never beaten the Leafs in the playoffs.

Hunter: Ullmark ain’t no Patrick Lalime, baby!

16. Boston Bruins

Record: 26-22-6, -26
Last Week: 15th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Scott: I still don’t know what to make of this Bruins team. They put together strong wins over the Senators and Avalanche, only to get the doors blown off of them by the Sabres and Jets in back-to-back games, and then they follow that up with a 6-3 win over a surging Rangers team on Saturday. I’m not ready to write them off yet, but they are certainly “mid AF” as the kids say.

17. Calgary Flames

Record: 26-19-7, -11
Last Week: 18th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Hunter: I didn’t realize how few goals the Flames had scored this season until you look at the numbers, and after Sunday night, they’re tied for 27th in the league. The only reason they’re even this high in both the league standings and Daily Faceoff Power Rankings is the all-world play of Dustin Wolf. Calgary told other teams their best veterans won’t be available for trade, and honestly? Good for them. Enjoy this run while it lasts, because you can’t rebuild with near-elite goaltending.

Scott: Tyler Yaremchuk has pointed out once or twice last week on the show, but with the trade being so long ago now, we forget that the Flames still owe the Canadiens a first-round pick from taking on Sean Monahan’s contract in 2022. Now, the conditions of this pick still confuse me, but I believe that they can give it up this year if it doesn’t meet lottery protections, so why not go for it this year and sacrifice the pick before you set yourself up for a worst-case scenario with the 2026 pick like the Senators did with the Matt Duchene trade and the San Jose Sharks did with the Erik Karlsson trade?

18. New York Islanders

Record: 24-21-7, -7
Last Week: 19th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Hunter: It’s really mean of the Islanders to win seven straight games, get within four points of a playoff spot and give their fanbase hope, because let’s be frank: they are not making the playoffs. I’m sure Lou Lamoriello will try to go out and make a splash before the deadline, but they should be trying to trade away the likes of Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmeri, not claw for a Wildcard berth. I can promise you that finding someone to take on the rest of Pierre Engvall’s contract is waaaaaay more valuable than losing in four or five games in mid April.

19. New York Rangers

Record: 25-23-4, -4
Last Week: 17th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Scott: The Rangers finally made the leap to add Miller on Friday night, and I’m quite impressed that they got him for what they did. I know he was a depreciated asset, and Filip Chytil is still a solid piece, but I was expecting a blueliner to go the other way, particularly someone like K’Andre Miller. It’s still a nice get for the Rangers, as it gives them a much improved one-two punch down the middle, and perhaps more importantly, it moves a struggling Mika Zibanejad to the wing. There are still a lot of problems with this team, but at least it helped them snap a three-game skid with a 4-2 win over the Golden Knights.

20. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 27-21-5, -9
Last Week: 24th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Hunter: Yes, I see the irony in chastising the Islanders for even trying to make the playoffs while heaping praise on the Red Wings for getting to this point. But the difference is: New York is a team in the middle who should start rebuilding as soon as possible, and Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs since the Chicago Cubs had a 100-plus year World Series drought. They’re currently holding on to the No. 1 Wildcard spot, and they’re another win or two away from finishing in the top three of the Atlantic Division. Are we witnessing greatness, or the beginning of what will turn out to be another heartbreaking collapse?

21. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 23-18-11, -16
Last Week: 20th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Hunter: The Canucks finally did it: they traded Danton Heinen. No more waiting for daily updates on the status of if they wou- wait, they did what? The return on Miller may be underwhelming, especially since Chytil now carries the title of “injury prone,” but perhaps the Rangers taking all of Miller’s $8 million cap hit for the next five years was reward enough. Either way, they’re a worse team than they were last week, and all I can think is: what a waste.

Scott: It’s addition by subtraction considering all the drama, especially since they at least got a center in Chytil who, while worse than Miller, has some potential, and they upgraded on defense. But now it’s time to see who this Canucks team really is. The distraction is gone, there’s no more excuses, especially for Elias Pettersson. If he’s still struggling, what exactly do you do with this team? Especially with the rumours that Brock Boeser may leave this summer and the fact Quinn Hughes has just two years after this year before he’s a UFA.

Hunter: Let’s say Vancouver doesn’t figure it out and they miss the playoffs, with Pettersson unable to find his game and the rest of the players not named Hughes struggling: does Rick Tocchet say “screw this,” and move on? You came here to whip a team into shape and compete in the playoffs, not babysit and deal with pouting stars. Maybe he ends up being the top free agent this summer not named Rantanen or Mitch Marner…

22. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 22-24-8, -36
Last Week: 21st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: I feel like we’ve reached the point where Penguins fans can just go on a two-to-three month isolation from society in the woods and not miss any significant news from the team. Marcus Pettersson was the team’s only big asset at the trade deadline, and with him and Drew O’Connor gone to Vancouver now, what else is there to pay attention to? Matt Grzelcyk, Anthony Beauvillier and Matt Nieto are their most notable UFAs now, and the team is clearly not contending for the playoffs, so go take a break Pittsburgh! What better time to do it than when your state rival may win a Super Bowl next week?

Hunter: We’re just a month away from Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates opening Spring Training. Forget this also-ran of a hockey team, do you want to see this team sock a few dingers?

Scott: If the Pirates are your last hope, just give up.

23. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 21-22-9, -11
Last Week: 22nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: So it’s not gonna be the Yeti, eh? I know Utah Hockey Club squeezed in Outlaws this week after Wasatch was universally mocked, but let’s be honest: it’s going to be the Mammoth. And if they play it smart and make the logo brown while keeping the blue, black and white color scheme, they’ll make a fine jersey. Oh, and the team has lost five straight.

Scott: The fact that Hockey Club has made it this far might be more embarrassing than the fact that Wasatch did.

Hunter: With a name like that, they’ll be in next year’s Spengler Cup (attn: Steven Ellis)

24. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 24-23-5, -23
Last Week: 23rd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Hunter: Turns out the lights, the party’s over. Hey, it was fun while it lasted, and credit to Martin St. Louis for getting the Canadiens to go on one hell of a run. But now losers of five straight, and with just 30 games left in the season, time is running out for Montreal. While they should try to see what they can get for their pending unrestricted free agents, this team could be playing competitive hockey in March. There’s value in that.

25. St. Louis Blues

Record: 24-25-4, -16
Last Week: 25th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: There’s no way around it, the Blues’ two losses to the Canucks and Avalanche were ugly. Real ugly. We’re reaching a point in the season where teams have either accepted, or are forced to accept, that their playoff hopes are draining, and while the Blues may only be seven points out, they don’t have what it takes. It’s finally time to see if St. Louis can get something for Colton Parayko.

26. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 23-25-6, -29
Last Week: 27th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Scott: The Flyers made their first move of the deadline season by trading Frost and Farabee to the Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier and a couple of picks (including the real prize of the deal, a seventh-round pick in three years!), and while it does feel slightly underwhelming from a Flyers perspective, there is at least some cap clarity now with Farabee’s contract off the books. It also makes for a good distraction from the on-ice product right now, because they’ve now been shut out in their past three games. Ugly stuff there.

27. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 22-24-6, -30
Last Week: 29th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Scott: The Ducks have won four of their last five games right now, but what exactly does that change about this team? They’re still nine points out of a playoff spot, and all this is doing is pushing them further away from a top pick. At the very least, this stretch has brought Mason McTavish back to life, as he has six goals in those five games and has nearly doubled his seven goals that he had through the first 41 games. In a season where the kids have really disappointed, that’s a small win for them.

28. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 21-26-5, -13
Last Week: 30th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: Woah, hold up. The Sabres have won three games in a row! Are they back?!? In all seriousness, this has been a nice little stretch for the Sabres, but they’ve still been outplayed in all three wins over the Bruins, Predators and Devils, and that should be expected since those teams are better than them (yes, that includes the Preds). Now they just have to hope that Tage Thompson isn’t too banged up from that elbow to the face from Stefan Noesen.

Hunter: As the keeper of the “We Are So Back O’Meter,” I can assure you the Sabres are not back.

29. Nashville Predators

Record: 18-26-7, -30
Last Week: 26th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: After watching them lose to the likes of the Sabres and Penguins, I’ve realized something: the Predators are as bad as their record suggests. I kept wondering if it was poor performance, bad luck, a string of no offense. But you know what? It’s all of it. They’re just a bad, bad hockey team. Even if they beat Buffalo and Pittsburgh, they’d still be 30th in the league. Barry Trotz needs to figure out what he can get for his assets.

Scott: Of course the guy who is ignoring all of the red flags of the Jets will do the exact opposite for the Predators. I’m not going to say that they’re this sleeping giant or something, but their underlying numbers on the entire season at least indicate they should be in the playoff hunt. They still have their issues, but I’m not nearly as concerned about this team as I once was, especially if the bad luck from this season gifts them a top-pick and – at long last – a first line center.

Hunter: It’s February, for God’s sake! Maybe their numbers under the hood are fine, but even if the engine for Homer Simpson’s “The Homer” was fine, it was still an atrocious car that deserved nothing but ridicule and should be sent to the scrap heap. That’s what the Predators are.

Scott: I have zero expectations for them to make the playoffs this year, but what I’ve seen lately at least tells me that I’m not as worried about them beyond this year. Just sell the UFAs, reboot in the summer, and try again next year.

30. Seattle Kraken

Record: 23-28-3, -12
Last Week: 28th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Hunter: It’s an understatement to say the team has underperformed. Last week, I went on about the number of players who haven’t scored, and it hasn’t gotten any better. Chandler Stephenson just scored his ninth goal of the year, and he’s in year one of seven. At this point, it’s not unreasonable to ask if Dan Bylsma is here next season.

Scott: I’m here for the universe where Jessica Campbell gets promoted to head coach.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 16-31-5, -44
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Scott: I’ve been staring at my computer for the last five minutes trying to come up with a way to start off talking about the Blackhawks because, well, they’re playing as expected right now. They’ve lost nine of their last 11, are getting blowback for not getting a lot of assets out of their role in the Rantanen trade, and yet the Sharks are still losing better than them and also just shipped off two big assets. This team is starting to turn into Connor Bedard and Guys again, because while he’s gone back to being productive since Anders Sorensen took over, the rest of the team still isn’t doing much.

32. San Jose Sharks

Record: 15-33-6, -61
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Hunter: Welp, I called it: the Sharks got a first-round pick for Granlund and a conditional third-round pick for Ceci for good measure. Unfortunately, those were two of their top minute crunchers, and there are still 28 games to go. At this point, here’s to the team and everyone on it finishing the season healthy, and Mike Grier harvests as many assets through trade as possible. Put a fork in ‘em.

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