This year’s busy NHL trade deadline transformed the outlook for many Stanley Cup contenders. It was an all-out arms race, with big names on the move and many buyers pushing all of their chips in.
Which contenders have caught fire with their upgraded rosters? Who’s lagging behind the competition and limping into the playoffs? Let’s dive into each team’s performance since the March 7 deadline in this week’s edition of the power rankings.
1. Winnipeg Jets, 49-19-4
Last week: 1
Mirtle rank: 1
Dayal rank: 1
The Jets became the first team in the West to clinch a playoff spot when they beat the league-leading Capitals on Tuesday. Winnipeg has been a clear notch above the rest of the Central Division this season, but the gap has tightened since the deadline when many of its rivals loaded up.
Colorado and Dallas’ rosters look significantly deeper post-deadline, which has paid off with scorching results, while the Blues, a potential round one matchup for Winnipeg, are the hottest team in the NHL right now.
Winnipeg has kept pace, having won seven of its last 10, though Gabriel Vilardi’s recent week-to-week injury is a big blow to the first line and top power-play unit. Mark Scheifele also needs to snap out of his nine-game goal drought, but it’s otherwise hard to find blemishes in a team that has lost just five games in regulation since late January.
2. Dallas Stars, 47-21-4
Last week: 2
Mirtle rank: 3
Dayal rank: 2
Well, they won again, their fourth in a row, and their seventh straight game getting at least a point (5-0-2). So credit for the results. But they allowed 48 shots against the Flames on Thursday, continuing a trend of fairly underwhelming play post-deadline. They certainly miss Miro Heiskanen lately, and news he might not be back for Round 1 is a blow to their chances against an Avalanche team that’s looking rather powerful.
3. Washington Capitals, 47-16-9
Last week: 3
Mirtle rank: 2
Dayal rank: 3
A hard-fought OT loss this week to the Jets stings and they dropped Thursday’s contest against the Wild despite mostly controlling play too, but the Caps still have the best points percentage in the East since the trade deadline. Washington has been a wagon offensively all year, with contributions coming from every part of the lineup. The only asterisk is that their recent wins have mostly come against inferior opponents – Washington’s record is only 3-4-1 against teams in a playoff spot since the 4 Nations Face-Off.
4. Vegas Golden Knights, 43-20-8
Last week: 6
Mirtle rank: 4
Dayal rank: 4
The Golden Knights didn’t do anything overly exciting at the deadline – unusual for them – but it hasn’t mattered, as a 6-2-2 record since then stands as one of the NHL’s best. Convincing wins over the Lightning and Wild this week helped bump them up our rankings, and they should have no problem with a nice little Blackhawks-Predators bottom-feeder double header this weekend. They’ve established a nice lead in the division, too, which would be their fourth title in eight seasons of existence. Must be nice to be a VGK fan.
5. Colorado Avalanche, 45-25-3
Last week: 7
Mirtle rank: 6
Dayal rank: 5
This once top-heavy Avs forward group looks far deeper and more dangerous since the deadline.
Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle have bolstered Colorado down the middle, but the club is also significantly healthier on the wings compared to the start of the season. Valeri Nichushkin (7 goals in his last 10 games) and Jonathan Drouin are on absolute tears, Martin Necas has been a terrific fit and the depth wingers are pitching in too.
The Avs are 8-1-1 since the deadline and picked up an impressive 4-0 victory over an equally hot Kings team on Thursday.
6. Carolina Hurricanes, 43-24-4
Last week: 5
Mirtle rank: 5
Dayal rank: 7
They rattled off five straight wins after the Mikko Rantanen firestorm of the deadline had the entire league’s attention focused on the Corsicanes, but it’s been a bit bumpier ride since. A lopsided loss to the Kings and a puzzling one against the Predators drop them a spot in our rankings, even though they’re still scoring and dominating possession, as always. Of note: Old man Taylor Hall has been heating up of late, with six goals and nine points in his last seven games.
7. Florida Panthers, 43-25-3
Last week: 4
Mirtle rank: 7
Dayal rank: 6
The Panthers’ secondary offense has gone a bit cold and they’re only 4-4-0 since the deadline, but there is some good news on the horizon. Brad Marchand is poised to make his Panthers debut soon, potentially on Friday against Utah. And after a rocky start on the top pair in Aaron Ekblad’s spot, Seth Jones is beginning to stabilize his game. Jones has helped the Panthers control about 60 percent of shots during his five-on-five shifts in three consecutive games.
8. Los Angeles Kings, 40-22-9
Last week: 11
Mirtle rank: 8
Dayal rank: 8
Even with the loss to the Avs, we wanted to give the Kings some more love than the rankings have most of the year. LA is 9-2-0 since the deadline and has been a dominant even strength team all year, ranking among the leaders in 5-on-5 goal differential and expected goals share. A lot is riding on Darcy Kuemper’s .919 save percentage being the real thing in the playoffs, but let’s give the Kings their due: They’ve had a surprisingly good season and gone under the radar while doing it. Maybe this is the year they finally beat the Oilers?
9. Tampa Bay Lightning, 42-25-5
Last week: 9
Mirtle rank: 9
Dayal rank: 10
The Lightning have been a bit uneven since the deadline (5-4-1), but they obliterated the Hockey Clubbers 8-0 on Thursday, with almost everyone getting on the scoresheet. Leading the way were deadline pickups Oliver Bjorkstrand (two goals) and Yanni Gourde (two assists) as they continue to round out Tampa’s offense nicely. It’s been interesting to watch Gourde, in particular, pick up heavy minutes after his role had diminished in Seattle.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs, 43-25-3
Last week: 8
Mirtle rank: 10
Dayal rank: 9
They lost to the Sharks. Again. San Jose has just two wins against playoff-bound teams in its last 29 games; both of those are against Toronto. And with the Atlantic Division title sitting right there for them, the Leafs have dropped three games in March against the Sharks and Predators. We would call it hard to believe, except it’s been that kind of a weird up-and-down year for Toronto. Next up, the Kings and Ducks as they try to rescue the California road trip.
11. Edmonton Oilers, 41-26-5
Last week: 10
Mirtle rank: 11
Dayal rank: 11
Things aren’t so rosy in Edmonton right now. And it’s about more than the club’s struggles this past week without Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm in the lineup. The Oilers’ 5-4-1 record since the deadline is fine, but zoom out, and they have the 25th-best points percentage in the NHL since Feb 1. There are question marks and flaws with this roster, even though Jake Walman’s immediate impact and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ recent surge provide some optimism.
12. St. Louis Blues, 39-28-7
Last week: 15
Mirtle rank: 12
Dayal rank: 12
A come-from-behind win in Nashville pushed the Blues’ win streak to eight in a row, making them the hottest team in the NHL since the deadline. What’s most impressive about their run lately is they’ve done it without both Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich. Dylan Holloway, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas have been three of the NHL’s top scorers in that span, helping propel St. Louis to a heady 4.1 goals per game. Good thing they didn’t sell at the deadline as they’re potentially going to be a handful for someone in Round 1.
13. Ottawa Senators, 38-28-5
Last week: 12
Mirtle rank: 13
Dayal rank: 13
Ottawa had a brief scare in February when it lost five consecutive games, but Travis Green’s side has been able to convincingly right the ship over the last month with a 9-3-1 heater.
The biggest difference? Their once-struggling offense is suddenly red-hot thanks to strong secondary contributions from Dylan Cozens, David Perron, Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio, among others. It feels cruel to drop the Sens a spot in the rankings compared to last week, but the Blues deserved the promotion.
14. Minnesota Wild, 41-27-5
Last week: 14
Mirtle rank: 14
Dayal rank: 14
The importance of Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Capitals can’t be overstated. Minnesota’s grip on the first wild card spot has been loosening because of St. Louis’ wicked run, the club is banged up without Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson-Ek, and the team’s performance has been up-and-down for a while. The two points they secured against Washington and a favorable schedule down the stretch (24th easiest according to Tankathon) should have the Wild feeling more comfortable about their handle on a playoff spot.
15. New Jersey Devils, 38-28-7
Last week: 13
Mirtle rank: 15
Dayal rank: 15
They brought a stretch of four losses in five games into Wednesday’s not-entirely-decisive win over the Blackhawks, so things aren’t all rosy. Not having Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and defensive stalwart Jonas Siegenthaler appears to be wearing on coach Sheldon Keefe as well, given his odd blowup about Johnathan Kovacevic. “Kovacevic just needs to play better. That would help,” Keefe said when told his defenseman suggested that they needed to have a playoff mentality. We know many aren’t expecting much of the battered Devils if they hold on to get into the postseason, but we don’t recommend suggesting that around them right now.
16. Vancouver Canucks, 34-26-12
Last week: 16
Mirtle rank: 17
Dayal rank: 16
At the start of this week, Canucks fans were getting ready to fire up the old draft lottery simulator again. Their playoff hopes looked dead after two devastating losses to the Blues and Rangers, not to mention the injuries to Elias Pettersson, Nils Höglander and Filip Chytil.
The undermanned Canucks are still alive, however, thanks in large part to Thatcher Demko’s return from IR. Vancouver’s star netminder has been limited to just 19 games this season due to multiple injuries, but he returned on Monday against the Devils and has backstopped the club to two massive victories. The odds are still stacked against the Canucks, but a Demko heater could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
17. Calgary Flames, 34-26-11
Last week: 19
Mirtle rank: 16
Dayal rank: 17
The Flames had won four in a row going into Thursday’s loss against the Stars, and they gave Dallas a good push in piling up 48 shots. Is that enough to bump them up two spots? Apparently! Dustin Wolf has shown his first signs of a little wear lately, and Calgary smartly went to backup Dan Vladar for two wins in New York as part of a first-ever franchise sweep of the three teams there. The Flames have two games left against the Sharks and two more against the Ducks, so there’s a path here for them to still sneak in. But St. Louis’ red-hot run has certainly made that much more daunting.
18. Montreal Canadiens, 33-29-9
Last week: 17
Mirtle rank: 18
Dayal rank: 18
A tough loss to sad-sack Philadelphia on Thursday hurts. But the Flyers had the new coach bounce (and were absolutely pounded in Toronto earlier in the week) so perhaps we can call that one an anomaly. Once the hottest team in the league, the plucky Canadiens have now lost four straight, which is going to make their path to the postseason far more tricky. Their next three against the Hurricanes and then the Panthers twice could make or break them.
19. New York Islanders, 32-29-10
Last week: 18
Mirtle rank: 19
Dayal rank: 19
The Isles lack high-end offensive firepower with Mathew Barzal injured and Nelson now in Colorado, but they’ve mustered a respectable 6-4-3 record since the deadline to stay alive in the playoff race.
This past week, however, hasn’t been kind to them. They’ve dropped three straight games, which included Kyle Palmieri’s apparent game-winner with 9.6 seconds left in regulation against the Blue Jackets getting bizarrely overturned for an extremely questionable goaltender interference call. Ilya Sorokin has been forced to start 14 of the club’s 16 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the fatigue is beginning to show, particularly in the last game against Vancouver. Things don’t look great for New York right now but all the wild card contenders around them are struggling too, so they’re still in it.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets, 32-29-9
Last week: 22
Mirtle rank: 20
Dayal rank: 20
It’s been hard to watch the best story of the season fade out as of late, with six consecutive losses (and eight in nine) before finally getting a shootout W against the Islanders on Monday. Goals have been incredibly hard to come by on the C-Bus, with just seven in their last six games. Two positives? Sean Monahan is back as 1C, which will help. And a big goal from Kirill Marchenko in that win was significant given how quiet he’s been in March. They’re going to need a lot more from him, however, if they’re going to claw into a wild-card spot.
21. Utah HC, 32-29-11
Last week: 20
Mirtle rank: 21
Dayal rank: 22
Utah didn’t sell any of its pending free agents at the deadline, which signalled that the organization wanted its young, exciting core to have a chance to stay competitive in the playoff race and play meaningful games. Their post-deadline run started decently, but it’s all come crumbling down recently. Utah has suffered three blowout losses over the last week and a half: a 7-1 shellacking against the Oilers, a 5-1 home ice defeat to the slumping Red Wings and an embarrassing 8-0 defeat against the Lightning on Thursday. The playoff push has disappointingly fizzled out.
22. New York Rangers, 34-32-6
Last week: 21
Mirtle rank: 22
Dayal rank: 21
Things are not good at MSG lately. The Rangers dropped to 3-6-1 since the deadline with a loss to the Kings on Tuesday, which isn’t great. But it’s the way they’ve been losing that has been particularly dispiriting. Heck, the way they’ve been winning has, too. Their only W in the last two weeks included getting outshot 39-12 by the typically punchless Canucks. Perhaps the ugliest stat for New York is the fact they’re sitting in 22nd in the standings despite Igor Shesterkin putting up the second-highest goals saved above expected in the NHL. Now that’s hard to do.
23. Detroit Red Wings, 33-33-6
Last week: 23
Mirtle rank: 23
Dayal rank: 23
The Red Wings entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break clinging to the final playoff spot in the East. It’s been an absolute free-fall for them since, with an ugly 5-11-1 stretch sabotaging any hopes of breaking a nearly decade-long playoff drought. Detroit has had a brutally difficult schedule down the stretch, so it’s not entirely surprising to see them slip below the playoff bar, but it’s the dramatic way they’ve crashed and burned out of the race entirely that’s so disappointing.
24. Anaheim Ducks, 31-32-8
Last week: 25
Mirtle rank: 25
Dayal rank: 24
Anaheim is on pace to hit 81 points, which would mark a 22-point improvement from last year’s miserable campaign. The Ducks’ sturdy goaltending is probably the biggest driver behind that progress, but it’s encouraging that blue-chip forwards Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson and Trevor Zegras have upped their point production pace significantly since the deadline. They need to build on that momentum because outside of Jackson LaCombe, their young forwards and defensemen haven’t progressed enough this season.
25. Pittsburgh Penguins, 29-34-11
Last week: 26
Mirtle rank: 24
Dayal rank: 25
We’re really into the dregs here, where it’s hard to separate the various tanking clubs from one another. The Penguins are somehow 5-4-1 since the deadline, with a makeshift lineup that includes Connor Dewar on the second line and Conor Timmins in the top four minutes. But after a beatdown in Buffalo on Thursday, they’ve now lost three in a row. They have a tough schedule coming up, too, with games against the Senators, Blues and Stars, so the chase for a top five pick could, uh, pick up soon.
26. Buffalo Sabres, 30-35-6
Last week: 30
Mirtle rank: 27
Dayal rank: 26
We’re not quite sure what got into the Sabres against the Penguins on Thursday. But scoring seven – even against depleted Pittsburgh – was enough to vault them up the rankings… all the way to seventh last. Buffalo has actually won three in a row, scoring 15 goals in those games, and five of seven, prompting a disgruntled fan base to begin promoting this classic on social media. Even when they win, the Sabres lose these days.
— BleedBlackAndRed🦬⚔️ (@RockTheRed89243) March 28, 2025
27. Seattle Kraken, 31-36-6
Last week: 28
Mirtle rank: 26
Dayal rank: 27
The Kraken netted lucrative hauls for Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev at the deadline, but their underpowered roster has amassed the 12th-best points percentage in the NHL since the deadline. On one hand, it’s not ideal that they’re potentially playing themselves out of a top-five draft pick, but on the flip side, it’s been positive to see Matty Beniers up his production lately, plus the emergence of talented 20-year-old sniper Yani Nyman, who’s scored six points in eight games since his AHL recall.
28. Boston Bruins, 30-34-9
Last week: 24
Mirtle rank: 29
Dayal rank: 28
For some reason, we stayed up late Wednesday night to watch Boston get absolutely throttled by the fledgling Ducks. And it really felt like watching the end of an era. The Bruins have been a good team for most of the past 20 years, but they’re perfecting the tank this season, having lost seven in a row now and 15 of their last 18. Maybe there’s some way to build around David Pastrnak and turn this around on the fly in the next couple years, but it sure looks unlikely at the moment.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) March 27, 2025
29. Nashville Predators, 27-37-8
Last week: 29
Mirtle rank: 28
Dayal rank: 29
There’s no sugarcoating the fact that it’s been a nightmare season on Broadway. The Preds have been slightly more competitive post-trade-deadline, which included a couple of quality wins recently over the Hurricanes and Leafs. Luke Evangelista and Fedor Svechkov are finding their groove, which bodes well for the future. But they blew a third period lead on Thursday against the Blues and it’s still been really challenging to manufacture goals.
30. Philadelphia Flyers, 29-36-9
Last week: 27
Mirtle rank: 30
Dayal rank: 30
The Flyers have been in absolute freefall lately. In fact, their win over Montreal on Thursday was their first regulation or overtime victory since Feb. 25, a span of 14 games without a single ROW. In tribute to John Tortorella, we’re going to confess we’re not really interested in learning how to write about this type of season.
31. San Jose Sharks, 20-42-9
Last week: 32
Mirtle rank: 31
Dayal rank: 32
Beating the Leafs on Thursday was enough to bump them up, and the race for dead last is certainly heating up with the Blackhawks. The Sharks now have six points in seven games since the deadline selloff; Chicago has only five in 10 (2-7-1). San Jose sits two points back on the season, and they have a game in hand. If you’re the kind of hockey fan who likes watching the worst teams in the league in April, get your popcorn.
32. Chicago Blackhawks, 21-42-9
Last week: 31
Mirtle rank: 32
Dayal rank: 31
The vibes have been rough in Chicago, with the club losing eight of its last nine games. Connor Bedard hasn’t had the monster breakout campaign that many were hoping for, but more importantly, the roster around him is just so bleak and deprived of proven, high-end contributors. 19-year-old Artyom Levshunov’s exciting play down the stretch has been a silver lining.
(Top photo of St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway: Steve Roberts / Imagn Images)
