It’s almost April, and you know what that means? That’s right, it’s baseball season, which means it’s time for Toronto Maple Leafs fans to start focusing on the Blue Jays (that joke works a lot better when the Jays’ season doesn’t feel over before the Leafs’ does). But in all seriousness, the playoffs are just a couple weeks away, and for teams fighting for league, conference and division titles, and even just playoff spots, it’s crunch time. But where will all the pieces fall?

Hunter Crowther and I continue to navigate through the results so far this season with another week of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF/60, 5-on-5 xGA/60, power play xGF/60, and shorthanded xGA/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that’s more than five points ahead of them in the standings or has clinched a playoff spot when they haven’t, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together, we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.

1. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 51-19-4, +83
Last Week: 2nd (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st

Scott: I can’t believe I’m saying this after how much stake I put on the “Winnipeg is a fraud” hill, but they’ve somehow managed to vault themselves into that exclusive club of teams in the top 10 in expected goals for and against per 60 minutes, the one that I’ve referenced over the past two seasons as being crucial for Stanley Cup contention. There’s still that bit of uncertainty after they failed to make a significant upgrade in their division like the Stars and Avalanche did, but there still seems to be holes in both of those teams’ games, while the Jets have patched theirs up over the course of the season. We’ll have to see how well this plays out, but I may finally be on board.

Hunter: It’s funny how as Scott has gotten warmer on the Jets, I’ve been, not exactly cold on them, but less warm with time. But this past week saw strong performances with a win against a fellow first-place team in the Capitals, as well as convincing wins against the Devils and Canucks. Mark Scheifele scored his first goal in nine games this week, so he’ll need to sharpen his offense in the next two weeks. I don’t know why we all decided Connor Hellebuyck was no longer a Hart Trophy candidate, but he remains first in all categories with a 43-10-3 record, .925 save percentage (SV%) and 2.03 goals against average (GAA), as well as seven shutouts.

Scott: I’m sorry, are you using goals against average in 2025?

Hunter: Wow, math-shaming in 2025. Read the room, Scott!!!!

Scott: You’re really stretching the math part of that sentence. While you’re at it, why not talk about Dylan Samberg’s and Dylan DeMelo’s plus-minus!

2. Washington Capitals

Record: 47-17-9, +70
Last Week: 1st (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd

Scott: Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for all-time goals scored. I repeat, he is five goals away. After many thought it wouldn’t happen this season, it’s looking extremely possible that it will happen before the end of the year. The Capitals have nine games left in their season, but as it stands, Ovechkin is on pace to beat the record in seven games, which would be their final home game of the season against the Blue Jackets, which certainly isn’t a bad way to have it play out. That said, if it’s not on home, I’m eyeing that last game of the season when they’re in Pittsburgh. It would be a bit poetic for Ovechkin to do it with his long-time rival watching him.

Hunter: Forget about scoring at home, he’s made Washington fans happy for 20 years. Let’s see him do it against Sidney Crosby, just so we can have that highlight to look back on for the rest of our lives. How can you not be romantic about hockey?

3. Dallas Stars

Record: 48-21-4, +63
Last Week: 4th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 3rd

Hunter: The Stars have won five straight and have officially clinched their playoff spot. Jason Robertson has been one of hockey’s best players in the past three months, scoring 26 goals and 52 points in the last 39 games, stretching back to Dec. 29. With Mikko Rantanen scoring in his last two games – of course it comes after Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discussed his offensive struggles on DFO Live – the Stars are going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of hockey’s hottest teams. At this point, the only thing you have to wonder is: which Jake Oettinger will we see this spring?

Scott: Here’s the thing that still concerns me about this Stars team: their defensive numbers were already bad around the trade deadline, and they’ve actually gotten worse over the last few weeks. They certainly have the offense and goaltending to make up for it and go on a run, but it feels like a glaring weakness that will be exploited at some point.

Hunter: I think everyone assumed they would add some firepower up front with Tyler Seguin and his $9.5 million salary being off the books – hence Mikko Rantanen – but I figured they would beef up their blueline with Miro Heiskanen being out until at least the first round of the playoffs. We all love Thomas Hartley and Esa Lindell, but Cody Ceci and Ilya Lyubushkin aren’t going to save the day.

4. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 45-20-8, +55
Last Week: 6th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 4th

Scott: After three more wins last week, the Golden Knights have won six straight games, have points in nine of their last 10 and are starting to pull away with the Pacific Division title. They likely won’t catch the Jets for first in the West, which means it’s all eyes on this sudden duel for the first Wildcard spot between the Wild and the Blues, and at this point, I’d take the Wild if I’m Bruce Cassidy and co. considering how hot the Blues have been.

Hunter: The Blues giving Vegas a real fight in the first round is a plotline I can get behind. The Golden Knights are already the league’s “bad guys,” and an overachieving St. Louis group forcing Vegas to seven games, or worse, handing them their second consecutive first-round exit, is too good a story to pass up.

5. Florida Panthers

Record: 44-26-3, +35
Last Week: 3rd (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 5th

Scott: I wonder when we’ll catch the attention of Leafs fans for how high we’ve ranked the Panthers and the Lightning compared to Toronto, who’s slightly pulled ahead in the division race. The reality is, even if the Leafs win the Atlantic, I still like either of the Florida teams more, but especially the Panthers, who even with a slight hiccup as of late have played like a true Stanley Cup contender. I guess we’ll see this theory put to the test on Wednesday when the Panthers visit Toronto, but so far this matchup has gone Florida’s way.

6. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 41-23-9, +29
Last Week: 5th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 6th

Scott: It’s nice to see Hunter finally give the Kings a bit more respect, or at least the same level of respect that I give them. Yes, Thursday and Saturday’s losses to the Avalanche and Leafs while getting outscored 7-1 is a slight concern, but they’re still 5-2-0 in their last seven, and even more impressively, the loss to the Leafs was only their fourth regulation defeat on home ice. Considering they’re leaning towards having home-ice advantage in their inevitable rematch against the Oilers, that play could be crucial.

Hunter: Hey now, I’ve given L.A. lots of respect through the year, especially when they were winning without Drew Doughty. I said two weeks ago if the playoffs started today and the Kings had to play the Oilers, I’d take L.A. I think what’s held me back for much of the season was that the Western Conference is such a grind that I didn’t know how they’d match up to the other heavyweights in the West. Turns out, they’re pretty good themselves, and they play such a suffocating style that snuffs out their opposition while taking advantage of their opponents’ mistakes.

7. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 45-24-4, +42
Last Week: 7th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 9th

Hunter: In hindsight, it’s funny how everyone took parting shots at the Hurricanes for moving on from Mikko Rantanen just weeks after acquiring him. Now with 12 wins in their last 15 games, Carolina has set themselves up for a favorable first-round matchup against a struggling Devils squad that is hobbling into the playoffs. Here’s a fun fact: did you know Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen have rotated every game since Feb. 22? Kochetkov has been the starter for the majority of the season, but a now-healthy Andersen has been sensational since returning to the lineup, posting a 12-5-0 record, a 2.01 GAA and .919 SV%. They say if you have two starting goalies, you actually have zero, but I’m sure Rod Brind’Amour begs to differ.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 43-25-5, +69
Last Week: 10th (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 7th

Scott: After a tough 4-2 loss to an equally competitive Golden Knights’ squad, the Lightning locked in and won three straight games against opponents they definitely should have beat in the Penguins, Utah and the Islanders. Not only that, they did so in dominant fashion, outscoring them 19-4. Just like that, they’re in the thick of a now three-horse race for the Atlantic Division, one that should be exciting because the two losers will be put in a matchup that they don’t want against each other.

9. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 45-26-3, +41
Last Week: 9th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 10th

Scott: The Avalanche had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, but you can’t even fault them when it’s against the hottest team in the league right now in the Blues. Ninth feels like a harsh ranking for Colorado these days, but outside of the top three, a lot of these playoff teams are neck-and-neck on our lists, and it’s why we’re still seeing a couple big shifts every week so late in the season.

10. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 42-26-5, +21
Last Week: 8th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 8th

Scott: A week that featured a 4-3 loss to the Stars and a 6-1 loss to the Kraken before pulling out a 3-2 overtime win over the Flames isn’t exactly the strongest of weeks from a team many expected to be a Cup contender. But instead of dragging them like we have recently, I’ll cut them some slack considering that they were without Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Stuart Skinner for good chunks of the week. I’d also just like to point out that the Oilers’ current backup goalie to Calvin Pickard is named Olivier Rodrigue. I can’t quite place it, but that name sounds familiar… I’m getting some serious deja vu.

Hunter: Wait, Rodrigue made his NHL debut this week? Well if I saw him, I’d say good 4 u!

Scott: Okay, that one was a bit brutal man.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 45-25-4, +23
Last Week: 11th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 11th

Hunter: Sometimes, writing about the Maple Leafs feels like being in a relationship with someone where you run out of things to talk about. “They have lots of talent, but they’re inconsistent, and will their stars show up when it matters most?” It’s an old track, but it’s the only one they’re selling at the store. Anyway, after Sunday’s win over the Ducks, they’re three points clear of the Panthers for first in the Atlantic Division. With eight games to go and a possible 16 points, let’s say they need … 10 points to clinch? Maybe 11? Can they do it? I say yes.

Scott: I think it’s oddly telling that the Leafs are 6-1-1 in their last eight, and yet fans still have complaints about this team – and I don’t think it’s Leafs fans being overdramatic for once, entirely. They’ve just felt sloppy even when they win, and I’m very curious to see how that unfolds in the playoffs.

12. New Jersey Devils

Record: 39-29-7, +25
Last Week: 12th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 12th

Scott: I wonder what the Devils’ internal expectations going into the playoffs are right now. They got off to such a good start and looked like a team poised for Stanley Cup contention, but between the second half struggles and losing their most productive center and defenseman in Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, not to mention the fact that they haven’t gotten the Jacob Markstrom they were hoping for, it really just feels like they’re going to pop in for a few games and call it a season. I hope we see more of a fight from them against the Hurricanes, but it does have to feel a bit disappointing considering how many of their problems aren’t even their own doing.

13. Minnesota Wild

Record: 41-28-5, -9
Last Week: 13th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 14th

Hunter: It was a difficult week for the Wild, who lost three of their four games this week and struggled to score in those defeats. One good sign is that both Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov, the latter of whom has only played three times since Dec. 23, fully participated in practice this week and could return to the lineup before the playoffs begin. While Minnesota and the Blues are six points clear of the Canucks, anything can happen.

Scott: As a Kaprizov fantasy owner starting the finals this week, is it wishful thinking to see him this week? Probably, but a man can dream. It’s still crazy in hindsight how much he was in the Hart Trophy conversation, only to play 37 games. What could have been this season…

14. St. Louis Blues

Record: 40-28-7, +17
Last Week: 14th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 13th

Hunter: Is that … is that … by God, that’s Jim Montgomery’s music! He’s running to the ring and about to steal the damn Jack Adams Award! Okay, maybe he won’t eclipse Spencer Carbery, but what Montgomery’s done with the Blues is no doubt impressive. Now winners of nine straight after defeating the Avalanche Saturday night, the Blues are not just comfortably in a playoff spot, they are on a hot enough run that they could legitimately take one of the Jets or Golden Knights to seven games.

15. Ottawa Senators

Record: 39-28-6, +2
Last Week: 15th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 16th

Hunter: While most of the Eastern Conference is stumbling through the end of the 2024-25 season, looking like Lucy when she worked at the chocolate factory, the Senators held their own, winning twice this week and earning five out of eight points. With two weeks remaining, Ottawa has 84 points and sits comfortably in the first Wildcard spot in the East. Now they just wait and see if they’re going to play one of the Leafs, Panthers or Lightning.

16. New York Rangers

Record: 35-32-7, +2
Last Week: 16th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 17th

Hunter: Not the most productive west-coast trip for a Rangers group fighting for a Wildcard spot, losing in regulation to the Kings, squeaking by the Ducks in overtime then blowing out the last-place Sharks. Artemi Panarin has 10 goals and 20 points in March, doing everything he can to help them make the playoffs. For a league that wanted a tight postseason race, everyone is doing their best to screw it up. It’s almost impressive.

Scott: As fun of a story as it would be to see a team like Montreal, Columbus or Detroit claim that final spot, the Rangers are probably the best team of the bunch. They currently have 32 wins in regulation, and of the five teams in the hunt, the next closest is 26. There’s certainly a bit of a quality gap there.

17. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 34-27-13, -16
Last Week: 17th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 15th

Scott: There’s always one, sometimes even multiple teams that fall victim to being in too good of a conference, and the end result may be missing the playoffs while they watch the other conference trip over their own feet and try their absolute hardest to not make the playoffs. It happens every year, and it’s starting to look like the Canucks (and possibly the Flames) will be the victims. Right now, the Canucks sit four points ahead of the Canadiens and Rangers, who are tied for that last Wildcard spot in the East. And yet, they’re six points back of the Wild and Blues for either Wildcard spot in the West, with only one game in hand on the Blues. That said, it feels like a fitting end to the season that they’ve had.

18. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 33-30-9, -8
Last Week: 22nd (+4)
Hunter’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 19th

Hunter: Credit to the Blue Jackets for staying in the battle this week, but both of their shootout wins could have gone the other way, although you don’t want to just give away points to an Islanders group you’re battling with. Columbus still has a game in hand on the Canadiens and two in hand on the Rangers, but that means nothing if you don’t win those games. Getting two points Tuesday against the Predators is a good place to start.

19. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 34-30-9, -26
Last Week: 21st (+2)
Hunter’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd

Hunter: (In the voice of Parker Posey): Les Habitants, nooooooooo!!! The Canadiens went into Sunday afternoon losing five straight, only to snap the streak after defeating the Panthers. They still hold the second Wildcard spot, if only because the Rangers, Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Islanders can’t find any consistency. After how Sunday’s game ended, Tuesday’s rematch vs. Florida will be must-see TV.

20. New York Islanders

Record: 32-31-10, -23
Last Week: 20th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 21st

Scott: Can the Islanders make up their mind if they want to make the playoffs or not? After inching oh-so-close to a playoff spot last week, they’ve now lost five games in a row. That said, they’re only three points out, so they still have a slight chance of making it. But who really wants that? I don’t even think Islanders fans want that at this point.

Hunter: There’s a scene in the 2004 Taurus World Stunt Award-nominated Freddy vs. Jason where the two killers are fighting, delivering numerous should-be fatal blows to one another. After Freddy Krueger fails to finish off Jason Voorhees, the red-and-green sweatered villain asks his opponent, “Why won’t you die?”

That’s what it’s like to watch the Islanders.

21. Utah Hockey Club

Record: 33-29-12, -19
Last Week: 19th (-2)
Hunter’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 18th

Hunter: Starting the week with a 5-1 loss to the Red Wings and 8-0 drubbing to the Lightning, it wasn’t one to remember for Utah HC. Don’t let the 2-1 OT loss to the Panthers fool you: they were outshot 32-14 and had no business being in that game. As we’ve mentioned ad nauseam through the year, there’s a lot to like about this group. But they’re still a year of development and maybe an expensive free agent or two away from being a contender in the Central Division.

Scott: It really does feel like curtains for their playoff chances this season with how insane the Blues have been this season. It’s unfortunate, but they’ve managed to show that they’re on the precipice of becoming a contender.

22. Calgary Flames

Record: 34-26-12, -24
Last Week: 18th (-4)
Hunter’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 20th

Hunter: Somebody call Don Meredith and tell him to turn out the lights, the party’s over for the Flames. It was fun following the success of rookie goalie Dustin Wolf, the re-emergence of Jonathan Huberdeau, and Rasmus Andersson ramping up his value as he enters the offseason with one year left on his contract. There’s a lot of young players on this team, and there’s a few 30-somethings they can move on from. Even if and when Calgary falls short, I still want to see them finish strong. This team was one of my favorites to watch this year.

Scott: In defense of the Flames, they still have three games in hand on the Blues, and if they win those games, they’re only one point behind St. Louis. They need a decent amount to go their way, but I wouldn’t start shopping for caskets just yet.

23. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 34-33-6, -22
Last Week: 23rd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 22nd

Scott: It perplexes me how the Red Wings have still managed to hang around in the playoff race in the East. They’ve only won four of their last 15 games, and yet they sit three points out of the second Wildcard spot and actually have the second-most regulation wins out of the five teams in the hunt at this point. Then again, that says more about the state of the actual race between the five teams, as if you look at their last 10 games, three teams are currently tied for the most wins of the bunch… with four. We’re getting the 2024 playoff race all over again, so who will be this year’s Capitals?

24. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 30-34-11, -56
Last Week: 25th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 24th

Hunter: Wins and losses don’t matter for the Penguins. Despite having Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, they will miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year. When Kyle Dubas signed a seven-year contract with Pittsburgh, you knew there would be pain. It doesn’t make seeing Crosby, who just broke the NHL record for most point-per-game seasons with 20, not play past mid-April any better. But when he scored the overtime winner Sunday against the Senators, at least it put a smile on his face.

25. Boston Bruins

Record: 30-35-9, -51
Last Week: 24th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 25th

Hunter: Sometimes you see the perfect tweet (I don’t care, they’re still called tweets), and you think, “Wow, how can one post summarize something so clearly?” That’s what it felt like seeing friend of the Power Rankings Justin Bourne’s post last Wednesday about the Bruins and “quiet quitting.”

https://t.co/o68oShtnVl pic.twitter.com/qBQJe4qI9z
— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) March 27, 2025

Eight straight losses? For Boston? The team in a city that seldom sees failure? Allow me some time to find the world’s smallest violin.

Scott: The Bruins haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs just yet (and need to lose about 10 points on the Canadiens and Rangers to do so), so I’m still slightly hesitant to count out a team that always proves us wrong. But yeah, this feels like that’s all she wrote this season for Boston. Fun fact: the last time the Bruins and Red Wings both missed the playoffs in the same season was 1967, a year that has absolutely no relevance in hockey.

26. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 32-33-8, -29
Last Week: 26th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 28th

Hunter: Can I use the “It’s the ______, who cares?” tag for this one? Just kidding, I actually liked the Ducks’ game this week, particularly the beatdown they laid on the Bruins and seeing them come back late in the third against the Rangers. Flipping between Sunday’s game against the Leafs and the newest episode of The White Lotus, there were stretches of the game where Anaheim was easily the better team. With nine goals and 17 points in March, Leo Carlsson is finishing his second season strong.

27. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 31-36-6, -22
Last Week: 28th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 26th

Scott: I saw this tweet from Mike Kelly yesterday and it really leaves a taste of “what if?” in the mouths of Sabres fans, considering how close they likely are talent-wise to a lot of the teams in the wild card race. They actually have a positive goal differential at 5v5 as well. And yet, even after winning six of their last nine games, they’re still nine points out of a playoff spot. Oh well, at least they’re getting hot at the perfect time to ruin their lottery odds!

Buffalo has as many regulation wins and a better goal differential than Montreal. Buffalo is last place in the Eastern Conference, Montreal is in a playoff spot.
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) March 30, 2025

28. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 30-36-9, -47
Last Week: 27th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott: How often do you see a head coach fired this late into the season? It makes perfect sense that the Flyers moved on from John Tortorella, even at this point of the season, considering he had basically quit on the team, but it still feels weird to not just ride it out the last 10 or so games. Regardless, they’ll end up in the same spot in the offseason anyways, just with an interim coach, although that has given the Flyers a “new coach bump” by winning their first two games under Brad Shaw.

Hunter: Most fans and reporters will never know 97 percent of what goes on in a dressing room among the players, and even the three percent that does come out will have been restructured and twisted and skimmed before going public. But for all the rumours and tall tales we hear, there’s no recent story I want to hear more than what was the final straw that led to Tortorella getting fired. A shouting match? A shoving match? A chorus of F-bombs to the wrong person? A combination of the three? So many questions we’ll never get answered. But for God’s sake: Mr. Tortorella, write your damn book.

29. Seattle Kraken

Record: 31-37-6, -19
Last Week: 30th (+1)
Hunter’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 29th

Scott: A quick look over the Kraken’s last seven games, five of which they’ve lost, and you can’t even really feel good about the two wins. One was over the Blackhawks, one of the few teams worse than them, and the other was over an Oilers squad that was without McDavid, Draisaitl and Skinner. It’s for the best, though, as now that they’re mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, they can pull away from the Penguins, Flyers and Sabres who are within the same threshold as them points-wise in the lottery race. The only team that seems to be losing at a similar rate to the Kraken is the Bruins, who’ve lost eight in a row.

30. Nashville Predators

Record: 27-38-8, -50
Last Week: 29th (-1)
Hunter’s Rank: 30th
Scott’s Rank: 30th

Hunter: Should we have seen this coming after the Predators lost five straight to start the year? Or when they were 7-16-6 on Dec. 10? Or maybe when they spent nearly $110 million in total dollars between Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei? I just don’t know how it got to this point. I’m really curious to see how Barry Trotz handles the offseason. Oh, Nashville has lost seven of its last nine.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 21-44-9, -68
Last Week: 31st (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 32nd
Scott’s Rank: 31st

Scott: It’s easy to see why Hunter shifted ranks on these two bottom feeders that have held down their respective spots for quite some time. The Sharks are the good vibes club, had an exciting win over the Leafs, and the Blackhawks have a bit more of a stink to them, especially after losing 10 of their last 11 games. But at this point, it feels like both teams have a slightly different choice for first overall, so I don’t even think it matters. The Sharks need a top-end defenseman, and the Blackhawks need another scoring option to play and grow with Connor Bedard, so it seems likely that we’ll see Matthew Schaefer in teal and Michael Misa in red regardless of where the two teams finish.

32. San Jose Sharks

Record: 20-44-9, -88
Last Week: 32nd (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 31st
Scott’s Rank: 32nd

Hunter: Let’s just get this over with. There was a good chunk of the season where the Sharks were the hip team to watch late, blessed with youthful talent in Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. But they’re bad. They’re going to finish with a worse record than last season and just might end up with another No. 1 overall pick. Credit to Mike Grier for assembling, or, uh, disassembling a lineup that puts them in a position to get another top pick. But let’s stick a fork in this fish.

_____

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