With the NHL trade deadline exactly one week away, all eyes are on the top teams around the league to see what they will do. The Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets have established themselves as the top contenders heading in to this week and it’s no surprise that each of those five teams are considered buyers heading in to the deadline. Here is a look at the NHL top five power rankings for this week.
1. Washington Capitals (40-12-7)
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +450
The Capitals weren’t immune to the bye week blues as they fell 3-2 in a shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings in their first game back on Saturday and then lost 2-1 to the New York Rangers the following day. However, Washington bounced back with a 4-1 in over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night and with four of their next six games at home they should be just fine. The Capitals are five points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the best record in the Eastern Conference and three ahead of the Minnesota Wild for the best record in the NHL. As long as they don’t go through a major slump they should have no problem capturing their second consecutive Presidents trophy.
2. Minnesota Wild (39-14-6)
Last Week: 2
Stanley Cup Odds: +600
Minnesota faltered in its final game before its bye week with a rare loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in which it allowed five goals. The Wild should benefit from a week off to rest and prepare for the final stretch as they prepare to challenge Washington for the best record in the NHL. As is the case with the Capitals, Minnesota will have the opportunity to add to its roster before the NHL trade deadline so it will be very interesting to see what they end up doing. The Wild rank in the top-five in both goals scored and goals allowed this season so they won’t have to do too much in preparation for a Stanley Cup run.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (37-14-8)
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +800
Pittsburgh dropped back-to-back games to Columbus and Detroit before bouncing back with a 3-1 win over Carolina on Tuesday night. The Penguins will be one of the most interesting teams to watch heading in to the trade deadline as everybody waits to see how they handle their goaltending situation. Matt Murray is the franchise goalie in Pittsburgh and while they would like to hang on to Marc-Andre Fleury as a capable backup for a Stanley Cup run there has been reports that Fleury’s situation has been a distraction in the locker room. It seems more likely than not that the Penguins will look to upgrade up front before the deadline so it will be interesting to see whether they move Fleury in a deal to upgrade their forward core.
4. Chicago Blackhawks (37-18-5)
Last Week: 5
Stanley Cup Odds: +900
The Blackhawks appeared to be a team in need of adding to its top-six forward group before rookie Ryan Hartman and Richard Panik decided to turn it up over the past couple of weeks. However, even with significant contributions from Hartman and Panik it appears as though Chicago will upgrade before the trade deadline as they look to add to their forward core. The Blackhawks don’t have much flexibility so they will need to get creative in order to make the necessary moves. Chicago has a championship core in place but they will need to add the right pieces around that group in order to solidify their status as a contender.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets (37-16-5)
Last Week: 4
Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
Columbus picked up a pair of big wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins to maintain their spot in the top five power rankings before a tough 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators that preceded their bye week. Columbus has a tough slate coming out of the break with games against the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota so they will need to avoid the post-bye week blues. The Blue Jackets are another team in position to add at the deadline with plenty of intriguing prospects and picks so it will be interesting to see what they do. Columbus still needs Sergei Bobrovsky to continue to perform at an elite level in order for them to remain a true contender and so far this season he has exceeded all expectations.
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