As the league approaches a break for the 4 Nations Face-off, there is a lot of positivity around the NHL’s Canadian teams. It is possible that six of the seven teams qualify for the playoffs. There are varying levels of strength amongst these teams, but many should be content with the overall results.
Without further ado let’s take a look around the country in this month’s Canadian Power Rankings.
Montreal Canadiens have a lot to look forward to
In all, Montreal Canadiens fans have a lot to be happy about. Though their torrid win pace has fallen off, the Canadiens are being powered by an improving young core. While it is not all goods news, the Habs most essential players have had good seasons, including steps forward for Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky. Alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the foundations of a competitive team are taking shape.
Still, the Habs best iteration lies within development. The middle-six forward group is filled with a mix of veterans and reclamation projects that are struggling to gain enough traction to properly define themselves as a team. This is especially precarious given that the team might sell centre Jake Evans at the trade deadline, removing one of the more reliable depth players in this lineup.
The arrivals of David Reinbacher and Ivan Demidov seem imminent, a promise for a much brighter future ahead. Still, Montreal will need a handful of other prospects to make the jump into impactful NHL level play before the team truly arrives. This is especially true at forward, and more so still at centre. The blueline is a bit more mature, as the addition of Alexandre Carrier has been a nice touch. Though Kaiden Guhle is injured, Jayden Struble is deserving and beneficiary of more icetime.
In the end the Habs are right about on schedule. The team is still playing in meaningful games, and the core pieces are powering those results. There might be some deadline selling ahead, which would open up spots for younger players to audition in.
Vancouver Canucks slowly falling down the rankings
The Vancouver Canucks have been their own soap opera, with locker room rifts and trade rumours taking hold of their season. The J.T. Miller trade was made from a position of weakness, but the Canucks were decisive and intentional in their return. The blueline is upgraded now with Marcus Pettersson in the fold, and there is some hope for Victor Mancini to be ready for a regular spot as well.
While it is true that Filip Chytil and Drew O’Connor are not an upgrade on Miller, they can at least provide some support for the forward group. The real hope is that without Miller the team will get more from Elias Pettersson, which would more than replace Miller’s impact on aggregate. It is a risky gamble, but it reveals that the Canucks want to give their team a chance to recollect itself and continue pushing forwards.
The looming issue is the uncertainty that the team can be salvaged at all. If the team does not start gaining some momentum, questions of further change will have to be reckoned with. For once, Elias Pettersson’s no trade clause kicks in July 1, essentially the opt out date for the Canucks. Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Coach Rick Tocchet, even captain Quinn Hughes, there is no telling how deep the Canucks might have to dig themselves out of this mess.
For now, the team can fight back by pushing their way into the playoffs. Building some positive momentum and an updated team identity will be crucial to keeping the team together. Perhaps the 4 Nations break could not come at a better time, as the Canucks might have some space to recentre themselves.
A surprising Calgary Flames team
The Calgary Flames might be considered among the surprises of the season, as many were expecting the continuation of a large-scale rebuild. Instead, the team has pulled together, scraping a playoff push out of it. While the team does have a backbone of proud veterans, the best news is that many of the younger players have been big contributors to this success.
Most of all is Calder Trophy favourite Dustin Wolf, who might even earn his coach support in voting for the Jack Adams Trophy. Connor Zary and Matthew Coronato are regular contributors, now joined by a growing contingent of young players making up the roster. It is true that the Flames are wanting for a true top line centre, something rarely found outside of winning a draft lottery. Despite this the Flames seem to have found or developed some elite talents.
For now, the Flames have reinvigorated their centre group. Morgan Frost joins as a younger top-nine option, forming a reasonable trio of centres alongside Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund. Zary on the wing for now but could be an option at centre as well. Given that Samuel Honzek and Rory Kerins have taken steps forward this season, there is at least a balance of present and future quality for the Flames to work with.
With two 2025 first-round picks already, and with a clear path to a playoff spot, even the most ardent supporters of a more aggressive rebuild might be re-signed to admit that the team is better off striving for success this season. The trade with the Philadelphia Flyers accomplishes a bit of both, supplanting this group but maintaining a focus on the future. The Flames can still trade up in the draft, or more importantly can continue to make shrewd selections with their picks, and thoughtful development paths for their prospects.
Can the Ottawa Senators stay in the playoff race?
Eeli Meralainen steps in as a folk hero while Linus Ullmark is out, but the true story is the defensive improvement under Coach Travis Green. Or at least the Ottawa Senators will hope, as the simultaneous availability of their centres remains elusive. With recent injuries to Josh Norris and Shane Pinto, the Senators will find themselves in an all too familiar pinch down the middle. The questions in net and down the middle can only be solved through a unified team concept.
The team seems to have come of age. Even if injuries and fate conspire against them this season, reaching this level of team strength is long overdue for Ottawa. The Sens have even earned some faith and should consider shopping at the deadline. There should still be some restraint, but even a modest rest add could significantly bolster the forward group.
It will be the first true test that this core faces, the chance to tread upon the fresh snows of their legacy under pressure. There is a lot to like about this group, including a strong defensive identity, high end talent, and physicality. There is still work to do, and no one should be getting ahead of themselves, but undeniably the team has come together and should have brighter days ahead.
Toronto Maple Leafs having a steady season
The Toronto Maple Leafs had some speed wobbles this month, but the team is still far more mature than in seasons past. In general the results have been much more stable, though some might point to depressed expected goals stats as a more flawed process. The far more telling metrics here come through the penalty kill and the ability to hold leads.
A big part of the change is the amount of functional size that the team employs. What this season’s Leafs have lost in creativity they have gained with size and physicality. Especially at forward the Leafs have had issues staying healthy in this regard, as most of the team’s inside scorers have missed time. The team’s overall offence has seemed to fluctuate alongside.
For this reason the trade targets become more clearly defined. A physical, inside scoring, centre would be the perfect supplement to the Leafs roster. Scott Laughton might be the perfect fit, especially now that Brock Nelson appears to be out of the question. Of course, depth is an issue for most teams, and improvements can be made elsewhere. Even at full health adding a third line centre is a necessity.
Winnipeg Jets hoping to stay atop the division
Although the Winnipeg Jets have been soaring near the top of the standings all season, the team had its best month of the season. The Jets have rounded into form defensively, getting tighter on the penalty kill as well. The Jets will need to stay within their details to improve their playoff fate after some rough recent performances in the postseason. In essence the Jets elite talent in net with Connor Hellebuyck is maximized with a stout defensive identity.
Still, the Jets have needed more to reach these heights, as the top scorers have been opportunistic. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Nikolaj Ehlers are their regular excellent selves, but Cole Perfetti and Gabe Vilardi have cemented themselves as core players as well. A lethal power play has been a major factor here as well.
With a fairly solid top-nine forwards and top-four defencemen, the Jets are stout. A trade for a centre could kick Vladislav Namestnikov to the wing, though the room is already quite crowded. Th is a good problem to have, but it is difficult to envision the Jets adding more than one forward. If the Jets buy aggressively at the deadline, the expectation should be a focus on quality over quantity.
Edmonton Oilers hoping for a repeat of last year’s success
Ever since the Mattias Ekholm trade the Edmonton Oilers have been an elite team. This fact is especially true this season, as the Oilers have gotten deeper. Especially within the forward group there is a large variety of skill sets, allowing Coach Kris Knoblauch the ability to shuffle his lines tactically from game to game.
The strength of the team has allowed several struggling Oilers time to find their games over the past year as well. Last season it was Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown who flipped the switch come playoff time. This season Jeff Skinner has struggled, yet has started to show signs of life. To an extent Viktor Arvidsson and Vasily Podkolzin have under produced, though their play has been strong. With the potential return of Evander Kane around playoff time the Oilers already have some built in talent that could have a much more impactful second half to the season.
The same might be said in net and on the blueline as well. Stuart Skinner seems to share the team’s propensity for slow starts, and along with Logan Thompson and Mackenzie Blackwood might form a more impressive goaltending trio than team Canada selected for the 4 Nations Face-off. Calvin Pickard has proved the doubters wrong, putting together a respectable performance as a backup. Some might take issue with Evan Bouchard’s work this season, or even suggest that Ekholm is waning with age, yet Darnell Nurse has stepped up with some of his best hockey.
With a fairly experimental right side of the blueline, with Troy Stecher, Ty Emberson, and John Klingberg, the Oilers have options at right defence. Still, if there is an area the team is expected to upgrade it is here, likely with a more physical defender. Alec Regula might be an option here, though he has yet to earn a full time NHL spot. At the very least he would not be the first ex Chicago Blackhawks defenceman to find success elsewhere.
Of course, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl set the tone, their individual and combined excellence consistently awe inspiring. This season it is the newly extended Draisaitl having perhaps the finest season of his career. Oiler fans have a lot to be thankful for, as the early struggles of the McDavid era have given way to a stable and consistent perennial contender.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
