NHL Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands After the 2024 Trade Deadline
NHL Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands After the 2024 Trade Deadline0 of 32
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Not all trades are created equal.
Some are made by teams seeking the final piece to a championship puzzle. Others are to change the locker room dynamic. And others are made with payroll in mind.
So, now that the NHL trade deadline has come and gone for 2024, the B/R hockey team headed back to the ballot box for its first Power Rankings vote since all deals went down.
And whaddya know? Some things just don’t change.
The Florida Panthers led the league in wins, points, points percentage and goal differential for the week, so it’s no surprise they swept the first-place votes to remain in the No. 1 spot for the fourth consecutive week. But there was upheaval behind them.
The Vancouver Canucks leapt a spot from third to second, clearing room for the New York Rangers to vault from seventh to third. The Dallas Stars climbed one spot from fifth to fourth, and the quintet is rounded out by the Boston Bruins, which went up one from sixth to fifth.
Scroll through to see where your favorite team wound up and drop a thought of your own in the comments.
Statistics were up to date and votes tallied before games on Wednesday, March 13..
32. San Jose Sharks1 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 32
Overall Record: 16-41-7
A 1-2-0 week made it official that the Sharks won’t make the playoffs for a fifth straight season, but that wasn’t a surprise. Offloading Tomáš Hertl to Vegas at the deadline alongside deals that sent Anthony Duclair and Kaapo Kähkönen away was.
Save your thoughts for San Jose general manager Mike Grier, who’s essentially restarting from scratch.
31. Chicago Blackhawks2 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 31
Overall Record: 18-43-5
The hype about Connor Bedard was certainly plentiful, but it may have been too little.
The 18-year-old posted the first five-point game of his career in Tuesday’s rout of Anaheim and became the first player of that age to do so since 2011.
Bedard’s 51 points in 52 games are 13 ahead of the next highest rookie, Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild.
30. Anaheim Ducks3 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 30
Overall Record: 23-39-3
It’s all about the future for the flightless Ducks, who got a first-round pick from Edmonton for Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to add to their own selection, which figures to be in the top three given their current standing.
And if they win the lottery (which they’ve never done), perhaps Macklin Celebrini will be donning a webbed logo in 2024-25.
29. Columbus Blue Jackets4 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 29
Overall Record: 22-33-10
The trade that brought winger Alexander Nylander and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh wasn’t a headline-maker, but it’s already paid off for the Blue Jackets.
,The 2016 No. 8 overall pick has five goals and seven points in nine games for Columbus.
28. Arizona Coyotes5 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 28
Overall Record: 26-35-5
The deals that brought Jason Zucker, Troy Stecher and Matt Dumba last summer didn’t produce the veteran-laden contending results the Coyotes hoped for, so it’s no surprise all were flipped for picks at the deadline.
Another spot in the draft’s top 10 is expected this summer and provides another chance to add to a talented young group.
27. Montreal Canadiens6 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 26
Overall Record: 25-30-10
Dealing Jake Allen to New Jersey clears the goaltending logjam and establishes the duo of Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau as the future, for now at least.
And getting a 2024 first-rounder from Winnipeg for Sean Monahan, who’d brought a first-rounder with him when he came from Calgary, was a masterstroke by GM Kent Hughes.
26. Ottawa Senators7 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 27
Overall Record: 26-33-4
Steve Staios is headed toward his first offseason as Ottawa GM after dealing UFA-to-be Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida for two picks.
Meantime, the team will limp toward the 2023-24 finish line out of the hunt, trailing the Eastern playoff cutline by 16 points entering Wednesday’s games.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins8 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 28-27-9
It would be hard to have a more difficult week than the one had by the Penguins, who were winless in four games and didn’t do anything for their short-term title chances by dealing imminent UFA Jake Guentzel to Carolina after they were unable to agree to a contract.
Pittsburgh has dropped five spots in the rankings and is seven points behind the current playoff line.
24. New Jersey Devils9 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 24
Overall Record: 31-30-4
New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald brought in goalie Jake Allen and sent out forward Tyler Toffoli, among others, in a pre-deadline flurry.
The Devils sat six points off the playoff pace entering Wednesday’s games, and interim coach Travis Green was 1-3-0 in his first four games since replacing Lindy Ruff.
22. (tie) Calgary Flames10 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 19
Overall Record: 31-29-5
The Flames were headline-making sellers before and at the deadline, unloading veterans and imminent UFAs Noah Hanifin (Vegas), Elias Lindholm (Vancouver) and Chris Tanev (Dallas) when it appeared they were unlikely to stay.
They’ve lost three straight since, though, and been outscored 18-6 while doing so.
22. (tie) St. Louis Blues11 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 22
Overall Record: 33-29-3
Pavel Buchnevich staying in St. Louis was perhaps the biggest Blues-centric news of the week.
The 28-year-old has a year left on a deal that pays $5.8 million annually and will likely be in the same trade rumor position next winter unless an extension is signed or an offseason trade is made.
21. Buffalo Sabres12 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 25
Overall Record: 31-30-5
To say the Sabres made deadline noise is an understatement.
They dealt Casey Mittelstadt to Colorado for 2019 No. 4 overall selection Bowen Byram and dealt captain Kyle Okposo for a prospect and a pick.
It probably won’t keep Buffalo from a 13th straight non-playoff season, though the team had crept within five points of the cutline through Tuesday.
20. Washington Capitals13 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 20
Overall Record: 30-24-9
Though the optimists are still eyeing a playoff race that saw the Capitals sitting three points beneath the Eastern cutline heading into Wednesday, the realists are focused more on the future and the haul of 14 picks they have in the first three rounds of the next three drafts.
19. Seattle Kraken14 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 18
Overall Record: 28-24-12
The Kraken were largely inactive at the deadline beyond the extension given to Jordan Eberle and chose not to trade a small handful of imminent UFAs, so a late-season push for the playoffs appears to be the priority.
Seattle was fifth in the Pacific and nine points off the postseason pace heading into Wednesday.
18. Minnesota Wild15 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 23
Overall Record: 32-27-7
There were more subtractions than additions at the deadline, but the Wild are playing like a team with the playoffs in mind, having gone 3-0-1 for the week.
They’re fifth in the Central but sit in the first “outside looking in” position in the wild-card chase, trailing Vegas by six points through Tuesday’s games.
17. New York Islanders16 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 17
Overall Record: 29-21-14
Their 2-1-0 week didn’t hurt, but it was thanks to a skidding team above them that the Islanders actually arrived to Wednesday’s game in the East’s final playoff spot, tied with Detroit with a game in hand.
New York is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games while the Red Wings are 4-6-0, providing a pivotal six-point turn.
16. Detroit Red Wings17 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 12
Overall Record: 33-26-6
Oh, did we mention the Red Wings?
Just when it seemed safe to suggest they’d end a six-year playoff drought, they’ve dropped six straight games while being outscored 32-11.
They’ve scored the fewest goals, allowed the most, and are the league’s only winless team since February 29.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning18 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 16
Overall Record: 34-25-6
The Lightning didn’t make the deadline’s sexiest moves, but the deals that brought in forward Anthony Duclair and defenseman Matt Dumba could be significant for a team with a solid core that’s seeking complementary pieces and injury depth.
Tampa Bay is in the East’s first wild-card spot but only two points above the cutline.
14. Philadelphia Flyers19 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 15
Overall Record: 34-24-8
The pundits kept waiting for the Flyers to stumble and decide on a deadline selling spree, but they wound up adding (or keeping) as much as they subtracted.
Most notable among the non-movers was assistant captain/forward Scott Laughton, who’s reached double-digit goals for the sixth time and is tied for the league lead with seven shorthanded points.
12. (tie) Vegas Golden Knights20 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 13
Overall Record: 35-23-7
No team did more to better itself at the deadline than the defending champion Golden Knights, who girded for a repeat run by adding Noah Hanifin, Tomáš Hertl and Anthony Mantha without subtracting from their core.
First order of business? Making the playoffs. Vegas was six points up on Minnesota heading into Wednesday.
12. (tie) Nashville Predators21 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 14
Overall Record: 37-25-4
There’s no hotter team in hockey than the streaking Predators, who were the league’s only team without a regulation loss in its last 12 games (10-0-2) entering Wednesday.
Nashville was a point up on Vegas for the first wild-card slot and had outscored opponents 49-24 since February 17.
11. Los Angeles Kings22 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 11
Overall Record: 33-20-11
Overall reviews on the Kings at the deadline weren’t good because of the lack of action, though a would-be deal for Boston goalie Linus Ullmark was apparently pursued but didn’t materialize.
That means the L.A. net will be guarded into the postseason by Cam Talbot, who last started a playoff game in 2022 and last won one in May 2021.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs23 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 37-19-8
It’s all about the postseason for the Maple Leafs, who added depth and grit at the deadline and are headed at the moment for a first-round duel with the Bruins, whom they’ve not beaten in the postseason since 1959, losing six straight series.
Toronto is nine points behind the Bruins in the Atlantic and eight points up on Tampa Bay.
9. Carolina Hurricanes24 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 9
Overall Record: 39-20-6
The Hurricanes have been among the league’s chronic underachievers in recent years and haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 2006.
However, their chances got better this year when they acquired Jake Guentzel from Pittsburgh and Evgeny Kuznetsov from Washington, adding 63 playoff goals and two championships to the roster.
8. Edmonton Oilers25 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 4
Overall Record: 39-21-3
Did they make the right moves? Did they do enough? Those are the questions around Oilers Nation in the wake of deals that brought in Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick and Troy Stecher.
Edmonton is 10-5-2 since the end of a historic 16-game win streak and arrived to Wednesday both 10 points above the playoff cutline and 10 points out of first in the Pacific.
7. Colorado Avalanche26 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 8
Overall Record: 41-20-5
Beware of the Avalanche, which arrived to Wednesday having gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games to creep within two points of Dallas and the Central Division lead.
Colorado was 3-0-0 this week and had outscored opponents 22-6 in its last four games.
6. Boston Bruins27 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 6
Overall Record: 38-14-15
Pat Maroon was acquired for his postseason impact and leadership, and it may be the playoffs before fans actually see him play in a Boston uniform.
The 35-year-old was acquired in a deal with Minnesota on deadline day but had back surgery in early February and isn’t skating yet. He’s played in 150 playoff games and been on three Stanley Cup-winning teams.
5. Winnipeg Jets28 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 2
Overall Record: 41-18-5
Making moves is one thing, but making moves that address specific needs is another.
The Jets took swings at the latter by bringing in Sean Monahan (21 goals) and Tyler Toffoli (26 goals) to boost a sagging offense that was 17th in the league prior to the deadline.
4. Dallas Stars29 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 5
Overall Record: 40-18-9
The Stars have reached the Western finals in two of the last four seasons, and it’s clearly the goal again for 2023-24.
They may have gotten a step closer in that aim by getting defenseman Chris Tanev from the Flames (via New Jersey) for a fourth-round pick in 2026.
3. New York Rangers30 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 7
Overall Record: 43-18-4
New York head coach Peter Laviolette has a Cup-winning pedigree behind the bench and the Rangers are in first place in his first season, so GM Chris Drury worked the perimeter at the deadline.
Getting forwards Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic adds top-nine depth to a team whose offense (3.28 goals per game) is tied for 10th while its defense (2.62) is fourth.
2. Vancouver Canucks31 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 3
Overall Record: 42-17-7
That sound you hear in British Columbia is breath being drawn in over the pre-playoff status of goalie Thatcher Demko, who left Saturday’s win over Winnipeg with a lower-body injury.
The 28-year-old has been deemed “week to week” with 16 games remaining on the schedule, and he is among the league’s leaders in all major categories including wins, which he leads with 34.
1. Florida Panthers32 of 32
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Previous Ranking: 1
Overall Record: 45-17-4
To suggest GM Bill Zito had a perfect deadline might be a stretch, but it was awfully good.
Forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo add a Stanley Cup on one end and a track record of popular leadership on the other, and the Panthers didn’t give up any remaining pieces from the team that went to the Cup Final last spring. Win-win.
