As the NHL comes back from its break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, we’re getting a clearer picture of the worst teams in the NHL sour Rankings.
There’s quite the variety of teams at the bottom of the league – from intentionally rebuilding clubs to those that desperately wanted to compete this year. Regardless of intention, the only thing they’re front-runners for is a draft lottery win.
The big question for each of these teams is what their long term looks like despite being down in the NHL standings this season. Some teams have brighter futures than others. Let’s track that process in this month’s NHL sour rankings.
San Jose Sharks, 15-36-7, 37 PTS (.319 P%)
On track and happy
The Sharks are the happiest bad team in the NHL. The fans have been thriving by latching onto every little bit of good news, particularly regarding their prospect pool.
Macklin Celebrini has been the NHL’s best rookie this season, asserting himself as San Jose’s top center and moving forward. Will Smith has improved as of late in his rookie season as well.
Sam Dickinson has been amazing in the OHL since the start of the season. Igor Chernyshov finally got healthy in OHL Saginaw and has been unreal since then, notching 28 points in just 10 games.
None of those players are even 20 years old. This team is right on the cusp of the build portion of the rebuild. The Sharks are right on track, and one more top-three pick could help vault them forward with an eye on taking a step next season.
Chicago Blackhawks, 17-33-7, 41 PTS (.360 P%)
On track and sad
Some rebuilding teams, such as the Sharks, find joy in the process. The Blackhawks are where they were supposed to be, but there seems to be a dark cloud hanging over the team anyway. That’s despite having youngsters Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar on the NHL roster.
The team wanted more of a competitive edge, so they brought in Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen and Taylor Hall. Although Teravainen is second in team scoring with 41 points in 57 games, the new veterans haven’t been needle-movers overall regarding Chicago’s place in the standings. They even traded Hall already.
This team must get back to having fun, focusing on developing their younger skaters and just playing hockey to get out of their season-long haze. If they don’t, they’ll be right back at the bottom of the standings next season.
Maple Leafs End Crazy Streak Against Blackhawks Every NHL team goes through its ups and downs, so for one team to dominate another for nearly a quarter of a century is very rare. That is the case with the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs though.
Nashville Predators, 20-29-7, 47 PTS (.420 P%)
Disappointingly bad
The Predators were supposed to be good and had everything crumble around them in a season to forget.
There isn’t much to be happy about with players struggling up and down the roster, the team having a hard time finding wins, and few promising signs of things turning around. Jonathan Marchessault and Filip Forsberg have averaged at least a point per game since Jan. 1, but Nashville has a 9-9-0 record in that span.
This season could be a one-year blunder, and the Predators could return to competitiveness next season, but they need to reset this summer. The additions they made last off-season, such as Steven Stamkos, are in the latter stages of their careers. The Predators need to make some big decisions over the next few months at the trade deadline and then again in the summer.
Buffalo Sabres, 23-27-5, 51 PTS (.464 P%)
Trending down once again
What is going on? Seriously, how are we here again?
This team has too much talent, skill and investment of top-end draft capital to be at the bottom of the standings again.
The Sabres just aren’t getting it together. A lack of palm trees and higher taxes aren’t good answers for GM Kevyn Adams’ team being in this position, and perhaps bringing back coach Lindy Ruff wasn’t the solution, either.
No question about it, this team must figure it out, because Adams doesn’t want Buffalo to be sellers again. The players cannot be blamed for a 13-year playoff drought, and probably not the coach, either.
Seattle Kraken, 25-30-4, 54 PTS (.458 P%)
On track and building slowly
The Kraken are a solid team but aren’t where they must be to be truly competitive.
They are finally seeing some progress from Shane Wright, and trade acquisition Kaapo Kakko has 18 points in 26 games with an increased role.
Matty Beniers has shown plenty of promise. Even though he’s having a tough season statistically, he still provides quite a bit away from the puck to boost his value. The Kraken are still a fairly new franchise, and they have plenty of young talent on the roster and on the way.
The Kraken shouldn’t be that worried about this position. They are almost good enough to return to the playoffs, and maybe they would be if Beniers produces a bit more or if their backup goalie situation isn’t among the worst we’ve seen in the last half-decade. It won’t shock anyone if they are challenging for a playoff spot next season.
Pittsburgh Penguins, 23-27-9, 55 PTS (.466 P%)
Toiling away a legend’s twilight years
Thank the hockey gods that Sidney Crosby led Team Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off Trophy, because the Pittsburgh Penguins have had awful results this season.
They have an aging core, with only Crosby still playing elite hockey. Their prospect pool isn’t very good, and little help is coming.
It’s sad to see the Pens sitting near the bottom of the standings as one of the game’s greatest players and winners of all-time rides into the final stretch of his career.
Thankfully, we should see ‘Sid the Kid’ go for what will likely be his final championship run next season when he’s again wearing the Canadian jersey at the Olympics.
Philadelphia Flyers, 24-26-5, 55 PTS (.482 P%)
Staying competitive enough
This year isn’t about winning or even realistically challenging for the playoffs. This year is about building and allowing players, such as Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov and Bobby Brink, to take over as the leaders. They still have quite a bit of building to do with this team, but with some good prospects in the system, there is help on the way.
The big concern for the Flyers is their goaltending. Despite years of trying, they remain in pursuit of trying to find the next goalie of the future. How the Flyers solve that issue and commit to bringing in more high-end talent through the NHL draft will determine whether they can be a perennial contender.
Building A Champion: How The Flyers’ Core Can Mirror The Eagles’ Super Bowl Formula The Philadelphia Flyers still have some ways to go before having their own parade down Broad Street, but as the Eagles have gone through their own ups and downs and built a bulletproof roster of players many people had discounted and discarded, the Flyers are carving their own path to sustainable success.
Montreal Canadiens, 25-26-5, 55 PTS (.491 P%)
Feisty but not quite there yet
The Montreal Canadiens are so close to being a solid team, but they need a bit of patience, some injury luck and continued commitment to adding high-end skill.
Lane Hutson is close to Celebrini in the Calder Trophy battle. He’s the dynamic element to Montreal’s blueline, which has been missing for years. The growth of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky has also been encouraging.
This team has more skill coming, with Ivan Demidov likely joining the Canadiens next season. He’s currently tearing it up in the KHL and can bring the elite-level skill and offensive talent this team needs. There is still work to do, and they’ve been close to the playoff picture this season, but Habs fans should be happy with where they are.
St. Louis Blues, 25-26-5, 55 PTS (.491 P%)
Retooling on the fly
The Blues have been among the NHL’s best teams at retooling on the fly for a while. They don’t tear it down, but they always get back to being competitive.
This team has some interesting prospects on the way, such as Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein. They still have solid players on the roster to build around, such as Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou.
The Blues still lack that all-world difference maker, and it doesn’t look like they have that player in their system. But they’ve always been a team better than the sum of its parts.
The Blues could be back in or around this position next year, or they could ascend back into the playoffs, but it’s unlikely they’ll take a major step back. They just do too good of a job at finding ways to stay in the fight.
Anaheim Ducks, 24-24-6, 54 PTS (.500 P%)
Taking a step, but a dark cloud’s over their shoulder
The Ducks have undoubtedly taken a step this season. They are a .500 club well past the midway point of the season, and they have some very intriguing young, skilled players.
The Ducks aren’t an offensive juggernaut, but as their young forwards develop, they’ve been able to lean on some of the most underrated goaltending in the NHL. Lukas Dostal and John Gibson have been stellar this season.
The big question is whether coach Greg Cronin’s approach will bring the team to long-term success. His coaching style emphasizes high pressure and accountability, no matter what. After his first season, he even said he should have benched players more often than he did. He also called Mason McTavish a third-line center, which feels like underselling the player. Time will tell whether he’s the right fit as bench boss for years to come.
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