NHL Power Rankings & Power Groupings: Olympic Break Edition

It's time.

With the Olympics off and running in Vancouver, NHL teams down in the States (and in other Canadian cities) have been granted a lengthy two-and-a-half week break to re-assess their situation heading into the March 3 trade deadline and the 20 regular season games left this spring.

For hockey fanatics not quite as involved in the sport, this stretch is also a time to sort out the pretenders from the contenders.

Who is for real?

Who has the experience to survive a tense March and April?

Which bottom-feeders might become a bit more interesting in the final fourth of the season?

There are plenty of candidates to make our spring a bit more intriguing than usual.

Both conferences' playoff races are heating up. There are six teams within three points of the current eight-place cutoff in the East, and seven teams within seven points of each other fighting for two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

However, the West has also continued to increase their lead over the Eastern Conference and prove that their side is the superior of the two halves of 15 teams.

Not only is their cut-off line five points higher (64 to 69), but there is also another pattern appearing. Between the seventh and thirteenth spots in the West, every team has a winning streak of at least one game at the moment. In the same spots in the East, they've all won less than half of their last 10 games going into the break.

However, conferences are conferences, and the Western teams are just going to have to make do with more competition.

This additional need for squads to step it up could also lead to several interesting pre-trade deadline days and, with plenty of cellar teams offering up some juicy players, the beginning of March might be the most interesting three-day stretch of the season for many.

In the meantime, we'll stick to attempting to sort out the NHL teams, one-by-one. However, NHL fans need to remain on call as we turn the corner into next month, because anything can happen, anytime, in today's National Hockey League.

Group One - The Elite

1. Washington Capitals (90 pts)

The Capitals have established themselves, finally, as the NHL's cream of the crop. They lead all other Eastern Conference foes by 13 points or more already and are, by far, tops in the league with a +70 team +/- ratio.

Despite a recent three-game losing streak, Washington is going to be an explosive and dangerous team all the way to the Cup finals.

2. San Jose Sharks (89 pts)

The Sharks are just as good, maybe better, than last year this regular season. But the question remains whether or not they can finally win some playoff series, despite trailing the league lead by just a single point at the moment.

However, if they can make a few more moves to solidify the defense (Niclas Wallin was already acquired from Carolina), they should be looking as good as ever going into April.

3. Chicago Blackhawks (87 pts)

Chicago's been in the top three all year long, but a recent four game winning streak to stop a surprisingly-slow start to 2010 has re-sparked confidence in this young, talented Blackhawks team.

The addition of Johnsson from Minnesota may not have been overly necessary, but is yet another smart move to tidy up a few weak corners of the roster going into spring.

Group Two - The Contenders

4. Los Angeles Kings (78 pts)

The Kings franchise has never experienced much success this decade, but their current roster is the team that might be able to change that. If they can take advantage of their talks with 'Canes forward Ray Whitney (48 points), Los Angeles might have found the perfect balance to be a dark horse to win it all.

5. Vancouver Canucks (76 pts)

They might not play an NHL game in their home arena for about another month, but the Canucks have overcome a slower first half to now be in position to try for more success heading into the playoffs than they did last year. Watch out for Vancouver down the stretch, Western Conference.

6. Ottawa Senators (76 pts)

After a disappointing 2009, the Senators have picked up the pace considerably all season long and are riding the momentum of their double-digit win streak into the Olympic Break. This team doesn't look to be very active with any moves this season, but they don't have to do anything more in their quest to make a splash than to advance all the way to the Eastern finals this April.

7. Phoenix Coyotes (79 pts)

The Coyotes have 79 points in 63 games so far this season, but I still have my doubts about hockey in the desert. Perhaps they might be able to earn a few more sellouts as the playoffs loom closer, but I think a pressure meltdown might be on the way to Arizona.

 8. Pittsburgh Penguins (76 pts)

The defending champs aren't showing quite the stuff they had going in their run through the 2009 postseason, but a few large deals this March and they might be even more intimidating than last year due to the aura of confidence the entire city has built around this team.

9. New Jersey Devils (77 pts)

The Devils capped off a remarkably boring January and February with a 5-2 loss in Carolina last Saturday, which also concluded a run where New Jersey won just three out of ten games and blew a considerable Atlantic Division lead. However, as Ilya Kovalchuk begins to get settled, you can never count out the Devils.

10. Colorado Avalanche (76 pts)

Colorado remains all the way down in sixth in the conference, but they have a seven point cushion over the cutoff line and a good group of young players that seem to be handling the pressure fine. However, goaltending could emerge as an issue that might need to be fixed this March as we look towards the long run.

11. Buffalo Sabres (75 pts)

The Sabres have slipped off the radar this winter and deservedly so, as several losing skids and a 5-11 run beginning Jan. 16 have blown their lead over the fiery-hot Ottawa Senators. While the Sabres themselves aren't in the Olympics, the performance of Team USA and goaltender Ryan Miller might give this team the confidence (or lose them the confidence) they need to success this spring.

Group Three - On the Bubble

12. Philadelphia Flyers (67 pts)

The Flyers have the second-highest team +/- ratio in the conference at +19, but a recent four-game streak was necessary to simply pull them into the top eight. Despite a shallow cushion of only three points, I get the feeling this unlucky Flyers squad might be a dark horse after the Olympics this year.

13. Dallas Stars (68 pts)

Dallas has begun to make their move lately with a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, but they need to make a bigger splash at the deadline than just the addition of goalie Lehtonen if they want to overcome some tough competition and sneak into the playoffs.

14. Calgary Flames (69 pts)

After a very loss-laden January, it appears that perhaps a big trading market splash well before the deals began to heat up may be working out in the short-term for Calgary.

However, they're still right on the edge in eight place and have a boatload of hungry opponents just waiting to overtake them and leave Alberta without a team in the playoffs this season.

15. Nashville Predators (71 pts)

The Predators haven't gotten any attention all year, but they're quietly winning games and steadily finding a place for Tennessee hockey in the playoff picture. They might not have fans, but at least they have live music at the intermissions!

16. Minnesota Wild (64 pts)

The Wild are third to last in the conference heading into the break, but they've got a dedicated fanbase behind them and an overlooked roster that knows how to win if they get a chance. Minnesota has 21 of 30 victories at home and, with plenty of games left there and only a five point deficit to reach the playoff line, the Wild aren't a team to be counted out yet.

17. Boston Bruins (65 pts)

After a horrible losing streak made things as worse as they've ever been in Boston, something finally turned it around and has brought four straight victories to the Bruins and, as of now, a playoff seed. However, this team has shown its instability a lot this year and are no sure bet of going farther than 82 games.

18. St. Louis Blues (65 pts)

A 4-3 shootout win over league-leading Washington to extend their winning streak to three games will help the confidence in St. Louis heading into the break. But unless they get active directly following the end of the Olympic roster freeze and acquire a big-time playmaker, it will be hard for the Blues to stand out and excel in a tightly-packed playoff race.

19. Anaheim Ducks (67 pts)

The Ducks are above .500 in their last 10 and have a great goalie (not only for this year but for the future) in Jonas Hiller.

On the other hand, Anaheim is in the same boat with a handful of other Western squads, needing some extra spark to come along if they want to sneak into the playoffs like last year.

20. Detroit Red Wings (68 pts)

It's been a colossal plummet from the Western Conference title of 2009 for Detroit, but you can just never count out the Red Wings.

And through everything they've suffered through this year, it's going to be hard to recover and make it past early April. But, you know, they just might do it. They just might...

21. New York Rangers (68 pts)

With 63 points, the Rangers are barely on the wrong side of the eight-seed postseason qualification line. But, truly, they just don't deserve to be there. Henrik Lundqvist better win gold for Sweden, because he won't be winning much more with this team.

The New York management might want to begin considering a major rebuild that could bring this team above their recent mediocrity. This current roster is still far too displaced to do much as it is.

22. Tampa Bay Lightning (63 pts)

After season upon season of struggles following their pre-lockout Stanley Cup championship, the Lightning have begun to right the ship and really have organized a good set of players.

With this load of superstar prospects already playing great at the top level, they will be in the top tier within a few years.

But this season, I'm not so sure they're going to have enough push to make it into the upper eight in the East.

23. Atlanta Thrashers (62 pts)

The Thrashers are technically still in the mix with 62 points, but most experts, including me, are counting them out now that Kovalchuk's gone. Perhaps they aren't dead. Perhaps the postseason is a reality for Atlanta, a franchise that's only dreamed of making it there for much of their existence.

But with this group of players, that prediction is just silly, isn't it?!

Group Four - Work to Do

24. Montreal Canadiens (64 pts)

On paper, the Canadiens are in eighth place in the conference. As in, in the playoff picture. As in, possible Cup contenders.

However, can they really stay there?

No.

25. Carolina Hurricanes (55 pts)

Of all the teams in the playoff mix right now, the Hurricanes are perhaps the most interesting, as well as the hardest to predict. You ask, "Carolina is in, of all things, the playoff mix ?!" Well, actually, yes.

It would be difficult.

But recent four and five game winning streaks that have compiled to 18 points in their last 11 games have brought back the glimmer of hope that, perhaps, this spring might be a magical one in Raleigh. As the Eastern Conference is having a down year, it's likely that the eighth place team may make into into the postseason with only 88 points or so, which brings us to the conclusion that if the 'Canes can pull of 15 or 16 victories in their last 21 games, they have a shot.

Is that likely? Of course not. But is it possible? Most certainly, especially if the 'Canes can bring in some big talent in return for 37-year-old Whitney.

26. Columbus Blue Jackets (60 pts)

The Blue Jackets not only are looking shaky for their future, but also for their location in Columbus. But if the sophomore slump is all that's getting to Steve Mason, maybe next season can bring brighter things to Ohio. However, they're dead for this season, and they definitely have work to do on all angles if they want to have a successful decade in the NHL.

27. Florida Panthers (58 pts)

Florida was in the mix for a while, but it was inevitable that eventually their hopes would be mostly eliminated by a losing skid, which happened this February. The Panthers have lost seven of their last 10 and now need to know that, as a franchise, it's crucial they look towards the draft and the future this deadline and don't try to pull off the unlikely.

28. New York Islanders (58 pts)

The Isles are a trainwreck right now, with just two wins in their last ten games and a sudden lack of any production around the net. They have a decent young base for the future, but New York is not going to do much more this year.

Group Five - Looking Towards the Draft

29. Toronto Maple Leafs (49 pts)

They made their splash, and there still might be more to come. While it's looking to be another bleak season for an impatient Toronto fanbase, Brian Burke has the tools and the staff to continue a successful rebuilding period. As of now though, the Olympics is a time to look at the roster and not the upcoming schedule for the Leafs.

30. Edmonton Oilers (44 pts)

They're only 3-7 in their last 10, but that's a better record than it was a couple weeks ago. The Oilers need more than a refreshment, they need a complete makeover...and fast.

Mark Jones is currently Bleacher Report's featured columnist for the Carolina Hurricanes. In his 17 months so far with the site, he has written over 160 articles and received over 100,000 total reads.

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