NHL Power Rankings: Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators Crack Top 10

Welcome back to another edition of NHL Power Rankings here at Full Press Hockey.

Only a few games left before the NHL All-Star break. After all those COVID cancellations, we have finally gotten to this point in the season. The contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Colorado remains at the top spot this week as they continue to be one of the more complete teams in the NHL. The Florida Panthers remain a close second, but it is the surprising Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild that have cracked the Top 10 this week. That was not the only shakeup inside the Top 10 there were other changes as in this week’s Power Rankings.

Time to dive into the NHL Power Rankings and find out where these teams stand.

NHL Power Rankings

1. Colorado Avalanche (Last Week 1) 

The Avalanche are riding a 10-game winning streak and have won 18 straight games on home ice until Tuesday night. Top to bottom they are so complete. With Nathan MacKinnon out of the lineup, Nazem Kadri has stepped up to fill in for him. Kadri is going to get a nice payday in the offseason.

2. Florida Panthers (Last Week 2) 

The Panthers had won four in a row they are starting to find wins on the road now. Not only that the Panthers are showing that no lead is safe. Jonathan Huberdeau has put himself in the Hart Trophy conversation as he leads the NHL with 63 points.

3. Carolina Hurricanes (Last Week 6)

The Carolina Hurricanes are looking like the dominant team everyone expected them to be. Not only that but Frederik Andersen is playing up to a Vezina Trophy level and Antti Raanta is contributing as well.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning (Last Week 4)

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning are 7-2-1 over their last 10 games. They have been doing this mostly without Nikita Kucherov in the lineup. Just imagine what they are going to do when fully healthy.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (Last Week 9) 

The Maple Leafs have won five in a row as Michael Bunting puts together a really good rookie campaign. This issue for the Leafs is their underlying problem of outscoring their defensive woes. They need Petr Mrazek to keep playing like this and for Jack Campbell to step up his game.

6. Minnesota Wild (Last Week 12) 

Winners of five straight, the Wild are clicking on all cylinders once again. Mats Zuccarello is really shining in Minnesota with 18 points over his 11 games. Dean Evason is showing why he can coach in the NHL.

7. Nashville Predators (Last Week 11) 

It took some time but the Nashville Predators have cracked into the Top 10 in the Power Rankings. The offensive production the Predators are getting Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund, Filip Forsberg, and Ryan Johansen has put this team in a position to succeed.

8. New York Rangers (Last Week 5) 

Though the Rangers ended the week with a win against Seattle they let leads slip away against Columbus and Minnesota. But rebounded nicely with a win against Florida. Hopefully, Adam Fox is not out of the lineup for too long. Good thing for them the break is here.

9. Vegas Golden Knights (Last Week 10) 

Vegas got through a difficult stretch of games with a record of 2-1-1, to increase their lead in the Pacific Division. Hopefully, this is the start of something for the Golden Knights as they wait on Jack Eichel to enter the lineup.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins (Last Week 3)

The Penguins hot streak has come to an end and the team has lost three in a row. They still have a significant lead over Washington for 3rd in the Metro. But it is a bit concerning their offence has hit the skids.

11. St. Louis Blues (Last Week 8) 

The Blues goaltending situation has become an interesting pickle. While Jordan Binnington got paid as a number, it has been Ville Husso getting the majority of starts and victories as well. You have to wonder if Husso is the man going forward.

12. Boston Bruins (Last Week 7) 

Tuukka Rask finds himself out injured after having hip surgery. The duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman will carry the load for the Bruins going forward. Boston has one win in their last four games.

13. Calgary Flames (Last Week 18) 

The Flames are finally back to pre-COVID form and marching back up the standings with wins in three of their past four games. Andrew Mangiapane is a man possessed on the road with 21 points in 26 road games.

14. Dallas Stars (Last Week 14) 

The Dallas Stars are 5-2 in their last seven games as they find themselves back in playoff contention. What a tough loss to Calgary on Tuesday. UFA Joe Pavelski 48 points (19 goals and 29 assists) in 42 games with the Stars this season. He has been a great addition and would be a terrible loss for a team that has issues consistently scoring goals.

15. Anaheim Ducks (Last Week 15) 

The Ducks are 4-0-1 over their last five games even though they are being out-chanced by a margin of 2 to 1. While Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry are lighting up the scoresheet, it is John Gibson who has been stealing games for the Ducks to keep them in second in the Pacific.

16. Washington Capitals (Last Week 13)

The Capitals continue to be in a free fall. The Capitals need to upgrade their goaltending position. It will be interesting to see if they can land Marc-Andre Fleury. How ironic would that be?

17. Los Angeles Kings (Last Week 14) 

The Los Angeles Kings have points in five straight games including wins in three of five games. Two of their losses came in the extra session. But the Kings remain third in the Pacific Divsion at the All-Star break.

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18. Edmonton Oilers (Last Week 27) 

This is a nice jump for the Oilers this week. They had at their four-game winning streak stopped at the hands of the Senators, but have points in five straight games. The offence was not the problem for the Oilers before they added Evander Kane. Let’s see what else they do at the deadline.

19. New York Islanders (Last Week 17) 

The Islanders would benefit from playing the Flyers the rest of the season. It seems they are the only team they can beat right now. The runway is getting shorter and shorter for the Islanders to get back in the playoffs. Goal scoring continues to be an issue for the Islanders.

20. Vancouver Canucks (Last Week 119) 

The Canucks are only two points back of the Flames for the second wild-card spot. They are playing well as they hit the All-Star break. Getting Jaroslav Halak going is a must to allow Thatcher Demko to get some rest. 

21. Winnipeg Jets (Last Week 20) 

The Winnipeg Jets are struggling. They have one win in their last six games. This team has not been the same since the Mark Scheifele hit in the playoffs.

22. San Jose Sharks (Last Week 21)

Somehow the San Jose Sharks are still hanging around the Western Conference playoff picture. They will be in tough with Erik Karlsson to miss an extended period. Let’s see what this team is made of.

23. Columbus Blue Jackets (Last Week 26) 

The Blue Jackets had a decent week before being off for a little bit. They have picked up two wins in three games. Amazing still they gave up 62 shots in one game.

24. Seattle Kraken (Last Week 25) 

The Kraken slide up one spot this week. They are playing better but have some interesting decisions to make come the trade deadline. You have to wonder what players are being shipped out.

25. Chicago Blackhawks (Last Week 22) 

The Chicago Blackhawks will be an interesting team at the Trade Deadline as they have so many available players. The most interesting of all will be Marc-Andre Fleury. Teams no doubt will be calling let us see where he goes.

26. Detroit Red Wings (Last Week 23) 

The Red Wings will be a team that will play spoiler against the better teams in the league that want to solidify their playoff positions. Just look what they did against Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Heck, they almost beat Toronto too.

27. Ottawa Senators (Last Week 24) 

It is a shame Drake Batherson got hurt at the hands of Aaron Dell. It was going to be fun to see him in the All-Star game. But hey at least they beat the Oilers. They are the Pesky Sens for a reason.

28. Buffalo Sabres (Last Week 30) 

The Sabres have two nice pieces to build around going forward with Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch. These guys are having fun and producing in Buffalo. This is a start for the Sabres. 

29. New Jersey Devils (Last Week 29) 

The Devils are a bad hockey team plain and simple. Goaltending woes aside they need to figure out things offensively and defensively. You have to what changes are going to make at the deadline and beyond. Something has to give.

30. Arizona Coyotes (Last Week 29)

The Arizona Coyotes had a terrible week going 1-3 and there are reports they will play at a 5,000 seat arena at Arizona State University. It is time for Gary Bettman to admit failure and move this team. Just an embarrassing situation.

31. Montreal Canadiens (Last Week 31) 

The Canadiens continue to have a historically bad season. Over the four games last week, the Canadiens surrendered 26 goals. Maybe Carey Price will return this season. Maybe he won’t. Price is still not sure.

32. Philadelphia Flyers (Last Week 32) 

Ok so the Flyers won two games last week. They still have problems to fix. That being said a win is a win and the Flyers have a long way to go to come out of the cellar.

That does it for this edition of NHL Power Rankings… Stay Tuned for another edition next week.