NFL
By: Jesse Rosales
Creating this month’s NHL Power Rankings felt like it came with a little more weight than previous editions. Even though the NHL All-Star game is not technically the halfway point of the season, it is the mental halfway point for teams as they get a nice long break before starting the final push to the playoffs. At this point in the season, there are some teams that have clearly solidified themselves as a Stanley Cup contender and other teams that have clearly solidified themselves as a team that will be battling for a playoff spot come springtime.
What makes this time o the season even more intriguing is the approaching NHL Trade Deadline. Teams at the bottom of the standings are selling off assets in exchange for draft picks, cash, and ultimately a better shot at the top draft prize, Connor Bedard. Teams at the top are doing their best to add that one or two missing pieces in the current roster that give them the best chance to make a deep playoff run. Those trade potentials GREATLY impact these NHL Power Rankings and as we will soon see, adding the right piece can shoot you up the ranks, literally overnight.
Current NHL Power Rankings
12. Seattle Kraken (-2) 
The Kraken have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games. A far cry from the 8 game-road winning streak they had last month. This team is still very good, but they are sliding down the standings in a very competitive division. The team also suffered a major blow on the injury front to leading goal scorer Andre Burakovsky. His absence is definitely noticeable as the team has only scored 6 goals in the past 4 games. He is currently listed as week to week but this team needs to accumulate as many points as possible to stay relevant in the playoff chase. Will they make a big move at the trade deadline to jump up the NHL Power Rankings?
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (Not Ranked) 
Tampa Bay is only 2 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs at this point. They definitely have been playing better as of late and had a huge win against the Colorado Avalanche on the 9th at home. That might have been the best this team has looked all season as they shut out the Avs 5-0 while Andrei Vasilevskiy came up with 30 big saves. This team has a very solid goal differential of +34 and with the playoff experience they have on this roster, they will surely be a team to contend with.
It is all but a guarantee that they will face the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. Let the fireworks begin!
10. Vegas Golden Knights (-7) 
The Golden Knights are in trouble folks. They have gone 3-7 over their past 10 games. They have major injury concerns with Mark Stone requiring another back surgery and now their star young goaltender Logan Thompson will be undergoing an MRI to determine the extent of his leg injury. If injuries weren’t enough to be concerned about, might I turn your attention to Jack Eichel? He is supposed to be the best player on this team but he only has 5 points since the beginning of January.
This team needs to be careful or they will find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.
9. Edmonton Oilers (Not Ranked) 
One of my favorite moments of the All-Star game was watching Connor McDavid step up and go 4 for 4 in the accuracy challenge. Since competing in the speed competition is now necessary for him, he proved that he is way more than just the best skater on the planet, he’s also one of the best shooters as well. Just when you think he can’t get more impressive, he does. Wow.
This team is tied for 2nd in the Pacific division and have gone 8-2 in their last 10. They have the 2 best forwards in the game, they are relatively healthy, and their goaltending has stepped up a notch as well. Jack Cambell has seen the light, and if he can keep it there, that could be the difference this team needs to get over the hump. This team needs to target a solid defenseman at the trade deadline, but there are plenty of options out there to go after. This team is on fire which is not good for the rest of the Western Conference.
8. Colorado Avalanche (+4) 
The Colorado Avalanche are getting healthy! The story with this team all season long has been health. Following the All-Star break, this team gets back Valeri Nichushkin and Bo Byram. Defensemen Josh Manson is right around the corner, and perhaps the best news of all is that Captain Gabriel Landeskog is starting to skate again. Even though the Avs may not make a huge splash at the trade deadline, getting these key players back from injury is the best acquisition they can make.
The Avalanche have been playing well as of late despite losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0 on the road. They are 7-3 over their last 10 games including quality wins over the Capitals, Kraken, and Flames. It will take some time for this team to get into playoff form, but I think this team has finally turned the corner on the injury front and that has shot them up these NHL Power Rankings.
7. Winnipeg Jets (No Change) 
You almost forget the Jets are a top 10 team. They aren’t a bad team, but they aren’t a super great team either. The Jets are just a very steady and well-balanced team with above-average goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck has been playing really well this season with a 2.45 (top 8) goals against average and .923 save percentage (tied for 2nd). While he probably is not a top 3 pick right now for the Vezina, he is definitely a major reason why the Jets have found so much success this season. That will continue and look for this team to make a major move by the trade deadline to boost their offense as they prepare for the playoffs.
6. New York Rangers (+3) 
The Rangers have made arguably the biggest splash so far as the trade deadline approaches. They traded for Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis blues in exchange for a bottom 6 forward, a prospect defenseman, and a couple of picks. All in all, not a lot for a player that greatly helps this team offensively. Tarasenko will be playing on the Ranger’s top line, and knowing the East is going to run through Boston, this move makes a ton of sense and was well executed by the Ranger’s front office. This is exactly what this team needed to be a legit Cup contender come springtime.
5. New Jersey Devils (+1) 
The Devils have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games and are sitting comfortably in second place in the Metro Division. They have the second-best goal differential in the Eastern Conference and dare I say have locked themselves into a top 6 playoff spot. The big story here continues to be the emergence of Jack Hughes as an elite-level offensive threat. Jack is top 10 in total points, top 3 in total goals, and giving the team just over 20 minutes of ice time per game. They have a solid 1-2 punch in goaltending between Vanecek and Blackwood.
This team continues to exceed expectations and as long as Hughes’s injury isn’t too serious, I don’t see any reason why that would slow down.
4. Dallas Stars (+1) 
I don’t think the Jets or Avalanche have a great chance of catching the Dallas Stars in the Central division. Therefore I believe this team is locked into a top 3 spot in the West and have a really good shot at maintaining the #1 overall seed, which they currently hold. Jake Oettinger deserves a ton of credit. After getting injured early in the season, he has absolutely been on fire. He leads the league in goals-against average and overall save percentage. Mix that with the surprise and equally impressive emergence of Jason Robertson, and you can see why this team is where they are in the rankings.
Do they have the playoff experience of other teams that will be competing in the West? No, but they sure have enough talent to compete with any of them.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs (+1) 
Despite not having one of the elite goal scorers in the NHL in Auston Matthews available since January 25th, this team is still holding their own. They have had quality wins over the Capitals and Rangers since then. Yes, they got beat by the Bruins 5-2, but who hasn’t lost to the Bruins at this point? Can this team be a legitimate contender without Matthews? Of course not. But they are a good enough team, with a big enough points lead over the Panthers and Sabres, to not rush Matthews back from injury too quickly. He needs to be 100% to make that playoff run and FINALLY get out of the first round.
Who is the best team NHL team right now?
2. Carolina Hurricanes (No Change) 
I’ve said it all season long, but to me, Carolina is the only team who has a legitimate chance to take out Boston in the East. Carolina is a very complete team with solid goaltending and the offensive capability to keep up with Boston. They have gone 9-1 in their past 10 games and are only 7 points behind Boston for the top spot in the East. I do think they need to target one more offensive weapon at the trade deadline to make this race really intriguing. Maybe a solid offensive veteran like Patrick Kane or Ryan O’Reilly. If they can make a move like that, this team has what it takes to go all the way for sure.
1. Boston Bruins (No change) 
Boston has maintained the top stop in these NHL Power Rankings since version 2 I believe. This team has been the most dominant team all season long and it hasn’t really been that close up until now. The gap is so big that the Bruins just went 2-3 over their last 5 and people literally were freaking out asking what was wrong with this team. It was the FIRST time they had back-to-back losses all season long. Let that sink in for a minute. The Bruins retain the top spot here and will for the foreseeable future until someone else can take it from them.
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