Now past the halfway point of the season, we are starting to get a clearer picture on teams across the NHL. The league has recognized this itself, as the vectors of many Canadian NHL teams have begun to reveal themselves. This materialised in the form of two all-Canadian team trades, ultimately centres Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan being shipped from rebuilding teams to contenders.
Across the country there are three teams that are focused on brighter tomorrows and four teams who are transfixed on the here and now, even harbouring legitimate playoff hopes. Without further ado let’s examine where each Canadian team finds themselves in February’s edition of the Canadian Power Rankings.
7. Montreal Canadiens
Trading away Monahan was the right move for the Montreal Canadiens, who are in the middle of an open rebuild. On the macro level deferring on current value for futures is sound, if not universally praised. However, on the micro level, more cynical Habs fans might be more concerned with how the current regime has drafted or developed their prospects, as well as the progress made or not made by those who might be part of the core going forward. It should be noted that pointing to a better player drafted later than a given team’s selection is rarely a productive exercise.
What the Habs do have is a stew of young talent that has already started to break into the league. The moniker of first overall pick can be a needlessly heavy mantle, but Juraj Slafkovsky is beginning to emerge as an impact player, joining Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the top line. With both Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook out with injury, this might be the only glimpse of the future core forwards in the lineup at this point. For now, Jake Evans and Joel Armia have been carving out more icetime for themselves.
With Lane Hutson and David Rienbacher on the horizon, there are undoubtedly brighter days ahead for the Habs blueline. That being said the youth movement is well underway with only two veterans, Mike Matheson and David Savard, in the group. Kaiden Guhle and Jayden Struble are already commanding top-four minutes, as well as a physical presence in Arber Xhekaj likely to help form a balanced and formidable left side for years to come. For now the Canadiens have time to see what they have in others such as Jordan Harris, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Justin Barron.
To top it all off Sam Montembeault has made the most of his opportunities, taking over the starting role and vaulting himself into a potential spot on a best-on-best team Canada. Many of the other options in this respect have enjoyed great team success, including multiple goalies who have won a Stanley Cup. If there is a case against Montembeault it is that he hasn’t had the opportunity to prove himself in high leverage situations, though this might be rectified in the World Championship, for example.
The Habs will likely be a deep team once they start turning the corner towards contention, though a true game breaking star might yet be desired. As the team continues to sell off assets we might see their record begin to fall off, positioning themselves for a higher draft pick this June. While nailing the selection will be crucial, GM Kent Hughes has not been shy about using draft capital to investigate young NHLers looking for a fresh start. The Habs can only spin their wheels for so long though, and should start coming into their own next season, meaning the next month of selling might be the last time it is obvious to do so.
David Savard is the most likely to be dealt, though there are others who might find themselves moved to a contender ahead of the trade deadline. The goalie market has been at a standstill, though it might be time for cash out on Jake Allen. Veteran forwards Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson might have too much term left on their contracts to be dealt at this point.
6. Ottawa Senators
Though he was well liked, signified by his new job as a Los Angeles Kings Assistant Coach, DJ Smith was relieved of his duties as head coach. It was time for a change, as another season that slipped away from the talented young core of the Ottawa Senators early was too distressing. A stagnation despite an improving roster, at least on paper.
While there is little hope for a playoff appearance, using the back half of the season to forge a stronger defensive identity is paramount. Though having their top-three centres in the lineup at the same time has been near impossible, the team certainly can be better than it has. Through the DJ Smith era, the Sens cycled through goalies and added defencemen to no avail, the problems transcended personnel and set many up for failure. Though new Coach Jacques Martin might not be a long term solution (coaches rarely are, regardless), he does seem a narrative fit for the lessons that the team has to learn to improve.
The good news is that this message seems to be getting across, as the Senators have tightened up defensively in their short time under Martin. The return of Shane Pinto, joining Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle to finally gaze upon the convergent availability of their top three centres clearly plays a role in this. Ridley Greig is emerging as a key figure in the Sens middle-six forwards. The forward group has lacked meaningful depth in recent years, so navigating through the trade deadline will be interesting for the Sens, who should be careful not to deplete their depth should they choose to start selling off assets.
Over the past few seasons, the Sens have shown positive signs down the stretch, or rather once it was too late, as we are seeing once again. It is encouraging to see the team show some improved play, but they will need to carry this energy into next season for it to mean anything. New ownership clearly has a desire to be patient with the group, though a similarly disappointing start to next season could see the very core of the Sens reimagined.
5. Calgary Flames
To his credit new GM Craig Conroy has been decisive in navigating most of the Calgary Flames pending UFA situations, most recently dealing away Lindholm. Remaining are some decisions on UFA defencemen Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, and to an extent Oliver Kylington. The Flames should be more cautious in reworking their blueline, as the team has a far greater volume and quality of prospects at forward than on defence. Tanev does appear most likely to be moved, while Hanifin remains the most difficult to figure out, surely to see a raise on his next deal.
This does explain some of the return on the Lindholm deal, acquiring two defenders alongside the ever important first-round pick. While neither prospect is thought of as blue chip, adding an offensive right shot in Hunter Brzustewicz and a more defensive left shot in Joni Jurmo does a lot to flesh out the Flames defensive pipeline.
Despite the selling off the Flames still have a capable team, with a solid top-nine forward, a strong top-four defence, and a fairly ideal goaltending trio between Jacob Markstrom, Dan Vladar, and Dustin Wolf. In large part this has to do with great seasons from forwards Connor Zary, Yegor Sharangovich, and Martin Pospisil, who have filled in amidst the Flames roster turnover.
With more forwards on the horizon the Flames might be able to retool on the fly with some effectiveness. The team is still hanging around the playoff bubble, which might not be appreciated by those hoping for a high draft pick this June, but in the end keeping morale high amongst the current core will have its own benefits. If the Flames manage to head into next season with a strong blueline and nail some of their draft selections it might not be long until the team is back to more earnest playoff contention.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Different from the Canadian teams ranked ahead, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not on an upward trajectory. While some of new GM Brad Treleving’s moves have paid dividends, adding some needed attitude to the roster, just as many seem to be the opposite. While the continued injury absence of Joseph Woll is concerning, the biggest issue with the Leafs is a blueline that seems diminished from seasons past, groups that were already suspect.
While there are defencemen who are good in a vacuum, the Leafs blueline as a whole is not a well rounded one, severely lacking in certain aspects. For this reason, a physical player with length, strength, and a focused defensive effort in Simon Benoit has stood out, offering many of the qualities the Leafs otherwise lack on the back end. While Benoit is having a nice season, he might be the only one on the Leafs blueline that is outplaying expectations.
There are issues up front as well, as the Leafs have struggled to find reliable secondary scoring. Symbolising this disarray is the Leafs falling out of a divisional playoff spot and into a wildcard spot, at least for now. While still a good bet for a playoff spot, the Leafs are far less comfortable at this point of the season than they have been accustomed to.
With that being said, Auston Matthews has been at his best, as has William Nylander, as the Leafs have no shortage of elite offensive talent. The team has been able to bring their best efforts against top competition as well, showing a top form that is still elite, though battling clear issues with consistency. It might be too late for a coaching change this season, but in some ways it tracks that there are growing questions surrounding Sheldon Keefe.
In Keefe’s defence the Leafs roster still has a number of issues on paper, headlined by the blueline. Jake McCabe is physical, defensively capable, and on a great contract. Timothy Liljegren has a lot of positive attributes, both with and without the puck, but has struggled to specialise in any particular role. T.J. Brodie is having a down year, taxing an already defensively challenged group. Conor Timmins is a fantastic offensive presence, particularly as a passer, but lacks physical and defensive abilities. Mark Giordano was the oldest player in the NHL last season, and his body is betraying him, though his defensive talents and intensity are greatly appreciated. Even call ups who have had good spells in the NHL this season, like William Lagesson, are lacking in length and strength.
In other words, adding two physically imposing top-four defensive defencemen would go a long way towards balancing the blueline. In such a scenario the Leafs would likely get more from the players already in the group as well. That being said, such a proposition is rare and expensive, so much so that it might not even be a realistic option for the Leafs to upgrade their team in the needed ways before the trade deadline.
Luckily for the Leafs, hockey is chaotic enough that even despite a diminished status that they might be able to make headway in the playoffs. Given their history, it’s not impossible that the team improves on the mark of five playoff wins they achieved last season.
3. Winnipeg Jets
Though the Winnipeg Jets were hardly offseason winners, they have wholly turned things around through the season so far, looking every bit the part of a quality team built for the playoffs. Last season ended with strong words by Coach Rick Bowness, followed by locker room rumours, roster turnover, and unextended star players. Acquiring Monahan brings the truth to light, this is the best Jets team we have seen since their 2019 Western Conference Finals appearance.
The transformation has come from the blueline, a well balanced group with a lot of subtle strengths that has fully embraced Bowness’ old school approach, hard and simple. This system is fully rewarded with an all time great in Connor Hellebuyck in net, a symbiotic relationship that ultimately played a large role in Hellebuyck re-signing with the team. Josh Morrissey leads the way, joined by strong defenders in Brenden Dillon, Dylan Demelo, and now Dylan Samberg, and more balanced players to help with puck movement in Neal Pionk and Nate Schmidt.
Monahan joins the Jets deepest forward group in years, adding a scoring flare to a group balanced with a blend of abilities in its own right. In particular, the outlook is elevated by a pair of young forwards coming into their own as core pieces in Cole Perfetti and Gabe Vilardi, a sign that the Jets might have some staying power in the seasons to come.
The Jets are primed to improve off of their playoff showing last season and look every bit as good as the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche, and they will have to be. With the trio of teams far above the rest of the division, a first round showdown between two of them is all but inevitable. The Jets have a good deal of playoff experience, but their likely competition has at least as much. Until then it will be key to see the offence bolstered, and even more so to see some improvement in penalty killing.
2. Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have a lot going for them at every position on the ice. With a deep forward group highlighted by elite talent, a legitimate Norris candidate, and a potential Vezina candidate to top it all off, there was always little to dislike about the Canucks core, but the team has been able to adequately re-tool their way into relevance.
Perhaps epitomising the transformation of their depth is the trio of Conor Garland, Dakota Joshua, and Teddy Blueger, as well as Pius Suter fitting in well in a top-six role. With a blend of intensity, aggression, responsibility, and skill, the Canucks have brought the best out of their lineup. The Canucks have a rock solid top nine and beyond, an impressive wealth of depth befitting a true contender.
There was some concern that an unsustainable PDO surge would create me crashing down, the Canucks have established a stronger defensive identity which will see them through regression. The Elias Lindholm acquisition should help in this regard, with the reputation as a forward who can help control possession, acting as a glue between elite linemates. Time will tell how Lindholm settles into the lineup, and to what extent his play can be rejuvenated, but in theory it seems an ideal fit for player and team.
The Canucks have seen their efforts to revamp the blueline rewarded, in particular with Filip Hronek playing so well alongside Quinn Hughes. It is not impossible to imagine that the pairing might see a ton of icetime in the playoffs. The Canucks have clearly prioritised adding length, strength, and defensive ability in the overhaul, and the likes of Carson Soucy, Nikita Zadorov, and Ian Cole join Tyler Myers and Noah Juulsen to illustrate that point.
The Canucks may or may not have the fortitude to take home the President’s Trophy, but regardless the team will be a force in the playoffs. Though it has been a few years, the bulk of the Canucks core does have a playoff series win under their belt together. This experience is valuable, and is certainly something the group will be able to draw from come playoff time this season.
1. Edmonton Oilers
With an incredible winning streak now come to an end, the Edmonton Oilers have done quite well to get themselves out of the hole they dug themselves early into the season. A disastrous start obscures the team’s continued progression from a frail group led by a pair of MVPs into a true perennial contender over the course of the Ken Holland era.
Of course Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl appreciate the improved forward group, but the true reason for this ascent is the formation of a championship calibre blueline. With three legitimate top pair defencemen in Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse the Oilers have a lot to work with. On paper their top six is beyond respectable, and has a nice blend of talents and attributes, not to mention the en vogue traits of length and strength throughout. This is part of what made the early season struggles so confusing, though clearly the coaching change has made a difference in bringing a more cohesive play to the team as a whole.
Likewise, the Oilers have become a strong penalty killing team. Combined with their control of even strength play, power play proficiency, and elite scoring talent, a strong penalty kill sees this iteration of the Oilers by far the most complete of the McDavid era. For this reason predicting any specific deadline wishes is not easy. The Oilers could opt for a centre, a winger, a defenceman, or a goalie, meaning the Oilers could be linked to just about every player on the trade block. Each fan might have their own opinions on what would benefit the Oilers most, though the premise itself suggests that there is not an obvious flaw with the roster.
The biggest issue that outsiders might take on the Oilers is in net with Stuart Skinner as a number 1 goalie. Outside of a few games last playoffs and this season’s early struggles Skinner has exceeded expectations every step of the way the past four years. A young goalie with a growing resume it’s far too early for anyone to completely write off Skinner’s ability to lead a strong defensive team to victory, a formula that has produced recent successes in Adin Hill with the Vegas Golden Knights and Darcy Kuemper with the Colorado Avalanche. From an optimistic perspective, Skinner seems able to produce top 10 results on an extremely team friendly deal through McDavid’s current contract—in other words, an obscenely valuable asset to the Oilers.
Increasingly, official reports are linking the Oilers to a forward. Still, some in the fan base take issue with certain individuals in the lineup who seem unproductive by one measurement or another, like Cody Ceci. Even without big game hunting as much as the Jets or Canucks have, an upgrade is still possible for the Oilers, though the question will be on what to prioritise in return for the team’s future assets and cap space.
Dominating all phases of the game, there is very little not to like about the Oilers. Though the Jets and Canucks might have reasonable arguments of holding the top spot, and there is little to separate the three teams, the Oilers also boast the most recent team consistency and individual successes of the group.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
