NHL power rankings: Lightning exit trade deadline as Stanley Cup favorites
5. St. Louis Blues
It was a bit surprising to see the St. Louis Blues add virtually nothing at the trade deadline. But hey, this team won the Stanley Cup a year go. And they’ll be getting Vladimir Tarasenko back soon. Repeating as the champs is hard, but the Blues have a shot.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
Mike Sullivan deserves the Jack Adams for getting this team to play as well as they have despite so many injuries. Patrick Marleau is still good offensively, but his defense has gone down the drain. If the Penguins can stay healthy (knock on wood), I think they’re going to be a really tough team to beat in the postseason.
3. Washington Capitals
They’ve been struggling, but they have so much skill. If the Capitals figure things out, they’re downright scary. Hopefully, the Caps will give us Ovechkin and Kovalchuk on the ice at the same time at 5v5. It’s what the hockey universe has been waiting for years to see.
2. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins didn’t make any sexy deadline moves, but I like what they did. Ondrej Kase, when healthy, is a great goal scorer. He’s what their second line needs. Nick Ritchie is a big guy who can skate well, so it’s not hard to see why the Bruins wanted him. He’ll make them tougher to handle in the playoffs.
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
Last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning did nothing at the trade deadline and they regretted it. This time around, the Bolts got tougher, more skilled, and bigger. Blake Coleman is small on paper, but he’s a tough guy to play against and he’s physical. Not to mention he’s an outstanding 200-foot player. Good luck scoring on the Lightning if they put Anthony Cirelli and Coleman together.
Trade Deadline Grades For Each Team. dark. Next
I like Barclay Goodrow because it’s way harder than you think to find forwards who are actually good on defense. But he is. That said, a first-round pick is an asinine price to pay for Goodrow. I’m sure Lightning fans won’t mind the price if they win the Stanley Cup. But if they don’t, things could get interesting in Tampa.