This is the 12th edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2021-22 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.
In this edition, we grant each team a wish ahead of the March 21 trade deadline.
1. Florida Panthers (40-13-6)
Previous rank: 4th
Win the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes. The Panthers' defense can be suspect at times, but landing the Boca Raton native to anchor their second pairing would be a perfect match.
2. Carolina Hurricanes (41-13-5)
Previous rank: 2nd
A right-winger. The Hurricanes are set down the middle of their lineup but lack threats on the right side. They would cost a pretty penny, but there are plenty of options. Guys like Brock Boeser, Rickard Rakell, and Conor Garland are available and would make Carolina's forward group absolutely lethal.
3. Colorado Avalanche (42-13-5)
Previous rank: 1st
Claude Giroux. The Avalanche are hopeful that captain Gabriel Landeskog can return from a knee injury by playoffs, but any time without their leading goal-scorer will hurt. Picking up Giroux would surely soften the blow.
4. Calgary Flames (36-16-7)
Previous rank: 5th
Some insurance depth. The Flames have a packed schedule to close out the season, and injuries and fatigue are likely to pile up. The team is loaded throughout the lineup, but adding a couple of guys who could step up when needed could go a long way.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (38-15-6)
Previous rank: 3rd
A physical, defensive forward. The Lightning lost their hard-checking trio of Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman, and Barclay Goodrow last offseason. Tampa hasn't struggled much without them, but grit can go a long way in the playoffs. The Bolts can replicate that line's success by picking up a hard-nosed player who's difficult to compete against.
6. New York Rangers (37-17-5)
Previous rank: 7th
A winger who can score. The Rangers' depth on the wing is a weakness for them this season. New York controls less than 50% of the expected goals and scoring chances at five-on-five, so adding a dynamic winger who can light the lamp would help address that sore spot.
7. Pittsburgh Penguins (36-15-9)
Previous rank: 8th
A clear mind for netminder Tristan Jarry, who has rebounded spectacularly from last season's playoff catastrophe. Penguins general manager Ron Hextall sounds like he isn't rushing to make a major addition at the deadline. If he isn't actively seeking an upgrade on backup Casey DeSmith, Pittsburgh will need Jarry to continue to erase any memory of last year's mental block from his psyche.
8. Boston Bruins (36-18-5)
Previous rank: 10th
The Bruins seem to have found a recipe for success with their forward combinations at the moment, but injecting some talent couldn't hurt. Bringing in a stud center like Giroux or Tomas Hertl to anchor the team's second line would be nightmarish for playoff opponents.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (37-17-5)
Previous rank: 6th
Goaltender Petr Mrazek proving himself this week. Both he and Jack Campbell have struggled severely this winter. Campbell is sidelined with a rib injury, and the Maple Leafs better hope Mrazek can turn things around so they can fully set their sights on bolstering their defense corps by deadline day.
10. Washington Capitals (32-18-10)
Previous rank: 13th
Land Marc-Andre Fleury and Calvin de Haan from the Blackhawks. The Capitals have two needs: a goaltender and a left-shooting defenseman. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
11. St. Louis Blues (34-17-8)
Previous rank: 9th
A top-four, left-shooting defenseman. The Blues are deep up front and have a solid tandem between the pipes, but they could use one more blue-liner to round out a top four that already features Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, and Torey Krug.
12. Nashville Predators (34-21-4)
Previous rank: 14th
An extension for Filip Forsberg. The Predators aren't trying to move the pending UFA ahead of the deadline, so getting the Swedish sniper signed before March 21 should be Nashville's top priority.
13. Minnesota Wild (34-20-4)
Previous rank: 11th
A goaltending fix. The Wild were one of the league's hottest teams in the first half of the season, but they've stumbled lately. A big reason is Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen's instability in net. Minnesota has allowed 69 goals in its last 15 games, which isn't going to fly if it wants to be a legit Cup contender.
14. Los Angeles Kings (33-20-8)
Previous rank: 12th
Acquire a player with term. The Kings are playing surprisingly well this season but boast one of the league's deepest prospect pools. The club can take a huge step in the next year or two when some of their youngsters jump to the NHL, so acquiring a non-rental player makes the most sense.
15. Edmonton Oilers (32-23-4)
Previous rank: 15th
A starting goalie. Sure, the Oilers' options will be limited, and they'll have some competition given the number of teams in need of help in the crease. However, Edmonton needs an upgrade from Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith.
16. Dallas Stars (32-22-3)
Previous rank: 17th
Reach a resolution with John Klingberg. Miro Heiskanen is out indefinitely, so it seems the Stars may hold onto Klingberg. Without an extension in place, it means Dallas is taking a chance at going on an unlikely playoff run and potentially losing the blue-liner for nothing in the summer. Even with Heiskanen out, it might still be worthwhile to shop him.
17. Vancouver Canucks (29-24-7)
Previous rank: 18th
A team to pony up for J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, or Conor Garland. The Canucks don't have to trade any of them since all three have terms. But if a contender steps up with an offer centered around a promising, young defenseman, it could be highly beneficial for Vancouver's future.
18. Winnipeg Jets (27-23-10)
Previous rank: 21st
A king's ransom for Andrew Copp. The versatile Jets forward could be plugged in anywhere into a contending team's lineup and make an immediate impact. In the past two years, Blake Coleman got the Devils a top prospect and a first-round pick, and Barclay Goodrow netted the Sharks a first-round pick as well. If the Jets deal Copp, the return should be somewhere around there.
19. Vegas Golden Knights (32-25-4)
Previous rank: 16th
Injury clarifications. If Mark Stone returns from long-term injured reserve before the playoffs, the Golden Knights will need to move some money out. Robin Lehner's health could be an even bigger concern. Vegas should be in the market for a goalie if the netminder is projected to miss significant time.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-27-3)
Previous rank: 20th
A deal that reaps a similar haul to last season's Nick Foligno trade. The Blue Jackets ran away with the Maple Leafs' 2021 first-round pick and a fourth-round selection in 2022 in exchange for the veteran's services. Columbus has quite a few players who could be on the move.
21. Anaheim Ducks (27-25-10)
Previous rank: 19th
Massive hauls for Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Rakell. The Ducks aren't far from contending again, and fetching huge returns for pending UFAs will speed up the rebuild. Ideally, they could bring one of them back this summer in free agency.
22. San Jose Sharks (26-25-7)
Previous rank: 23rd
A team-friendly extension for Hertl. The pending UFA forward would've been the Sharks' only high-end trade chip, but they're looking to lock him up instead. Anything under $8 million per season would be a huge win for San Jose.
23. New York Islanders (24-24-8)
Previous rank: 24th
A strong market for Semyon Varlamov. Ilya Sorokin has established himself as the Islanders' goalie of the present and future. Dealing Varlamov could net some valuable assets and create much-needed cap space for next season.
24. Detroit Red Wings (24-28-7)
Previous rank: 22nd
A team to overpay for Nick Leddy. Veteran defensemen like Leddy are always a hot commodity come deadline time. A first-round pick may be greedy, but a second-rounder and promising prospect would be a nice return for the Red Wings.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (22-30-8)
Previous rank: 26th
For Fleury to expand his list of teams he'd be willing to accept a trade to. The veteran netminder has a 10-team no-trade list in his contract, but all reports have indicated that Chicago won't move him somewhere he doesn't want to go. However, the more clubs Fleury is willing to play for, the more the Blackhawks will receive for the 37-year-old.
26. New Jersey Devils (22-32-5)
Previous rank: 27th
A trade partner for P.K. Subban. The Devils aren't looking to extend the pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman. New Jersey will likely have to retain some of his $9-million cap hit in any deal, but it might not have to lose him for nothing.
27. Ottawa Senators (21-32-5)
Previous rank: 25th
Determine Erik Brannstrom and Victor Mete's futures. The young defensemen are pending RFAs, so the clock isn't ticking yet. However, now could be a good time to trade one or both of the blue-liners if the Senators don't see them being a part of the team's future.
28. Buffalo Sabres (20-32-8)
Previous rank: 29th
Load up on even more draft picks. The Sabres have three selections in the opening round of this year's draft, but they likely won't be able to add another with who they can offer in trades. Colin Miller is Buffalo's most attractive option, but overall it doesn't have many rentals who would fetch much more than middle-round picks.
29. Montreal Canadiens (16-35-8)
Previous rank: 31st
A hungry market for Ben Chiarot. The Canadiens are reportedly looking to land, at the very least, a first-round draft pick for the sturdy defenseman, but teams are apparently not as willing to put up their assets as much as they've been in the past. Habs fans can only hope the deadline pressure makes an opposing GM give in.
30. Philadelphia Flyers (18-30-11)
Previous rank: 28th
A nice landing spot for Giroux. The Flyers are spiraling. The best thing the team can do for their beloved captain is to send him to a contender, hopefully after he plays his 1,000th game with the franchise, which he can do on March 17. Of course, Philadelphia should also wish it'll net an excellent return for his services.
31. Arizona Coyotes (18-36-4)
Previous rank: 32nd
A healthy Chychrun. The young defenseman exited Saturday's contest against the Bruins with a lower-body injury. The Coyotes better keep their fingers crossed that their most coveted trade piece isn't seriously harmed.
32. Seattle Kraken (18-37-6)
Previous rank: 30th
A bidding war for Mark Giordano. The Kraken's farm system is obviously weak given their brief existence, so GM Ron Francis needs to get some promising futures for his most valuable rental asset.
(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)
