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Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

NHL 2024-25 Power Rankings: Week 20

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Eugene Helfrick | Last updated Mar 10, 2025 12:23 PM ET

If you were thinking like I was heading into the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, you weren’t expecting a lot to happen on Friday because, seemingly, all the big moves had already been made. I mean, we already saw Mikko Rantanen traded, after all, so you can’t make a bigger move than that, right?

How wrong I was, eh?

With a rising cap and seller’s market, NHL general managers went all in at the Trade Deadline, not only in the leadup to Friday, but in the hours after the deadline was ‘over.’ Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers? Jaw Dropper. The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs pulling off a huge deal for a defenseman? Wasn’t anywhere on my bingo card this year. The Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators swapping struggling young stars? We love the creativity. Rantanen traded again? Sure, make it happen.

All I can say is, I hope with a rising salary cap and so many teams in the mix for the Stanley Cup each season, this trade deadline will become the new standard, because that was an absolute blast. Plus, it feels like there are a dozen teams who loaded up to go into battle this Spring, so we could have one of the most competitive playoffs in years.

With all this action taking place off the ice, it’s definitely harder to judge the games being played at the moment. Some teams traded core players, waiving the proverbial white flag on their season. Others acquired entirely new lines, but there’s no guarantee that these additions will click into place in a meaningful way. There are so many question marks that were answered this week, all while creating new questions.

It’s a fun time to be a fan of the NHL, however, so I’m looking forward to working through one of the more chaotic Rankings in Week 20 of THW’s NHL Power Rankings.

32-21: Red Wing Fail Trade Deadline Test

32. Buffalo Sabres (Previously: 27)

31. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously: 28)

30. San Jose Sharks (Previously: 32)

29. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously: 31)

28. Nashville Predators (Previously: 30)

27. Seattle Kraken (Previously: 29)

26. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously: 26)

25. Anaheim Ducks (Previously: 25)

24. Detroit Red Wings (Previously: 14)

23. Boston Bruins (Previously: 24)

22. New York Islanders (Previously: 22)

21. Montreal Canadiens (Previously: 21)

If it weren’t for the Sabres setting the bar for fan-base frustration in the NHL, I could easily say that this recent era of Red Wings hockey dating back to their last postseason appearance is one of the most confounding stretches by any team in the league. It all seemed so simple on paper. After decades of holding onto a 25-year-long postseason streak, it was time to tear the team down to its foundation, bring back a franchise icon and successful general manager in Steve Yzerman to lead the rebuild, make the right picks and give it time to develop, then build a contender for the next decade-plus.

Well, as you all know, you have to do more than show up to an exam with a plan to be successful. You have to execute it, and Detroit simply has not been successful in this so far. A fair criticism of Yzerman as general manager is his risk-averse nature, which was on full display this trade deadline. Despite his team being in the middle of the playoff hunt, he effectively did little of value to strengthen his team, which has been ice-cold since the Four Nations Face-Off break. While they can still make the playoffs, they will need to jump at least three other teams to grab the last Wild Card in the East, which is a tall ask for the floundering franchise.

Now, for teams that understood the assignment given the state of the market, I will give some props to the Penguins, Islanders, Flyers, Kraken, and Bruins, who all acquired some big assets this week, but in different ways. The Bruins in particular seem to be making the most out of their downseason, by tearing out their aging core for decent assets, while the Penguins completed a perplexing deal that turned into a solid haul of picks. Seattle also sold high on their assets, and they may have jumpstarted their return to relevance after largely spinning their wheels as a franchise in their first few years in the league.

Overall, it was a great season to be a seller, as most got paid a King’s Ransom for players that may have only fetched a third-round pick in years past.

20-11: Injuries Complicate Devils’ Future

20. Calgary Flames (Previously: 20)

19. New York Rangers (Previously: 17)

18. Utah Hockey Club (Previously: 19)

17. Vancouver Canucks (Previously: 23)

16. New Jersey Devils (Previously: 13)

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously: 12)

14. Los Angeles Kings (Previously: 15)

13. Ottawa Senators (Previously: 16)

12. St. Louis Blues (Previously: 18)

11. Minnesota Wild (Previously: 11)

No team had a worse deadline week than the Devils, and it had nothing to do with the moves they made to acquire new players. Unfortunately, they lost superstar forward Jack Hughes to injury for the remainder of the regular and postseason. This is a devastating blow for a franchise that was already struggling to keep up with the top teams in a relatively mediocre Metropolitan Division. While they are still firmly in third place as of now, if they struggle to get things back on track, the Rangers and Blue Jackets are standing right there to grab their place.

Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

I’m also starting to feel some real concern for the Kings, after they narrowly ended a five-game losing streak on Saturday. Los Angeles just hasn’t looked right since returning from their break, and their hold on third place in the Pacific Division would be at risk if the Flames and Canucks weren’t such a mess in their own right. They are a team to keep a close eye on in the coming week or two, as they should have no problem locking in their place in the postseason, but they just aren’t near where they need to be playing right now.

10-1: Panthers Steal the Show From Dallas

10. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously: 5)

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously: 4)

8. Edmonton Oilers (Previously: 9)

7. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously: 10)

6. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously: 8)

5. Colorado Avalanche (Previously: 7)

4. Winnipeg Jets (Previously: 3)

3. Washington Capitals (Previously: 6)

2. Dallas Stars (Previously: 1)

1. Florida Panthers (Previously: 2)

It’s incredible that the Stars pulled off the biggest move of the 2025 Trade Deadline, but I still feel like the Panthers had the best week out of any team. The reigning Stanley Cup champions not only acquired Seth Jones and Marchand, but they’ve given up just ONE GOAL in their last four games played.

Yes, you read that right. The best team in the NHL got better this week, and they are currently running through one of the most impressive stretches of hockey I’ve ever seen. They look unbeatable right now, and it feels like the playoffs should just be skipped over asa formality at this point as they will only get better when Matthew Tkachuk ultimately returns for Game 1.

Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Avalanche also completed one of the most impressive mid-season roster overhauls I’ve ever seen, as they threw caution to the wind and swapped out their second and third-line centers for new, big upgrades. Overall, this team rebuilt their goaltending tandem and the majority of the top-six forward corps while trading a true Superstar off their roster. I’ve never seen anything like it before, and they might be the best team in the West right now if things click (and if the Stars or Jets slow down, even a little bit).

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Golden Knights were largely silent at a trade deadline for the first time in their franchises’ history, which feels weird. However, they are still in line to win the Pacific Division, so they should not be overlooked as the juggernaut that they are heading into the playoffs.

2025 NHL Trade Deadline is One to Remember

I really can’t overstate just how much fun the 2025 Trade deadline was. I don’t know if we will see one this active ever again but I genuinely enjoyed what we saw this season. Teams got creative, swung big moves that will define their franchises moving forward, and in some cases, sat on their hands and did basically nothing (which speaks just as loudly).

Hopefully, regardless of who you cheer for, this was a fun few days. Rebuilds are exciting as you get to watch new faces take over your team. Going for it is exciting, as the Stanley Cup is always the big goal. Just make sure to give these new players some time to adjust before judging them too harshly.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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