As the month of February goes on, the NHL standings are beginning to separate the contenders and pretenders. Here are the power rankings through 18 weeks based on the league standings and my personal eye test.
30. Buffalo Sabres
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30. Buffalo Sabres
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This tank job of a season will go even lower when the team starts selling off assets in the next few weeks ahead of the deadline. The Sabres hope all of this tanking leads to a brighter future because they've endured a rough go of it lately.
29. Edmonton Oilers
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29. Edmonton Oilers
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The team's upcoming road trip will likely further sink the team in the standings as it limps to the finish line of yet another debacle of a season.
28. Arizona Coyotes
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28. Arizona Coyotes
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The Coyotes have a murderers' row of teams this upcoming week -- namely the Blackhawks and Blues -- and will surely be lower in the standings at the end of it. As the rebuild continues, these losses could prove beneficial down the line.
27. Carolina Hurricanes
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27. Carolina Hurricanes
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The Canes have been better since their awful start, but are far from being competitive. The end of the season can't come fast enough, as fans in Raleigh await the draft and a brighter future.
26. Toronto Maple Leafs
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26. Toronto Maple Leafs
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The Leafs' annual collapse has always been comical and this year is no exception. Look for the team to start selling off every expiring contract it has, as yet another "rebuild" gets underway.
25. Ottawa Senators
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25. Ottawa Senators
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They're not the worst team in Ontario, but they're not much better either. The biggest issues with this Senators team is their management thinks they're better than they are. That type of ignorance hinders the team in the long and short term.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets
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24. Columbus Blue Jackets
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Beating up on a great St. Louis team may give the fans some optimism, but this is a lost season in Columbus, as injuries have derailed what could have been a really special season.
23. New Jersey Devils
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23. New Jersey Devils
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Winning games is not what's best for the Devils in the long term, as it hurts their draft status and could prolong the rebuilding process. Games in Nashville and Chicago are almost certainly losses that could put them back on track to getting a higher draft pick.
22. Philadelphia Flyers
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22. Philadelphia Flyers
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As the team embarks on a "make or break" road trip, losing goalie Steve Mason isn't a great start, but the possible return of Kimmo Timonen could help a late-season surge. It may be too little, too late, but I don't see Craig Berube's squad quitting anytime soon.
21. Colorado Avalanche
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21. Colorado Avalanche
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After a late push to make the Western Conference playoff race interesting, the Avs have fallen on hard times and appear to have run out of steam. An upcoming four-game homestand might turn things around, but it could all be for nothing as their slow start really doomed them before they ever really had a chance.
20. Dallas Stars
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20. Dallas Stars
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The team may be in a tough spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, but Tyler Seguin has emerged as one of the best players in the NHL. When the team travels to Boston, look for Seguin to be at his best.
19. Los Angeles Kings
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19. Los Angeles Kings
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The reigning champions have fallen on hard times, but their win in Tampa could be a season-changing game. It's now or never as L.A. looks to avoid becoming the first reigning champion since 2007 to miss the playoffs.
18. Florida Panthers
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18. Florida Panthers
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The team is sliding at the wrong time, but I'm not ready to count out this upstart Panthers team just yet. Look for Florida to find a way to stay in the playoff picture for the rest of the season.
17. Minnesota Wild
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17. Minnesota Wild
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After being written off for dead, Devan Dubnyk arrived and helped turn things around in Minnesota, as the Wild are very much alive in the playoff picture. Charlie Coyle is back to scoring goals and the team looks like it's hitting its stride at the right time.
16. Calgary Flames
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16. Calgary Flames
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Despite losing at home to the Penguins, I like what I'm seeing from this Flames team. The team travels to San Jose then Los Angeles this week, as they battle the Sharks and Kings, two teams ahead of them in the standings. Look for Johnny Gaudreau to have a big game against the Kings. He has been amazing against the reigning champs all year long.
15. San Jose Sharks
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15. San Jose Sharks
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Right when I was about to call the Sharks legitimate contenders, they dropped a game to the atrocious Hurricanes. San Jose is consistently inconsistent, which makes it far from a threat in the Western Conference.
14. Vancouver Canucks
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14. Vancouver Canucks
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After a little slide, the Canucks appears to be back on the right track, which is bad news for other teams in the West. Look for Ryan Miller to keep up his high level of play, and the team will be a tough out in the playoffs with its veteran-laden squad.
13. Winnipeg Jets
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13. Winnipeg Jets
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With Evander Kane and his distractions out for the season, the team can focus on winning games and they'll do that as well as anyone. Michael Hutchinson is a game-changer in net, and will be the backbone of the team's playoff push.
12. Boston Bruins
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12. Boston Bruins
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The team is playing better, but until it gets over its phobia of playing the Montreal Canadiens, it'll face an uphill battle to go far in the playoffs.
11. Washington Capitals
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11. Washington Capitals
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Alexander Ovechkin is playing some of the best hockey of his recent career, and the Caps are benefiting greatly from it. The team is a dark horse in the Eastern Conference, and Barry Trotz needs to be in consideration for the Jack Adams Award for his amazing job behind the bench in D.C.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins
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10. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Marc-Andre Fleury is back to his old inconsistencies and the Pens are struggling because of it. The team will need more MVP-type play from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin if they want to remain a contender in the Eastern Conference.
9. Chicago Blackhawks
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9. Chicago Blackhawks
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Patrick Kane is playing like an MVP candidate, and the Hawks appear to be hitting their stride at the right time. Look for the team to carry this momentum down the stretch, as they show why they've been one of the best teams in hockey for the past few seasons.
8. New York Rangers
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8. New York Rangers
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I loved the resiliency the Rangers showed against the Boston Bruins, but was also disappointed in the team losing to the Stars at home. The team's upcoming three-game road trip could be huge in determining where it stands going into the deadline.
7. New York Islanders
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7. New York Islanders
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The East's most surprising team has the Oilers, Leafs and Blue Jackets on the schedule this week. Look for the team to pick up the three wins and keep its amazing 2014-15 season rolling.
6. Detroit Red Wings
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6. Detroit Red Wings
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The Red Wings have been rolling. With young talent developing nicely in minors, it's not changing anytime soon. The 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Pittsburgh Penguins could be a nice playoff preview as both teams are playing well.
5. St. Louis Blues
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5. St. Louis Blues
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Getting blown out by Columbus and losing a tough one to a hated Chicago team isn't how the team wanted to spend its weekend. If it doesn't learn how to beat the Blackhawks, it'll be first round fodder to Chicago once again, as the teams are on pace to meet up in the playoffs for the second straight year.
4. Montreal Canadiens
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4. Montreal Canadiens
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The team has owned the Boston Bruins this year and showed it once again as it swept the season series. With Carey Price playing as well as he has been, this Habs squad has to be considered a favorite in a tougher than expected Eastern Conference.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
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3. Tampa Bay Lightning
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I was impressed with the Bolts' win over the Anaheim Ducks, but they've been playing great hockey all year, and should be considered legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. Look for the team to be at its best against the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.
2. Anaheim Ducks
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2. Anaheim Ducks
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Losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning and seeing Freddie Andersen leave with a head injury isn't great news for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. Having said that, this is a resilient group that will find a way to weather the storm in the next few weeks.
1. Nashville Predators
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1. Nashville Predators
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Getting Pekka Rinne back is a huge difference maker, and I can't see this Nashville squad relinquishing the top spot in the power rankings for the rest of the year. If David Poile proves to be active at the deadline, this team could be even better in the coming weeks.
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