NHL Power Rankings 2021: Where each team stands before trade frenzy heats up

Share

We've reached a difficult point in the 2020-21 NHL season.The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing the league to postpone some games, players are having to play a lot of games in short periods of time , and injuries are starting to take their toll on a few of the Stanley Cup contenders, including the Boston Bruins.This is a pivotal time in the regular season. The teams with the best depth and mental resolve will emerge stronger and well-positioned to enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs with plenty of momentum.Where does each team stand before the trade deadline frenzy ramps up?Check out our latest 2021 NHL Power Rankings.

31 photos
1/31

The Senators are riding a three-game win streak but still sit at the bottom of the North Division. They have the league's worst goal differential at minus-27 and allow a league-high 3.86 goals (!) per game.

2/31

Red Wings left winger Bobby Ryan, center Luke Glendening and defenseman Marc Staal are starting to get looked at by teams hoping to make a move before the April 12 NHL trade deadline, per TSN's Frank Seravalli

Moving on from veterans and acquiring prospects and/or draft picks is exactly what Detroit should be doing over the next month-and-a-half.

3/31

The Sabres are tied with the Red Wings and Senators for the fewest points in the league at 15. The team's prized free agent signing last offseason, left winger Taylor Hall, has disappointed with just one goal in 17 games. Buffalo needs to move Hall before the trade deadline.

4/31

Offense continues to be a huge issue for the Ducks, who are the only team in the league averaging fewer than two goals scored per game.

Anaheim's five-game losing streak has sunk it to the bottom of the West Division.

5/31

The Predators' success for most of their history has been built on good goaltending and strong defense. Neither has been a strength for them this season, as Nashville ranks 25th in goals allowed per game and 28th in penalty killing.

6/31

Four consecutive losses have sunk the Canucks to sixth place in the North Division, and with just 18 points in 24 games, Vancouver must improve quickly to make a real run at a playoff spot.

7/31

Losing center Tomas Hertl, who's in the league's COVID-19 protocol, is a tough loss for the Sharks. Hertl ranks second on the team in goals with six and third in scoring with 11 points through 17 games.

8/31

Three wins in their last four games, including an impressive 6-2 route of the Bruins at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, might be what New York needs to make a playoff push.

Another tough test awaits Sunday in a rematch versus the B's on NBC.

9/31

One of the best developments of the season for the Devils has been the improved play of Pavel Zacha, who has underwhelmed since the team selected him with the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Zacha leads the Devils with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 15 games. 

Overall, the Devils are struggling to score and rank second-to-last in goals per game.

10/31

The Flames have lost five of their last six games by a combined score of 22-8. Included in this stretch were defeats of 7-1, 6-1 and 5-1. 

Calgary gave a six-year, $36 million contract to goalie Jacob Markstrom in free agency and he has not lived up to expectations. Markstrom has posted a 8-6-1 record with a lackluster 2.87 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

11/31

The Blue Jackets have just one victory in their last six games, but it's not all bad. The trade to acquire superstar winger Patrik Laine from the Jets is working out well for Columbus. Laine has tallied 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 11 games with the Blue Jackets.

12/31

The Stars have played only 15 games, tied with the Devils for the fewest in the league. So it's a little too early to be concerned about Dallas' slow start, but the Stars do need to improve quickly.

The Stars' strength this season has been their power play, which ranks fourth in the league with a 30.9 percent success rate.

13/31

The Coyotes will play the betting favorite for the Stanley Cup -- the Avalanche -- in three of their next six games. It's a great test for Arizona, whose only two wins over the last 10 days came against a struggling Ducks squad.

14/31

The Penguins must be better on the road if they want to secure a playoff spot. They own an awful 3-6-1 record away from home, and Pittsburgh allows 3.90 goals per game on the road (fourth-highest in the league).

15/31

The Kings were supposed to be in a rebuilding year, but a six-game win streak (which was snapped Friday night) put L.A. within two points of first place in the West Division. 

16/31

The Canadiens fired head coach Claude Julien earlier this week, which was a strange move. Montreal is not a bad team at all, but a much-better-than-expected start to the season raised expectations to a level that just wasn't realistic.

The real reason for the Canadiens' recent slide isn't coaching, it's goaltending. Carey Price has an awful .887 save percentage, and he's led the Canadiens to victory in only one of his last six starts.

17/31

The Blackhawks are a legit contender for a playoff spot in the Central Division with eights wins in their last 10 games. 

We'll learn a lot about Chicago next week when it plays three consecutive games versus the defending champion Lightning.

18/31

Minnesota is one of the league's hottest teams.

A five-game win streak has vaulted the Wild up to second place in the West.

The Wild will be tested significantly over the next 11 days with four games against the first-place Golden Knights.

19/31

The Blues are lucky to be in second place in the West Division despite having awful special teams. St. Louis ranks 28th in power-play percentage and 26th in penalty kill percentage.

20/31

The Oilers have won five straight games and trail the first-place Leafs by four points in the North Division. Edmonton superstar center Connor McDavid ranks second in goals with 14, first in assists with 26 and first in points with 40.

The Oilers can put a serious dent in the Leafs' division lead with three consecutive games versus Toronto, beginning Saturday night in Edmonton.

21/31

A 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games has moved the Islanders to within three points of first place in the East Division.

If the Islanders could play the Bruins all the time, they'd probably have one of the best records in the league. The Isles are 3-0-0 versus the Bruins with a 12-4 goal differential in those games, including an impressive 7-2 win over Boston on Thursday.

22/31

The Hurricanes just finished a stretch of four consecutive games versus the defending champion Lightning. Carolina lost the last three matchups by a combined score of 10-3. 

Despite the rough patch against the Bolts, Carolina still ranks as one of the league's top 5-on-5 teams. The 'Canes are No. 3 in shot attempt percentage, No. 4 in shots on net percentage and No. 7 in goals for percentage during 5-on-5 play.

23/31

The Flyers have had a unique month of February. They've played only seven games so far because four were postponed. Three of those seven games were losses to the Bruins, including an embarrassing 7-2 defeat in last weekend's outdoor game at Lake Tahoe. Despite the craziness of February, the Flyers are just three points out of first place with only 16 games played.

 

24/31

The Avalanche are the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup, but they haven't yet hit their stride. Although that could change soon with four of Colorado's next five games coming against the struggling Sharks and Ducks.

25/31

The Bruins started the season hot and sat atop the East Division standings for most of February. They were recently taken over by the Capitals, though, after a run of four losses in their last five games.

The last two defeats -- 7-2 to the Islanders and 6-2 to the Rangers -- were particularly troubling.

Injuries have hit the blue line hard, with Jeremy Lauzon, Kevan Miller, Matt Grzelcyk all out of the lineup.

26/31

The Jets are one of the most underrated teams in the league and have the sixth-best points percentage.

Franchise center Mark Scheifele is having one of the best seasons of his career with 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 19 games. 

27/31

Let's take a moment to appreciate longtime Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, who's having another elite season at 33 years old. He's posted a team-leading 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 19 games. 

28/31

The Panthers are legit. They lead the Central Division with 28 points -- the second-highest total in the league -- and have won seven of their last 10 games. 

Jonathan Huberdeau (24 points) and Aleksander Barkov (20 points) are quickly becoming one of the league's top duos on Florida's first line.

29/31

The Golden Knights allow the fewest goals per game and rank No. 3 in penalty kill percentage. Vegas' last two games were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, which gave the team a nice rest after playing five games in nine days, four of which were against a very good Avalanche team.

 

30/31

The Lightning own the league's best goal differential at plus-25, and they've been dominant at home with a 8-1-1 record in Tampa Bay. 

Top defenseman Victor Hedman is having another Norris Trophy-caliber season with a team-leading 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 18 games.

31/31

The Leafs own the league's best record at 15-4-2, and superstar center Auston Matthews leads the league with 18 goals. Toronto also is one of only two teams ranked inside the top 10 of goals scored and goals allowed per game (Tampa Bay is the other).

Contact Us