NHL power rankings: Are revamped Avs ready for potential series against Rantanen?
The trade deadline has come and gone, and boy, was it a douzy.
While it didn’t boast the number of trades we usually expect, the quality of the players moved undoubtedly made up for it. Mikko Rantanen! Brad Marchand! Dylan Cozens! Josh Norris! Fabian Zetterlund! Brock Nelson! Jake Walman! Brandon Carlo! So many new faces find themselves on new teams, and now, as we approach the final stretch for the playoffs, it’s time to see where teams stand with their new looks.
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: 40-21-3, +41
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st
Scott: I’ll give the Jets credit where it’s due. Their defensive game looks legit at this point of the season, and while their offensive game isn’t elite under the hood, they do have the high-end scoring talent to overcome that. I’d maybe even say they’re becoming a fringe Stanley Cup contender – emphasis on fringe. But you have to feel a bit uneasy if you’re Winnipeg, where your competition in the Central bolstered up at the trade deadline with the likes of Mikko Rantanen and Brock Nelson, and your additions were Brandon Tanev and Luke Schenn. That could come back to bite them down the stretch.
Hunter: The same week Scott concedes the Jets might be a fringe Cup contender, I have some of my biggest doubts as to their playoff chances. I mean, those doubts are still small, but the acquisitions of an aging Luke Schenn and fourth-line Brandon Tanev underwhelmed me. I still think they’re one of, if not the best teams in the league, but with the Stars acquiring Rantanen and the Avalanche loading up on pieces of their own, the West just got a lot harder.
2. Washington Capitals
Record: 42-14-8, +65
Last Week: 2nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd
Hunter: I’d like to imagine Spencer Carbery saw my blurb on the Capitals last week, read it out loud to his team, and everyone laughed at what some idiot in Toronto said about them. “Ooooh they lost three straight, Logan Thompson looks average, waaaahhhh waaaahhhh.” Scott, we might be worthy of bulletin board material! That’s why them winning four straight before heading out west for a road trip was even more impressive. I’ve been waiting to crown them a paper tiger, but I see the errors in my ways: they’re the class of the Metropolitan Division and may be the best team in the East..…
3. Florida Panthers
Record: 40-21-3, +41
Last Week: 4th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd
Hunter: …..but then again, the Panthers ain’t nothin’ to mess with. It’s been a theme all season that even when the Panthers struggle, they’re just biding their time. They’ve gone to two straight Stanley Cup finals; they know what it takes. Now, with a quarter of the season to go, and having won 11 of their last 13 games, they’re in hunting mode. Now add the fact you’ve got a rejuvenated Seth Jones who is thriving in a second-pair role, plus a playoff-prototype in Brad Marchand – who by every indication is pissed off with how he was sent packing out of Boston – that’s a lineup full of baaaaaaaaaaad men.
Scott: For my money, this is the best team in the league right now. They’ve been elite offensively and defensively all season. Jones is just what they’ll need on their power play, and Marchand is probably the most Panthers player in the league who didn’t already play for the Panthers. And I’d argue their closest competition this season were the Hurricanes, who’ve downgraded this season at the benefit of improving long term; and the Devils, who have lost their star center for the season. So, while the Atlantic won’t be a cup of tea, the path is undoubtedly there for back-to-back Stanley Cups.
4. Dallas Stars
Record: 42-20-2, +55
Last Week: 3rd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 4th
Scott: Listen, I love the Rantanen addition as much as the next person. The Stars now have arguably the best offense in the league in terms of depth. And with Rantanen joining a group that is seeing Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston playing like superstars, they’re going to be tough to contain. But I can’t say I love their blueline, even with a healthy Miro Heiskanen. A right side of Ilya Lyubushkin, Cody Ceci and Matt Dumba looks like the kind of positional depth that will cost you a playoff series, and I think it’s the one remaining flaw for this Stars team as a Stanley Cup contender. I think Saturday’s game against the Oilers may paint a picture for this team down the stretch: a bad enough defense to put them out of a game, but a good enough offense to get them back in the game.
Hunter: This season, despite all the additions and injuries and transactions in the Lonestar State, I have it all riding on Jake Oettinger. If we get a 2022-23 regular-season Oettinger who looks unbeatable, they might steal enough games to coast to June. If we see the 2023 playoff Oettinger, they might get upset in round one.
5. Vegas Golden Knights
Record: 38-19-6, +39
Last Week: 5th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 7th
Hunter: Sometimes, it’s the lack of moves that throws you off, and that’s how I felt with the Golden Knights last Friday. Surely, they would go after Marchand, considering that the Bruins’ captain seems like the exact player Vegas could slot on L2 or L3 and let him cause chaos and rock like Amadeus. Bringing in Reilly Smith feels like whenever The Eagles get back together to sell one more tour to the diehards. Great, now I’ve jinxed it, and they’ll be in a Game 7 against the Oilers in the second round.
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
Record: 37-22-4, +55
Last Week: 7th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 6th
Scott: The Lightning have gone from a sleeping giant to a sneaky contender after the deadline, as adding Oliver Bjorkstrand gives them a top six that can keep up with any in the league, and a Yanni Gourde reunion should strengthen their third line which, along with Nick Paul, could recreate the magic of their third line in the 2020 and 2021 cup-winning seasons. It hasn’t paid dividends quite yet, as this new look group barely beat the Sabres 6-5 before getting shut out by the Bruins, but it should be interesting to see how they look down the stretch.
Hunter: If you were a Leafs fan and asked before the Marchand trade who I would least want to face in round one, I’d say the Lightning. Everything is smooth and works like clockwork for them, and they’re going to find a way to put five or six goals on you at least twice in a series. Even after the Panthers made the trade, I’d still rather just win the division and avoid the two if I were Toronto.
7. Edmonton Oilers
Record: 37-22-4, +55
Last Week: 8th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 5th
Hunter: Let me get this out of the way: that 6-2 loss to the Ducks? To the freakin’ Ducks?! Ugly. No excuse. But the rest of the week, they beat the Canadiens then won a nailbiter against the Stars, albeit a game they nearly blew in four minutes in the third period. I think we can say that depth guys like Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner have been underwhelming and that this group isn’t as good as last year’s. But in a seven-game series, you have a chance if you have the best player. And boy, is Connor McDavid good.
CONNOR DOING CONNOR THINGS‼️
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8. Carolina Hurricanes
Record: 38-22-4, +29
Last Week: 9th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 9th
Scott: I have to be honest here, I don’t think the hate that the Hurricanes are receiving is justified. They took a gamble on acquiring a superstar in Rantanen, did it early enough to see if he was a long-term fit, and when it was clear that he wasn’t, they found a deal that gave them a good number of assets in return, even though everyone knew their backs were against the wall. If you look at the trade as Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a second and a fourth for Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, two firsts and two thirds, you take that deal every day. Necas is having a career year and’ll probably put up great numbers moving forward, but Logan Stankoven might be the better long-term player. The only criticism I’ll give the Canes for this deadline was the fact that they weren’t able to flip either of the two firsts they got for Rantanen to get another piece like Brock Boeser or Erik Karlsson.
Hunter: The logical hockey manager who views everything through the long term agrees with Scott, because they recognized they weren’t going to be able to re-sign Rantanen and made the best out of a bad situation. But the Hurricanes are a Cup-caliber squad, and even a Rantanen still finding his legs and only getting hot at or near the end of the regular season is better than whatever they would receive the other way. The gambler in me would have said, “Screw it: you’re finishing the year with us, so give us some of that Mile High Magic and help us go on a run.”
Scott: Yeah, as a Cup contender, it makes more sense to keep him, but in a season where the Canes weren’t quite as strong as they usually are, I don’t blame Eric Tulsky for jumping on a return like that.
9. Los Angeles Kings
Record: 33-20-9, +9
Last Week: 11th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 8th
Hunter: I won’t lie, there was a moment after their loss to the Blues last Wednesday that I thought: “Could they blow it?” And in hindsight, what a ridiculous statement to even consider. The Kings and the other top teams in the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights and Oilers, are so far ahead of the Flames and co. that it would take another epic collapse for one of the lower teams to crack the top-three spots. Quinton Byfield finally snapped a goalless drought that started in January – I was worried they might move him in a package deal last Friday.
10. Colorado Avalanche
Record: 38-24-2, +26
Last Week: 13th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 11th
Scott: If you’re the Avalanche, you’re probably getting a bit nervous about the fact that you seem destined to get a first round matchup with the Stars, who just got your former superstar in Rantanen and locked him up long-term at a number that you probably would have been able to give him, especially since he isn’t over Nathan MacKinnon’s AAV. That said, Necas has been clicking with MacKinnon and the Avs moved on from Casey Mittelstadt while still bolstering their center depth with Nelson and Charlie Coyle, the former move also blocking two of your division rivals in the Jets and Wild who seemed to be the most rumoured teams to get Nelson, so you are feeling good in at least one department.
Hunter: Charlie Coyle feels like he fits the role of middle-six center far better than Casey Mittelstadt, at least at this point in his career. It’s too bad it didn’t work out for the former Sabres’ prospect in Colorado, because I thought he would thrive behind MacKinnon in the lineup. Obviously not. Here’s a question: Would you rather the Wild jump you in the Central, then you can face the Golden Knights in Round One? Or do you take your chances against Rantanen and the Stars?
Scott: That’s a tough one, because both teams are basically opposites of the Avalanche. The Stars’ defense is probably the most exploitable factor between the two teams, but losing to Rantanen could make them look really silly.
11. New Jersey Devils
Record: 34-25-6, +28
Last Week: 10th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 10th
Hunter: This team was already struggling before Jack Hughes was done for the season, but since the news came out, they look deflated. After scoring 31 seconds into their game against the Jets, they were lifeless for the remaining 59:29, losing 6-1. Not having Jacob Markstrom for an extended period highlighted Jake Allen’s weaknesses, and Markstrom gave up four and six in his two starts last week. Can the Blue Jackets jump them in the Metropolitan Division? I say yes.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 38-22-3, +15
Last Week: 6th (-6)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 13th
Scott: I still don’t know how to feel about this Leafs squad. On one hand, I love the Brandon Carlo addition, which gives them excellent depth on the blueline to the point where I don’t think that will be an issue. On the other hand, while Scott Laughton is an upgrade at the third line center, it’s not by as much as most would probably believe, and he cost a lot to get.
At this point of the season, they aren’t in the top 20 in either expected goals for or against per 60 minutes, the only one of the 13 teams that you could argue are playoff locks. Unless those trade deadline acquisitions massively improve those numbers, I’m not liking this team’s chances as they let the division lead slip away from them with three straight losses and the Panthers and Lightning also bolstered their lineup and are right with them in the standings.
On top of that, the Mitch Marner contract drama has reached new levels with the rumour that he refused to waive his no-trade clause in a deal that could have given the Leafs Rantanen, while also reportedly not looking to re-sign with the Leafs and maybe possibly look at the market in the summer. You have to think that he reaches an agreement with the Leafs at some point, but if he walks and signs elsewhere, it might get ugly. Even now, his reputation with Leafs fans has already been sewered.
Hunter: I’m more inclined to like the Laughton move, if only because it’s a lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick. The Flyers are eating half the salary, so you’re only paying $1.5 million, plus you still get one more year of Laughton after this season. It’s still a heavy price for a third-line center, but he’s got a little bit of rat in his game and that will be a major factor in the playoffs.
As for Marner: don’t worry about what reporters report or what fans write on social media or whatever his agent feeds to the insiders. Just continue to produce at a career-high rate and play the best damn hockey of your life in April, then May, then God willing, June. The money and the contract will come after.
Scott: I just don’t see Laughton being too much of a needle-mover at this stage of his career. His tenacity may have its benefits in the playoffs, but this is a Leafs team that hasn’t scored more than three goals in a playoff game since Game 5 of the first round against the Lightning in 2023. They’ve been too focused on being tough to play against that they’ve seen their fundamentals regress and shift towards a game that requires close margins, and they don’t have the offense to shift that coin flip in their favor beyond their core players.
Hunter: I just think having guys like Laughton who can have those elements in their game but be good enough to win shifts on the third line and open up space can allow other guys to pave their own path. Every spring, I see third lines that bring nothing beyond a hit in Game 1 and 2, then go quiet for the rest of the series. Call it a hunch, but Laughton getting to play in his first playoff hockey in five years feels like someone who’s going to bring it when it matters most.
But to add on to Scott’s point: if the likes of Marner, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander aren’t healthy and not producing at their career regular-season rate, then none of this matters, and they’ll be eliminated by the time some MLB teams play their first home game.
13. Minnesota Wild
Record: 36-24-4, -6
Last Week: 12th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 12th
Hunter: Win three, lose three, win two, lose three, win three, lose two. This is life for the Wild, a team that sat at or near the top of both the league standings and (much more important) the Daily Faceoff power rankings for most of the first half of the regular season. But after losing Kirill Kaprizov for all but three games since Christmas – a player amid a Hart Trophy-caliber season – they’ve been … fine? Decent? If you had to pick a team to face in the first round in the Western, you’d likely say them.
14. Boston Bruins
Record: 29-28-8, -28
Last Week: 16th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 14th
Scott: The consistent logic about the Bruins here has been that we aren’t going to say that Boston is done until it’s official. But apparently, they already think they’re dead based on how their deadline went. They sold off Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau, Charlie Coyle, and Brandon Carlo, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, and they also managed to bring in Casey Mittelstadt and Henri Jokiharju to round out spots on their depth chart. But nothing screams dead like trading away your captain for an underwhelming package. Yes, he’s hurt, but you have to have some pride as an organization and realize that just getting any asset isn’t worth seeing a player like Marchand in a jersey that isn’t a Bruins jersey.
15. Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 31-24-8, +6
Last Week: 14th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 16th
Scott: The Blue Jackets didn’t exactly do a whole lot at the trade deadline one way or the other, and that’s probably what you should have expected to see from them, given their position. They aren’t in a position to be spending a load of future assets to get rentals, but they also shouldn’t have sold either. I don’t have any expectations for Luke Kunin, but the real deadline addition for Columbus was a healthy Boone Jenner, who’s had eight assists in seven games since returning, and the Blue Jackets are 5-2-0 in that span.
16. Ottawa Senators
Record: 32-25-5, -1
Last Week: 18th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 17th
Hunter: The race in the Eastern Conference is so tight; Sens fans are incredibly grateful for the four points they picked up this week with wins over the Blackhawks and Rangers. While all eyes are on the Dylan Cozens-for-Josh Norris trade, I think the one that surprised me the most was Ottawa getting Fabian Zetterlund from the Sharks. The 25-year-old had 24 goals last season and was one of San Jose’s few offensive threats. He’ll be a welcome addition to the Sens lineup.
Scott: Both moves make perfect sense from the Senators’ perspective this season. They add two players in Cozens and Zetterlund who are excellent already and work as “buys” for this season, but then they can also be long-term options for the Senators, and didn’t really cost much outside of a Jacob Bernard-Docker they didn’t use, a swapping of second round picks between the two trades, and Zack Ostapchuk. An excellent bit of business from Ottawa.
17. St. Louis Blues
Record: 31-27-7, -7
Last Week: 19th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 15th
Scott: The Blues really snuck up on me as a playoff contender, but I have to admit, they might be the best team out of the 3-4 teams in the fold for that final Western Conference wild card spot. At the very least, their defense has been really good since Jim Montgomery took over, and even though I can’t say the same for their offense, that at least makes them a solid playoff team.
Hunter: Montgomery getting this group into the playoffs would be more impressive than his 65-win, 135-point season in 2022-23.
18. Vancouver Canucks
Record: 29-23-11, -19
Last Week: 15th (-3)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 19th
Hunter: My The Nation Network colleague Stephan Roget over at Canucks Army couldn’t believe GM Patrik Allvin’s comments following the trade deadline, saying “if I told you what I was offered for Brock Boeser, I think I would have to run out of here because you would not believe me.” Unfortunately, I do believe him, but I’m even more flabbergasted that he would even say anything. Why would you admit that opposing GMs don’t value your players as highly as you think they should? Why burn the player, the team and the fans themselves with comments like that? Saying nothing costs free, but it appeared that Allvin couldn’t afford to take that advice.
Scott: To be fair, it might not hurt Boeser’s standing with the team. If anything, that comment reads as “no one values Boeser as much as I do” and could make Boeser feel better about sticking around in Vancouver.
19. New York Rangers
Record: 31-27-6, -2
Last Week: 17th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 20th
Scott: I don’t think we’ve seen a team overhaul their blueline midseason as much as we’ve seen the Rangers do so this season in a long time. They’ve moved on from three, most notably Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren, and added four, including Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen and Carson Soucy. I can’t say it’s improved the team’s defensive play so far, but only time will tell if relocating deck chairs will save their Titanic-level collapse from last season enough to sneak into the playoffs.
20. Utah Hockey Club
Record: 28-25-19, -8
Last Week: 23rd (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 18th
Hunter: I’ve accepted since the start of the new year that Utah HC wasn’t going to make a real playoff run, but damn it, they don’t know how to quit. The loss to the Blackhawks on Friday stung, especially after outshooting them 39-25 yet getting beat by a rejuvenated Spencer Knight, but they’ve really outplayed my own, and I’m sure many peoples’, expectations. Did you know Clayton Keller is about to break the 50-assist mark? Now you do!
21. New York Islanders
Record: 29-27-7, -15
Last Week: 21st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 21st
Scott: I don’t know what’s more surprising, the fact that Lou Lamoriello actually sold Brock Nelson at the trade deadline, or the fact that it happened in the late hours of Thursday night when it was probably past his bedtime. That said, I wonder if Lamoriello had planned on moving Nelson or if the Avalanche had given him an offer that he couldn’t refuse with the first-round pick and Cal Ritchie and just had to pull the trigger. Regardless, that’s an excellent return to get for the Islanders.
22. Detroit Red Wings
Record: 30-27-6, -21
Last Week: 20th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 23rd
Scott: So, is the Red Wings’ plan to improve their defense to play shorthanded with two goalies in net? Why else would their only trade deadline addition be Petr Mrazek (and, to a lesser extent, Craig Smith)? That’s an absolutely baffling decision by Steve Yzerman, and it has to be a slap to the face for the players and fans to see them only do that when they’re neck-and-neck with so many other teams for the final playoff spots in the East. To make matters worse, Jake Walman, the player he had to give the Sharks a second-round pick to take, just went for a first-round pick at the deadline. If they miss the playoffs, you have to start thinking about letting Yzerman go, because it feels like he doesn’t know how to evaluate defensemen, and that’s been a massive detriment to the team.
Hunter: With less than 20 games to go for Detroit, it feels like we’re reaching a “point of no return” that leaves them little room to navigate through the final chunk of the season. I would have thrown all logic out the window and traded anything and everything to be a buyer and go “all-in,” or as “all-in” as you can be when you’re fighting for a wild card spot in the East, just to be able to say, “We made it!” They need points, and they need them badly.
23. Calgary Flames
Record: 30-23-10, -18
Last Week: 22nd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 22nd
Hunter: Admittedly, I was a wee bit confused as to what the Flames were – or weren’t – doing at this year’s trade deadline, but after a day or two, they did exactly what they should have done: stay the course. No one thought they would be a playoff team in the second week of March, but here we are. A win against the Canucks on Wednesday could separate that gap between the two teams. Also, I’m throwing my suitcase on the “Dustin Wolf for Calder Trophy” bandwagon. Forget Macklin Celebrini or Lane Hutson. This is the story of the year when it comes to rookies.
24. Montreal Canadiens
Record: 30-27-6, -22
Last Week: 24th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 25th
Hunter: I may be as confident in this statement as I am staring down a four-foot putt for par, but I’m going to say it: the Canadiens aren’t making the playoffs. I know, shocker. They picked up five straight wins before a West Coast road trip, but losses to the Oilers and Flames stung, even if they grabbed a point in Edmonton. I know, never say never, they’re Hockey’s Cathedral©, all that jazz. I’m just happy they’re playing competitive hockey in March; it’s long overdue.
25. Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 27-30-8, -33
Last Week: 25th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 24th
Hunter: The fact that we all just universally accepted that Scott Laughton was worth a first-round pick shows the desperation teams have to build a Stanley Cup roster each year. But hey, credit to Daniel Briere and the Flyers for making that deal with the Leafs. I’m not sure if Nikita Grebenkin will amount to much beyond a fourth-liner in the NHL, but he could leave an impression on John Tortorella.
26. Anaheim Ducks
Record: 28-28-7, -24
Last Week: 27th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 27th
Hunter: Sometimes, it’s nice to see one of the big dogs get knocked down a peg, and that’s what we saw last week when the Ducks toppled the Oilers in Edmonton. Cutter Gauther is finding open teammates in space and Mason McTavish is on pace to eclipse career highs in all categories. Even Trevor Zegras held his own in his first career NHL fight against Conor Garland. I know they’re bad, but they’ve only lost one game by more than one goal in five weeks. That’s worth a stick tap.
27. Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 25-31-10, -55
Last Week: 26th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 26th
Scott: I know we’ve joked that the Penguins’ deadline was over once they traded Marcus Pettersson, but you have to give Kyle Dubas some credit for the week that he had. While some questioned the trade with the Predators, he basically turned Michael Bunting and a fourth into Thomas Novak, a second and a fourth, while also getting a second and a third in return for Anthony Beauvillier and Cody Glass. It’s not going to make headlines, especially at this trade deadline, but it’s some solid work from a general manager that’s been getting a lot of flak lately.
28. Nashville Predators
Record: 24-32-7, -42
Last Week: 30th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 28th
Hunter: It’s only after the hockey universe collectively accepted the 2024-25 season was an objective failure for the Predators that they put together a string of wins. Not only did they win all three games this past week, but they outshot all their opponents by at least nine, including one game where they outshot the Blackhawks by 21 shots. Good lord, the Blackhawks are bad. The Predators are, too, but there are still some good things they can work with.
Scott: I’ve been saying…
29. Seattle Kraken
Record: 27-34-4, -20
Last Week: 28th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 30th
Hunter: The Kraken didn’t just sell, they cleaned nearly all of Mother Hubbard’s cupboards. Daniel Sprong, Brandon Tanev, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde: all gone. Sure, they picked up a couple of first-round picks, but unless the Lightning get trounced in the first round, they won’t amount to anything earlier than the mid-20s. I just want to know what’s next for this team: do they fire the entire staff and hit reset? Or can they use some of what could be nearly $20 million in cap space next season to tinker?
30. Buffalo Sabres
Record: 24-32-6, -22
Last Week: 29th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 29th
Scott: After months of speculation, the Sabres have finally moved on from Cozens, and I have to admit, Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker are far from the worst return they could have given up. Still, I think Cozens has a higher ceiling than Norris, who’s more or less established himself as a one-way power-play scorer, so this still could very easily blow up in their faces like we’ve seen in past Sabres’ trades of this ilk.
31. Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 20-35-9, -46
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 31st
Scott: The common complaint with the Blackhawks’ rebuild thus far is that they seem to have gone past that point of no return where it’ll take several ugly years before things get better. So, it makes sense that they opted to not have a firesale on their team again this season, instead making only necessary trades. Seth Jones was quite vocal about wanting out, and you managed to find a deal that worked for him and gave you a decent return with Spencer Knight and a first, and then Knight gave them the flexibility to move on from Mrazek. Ryan Donato or Alec Martinez might still have been okay to move on from, but you can’t say that the Blackhawks are significantly worse in the long run than where they were a week ago, and you removed the headaches from the locker room.
Hunter: Not going to lie, I felt relief seeing Donato stay with the club after the deadline. I’m sure they could have gotten a second-rounder (or more – dun dun!) and maybe a decent prospect to boot, but he seems like he loves being in Chicago and I’d want a flexible top/middle forward in my lineup who’s willing to battle every night through a rebuild. I’ve followed him through his career, and seeing him carve a spot with the Blackhawks makes me happy.
32. San Jose Sharks
Record: 17-39-9, -74
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd
Scott: While the Blackhawks managed to not go overboard at the deadline, the Sharks went the completely opposite direction, trading everything with a pulse. I can’t fault them for moving on from players like Kunin, Sturm, Vanecek and Ceci, and Walman and Granlund’s returns were too good to pass up. But Fabian Zetterlund? Why? He fits in with your core’s age group, has clearly broken out playing in their top six, and the return wasn’t even worth it. You can’t help but feel like making as many moves as they did, particularly the Zetterlund one, may lead to a few more ugly years, which you hate to see after how good the vibes have been this season.
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