By JoeHaggerty
CSNNE.com
With the NHL trade deadline little more than a month away, the time has come for plenty of moves to take place. Which teams will stand pat with their teams confident in their roster building at the beginning of the season, and which teams will make an epic splash with an Ilya Kovalchuk-level move this season.
As weve seen, those kind of major deals can either pull a team apart or push them together. Thats always the ultimate chance when altering the chemistry of any hockey team.
There are plenty of rumors out there about Ottawa defenseman Sergei Goncharwith some even suggesting that Boston might be interestedand that kind of player could be the one missing link for many teams to become Stanley Cup contenders.
Tomas Kaberle is also going to be available in the coming weeks with Toronto once again on the ropes, and it really likes itll be a healthy market for puck-moving defensemen for the first time in recent memory.
Teams have already evaluated what they have, and now its time to get bold with a move or two and get busy winning or get busy losing. Without further ado, here are this weeks power rankings:
1. Philadelphia Flyers (32-12-5, last week: 1)The Flyers are the biggest, baddest hockey team in the land and now they have Chris Pronger back. They also beat down the defending champs on national television Sunday.
2. Vancouver Canucks (29-10-9, last week: 2)It wasnt a banner week for the Canucks with three overtimeshootout losses, but you cant fault them too much for that in the socialist NHL, right?
Boston Bruins
3. Dallas Stars (29-14-5, last week: 4)The Red Wings finally whooped up on the Stars last weekend and handed them their first loss in January, but hats off to a Dallas team that has been good all season.
4. Detroit Red Wings (29-13-6, last week: 4)The Red Wings have hung in there admirably, and will be getting Daniel Cleary and Pavel Datsyuk back after the All-Star break. Watch out for the Winged Wheels.
5. Tampa Bay Lightning (30-15-5, last week: 8)Hats off to the classy Marty St. Louis, who has topped 20 goals in a season eight consecutive years. The Bolts have won four in a row, and look like theyre legit.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins (30-15-4, last week: 6)The Penguins are fighting valiantly, but life without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin isnt going to be easy.
7. Boston Bruins (27-14-7, last week: 5)Who would have ever thought that Brad Marchand would be the rookie that everybody is talking about? He leads all NHL rookies with a plus-21.
8. Nashville Predators (27-15-6, last week: 11)The Preds are streaking, and much it is all about Pekka Rinne. The rangy Nashville goalie is 9-1 in his last 10 starts and has allowed one goal or fewer in six of those games.
9. Washington Capitals (27-14-8, last week: 7)Alex Ovechkin snapped out of a goal-scoring funk with a hat trick last weekend, and the competition with Tampa Bay will end up being a very good thing for the Caps.
10. Montreal Canadiens (27-17-5, last week: 10)Apparently, the Habs are taking umbrage with all this talk that only one Northeast Division team will make the playoffs.
11. Phoenix Coyotes (24-16-9, last week: 9)The Desert Dogs are 10-8-5 at home this season. That just isnt going to get it done.
12. Chicago Blackhawks (26-19-4, last week: 12)The one-sided loss to the Flyers was a pretty indicator of how much lesser the Blackhawks are as a team this season.
13. Anaheim Ducks (27-20-4, last week: 15)Saku Koivu wins in his return to Montreal and the Ducks are making due without Ryan Getzlaf in an impressively gutty showing.
14. New York Rangers (28-19-3, last week: 16)The Rangers havent been the best in their last seven games, but its going to do nothing but help with Marian Gaborik on track offensively.
15. San Jose Sharks (25-19-5, last week: 21)You would think that the Sharks would get angry or embarrassed given the way theyre underachieving this season. Youd be wrong.
16. Colorado Avalanche (24-18-6, last week: 14)The good: the Avs have Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny. The bad: the Avs are brutal defensively and got blown out in two straight games.
17. Minnesota Wild (24-19-5, 20)The Wild are in the periphery of the playoffs, but its going to be tough to stay there for Minnesotas Wild Bunch.
18. Atlanta Thrashers (23-19-9, last week: 17)The Thrashers lose Toby Enstrom to injury and get spanked by the Lightning by a 7-1. Guess hes kind of important, eh?
19. St. Louis Blues (22-18-7, last week: 19)The Blues seem to really be stuck in neutral right now, and have won two of their last 10 games. They cant even get Kyle Wellwood on waivers for cripes sakes.
20. Carolina Hurricanes (23-19-6, last week: 16)The Hurricanes arent exactly burying their chances to catch up to a Thrashers team thats struggling. For a team with a strong young leader like Eric Staal, the Canes seem to take too many shifts off.
21. Los Angeles Kings (25-22-1, last week: 18)I love Dean Lombardi, but it might be time to lay low in a safe house for a while.
22. Calgary Flames (22-21-6, last week: 22)The Flames have pulled themselves to within a handful of points of a playoff spot out west, but methinks theres a better chance of Jarome Iginla getting dealt than Calgary making the playoffs.
23. Buffalo Sabres (22-21-5, last week: 25)Ryan Miller will be playing until either A) his limbs fall off or B) the Sabres are eliminated from the playoffs.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets (23-20-5, last week: 27)The Blue Jackets have taken points in five straight games, but really need to turn it on.
25. Florida Panthers (21-21-5, last week: 24)The latest four game losing streak for the Panthers should be taken as their official white flag of surrender for this season.
26. Toronto Maple Leafs (19-23-5, last week: 26)Brian Burke needs to trade Tomas Kaberle or get off the pot. The Leafs are going nowhere but inviting the Bruins to the lottery once again.
27. New Jersey Devils (16-29-3, last week: 30)The Devils are 6-0-1 in their last seven games and Ilya Kovalchuk is finally starting to look as advertised. Wonder if Lou Lamoriello is muttering Its about time in the Devils management box.
28. Edmonton Oilers (14-25-8, last week: 29)The young Oilers are struggling big time, but at least GM Steve Tambellini didnt have any goaltenders hang up the phone on him.
29. New York Islanders (15-25-7, last week: 28)Would love to have been a fly on the well for that ever so brief chat between Evgeni Nabokov and Garth Snow.
30. Ottawa Senators (17-25-7, last week: 27)Looks like theres a full Ottawa housecleaning set to take place with the Senators beginning soon. Its about time that dirty room was cleaned up.
Joe Haggerty can be reached at jhaggerty@comcastsportsnet.com.Follow Joe on Twitter at http:twitter.comHackswithHaggs