With the NHL trade deadline in the rearview mirror, real push for the postseason kicks into high gear.
Contenders have stocked up on rentals that give them a better shot at winning the Cup, while pretenders have accepted defeat, selling off what players they could to build towards their own future.
After a flurry of activity, the NHL landscape has noticeably shifted.
Here's how all 32 teams in the league stack up against each other after the trade deadline.
NHL power rankings
1. Avalanche (45-13-5)
The Avs own the best record in hockey, have a 16-point lead in the division and made four great acquisitions in Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen, Andrew Cogliano and Nico Sturm. The next step? Get healthy, with Gabriel Landeskog, Sam Girard and Bowen Byram all sidelined at the moment. Here's a look at how scary a healthy Colorado lineup might look, plus Cogliano.
Potential #Avs playoff lineup:
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 21, 2022
Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Nichushkin-Kadri-Burakovsky
Lehkonen-Newhook-Compher
Helm-Sturm-O'Connor
Toews-Makar
Girard-Manson
Byram-Murray
Kuemper
Francouz
Extras: MacDermid, Johnson, Johnson, Aube-Kubel
2. Panthers (42-14-6)
The Panthers won the Claude Giroux sweepstakes at the deadline, acquiring the Flyers captain to even further bolster their dangerous forward group. Florida overpaid for Ben Chiarot, but the addition was needed, especially with Aaron Ekblad going on long-term injured reserve. The best team in the East got even better.
MORE: Claude Giroux trade grades: Panthers go all-in with Flyers deal ahead of 2022 NHL trade deadline
3. Lightning (39-17-6)
GM Julien BriseBois was once again active at the deadline, trading away first-round picks for the Lightning to gun for their third consecutive Stanley Cup. He brought in Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul and Riley Nash, all three of which can play a critical role in the bottom-six. Could the Lightning become the first team to three-peat since the Islanders in the early '80s?
MORE: Brandon Hagel trade details: Lightning acquire Blackhawks forward ahead of 2022 NHL trade deadline
4. Hurricanes (42-15-6)
Ahead of the deadline, GM Don Waddell expressed how much he liked the current group in Carolina and that same mantra stood true, as the only move the Hurricanes made was to bring in Max Domi. The team sits in first in the Central, but that gap is slowly closing, as the Hurricanes have dropped four of their last five.
5. Penguins (39-16-9)
It didn't look like the Penguins would be having an impactful deadline until the deal for Rickard Rakell came in at the last minute. He's a great addition to pair alongside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins are once again primed for a playoff run and secure ring No. 4 for Geno and Sid.
6. Flames (38-17-8)
The Flames missed out on getting another defenseman, but had a nice pickup in Calle Jarnkrok in addition to the Tyler Toffoli that happened earlier this month. They're really starting to run away with the Pacific and look like the team to beat in the West outside of Colorado.
7. Bruins (39-19-5)
The Hampus Lindholm trade was great for the Bruins' defense, but they failed to address a need at center. GM Don Sweeney kept DeBrusk at the deadline in one of the more surprising moves on Monday, signing him to a two-year extension. But the Bruins are hot, with a 12-2-1 record in their last 15 games and are in striking distance of finally moving out of the fourth spot in a top-heavy Atlantic division.
MORE: Hampus Lindholm trade grades: Bruins pay price to solidify top four on defense
8. Maple Leafs (39-18-5)
GM Kyle Dubas got the defenseman that the Maple Leafs desperately needed in Mark Giordano, but elected to not trade for a goaltender. The team is banking on Jack Campbell recovering from his rib injury and shaking off his rough beginning to 2022. Either that or they'll need rookie Erik Kallgren to be their Jordan Binnington from the Blues' Cup win in 2019.
MORE: Mark Giordano trade grades: Maple Leafs improve on defense without giving up 1st-round pick
9. Rangers (40-19-5)
Like the Flames, the Rangers missed out on the notable blue liners available, settling for a depth option in Justin Braun. The Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte pickups will go as two of the more underrated moves of the deadline, but the other teams in the East did a lot more to improve their clubs than the Rangers did. This team is still built to only go as far as Igor Shesterkin will take them, however that may very well be to the Stanley Cup Finals given how good he's been.
10. Wild (37-20-4)
Goaltending has been the biggest issue in Minneapolis. Not anymore, as GM Bill Guerin was able to pry Marc-Andre Fleury out of Chicago to become the Wild's No. 1 goalie. He joins Cam Talbot who, of course, saw the Fleury trade and immediately posted a shutout Monday night. There is no clear No. 3 team in the West behind the Flames and Avs, but the Wild might be that team now with Flower in net.
MORE: Marc-Andre Fleury trade grades: Wild get their No. 1 goalie; Blackhawks grant veteran his wish
11. Capitals (35-20-10)
The top eight of the East is pretty much set and the Capitals are included in that group. But it certainly feels like they are falling far behind the pack, especially given the other moves made by Eastern Conference teams at the deadline. GM Brian MacLellan's only trades were to bring back Marcus Johansson and trade for Johan Larsson.
12. Predators (37-22-4)
GM David Poile's big splash at the deadline was overpaying for Jeremy Lauzon, sending a second-round pick back to the Kraken for a defenseman that at best, is a bottom-pair player. Like the Rangers, the Predators are a team relying a lot on their goaltender Jusse Saros. Nashville is 7-3-0 in the month of March so it's working for now.
13. Blues (35-18-9)
The Blues addressed a need on the left side of defense by trading for Nick Leddy, but he's a player that's past his prime and doesn't quite move the needle. St. Louis is slipping, sporting a 3-4-3 record in March and hanging onto a Wild Card spot.
14. Oilers (35-24-5)
The deadline has passed and the Oilers goaltenders are ... still Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen! Both goalies have goals against averages over 3.00 and save percentages under .905, but apparently that's good enough for GM Ken Holland. It seemed like the one clear need for Edmonton. I guess the plan for the team is to continue to come out on top of high-scoring affairs for as long as they can.
15. Kings (35-22-8)
Los Angeles has been one of the surprises this season, in a prime position to make the postseason in a year that they were expected to finish as bottom-dwellers. GM Rob Blake was smart to hold onto his plethora of prospects, not giving up any for a rental. It's a franchise in great position to both make noise in the postseason, but also be dangerous in years to come.
16. Golden Knights (34-28-4)
Vegas has been hit hard with injuries, with the latest ailment belonging to goalie Robin Lehner, who could be out the rest of the season. GM Kelly McCrimmon is juggling to play cap gymnastics, attempting to get the team ready to be cap-compliant for when Mark Stone and/or Alec Martinez are activated off long-term injured reserve. However, at this rate, Vegas may be going from preseason Cup favorites to missing the postseason.
17. Stars (35-24-3)
Dallas didn't get better or worse at the deadline — a poor strategy for a team right on the outside of a playoff spot. GM Jim Nill needed to either commit to the postseason and grab some rentals, or waive the white flag on the year and sell off whatever goods he could. He did neither and now the Stars are stuck in a limbo where they may make the playoffs and be the first victims of the buzz saw that is the Avs, or miss the postseason and have gained zero draft assets for the future.
18. Jets (30-24-10)
The Jets have underwhelmed this season — again. They are four points out of a playoff spot and it still feels like with the core of Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, this isn't a team others want to see in the postseason. But you have to get there first and the inconsistencies from the blue line continue to hold Winnipeg back.
19. Blue Jackets (32-29-3)
After an extremely active deadline last year, GM Jarmo Kekalainen made only one move this year, sending Max Domi to the Hurricanes. The results have been better than expected, which actually may be a negative considering the team could use high draft picks as Kekalainen rebuilds the franchise.
MORE: NHL trade deadline tracker: Full list of deals completed before an eventful 2022 deadline
20. Canucks (30-26-8)
All the speculation in the past few weeks surrounding the future of a number of Canucks' forwards meant nothing, as GM Patrik Allvin did not trade any of J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland or Tanner Pearson. The only free agent was Boeser, who is an RFA so still under team control, so there wasn't a burning need to move any of them. The Canucks are still within striking distance of the playoffs, but need to get back in the win column as they are losers of five of their last six.
21. Islanders (27-25-9)
GM Lou Lamariello sent a message to his team with his inactivity at the deadline — that he still believes this a roster capable of winning and this season has been a fluke. It very well could be, as the club is almost the exact same as the one that was one game away from a Finals berth last season. But the playoffs won't be happening this year ON Long Island.
22. Sharks (28-27-8)
The Sharks ended up extending top trade target Tomas Hertl before the deadline, so GM Doug Wilson didn't have a busy day on Monday. Whether or not it was the right move financially for the future of the team, who knows, but the Sharks elected to keep him rather than get a big haul. Once again, Wilson is failing to commit to a rebuild that seems necessary given the failing product on the ice.
23. Ducks (27-27-11)
GM Pat Verbeek was unable to extend any of Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm or Rickard Rakell, so he smartly traded them all at the deadline, stocking up on prospects and draft picks. While the future is bright in Anaheim, the Ducks' losing skid is at seven games as the team is plummeting down the standings. The losses at the deadline will only accelerate that free fall.
MORE: Who is Drew Helleson? Meet the new Ducks prospect acquired in the Josh Manson trade
24. Red Wings (26-30-7)
The Red Wings had a fairly quiet deadline, shipping out Nick Leddy, Luke Witkowski and Troy Stecher, while keeping Tyler Bertuzzi, which is key for this team moving forward. Detroit's rebuild isn't quite over, but the team has shown flashes this year of what to expect in coming seasons. Although not as much as of late, losing seven of their last nine.
25. Sabres (22-33-8)
GM Kevyn Adams' only trade of the deadline was to move Robert Hagg for a 6th-round pick. While he could have moved a couple pieces for picks, the deals just didn't work out that way. The Sabres have a promising young core and have been playing well in the month of March with a record of 6-3-0. The rest of the season should be having the group continue to gel together.
26. Blackhawks (22-32-9)
The first major step from new GM Kyle Davidson towards overhauling the Blackhawks was trading Brandon Hagel, getting a massive haul for the young forward. Marc-Andre Fleury elected to be traded so the crease is now Kevin Lankinen's for the rest of the year. Blackhawks fans should enjoy watching Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to end the year, because this might be the two's last season in Chicago.
27. Senators (22-36-5)
The Senators signed goaltender Anton Forsberg to a three-year extension and traded away Nick Paul, Zach Sanford and Josh Brown. The rebuild is still ongoing and Ottawa gained some draft capital back, but it wasn't a deadline that really moved the needle.
28. Devils (23-35-5)
The lone move from New Jersey was to bring in an injured Andrew Hammond from the Habs. GM Tom Fitzgerald couldn't find a suitor for P.K. Subban and his immense cap hit, and elected to hold onto Pavel Zacha. The deadline feels like it was a missed opportunity for Fitzgerald to help rebuild the franchise.
29. Flyers (20-32-11)
For the first time in about 15 years, the Flyers' roster does not include Claude Giroux. I can see a number of the Flyers' faithful turning their focus to Florida, becoming temporary Panthers fans for the rest of the season since there will be nothing impressive going on in Philly.
30. Coyotes (20-39-4)
The Coyotes made two strong moves by acquiring the rights to college prospects Nathan Smith and Jack McBain, but failed to move Phil Kessel or Jakob Chychrun. As a result, the team is more or less the same. The focus of the franchise remains on the top of the 2022 draft class.
MORE: NHL Trade Deadline 2022: Why Coyotes decided to not move Jakob Chychrun, Phil Kessel
31. Canadiens (17-36-10)
Ben Chiarot, Artturi Lehkonen and Brett Kulak were all traded away at the deadline. It was a solid showing from GM Kent Hughes, as the assets retained are for the future, not the now. The Habs are going to have to retool the franchise to get back to being contenders and this deadline was a strong start.
32. Kraken (20-38-6)
GM Ron Francis had a fire sale at the deadline, trading away Mark Giordano, Calle Jarnkrok, Jeremy Lauzon, Marcus Johansson, Colin Blackwell and Mason Appleton. The disappointing first season for the franchise is in for a rough post-deadline stretch.
