The NHL world was supposed to be on vacation this week. With only six games on the schedule and the 2024 All-Star Weekend ahead, I expected to take this week’s Power Rankings off since there wouldn’t be enough games or news to cover. We would all just have fun watching the All-Star Draft, see some cool skills competitions, sit back with the silliness that is the All-Star Game, then get back to the regularly scheduled programming on February 12th after a full week of hockey.
Well, the NHL had a different idea. It started with a bang when the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames swung a true blockbuster trade that sent Elias Lindholm to Vancouver for a big package of Andrei Kuzmenko, picks and prospects. Then, mere days later, the Winnipeg Jets wasted no time bolstering their own forward corps by acquiring Sean Monahan from the Montreal Canadians for a first-round draft pick plus a conditional selection
However, two big trades and a fantastic All-Star weekend alone may not have been enough to justify coming back for this week’s Power Rankings. So, while I thought there would be a lot of news to cover on Feb. 12th, I wasn’t preparing to sit down and start a new Rankings.
And then the Los Angeles Kings decided on Friday that they had seen enough and fired head coach Todd McLellan. For the fading Kings, this move wasn’t a shock (I suggested it would happen a week or two ago) but it just created a week of changes that I simply had to discuss. By Feb 12th, when my next Rankings would go live, all of this would be old news that might not even be relevant anymore.
With all of this in mind, I wanted to do a quicker update to my weekly article to avoid falling behind. So I hope you all enjoy this Special Edition of THWs 2023-24 NHL Power Rankings!
32-24: Sellers Emerging Before NHL’s All-Star Game
32. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously 32nd)
31. San Jose Sharks (Previously 31st)
30. Anaheim Ducks (Previously 30th)
29. Montreal Canadiens (Previously 29th)
28. Ottawa Senators (Previously 28th)
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously 27th)
26. Minnesota Wild (Previously 26th)
25. Buffalo Sabres (Previously 25th)
24. Calgary Flames (Previously 19th)
While we all assumed that the Flames would be sellers at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline after players requested to be moved during this season, there was still a chance management would try to re-sign their free agents in a bid to stay competitive even if that didn’t make long term sense. Well, by trading Lindholm, Calgary officially said we’re ready to rebuild, or at least retool.
For a player on an expiring contract, the Flames received great value for Lindholm. Both prospects have upside, and a first-round pick is always the goal when you’re dealing a rental player, especially compared to letting him walk in free agency for nothing.
For the other big sellers, I can’t stress how much of a home run Monahan was for Montreal. They were paid a first-round pick back in 2022 to acquire him in a cap-dump move, he played 74 games for them posting 52 points, and then they turned around and got another first-round draft pick in what was still a rebuilding year for the franchise.
While I expect the Canadians to make more moves in the future, this is setting a high bar for how they will value trades moving forward.
23-11: Kings Try to Save Their Season
23. New York Islanders (Previously 24th)
22. Washington Capitals (Previously 23rd)
21. Los Angeles Kings (Previously 17th)
20. New Jersey Devils (Previously 22nd)
19. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously 21st
18. Arizona Coyotes (Previously 20th)
17. Seattle Kraken (Previously 18th)
16. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously 16th)
15. St. Louis Blues (Previously 15th)
14. Nashville Predators (Previously 14th)
13. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously 13th)
12. Detroit Red Wings (Previously 12th)
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously 11th)
In case you missed it after their incredibly hot start, things have not been good in Lala land for a while when it comes to the Kings. They’ve lost 12 of their last 15 games, fired their head coach, and have watched their hold on third position in the Pacific Division slip to the Oilers. On top of that, Pierre-Luc Dubois has been an absolute disaster with his new team since the blockbuster acquisition this offseason, which is impossible to ignore when the team isn’t winning.
If the Kings didn’t make a move now, they were in real danger of falling out of the playoff hunt entirely. They have just two points on the Predators and Blues, who are both playing consistent hockey in recent weeks. In short, Los Angeles is a team to watch moving forward, because they are too good on paper to be sellers, which means they might try to swing a trade to bolster their roster if their head coaching change doesn’t cause an immediate spark.
10-1: Movers and Shakers at the NHL’s Top
10. New York Rangers (Previously 10th)
9. Florida Panthers (Previously 9th)
8. Dallas Stars (Previously 8th)
7. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously 7th)
6. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously 6th)
5. Boston Bruins (Previously 5th)
4. Winnipeg Jets (Previously 4th)
3. Colorado Avalanche (Previously 3rd)
2. Vancouver Canucks (Previously 2nd)
1. Edmonton Oilers (Previously 1st)
I think the trades made by Canucks and Jets this week were both overpayments for what they got. Neither Lindholm nor Monahan are on long-term contracts, and while an extension could be worked out, we have to assume they will both be rentals. Both players have question marks about their production this season, whether it is due to consistency, injury, or both.
Despite that, I absolutely love these trades for both franchises. It is a true reward for their teams and their fans after a number of years of on-ice struggles. They aren’t going to be content just to make the postseason, or even winning a round. They are here to claim the Stanley Cup, and they believe they have the rosters in place to do so.
Monahan should step in for an injured Mark Scheifele immediately, and eventually move down to a third-line role adding needed depth when he returns. For Vancouver, Lindholm is a former 40-goal scorer (and 2022 Selke-Award Nominee) that they can either stash in their bottom six to play smart, sound hockey when everyone is healthy or move to the top-six to act as a scoring presence with defensive responsibility.
If there was ever a time to overpay for players, these are the guys you want to acquire. They scream postseason difference-makers, so now we will just have to wait and see if they can help take their teams to the next level.
NHL Returning to the Olympics!
As if this wasn’t enough news already, there was one more big piece dropped at the All-Star Game. After a decade away, the NHL will be returning to the Olympics in 2026, which is something fans have been clamoring for since we found out they wouldn’t be attending the 2018 games. Yes, the logistics are hard, but best-on-best tournaments have created some of the greatest moments in hockey history, so seeing many of the top players returning to the ice for their countries is something all fans of the sport should be excited about.
Related: 2024 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Well, so much for an easy week. The NHL didn’t slow down despite most teams being off, which means we should be excitedly looking forward to what could be a very busy February. It’s even a leap year, so we have an extra day for news to occur this month. I assure you, when it happens, we will cover it on THW’s Power Rankings!