The Avs are head and shoulders above every other team in the Central Division, but they are dealing with a key injury at the moment. Captain Gabriel Landeskog just underwent surgery on his knee and will be out for a while. However, the team was able to add Artturi Lehkonen at the deadline in order to improve their forward group in the meantime.
2As if the Panthers weren't already a legit Stanley Cup threat, they acquired Claude Giroux prior to the trade deadline. Now, one of the best forward groups in the entire league gets even deeper. Seeing how Florida deploys its newest star will be fascinating to watch.
3The Flames have had many highlight reel moments this year, but their loss to the Sabres will be one they want to forget. In overtime, goaltender Jacob Markstrom spoiled his shutout by fanning on a puck and leaving a tap-in for Tage Thompson. To Calgary's credit, it was able to bounce back and score a win over the Canucks the next night.
4It will be interesting to see how the Bruins split their starts in net as they battle with the Maple Leafs for positioning in the standings. On the year, Jeremy Swayman has been better with 5.05 goals saved above average compared to Linus Ullmark's 0.29. However, Ullmark has played well in his last couple of starts.
5Mike Matheson, 38, has been a tremendous depth defenseman for the Penguins this season. With Matheson on the ice at five-on-five, Pittsburgh has controlled 57.35% of the expected goals. He has given the Pens a steady presence on the back end.
6The Rangers managed to win an incredibly lopsided game against the Hurricanes on Sunday night. At five-on-five, Carolina totaled 4.59 expected goals, and New York finished the game with just 1.44. Yet, the Rangers were able to pull out a 2-0 win. That's probably not the type of formula they want to use moving forward, but it was a great confidence boost for the struggling Alexandar Georgiev.
7Tampa acquired 23-year-old Brandon Hagel from the Chicago Blackhawks, and that was a fantastic addition for this team. Hagel showed a lot of promise on a bad team this year. He had 21 goals and 37 points in 55 games with the Blackhawks and he was sixth on the team in expected goals at five-on-five with 6.35. He should be even better on a loaded Tampa Bay roster.
8After a frustrating week for Carolina in which it lost three close games, the team was able to get a big win over the Lightning. The trouble for the Canes is that many of the other contenders in the Eastern Conference were able to upgrade in a significant way at the deadline.
9Due to the Maple Leafs' dire goaltending situation, rookie Erik Kallgren has gotten a few starts recently, and he has played well. In an extremely small sample size, Kallgren has saved 1.84 goals above expected at five-on-five. Toronto will still be involved in the goalie market at the trade deadline, but Kallgren has shown some promise.
10The Wild got big wins against the Bruins and Golden Knights as they now find themselves in the thick of a heated battle with the Blues and Predators for a top-three spot in the Central Division. Minnesota still has four games remaining against those teams, and they will each be an all-out battle.
11Alex Ovechkin is once again scoring goals at an insane clip. He now has four goals in his last five games, and he hit the 40-goal mark in the team's loss to the Stars. He is now on pace for roughly 53 goals, which is a pretty jaw-dropping feat considering this is his 17th season in the NHL.
12Just when it looked like the Oilers might miss the playoffs altogether, they won five straight games before losing to the Avalanche in overtime and are within arm's reach of second place in the Pacific Division. Evander Kane has had a lot to do with that. Since joining the Oilers on Jan. 29, Kane is second on the team in expected goals with 11, and he has found the back of the net 14 times.
13If there is one question about this Kings team down the stretch, it's probably in goal. The tandem of Cal Petersen and Jonathan Quick hasn't been bad, but they have very much been in the middle of the pack. Is that duo good enough to give Los Angeles a shot at a playoff run?
14Roman Josi is tallying points at a blistering pace these days. He is on a 11-game point streak and has 25 total points in that time. Josi has already set the franchise record for assists in a single season, and he is well on his way to eclipsing Paul Kariya's mark of 85 total points in the 2005-06 campaign.
15Robert Thomas has shown some promise in previous seasons, but his game has hit another level this year. Thomas has 12 goals and 36 assists for 48 points, all of which are career highs. He is a big reason why the Blues look like a much more dangerous team heading toward the 2022 NHL playoffs than they did last year.
16The Golden Knights have had trouble gaining any traction at all. After a 7-3 loss to the Jets last Tuesday, it looked like it was going to be another disaster of a week for the Golden Knights. However, Vegas was able to close with massive wins over the Panthers and Kings. The good times didn't last, though, as they were promptly shut out by the Jets.
17The Stars continue to be a very top-heavy team. If Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski aren't generating the offense, then it probably just isn't happening. Tyler Seguin, who has been a dangerous offensive threat in the past, has really struggled throughout the season. He recently had a stretch of just one goal in 10 games.
18Winnipeg's offense has suddenly caught fire of late. In four of the Jets' last 10 games, they have scored at least six goals. Blake Wheeler, who got off to a dreadfully slow start this season, has found his groove with 15 points in his last 12 tilts. The problem for Winnipeg is that it might be too little too late.
19As the Blue Jackets continue their rebuild, rookie Cole Sillinger figures to play a big role in that. Despite playing significantly fewer minutes than some of his teammates, Sillinger is third on the team in expected goals at five-on-five with 9.93. He recently ended an eight-game goal drought with a hat trick against the Golden Knights.
20Matt Barzal's frustrating 2021-22 season continues. The Islanders' star player hasn't scored a goal since Feb. 17. He does have seven assists in that stretch, so Barzal is finding ways to contribute, but the Islanders need him to get hot and find some confidence to carry into next season.
21The Canucks failed to pick up wins in home games against the Red Wings and Sabres last week, and those were major missed opportunities to stay in the playoff race. Now Vancouver has to go on a road trip that includes games against the Avalanche, Wild, Stars, and Blues. It'll be hard to stay in the playoff picture with that slate on deck.
22Cole Caufield is not the only Canadien who has benefited from the coaching change. Nick Suzuki has also taken off since Martin St. Louis took over behind the bench. Suzuki has eight goals and 18 points since Feb. 17 as he and Caufield have become quite the duo.
23To state the obvious, things have not gone well for the Coyotes this year. Not only are they near the basement in the standings, but they will also be playing in a college hockey arena next season. That said, Clayton Keller has been a very bright spot for this franchise. Keller is starting to look like an emerging start with 27 goals in 62 games.
24The Blackhawks did some selling at the trade deadline, including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and forward Brandon Hagel. Apparently, the 23-year-old Hagel getting moved amidst a rebuild really raised some eyebrows in the Chicago locker room.
25Detroit has won three of its last 10 games, and those struggles might have a little something to do with Dylan Larkin in the midst of a slump. Larkin hasn't found the back of the net since Mar. 1, and he has just six points for the entire month. The Red Wings aren't deep enough to stay afloat if Larkin isn't producing at a high rate.
26Don't look now, but the Sabres have gotten hot. They went on the road and notched two straight wins over the Flames and the Canucks. Of course, Buffalo did get a lot of help from Jacob Markstrom in the win over Calgary.
27It has been a trying season for the Flyers, but they were able to send off Claude Giroux with a win in his 1,000th game with the franchise. Now if only the Flyers had been able to squeeze more out of the Panthers for perhaps the best player on the trade market.
28The Kraken sold off anyone who might have even the slightest bit of value at the trade deadline. Seattle now owns a whopping 18 selections in the first four rounds of the next two drafts combined.
29After a very strong start to the 2021-22 season, Sonny Milano's production has dried up. He has already smashed his previous career highs in every category, but he has just one point in his last 13 games. Considering he plays on a line with Calder Trophy candidate Trevor Zegras, that slump is concerning.
30San Jose is in the middle of no man's land these days. No hope of making the playoffs, but also not bad enough to have a great shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. That's why the big Tomas Hertl extension was a little head-scratching.
31Star defenseman Thomas Chabot is done for the season due to a fractured hand, so things are somehow about to get worse for the Senators down the stretch. They might even make a push for the No. 1 overall draft pick this summer.
32Jesper Bratt's breakout season has been incredible to watch. He has nearly doubled his career high in points, and he has generated 11.66 expected goals at five-on-five. If this is a sign of things to come for him down the road, the Devils have to be excited about the future with Bratt and Hughes up front.
