Weekly NHL Power Rankings: Free-Scoring Devils Climb Two Places

By Mark Callanan  | 

Mar 5th, 2023 03:02 PM  |  8 mins

 | 

 Fact Checked by Sean O'Neill

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It was among the busiest trade deadlines in recent memory, with no fewer than 56 trades being completed in the final seven days before Friday afternoon. Almost every team got in on the action in one way or another, with most of the big deals being completed in advance of the deadline day itself. The already scary Boston Bruins, who remain on course for one of the best regular seasons, statistically, in the 100+ year history of the league, somehow managed to get even stronger. 

The Bruins acquired Tyler Bertuzzi, Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov, and their dominance continued as they won their tenth straight game on Saturday afternoon, defeating fellow cup hopefuls, the New York Rangers. The Rangers were among the busiest teams in the past couple of weeks, adding the cup-winning duo of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. NHL betting sites remain keen on the Bruins, however, as their incredible season shows no signs of slowing down. With David Pastrnak now signed up for another eight years, this team looks set to stay competitive for a while yet.

32. Chicago Blackhawks, 21-36-5 (-2)

With Patrick Kane and Max Domi departed, and Jonathan Toews still suffering from the effects of long Covid, this Blackhawks team only has one active player earning over five million dollars per year. The AHL-standard roster is being torn apart of late, with four straight losses this week, and just six goals scored. This rebuild will take some time.

31. Columbus Blue Jackets, 20-37-6 (+1)

Columbus has been competitive of late, going 5-5-2 since the All-Star break, scoring 32 and allowing only 36. They were sellers at the deadline, shipping away Nyquist, Korpisalo, Gavrikov and the injured Jakub Voracek. The Jackets only have one additional pick in the first two rounds of the next three drafts, so don't expect this rebuild to be anything other than slow.

30. San Jose Sharks, 18-33-12 (-1)

Five straight losses and eight defeats in their last nine games leaves the San Jose Sharks in a pretty grim spot near the bottom of the league standings. Timo Meier made his way to New Jersey for a whole host of returns, in one of the biggest deals of the past week, as the Sharks stare down the barrel of a rebuild.

29. Anaheim Ducks, 21-34-8 (+2)

The Ducks have gone from losing six straight games, to winning four of their last five games. The turnaround in form has been largely due to the stellar goaltending of John Gibson, who has a 2.24 GAA and a .945 save percentage in that his last four starts. Defensemen Dmitry Kulikov and John Klingberg both made their exits from Anaheim this week.

28. Arizona Coyotes, 21-32-9 (-)

Unexpectedly, the Coyotes were sellers in the busy market leading up to the trade deadline. Nick Bjugstad, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun were three of the bigger names to leave, as Arizona looks to replenish their draft picks. They now potentially hold a remarkable 22 picks inside the first three rounds, over the course of the next three seasons. 

27. Vancouver Canucks, 25-32-5 (-)

It is difficult to know whether the Canucks are a buying or selling team at the moment. Having given up Bo Horvat and Luke Schenn, Vancouver then traded for Filip Hronek, who has one more year of a $4.4m contract after this season. On the ice, the Canucks have oscillated between wins and losses for their last eight games.

26. Montreal Canadiens, 26-32-4 (-)

The most notable trade in Quebec in recent days was the direct exchange of Russian wingers Evgeni Dadonov and Dennis Gurianov, with Dallas. Although Gurianov had failed to live up to expectations in Dallas, Montreal will be happy to have him. The 25-year-old is a restricted free agent this summer, and the Habs are likely to offer him a deal.

25. Philadelphia Flyers, 23-28-11 (-1)

Although they were struggling with him in the lineup, the absence of Travis Konecny is not going to help this Flyers' team in the short-run. Konecny is likely to face at least two more weeks out, and his team have won just one game in their last nine attempts. Philadelphia was among the quieter teams around the trade deadline.

24. St. Louis Blues, 27-30-5 (+1)

Perhaps the biggest sellers of the past month, the St. Louis Blues actually added to their roster at the deadline, picking up Jakub Vrana in a trade with the Red Wings. Vrana has struggled on and off the ice lately, and all parties will hope that this deal will reinvigorate him as he enters the final year of his contract next season.

23. Detroit Red Wings, 28-25-9 (-2)

Five straight losses for the Red Wings have them all but out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. NHL betting apps have the Red Wings heavily odds-against to make the playoffs this year, and the trade deadline moves would suggest that Steve Yzerman knows it isn't going to happen this year. Vrana, Bertuzzi, Hronek and Sundquist all left Detroit in the last week.

22. Washington Capitals, 31-27-6 (-6)

It feels like the significant damage was done to the Capitals between the All-Star break and the end of February, as they lost 7 of 9 games in that stretch. Giving up Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Bruins shows that the Capitals look to be resigned to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14.

21. Ottawa Senators, 32-26-4 (+2)

Five straight wins for the Senators and they show no signs of letting up in the race for the Eastern Conference wild card spots. The Sens made one of the most significant moves at the deadline, acquiring elite defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes. Chychrun picked up a goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win over Columbus.

20. Nashville Predators, 31-23-6 (-)

The Preds are in good form, but they are also looking up the standings at a pretty intimidating gap behind the Colorado Avalanche. The playoffs don't look to be on the cards, but don't expect this team to give up just yet. Nashville was busy at the deadline, with Tyson Barrie, Cal Foote and a whole host of draft picks the most notable arrivals.

19. New York Islanders, 32-25-8 (+3)

The Islanders have struggled for consistency since the All-Star break, winning two consecutive games just once in that time, and going 6-3-3 over their last dozen games. Sitting in the number one wild card spot at present, Isles' fans will be looking down the standings hoping that nobody below them makes a run, as Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Ottawa all have significantly fewer games played.

18. Florida Panthers, 31-27-6 (+1)

Consistency has been a major issue for the Panthers this season. Just once all season have they managed three straight wins, despite leading the entire NHL in shots per game. The playoffs aren't completely out of reach at this point, and a win over the Penguins on Saturday was certainly a good launchpad for the rest of their season.

17. Calgary Flames, 27-23-13 (-)

It's not overly difficult to pinpoint just when things went wrong for the Calgary Flames this season. Since the All-Star break, the Flames are 3-6-4, and have the fourth-lowest point percentage in the NHL. In that time, the Flames have been outshooting their opponents by an average of almost twelve shots per game. A tough season for the fans in Calgary.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins, 31-22-9 (+2)

Pittsburgh went from a four-game losing streak into a four-game winning streak, only to see that ended by Florida on Saturday afternoon. Although they sit inside the second wild card spot in the east, the Penguins have failed to strengthen their roster at the deadline and are unlikely to challenge for a cup this year, given the strength of the Eastern Conference.

15. Buffalo Sabres, 32-25-4 (-)

The Sabres continue to be involved in entertaining, high-scoring games. This week, they had 7-4 and 5-3 wins, and a 3-5 and 1-7 loss. This keeps them just about competitive in the wild card race in the east, behind the Penguins and Islanders. Only the Edmonton Oilers have scored more goals per game than Buffalo this season, their issues are all in defense.

14. Seattle Kraken, 35-21-6 (-1)

Seattle was happy with their lot, and didn't engage in any of the trade deadline activity this season. As they look to scrap it out with Edmonton, Los Angeles and Vegas for the top three spots in the Pacific Conference, they can't have missed the fact that all three of those opponents made noteworthy moves in an empty to strengthen. 

13. Minnesota Wild, 36-21-6 (+1)

Since February 11, there are only two teams to have picked up 20 points. One is the on-fire Boston Bruins, the other is the Minnesota Wild. The Bruins have done so by scoring 45 goals and allowing just 21. The Wild have done so by scoring just 24 goals, but they have allowed a league low 17 goals in their last 12 games.

12. Edmonton Oilers, 34-22-8 (-2)

It is hard to put into words what Connor McDavid is doing this season, but let's try. McDavid leads the league with 122 points, 26 more than any other player, and 34 more than any other non-Oiler. He is the first player to hit 50 goals, with 8 goals more than his nearest Rocket Richard challenger, David Pastrnak. We could go on and on. An incredible individual season.

11. Winnipeg Jets, 36-25-2 (-2)

Between February 1 and the trade deadline, only two teams in the NHL had fewer goals per game than the Winnipeg Jets. That scoring slump led to the acquisition of Nino Neiderreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov, and the Jets scored seven goals against the Oilers in their first game after the deadline closed. Canadian betting sites still see the Jets as outsiders for the cup this year.

10. Los Angeles Kings, 36-20-8 (+1)

The Kings made five deals as the deadline approached, but the most significant was to deal away their franchise goaltender, Jonathan Quick. Quick won the cup with LA in 2012 and 2014, also winning the Conn Smythe in 2012. In return, the Kings picked up Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov, as they look to make a run in the Western Conference.

9. Vegas Golden Knights, 37-19-6 (+3)

Vegas added Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Quick to their roster this week, as they signalled their intent to challenge in the postseason. The arrival of Quick was one of the more fascinating storylines, as the veteran goaltender was disgusted at the manner of his departure from the Kings, after 16 seasons in Los Angeles. The sides will meet on April 6.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning, 37-20-5 (-1)

They might have given up a lot to get him, but the Lightning got their man at the deadline once again, as they received Tanner Jeannot from Nashville for no fewer than five picks. Tampa Bay believes that Jeannot is the missing piece in their puzzle, as they look to make another challenge for the cup this summer.

7. New York Rangers, 35-19-9 (-1)

Don't be fooled by their recent dip in form, this Rangers team is now absolutely bursting at the seams with superstar names and amazing talent. A first round playoff series against either the Devils or Hurricanes seems likely, in what would be an instant heavyweight battle. Patrick Kane is still finding his feet, but you can expect him to go off any time soon.

6. Dallas Stars, 34-16-13 (+2)

Four wins from the last five games has the Stars in a much better position in the Central Division, with daylight between themselves and a resurgent Minnesota Wild. The Stars acquired Max Domi and Evgeni Dadonov, as they look to put together a roster that can challenge for the Western Conference, and maybe more. A 7-3 win over Colorado on Saturday was a good start.

5. Colorado Avalanche, 34-21-5 (-2)

The six-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt this week, as the Avs fell to two consecutive heavy defeats, allowing seven goals to both the Devils and the Stars. With Cale Makar back in the lineup, the Avs should recover quickly, but there are some defensive frailties in evidence. Jack Johnson and Lars Eller were the late trade arrivals into Denver.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs, 38-17-8 (-)

There was no shortage of action in Toronto over the past month, with most of it happening off the ice. The Leafs acquired eight new faces, and gave up a 2023 first round pick but then got another one back. With just one pick in the first four rounds of this summer's draft, the Leafs are all-in to challenge for the cup this season.

3. New Jersey Devils, 40-15-6 (+2)

Having scored seven goals in consecutive games, the Devils are showing the explosive offensive potential that they have. Add Timo Meier into that mix and you have yourself a bona fide cup contender. Given the stiff competition in the Eastern Conference, the Devils' Stanley Cup odds remain attractive, although their path to the cup is not so appealing. 

2. Carolina Hurricanes, 40-12-8 (-)

Just two games in the past week for the Hurricanes, who recovered from consecutive 3-2 defeats in regulation with an impressive 6-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Most USA sports betting sites have the Hurricanes among the top four or five teams in their Stanley Cup betting, after they acquired Shayne Gostisbehere and Jesse Puljujarvi in trades this week.

1. Boston Bruins, 49-8-5 (-)

Ten straight wins for the Bruins. The most incredible regular season in recent memory just got even more incredible, as Boston continues to swat away opponents. With Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov now added into the mix, the team have, somehow, become even more powerful. Orlov has nine points in his last four games, an amazing start to life in Boston for the experienced blueliner.