Week 18 NHL power rankings: Rating all 32 teams ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off break

The trade deadline isn't until March 7, but a flurry of deals were made in the days prior to Week 18 of the 2024-25 NHL season, with the Vancouver Canucks participating in a pair of them. Still firmly entrenched in the playoff race, the Canucks parted with three players in each transaction, the most notable being left wing J.T. Miller, who was sent to the New York Rangers in a five-player swap.
Miller, who spent the first 5.5 seasons of his career with the Rangers after being selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, scored only nine goals in 40 games with Vancouver this campaign. The 31-year-old posted his third consecutive 30-goal performance in 2023-24 and registered personal bests of 37 tallies and a team-leading 103 points.
The Canucks' roster shakeup may give fans the idea that they're throwing in the towel on the season, but it's actually more of a method to strengthen the team for the stretch run. Vancouver enters the week just two points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference and are three points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.Â
Elsewhere, four clubs are surging with winning streaks of five or more games. One of them is the Ottawa Senators, who opened Week 18 with a 5-2 road triumph over the Nashville Predators in the lone contest on Monday's schedule for their fifth straight victory. Another is the league-leading Winnipeg Jets, whose six-game run has them two points ahead of the Washington Capitals in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.
Now, we'll jump into the power rankings as we begin Week 18 of the 2024-25 NHL season. These rankings are based on the current state of the 32 teams, with their overall performance in several categories also being factors.Â
Which teams hold surprising spots in the NHL power rankings for Week 18? And which ones are lower than expected? ... Join SportsLine right now to see the NHL Week 18 power rankings from the expert who has covered the league and the sport of hockey for more than 20 years!
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