Tag: 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.

NHL December power rankings: Which teams are already in danger of missing the playoffs (Penguins?)

It’s getting late early for some NHL teams as 2024 looms large.

It’s starting to get late early for many Stanley Cup hopefuls as December begins.

We’re just one month away from 2024 — which is, unfortunately, a real year — and we’re already starting to see major trends set in as the NHL season rolls along. Some teams, such as the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, have surprised with early hot starts, leading many to believe they’ll be playoff contenders come spring.

And yet, for some teams, slow starts to the 2023-24 season may end up derailing hopes for a long playoff run. We’ve already talked about teams like the Edmonton Oilers, who continue to stagnate in a quagmire of their own making, so far this year. But a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in the final years of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang’s careers, are treading water even after big offseason acquisitions put them in a position to succeed.

Obviously, the season isn’t over quite yet, but it’s fair to start getting worried if you’re a Penguins or Oilers fan — not to mention the Calgary Flames or New Jersey Devils either. As for the rest of the NHL, here’s how we see things shaping up for the final month of the year in our December 2023 power rankings.

NHL preseason power rankings: Can the Golden Knights go back-to-back after picture-perfect season?

Which NHL teams have the best shot at knocking the Golden Knights off their throne?

The Vegas Golden Knights enter the 2023-24 season as Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.

Sure, the Golden Knights have only been around for seven seasons now, but Vegas made it look easy last year with their dominant postseason performance, losing just six times across their entire playoff stretch. And now, the Golden Knights come into the 2023-24 season looking to defend their title for the first time.

That’s right, hockey season is officially back! The long summer is finally over and hockey games that matter are set to begin on Tuesday, October 10. And for the next eight months, hockey fans will be treated to a full slate of 82 games for each team and a heart-pounding Stanley Cup Playoff schedule as spring hits. What more could you ask for as a hockey fan?

MORE: Why these 5 NHL teams (Maple Leafs) will win the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

It’s only right then that we kick off the new hockey season with our long-awaited preseason power rankings! Here’s how we here at For The Win rank all 32 teams headed into the 2023-24 NHL season.

2023 Stanley Cup Playoff power rankings: Expect the unexpected in the Conference Finals

Chaos is king in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Conference Finals will be no exception.

And then there were four!

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially at their midpoint as the Conference Finals loom. The second round of the playoffs saw more heavyweight favorites in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers fall, making way for the most unconventional Conference Finals hockey fans have seen in some time.

Chaos is king in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but things have been taken to a new level this season. The last time any of the four teams remaining won a Stanley Cup? The Carolina Hurricanes way back in 2006. Not only that, two of the remaining teams haven’t even won a Stanley Cup in franchise history!

Expect the unexpected really is the name of the game here as the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin to wind down. After all, there are only a finite number of hockey games left in the season before a long summer, so why not enjoy it all while it lasts?

Here’s how we rank the four teams remaining in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with a final eulogy for the ones left behind.

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2023 Stanley Cup Playoff power rankings: How major upsets (Panthers!) shake things up ahead of Round 2

The massive upsets in the Stanley Cup Playoffs will impact the second round in a big way.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs never disappoint and this year is no exception.

The first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs has come to an end, with the second round set for Tuesday evening as the NHL postseason continues on into May. The opening set of 16 teams has been cut in half, with just eight teams remaining in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.

And folks, the remaining field is pretty fresh with new blood for the first time in a long time. The reigning Stanley Cup champions in the Colorado Avalanche were ousted in a Game 7 stunner. The Boston Bruins, the NHL’s best regular season team in history, also were handed a stunning Game 7 defeat. Even the stalwart Tampa Bay Lightning were felled in the opening round, meaning we’re set to get a totally new Stanley Cup champion for the first time since the mid-2000s.

That’s playoff hockey for you!

With all these major upsets now behind us, the field is set for an exciting second round. Here’s how we rank the eight teams remaining in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with one final eulogy for the teams we left behind.

2023 Stanley Cup Playoff power rankings: Are the Lightning headed for an early exit?

Will the Lightning see an early exit from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are already looking a bit different than normal.

Gone are some of the usual suspects in the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. The Seattle Kraken, meanwhile, will make their first-ever playoff debut in short order. And the impetus behind all of this seems to be the shifting powers across the NHL landscape that have coalesced behind one team in particular.

The first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins on Monday, with weeks of chaos sure to follow. One of the best parts of playoff hockey season is the massive upsets we bear witness to every spring and this year seems to be no different. One team in particular, the Tampa Bay Lightning, might just be set to fall out of favor earlier than expected. But don’t worry, we’ll get into it soon enough.

As the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway, here are our power rankings of all 16 playoff teams ahead of the chaos to come.

NHL April power rankings: Where do all 32 teams stand ahead of the final 2 weeks?

The 2022-23 NHL season is coming down to the wire, folks.

In just a few weeks’ time, the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin.

Yes, if you can believe it, the NHL regular season is almost over. It feels like just yesterday that we were looking at a clean slate across the board for all 32 teams. But somehow, nearly six months have come and gone and now, the playoffs are in sight.

But first, we have nearly two more weeks left of games to play. And there are a lot of things riding on these next few weeks, from the order of the upcoming NHL draft to the seedings for the playoff matchups to come. For some teams, their stories will continue on through April and late into the spring. For others, however, this will likely be the last time we talk about them in depth for some time.

MORE NHL: Every Pride jersey worn by NHL teams this season.

So, with that being said, let’s buckle up and get ready for a wild ride to the end of the season. Here are our NHL power rankings as April begins.

NHL March power rankings: The East is so loaded as the trade deadline approaches

The arms race in the Eastern Conference has shifted our March power rankings.

Wow, the NHL’s Eastern Conference is actually stacked.

The calendar has officially flipped to March, which means the Stanley Cup Playoffs are only a handful of weeks away. And of course, the 2023 NHL trade deadline is right around the corner, with the 3 p.m. cutoff set for Friday, March 3.

So far, the deadline has been quite busy, with lots of top-end players changing hands as teams look to get ready for long playoff runs. The Eastern Conference, in particular, has loaded up pretty significantly these last few weeks. Players who once dominated the West like Timo Meier, Patrick Kane, Ryan O’Reilly, and Vladimir Tarasenko have all moved East as the arms race between the top NHL teams gets bigger by the day.

What all 32 NHL teams should do at the 2023 trade deadline

Given how close the day is, it’s only fitting that this edition of our monthly power rankings is all about the upcoming trade deadline madness! Here are our NHL power rankings as March begins.