The Weekly Macklin Celebrini Watch: Chicago Blackhawks Lead for Best NHL Draft Lottery Odds Are In Peril

Do we need to worry about any other teams besides the San Jose Sharks?

Not this week as the Ducks picked up three points in the standings last week after they won at Buffalo and lost in a shootout to the Los Angeles Kings.

That puts the Ducks at 43 points in the standings with a comfortable 11-point lead on the Hawks.

That does not mean we should ignore the Ducks for the rest of the year for a couple of reasons...

The first reason is the Blackhawks have to face the Ducks a few more times to wrap up the season. The second reason is the Hawks' schedule is relatively soft in March. They only play four games next month with teams currently in the playoff picture. Now the Blackhawks are the get-right team for the NHL, but at the same time, they have shown they can pick up some wins, especially at home, against foes out of the playoff race.

The third reason is the Ducks could get much worse depending on who they trade off before the March 8th trade deadline.

Remember the Blackhawks won just five games after trading away multiple players after the trade deadline. So it is still worth monitoring the Ducks next month.

The Ducks host Nashville today, go to San Jose on Thursday, and then host New Jersey the next day.