28. Anaheim Ducks
Although they haven’t played in over a week, the Anaheim Ducks are on a three-game winning streak. That ultimately won’t mean much this season, but any bit of confidence that this young team can muster is useful in the long run.
27. Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are in last place in the Western Conference, and they really only get to 27 in these rankings because there are several poor teams in the NHL this season. If and when the Hawks start trading star players, they’ll fall further down this list.
26. Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have not won a hockey game since January 21, and only the Blue Jackets have a worse record than the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference. Things have been difficult this season, and I don’t see them getting any easier for the Habs.
25. Ottawa Senators
Unlike most of the other teams listed so far, the Ottawa Senators have been playing some better hockey recently. They went into All-Star Weekend on a four-game winning streak and posted an 8-6 record in January.
Looking at the playoffs is probably a bit far-fetched still, but for a team that had postseason aspirations when the season began, six points back could be manageable.