NHL 2014 Final Regular Season Power Rankings

The 2013/14 NHL season is almost over, and it is time for final power rankings of the season. The rankings below are on a "per game" basis, so there is no reward for playing more games than another team, I use a formula based on points per game (shootout wins not included), and goal differential as of Thursday April 10. My rankings are not a matter of personal preference, I plug the standings into a simple formula and crank out a rankings list.

1. Boston Bruins (last rank 1): They are the best team in the NHL and how far they go in the playoffs depends greatly on the stamina of Zdeno Chara. They will face the Red Wings in the first round, which for as good as Detroit has looked in recent weeks, should not scare Bruins fans (despite the Bruins going 1-3 against Detroit this season). Detroit doesn't have the muscle to match the physicality of the Bruins, but perhaps their puck possession game can give Boston problems.

2. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (last rank 3): They finished as the best in the West, which affords them the right to play Dallas, avoiding San Jose and LA until round 2. This team has risen to the top on the backs of Perry, Getzlaf, and whatever goaltender they happen to play any given day. Their dynamic duo is a handful, with a respectful supporting cast that can contribute goals when needed. They should not have a problem beating Dallas

3. St. Louis Blues (last rank 2): The Blues had some struggles in April that have set them on a collision course with Chicago in the first round of the playoffs. The Blues have suffered through a pandemic of injuries (Backes, Oshie, Sobotka, and Berglund are all questionable for round 1) but only needed a win on the last game of the season to secure a better first round match-up. The Blues won the season series 3-2, but this playoff match could come down to who is the healthiest.

4. San Jose Sharks (last rank 6): With a first round match-up against the Kings, the road to the Stanley Cup is going to be a perilous journey for the Sharks, who welcome rookie phenom Tomas Hertl back to the ice after a long absence. If they manage to beat the Kings, they'll likely have to face Anaheim in round 2. They'll likely have to beat a top contender in every round the playoffs to get the finals, which is no easy path to follow.

5. Colorado Avalanche (last rank 7): I would love to see any and all preseason predictions from around the hockey Universe to see is anybody predicted the Avs to finish as the 5th best NHL team this season. They won a very difficult division, thanks largely to Chicago and St.Louis struggling down the home stretch, especially with injuries. I'm not sure how the Avs managed to pull this off. It's possible that Patrick Roy sold his soul Devil in exchange for one great season, but the only problem with that theory is that I'm not sure Patrick had a soul to sell...

6. Chicago Blackhawks (last rank 5): The season ended without either of their best forwards, Kane and Toews, and as such they slid out of the elite tier. Both are said to be ready (if not healthy) for the playoffs, but will be in tough against the Blues. This match will feature 2 of the best bluelines in hockey, with Duncan Keith being my favourite to win the Norris Trophy. It could be a quick post-season for the Hawks, which may not be a bad thing. No modern roster can handle going to the finals every year.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (last rank 4): Letang is back, just in time to give the Pens a big boost heading into the playoffs where they will face the Columbus Blue Jackets. Expect the Pens to throttle the BJs, where Bobrovsky has struggled this season against the Mighty Pens offense. Pittsburgh swept the season series 5-0, where they outscored the BJs 16-7. Malkin will be back, but all eyes will be on MA Fleury, to see if he can mentally keep his shit together if he lets in a bad goal.

8. Los Angeles Kings (last rank 8): They just aren't the same team without Drew Doughty. If he's back and even remotely healthy for the playoffs, the Kings are dangerous. If he's hurt, they're *bleeped*. The good people at TSN just told me that the Kings are the best Corsi team, so that has to make them the darlings of the hockey analytics community. I say this team's fate is directly tied to the left shoulder of their best defenseman, who is questionable for game 1. (Note: Doughty is probably a big reason why LA ranked so high in goal differential and CORSI).

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (last rank 13): Don't expect much from the Lightning in the playoffs, unless you get confirmation of a healthy Ben Bishop. He is the whole key to this team's success, especially after losing their heart and soul Marty St.Louis. It's true that Anders Lindback has played well as his replacement, and that Latvian goalie who nearly made Canadians everywhere collectively shit their pants during the Olympics is always sitting there as an option. Still, for me the edge goes to Montreal.

10. New York Rangers (last rank 11): The Rangers are always a team that can win any given playoff series, and now they are under a new regime. They have the talent in all the right places to have success in the playoffs, but they are going to have to beat a very resilient Flyers team before they can make a run.

11. Montreal Canadiens (last rank 14): They are now Canada's team, the only Canadian team to make the playoffs in 2014 (a fact you can expect repeated about 10,000,000 more times before they are eliminated). After the Olympics, I am a Carey Price believer.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (last rank 10): It's awesome that they finally made the playoffs again, but this was the worst match-up they could have hoped for. Unless Bobrovsky bucks his trend against the Pens and dominates this series, the BJs have a 0% chance. It's entirely possible that goalie Bob shows up and does his thing, but damned that Pens team is scary, more so now that they got their number 1 goalie back in the line-up.

13. Minnesota Wild (last rank 12): It is difficult to predict what this team will do in goal for the playoffs (or at least the 1 or 2 rounds they play); unless we are to believe that Ilya Bryzgalov has won the job. It pains me to pick Colorado in this series, but I have to, mostly on goaltending. I'm not confident that Bryzgalov can shut down a high octane Avs offense.

14. Philadelphia Flyers (last rank 16): The Flyers went 3-5 in April, and haven't exactly been "hot" heading into the post-season. Claude Giroux is a beast on a team with several key contributing players. The weakness is that the goaltending hasn't been as good as it will need to be to beat the Rangers, which will be a tough first round match for Philly.

15. Dallas Stars (last rank 9): The Stars went 5-2 in April to beat out the Coyotes for the last Western playoff spot. They have some holes, the biggest being sometimes erratic goaltending and a very young line-up. They have run hot and cold as much as any team, putting together multiple winning and losing streaks. Alex Goligoski only got better as the season wore on, which may be no small comfort given what they gave up to get him.

16. Detroit Red Wings (last rank 19): The kids are alright. Even better than alright, the 2013 Grand Rapids Griffins carried the Red Wings into their 23rd consecutive playoff appearance, mostly without their most important players Datsyuk and Zetterberg. As a Red Wings fan it has been a pleasure to watch Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist. As exciting as it has been to watch them grow, I give them little to no chance against the Big Bad Bruins. It's too bad they had to draw the NHL's best team in round one.

17. New Jersey Devils (last rank 15): My pick as the best team to miss the playoffs, this team really missed Ilya Kovalchuck; and if not for the great performances by goaltender Cory Schneider and the ageless Jaromir Jagr, they could easily have finished dead last. Zajac got better as the season progressed, but probably not enough to knock him off the worst contracts in the NHL list.

18. Washington Capitals (last rank 21): It looks like Adam Oates is best suited to be a special teams assistant coach, a man who is brilliant at running power plays, but struggles to find a winning formula at even strength. Recent statements by Alex Ovechkin suggest that their captain is ready for a new coach; he said something about being lost in oblivion. It sounds like Oates is a lame duck coach, but we'll see what happens. I'm starting to think that Ovine just might a legitimate "coach killer".

19. Quebec City Coyotes (last rank 17): I would love to know how much money the woeful Phoenix franchise lost this season. How close are they to the $40M out clause? We know that they finished dead last in NHL attendance, and by quite a lot. All those media pundits who said their ownership was now "stabilized", could you now come out and tell us how much money they sunk down the rabbit hole? Please. Tell us how much money they have lost.

20. Nashville Predators (last rank 25): Of all the seasons that Barry Trotz could be let go, this was not the year, as he managed to get this team close to a playoff spot despite missing their franchise goaltender for such a large chunk of the season. He was not fired, his contract merely expired and was not renewed, the only coach this franchise has ever had. Craig Poile has done a good job building this team, acquiring young talent to replace aging veterans; it should not be too long before the Predators are good again. I still think they'd be better off in Hamilton.

21. Winnipeg Jets (last rank 20): This had to be a difficult year for Jets fans, a team that has so much potential but struggles to put together consecutive wins. The team caught fire when Paul Maurice took over as head coach, so we will see what he can do over a full season. I have been saying for years that Ondrej Pavelec is not consistent enough to be a reliable number one goaltender in the NHL, and I feel vindicated. I would say "no team will ever win the Stanley Cup with Pavelec as its starting goaltender for the whole playoffs", but maybe I should say "no team will ever make the playoffs with Pavelec as its number one"?

22. Carolina Hurricanes (last rank 22): Somehow I don't the team's owner was thinking about competing for a lottery draft pick when they traded to add Jordan Staal and signed Alex Semin to a long term contract. This team was supposed to be a contender. Yes Cam Ward has struggled to stay healthy, but this year at least Anton Khudobin has played very well as his replacement. I'm not sure where to rank this team next season, except that they won't be ranked in first place.

23. Ottawa Senators (last rank 24): I'd like to know what happened to all that Paul MacLean coach of the year mojo that the man was oozing last season. Whatever miracle he performed to get the Sens into the playoffs last season did not work this time around. It's also possible that the loss of Daniel Alfredsson was more than this team could bare, at least in terms of a leadership void. Having Alf in that dressing room probably made it easier for the coach to get things done.

24. Toronto Maple Leafs (last rank 18): The fall from grace happened hard and fast, and it began right around the time Randy Carlisle said his goaltending was just "okay". Considering that James Reimer deserved a Lion's share of the credit for last season's playoff spot, it was unfair for the coach to take a shot at him. Coaches when dealing with their goaltenders should be in the business of pumping tires, and that's it. David Clarkson was also a bust on the first year of an expensive contract. For that kind of money, you expect a 20-30 goal scorer, not a 5 goal scorer. That's about a million dollars per goal they got this season. That's not enough.

25. Vancouver Canucks (last rank 23): Much like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Canucks suffered an epic collapse in the 2nd half of the season and fell from a comfortable playoff spot into the abyss, costing the GM his job. The difference between the 2 Canadian collapses, is that the Canucks started earlier and last longer. Their fate was decided the moment that John Tortorella stupidly decided to chase Calgary coach Bob Hartley into the visitors dressing room, like he was auditioning for the next Jack-Ass movie (sorry if that was a low blow to the good people over at Jack-Ass). Mike Gillis made more bad moves than good moves and deserved to be fired, the big question is will his replacement blow up the roster, or attempt to mold the core into a contender? The most pleasant surprise for this team in their dying days has been the play of Zack Kassian, who may yet become the scoring power forward he was projected to be.

26. Calgary Flames (last rank 26): The Flames have played remarkably well to close out the season, but it came very close to costing them a top 5 pick in the draft. Yes we were all impressed how hard they played for Bob Hartley, but it nearly hurt their rebuilding process. Oh well, they will get another high draft pick and have some excellent young assets in place to start being good again once they acquire a franchise goaltender.

27. NY Islanders (last rank 27): The Islanders have the option to keep their first draft pick, or defer sending their top pick to Buffalo until next season. Since it is a top 5 pick, take the pick. I don't care if Connor McDavid is available next year, they should take the top 5 pick and hope to do far better next season.

28. Edmonton Oilers (last rank 28): This was not a good year for Dallas Eakin, who proved to be in over his head as a rookie NHL coach. His shoot from the hip, loudmouth, brute honesty schtick did more to hurt his team than it did to help them. Obviously firing the coach does not accomplish anything, since they have fired their coach damned near every year, lacking any continuity at the most important leadership position. Give him one more year to it work, and if shit show continues, kick him to the curb.

29. Florida Panthers (last rank 29): The Panthers are ready to take a step forward, which many people thought had happened 2 years ago. They still have a few bad contracts to purge, but have been stunningly competitive at times this year, while stunningly bad all the rest of the time.
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30. Buffalo Sabres (last rank 30): They finished the season with just 3 wins in their last 22 games, which really really sucks. The Sabres have some quality prospects, but they are unlikely to make a significant positive impact by next season. They easily have to be the most probable destination for Connor McDavid.

NHL 2014 Post-Olympic Power Rankings

The 2013/14 NHL season is now 21 weeks old, and it is time for my bi-weekly power rankings, 2 weeks after the Olympic break. The rankings below are on a "per game" basis, so there is no reward for playing more games than another team, I use a formula based on points per game (shootout wins not included), and goal differential as of Thursday March 13. My rankings are not a matter of personal preference, I plug the standings into a simple formula and crank out a rankings list.

1. Boston Bruins (last rank 3): The Bruins have won 7 in a row and have been the league's best team coming out of the Olympic break. They are getting balanced scoring from up and down the line-up while continuing to be a very tough team to score on. The big question before this team if they want to make another run to the finals is how much gas is left in Chara's tank. They ran him into the ground in last year's playoffs, and will be hard pressed repeating that success. Andrej Meszaros is a decent NHL player, but he's not the shutdown guy that Seidenberg was.

2. St. Louis Blues (last rank 1): Adding Ryan Miller in goal may be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Blues playoff woes. They would not theoretically face the LA Kings until the Conference finals, but they will have to make it through Chicago. The last few playoffs, Halak had been hurt and Elliot sucked. They have to hope that Miller will be the difference maker. Adding Steve Ott is also a bonus, although I'm not sure he is much of an upgrade over Chris Stewart, except that he plays center. The Blues are 6-3 since the Olympic break and over that time Derek Roy and Brenden Morrow have combined for zero points.

3. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (last rank 2): Count me among the confused as to why the Ducks would trade Penner for a late draft pick when "I-Hop" was having a very strong season and always shows up in the playoffs. Rumour has it they were clearing salary for a bigger acquisition that never materialized, and came out with a big hole to fill. They are 2-4 since the Olympic break, over which time their secondary scoring has been struggling, and they got blown out by Calgary (which we'll pretend never happened). Fortunately Getzlaf and Perry haven't skipped a beat.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (last rank 4): Losing Paul Martin to injury in Sochi is a tough blow for a team already missing their best defenseman (who may not return this season). They gave up 16 goals in their first 4 games coming out of the Olympic break, but have since stopped the bleeding with a 3 game winning streak. Crosby and Malkin have combined for 18 PTS since returning from Sochi, so whatever was hurting their scoring in Russia stayed in Russia.

5. Chicago Blackhawks (last rank 5): The Hawks are 3-3 coming off the break, and ironically enough were 3-3 heading into the break. Toews and Sharp have been carrying the team, while Patrick Kane has been simply okay. Chicago is in the same boat as Boston, two of the best teams who have put a lot of hard miles on the odometer over the last 400 days. Keeping everyone rested and healthy is more important than finishing in 1st place.

6. San Jose Sharks (last rank 7): It is just about time that people start talking about Joe Pavelski in Hart Trophy conversations. The Sharks are 6-2 coming out of the break, and over those games Pavelski has 12 PTS, moving up to #4 in my player rankings (last season he finished 46th in my rankings). Granted he does have a lot of help on a deep team, so declaring him the most singularly valuable to his team's success may be premature. I'm just saying, his name belongs in the conversation.

7. Colorado Avalanche (last rank 6): The Avs are 6-2 since the Olympic break, including 2 wins over Chicago. Over those 8 games, Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly have combined for 24 points. This team just won't go away; Cinderella has been partying into the wee hours of the morning, long past midnight. Normally I would say something like "show me a team where Andre Benoit, Tyson Barrie, and Jan Hedja are 3 of the top 4 defensemen, and I'll show you a team that sucks". But somehow Patrick Roy has managed to turn chicken shit into chicken salad, with the help of a very talented young forward group.

8. Los Angeles Kings (last rank 11): Whatever affliction that prevented the Kings from scoring goals before the Olympics has been cured. Problem solved, whatever it was. They are 7-0 since the Olympics, over which time they have outscored their opponents 25 to 11. Adding Marian Gaborik can't hurt, unless of course he gets hurt. One thing that I learned by watching the Sochi Games, is that Drew Doughty is among the top 3 defensemen on the planet.

9. Dallas Stars (last rank 14): It is impossible to predict how the Dallas players will respond to losing Rich Peverly, after a scary incident where he pretty much died on the bench and was revived in the dressing room tunnel. Right now, this is a playoff team, and they need to maintain. They added Tim Thomas to relieve Kari Lehtonen's workload down the stretch, and shortly thereafter lost their starting goalie to a serious concussion. Kari is out for the foreseeable future, and so they can thank their lucky stars that they took out that insurance policy a few days earlier.

10. Columbus Blue Jackets (last rank 12): 5-3 since the Olympics, the Blue Jackets have played their way into a playoff spot since Sochi (with most of their Olympians playing for Russia, who had a very disappointing quarter finals loss to Finland). As irony would have it, Artem Anisimov has been their best forward over this span. Sergei Bobrovsky has caught fire again (giving up just 8 goals in his last 6 games), which bodes well for the Jackets playoff chances.

11. New York Rangers (last rank 10): They are 3-5 since the Olympics, 2-3 with newly acquired Marty St.Louis in the line-up. They aren't exactly catching fire, and they only have a 3 point cushion on a playoff spot (Detroit has 2 games in hand). They need to start winning hockey games if we are going to consider them to be a legitimate contender. There is certainly no shortage of talent on this roster.

12. Minnesota Wild (last rank 13): The Wild are 4-3 since the Olympic break, and have finally started to get healthy (goaltending notwithstanding). Rookie sensation Darcy Kuemper has done a great job keeping his team in a playoff spot in 2014. He is 12-4-3 with a 2.25 GAA and .922 Svpct. I'm not sure they needed Mr Universe Ilya Bryzgalov as a starting goalie, but rather more for spot starts and insurance. Backstrom is out for the year and we can only assume that Josh Harding is experiencing serious medical issues.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (last rank 8): I can't be the only one who thinks that Martin St.Louis is a cry baby for demanding to be traded because he was not originally named to the Olympic team. He ostensibly blackmailed Steve Yzerman to name him to the team as a replacement, and still left anyway. No wonder Yzerman looked like a miserable tortured soul every time a camera found him in Sochi, and why he quit as Team Canada's GM moments after they won the gold. This team is 2-6 since the Olympics, 1-3 with Stamkos back in the line-up. If they can't manage to turn things around soon, they could quickly find themselves outside the playoff picture.

14. Montreal Canadiens (last rank 9): The Habs are 3-5 coming out of the break, but have done so without goaltender Carey Price, who was allegedly injured at the Olympics (despite playing until the end of the tournament and never showing any sign of injury). No matter, they are still 6 points up on a playoff spot, and could probably coast into the post-season with Peter Budaj in net. They have Alex Galchenyuk back on the ice (with only 3 points in the last 8 games), and have made themselves a stronger team by adding Thomas Vanek at the deadline for a very reasonable price. That being said, they are 0-3 since adding Vanek.

15. New Jersey Devils (last rank 18): The Devils keep hanging around, and refuse to fall out of the playoff race. Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias have been red hot since the Olympic break, combining for 20 PTS in 7 games, over which span the Devils are 5-2. With the offense clicking and the goaltending continuing its strong play, they will be in the playoff hunt until the dying days of the regular season.

16. Philadelphia Flyers (last rank 15): They are 3-3 since the Olympics, and simply playing .500 hockey won't be enough to take the Flyers into the post-season. With so many teams in the hunt, they need more than what they're getting. Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek are doing their jobs, but suddenly the biggest problem in Philly is keeping the puck out of their net (giving up 23 goals in 6 games since Sochi, Steve Mason playing all of those games). If the goaltending continues its collapse, costing the team a playoff spot, it will validate the opinions of many heading into the season (myself included).

17. Quebec City Coyotes (last rank 16): They are 1 point out of a playoff spot, going 4-5 since the Olympic break, and continue to have the worst attendance in the NHL. Making the playoffs and even winning a series could buy the team another season in Phoenix, otherwise they are well on their way to hitting $50M in losses and triggering the out clause of the new ownership. "Stable ownership" my ass. These guys will move the team as soon as they legally can. Take that to the bank.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (last rank 17): The Leafs are 3-4 since Sochi, but sit comfortably in a playoff spot. They should not have a problem making the playoffs, thanks in large part to the Kessel, JVR, Bozak line and goalie Jon Bernier. Those 4 players are probably all co-MVPs. In the playoffs however, they will have to tighten up their team defense, as relying on good goaltending alone is seldom enough to go the distance.

19. Detroit Red Wings (last rank 20): The Wings sent their best two players to the Olympics, and now both Datsyuk and Zetterberg are out with injuries. I really hope they enjoyed their Olympic experience, because those two guys should never have been there. At least Holland went out and added David Legwand at the deadline to help plug the giant hole. Unfortunately for the Wings trying to extend their lengthy playoff streak, Legwand doesn't play defense, which is where their greatest deficiency lies.

20. Winnipeg Jets (last rank 23): Two weeks out of the Olympic break in the final month of the season, the Jets sit 5 points out of the playoffs. The break seems to have cooled them off from their ridiculous hot streak. Best guess is that they finish just a few points shy of the post-season. In my personal opinion, they need a franchise goaltender, because if you need Andrej Pavelec to carry you to the promised land, he'll probably faint and fall flat on his face.

21. Washington Capitals (last rank 22): The good news for the Caps is that Kuznetsov has finally crossed the pond and signed an NHL contract, though over his first 2 games he has not registered a point. They are 3-5 since the Olympics and currently sit 3 points out of the playoffs with 2 teams on the waiting list ahead of them. Adding Jaroslav Halak to their goaltending ranks at the trade deadline may help, or it may not. They have a chance, but they are going to have to turn things around very quickly if they are going to make the playoffs again.

22. Carolina Hurricanes (last rank 19): The Canes are 3-6 coming out of the Olympic break, and it is unlikely that they will make the playoffs. That has to be a huge disappointment for this franchise that has invested a lot of money on its current roster. For a team that boasts two Staals, Semin, Skinner, and Tlusty, they should have had a better season. That Stanley Cup they won in 2006 is quickly becoming but a distant memory.

23. Vancouver Canucks (last rank 21): The Canucks are in a complete nosedive, which started before the Olympics and continued after the break. They shocked the world by suddenly trading Roberto Luongo to Florida, especially since they had already traded their goalie of the future Cory Schneider. Now they are left with Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom in goal, and needless to say that my confidence in this duo is shaky at best. It made a lot of sense to trade Ryan Kesler, especially if he has become disgruntled and wants to leave at the end of his contract in 2015. However the deadline passed and he was still a Canuck, probably because the limited number of teams he was willing to report to made it difficult for Gillis to get market value for his top asset. As luck would have it, Kesler just went down to a knee injury and is going to miss time. That could help the Canucks get a lottery pick in this summer's draft.

24. Ottawa Senators (last rank 24): It is going to be difficult for Ottawa to make the playoffs, even with the addition of Ales Hemsky. I am generally a big Paul MacLean fan, but the coach was unable to get them to play at the level he did last season when they faced more adversity with injuries. The Sens sit 5 points out of the playoffs with 3 teams ahead of them vying for that last wildcard. They will probably need to go 14-3 over their remaining games to crack the post-season, and I'm not enthusiastic about their chances.

25. Nashville Predators (last rank 25): The Preds finally have their best player back on the ice, with Pekka Rinne returning from his hip ailment. Granted, don't start planning the parade route just yet, as they are 1-3 with Rinne in net since his return. They were smart to ship out David Legwand at the trade deadline, boosting their solid core of young talent. It is tough to predict how long this re-building process will last, but with studs like Weber and Rinne on the back end, it shouldn't take too long.

26. Calgary Flames (last rank 27): According to Brian Burke, this team can't spell the word "tank", as they are 4-4 coming out of the Olympic break (including a surprise blowout win against Anaheim). Burke was unable to secure the price he wanted for Mike Camalleri, so decided not to trade the pending UFA. I'm starting to wonder if Brian is any closer to hiring a new GM, a job he has maintained that he doesn't want. Yeah, okay Mr. Burke. I have a sneaky suspicion that he could end up being the longest serving "interim" GM in NHL history. We shall see.

27. NY Islanders (last rank 26): Losing John Tavares for the season was a devastating blow for the Islanders, in what was already a lost season. The worst part is that they traded their 1st round pick to bring in Vanek, which they can defer until next season (which unfortunately is the Connor McDavid draft), and they were not able to get a 1st round pick in return when they shipped Vanek off to Montreal. They have a lot of rookies in the line-up, and have a decent chance of bouncing back stronger next season.

28. Edmonton Oilers (last rank 29): It is so sad to see Ilya Bryzgalov's reign in the North Pole come to an end, but for the Oilers at least they managed to trade Ales Hemsky. I swear Hemsky has been a featured name in trade deadline speculation for the last 6 years. Their goat of the season is easily Nail Yakupov, a player that I would have already traded by now if I were General Manager of the Oilers (though had I been GM, the Oilers never would have drafted him). No matter where the ping pong balls land, these guys need to draft Aaron Eckblad, very bladly....

29. Florida Panthers (last rank 28): LOOOOOUUUUUU!!! The Roberto Luongo era in Florida has resumed, as Lou gets to go back to Florida where nobody cares about hockey or will recognize him at the grocery store. That's a much better place for Lou to be, as he escapes the goalie graveyard in Vancouver. The Panthers are 2-6 since the Olympics, where they lost Barkov and Kopecky to injury. Not that it mattered, this team was not going to make the playoffs anyways.

30. Buffalo Sabres (last rank 30): It is hard to imagine anyone catching the Sabres in the race for last place, especially now that they have shipped Miller out of town. They traded Miller and Ott for a 1st round pick, a prospect, a later pick, and one year of Chris Stewart. That 1st rounder will be near the end of the first round. So if Ott is worth a prospect and a 3rd round pick, then for Miller they got a late 1st and 1 year of Chris Stewart. As of now the Sabres best player is Tyler Ennis, who ranks #187 in my player rankings, with Stewart coming in 2nd at #195.:

NHL 2014 Pre-Olympic Power Rankings

The 2013/14 NHL season is now 19 weeks old, and it is time for my bi-weekly power rankings, as we have reached the Olympic break. The rankings below are on a "per game" basis, so there is no reward for playing more games than another team, I use a formula based on points per game (shootout wins not included), and goal differential as of the last day before the Olympic break. My rankings are not a matter of personal preference, I plug the standings into a simple formula and crank out a rankings list.



1. St. Louis Blues (last rank 2): The Blues reclaim the number one spot mostly due to poor play by the Mighty Ducks, and they are sending 9 players to the Olympics (Bouwmeester, Pietrangelo, Tarasenko, Halak, Berglund, Steen, Backes, Oshie, Shattenkirk).They are 6-2 over their last 8 games, with half of those games going to a shootout. They're an excellent shootout team (winning 70%), but there are no shootouts in the playoffs. That being said, shootout wins count as ties in my rankings, so they have earned this spot in my power rankings mostly on the strength of goal differential.



2. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (last rank 1): The Ducks lost 4 of 6 games heading into the Olympic break with 7 players going to Sochi (Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne, Vatanen, Silverberg, Hiller, Fowler). They have been struggling in the absence of Nick Bonino, who should return after the Olympics. They'll need their secondary scoring to pick up again after the break, as we have seen the team struggle without it.



3. Boston Bruins (last rank 5): The Bruins head into the Olympic break 7-2 over their last 9 games, with 5 players heading to Sochi (Bergeron, Krejci, Rask, Chara, Eriksson). They have been red hot, thanks to great play from Krejci, Lucic, Iginla, and Marchand. It is still my contention that Lucic should have made Team Canada, he is such a feared player with great size and skill. He is the best power forward in the NHL. You need a few on those on every good team.



4. Pittsburgh Penguins (last rank 4): The Pens have won 6 of 10 games heading into the break and are sending 7 players to Sochi (Kunitz, Crosby, Jokinen, Maatta, Malkin, Martin, Orpik). The shocking news is that Kris Letang has suffered a stroke and is expected to be out at least 6 weeks; hopefully he suffers no permanent damage (as strokes can do). He is a big part of their future and they need him healthy to maximize their offensive output.



5. Chicago Blackhawks (last rank 3): The Hawks have lost 6 of 9 heading into the break, and if you think they need some time off, they are sending 10 players to Sochi (Sharp, Toews, Keith, Rozsival, Handzus, Hossa, Kruger, Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Kane). It's tough to say if the Hawks eased up on the gas peddle heading into the Games. They played until late June, and are now in a compressed schedule with half their team heading into a compressed Olympic tournament. How much will this team have left in the gas tank when the playoffs start?



6. Colorado Avalanche (last rank 7): The Avs are 6-4 in their last 10 heading into the break, with 4 players going to Sochi (Duchene, Landeskog, Varlamov, Stastny). It's possible that Nathan MacKinnon has clinched the Calder Trophy with 10 PTS over the last 2 weeks, and I now have him rated as the 34th best skater in the NHL this season. There is also little doubt that Patrick Roy will be a serious contender for Coach of the year, as much as it pains me to admit it. They have been the biggest surprise in the NHL this season, as they sucked really bad last year (enough to get the first pick).




7. San Jose Sharks (last rank 6): The Sharks have lost 4 of their last 7 (including loses to Edmonton and Calgary) heading into the break, with 4 players going to Sochi (Marleau, Vlasic (ridiculous), Niemi, and Pavelski). It's probably better for the team that Thornton and Boyle are getting some time off in the middle of the season. Infact it would probably be better for them if Marleau got some time off too, instead of going to Sochi with just 2 PTS in his last 7 GP. Pavelski will play for Team USA having scored just 1 point in his last 7 GP. It's a joke that Vlasic made Team Canada, all because he's a left hand shot.



8. Tampa Bay Lightning (last rank 9): They have been playing .500 hockey over their last 10 games heading into the break, with 5 players going to Sochi (St.Louis, Palat, Gudas, Panik, Salo). Stamkos did everything he could to return to the ice in time for the Olympics, but lucky for Yzerman the doctors took the decision out of his hands. Leg wasn't fully healed, he can't play, end of story. Contrary to popular belief, St. Louis has not been the hottest Canadian player in the league over the last 3 weeks. That honour goes to Claude Giroux, who should be on Team Canada.



9. Montreal Canadiens (last rank 10): The Habs have won 5 of their last 7 games heading into the break, with 6 or 7 players heading to Sochi (Price, Subban, Plekanec, Emelin, Markov, Budaj, and maybe Pacioretty depending on health). PK Subban has cooled off considerably lately, so the Habs have to hope that he find his mojo in Russia. More so they need Galchenyuk to get healthy and for the EGG line to rediscover that magic they had going earlier in the season. Eller has been a huge disappointment over the last 2 months.



10. New York Rangers (last rank 12): This team is red hot, which makes the timing of the break very inconvenient. The Rangers have won 8 of their last 11 heading into the break, sending 7 players to Sochi (Nash, Zuccarello, Hagelin, Lundqvist, Callahan, Stepan, McDonagh). Rick Nash caught fire after being named to Team Canada, but hasn't scored a point over his last 5 games. The Rangers MVP might be Zuccarello, who will be the only NHLer on Team Norway.



11. Los Angeles Kings (last rank 8): The Kings have lost 9 of their last 11 heading into the break, sending 6 players to Sochi (Carter, Doughty, Voynov, Kopitar, Brown, Quick). The Kings are having a mighty difficult time scoring goals, but their collapse has been overshadowed in their division if not for the more spectacular collapse by the Canucks. It's bad in LA. Over the last 6 games, Koptiar has 6 PTS, Carter has 4 PTS, while Richards, Williams, Stoll, King, Brown, Clifford, Lewis, Nolan have combined for just 1 point over those same 6 games.



12. Columbus Blue Jackets (last rank 14): They are probably the best team sitting outside of a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets are 5-5 over their last 10 heading into the break, with 4 players heading to Sochi (Anisimov, Nikitin, Tyutin, Bobrovsky) all of them playing for Russia. Hopefully for the BJs, their Russians bond in Sochi and take that spirit back to Ohio in a few weeks. Their team MVP looks like it will be Ryan Johansen, although the team will only go as far as Sergei Bobrovsky will take them.



13. Minnesota Wild (last rank 13): The Wild have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games heading into the break, with 4 players heading to Sochi (Parise, Suter, Granlund, and Niederreiter). Parise has been excellent since his return from injury (9 PTS in 7 GP), but the Wild still need Mikko Koivu back before they return to full strength. It's difficult to judge what will happen in goal, with Josh Harding not playing since December with a setback in his fight with MS. Darcy Kuemper has been carrying the load, but I'm not sure he can take a team on a playoff run.



14. Dallas Stars (last rank 20): The Stars have won 6 of their last 9 games before the break, squeezing into a playoff spot, with 3 players heading to Sochi (Benn, Lehtonen, and Nichushkin). They can thank the collapse of the Canucks for a playoff spot opening up, but Benn and Seguin also deserve a lot of credit for carrying their offense. They have also been getting better goaltending, which they sorely need. I often say that Kari Lehtonen is their most valuable player, even if he's not their best player.



15. Philadelphia Flyers (last rank 16): The Flyers carry a 4 game winning streak into the break with 5 players heading to Sochi (Raffl, Voracek, Timonen, Meszaros, Streit). They should be sending more players to Sochi, but sadly Claude Giroux is going to get some vacation time. There are many reasons that I would have taken Giroux over St.Louis, the biggest being that Claude should be on the next 3+ Team Canadas, where St.Louis is near the end of his career. Marty will be good for team chemistry, but Giroux should be there.



16. Quebec City Coyotes (last rank 15): Heading into the Olympic break, can you guess which team continues to be dead last in NHL attendance (by about 800 people per game)? That's right, the Coyotes. The question is how soon until they are allowed to relocate to Quebec? Seattle just won a Super Bowl, maybe they are finally ready to build a new arena for hockey and basketball? I don't even care to look up their record heading into the break, but Quebec/Seattle will be sending 5 players to Sochi (Smith, Hanzal, Michalek, Korpikoski, E-Larsson).



17. Toronto Maple Leafs (last rank 18): 7-3 over their last 10 games has the Leafs sitting comfortably in a playoff spot heading into the break, with 3 players going to Sochi (Kessel, JVR, Kulemin). I would still rank them as the 2nd worst team sitting in a playoff spot (behind Detroit), and they are going to have to tighten up their team defense if they are going to win a playoff series. I don't know if you have heard, but Tim Gleason blocks shots (if you did not know that, you have not been listening to Toronto sports talk). Phil Kessel has the most points in the NHL in 2014, and has a comfortable lead over #2. I have Phil ranked as the 11th best player in the NHL this season.



18. New Jersey Devils (last rank 19): The Devils have lost 5 of their last 7 games heading into the break, and will be sending 4 players to Sochi (Elias, Jagr, Zidlicky, Brunner), mostly for Team Czeck. Corey Schneider has taken over the #1 job in New Jersey, and has been playing great in this new year, enough so that Brodeur has been talking about a trade again. Henrique, Zubrus, and Ryder have dried up again, with Jagr continuing to be their best skater, by far.



19. Carolina Hurricanes (last rank 22): They have won 6 of their last 9, jumping a few spots heading into the break, with 4 players heading to Sochi (Ruutu, Semin, Sekera, Faulk). Both the Staal brothers have an extended vacation, hopefully they won't be attending any weddings. Anton Khudobin has started the last 17 consecutive games for the Canes (over which time they are 11-6), and this coming despite a decrease in offensive output (their hottest scorer over the last 6 games has been Skinner with 4 PTS).



20. Detroit Red Wings (last rank 17): The Red Wings currently own the honour of being my lowest ranked team currently sitting in a playoff spot. They have gone 7-7 without Datsyuk during his latest injury stretch, but he came back just in time to go play for Russia. As a Wings fan, this bothers me. If he was hurt that bad, he shouldn't go. Or were they easing him back super slow to give him some time off before the start of a hectic schedule? The Wings are sending 10 players to Sochi (Datsyuk, Jurco, Tatar, Alfredsson, Nyquist, Zetterberg, Ericsson, Kronwall, Gustavsson, Howard) 6 guys playing for Sweden.



21. Vancouver Canucks (last rank 11): The Canucks have gone 2-8 since the Torterella suspension, so obviously the little stunt did have the "allegedly" desired motivational impact. They will be sending 7 players to Sochi (D.Sedin, Hamhius (makes me puke), Luongo, Edler, Diaz, Weber, Kesler). As a resident of Vancouver I spend a lot of time listening to the local Sportstalk radio station. Canuck Nation is in full blown crisis mode right now. The calls for Gillis head on a spike are getting louder...



22. Washington Capitals (last rank 23): They have won 5 of their last 8 games (after a 7 game losing streak, totalling 10 losses over their last 15 games) and will be sending 5 players to Sochi (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Johansson, Carlson, Erat (makes me puke)). They are among 5 teams in the East who are within 3 PTS of a playoff spot. They are still in the race, but it won't be easy. Can they send Holtby to the minors during the break? If they could, they should. They're going to need that kid to be all that he can be.



23. Winnipeg Jets (last rank 24): When the Jets fired Claude Noel, the outlook on the rest of the season was very bleak, but now they are 9-4 under their new coach and sit 2 points out of a playoff spot heading into the break, sending 4 players to Sochi (Frolik, Pavelec, Jokinen, Wheeler). They will need a healthy Evander Kane to make the playoffs, but if the Canucks and Kings continue to suck, the playoffs will stay wide open in the West.



24. Ottawa Senators (last rank 21): The Sens are 5-5 heading into the break with just 2 players heading to Sochi (Michalek, Karlsson). Tough to say whether this many players with that much time off will help or hurt Ottawa. Bobby Ryan might only have 3 PTS (C.MacArthur just 1) over the last 7 games, but the good news is that Jason Spezza has 10 PTS over that same span. If they can get both their scoring lines going at the same time, look out for the Senators. They currently sit 1 point out of a playoff spot.



25. Nashville Predators (last rank 25): The Preds have only won 4 of their last 10 games heading into the break, but thanks to the Canucks/Kings collapses they are within sniffing distance of a playoff spot. Their whole team (minus Weber and Josi) will get an extended vacation before the final push. The Preds currently sit 4 PTS out of the last playoff spot, so don't be surprised if they are not sellers at the trade deadline, and keep David Legwand. I'm sure if somebody offers them a top prospect for a washed up forward, they'll take it in a heart beat (see Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat).



26. NY Islanders (last rank 26): Just when things were starting to look good for the Islanders, they have suddenly lost 7 of their last 8 games and are all but eliminated from the playoffs. They are sending 3 players to Sochi (Tavares, Grabner, Vanek). They sit 12 points back of the last playoff spot, and have no chance of catching it. Their best move is to trade off expiring assets and build for next season. Bryzgalov might be a nice fit in Long Island next year. Nabokov has to be near the end of his career.



27. Calgary Flames (last rank 28): The Flames have won 6 of their last 8 games (with wins over San Jose and Chicago) heading into the break, and are sending 2 players to Sochi (Berra and Smid). The best they can do down the stretch is play spoiler, but otherwise this is a lost season. Mikael Backlund has been sensational over the last 2 weeks, scoring 8 PTS in their last 6 games. Lee Stempniak is also back from the dead and producing offense.



28. Florida Panthers (last rank 27): They are 2-6 over their last 8 games heading into the break, with 2 players going to Sochi (Barkov and Kopecky). I recently had a weird dream where I met Jacob Markstrom at a hockey rink, and he was a 12 year old kid who had been demoted back to minor hockey. He might be a wiff as an NHL prospect. Barkov is definitely the real deal.



29. North Pole Oilers (last rank 29): The Oilers have won 5 of their last 7 games heading into the break, with 3 players heading to Sochi (Hemsky, Belov, and Marincin). Eberle has been ice cold, but Taylor Hall is scoring points. They're better off to lose hockey games and increase their probability of landing Aaron Eckblad in the draft.



30. Buffalo Sabres (last rank 30): They are 2-11 over their last 13 games, which can't look good on Ted Nolan's resume if he's seeking the head coaching job full-time. The Sabres will be sending 4 players to Sochi (Girgenson, Tallinder, Enroth, Miller). They suck.

NHL Week 16 Power Rankings 2014

The 2013/14 NHL season is now 16 weeks old, and it is time for my bi-weekly power rankings, as we get closer and closer to the Olympic break. The rankings below are on a "per game" basis, so there is no reward for playing more games than another team, I use a formula based on points per game (shootout wins not included), and goal differential as of Sunday Jan 19th. My rankings are not a matter of personal preference, I plug the standings into a simple formula and crank out a rankings list.



1. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (last rank 2): Blasting the Canucks 9-1 was great, but sadly they followed that up with a loss to Chicago. Most pundits who have seen them play say they are among the league's best, if not the best, much as they were for most of last season (when they quietly kept pace with the Blackhawks). Quack, quack, quack! Don't be surprised if Perry and Getzlaf lead Team Canada in scoring in Sochi. Silverberg is back and producing, Selanne is heating up, Bonino should finish with at least 25 goals, and Hampus Lindholm might have single handedly made the "bike test" the most important event at the combine.



2. St. Louis Blues (last rank 1): The Blues have relinquished the top spot in my Power Rankings for the 1st time since November. They are hard to score on, and they score often, with the best goal differential in the NHL. That being said, they have lost 3 of their last 5 games, and narrowly avoided their worse slump of the season by beating Detroit on Monday. They need to just go with Jaroslav Halak and be done with it. Alex Steen has returned from concussion just in time, as the offense had begun to slow down.



3. Chicago Blackhawks (last rank 3): The defending Stanley Cup champions have had a target on their backs all season, and it may be starting to take its toll (despite a big victory over the Bruins on Sunday). They are 4-5 thus far in January, and it's not like this roster will be getting much of a break for the Olympics. Patrick Kane has suddenly gone cold, with just 2 PTS over his last 6 GP. Marian Hossa has carried the mail for this team over that span with 7 PTS.


4. Pittsburgh Penguins (last rank 4): They might as well start engraving Crosby's name on the Hart Trophy. He is the league's MVP, just like he was last year when he lost the award to a broken jaw. The Pens have won 7 of their last 10 games and have been red hot since the middle of November. The best surprise for the Pens this season has been Olli Maatta, who has played some huge minutes and scored some big goals. If they re-did the 2012 draft over again, Maatta would probably go top 10 instead of 22 (and yes, there were people at the time saying he fell way too far in that draft).



5. Boston Bruins (last rank 5): The Bruins are starting to slip, treading water instead of being their normal dominating selves. 5-5 over their last 10 games has the mighty Briuns falling back to the rest of the pack in the East. They only have a 2 point lead over Tampa Bay in the Atlantic division. Krejci and Iginla have dried up in January, as has offensive production from the blueline. They are struggling to score goals, but remain an incredibly difficult team to score on.



6. San Jose Sharks (last rank 6): Truth be told, the Sharks are probably better off having Thornton and Boyle take a vacation instead of competing in a grueling Olympic schedule. 6-2 over their last 8 is good enough to maintain their spot in the rankings (doing so without Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, and Martin Havlat). Joe Pavelski has been making his case for team MVP, as he has almost as many PTS as Marleau and Thorton combined in January.



7. Colorado Avalanche (last rank 7): Just when you think they're starting to fall to their rightful place in the standings, they win 8 of their last 10. Dammit. Their spot in the rankings is based on an unbiased formula, allowing me the freedom to proclaim my disdain for Patrick Roy and his team. I hate that they are this good. If Nathan Mackinnon does not score a single point for the rest of the season, my forecast of his scoring outcome will be exactly accurate.



8. Los Angeles Kings (last rank 8): They got pushed around by the Canucks, but still won the game. For a team that plays a rough, physical style, it has to be a bit embarrassing to get pushed around by Vancouver. The Kings are 4-9 over their last 13, which isn't exactly a Stanley Cup winning pace. They have become the toughest team in the NHL to score on, but their goal scoring pace is not sufficient. Their best player has been Jeff Carter, who is scoring at solid pace heading into the Olympics.



9. Tampa Bay Lightning (last rank 9): It is admirable how well this team has played without Stamkos, who is back skating with the team and getting closer to return. Marty St.Louis scored 4 goals on Saturday, but lost thanks to a Joe Pavelski natural hat trick. St. Louis has been among the league's hottest players in January, and no doubt is trying to get to the top of the list of possible Team Canada injury replacements for the Olympics. The Lightning are getting strong secondary scoring from Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn, and Teddy Purcell. Stamkos could be back soon.


10. Montreal Canadiens (last rank 11): This is a team that can just as easily beat a good team as lose to a bad team. They win games they should lose, and lose games they should win. They are 4-4 in January, which is good enough to comfortably maintain their status as a playoff team, but still the team has a few problems. Lars Eller, Michael Bournival, Danny Briere, and Brandon Prust are all struggling to get on the scoreboard, so they don't have nearly the depth of offense they had earlier in the season. Fortunately Carey Price is still playing great hockey.



11. Vancouver Canucks (last rank 10): The big question in Vancouver over the past few weeks has been "when will Mount Tortorella erupt?" He was visibly frustrated as his team had struggled though the new year. They lost to LA in what was said to be a moral victory, which they followed up by getting destroyed by the Mighty Ducks. Then Saturday against Calgary Bob Hartley started his tough guys, and we finally saw a legit Tortorella temper tantrum as he chased Bob Hartley into the Calgary dressing room between periods, leading to a 2 week suspension. With the Canucks being 2-8 in their last 10, it's obvious that Torts was trying to inject some energy into this roster, but he took it way too far. Watch the video of Torts in the Flames tunnel. He's damned near out of control. I used to work at GM Place. He had to walk some distance to get to the Flames tunnel, the teams don't share a tunnel, this was not a chance encounter. What exactly did he think he was going to do? Seriously!







12. New York Rangers (last rank 20): The Rangers are healthy and starting to make some noise in the Eastern conference. 8-3 over their last 11 games is pretty good (giving them a 5 point lead on the top non playoff team). Lundqvist has found his groove, and the team is getting enough offense to win games. Rick Nash and Brad Richards are heating up, just as the rest of the forwards have started to cool down.



13. Minnesota Wild (last rank 16): With Josh Harding "adjusting his medication" and Nick Backstrom playing like shit, in comes Darcy Kuemper to save the day. We'll see how long this goaltending situation lasts when Harding returns, but the new kid is 4-1 with 7 GA in 5 GP. The Wild lost 6 straight games to end December, but now find themselves 7-2 in January, doing so without their top 2 forwards Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter have been their 2 most productive forwards this month, while Danny Heatly has finally started chipping in (5 PTS in his last 7 GP).



14. Columbus Blue Jackets (last rank 23): Ever since Bobrovsky returned to the ice, the Blue Jackets have been red hot. They have won 6 in a row, and goalie Bob is starting to show up again on the nightly highlight reel. Since his return Bobrovsky is 5-0 with a 1.74 GAA and a .945 SVPCT. The battle for the wild card spots in the Eastern conference could be a dog fight, even more so with Vezina calibre goaltending in Columbus. Cam Atkinson has been their most productive offensive player this month, followed by James Wisniewski, Brandon Dubinsky, and Mark Letestu.



15. Quebec City Coyotes (last rank 12): Which NHL franchise ranks dead last in attendance by over 600 people per game? That's right, Phoenix. Being 3-7 in January, sitting comfortably outside a playoff spot is not going to help this team generate the revenue they need to stay in the desert. They cannot build that new arena in Quebec City fast enough. All this talk about "stable ownership" is a myth. If they keep bleeding money, they are gone, and that will probably be sooner rather than later.



16. Philadelphia Flyers (last rank 15): It certainly did not look this way at the beginning of the season, but this is a playoff team as of right now, despite being 5-5 over their last 10 games. They aren't exactly beating top teams these days, preying instead on mid to low level competition (4 PTS up on the top non playoff team). Steve Mason has earned himself a contract extension in net, in what has been a strong season, resurrecting his career. Ironically enough, their leading scorer over their last 7 games is Andrej Meszaros with 9 PTS (recently added to my fantasy team), followed by Wayne Simmonds (8), and Scott Hartnell (7).



17. Detroit Red Wings (last rank 14): Is Datsyuk really hurt, or is this just another fishing trip? 4-6 over their last 10 games, they have fallen outside a playoff spot for the 1st time this season (they are tied with Columbus for the last spot, but the Jackets have a game in hand). Missing Datsyuk, Franzen, Alfredsson, Helm, and Ericsson has been a death blow to the Red Wings. Either they get healthy, or Ken Holland needs to figure out how to be a seller at the deadline, something he has never had to do as GM. There is a lot of dead weight on this roster; it would be nice to see some of it shipped out of town for future assets.


18. Toronto Maple Leafs (last rank 21): Note that shootout wins don't count in my power rankings, hence why the Leafs rank this low (there are no shootouts in the playoffs). The Leafs might be the NHL's best shootout team, which might get them into a playoff spot, but won't help them once playoffs start. They have turned their fortunes around, winning 5 in a row, thanks in large part to the Kessel, JVR, Bozak line catching fire.



19. New Jersey Devils (last rank 18): We have passed the half way mark in the seasons and the Devils find themselves in the thick of a playoff race, just 1 point out of the last wild card. They are just 3-6 over their last 9 games and will need to improve if they are indeed to make the playoffs. Somehow, someway Ryane Clowe has 9 PTS over their last 7 games played, which is nearly double the production of their next highest scorer over that span (Jagr, Henrique, and Ryder each have 5 PTS).



20. Dallas Stars (last rank 13): The Stars can score goals, but they've been having great difficulty preventing the other team from scoring. They are 1-8 in 9 games this month, and have all but guaranteed they won't make the playoffs (they currently sit 9 PTS out of the last spot). Valeri Nichushkin has slowed down again, just as he had started to earn consideration for Rookie of the Year. The goaltending just hasn't been good enough. Kari Lehtonen is the most important player on this team, but he has been far from the most valuable.



21. Ottawa Senators (last rank 19): It looks as though the Ottawa Senators may have finally turned a corner, no thanks to captain Jason Spezza, and a big thanks to the goaltending (which still has room for improvement). 6-3 over their last 9 games, they are fighting their way back towards a playoff spot. Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris, and Clarke MacArthur have been carrying this team offensively while Bobby Ryan, Spezza, Michalek, and Zibanejad have slowed down considerably. This team needs far more secondary scoring if they are going to make the playoffs.



22. Carolina Hurricanes (last rank 22): Cam Ward is injured again as Anton Khudobin takes over the primary duty in goal. The Canes are 5-3 since Khudobin took the #1 job, and are starting to get worthy consideration as a playoff contender. They might make the playoffs, but don't expect them to advance beyond the 1st round. For as disappointing as Jordan Staal and Alex Semin have been this season, Tuomo Ruutu has to win the trophy for most disappointing player on this team (43 GP, 12 PTS, -16). Justin Faulk making Team USA over Keith Yandle might be the biggest joke of the Olympic tournament.




23. Washington Capitals (last rank 17): There is currently a mess in Washington's net, with Grubauer over-taking Holtby as the team's primary gatekeeper. Then suddenly today after a few bad starts, Grubauer was sent to the minors. If they have lost faith in Holtby, they might want to acquire outside help. Although, I'm not sure that I trust George McPhee to make a good trade. The last major deal he made, F.Forsberg for M.Erat was an unmitigated disaster. They are 2-9 over their last 11 games, and I'm starting to think that McPhee could be the next General Manager to be fired.



24. Winnipeg Jets (last rank 24): They finally made the long overdue move of firing Coach Claude Noel. Paul Maurice is a great fit, and already has the Jets flying high, winning 3 in a row, outscoring their opponents 13-5 (all that without Evander Kane, arguably their best player). This teams have the pieces they need, albeit they'll need a more reliable goaltender before they can reach their deserved status. They are currently sitting 10 PTS out of a playoff spot, so making the post-season will be a difficult task; but the Canucks are in a free fall. That's the team they'll need to catch (or Minnesota, who is playing much better).



25. Nashville Predators (last rank 25): Devan Dubnyk will be a below-average replacement for Pekka Rinne, while he continues to heal from injury. At this point the Preds are pretty much out of the playoff race. They'll need to get red hot to even get a sniff. I'm not holding my breath. It's unlikely that Craig Poile even thinks this team is good enough, and might have even brought in Dubnyk with low expectations.



26. NY Islanders (last rank 28): The Islanders have started to win some hockey games, but it is too little too late. 9-3 over their last 12 games is very good, but unlikely to be enough to get close to a playoff spot. John Tavares is red hot and Thomas Vanek has finally started to return dividends. They are making a run, but it will be too little too late unless some of the contenders drop out of contention.



27. Florida Panthers (last rank 26): Word on the street is that the Panthers new owner wants to start spending to the salary cap, which could make for another Dale Tallon ridiculous spending spree. 5-8 over their last 13 pretty much eliminates them from the playoffs. Expect them to sell off whatever assets they can as they continue to build on a solid core of young players.



28. Calgary Flames (last rank 27): They are who we thought they were. We shall see how successful Brian Burke will be at purging Jay Feester's fingerprints from this roster. They are 2-11 in 13 games since Christmas, so it's not like the team has made a dramatic turnaround since Brian Burke took over as General Manager. They will sell assets at the trade deadline and get a very high draft pick.



29. North Pole Oilers (last rank 29): They shipped out Devan Dubnyk and brought in Ben Scrivens while adding Matt Hendricks. This will have little to no positive impact. It was barely a lateral move. They have lost 9 of their last 11 and have a shot at the number #1 overall pick. If you are the GM, you do whatever it takes to get Ekblad, even if it costs them Yakupov.



30. Buffalo Sabres (last rank 30): They are playing noticeably better with new Coach Ted Nolan, but they still suck. 2-5 in January. They will sell assets and get a high draft pick.

NHL Week 14 Power Rankings 2014

The 2013/14 NHL season is now 14 weeks old, and it is time for my bi-weekly power rankings, as we pass the half way mark of the season. The rankings below are on a "per game" basis, so there is no reward for playing more games than another team, I use a formula based on points per game (shootout wins not included), and goal differential as of Monday Jan 7th. My rankings are not a matter of personal preference, I plug the standings into a simple formula and crank out a rankings list.

1. St. Louis Blues (last rank 1): The Blues are 7-1 in their last 8 games and continue to be the best team in the NHL. Losing leading scorer Alex Steen to a concussion has not slowed down the Blues power house offense. It is remarkable how much scoring depth they have at the forward position, in addition to one of the best bluelines in the league. The hottest player on the team right now is Jaden Schwartz (a must own in all fantasy hockey leagues), though there is no question that their first half MVP is Alex Steen.

2. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (last rank 3): The Ducks are 13-1 in their last 14 games, in part because they are finally getting scoring depth outside the top 3. Saku Koivu is on fire (10 PTS in last 10 GP), with Kyle Palmieri and Andrew Cogliano not far behind. Even Ben Lovejoy has been making a strong offensive contribution. They are proving that last year was not a fluke, and are once again going to be a tough out in the playoffs.

3. Chicago Blackhawks (last rank 2): 4-4 over their last 8 games, I'm not exactly sure how this team moved into TSN's #1 spot. The offense has been excellent, but they are not matching the pace of Anaheim and St. Louis. Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews are red hot, and would make an effective tandem on the Canadian Olympic team. They could save everybody a lot of time and trouble if they just cancelled the Central division playoffs and go directly to a Chicago-St.Louis series to win the division. It's ridiculous that Seabrook did not make the Canadian Olympic team, all because he's a right hand shot. What if a left handed defenseman gets hurt? Will Yzerman only replace him with a left hand shot? Keith and Seabrook would have been the best pairing in the tournament.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (last rank 5): 11-2 over their last 13 games, the Penguins have endured a multitude of injuries and have not skipped a beat. The one healthy component throughout all of these injuries has been Sidney Crosby, who continues to dominate the NHL. Marc-Andre Fleury deserves praise for his first half performance, as does Chris Kunitz and James Neal. Over the last month, Kunitz, Neal, and Crosby have combined for 50 PTS (with Neal even missing a few games to suspension). Now that Malkin is back, look out. In my opinion, this is the next Stanley Cup champion.

5. Boston Bruins (last rank 4): They are 6-4 over their last 10 GP. With Loui Eriksson on the shelf for most of the last month, Reilly Smith has emerged as a star player. Milan Lucic has slowed down, but he still remains the league's premier power forward. Iginla and Krejci have been producing at a point per game clip. Right now their biggest problem is depth on defense, losing Ference and Seidenberg, who logged a lot of tough minutes last season.

6. San Jose Sharks (last rank 7): 7-3 over their last 10 GP, they have proven themselves to be a force in the Pacific division. It remains to be seen if they can win the "rock-paper-sissors" match ups on the West coast. Logan Couture has cooled off, but Pavelski, Marleau, Thornton, and Burns are getting the job done. There is no way that Marc-Edward Vlasic should have made the Canadian Olympic team. He started quickly, but has slowly been getting worse each week. Neither Vlasic or Boyle should be on Team Canada.

7. Colorado Avalanche (last rank 8): 4-6 over their last 10, the Avs are being carried by Matt Duchene (17 PTS in his last 12 GP) and Ryan O'Reilly (11 PTS in 12 GP). We are getting confirmation that the Avs defense is not as good as it needs to be (Erik Johnson notwithstanding). It is unlikely that their second half will be as successful as the first. Eventually they will be who I thought they were.

8. Los Angeles Kings (last rank 6): 4-6 over their last 10 games, the Kings have started to slip. Their biggest problem right now is Mike Richards going ice cold with just a single point over his last 11 GP (Dustin Brown and Tyler Toffoli have also dried up). Over the last 11 GP, the leading scorer is Jeff Carter at 12 PTS, with the 2nd highest being Dwight King with 9 PTS. But still, Anze Koptiar is the Kings 1st half MVP. Carter being named to Team Canada did catch me by surprise, as he never crossed my mind as a potential Olympian. If you want a pure sniper, there is none better in the game right now than James Neal.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (last rank 9): There is no question that Ben Bishop belonged on the American Olympic team, as he has been carrying this team on his shoulders without their best player. There has been some controversy today that Yzerman left Martin St.Louis off the Canadian roster, as Greg Wyshynski claims that St. Louis can play any role on a team (except maybe power forward, right Puck Daddy?) Marty will probably be the first phone call Yzerman makes if he needs an injury substitution.

10. Vancouver Canucks (last rank 10): Despite having a very strong December, the Canucks have now lost 4 in a row, and the phone in radio shows are filled with angry Canuck fans screaming that the sky is falling. Canuck Nation collectively has a very short memory. It's ridiculous that Dan Hamhius made Team Canada. By my estimation he's not even the best Canadian defenseman on his team (Jason Garrison). Hopefully Hamhius suffers a serious injury over the next few weeks. I'm seriously considering taking up voodoo this week.

11. Montreal Canadiens (last rank 11): They have lost 3 of their last 5, enough to sustain their rank of slightly above average. PK Subban certainly deserved his spot on the Canadian Olympic team, as it is between him and Carey Price for first half team MVP. Alex Galchenyuk will miss a big chunk of time with a broken hand, which is a huge blow to the Eller-Gallagher line that has already been struggling for the last month. The Habs will need more production from Danny Briere and Rene Bourque if the are going to step into the elite tier.

12. Quebec City Coyotes (last rank 12): The season is half over, and who continues to be dead last in NHL attendance? That's right, the Coyotes. The new owners are going to hit $40 million in operating loses in 2015. The only reason they won't hit the magic number to trigger the out clause in the sale of the team in 2014 is because of shared revenue from the Canadian market. That's right, the team that moved from Canada to Arizona will stay in the desert a few months longer because of subsidies from Canadian fans. Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

13. Dallas Stars (last rank 13): They have lost 3 games in a row, over which time they have given up 18 goals against. Kari Lehtonen is probably the most important player on this team, but they need him to be playing at his best if they are going to make a run at a playoff spot. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are still producing the bulk of the offense, but thankfully Erik Cole is finally starting to earn his fat pay cheque. Injuries combined with under-performing players on the blueline is perhaps the biggest obstacle this team is currently facing (in combination with goaltending).

14. Detroit Red Wings (last rank 14): 4-3 over the last 7 games coming off a 6 game losing streak, this has been a frustrating season for Wings fans. Todd Bertuzzi has zero PTS in his last 11 GP, just behind Dan Cleary's 2 PTS in 11 GP. The secondary scoring has dried up, with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Alfredsson carrying the load. They need Franzen to come back from a concussion, they need Helm to get healthy, and they need Tatar, Nyquist and Andersson to put up better numbers. The young guns went silent as soon as the HBO cameras came into the room.

15. Philadelphia Flyers (last rank 19): I think Team Canada's selection committee decided not to take Claude Giroux back in November, and has completely ignored how good he has been since breaking that early season slump. Giroux has 17 PTS in his last 11 GP and has been carrying this team on his shoulders as they return to relevancy. Jakub Voracek has certainly enjoyed the ride, with 15 PTS over those 11 games (propelling the Flyers to an 8-3 record over that span).

16. Minnesota Wild (last rank 16): 2-6 over their last 8 GP, it has been a rough month for the Wild. They need Zach Parise back sooner rather later, especially with Mikko Koivu going down to ankle surgery. Ryan Suter can only carry this team so far and is doing everything he can (13 PTS in his last 11 GP, including a 3 goal game). The corpse of Danny Heatley continues to collect a pay cheque far bigger than his production should afford him.

17. Washington Capitals (last rank 15): The Caps have lost 7 if their last 9 games, and are perilously close to falling out of a playoff spot. Holtby has been struggling in goal, being outplayed by back-up Philipp Grubauer (whose name sounds like a bad guy from a Die Hard movie). Alex Ovechkin is not playing like a league MVP, an award he never would have won if not for Crosby's broken jaw. We'll see if the Caps can turn things around, or if they fall victim to an improving division.

18. New Jersey Devils (last rank 17): The Devils are 4-6 over their last 10 games, as the Marty Brodeur hot streak appears to have come to an end. Cory Schneider has emerged as the better goalie, but is still playing less than half of the games. If they manage to somehow make the playoffs, I will be plenty surprised.

19. Ottawa Senators (last rank 22): All of a sudden the long time slumping Ottawa Senators have won 5 of their last 6 games and find themselves 2 points out of the last playoff spot. This despite poor production from Jason Spezza. Erik Karlsson has been their hottest player and their team MVP.


20. New York Rangers (last rank 21): Callahan and Staal have returned from injuries, and the Rangers are currently as healthy as they have been all season. Rick Nash was a bit of a surprise on the Canadian Olympic team, given that he has not played very well when healthy this season. He has been described by many as "slow", which could hurt on the large international ice. Remember in 2010, they played the Olympic on NHL sized ice.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs (last rank 20): After a big win in the Winter Classic on Jan 1st, the Leafs have played two terrible games against the New York teams, getting outscored 12-4 (9 of those goals being scored on Bernier). The Leafs have given up at least 35 shots against in 7 of their last 8 games, which is not a recipe for playoff success.

22. Carolina Hurricanes (last rank 23): After losing 5 in a row, the Canes have now won 4 in a row. Jeff Skinner has easily been their hottest player, with Eric Staal being their 1st half MVP. Alex Semin is starting to show signs of life after a miserable start to the season.



23. Columbus Blue Jackets (last rank 18): Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky has been moved from injured reserve back to the active roster, and the sooner they can get him back on the ice, the better. Marian Gaborik might be lost for the foreseeable future, but the good news is that Nathan Horton is back with the team. They will finally get to play their prized free agent power forward who was injured in last year's Bruins run to the Stanley Cup final.

24. Winnipeg Jets (last rank 25): Losing 4 in a row is not what this team needed. They are highly unlikely to make the playoffs and need to make some changes. The Coach looks to be at the end of his rope, especially given how much talent there is on the roster. New Coach + a better goalie = Jets playoffs.

25. Nashville Predators (last rank 24): 3-7 over their last 10 games should be the first nail in the Predators coffin. They currently sit 7 PTS out of the playoffs, which will be a very difficult gap to close. Shea Weber is both their hottest player (14 PTS in his last 12 GP) and their 1st half MVP, and it's not even close.

26. Florida Panthers (last rank 27): After an impressive little winning streak, the Panthers have now lost 5 of their last 7 games. Aleks Barkov has become the best player on this team lately, and Sean Bergenheim has returned from the dead to score some big goals.

27. Calgary Flames (last rank 26): 2-9 in their last 11 GP, the Flames suck. Paul Byron is their hottest player over that span with 7 PTS. Hudler, Monahan, Stajan, Cammalleri have all dried up. They can't keep the puck out of their net, and now they can't score. It's going to be a rough 2nd half.

28. NY Islanders (last rank 28): The Islanders are 7-3 in their last 10 GP and may have finally turned their season around (but still sit 8 PTS out of a playoff spot). The good news is that John Tavares is officially on fire, the bad news is that it might be too little too late. Kyle Okposo should have been on Team USA, with 14 PTS in his last 11 GP. They'll need to have a monster 2nd half to make the playoffs.

29. North Pole Oilers (last rank 29): The Oilers are 3-11 over their last 14 GP. They suck. If I magically became the owner of this team, my first order of business would be the firing of Kevin Lowe. He might have been a great Oiler, but he's a joke in the front office. Taylor Hall is by far their hottest player and unquestionably their 1st half MVP.

30. Buffalo Sabres (last rank 30): They suck.

NHL Christmas 2013 Power Rankings

The 2013/14 NHL season is now 12 weeks old, and it is time for my bi-weekly power rankings. Today is the last day of the Christmas break, as we get very close to the half way mark in the season. The rankings below are on a "per game" basis, so there is no reward for playing more games than another team, I use a formula based on points per game (shootout wins not included), and goal differential as of Monday Dec 23th. My rankings are not a matter of personal preference, I plug the standings into a simple formula and crank out a rankings list. Then I write a blurb for each team, this week for each team I will include the player who has most exceeded expectations, and he who has most failed to meet expectations.

1. St. Louis Blues (last rank 1): The Blues have won 6 of their last 10, and are managing to maintain their status as the league's best team. Their goaltending has been decent, but needs to be better for the Blues to win a championship. Even if Elliot plays better in the regular season, he's a playoff choke artist. Jaroslav Halak has to be the man. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Alex Steen (with an honourable mention to Jaden Schwartz) and he who has most disappointed is Patrik Berglund (with an honourable mention to Magnus Paajarvi).

2. Chicago Blackhawks (last rank 2): The Hawks are 6-2 in their last 8 GP, and have 7 players with double digit PTS in their last 13 GP. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Duncan Keith and he who has most disappointed is Bryan Bickel (even before the injury). It seems strange to say a recent former Norris Trophy winner is exceeding expectations, but Keith is having a truly phenomenal season, with no Stanley Cup hangover. He will be my mid-season pick for the Norris.

3. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (last rank 7): The Ducks have won 9 in a row and are probably the hottest team in the NHL (thanks in large part to Perry and Getzlaf). How many different ways can one describe how awesome those two guys have been? Both are among the top 5 players in the league. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Nick Bonino (with an honourable mention to Cam Fowler and Dustin Penner) and he who has most disappointed is Teemu Selanne (with an honourable mention to Matt Belesky).

4. Boston Bruins (last rank 4): The Bruins are 9-3 over their last 12 games and continue to be one of the league's best teams. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Reilly Smith and he who has most disappointed is Brad Marchand. Smith is their 2nd leading scorer over their last 12 GP, trailing only David Krejci in PTS over that span. When the Seguin trade happened, nobody was talking about Reilly Smith as the prized asset coming back to Boston. That was supposed to be Loui Eriksson, who is out again with his 2nd concussion of the season (despite having never been concussed prior to 2013).

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (last rank 6): Take away Malkin and the Pens top 4 defensemen, and they are still a kick ass team that is 8-2 since Malkin went down. Having Sidney Crosby producing at an elite rate can cover a lot of scars. Crosby was the best hockey player in the world for 2013, and should have won Canada's best athlete award instead of a CFL player. which is a bad joke. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Matt Niskanen and he who has most disappointed is Pascal Dupuis, who has taken a nose dive since being a top 30 player last season.

6. Los Angeles Kings (last rank 9): The Kings have gone 9-2 in December without their best goaltender, unless you think Martin Jones is better than Jon Quick. Dr. Jones is 8-1 with a 1.31 GAA and a .953 SVPCT. In the spring, those would be Conn Smythe numbers. That obviously raises the question of whether Quick is overrated based on the quality of the play in front of him, since both Scrivens and Jones have been just as awesome since he's been out. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Dwight King and he who has most disappointed is Matt Frattin.

7. San Jose Sharks (last rank 3): The Sharks have gone 5-6 in December, and have lost rookie sensation Tomas Hertl for the next several weeks. Logan Couture's production has started to dry up, which in part explains the lackluster month. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Tommy Wingels and he who has most disappointed is Matt Irwin. If your 6th defenseman is your most disappointing player, it certainly has not been a disappointing season.

8. Colorado Avalanche (last rank 5): The Avs have gone 4-7 in December, and are slowly becoming who we thought they were. I was never ready to crown their ass. The alleged magic of Patrick Roy is slowly slipping, and those of us who hate the man have to be enjoying the slow decline. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Erik Johnson (with an honourable mention to Andre Benoit) and he who has most disappointed is PA Parenteau. The charges against Simeon Varlamov have been dropped, so at least they will have their best goalie for the whole season (injury notwithstanding).

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (last rank 10): It feels like Ben Bishop deserves some kind of trophy (or perhaps a Team USA appearance) for his fantastic play this season, especially since the injury to Stamkos. The Bolts have won 6 of their last 7 GP (in those six wins they allowed 2 or fewer goals against). Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Ben Bishop (with an honourable mention to Tyler Johnson) and he who has most disappointed is Ted Purcell. Martin St.Louis has been a point per game player since the injury to Stamkos, which proves that his productivity is not dependent on their top sniper.

10. Vancouver Canucks (last rank 11): The Canucks have gone 9-2 in December, leapfrogging the Coyotes into a playoff spot with a 5 point cushion. They gained some ground on San Jose, but none on LA or Anaheim. That's life in the Pacific division. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Mike Santorelli and he who has most disappointed is Alex Burrows. Yes Burrows is on his second injury of the season, but even when he was in the line-up, he was not producing at all (3 PTS in 17 GP). An honourable mention for most disappointing is Alex Edler, he's by far a team worst -12 on a team that has scored 13 more goals than it has allowed.

11. Montreal Canadiens (last rank 8): After an impressive stretch of going 9-1 in 10 games, the Habs have followed that up by losing 4 of their last 7 GP; over which time they have scored less than 2 goals in 5 games. The offense has dried up in late December, but because of the futility of the rest of the Atlantic division, they are still comfortably in a playoff spot. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Lars Eller and he who has most disappointed is Danny Briere (with an honourable mention to Douglas Murray, who has been terrible).

12. Quebec City Coyotes (last rank 14): They might be the highest ranked team currently sitting outside of a playoff spot, care of the toughest division in hockey. Pop quiz: Which NHL team is dead last in attendance? That's right, it's still the Coyotes, drawing over 1000 fans less per game than Florida, even though Florida is the most joked about empty arena. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Rob Klinkhammer and he who has most disappointed is Mike Smith.

13. Dallas Stars (last rank 15): The Stars have been playing .500 hockey over their last 10 games, and are another highly ranked team sitting outside of the playoffs. They will need far better than .500 hockey to catch Minnesota or Colorado. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar has finally started to produce, which will help the Stars considerably. However, they will only go as far as Kari Lehtonen can take them. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Brendan Dillon and he who has most disappointed is Ray Whitney.

14. Detroit Red Wings (last rank 12): This has been a very frustrating season for Red Wings fans, and it would be nice if Mike Babcock could start showing more emotion and urgency on a daily basis (Ken Holland too). I'd like to think that the pressure of HBO's 24/7 is dragging the team down, instead of lack of talent on the blueline. Kyle Qunicey is garbage. Brian Lashoff is garbage. Jakub Kindl is garbage. Brendan Smith is not what we hoped he would be, at least not yet. Losing Ericsson for 3-5 weeks will hurt. Ericsson and Kronwall are a combined +18. Quincey, Lashoff, Kindl, and Smith are a combined -32. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Daniel Alfredsson (whose production has been far superior to the Mike Modano experiment)and he who has most disappointed is Stephen Weiss (with an honourable mention to Danny Cleary). Holland should have let Cleary walk, which is what he wanted to do before being allegedly confronted by veteran players.

15. Washington Capitals (last rank 16): The Caps have lost 4 of 6 as they continue to struggle to find their place in the elite tier of teams. Alex Ovechkin may have 30 goals, but he's also a -13 (power play goals don't count as pluses). Ovie might score a lot of goals when he's on the ice, but opposing teams also score a lot of goals when Ovie is on the ice. I've got a feeling that this is as good as the team is going to be in the near future, unlikely they will crack the top 10 this season. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Mikael Grabovski and he who has most disappointed is Martin Erat.

16. Minnesota Wild (last rank 13): The Wild have gone 3-6 over their last 9 games (including losing 3 in a row since Harding took some time off to adjust his medication). The fact that Colorado is also struggling has helped the Wild keep pace, but they are showing cracks in the armour. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Mikael Granlund and he who has most disappointed is Dany Heatley. Nino Neiderreiter started strong, but he has been slowly slipping (which gives him something in common with several other Wild players).

17. New Jersey Devils (last rank 18): They have gone 4-7 in December, which keeps them floating outside a playoff spot (1 point behind Philly and the Rangers). They may sneak into the last spot in the turtle race to make the playoffs in the East, and are closer to that than forfeiting the 1st overall draft pick. They won't finish near last, but they won't win a playoff series either. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Jaromir Jagr and he who has most disappointed is Michael Ryder.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets (last rank 23): Marian Gaborik finally returned to the roster after a knee injury, scored a goal, then broke his collarbone. Ouch. This is not looking like a season of destiny for the Blue Jackets. Despite these major injuries to their best players, they have managed to maintain a 6-4 record in December and are only sitting 2 PTS out of a playoff spot nearing the half way point of the season (thanks in part to being in the weakest division in the league). They have a shot at the playoffs. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Ryan Johansen and he who has most disappointed is Mark Letestu.

19. Philadelphia Flyers (last rank 21): The Flyers are 5-5 over their last 10 GP, but are still tied with the Rangers for the last playoff spot in the division. In week 6 I had Claude Giroux ranked as the 154th best player in the league, and in week 12 he is sitting in 13th place. He's back to elite status in time to earn himself a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. His early season struggles are behind him, and the Flyers will continue to fight for a playoff spot until the last day of the season. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Sean Couturier and he who has most disappointed is Zac Rinaldo.

20. Toronto Maple Leafs (last rank 17): What on earth happened to the Maple Leafs? After another strong start, they have lost 7 of their last 9 games. Early on the goaltending was stealing games, and the poor team defense has finally caught up with them. Phaneuf has been struggling, Kadri hasn't been the same player he was last season, and Van Reimsdyk has started to dry up. I'm not sure what the coach has to do to turn the team around, but I doubt we'll see it happen on HBO. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Mason Raymond and he who has most disappointed is David Clarkson.

21. New York Rangers (last rank 19): The Rangers have gone 4-7 in December, and can probably credit injuries to key players Callahan and M.Staal for that sub-average play. That being said, many teams have been suffering from more serious injuries and have not taken this big of a step back. It's not like the Rangers have lost a former league MVP and their top 4 defensemen like Pittsburgh. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Mats Zuccarello (with an honourable mention to Chris Kreider) and he who has most disappointed is Michael Del Zotto. As of Christmas, the Rangers are sitting outside of a playoff spot, tied yet behind the Flyers.

22. Ottawa Senators (last rank 24): With a 5-8 record in December, the Sens have not helped themselves in the Turtle race to make the playoffs in the East. Their defense has been giving up more shots and their goaltenders have been giving up more goals. How they are losing is a simple enough formula. They need to do what they did last season, which either they haven't been doing, or it hasn't been working. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Clarke MacArthur and he who has most disappointed is Milan Michalek (with an honourable mention to Cory Conacher and Craig Anderson).

23. Carolina Hurricanes (last rank 20): The Canes have lost 6 of their last 7 games, but are still only 2 PTS out of a playoff spot in the feeble Metropolis division. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Andrej Sekera and he who has most disappointed is Jiri Tlusty (with honourable mentions to Jordan Staal and Alex Semin). They might make the playoffs, but if they were in any other division, this would be a lost season for Carolina.

24. Nashville Predators (last rank 25): The Preds have gone 4-7 in December, as their young goalies replacing Pekka Rhinne have begun to falter. They are now far enough out of the playoffs that they would have to win about 15 games in a row to get close, and I don't expect that to happen. This just is not their season. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is David Legwand and he who has most disappointed is Matt Hendricks.

25. Winnipeg Jets (last rank 22): It pains me to say this, but the Jets are not going to make the playoffs. The season is pretty much over. They might want to start looking for a new #1 goalie. The smart move is to fire the front office, make a bunch of moves, develop the youth, have a good draft, and start fresh next season. Going 4-7 in December didn't help. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Michael Frolik and he who has most disappointed is Zach Bogosian.

26. Calgary Flames (last rank 26): The Flames have lost 4 of their last 5 games, and continue to suck. Jay Feester has been fired, and guaranteed the owner wants Brian Burke to take over the GM job (even if Burkie is telling the truth that he doesn't want the job). We'll see what happens. Who are they going to hire that would be a better GM than Burke? Nobody. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Jiri Hudler and he who has most disappointed is Lee Stempniak.

27. Florida Panthers (last rank 28): The Panthers have gone 7-4 in December, but don't bet on them making the playoffs. It's still not enough to make up for how hard they sucked early in the season. If they can sustain this pace of play, all's the power to them. I however expect them to revert to sucking. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Scottie Upshall and he who has most disappointed is Tomas Kopecky.

28. NY Islanders (last rank 29): They have gone 3-14 over they last 17 GP, which says everything you need to know about this season on the Island. Their nose dive started around the time they traded Matt Moulson for Tomas Vanek, and near when that 30 for 30 documentary about Spano was aired. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is Kyle Okposo and he who has most disappointed is Michael Grabner (with an honourable mention to Pierre-Marc Bouchard).

29. North Pole Oilers (last rank 27): They are 2-7 over their last 9 games. Rookie head coach Dallas Eakins is clearly over his head. Fans are starting to throw their jerseys out on the ice in protest (which given the price of a jersey is a very loud statement), and the coach is scolding frustrated fans. It's a toxic situation. It was a mistake giving $6M contracts to Hall, Eberle, and Hopkins, who instead should have received Matt Duchene, Logan Couture, Claude Giroux range bridge contracts. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is David Perron and he who has most disappointed is Nail Yakupov. Hindsight being 20:20, the Oilers stole Perron from St. Louis.

30. Buffalo Sabres (last rank 30): The Sabres are 5-5 in December, as new coach Ted Nolan struggles to turn the team around. This is a flawed roster that Darcy Regher fucked up, and now Nolan has to make chicken salad out of chicken shit. It is a futile exersize, they suck. If they lose Ryan Miller and Matt Mouslon at season's end, they will suck even more. Their player who has most exceeded expectations is nobody and he who has most disappointed could be any one of 10 guys.