Vancouver Canucks v Los Angeles Kings — NHL Power Rankings Mar. 11: Who won the trade deadline?

NHL Power Rankings Mar. 11: Who won the trade deadline?

Modified Mar 12, 2024 01:34 GMT

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone. Although not every team that needed to make a move did, the league's top teams didn't sit around and wait for things to happen; they made this year's deadline memorable.

As many teams approach the final 20 games of their respective seasons, there have been quite a few movers in the weekly NHL power rankings. Where does your team rank with a month to go?

NHL Power Rankings (Mar. 11, 2024) Bottom 16

(Rankings based on points percentage)

#32.) Chicago Blackhawks (.300)

#31.) San Jose Sharks (.310)

#30.) Anaheim Ducks (.383)

#29.) Columbus Blue Jackets (.422)

#28.) Ottawa Senators (.435)

#27.) Arizona Coyotes (.438)

#26.) Montreal Canadiens (.453)

#25.) Buffalo Sabres (.500)

#24.) Pittsburgh Penguins (.508)

#23.) New Jersey Devils (.516)

#22.) St. Louis Blues (.523)

#21.) Calgary Flames (.523)

#20.) Minnesota Wild (.531)

#19.) Seattle Kraken (.532)

#18.) Washington Capitals (.556)

#17.) Detroit Red Wings (.563)

NHL Power Rankings (Mar. 11, 2024) Top 16 Teams

#16.) Philadelphia Flyers (Metropolitan Division No. 3)

The Philadelphia Flyers have had a comfortable spot in the Metropolitan Division all season, but now the New York Islanders are breathing down their neck. They are without head coach John Tortorella for two games due to a suspension and were just 1-1-1 last week, getting lit up 10-3 in three games.

#15.) Tampa Bay Lightning (East wild card No. 1)

Last week, the Tampa Bay Lightning gave their fans whiplash, falling to the Calgary Flames, 6-3 and destroying the Flyers, 7-0. Instead of staying complacent, the Lighting acquired Matt Dumba and Anthony Duclair at the NHL trade deadline to help secure a playoff spot.

#14.) New York Islanders (East wild card No. 1)

Don't look now, but the Islanders are the hottest team in the NHL, with six straight wins, leapfrogging the Detroit Red Wings into a wild card spot. Despite not making any trades by the deadline, New York's best move this season may be to hire Patrick Roy in late January.

#13.) Vegas Golden Knights (West wild card No. 2)

As one of the busiest NHL teams at the trade deadline, the Vegas Golden Knights risk missing the playoffs despite adding Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl and Anthony Mantha. They are in a free fall without captain Mark Stone, with just one win in their past five contests.

#12. Nashville Predators (West wild card No. 1)

After a season-high seven-game win streak, the Nashville Predators improved their record to 10-0-2 in their past 12. They had a relatively quiet NHL trade deadline acquiring depth players Jason Zucker and Anthony Beauvillier while not trading away Juuse Saros.

#11.) Los Angeles Kings (Pacific Division No. 3)

The Los Angeles Kings may have a good spot in the Pacific Division playoff race, but if the season ended today, they'd line up against the Edmonton Oilers for the second consecutive year. Last week, they beat a non-playoff team and lost to two conference powerhouses while not altering their lineup at the NHL trade deadline.

#10.) Toronto Maple Leafs (Atlantic Division No. 3)

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-1 to the Boston Bruins twice in four days, leaving many wondering if this year's lineup is ready for the grind of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Meanwhile, Auston Matthews only has two goals in the past eight games.

#9.) Edmonton Oilers (Pacific Division No. 2)

Connor McDavid recently hit 100 points for the seventh time in his career, but the Edmonton Oilers dropped consecutive games against the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets. Even though they added Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick and Troy Stecher, they have much to prove to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

#8.) Colorado Avalanche (Central Division No. 3)

One year removed from being crowned champions, the Colorado Avalanche were busy at the deadline, picking up Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker to complement a lineup with the NHL's leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado is now 4-1-0 in their last five after a recent 3-5-2 stretch.

#7.) Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan Division No. 2)

The Carolina Hurricanes have been a top NHL team in the Eastern Conference for years but always come up short in the playoffs, so they acquired Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline. He's a point-per-game player in the postseason and could be the missing piece to a championship puzzle.

#6.) Dallas Stars (Central Division No. 1)

Before the NHL trade deadline, one of the top teams in the league, the Dallas Stars, didn't sit around. Instead, they went out and acquired Chris Tanev from the Flames. As they often say, the rich get richer, and the Stars are one of the least talked about teams with a chance to win in June.

#5.) Winnipeg Jets (Central Division No. 2)

Despite the off-ice concerns about attendance, the Winnipeg Jets made another big splash by acquiring eight-time 20-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli. In one of their most successful seasons, General Manager Kevin Chevelddayoff showed that the franchise is in a win-now mode.

#4.) New York Rangers (Metropolitan Division No. 1)

Although the New York Rangers lost back-to-back contests to start March, they are 12-2-1 in the past 15 games, one of the best stretches in franchise history. Surprisingly, GM Chris Drury had a relatively quiet trade deadline, adding depth players instead of making a blockbuster move for the second consecutive season.

#3.) Boston Bruins (Atlantic Division No. 2)

The Boston Bruins have played in 15 overtime games, the most by any team in the NHL this season. They are still in the race for the Atlantic Division title and winning the Presidents' Trophy again. However, some nights, they look unstoppable, while others, the bounces don't go their way, and they struggle to score and win.

#2.) Vancouver Canucks (Pacific Division No. 1)

For the first time, the Vancouver Canucks are going to face adversity with their star goalie, Thatcher Demko, out for two to three weeks. Despite the possible setback, they refuse to lose and are on their fourth four-game win streak. As the top team in the Western Conference, it's their spot to lose if they enter a deep slump.

#1.) Florida Panthers (Atlantic Division No. 1)

The Florida Panthers came within three games of winning the Stanley Cup. They went into the trade deadline, acquiring superstars Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo to ensure they win those three extra games this year's postseason. Since Dec. 23, they have been 26-5-2, maintaining their top position in the NHL standings.