NHL Power Rankings: Examining the playoff picture after the All-Star break

Hurricanes
99.9% | I’m not sure what the 0.1% is accounting for, but the Hurricanes are going to the playoffs. Carolina has won seven straight games, and it has a six-point lead in the Metro Division. The biggest question facing the Canes’ playoff hopes is whether they can get over the hump and reach the Eastern Conference Finals. — 34-9-8
2

Bruins
100% | The Bruins could lose every remaining game in regulation and still finish above .500 in points percentage. If they continue winning at their pre-All-Star-break pace, they will set a new record for points in a single season. Even if Boston stands pat at the NHL trade deadline, it will still be the Stanley Cup favorite. — 39-7-5
3

Devils
97.1% | Outside of a lull in December, the Devils have looked the part of a dangerous playoff team. Jack Hughes is a legitimate superstar, and the supporting cast around him has been great. If there is any reason for pause, it’s that the Devils’ five-on-five expected goals share (45.74%) since Jan. 1 ranks 26th in the NHL, per Natural Stat Trick. 2 33-13-4
4

Maple Leafs
99.4% | There was never any question about the Leafs’ ability to reach the playoffs. They will finish as a top-three team in the Atlantic Division, and it will be a rematch of last season’s first-round series against the Lightning, which the Maple Leafs lost in seven games. Regular season success is great, but Toronto’s season will be judged by its playoff performance. — 31-13-8
5

Lightning
96.2% | I thought the wear and tear of three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances would take its toll on the Lightning this year, but that has not been the case. Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov are as strong as ever, and the Bolts are headed for another first-round matchup for the Maple Leafs. 2 32-16-2
6

Rangers
73.9% | Frankly, I was surprised to see the Rangers’ playoff chances so low. The blueshirts are third in the Metro Division with the Capitals, Penguins and Islanders all well behind them in points percentage. I suppose it’s within the realm of possibility that those three teams catch fire and the Rangers fade, but it seems highly unlikely. Those teams have been inconsistent, and the Rangers have a much better overall roster. 1 28-14-8
7

Oilers
96.9% | The Oilers were hot before the All-Star break, and that 7-0-1 run boosted their playoff chances quite a bit. Now Edmonton has put itself in a position to compete for the Pacific Division crown down the stretch. The Oilers have their issues, but they also have a few players who can hide a lot of deficiencies. 1 29-18-4
8

Avalanche
67.8% | I understand that the Avalanche are on the playoff bubble right now, but they are a lock to reach the playoffs as far as I’m concerned. Colorado was really starting to roll before the All-Star weekend, and it could make a splash at the trade deadline if Gabriel Landeskog stays on LTIR for the rest of the regular season. That would be bad news for the rest of the Western Conference. — 27-18-4
9

Kraken
95.8% | At this time last year, the Kraken’s playoff chances were probably in the ballpark of 0.0%. This year, Seattle is basically a lock to reach the postseason. Even if Seattle’s league-leading shooting percentage comes down to Earth, it has built a nice buffer between itself and the bubble teams in the West. 1 29-16-5
10

Sabres
33.5% | The Sabres are still on the wrong end of these playoff chances, but this number is infinitely higher than it has been in recent history. If nothing else, Buffalo will be playing games with playoff implications in February and March. That alone should have the KeyBank Center rocking, and getting to the postseason would be a cherry on top of a surprising season. 1 26-20-4
11

Stars
98.3% | The Stars’ inability to win games in overtime is the only thing preventing this number from being even higher. Despite their 10 losses in extra time, the Stars are leading the Central Division, but they should get pushed down the stretch. Whether it’s the Jets, Wild, or Avalanche is still to be determined, but Dallas will have some competition for that top spot. 1 29-13-10
12

Jets
97.1% | The Jets were heading in the wrong direction before the pause, so getting to rest and reset may benefit them. Winnipeg is an interesting team because few people expected it to be in second place after the All-Star break. At this point, the Jets are almost locked in as a playoff team, but how dangerous can they be once they get in? 1 32-19-1
13

Kings
65.8% | This is where things start to get really interesting. The Kings are a very good team except for one key area: goaltending. Their team save percentage of 88.1% ranks 30th. That’s just ahead of the Sharks and Canucks and just below the Blues and Blue Jackets. That’s not great company, and a lack of saves might be the only thing that could keep the Kings out of the playoffs. 1 28-18-7
14

Wild
78.5% | Much like goaltending for the Kings, a lack of consistent offense could be the Wild’s fatal flaw down the stretch. Minnesota’s 153 goals rank 21st in the league, and Kirill Kaprizov has scored 18.3% of them. If the Wild can add some scoring before the trade deadline, they will look very formidable in the playoff race. 1 27-18-4
15

Flames
88.1% | I can understand why the Flames’ playoff chances are so high. They have a talented roster, and Darryl Sutter has won a lot of games as a head coach. Having said that, something has been off in Calgary all season. Key players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Andrew Mangiapane, MacKenzie Weegar, and Jacob Markstrom have all underperformed to some degree. Is 31 games enough time for all those players to get back on track? — 24-17-10
16

Capitals
59.4% | The bad news for the Capitals is that injuries are still taking their toll, and they have begun to fade as a result. The good news for them is that other teams gunning for a wild card spot like the Islanders, Sabres, and Panthers all have some clear flaws. Washington still has the inside track for a playoff spot, but it might be a white-knuckle ride to hold onto it. — 27-20-6
17

Golden Knights
84.5% | The Golden Knights are likely a playoff team, but 84.5% isn’t exactly a lock. It’s easy to see why Vegas’ chances are so low despite holding the third-place spot in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have won three of their last 10 games, and they have scored just 34 goals since Jan. 1. With Mark Stone out indefinitely due to injury, making the playoffs only gets tougher. — 30-18-4
18

Panthers
36.9% | Florida has been one of the league’s biggest disappointments so far, but once Matthew Tkachuk starts getting some help, the Panthers could get hot and climb the Eastern Conference standings. Could Monday night’s 7-1 beatdown of the rival Lightning be the spark that finally ignites this Panthers team? 1 25-22-6
19

Islanders
33.1% | The Islanders took a gamble when they traded for Bo Horvat, and one look at these playoff chances tells you why. The Isles are far from dead in the playoff race, but they will probably need some help to reach the postseason. Acquiring Horvat should boost the five-on-five offense as well as the power play, but will that be enough? 2 27-22-5
20

Penguins
54.8% | One of the teams the Islanders are chasing is the Penguins. Since Jan. 1, Pittsburgh has been stuck in the mud, and its 5-5-3 record reflects that. Sidney Crosby can probably will this team to the playoffs on his own, but the Penguins don’t have too much margin for error down the stretch. — 25-16-9
21

Predators
23.8% | This rest of this month will be very important for the Predators. They showed encouraging signs of life before the All-Star break, and there are some very winnable games on the February schedule. However, inconsistency has been the theme of the season for Nashville. If the Preds don’t make up ground before the trade deadline, they could and should be sellers. 3 24-19-6
22

Senators
13.5% | The Senators are on a four-game winning streak, and their playoff chances have a pulse, but it is faint. Even after some solid offseason additions, Ottawa was probably not going to be a 2023 playoff team. This season was more about seeing steps in the right direction, and the players have delivered on that. — 24-23-3
23

Red Wings
1.1% | The “Yzerplan” was always going to need at least one more year to come together. Despite having some nice young talent on the roster, the Red Wings were far from a complete team this season. Another strong offseason from Steve Yzerman could have this team closer to playoff contention in 2023-24. 1 21-20-8
24

Flyers
1.2% | Flyers head coach John Tortorella just recently wrote a letter that essentially said Year One of the rebuild was going well, except he just didn’t use the word “rebuild.” Tortorella knew he had a long road ahead of him when he took the Flyers job, and no one expected Philadelphia to sniff the postseason in 2023 anyway. 1 21-22-9
25

Canadiens
0.0% | The Canadiens are in a decent spot this season. They have allowed their young prospects to get ample playing time, and they will be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft lottery. Flipping a player or two at the trade deadline will only boost those lottery chances. — 20-27-4
26

Blues
2.7% | Even as someone who thought the Blues might miss the playoffs this season, I’m shocked to see their playoff chances hanging by the weakest of threads in early February. The wheels have come off the rails for this franchise just four years after winning a Stanley Cup, but they should be able to stockpile some assets by trading Vladimir Tarasenko and others at the trade deadline. — 23-25-3
27

Blackhawks
0.0% | The Blackhawks were on a mission to be as bad as possible this season, and that mission has been accomplished so far. They have a 12.4% chance to win the draft lottery, according to MoneyPuck.com. The next phase of the plan will be to have a fire sale ahead of the trade deadline. — 15-29-5
28

Sharks
0.1% | The Sharks have a decent chance to win the draft lottery and they have the most highly coveted trade deadline target on their roster in Timo Meier, but I want to know what this 0.1% scenario is. If a blackhole opens up and sucks in five other Pacific Division teams, San Jose gets into the playoffs. 1 16-25-11
29

Ducks
0.0% | I had high-ish hopes for the Ducks this year, but they made it clear very early on in the season that they were one of the worst teams in the NHL. The young talent on this team isn’t quite ready to push the rest of the group in the realm of playoff contenders, and some aging veterans have fallen flat. The bright side is that it would be fun to see Connor Bedard mixed in with Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras. 1 17-29-6
30

Canucks
0.5% | After years of deluding themselves into thinking they have a legitimate playoff team, it seems the Canucks front office has finally come to terms with reality. Vancouver has already traded captain Bo Horvat and more moves are certainly on the way. The Canucks may not be in the playoff mix for a few more seasons. — 20-26-4
31

Coyotes
0.1% | Much like the Blackhawks, the Coyotes’ main objective this season was to drive those draft lottery odds up as much as they could. Seeing as they have the fifth-best chances to land the No. 1 overall pick, the Yotes still have some work to do down the stretch. 1 17-28-6
32

Blue Jackets
0.0% | If there was any faint hope of a playoff appearance after signing Johnny Gaudreau in the offseason, it faded very quickly. That said, things have worked out for the Blue Jackets. They have a legitimate star signed for six more seasons, and they have a 15.9% chance to call Connor Bedard’s name in Nashville this summer. 1 15-32-4