An Olympic break trip around the NHL

We’ve hit the Olympic break as the National League has paused its season for three weeks so players can compete at the Winter Games in Italy. While most of our focus here is on the Chicago Blackhawks, let’s pull back and see where all four divisions stand. Each team has played somewhere between 55 and 58 games, so we’re roughly 70% through the regular season. When the league returns to action on Feb. 25, it will be a mad dash to the finish line and the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Central Division

Standings

Colorado Avalanche (83), Minnesota Wild (78), Dallas Stars (77), Utah Mammoth (64), Nashville Predators (59), Chicago Blackhawks (53), Winnipeg Jets (52), St. Louis Blues (49)

The top of the Central Division is stacked with three serious Stanley Cup contenders. The Avalanche have been the class of the league since opening night, but have looked human of late, going 6-7-2 over their last 15 games. They still lead the league with 83 points. The Wild have overtaken the Stars for second place and put the hockey world on notice when they acquired Quinn Hughes in December. It’s a shame one of these three teams will be out in the first round due to the playoff format.

After the top three, the Mammoth are in a good position for a Wild Card spot. The Predators are only four points out of a playoff spot. After that, the rest of the division, including the Blackhawks, should start looking towards next season, unless there is a magical winning streak in store after the break.

Most Surprising Team

The Predators were picked by many pundits to finish at the bottom of the Central Division. However, they are proving the critics wrong. After a slow start, they find themselves right in the mix for a Wild Card spot. The resurgence of Steven Stamkos has a lot to do with their rise in the standings. It will be interesting to see what they do at the trade deadline. They have been rumored to be sellers for quite some time, but if they win their first few games out of the break, management might be convinced otherwise. The Blackhawks will be in Nashville on Feb. 26.

Most Disappointing Team

The Jets have gone from winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season to being near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Nobody predicted that the Blackhawks would have one more point than them at this point in the season. There could be some significant changes coming this offseason after this veteran-led team completely underachieved.

Pacific Division

Standings

Vegas Golden Knights (68), Edmonton Oilers (64), Seattle Kraken (63), Anaheim Ducks (63), Los Angeles Kings (60), San Jose Sharks (58), Calgary Flames (52), Vancouver Canucks (42)

The Pacific is, by far, the weakest of the four divisions. The Golden Knights wouldn’t even be in the top three of any other division. On paper, they are the best team and are built for a deep playoff run. However, uncertainty in net might lead to a disappointing end to the season. The Oilers are the Oilers. They will be a tough team to play in the postseason, but they did not solve their biggest weaknesses by acquiring netminder Tristan Jarry. The battle for third place will be intriguing, as we still don’t know if the Kraken and Ducks are for real, and the Kings just made a huge trade to acquire Artemi Panarin. The Sharks have been an exciting team, but they are showing that their defensive woes will be exposed over the course of an 82-game season.

Most Surprising Team

Many expected the Ducks to take a step forward with their young talent after bringing in head coach Joel Quenneville, and they’ve done just that. However, no one picked the Kraken to make the playoffs. It’s not going to be easy for them to hold on to third place, but their goaltending can hold up; they will be right there. Joey Daccord has been solid, and Philipp Grubauer is having a big bounce-back season, and he's finally living up to that big contract. Jared McCann staying healthy will be a huge factor if they want to be successful down the stretch.

Most Disappointing Team

Disappointment and the Canucks go together like peanut butter and jelly. While they were never looked upon to be Stanley Cup contenders this season, having the fewest points in the NHL is an epic failure. They are once again starting over due to poor asset management by their front office. Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood have been traded, and Elias Pettersson could be next. This is a team that was one game away from the Western Conference Finals two years ago, and now they are a rudderless ship with no plan. Hockey hell is in Vancouver.

Atlantic Division

Standings

Tampa Bay Lightning (78), Montreal Canadiens (72), Detroit Red Wings (72), Buffalo Sabres (70), Boston Bruins (69), Ottawa Senators (63), Toronto Maple Leafs (63), Florida Panthers (61)

Seeing the Lightning at the top of the Atlantic is not a surprise, but it is a little unexpected. They have weathered a ton of key injuries, but nothing seems to derail them. Now, seeing the Maple Leafs and Panthers at the bottom of the division is surprising. This race will be fun to watch down the stretch as only three points separate second and fifth place. Are the Red Wings and Sabres for real? Will the Bruins get back to the postseason? We’ll find out!

Most Surprising Team

The Sabres have been such a great story. They were left for dead in early January, but have turned their season around and are in a good position to get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2011. Their plus-19 goal differential is the second-best in the division behind the Lightning. A return to the postseason would be great for that passionate fan base, who have had to endure a lot of bad hockey over the past 15 years.

Most Disappointing Team

Being the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and seeing yourself in last place is a huge disappointment. But the Panthers have had an unfair amount of injuries to deal with and just haven’t put together a good stretch of hockey. However, you could argue that the Maple Leafs are an even bigger disappointment. This year was going to be different (again). They traded away the root of all their problems in Mitch Marner, and that was going to turn everything around. In reality, the fans ran an elite two-way forward out of town, and Brad Treliving replaced him with three bottom-six forwards. Not sure how anyone thought that was a good idea.

Metropolitan Division

Standings

Carolina Hurricanes (78), Pittsburgh Penguins (70), New York Islanders (69), Columbus Blue Jackets (65), Washington Capitals (65), Philadelphia Flyers (61), New Jersey Devils (58), New York Rangers (50)

While the Metro isn’t as tightly packed as the Atlantic, it will be fun to watch over the final 25-plus games of the regular season. The Hurricanes are the class of the Metro, but the race for second and third place will likely come down to the final day. The Blue Jackets have been the hottest team in the league, going 9-1-0 under new head coach Rick Bowness. Don’t count out the Capitals either. They just got Pierre-Luc Dubois back from injury and were aggressive in pursuing Panarin. They will make a big move to help Alex Ovechkin get one more postseason run.

Most Surprising Team

The Penguins sit in second place with first-year head coach Dan Muse. Meanwhile, the man he replaced, Mike Sullivan, is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with the Rangers. If Muse gets the Penguins to the playoffs, give him the Jack Adams Award. While the fans in Pittsburgh are enjoying the season, general manager Kyle Dubas might be a bit uncomfortable. Instead of looking to unload some veterans at the trade deadline, he might be forced to become a buyer to get his team into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Most Disappointing Team

The Rangers' downfall has been a long time coming, so they aren’t the most disappointing team. That “honor” goes to their rivals across the Hudson River. The Devils have been an “up and coming” team for years, but they just can’t put it together. Jack Hughes has had issues staying in the lineup, while their defense and goaltending have underachieved all season. They were looked at as a team that could make a deep run in the Eastern Conference, but now they will head into the summer wondering how to get back on track.