1. Boston Bruins (No Change)
Average Rank: 1 (Unanimous)
The Bruins own the NHL this year. Boston owns a record of 22-2-3 at home that remains the best home record. They’ve finally hit the 40-win marker before they touched the 20-loss marker, let alone the ten 10-loss marker! They made history being the fastest team to reach the 40 At this point, it’s a matter of team before we see if they achieve the league’s best record in history with the pace they are on.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (No Change)
Average Rank: 2 (Unanimous)
The Hurricanes have the best record over their last 10 games at 8-1-1. Despite the loss of Max Pacioretty, there is no shortage of goals from the Canes. They continue to run the Metropolitan Division, but they need to continue their pace if they don’t want to lose their spot to New Jersey.
3. New Jersey Devils (⬆1)
Average Rank: 3.33 (3,3,4)
There haven’t been a lot of games played for a lot of teams coming out of the All-Star Game. But the Devils have made them count. Even with the absence of Jack Hughes, the Devils have capitalized and are 3-0-1 in February. The Devils are only three points behind Carolina, so the race for the top spot in the Metropolitan remains competitive.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning(⬆1)
Average Rank: 3.67 (Unanimous)
It’s not surprising to see the Lightning climb back into a top five spot in the NHL standings. They show no signs of slowing down and have only gotten better as the season goes along. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point are playing as well as ever and are allowing the Lightning to ponder the idea of another deep playoff run.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (⬇2)
Average Rank: 5 (Unanimous)
The Leafs are going to own the second spot in the Atlantic Division for the rest of the season. That is without question. The top-end talent is there. Depending on what they add at the trade deadline and how the roster looks come playoff time could determine how far they (finally) go. We all know what the Leafs need to do. They need to finally show us they are the real deal. They have all the pieces, now use them to go on the run we’ve all been waiting for.
6. New York Rangers(⬆2)
Average Rank: 6 (Unanimous)
Slowly but surely the Ranges have been climbing the league standings. They’ve become the team that stunned the Penguins and the Canes last year in the playoffs. With the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko to the roster, the Rangers have gotten a whole lot scarier.
7. Dallas Stars (No Change)
Average Rank: 7 (Unanimous)
In the month of February the Stars haven’t been as good as their record shows. Dallas still currently has all the pieces of a contender. If they continue to hold the top spot in the Central, they could set themselves up for a repeat of the 2019-20 season. But with the Jets and Avalanche getting stronger, the Stars need to watch their backs.
8. Winnipeg Jets (⬆1)
Average Rank: 8 (Unanimous)
The Jets are flying high. They have been giving the Central Division and the West a great run for their money. Connor Hellebyuck reminds the league that he always should be considered one of the league’s best goaltenders. The real worry about this team is whether they can continue this sky-high performance going into the playoffs. Can they reach the Western Conference Finals as they did in 2018?
9. Seattle Kraken(⬇4)
Average Rank: 10 (9,10,11)
The Kraken are looking to reach the postseason for the first time in the team’s history. Seattle has taken the opposite position that Vegas has taken in terms of building out its franchise, but it looks to be paying off so far. It’ll be interesting to see how far this team will go in the playoffs given the depth they have. But their goaltending is what will let them sink or swim.
10. Vegas Golden Knights (No Change)
Average Rank: 10 (9,10,11)
Vegas has been able to get back on track in February. Jack Eichel has broken his scoreless streak and remains the most important piece for the Golden Knights if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Without Mark Stone, Vegas is going to have to find a suitable replacement to add more scoring depth to their roster. In their current state, it’s hard to imagine the deep playoff run they would have liked at the start of the season.
11. Los Angeles Kings (No Change)
Average Rank: 10.67 (9,10,11)
The Kings are in the same position as the Kraken. They’ve earned some great success this season, especially with the addition of Kevin Fiala. But they too hinge on the success of their goaltenders. Pheonix Copley, like Icarus, flew a bit too close to the Sun and fell back to Earth. They are still one of the best teams in the Pacific, but how will they be able to contend with the rest of the West?
12. Edmonton Oilers (No Change)
Average Rank: 12.33 (12,12,13)
The Oilers are gunning to the top of the Pacific with just how good they’ve been of late. Having the two best players in the league on the same team surely helps. Edmonton has been getting the team success they’ve been hunting for since the start of this year. If they can add a needle mover on the blue line, like Jakob Chycrun or Erik Karlsson, they’ll truly be a horrifying team to face in the playoffs.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins (⬆3)
Average Rank: 13 (12,13,14)
The Penguins have been fighting tooth and nail to contend for the 1st Wild Card spot they own. The Penguins will do everything to give Crosby, Malkin, and Letang one last ride. They are not in the same tier as the top three teams in the Metropolitan, so it will take everything the Penguins have to even get in the playoffs.
14. Colorado Avalanche (No Change)
Average Rank: 13.33 (13,14,15)
February has not been kind to the Avalanche. They are 1-2-1 in February, but they are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. The Avalanche still have the pieces to potentially repeat as Stanley Cup champions. It all depends on how quickly they can get healthy and return to form.
15. Minnesota Wild (⬇2)
Average Rank: 16.33 (15,17,17)
The Wild have been mediocre as of late. Outside of Kaprizov, the Wild as a whole have not been on their A-Game. Kaprizov has scored 18.3% of Minnesota’s goals. They need to add more star power or firepower around them to take the next level.
