NHL power rankings: Can the Buffalo Sabres finally end their playoff drought?

Credit: © Timothy T. Ludwig

It’s playoff race time, and we’re seeing two completely different races in each conference. In the West, the playoff teams are pulling away, but the teams on the outside are trying their best to keep up. In the East, the teams in the hunt for the final spots couldn’t be trying any harder to give that spot to the competition. It’s quite fascinating to watch as it happens.

Mike and I continue to navigate through the results so far with another week of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Mike goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Florida Panthers

Record: 45-19-4, +59
Last Week: 1st (0)
Mike’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Mike: It’s actually kind of hilarious that the Panthers ended up losing to the Lightning on Saturday despite outshooting them 38 to 5 in the final two periods. Sam Reinhart is knocking on the door of the 50-goal plateau, Sergei Bobrovsky remains at the top of his game (that loss to Tampa Bay notwithstanding), and even without Aaron Ekblad, this team has one of the more skilled defensive groups in the league. It’d be awesome to see the Panthers win it all this year.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 42-20-6, +48
Last Week: 5th (+3)
Mike’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Scott: Mike finally sees eye to eye with me on the Canes, and for good reason. The addition of Jake Guentzel has turned them into a much more potent team, and while they didn’t click in Guentzel’s first game with a 1-0 loss to the Rangers, they had a strong 4-0 showing against the Panthers, a late comeback win over the Leafs, and then a rout of the Sens. Even Evgeny Kuznetsov has been gelling with the team with two goals and four points in six games so far. If it all comes together and one of Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov gets hot in the postseason, watch out.

Mike: Yeah, it’s hard not to believe in these guys at this point given the caliber of the players they added ahead of the deadline. The Hurricanes have sorely lacked high-end finishing talent for a long, long time. Guentzel brings that in spades.

3. Dallas Stars

Record: 41-19-9, +41
Last Week: 2nd (-1)
Mike’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Mike: The Stars shrugged off back-to-back losses to the Panthers and Devils with a nice win over the Kings on Saturday. One of the better comeback players of the year: Craig Smith, who picked up his ninth goal as a Star in that win against Los Angeles. An analytics darling for years with the Nashville Predators, Smith has regained some of his previous form in Dallas after a difficult 2022-23 season split between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. Even at age 34, Smith could very easily get another contract from this Stars team. He’s just 84 games away from 1,000 in his career.

4. Boston Bruins

Record: 40-14-15, +41
Last Week: 4th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: After a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Blues to kick off their week, the Bruins bounced back by… barely beating the Habs and the Flyers. That does give them wins in four of their last five, but it does feel like they’re sputtering along at this point of the season after an underwhelming trade deadline. At least they can get it out of the way now and rest before the playoffs and possibly avoid what happened last season.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 43-20-5, +50
Last Week: 8th (+3)
Mike’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Mike: The Avs are scorching hot right now, having rattled off six consecutive wins to move within four points of first place in the entire league. Casey Mittelstadt has fit right in, Nathan MacKinnon remains on an incredible scoring pace, and how about this: Justus Annunen has a 4-2-1 record with two shutouts and a .929 save percentage in just seven games this year. With Pavel Francouz no longer in the picture, the Avs badly needed someone to give Alexandar Georgiev some support. Annunen might be that guy.

6. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 42-18-8, +54
Last Week: 3rd (-3)
Mike’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: After four straight wins heading into last week, only playing two games may have messed with their rhythm, as they dropped both of their games last week to the Avs and Caps. While I still think this is still a great team even with the luck they’ve had this season, they are bound to be a bit streakier when their bottom six forwards aren’t on shooting benders like they were to start the season.

Mike: We need to talk about how bad Elias Lindholm has been since joining this team. He has one point in his last 11 games. The Canucks gave up Hunter Brzustewicz and a 1st for this?

Scott: Are we surprised that a guy whose play style is more focused on the behind-the-scenes details hasn’t quite fit in with a run-and-gun style team?

Mike: I am. When he’s at his best, Lindholm is one of the better snipers around. He had some huge years in Calgary. Lindy needs good linemates to truly click, but Vancouver has plenty of strong offensive players. I don’t get why it hasn’t worked. At this point, it’s a full-on disaster of a trade for the Canucks.

7. New York Rangers

Record: 45-19-4, +44
Last Week: 7th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Mike: Alexis Lafrenière is inching closer and closer toward reaching the 50-point threshold for the first time in his career. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick now has 42 in 68 games after scoring in the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Islanders on Sunday. (It’s worth noting the Rangers wore their beautiful navy blue jerseys in that game). Another positive sign: Kaapo Kakko now has goals in back-to-back games and is up to 10 in 47 games this year. Neither top pick has had an easy go of it in NYC but there’s still lots to like there.

Scott: The only navy blue I like is the MUNA song.

8. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 43-19-5, +52
Last Week: 10th (+2)
Mike’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: Tyler Toffoli has fit in with this team about as well as we probably expected him to. Through four games with the Jets, he has four goals and five points, all coming in their past two games, and Winnipeg has won three of those four games, including back-to-back six-spots in the two games he’s scored. This could go down as one of the most underrated additions of the deadline, and while I think the first for Sean Monahan was an overpayment, a first, second and third is certainly worth Monahan and Toffoli.

Mike: I can’t believe nobody beat that price for Toffoli. He would’ve been perfect for the Oilers.

9. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 40-21-4, +46
Last Week: 6th (-3)
Mike’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Mike: The popular sentiment about Saturday’s game between the Oilers and Avalanche was that it felt like playoff hockey. I’d agree, even just to the point that it could’ve been lifted directly from the 2022 Western Conference Final. The Oilers played pretty well, with their depth providing the offense and Stuart Skinner making 40 saves. But in the end, it was Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon who set up none other than Arturri Lekhonen — who capped off that 2022 series sweep for Colorado — for the dagger in overtime on Saturday night. You can bet the Oilers will be eager to rewrite that part of the script if they meet the Avs again this spring.

Scott: And to put the cherry on top for the 2022 West Final comparison, Leon Draisaitl had a poor defensive showing in the game.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 38-19-9, +33
Last Week: 9th (-1)
Mike’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Scott: I’m not joining the army of Leafs fans that thinks referees are out to get the Leafs, but that penalty on David Kampf late in Saturday’s game was atrocious, and I doubt that comeback happens if it isn’t called. Still, the Leafs could have also just… not blown a two-goal lead with less than two minutes left in the game, but otherwise they played well against a strong Canes team after blowing out the Flyers earlier in the week.

11. Nashville Predators

Record: 39-25-4, +15
Last Week: 11th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Mike: There’s hot, and then there’s Nashville Hot. The Preds are riding a 14-game point streak that has pushed them from the periphery of the Western Conference playoff race to being firmly in a spot with a little under a month to go. I’ll be honest: I didn’t expect Nashville to score this many goals at the start of the season. In fact, I thought they’d have one of the weakest offenses in the league. Instead, the likes of Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist have turned back the clock while Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi have been dominant up top. And now, Juuse Saros looks like his old self, too.

12. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 34-24-11, +26
Last Week: 12th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Scott: Remember when Mike and I were making fun of the Coyotes earlier in the season for basically exchanging wins and losses? Well, that’s the Kings now. In their past 14 games, they’re 7-6-1, with the longest streak of either kind being back-to-back wins and back-to-back losses during this stretch. They may want to find that consistent gear soon, because once Vegas heats up, they’re back in the Wildcard hunt.

Mike: The chrome helmets absolutely gotta go. Untenable situation. Needs to be rectified ASAP.

Scott: Shocker, the guy who likes the Rangers’ boring navy blue jerseys hates fun designs.

13. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 36-24-7, +16
Last Week: 13th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Mike: Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Mark Stone not found. Tomas Hertl not found. Draft picks not found. Restart your salary cap to continue.

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 36-25-6, +10
Last Week: 16th (+2)
Mike’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Scott: Every time the Lightning go on a decent run, I catch myself thinking “are the Lightning back?” Well, with three straight wins against playoff teams in the Flyers, Rangers and Panthers (with the latter two looking like their likely playoff opponent), outscoring them 18-6 in the process, are they? Maybe not, but Kucherov continues his dominant season with two goals and eight points during this streak, and Anthony Duclair has looked really solid in his time in Tampa with two goals and four points in three games. They certainly won’t give whoever they play an easy time.

15. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 34-26-8, -6
Last Week: 15th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Mike: We’ve arrived at the point where the Eastern Conference playoff race starts to get unserious. What do you mean, “The rebuilding Flyers are holding down a divisional playoff spot”? That can’t possibly be true! And yet it is, even with the team having dropped back-to-back games against the Bruins and Maple Leafs. One of the biggest stories of next season is going to be the status of Travis Konecny, who can become a UFA in 2025. Do the Flyers trade him this summer or look to extend him? Or will they roll the dice and let the final year of his deal play out?

16. New York Islanders

Record: 29-23-15, -20
Last Week: 14th (-2)
Mike’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Scott: I’m not going to say too much because (spoiler alert), I’m writing a piece on the Isles later this week, but ever since Patrick Roy arrived, they’ve upped their game big-time. They’re one of the better play-driving teams in the league since he took over, and they’re the best at suppressing expected goals in that span as well. They have returned to the prime Trotz-era Isles that we either loved or hated during the pandemic, and this time they have one of the best goalies in the league behind them. If they squeak in, they could potentially upset whoever gets them as a Wildcard team, even the Rangers team that just beat them 5-2 yesterday.

17. Minnesota Wild

Record: 33-27-8, -7
Last Week: 17th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Mike: The Wild are still clinging onto faint playoff hopes at this point. They have points in their last seven games, but they’re still five points back of the Golden Knights for the final Wildcard spot in the Western Conference. I’m really starting to wonder what Bill Guerin’s long-term play will be with Kirill Kaprizov, who only has two years left after this one before he can become an unrestricted free agent. If I’m Minnesota, I would seriously consider trading Kaprizov for a windfall before his full no-movement clause kicks in on July 1. Faber, Rossi, Boldy, Öhgren, Yurov, and Wallstedt are the future.

18. Calgary Flames

Record: 33-29-5, -4
Last Week: 19th (+1)
Mike’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Scott: I’m sure back-to-back wins isn’t exactly what Flames fans want at this point of the season, but hey, at least new addition Daniil Miromanov has already chipped in with his first two goals as a Flame. And Huberdeau has continued to show signs of life in recent weeks, which is probably the most important thing for them to turn things around considering the contract he’s only just started. Sure, you’d rather tank for the lower pick, but at least they’ve been getting contributions from players who have a bigger role down the road.

Mike: Miromanov has been a revelation in his first five games with the Flames, posting some of the strongest underlying numbers on the team and unloading a full-on barrage of shots on goal. I was a fan of the acquisition at the time; now, I’m a full-on believer.

19. Washington Capitals

Record: 32-25-9, -30
Last Week: 18th (-1)
Mike’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Mike: It is downright hysterical that this team remains in the playoff race. Amazingly, the Capitals currently occupy the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot by points percentage. They’re a bizarrely constructed team that traded Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the deadline — and yet, here we are. Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie, and Darcy Kuemper are all having underwhelming years. Dylan Strome is one of the only key players on the roster producing at or above expectations. The team, as a whole, is currently -30 on the year. And yet …

20. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 30-28-9, -2
Last Week: 23rd (+3)
Mike’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: The last time the Pens won a game against a team that wasn’t a tire-fire, it was Feb. 27 and they beat the Canucks 4-3… actually they were in the midst of six losses in seven games then. Uhhhh… I guess Jan. 15 when they snapped the Kraken’s 13-game point streak. They’re only 9-13-3 since then, but all nine wins have come against teams that are either in lottery contention or are slumping, and even those games aren’t guarantees for them. I genuinely feel bad for Sidney Crosby here.

21. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 32-31-5, -1
Last Week: 25th (+4)
Mike’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Mike: I’m still holding out hope that the Sabres can do the unthinkable and claw their way into an Eastern Conference Wildcard spot. Hey, it’s not like anyone else seems to want it. Much like last season, the Sabres have picked March to have their best run of the year, and they have winnable games against Seattle, Calgary, Ottawa, and New Jersey on the horizon. It would’ve been a lot easier if they’d just beaten Detroit on Saturday, but what are you gonna do? This team is still one strong right-handed defenseman away from being quasi-legit, but the Bowen Byram trade got them closer.

22. New Jersey Devils

Record: 32-32-4, -16
Last Week: 21st (-1)
Mike’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Scott: It took about a year longer than some Devils fans hoped, but Timo Time has finally arrived in New Jersey. Before last weekend’s games, Meier had nine goals and 14 points in 10 games, which is tied for eighth in the league for most points in that span. Unfortunately the rest of the team remained inconsistent, going 4-6-0 in that same span, and then followed it up with a couple of lifeless losses against the Coyotes and Golden Knights. That’s probably it for their season, right? Barring a Florida Panthers-esque miracle run, of course.

23. St. Louis Blues

Record: 36-29-3, -11
Last Week: 24th (+1)
Mike’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Mike: The only players keeping the Blues afloat this season have been goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer (and, to be fair, Robert Thomas). This team ranks in the bottom five in the league by pretty much every metric we have at our disposal. Their forward depth is abysmal, their defensive group is highly suspect, and their power play is one of the league’s worst. And yet … they’ve won four in a row. At this point, who knows?

Scott: Binnington is currently third in the league in goals saved above expected. Do with that what you will.

24. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 34-28-6, +3
Last Week: 22nd (-2)
Mike’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Mike: Yuck!

Scott: Wait your turn, Mike.

Anyways, yeah, this team sucks! The only reason they remain in the playoff conversation is because they managed to win against a Sabres team that would have been a point behind them had it gone the other way. Otherwise, it’s eight losses in their last nine games, and they seem to be trying their absolute hardest to give this playoff spot to someone else.

Mike: The Red Wings seemingly endeavored to put together the largest group of poor defensive players they possibly could and are now somehow shocked that they suddenly can’t keep the puck out of their net. You’re going to give Ben Chiarot, Daniel Sprong, Patrick Kane, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robby Fabbri, and Justin Holl tough assignments in front of those goaltenders? Not a great plan.

Scott: And they’ve also stunted Moritz Seider’s growth by giving him the worst minutes possible and blocked most of the young talent their fans keep talking about from even playing games. The Yzerplan, ladies and gentlemen!

25. Seattle Kraken

Record: 28-26-12, -10
Last Week: 20th (-5)
Mike’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Mike: Seattle’s short-lived push for a playoff spot appears to have come to an end. The Kraken have lost four consecutive games and now sit a full 11 points back of Vegas for the second Wildcard spot. Yeah, they’re toast. It’ll be another summer focused on drafting and developing for the NHL’s newest franchise. Boy, do they ever need Shane Wright to take some steps forward.

26. Arizona Coyotes

Record: 28-35-5, -23
Last Week: 26th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Scott: I think Mike’s being a bit too optimistic about this Coyotes team, but at this point of the list, there isn’t really much of a difference between his placement and mine. They certainly are showcasing a lot of potential with their young guns, but this current team as it stands today is quite tragic, especially considering where they were even just a couple months ago.

Mike: I give the Coyotes bonus points because Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther have been dynamite of late. That’s the kind of dynamic duo this team has never had in Arizona. I hope their fans get to keep watching those two guys play together for years to come.

27. Ottawa Senators

Record: 28-34-4, -22
Last Week: 27th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Mike: I, for one, cannot wait to see what moves the Sens pull off this summer. Here’s my full list of untouchables: Jake Sanderson and Tim Stützle. Anyone else can go. I don’t expect Steve Staios’ list will look much different, frankly. The Sens haven’t made the playoffs in forever and I don’t think they’ll get back to that point until they make some significant changes. Getting out from under some of the worse moves Pierre Dorion made during his tenure will be a Herculean task for the new management group in Ottawa.

Scott: This should be an absolute worst-case scenario for the Sens, but I would legitimately consider buying out Josh Norris’ contract if they can’t find someone to take it. Not that he’s a bad player, but he certainly isn’t worth almost $8 million, and it will give them an extra $102,778 in cap space in the first three seasons on top of the contract they’re getting rid of. It’s a spicy take, but if there’s a time to jump on that, it’s while you can still take advantage of the RFA buyout, much like what they did with Colin White.

28. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 25-31-11, -50
Last Week: 29th (+1)
Mike’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Scott: I don’t really know what to put here about the actual Habs team. I mean, four losses in their last five games is about what we expected from them, right? All jokes aside, nothing but well wishes to Martin St-Louis and his family right now.

Mike: It’s sounding more and more like David Reinbacher will be arriving in North America any day now. He’d be a fun player to watch in Montreal or Laval down the stretch.

29. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 23-34-11, -47
Last Week: 28th (-1)
Mike’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Mike: I genuinely have nothing to say about the Blue Jackets at this point. They’re bad, they know it, the fans know it, and the players know it. I’m not sure if the coach knows it, given his continual deference to the team’s veteran players over youngsters like David Jiricek and (when healthy) Kent Johnson, but that’s something for Jarmo Kekäläinen’s eventual replacement to assess. Hilariously, before beating San Jose on Saturday, the last two teams Columbus had beaten were … Edmonton and Vegas.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 23-42-3, -77
Last Week: 30th (0)
Mike’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Scott: Fun fact: the Ducks were actually ranked last in the initial aggregate before I had to adjust for the five-point rule. It’s not that they’re horrendous, but they’re just really bad across the board. The Sharks and Blackhawks power plays are just kind of bad, and Chicago’s penalty kill actually has solid underlying numbers recently. The Ducks’ ranked the highest in 5v5 expected goal suppression, which they are – drumroll, please – 27th in. Yikes.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 19-44-5, -92
Last Week: 31st (0)
Mike’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Mike: It will be a cosmic injustice if the Blackhawks are permitted to draft Macklin Celebrini this year. At least they seem to know it, pushing themselves four points out of last place with a win over the Sharks on Sunday. It’s entirely possible that Connor Bedard is the only player on this miserable team to score 20 goals this year. Blargh.

32. San Jose Sharks

Record: 16-44-7, -120
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Mike’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Scott: At this point, the Sharks are ranking in last place solely because they don’t have Connor Bedard. It’s the only big difference between the two teams, and we were reminded of that with Bedard having a five-point game against the Ducks and then a two-point game against the Sharks. Hopefully they can get Celebrini to at least even the score here.

Mike: Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, Quentin Musty, Thomas Bordeleau, Filip Bystedt, and David Edstrom would be such a fun group of young forwards. Make it happen!

_____

Discover Betano.ca – a premium Sports Betting and Online Casino experience. Offering numerous unique and dynamic betting options along with diverse digital and live casino games, Betano is where The Game Starts Now. 19+. Please play responsibly.