NHL Power Rankings: Analyzing each team as trade deadline nears
We've reached a critical point in the 2020-21 NHL season with the trade deadline just a few weeks away.It's now or never for teams on the fringe of the playoff race to prove to their front office that adding reinforcements is worth the cost of draft picks and/or prospects. There are a lot of teams still in the playoff races across the four divisions, so it'll be interesting to see how many teams actually decide to become sellers at the trade deadline.Where does each team stand as the trade deadline approaches? Check out our latest 2021 NHL Power Rankings.
The Sabres blew multiple leads Saturday in a 3-2 loss to the Bruins, which extended their losing streak to 17 games. Buffalo is now tied with the 1975 Capitals and 1993 Sharks for the second-longest losing streak in league history.
This Sabres team is quickly becoming one of the worst in recent NHL history.
The Ducks aren't going to make the playoffs and currently occupy last place in the West Division. The real question is whether they will sell at the trade deadline. Veteran centers Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell would both be excellent additions for contending teams in need of scoring depth.
The Red Wings are at the bottom of Central Division with the second-worst goal differential (minus-41) in the league.
Detroit would be wise to move veteran UFAs Bobby Ryan and Luke Glendening at the trade deadline and recoup some assets (draft picks, prospects) for its ongoing rebuild.
The Senators remain at the bottom of the East Division, but the team is making progress. Young cornerstones Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Tim Stützle are all having impressive seasons offensively.
The Devils should move veteran winger Kyle Palmieri at the trade deadline for draft picks. Palmieri has struggled offensively this season, but he entered 2021 having scored 20-plus goals in five consecutive years.
New Jersey is 11 points out of a playoff spot. It's time to sell.
Despite losing five of their last seven games, the Sharks are still just seven points out of a playoff spot with two games in hand on the fourth-place Blues. Hope is not yet lost for San Jose.
It's time for the Stars to go on a run or the defending Western Conference champions will be in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Unfortunately for Dallas, four of its next six games are against two of the top three teams in the division -- Carolina and Florida.
The Flames had an awful week. They've lost four consecutive games, two of which came against the last-place Senators. Calgary also made it difficult for Ottawa goalie Rasmus Andersson to get the puck after his first career win on Monday night. It was an embarrassing scene for the Flames in a season that's quickly slipping away.
Let's take a moment to appreciate Anze Kopitar.
A lot of the talk in L.A. this season has centered around the team's exciting young players, and rightly so because this franchise has arguably the deepest and most talented prospect pool in the league.
Kopitar is still performing at an elite level, though. He's tallied a team-leading 37 points in 33 games, and his 29 assists are tied for the fourth-most in the league.
The trade deadline likely will go through Nashville.
The Predators have several of the top players who could be available over the next few weeks -- defenseman Mattias Ekholm, center/winger Mikael Granlund, winger Viktor Arvidsson and potentially winger Filip Forsberg.
The dilemma for the Predators is whether to sell at all. A three-game win streak has moved Nashville within four points of a playoff spot in the Central Division.
One of the top defensemen who could be dealt before the trade deadline is David Savard. The Columbus blueliner plays a tough, defensive-minded style of hockey and is capable of logging 20-plus minutes per game in the playoffs. The Blue Jackets should try to maximize his value at the deadline because they aren't going to be serious contenders in the spring.
It's way too early to be concerned about the lack of scoring production from 2020 No. 1 overall draft pick Alexis Lafrenière. Still, four goals through 33 games -- including an active 12-game goalless drought -- is a little disappointing. Kaapo Kakko, who the Rangers selected No. 2 overall in 2019, also has underperformed with six points in 26 games.
Vancouver has lost three consecutive games with just 35 points from 37 games. The Canucks face an uphill climb to earn a playoff berth and should strongly consider selling at the trade deadline.
Conor Garland leads the Coyotes with 26 points and yet his name has been the subject of trade speculation. He's in the final of his contract and can become a restricted free agent this summer.
The Scituate, Mass. native would look very good in a Bruins uniform. Boston needs to upgrade its secondary scoring at the trade deadline and absolutely should call the Coyotes and inquire about Garland's availability.
After having four consecutive games postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, the Canadiens have three staight games against the last-place Senators this week. It's a huge opportunity for Montreal to bank some much-needed points and further solidify its position in the North Division playoff race.
The Blackhawks have a very favorable schedule over the next 14 games. They play only one of the Central Division's top three teams (Lightning, Panthers and Hurricanes) over that span -- two games versus Carolina. This is a pivotal stretch in Chicago's season as it attempts to hold off Columbus for the division's fourth and final postseason spot.
The Flyers have lost seven of their last 10 games (3-6-1) and one of the biggest reasons for the team's struggles has been disappointing play of starting goalie Carter Hart.
Hart has posted an abysmal .869 save percentage and a 4.04 goals against average in 22 games played. The Flyers need Hart to rebound ASAP if they're going to turn around their season.
The Blues are barely holding on to the final playoff spot in the West Division after three consecutive losses. St. Louis' road isn't going to get any easier, either, as four of its next five games are against the Golden Knights and Avalanche. We're about to learn a lot about the Blues and whether they are a legit contender this season.
The Wild have won eight of their last 10 games and sit just two points behind first place in the West Division. Quality goaltending and strong defense have been the foundation of Minnesota's success of late. This team ranks sixth in goals against per game and fourth in penalty kill percentage.
The Bruins have been ravaged by injuries and players being added to the COVID-19 protocol list over the last two weeks. Boston's leading scorer, Brad Marchamd, was put on the list Saturday.
Boston must add either a top-six forward or a top-four defenseman at the trade deadline for some much-needed depth.
One positive for the Bruins is they still have six games left against the last-place Sabres.
The Oilers will return to the playoffs barring a total collapse down the stretch. There's still plenty left for Edmonton to prove, though, beginning with a two-game set against the first-place Leafs on Saturday and Monday. The Oilers are 2-5-0 versus the Leafs in 2021, including an embarrassing three-game sweep earlier this month in Toronto.
The Penguins have been red-hot in March with a 10-3-1 record. Keeping that momentum going will be a challenge with back-to-back two-game series against the first-place Islanders and Bruins next on the schedule.
The Panthers have lost four of their last five games, but they are not in danger of falling out of the playoff picture in the Central Division.
Franchise center Aleksander Barkov is having the best season of his career with 37 points in 31 games. He's been particularly hot of late with 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his last six games.
First-line center Auston Mathews is tied for the league lead in goals with 21, but it's superstar winger Mitch Marner who leads the first-place Leafs with 41 points through 33 games. Marner is on pace to score above a point-per-game level for the third consecutive season.
Three consecutive wins for the Jets has pulled them into a first-place tie with the Leafs. Adding another defenseman -- perhaps the David Savard-type -- would be an ideal upgrade for Winnipeg ahead of the trade deadline.
The Avalanche have tied the Golden Knights for first place in the West Division with eight wins in their last 10 games. Colorado right winger Mikko Rantanen dominated offensively during that stretch with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists). The Avs are starting to play their best hockey as the playoff races begin to ramp up.
Mark Stone is on fire this season with a team-leading 39 points in 31 games. The veteran winger has tallied a league-leading 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in the month of March. The Golden Knights have an 11-4-0 record over that span.
The Hurricanes are still one of the most impressive offensive teams in the league. They rank No. 7 in goals scored per game, No. 1 in power-play percentage, No. 5 in shots per game and No. 4 in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage.
Carolina is going to be a very tough team to beat come playoff time.
Losing first-line left winger and captain Anders Lee to a season-ending ACL injury is a massive blow to the Islanders' chances of winning the Stanley Cup. New York needs to be aggressive at the trade deadline to try and replace Lee's offensive production. Even with Lee, the Islanders were a middle-of-the-road scoring team averaging less than three goals per game.
The Capitals are firing on all cylinders with nine wins in their last 10 games, and they've tied the Islanders for first place in the East Division as a result.
Washington would be wise to aggressively pursue upgrades at the trade deadline and maximize whatever is left of Ovechkin's prime. The Capitals captain is having another fantastic season with 17 goals in 29 games.
The Lightning were the first team to reach the 50-point mark and are well-positioned to win the Presidents' Trophy for the second time in three years. Speaking of awards, Lightning star Victor Hedman leads all defensemen with 33 points and is arguably the favorite to win the Norris Trophy for the second time in his career.
