NHL power rankings: Where do the Red Wings go after a 10th straight playoff miss?

With Hunter Crowther

This is it folks. The final power rankings of the regular season.

After this, we just have a handful of games before we know who plays who in the first round, and then we can sit back and enjoy playoff hockey for the next two months. But who do we think has the best chance to win the Stanley Cup? Read below to find out.

Hunter and I wrap up the season with a final edition of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5v5 goal differential, 5v5 xGF/60, 5v5 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. I also have 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, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

Additionally, with teams now beginning to clinch playoff spots, no team that has clinched can finish behind a team that hasn’t.

1. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 52-16-11, +94
Last Week: 1st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Hunter: Good teams beat bad teams, which is what the Avalanche did last week against the Blues and Flames. We’ll let the overtime loss to the Golden Knights slide, especially after seeing Jared Bednar take a puck to the face that will keep him away from behind the bench until the playoffs. Another piece expected to return is Cale Makar, who has been out since March 30 with an upper-body injury. He will be a major factor if Colorado plans to raise more than just a Presidents’ Trophy banner next October. 

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 52-22-6, +56
Last Week: 2nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Hunter: On one hand, the Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 13 games and are 19-7-0 since Feb 1, and will likely have home-ice advantage through the playoffs unless they face the Avs in the final. On the other hand, Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen have a combined save percentage that hovers around .880 and everyone not named Andrei Svechnikov has been inconsistent the last few weeks. They’re an intriguing group in that I can see them either lifting the Stanley Cup or losing to the Senators in Round 1. 

Scott: As much as I don’t like the Bruins as an overall team, even they have the ingredients to upset the Canes like we’ve seen in the past: an elite goaltender and high-end scorer. I obviously really like the Canes if I put them over the Avs, but I’m not confident in them this season.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 49-25-6, +60
Last Week: 3rd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: With three straight regulation losses to division opponents, the Lightning go into the final week of the regular season in the third Atlantic Division spot. Still, games against the struggling Red Wings and Rangers could help them clinch the division if the Sabres and Habs lose. Also, did anyone see their game against Montreal last week? Doctor, I need seven games of that, stat! 

4. Dallas Stars

Record: 48-20-12, +51
Last Week: 5th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: The Stars on another solid run of play heading into the playoffs, as they’ve won three games in a row and four of their last five. But perhaps most importantly, they drew first blood in the preview to their first-round series against the Wild, taking the game by a score of 5-4. But there was some bad news coming from that win, with Miro Heiskanen sustaining an injury. He’s only missing the rest of the regular season at this point, but he’s also not a certainty for the playoffs. If he’s out, that’s a huge blow to Dallas’ chances against Minnesota, never mind a deep playoff run.

Hunter: I was cold on the Stars for early chunks of the season, but apart from a string of losses in late March, the Stars have been phenomenal in the second half of 2025-26. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johhnston continue to score at an elite level, and Mikko Rantanen is primed for another Hall of Fame-worthy postseason run. But if Heiskanen is out for their first-round series against Minnesota, then all bets are off (except the bet I would place on Minnesota to take it in six). 

5. Minnesota Wild

Record: 45-23-12, +34
Last Week: 4th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: As mentioned before, the Stars and Wild got a first taste of their playoff series when Minnesota lost 5-4 to Dallas. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak, and then the Wild followed it up with another loss to the Predators. Jesper Wallstedt is returning to his early-season form at the right time, as he’s had a .900 save percentage or more in eight of nine games since the start of March. With Filip Gustavsson finishing below .900 in six of his last eight games, it’s certainly making the goaltending conversation interesting going into the playoffs.

6. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 48-23-10, +29
Last Week: 6th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Hunter: The Canadiens have been one of hockey’s best teams in the final quarter of the season, and more importantly, one of the most fun to watch. Seriously, the pop when Cole Caufield scored his 50th goal of the season — the first Hab to do so in nearly 40 years — sounded like when Stone Cold Steve Austin helped Mick Foley defeat The Rock to win the WWF Championship in 1999.

This league is better when Montreal is good, and fans of all teams should be ecstatic that one of hockey’s most passionate franchises is back in the hunt. Let this be a lesson to fans and pundits who follow the Leafs: The Canadiens play in one of the most pressure-packed markets in professional sports — and they do it all in two languages — a team that’s sewn into Quebecois culture like a hockey sweater. For god’s sake, they wrote a book about the religion of Les Habitants called The Hockey Sweater and every Canadian had to read it in school.

You know why pressure is a good thing? Because it creates diamonds, the things on Stanley Cup rings. 

Scott: In defense of the Leafs, they didn’t see Montreal’s success coming this season.

7. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 49-23-8, +44
Last Week: 7th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Hunter: Three wins in three games last week give the Sabres a puncher’s chance at winning their first division title in 16 seasons. What’s fascinating is they’re 16th in the league in even-strength expected goals at 49.9%, but they’re right near the top in terms of actual production and it feels like they’re the better team on any given night. I’m fascinated to see how they perform in the first round, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll be rooting for them as one of hockey’s feel-good stories in 2025-26. 

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 41-24-16, +27
Last Week: 8th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: We’ll talk more about what could have been the final matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin on Sunday. But if there’s one thing I loved about that opening faceoff, where Dylan Strome kicked himself out to let Ovi draw against Sid, it’s that Crosby could have given Ovechkin his moment, but he didn’t. He played that faceoff like it was a key defensive draw in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and didn’t give Ovi a chance. If there’s anything that sums up Crosby, it’s that.

Anyways, the Penguins are officially in the playoffs. I’m not only excited to see Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang (along with an Erik Karlsson in better form) get at least one more kick at the can together, but I’m intrigued to see how the depth carries over into the playoffs. All these unsung heroes have been a driving force for Pittsburgh, so if they can continue that momentum, I like the Penguins’ chances in a wide-open Metropolitan Division.

Hunter: The likes of Jon Cooper, Lindy Ruff and Jared Bednar will likely get some votes for the Jack Adams Award. But Dan Muse really deserves his flowers. Taking over a Penguins squad that’s missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and replacing a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Mike Sullivan is no small feat. So to come in and juggle a handful of soon-to-be retired Hall of Famers is rather impressive. 

9. Ottawa Senators

Record: 43-27-11, +30
Last Week: 9th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Scott: With how this season has gone for Ottawa, it’s so nice to see them pull through and make the playoffs. Earlier this week, I identified them as a team playing Cup-caliber hockey this season. So it would have been a shame for them to miss the playoffs. Seeing Linus Ullmark persevere through his mental health struggles has been an underrated story. I’m very curious to see who Ottawa faces in the first round. They should be the favourites against a good chunk of the second-tier contenders in the East, but even against the Hurricanes or Lightning, the Sens could be a foil to them.

Hunter: As I mentioned in my blurb on Carolina, Ottawa could give them a real fight. Travis Green has them playing about as disciplined a level of hockey as I’ve seen at the NHL level; it reminds me of the University of New Brunswick’s men’s hockey program, or some of Dale Hunter’s relentless defensive squads of the mid-to-late 2000s. They have “first round upset that never really felt like an upset” written all over them. 

Scott: Ah, yes, the commonly known University of New Brunswick teams.

10. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 37-26-17, +8
Last Week: 13th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Hunter: Maybe all the credit shouldn’t go to John Tortorella for the team winning five of six since he took over, but we’ll give him his flowers. Their win over the first-place Avs was impressive, as they dominated in both possession and expected goals. They’ve scored so much during this stretch that they finally have a positive goal differential. Vegas can guarantee a Pacific Division title if they win their last two games against Winnipeg and Seattle. 

11. Boston Bruins

Record: 44-27-10, +18
Last Week: 11th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Scott: They actually did it. The Bruins are always inevitable, and this season may have been the biggest proving point. They had no business being in the playoff conversation, and yet they did so, and not just because of strong play from David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy. Somehow, a team notorious for its poor center depth post-Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci somehow managed to solve that problem. Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt have improved this season, Fraser Minten has been everything Boston hoped they were getting in the Carlo trade, and in a pinch, Marat Khusnutdinov has some solid chemistry with Pastrnak. I still think this team is an easy out in the playoffs, but you never know with them. They just never die.

12. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 40-30-10, +9
Last Week: 12th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: I keep forgetting how much Evan Bouchard is running away with the defensive scoring race. It’s a shame he probably won’t get a ton of Norris Trophy consideration because of his reputation as a one-way defenseman, but he should at least be a finalist. I can understand voting for Zach Werenski or Moritz Seider because they are stronger two-way defenders. But Cale Makar has been less productive, on a better team, and just as mediocre defensively.

13. Utah Mammoth

Record: 42-32-6, +28
Last Week: 14th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Hunter: The Mammoth clinched their first playoff berth since the franchise relocated from Arizona and will likely face the Pacific Division winner in round one, a matchup that might work in their favor. Dylan Guenther has been on fire, scoring in five of his last eight games and recording his 40th of the season over the weekend. Now let’s find out how loud Utah fans can get in the big dance. 

14. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 41-27-12, +4
Last Week: 10th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Scott: Porter Martone has been the injection this Flyers team needed at the right time. He’s got three goals and seven points already in seven games, and Philadelphia has been good enough to maintain its playoff spot in that time. Now, they just need to win one of their remaining two games to secure a spot, although Carolina and Montreal aren’t easy outs. That said, the Canes are already resting players, so that may be Philly’s opportunity, but regardless, they control their own fate for the time being.

15. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 34-26-19, -21
Last Week: 20th (+5)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Scott: The Kings picked as good a time as any to get hot, as they have points in six straight games (5-0-1) and are hanging on to that final playoff spot. The one loss was the one game they needed to win, a 5-4 shootout loss to the Predators, who are just a point behind them, but at least Los Angeles has as easy a remaining schedule as you’ll find this week, playing Seattle, Vancouver, and Calgary. Just four points get the Kings in, assuming Nashville doesn’t drop points, so it’s time to bunker down. Do it for Anze!

Speaking of Kopitar, it felt a bit weird how he had to do a whole retirement appreciation thing with a few games remaining, and likewise with Ovechkin. I know the NHL doesn’t know if some players are retiring when they make the schedule, but I think they need to plan around the teams with aging superstars like Kopitar, Ovechkin and even Crosby and give them the final game at home, even if they end up not retiring.

Hunter: Agreed with the last point: it feels like baseball always schedules teams with future Hall of Famers who are retiring to play at home on the last day of the regular season.

As for Kopitar: I just want to see him and Drew Doughty take one more stab at playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs together. It’s been a long time since they’ve won a playoff series (2014, when they won the whole damn thing) but it feels like they should get at least one more swan song in Hollywood. Sure, they’ll probably get smoked by the Avalanche in four or five games, but at least they’ll say they made it to the dance. 

16. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 42-32-6, -35
Last Week: 15th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Hunter: Is there a streakier team than the Ducks this season? Anaheim has squandered its lead on the Pacific Division with eight losses in its last nine games, and there’s a non-zero chance it will completely blow it and miss the playoffs. Or they could win the division, and we forget everything that happened. Hockey! 

17. Washington Capitals

Record: 42-30-9, +18
Last Week: 19th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Scott: This week felt a bit all over the place with regard to Ovechkin’s future in the NHL. He mentions on Wednesday that he still hasn’t made a decision about his future after this season, and yet flash forward to Sunday, and they’re treating it like his last game (shoutout to the Caps’ game ops crew and how they found a way to spin the celebrations as Crosby and Ovi’s 100th game against each other). Again, he hasn’t decided anything yet, but it does kind of feel like he’s ready to call it a career.

And maybe he still gets some more playoff games in. Washington’s chances are slim, as they need the Flyers to lose out, but they’re not out of the race just yet! 

18. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 40-29-12, +1
Last Week: 17th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: It’s safe to say the Blue Jackets ran out of gas as the season winds down, and if you’ve seen the price of gas lately, they couldn’t afford to refill the tank. Columbus has lost nine of their last 12 games — eight of which have come in regulation — and too many of those defeats have seen it score just two goals or fewer. Still, Rick Bowness has highlighted that there are good building blocks in place for 2026-27. 

Scott: I wonder how much this stretch will impact Werenski’s Norris chances. Not because I think team performance should factor into it, but because his struggles likely impacted the team’s struggles down the stretch. That 12-game stretch Hunter referred to saw Werenski get just six points, and he went pointless in eight of them. With how competitive the Norris ballot is this year, it might be enough to sink his chances at winning.

19. Nashville Predators

Record: 38-32-10, -20
Last Week: 21st (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Scott: The Predators have just been a bit colder than the Kings (5-4-1 vs. 6-1-3 in their last 10 games), and that may come down to the difference between Nashville making and missing the playoffs. They’re only a point behind, but they have two games remaining vs. Los Angeles’ three, and after talking about how easy L.A.’s final games are, the Preds have the Sharks and Ducks left. They aren’t world-beaters, but better than what the Kings are facing, and both San Jose and Anaheim are still in the hunt for a playoff spot.

20. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 35-32-12, -18
Last Week: 24th (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Scott: The Jets aren’t mathematically out of the playoffs yet, but with either one loss from them or a win from the Kings, it’s over. It’s crazy to look back at last year and see three of the four division winners poised to miss the playoffs, but it shouldn’t be a massive surprise either, especially with how unsustainable Toronto, Washington and Winnipeg’s play was.

Hunter: There were far too many losses for Winnipeg at the start of the year, which, in hindsight, makes them falling short of a playoff spot even more frustrating for Jets fans. I’ll be curious to see what GM Kevin Cheveldayoff does with this group, or if ownership decides to go in a different direction after Cheveldayoff has spent 15 seasons in the role. 

Scott: This is the Jets we’re talking about. They’ll do absolutely nothing except rearrange some deck chairs on the Titanic and call it a summer.

Sorry, just to clarify, this is the Winnipeg Jets. The New York Jets do stuff, it’s just bad stuff.

21. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 41-30-9, -9
Last Week: 16th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: Another season has gone by, and the Red Wings are once again outside of a playoff spot. Imagine telling a hockey fan 10 years ago that the team that had just made the playoffs for 25 straight seasons would miss for 10 after that, but here we are. It sounds like Steve Yzerman’s job is safe for now, which is a bit surprising. I get that he has the legacy there and he’s good friends with Chris Ilitch, but you’d think there’d be a bit more urgency for this team to take the next step. Next season will be Little Caesars Arena’s 10th season, and they have yet to host a Stanley Cup Playoff game! That sounds like a poor return on investment!

Also, to all the Red Wings fans still mad at Hunter for calling the team a playoff lock earlier in the season, just know that some of you already got him.

Hunter: You have me mistaken with Jimmy Hoffa, who is buried under MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets play. Jeez, get your union advocates right! 

In all likelihood, I feel like Yzerman will take the path of “we’re not firing you, we’re giving you a promotion,” and become a president or vice president of hockey operations, then hire a new GM to take a crack at this lineup. 

22. San Jose Sharks

Record: 37-34-8, -44
Last Week: 25th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Hunter: The Sharks started the week with promise after defeating the Blackhawks, but three straight losses to division foes, including a shootout defeat to the last-place Canucks, likely sealed their fate. Perhaps it was greedy to expect a team that’s been terrible for several seasons to make the playoffs off the back of a 19-year-old. Then again, we expected Canada to win an Olympic gold medal under the same logic. Macklin Celebrini will get Hart Trophy votes, and even if San Jose misses the playoffs, those votes are well deserved. 

23. New York Islanders

Record: 43-33-5, -7
Last Week: 18th (-5)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: The Islanders were eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend. If you told fans they would compete for a postseason berth right after selecting first overall, they would take it. But losing six of their last seven games — all in regulation! — leaves a sour taste in their mouths.

Still, it feels like GM Mathieu Darche was OK with that result after firing Patrick Roy and hiring Pete DeBoer with just four games left in the season. Bringing in DeBoer, who has found playoff success in the past, signals to both fans and players that 2026-27 will be a step forward on Long Island. 

Scott: At the very least, DeBoer got a feel for how the team works and what needs improvement, and can go into the summer with a bit more knowledge than he would have if he were just hired after the season ended.

24. New Jersey Devils

Record: 42-36-3, -20
Last Week: 23rd (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: The firing of Tom Fitzgerald signaled the end of an era in New Jersey that saw the Devils set a franchise record for wins and points in a single season (2022-23), but just two playoff appearances and one playoff series win. Rumors are already swirling about who will replace the two roles of president and general manager (by god, that’s Brendan Shanahan’s music!). In the meantime, the Devils aren’t bad enough for a good draft pick and they don’t have a 30-goal scorer*.

*I know Jack Hughes missed 21 games and has 27 goals. But I am technically correct: the best kind of correct. 

25. Florida Panthers

Record: 38-38-4, -33
Last Week: 28th (+3)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Hunter: To paraphrase The Usual Suspects, the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world their Stanley Cup window closed. That’s where we’re at with the Panthers, who are near the bottom of the NHL standings after back-to-back Stanley Cups. A full offseason and a healthy group will have them back in the fight in 2026-27. 

Scott: Not to mention the potential to add a strong talent on an entry-level contract into the mix, depending on how the lottery goes. I guess my only concern for Florida next year will be how well Aleksander Barkov recovers from the injury and can return to form. It’s not the same sport, but Manchester City’s Rodri suffered a similar injury two years ago and was at a similar level of play to Barkov right now. But this season, Rodri has not been at that level. Is the same fate in store for Barkov?

26. St. Louis Blues

Record: 34-33-12, -34
Last Week: 22nd (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: Props to the Blues for hanging around in the playoff race longer than they should have this season, but the goaltending proved to be too much of a hindrance for them to succeed this year. Wait, no, Jordan Binnington proved to be too much of a hindrance for St. Louis to succeed. Joel Hofer was actually excellent with a .911 SV% and a 12.05 5v5 goals saved above expected. I do wonder what the Blues do with their goaltending going forward. Both are signed through next season, and then Binnington is an unrestricted free agent, while Hofer is just restricted. That feels like a great time to move on from a goalie who will be 33 this summer and has been inconsistent for several seasons, and hand the keys to Hofer, who is coming into his own.

27. Seattle Kraken

Record: 34-34-11, -30
Last Week: 26th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Scott: Credit to Seattle, we spent the entire season criticizing them for being too middling, and yet they actually found themselves in the perfect spot to end the season. They hung around in the playoff race for most of the season, but thankfully, the Western Conference is so bad that they’re now projected to have the sixth-best odds in the lottery. That probably won’t get them the superstar they need, but a pick in that range is much better than 10-16, or worse, a one-and-done playoff showing. That said, sleeper agent Bobby McMann seems to be elevating the Kraken enough for them to finish ahead of his former team in Toronto, so that may cause some problems.

28. New York Rangers

Record: 33-38-9, -13
Last Week: 27th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Hunter: Two games last week, two losses. See you next year, Rangers fans! 

Kidding, kidding! I mentioned earlier how the league is better when the Canadiens are a good team. Well, that’s how it feels when the Blueshirts are good, as one of the few venues in hockey that comes close to the Bell Centre is Madison Square Garden. There are a lot of questions for the Rangers going into the offseason, and it feels like they’ll move on from several players this summer (might I tempt you in a slightly older Mike Zibanejad?). Either way, decisions need to be made. I’m sure Igor Shesterkin doesn’t want to waste these prime years of his career. 

29. Calgary Flames

Record: 33-38-9, -47
Last Week: 29th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Scott: The Flames are picking the wrong time to get “slightly” hot. They’re 7-4-2 in their last 13 games, which has been enough to elevate them up the standings and hurt their lottery odds. Or at the very least, they’re a lot closer to the cluster of teams from third to 10th than they should have been. I wish we had Mike Gould on this week instead of last week to get his reaction on the Flames putting themselves in a bad position to finally get a top-three draft pick.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 32-34-14, -43
Last Week: 30th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: I live in downtown Toronto, and nearly every person in my professional and personal life is either A) a Leafs fan or B) enjoys talking about them, whether or not they’re good. But in the last month or so, it’s felt like no one cares. The NBA’s Raptors have played well enough to clinch a playoff berth and baseball’s Blue Jays are less than a month into a new season. Even the strictly hockey fans are talking about whether Connor McDavid can finally win the big one in Edmonton, or how good the Habs have looked or if the Avs will run away with it. 

The point is: no one cares. And for so long, professional sports franchises like the Leafs relied on their franchise being the center of attention, with all the oxygen getting sucked into every lineup decision or firing or trade rumor. There’s a joke among non-sports reporters in Canada that when a minor leaguer gets called up to the Leafs, their name becomes the No. 1 trending topic in the country, regardless of what the prime minister said or which celebrity died or what’s happening in the Middle East. But this team has played so poorly and become so irrelevant that fans are despondent to anything related to the Leafs.

If the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, or one of the major European football clubs is playing poorly, they’ll still be among the most discussed topics and carry the conversation among fans in the sport. But despite the hours of talk shows dedicated to asking what’s wrong in Toronto, both Leaf fans and non-Leaf fans aren’t interested. Maybe that will change once they hire a new president and general manager, but for now, they are an afterthought. 

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 28-38-14, -61
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Hunter: The Blackhawks have lost 12 of their last 15 games and will likely end up with another top pick in this year’s draft lottery. Connor Bedard needs a new contract, but Chicago needs to acquire top-level talent to surround Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Anton Frondell with. No playoffs for eight of the last nine seasons in the Windy City is unacceptable. 

32. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 24-48-8, -96
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 3nd
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Scott: It’s almost over Canucks fans. Just two more games and your suffering is done. For now.

PRESENTED BY STAKE

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