Trades, trades and more trades dominated the headlines around the NHL entering the new week. As teams allow new faces to settle in and prepare for the playoff push, however, there's still quite a bit of familiarity atop the league's standings. That's what happens when you've been skating through the winter season with more than one contender that warrants No. 1 consideration. There has simply been a handful of elite postseason candidates -- Presidents' Trophy material or not -- hovering near the top of each conference for months now.
That's what brings us to this post-trade deadline edition of NHL Power Rankings.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, long the darlings of the 2017-18 regular season, are back on top after their third straight win, which reaffirmed their goal differential (plus-56) as the absolute best in hockey. And their sexy move for a couple more ex-New York Rangers stars only makes them a stronger Stanley Cup contender going forward.
Still, none of the three or four clubs that sit directly behind them are even remotely far behind. In Vegas, you've got a Golden Knights team that simply does not lose at home. In Nashville, you've got a Predators unit that's hitting its stride with an ageless goalie shutting people out, not to mention a new depth piece after its Ryan Hartman deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. In Boston, where the Bruins just landed Rick Nash in a blockbuster, you've got yet another viable Stanley Cup prospect. And in Winnipeg, where the Jets are neck and neck with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the league's top young squad, Paul Stastny is suddenly part of a serious push for the postseason.
Don't you worry about sorting everything out, though. We've done that -- or at least tried to -- right here:
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Guess who's back, baby. They have to get better in their own zone, but they're finding ways to win even when they're not at their best. Adding Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller is a big plus. | 1 | 45-29-8 |
| 2 |  | There's no superstar here (unless you count the newly acquired Tomas Tatar), and yet they've scored more than anyone outside of Tampa. | 1 | 45-29-8 |
| 3 |  | As long as Pekka Rinne keeps this up, the Preds could easily go back to the Final. Maybe they overpaid for Ryan Hartman, but his grit will be welcomed with open arms in Nashville. | 3 | 47-30-5 |
| 4 |  | Rick Nash is a big get, and they could easily be No. 1-3 here. | 1 | 47-20-15 |
| 5 |  | How long can Connor Hellebuyck carry them in the playoffs? Landing Paul Stastny gives them an instant boost of depth and leadership. | 1 | 52-24-6 |
| 6 |  | They've got more center depth to play with, and we already knew they could light the lamp. | 1 | 46-26-10 |
| 7 |  | They deserve this spot. Petr Mrazek's in the house, Nolan Patrick's heating up, and no one has been hotter in recent weeks. | 5 | 38-33-11 |
| 8 |  | No longer should anyone be worried about their vets being ready for another Cup run. | 1 | 38-32-12 |
| 9 |  | Top-10 standing or not, they're actually in some dangerous waters hunting for a wild card. | 1 | 52-21-9 |
| 10 |  | Good for them that Mikael Granlund is back on track. But it's too early to trust their rise is for real. | 3 | 39-33-10 |
| 11 |  | Can Alex Ovechkin finally carry this thing *through* the postseason? | -- | 40-31-11 |
| 12 |  | They paid quite a bit for Evander Kane, but he should be motivated to chip in on a postseason run. | 3 | 19-54-9 |
| 13 |  | Again, even a playoff trip this season figures to look a lot like their last. | 3 | 38-39-5 |
| 14 |  | Who needs future rights to Ilya Kovalchuk when you can grab Pat Maroon and Michael Grabner? | 1 | 38-39-5 |
| 15 |  | Now we know why they signed Ryan Miller over the summer. | 1 | 27-50-5 |
| 16 |  | Two straight offensive shutouts don't look great this time of the year. Neither does jettisoning Stastny amid a wild-card push. | 6 | 43-33-6 |
| 17 |  | If anyone has reason to criticize goalie interference calls, it's them after this week. | -- | 44-27-11 |
| 18 |  | Their 2018-19 campaign should legitimately be one to watch. | -- | 50-25-7 |
| 19 |  | They're banking on vets -- Mark Letestu, Ian Cole and Thomas Vanek -- to buy in and turn this thing around. | 2 | 27-43-12 |
| 20 |  | Ladies and gents, your top playoff spoiler candidates for this year. | 2 | 52-24-6 |
| 21 |  | So maybe John Tavares peaked a little too early. | 2 | 39-27-16 |
| 22 |  | This week goes beyond hockey for Jordan Staal and the Canes family. | 2 | 52-23-7 |
| 23 |  | It took a long time, but they are finally doing it, at least a little bit. They are sellers. | -- | 23-53-6 |
| 24 |  | Getting three picks for Tomas Tatar at least partially offsets their inability to unload Mike Green. | 1 | 41-32-9 |
| 25 |  | This season was sadly a wash, but getting Pontus Aberg for Letestu is a nice start for 2018. | 1 | 49-27-6 |
| 26 |  | Farewell, old Rangers. How times have changed. | 2 | 55-23-4 |
| 27 |  | The road numbers are haunting: 8-19-2. | 2 | 30-36-16 |
| 28 |  | Aside from Brock Boeser, who, really, is safe here? | 1 | 50-23-9 |
| 29 |  | Their stark decline wasn't surprising, but to be where they are now, it's still wild. And failing to trade Erik Karlsson after dangling him on the market? Talk about a letdown. | 1 | 37-41-4 |
| 30 |  | Think about this: They've been way better than the Rangers and Blackhawks over the last two weeks. | -- | 36-41-5 |
| 31 |  | Somehow, they're coming off a road points streak they last bested in 2011. | -- | 39-37-6 |
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