Tag: 2024 NHL power rankings

NHL March power rankings: What should all 32 teams do at the 2024 trade deadline?

Which NHL teams should be buyers or sellers at the 2024 trade deadline?

The calendar has officially flipped to March and the NHL trade deadline is nearly within sight.

On March 8 at 3 p.m. ET, the deadline for deals and trades will pass, putting an end to one of the busiest times of the hockey calendar. Until then, hockey fans are set for a week of potential chaos, as teams either stock up for an upcoming playoff run or begin to tear things down for an eventual rebuild.

We’ve already seen a few trades made in the NHL, but more are sure to come in the week ahead. Still, now is as good of a time as any to talk about what all 32 teams should do as the deadline draws closer. Here is how we see things across the league in our March 2024 power rankings, trade deadline edition!

NHL February power rankings: Wild Western Conference remains as unpredictable as ever

The NHL’s Western Conference remains completely unpredictable in our February power rankings.

It wasn’t that long ago that everyone believed that the Edmonton Oilers were dead in the water. Plus, what about the Los Angeles Kings? A team that was once a league-wide darling is now teetering on the cusp of a playoff spot.

And don’t even get me started on the Vancouver Canucks and everything they’ve accomplished this season.

As the NHL’s All-Star break finally begins — and the calendar turns to February — it’s clear this season has not gone the way many expected it to. A big reason for that is thanks to the NHL’s Western Conference, where chaos reigns and 16-game win streaks are somehow the norm now.

Outside of the big names, teams like the Winnipeg Jets and Arizona Coyotes have outperformed expectations, leading to surprise playoff pushes and more competitive games. Others, like the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild, have disappointed and will have to look inward to find the heart of their problems.

There’s lots of hockey still to be played, but the end is starting to come into sight. The trade deadline is a handful of weeks away and with it brings power shifts and a clearer focus on the playoffs ahead. As the NHL takes a much-needed break from the action, here is how we see things across the league in our February 2024 power rankings.

NHL January power rankings: Are the Canucks finally, legitimately for real?

The Canucks are the NHL’s biggest surprise as 2024 begins.

The calendar has officially flipped to 2024 and the NHL season is nearly halfway over.

Taking a glance at the standings, perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2023-24 NHL season so far has been the tale of the Vancouver Canucks. With poor cap management and an underperforming roster, the Canucks needed this season to go perfectly or risk the breakup of some really talented players.

And so far, it has! Entering 2024, the Canucks own sole possession of the top spot in the Pacific, a division featuring the reigning Stanley Cup champions and Connor McDavid himself. In a year the Canucks needed to rally together the most to stave off implosion, the team has put together quite a run before the halfway point of the season.

The real question is, can this last? The Canucks have one of the harder remaining strength of schedules left and have the Golden Knights, Kings, and Oilers breathing down their necks in the Pacific. Time will tell if the Canucks truly are a contender after so many years of disappointment, but so far they’re exceeding expectations and then some.

As for the rest of the NHL, here’s how we see things as the new year begins in our January 2024 power rankings.