Power Rankings: Thrashers now get Ilya-free preview

Updated Oct. 27

As hard as it is to imagine a team being in a make-or-break period this early in the season, that's the situation the Atlanta Thrashers find themselves in these days.

Think of it as kind of a Rorschach test for the team. Or perhaps more accurately for its captain Ilya Kovalchuk, who will spend the next three to five weeks on the shelf with a broken foot. How the rest of the players respond to his absence could go a long way toward determining whether one of the league's most dynamic players will remain with it after this season.

Kovalchuk, with nine goals already this season, can become an unrestricted free agent next July and so far has declined to sign a new contract with the team that drafted him first overall in 2001. More important, he has expressed his frustration several times over the last few years at the organization's failure to make any real progress. But Kovalchuk has been sounding positive notes this season after Atlanta added veterans Nik Antropov, Maxim Afinogenov and Pavel Kubina.

The newcomers and some strong play by youngsters Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian helped the Thrashers get off to a quick start. Atlanta stumbled last week, dropping three games in a row including one to San Jose when Kovalchuk was injured. Now the issue is whether the Thrashers can keep their heads above water and stay in the playoff race while missing their superstar for a dozen games or so.

If they do, it would go a long way toward convincing Kovalchuk that the team really is on the right track and worth the commitment of a new contract. If not, well ...

"That's why they call it a team," Atlanta coach John Anderson said. "We're not based just on one player. As much as Kovy is a great player and we need him, other guys have to play well too. We need to play like a team."

More than ever.

Here are the power rankings through Monday night's games:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Capitals · Trends	1
	Jose Theodore is playing his best hockey since joining the Caps. He has won 10 starts in a row despite facing more than 35 shots in each game.
	2	Sharks · Trends	2
	San Jose is riding an eight-game winning streak on the road, where it has league's best record.
	3	Kings · Trends	6
	They get ahead and put things away. The Kings are 22-0 this season when taking a lead into the third period.
	4	Blackhawks · Trends	3
	Chicago's power play has been struggling lately, connecting only once in 22 tries in the past seven games.
	5	Senators · Trends	5
	Ottawa did not allow more than two goals in a game during its 11-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 37-13.
	6	Canucks · Trends	4
	Mason Raymond already has scored more goals this season than in his first two combined.
	7	Coyotes · Trends	8
	Despite its problems scoring on the power play, Phoenix needs only one more win to match last season's total.
	8	Devils · Trends	10
	Is the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk the ticket out of a very winnable Eastern Conference?
	9	Sabres · Trends	7
	Only two wins in their past 10 games has put the Northeast title in jeopardy for the Sabres.
	10	Penguins · Trends	9
	Sid's still scoring on a regular basis, but the defending Cup champs look vulnerable in their back end.
	11	Avalanche · Trends	11
	With Matt Duchene leading the way, Avs rookies have put up 114 points this season.
	12	Lightning · Trends	26
	Stability looks to be coming with an ownership change and maybe a playoff spot, too, thanks to seven wins in their past 10 games.
	13	Flyers · Trends	12
	Struggling to bury shots lately. Philly had 72 of them in the past two games, but both were losses because the Flyers scored only once.
	14	Ducks · Trends	14
	The Ducks aren't doing it against Pacific Division rivals this season with only three wins in 17 games.
	15	Flames · Trends	15
	Jarome Iginla has scored only four goals in 2010 and none so far in February.
	16	Predators · Trends	16
	Falling fast in the West with only three wins in their past 10 games.
	17	Red Wings · Trends	17
	The injury jinx isn't letting up in Detroit with Tomas Holmstrom going down almost as soon as he returned.
	18	Hurricanes · Trends	18
	The selloff has officially begun with Niclas Wallin leaving. Ray Whitney is likely to be next.
	19	Canadiens · Trends	20
	Jaroslav Halak is starting to take control of the starting goaltending job in Montreal.
	20	Blues · Trends	19
	Plenty of pain caused by this offense. The Blues have won only 13 of 28 one-goal decisions, and eight of 25 when the other team scores first.
	21	Stars · Trends	22
	Marty Turco is making himself more attractive as the trade deadline approaches. The Stars goalie has stopped 98 of 101 shots in his past three starts.
	22	Wild · Trends	21
	The Wild are staying in the playoff hunt because of the way they play at home. Minnesota has picked up points in its past nine games at the Xcel.
	23	Thrashers · Trends	23
	Is Kari Lehtonen, just back from his conditioning stint, still the goalie of the future or one of the past?
	24	Rangers · Trends	24
	He rarely gets any goal support, so Henrik Lundqvist had to turn back 41 shots to end his personal six-game losing streak.
	25	Bruins · Trends	25
	Did you expect that it would take anything less than a shutout to end an ugly 10-game losing streak?
	26	Panthers · Trends	13
	Florida's offense has gone missing lately with the Panthers scoring only 12 times in the past 10 games.
	27	Blue Jackets · Trends	28
	Change apparently is good for the Jackets, who have won their first two under new coach Claude Noel.
	28	Islanders · Trends	27
	The ice might be thinning under coach Scott Gordon as the Islanders have been playing themselves out of the postseason race of late.
	29	Maple Leafs · Trends	29
	New Leafs goalie looks like the Giggy of old with shutouts in his first two starts.
	30	Oilers · Trends	30
	Ethan Moreau hasn't scored in 33 games, Shawn Horcoff in 15. That helps explain why Edmonton has only 11 goals in its past seven games.