Bedard out, Blackhawks down in Power Rankings

In this week’s power rankings, the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes carry lengthy winning streaks, while the Pittsburgh Penguins have dropped six straight. These power rankings are determined mostly by a team's win-loss record, but also by their recent performance, injuries, and the strength of the week's schedule. For example, if teams have similar records or point totals, they will receive a higher ranking based on who they played and the margins of victory. Teams will also be ranked higher or lower depending on how they have played over their last 10 games.

The Past Week (1-3-0)

The Chicago Blackhawks played arguably their best game of the season at home versus the New York Rangers after being blown out twice in California. Jeff Blashill's message of not playing a full 60 minutes was received, at least for one night. Connor Bedard factored in two of the three goals, as he added another multi-point game to his breakout season. Unfortunately for him, the Blackhawks, Team Canada, the entire NHL, and any fans who had any hope of a playoff run all ended the next game in St. Louis, where he injured his shoulder.

After dropping the game to the Blues, the Blackhawks had to face the reality that they were going to be without their best player for the foreseeable future. They responded as they would have the last couple years by putting up an uncompetitive 4-0 loss in Detroit. The good news about this coach is that he is holding every member of this team accountable. Artyom Levshunov was a healthy scratch as he arrived late to practice, as he showed the young core that there will be consequences for their actions both on and off the ice. The team came out and played a solid game against Toronto, but was unable to put them away as they collapsed in the third, allowing three goals and losing the game 3-2.

Power Rankings

32 - Vancouver Canucks (13-17-3)
31 - Seattle Kraken (12-13-6)
30 - Calgary Flames (13-17-4)
29 - Chicago Blackhawks (13-14-6)
28 - St. Louis Blues (12-15-7)
27 - Nashville Predators (13-15-4)
26 - Winnipeg Jets (15-15-2)
25 - Columbus Blue Jackets (14-13-6)
24 - Buffalo Sabres (14-14-4)
23 - Utah Mammoth (16-16-3)
22 - Ottawa Senators (15-13-4)
21 - Pittsburgh Penguins (14-9-9)
20 - New York Rangers (16-15-4)
19 - Los Angeles Kings (14-9-9)
18 - New Jersey Devils (18-14-1)
17 - Toronto Maple Leafs (15-12-5)

16 - Florida Panthers (17-13-2)
15 - Montreal Canadiens (17-12-4)
14 - San Jose Sharks (17-14-3)
13 - Tampa Bay Lightning (18-12-3)
12 - Washington Capitals (18-11-4)
11 - Edmonton Oilers (16-12-6)
10 - Boston Bruins (20-14-0)
9 - Philadelphia Flyers (17-9-6)
8 - New York Islanders (19-12-3)
7 - Detroit Red Wings (19-12-3)
6 - Anaheim Ducks (20-12-2)
5 - Vegas Golden Knights (16-6-9)
4 - Carolina Hurricanes (21-9-2)
3 - Minnesota Wild (20-9-5)
2 - Dallas Stars (22-7-5)
1 - Colorado Avalanche (24-2-7)

Major Trades Boost Top Teams

This past week, the Wild acquired top defenseman, Quinn Hughes, from the Vancouver Canucks in a blockbuster trade. This deal is already paying dividends for the Wild as they have continued their five-game winning streak. As a Blackhawks fan, it would be ideal for Hughes to sign elsewhere in a couple of years, as the Wild gave up a lot of young talent to acquire him. The Central Division is extremely top-heavy, with the Avalanche, Stars, and Wild finishing in the top three of the power rankings, while the other five teams finished in the bottom ten of the entire NHL.

The Oilers and Penguins have swapped goalies as both teams appear to be heading in opposite directions. Many believe the Penguins’ Stanley Cup window has closed, as they continue to roll out one of the oldest lineups in the league. They are currently riding a six game losing streak, though four of those losses came in overtime or a shootout. The Oilers seem to have turned the corner as they are 5-1-1 in their last seven games and have hopefully solved the goalie issues that have plagued them for years.

Looking Ahead

The Blackhawks have three games remaining before their Christmas break as they close out their Canadian road trip (at Montreal on 12/18 and at Ottawa on 12/20) and finish in the United Center against Philadelphia on 12/23. With Bedard out, the Blackhawks look to be squarely in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes again as they are only three points out of last place in the entire league. As exhausting as it is to be in this spot again, we can look to the development of young players like Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and Nick Lardis.