Super 16: Trade Deadline returns entering playoff push highlight power rankings

The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is last week's news.

The stretch run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, is this week's news.

That's where the focus is, and where it will be for the rest of the season.

The teams ranked in this edition of the Super 16 are working on integrating their new players to begin getting the most out of their investments as they push toward the playoffs, the time when all Deadline moves receive their final grades.

The early returns are in, and we have them for you in the first post-Deadline edition of the Super 16.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 14 voters this week put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

Here is the early Trade Deadline returns edition of the Super 16:

1. Washington Capitals (43-14-8)

Total points: 220
Last week: No. 2

"Being careful not to disrupt the chemistry that has fueled their success this season, the Capitals' lone trade was to acquire Anthony Beauvillier from the Pittsburgh Penguins to strengthen their forward depth. Beauvillier has fit in seamlessly in his first two games, starting out on the fourth line and scoring his first goal with the Capitals in a 7-4 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. The Capitals haven't missed a beat, extending their winning streak to five games to tie the Winnipeg Jets for first in the NHL standings." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

2. Winnipeg Jets (45-17-4)

Total points: 208
Last week: No. 1

"The Jets are pretty much in the same spot after the Deadline as they were before, atop the NHL standings. The players they brought in have made an impact. Defenseman Luke Schenn, who teammate Josh Morrissey called "the human eraser," provided the physicality and experience he was acquired for with five hits and five blocked shots in his first game, a 2-1 win against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Forward Brandon Tanev has taken a significant role on the penalty kill in his three games, the one area the Jets needed improvement, and has not been on the ice for a goal-against while averaging 1:22 of short-handed ice time per game. Winnipeg didn't need to change much for the stretch run, but the pieces brought in seem to be delivering just what has been needed." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

3. Dallas Stars (42-20-2)

Total points: 193
Last week: No. 3

"I'm curious to see how this goes in the coming weeks but as of now, the Stars and Mikko Rantanen look very good together. Dallas acquired Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes, and the forward has three points (two goals, one assist) in two games. The Stars weren't struggling for offense before Rantanen arrived, but he gives them one heck of a jolt. They're 1-1-0 with Rantanen (a 5-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and a 4-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday). With the Stars playing the Jets on Friday, Rantanen gets some time to catch his breath and get a few practices in with his new teammates. So far, so good." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

4. Florida Panthers (40-22-3)

Total points: 181
Last week: No. 4

"The early returns for the Panthers in the wake of the Trade Deadline are incomplete, but highly promising. The acquisition of Seth Jones, a defenseman from the Chicago Blackhawks, is more monumental than expected. Designed to supplement the blue line at the time of the move, Jones is now a key figure with the 20-game suspension handed out by the NHL to Florida's No. 1 defenseman, Aaron Ekblad. Jones will be asked to carry a heavier load than anticipated, one like what the Blackhawks were asking of him. The Panthers are also waiting for the return of forward Brad Marchand, who was obtained from the Boston Bruins. Marchand is out with an upper-body injury but has started skating. He is excited about the opportunity and brings a game that is made for the nastiness that accompanies the race down the stretch of the regular season and amplifies itself in the playoffs." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

5. Vegas Golden Knights (38-19-7)

Total points: 164
Last week: No. 6

"Reilly Smith has one assist in three games since the Golden Knights reacquired him in a trade with the Rangers on March 6. The forward was a key part of their first six seasons in the NHL and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2023. Could he help them win it again? Vegas is a strong contender with the fourth best record in the NHL (.648 points percentage). Forward Tomas Hertl, a surprise addition before the Deadline last season, leads the Golden Knights with 27 goals. He's tied for sixth in the League with 12 on the power play." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

6. Colorado Avalanche (39-24-3)

Total points: 146
Last week: No. 10

"Holy heck is Colorado deep down the middle following the additions of centers Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle prior to the Deadline to play behind Nathan MacKinnon. Not only are they 200-foot players, but they also bring playoff experience. Coyle helped the Bruins reach Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final and has 119 games of postseason experience; Nelson was a key piece of the New York Islanders' back-to-back appearances in the third round (2020 and 2021) and has 50 points (27 goals, 23 assists) in 78 playoff games. If Mackenzie Blackwood continues to perform in goal, the Avalanche are going to be an awfully tough out this spring." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (39-22-3)

Total points: 140
Last week: No. 5

"Upon first blush, the Maple Leafs' additions have struggled a bit in their new digs. Forward Scott Laughton has endured growing pains with no points, a minor penalty and a minus-3 rating in two games since arriving from the Philadelphia Flyers. In the process, coach Craig Berube and his staff continues to experiment with the bottom-six forward group to find the right chemistry. With five weeks until the playoffs, the Maple Leafs have the cushion of time to figure it out. So does defenseman Brandon Carlo after he was acquired from the Bruins and who's been working hard to learn the on-ice tendencies of new defense partner Morgan Rielly." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

8. Carolina Hurricanes (39-22-4)

Total points: 136
Last week: No. 8

"The Hurricanes traded Rantanen and have responded by winning two games to extend their winning streak to five. It's not just any opponents that they've been defeating. In two games since the Deadline, they've won 4-2 against the Jets and 4-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Three of their four goals against Winnipeg came from players they acquired before the Deadline; two from Mark Jankowski and one from Logan Stankoven, who came from the Stars in the Rantanen trade. Stankoven was plus-2 in the win against the Lightning. Fit matters in Carolina with the style the Hurricanes play. So far, Jankowski and Stankoven, both versatile forwards, look like they fit in quite well with the aggressive forecheck and puck possession game." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (37-23-4)

Total points: 117
Last week: No. 7

"The Lightning made a big bid ahead of the Deadline, sending first-round picks in the 2026 and 2027 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in 2025 to the Seattle Kraken for forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, the latter who won the Stanley Cup twice with Tampa Bay. It was a sign that the Lightning were all in. So far, the pair have combined for a goal and an assist in three games, playing together on the third line for an offense that was already among the best in the NHL. The move has lengthened the lineup and fixed what was broken on that third line. It's early but returns look good." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

10. Los Angeles Kings (34-20-9)

Total points: 84
Last week: No. 12

"The Kings made one move prior to the Deadline, acquiring forward Andrei Kuzmenko from the Flyers. It's a small sample size, but Kuzmenko has no points in three games and six goals this season after scoring 22 last season for Vancouver and the Calgary Flames and 39 as a Canucks rookie in 2022-23. Defense and goaltending were never a question for the Kings, but if Kuzmenko is unable to add his scoring touch, they likely won't be going far in the playoffs." -- David Satriano, staff writer

11. Edmonton Oilers (37-23-4)

Total points: 81
Last week: No. 11

"The Oilers acquired forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones from the Bruins, and defenseman Jake Walman from the San Jose Sharks. Frederic has yet to play, still recovering from an ankle injury sustained against the Maple Leafs on Feb. 25, but he is expected to add much-needed size (6-foot-3, 221 pounds) and physicality. Jones has already made a good impression with his size (6-3, 216 pounds) and skating ability. He's effective on the forecheck and adds physicality to the bottom two lines. Walman is a talented defenseman with size (6-1, 218 pounds), strength and offense. A childhood teammate of Connor McDavid growing up in Toronto, Walman has already fit in well on Edmonton's defense and is expected to play a key role down the stretch and into the playoffs." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

12. Minnesota Wild (37-24-4)

Total points: 78
Last week: No. 9

"The Wild did not acquire any marquee talent, instead focusing on forward depth. In came Gustav Nyquist (Nashville Predators), Justin Brazeau (Bruins) and Vinnie Hinostroza (off waivers). Though Nyquist can contribute some offense and help the Wild's 31st-ranked penalty kill (70.3 percent), and Hinostroza has scored four goals in 11 games, none of the newcomers can be expected to replace injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild haven't looked hopeless offensively but are lacking top-tier finishers with two goals or fewer in seven of their past eight games (3-5-0). The good news is they still have a nine-point cushion separating them from the closest non-playoff team and a decent schedule with only six road games out of 17 remaining." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

13. New Jersey Devils (35-25-6)

Total points: 59
Last week: No. 13

"The Devils didn't acquire the big-name center they sought following Jack Hughes' season-ending shoulder surgery but landed depth with Cody Glass and Daniel Sprong. Glass has three points (one goal, two assists) in two games working as third-line center since the trade. New Jersey also added defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Dennis Cholowski, who each has done his part in the absence of Jonas Siegenthaler (lower body) and Dougie Hamilton (lower body). The latter could return next month." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

14. Ottawa Senators (34-25-5)

Total points: 47
Last week: NR

"The Senators swapped centers with the Buffalo Sabres, acquiring Dylan Cozens and shipping out Josh Norris. Cozens has enjoyed his three games with the Senators and they've enjoyed having him, going 3-0-0 with Cozens getting points in all three games (two goals, one assist) including the game-winning power-play goal in a 2-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday. In fact, the Senators have won four in a row and are 5-0-1 in their past six to move into the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Fabian Zetterlund, acquired from the Sharks, has no points in two games. Dennis Gilbert, who also came from Buffalo in the Cozens-Norris trade, played a minimal role (6:19 of ice time) in a 4-3 overtime comeback win against the Rangers on Saturday." -- Rosen

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (31-25-8)

Total points: 25
Last week: No. 14

"The Blue Jackets are still in the same boat they were before the Deadline, fighting for a playoff spot. They defeated the Rangers 7-3 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday but lost 5-3 to the Devils on Tuesday. Luke Kunin, the only player acquired, is playing right wing on the third line and getting time on the penalty kill." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

16. Calgary Flames (30-23-11)

Total points: 17
Last week: No. 15

"The Flames stayed out of the Deadline dealings. They did their work weeks earlier, acquiring forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from the Flyers on Jan. 30 for Kuzmenko (since traded to Los Angeles), forward Jakob Pelletier, and two draft picks. Frost has five points (two goals, three assists) and Farabee three goals in 14 games with the Flames, who are 5-5-4 since the trade before playing the Canucks. The Flames have stayed in the Western Conference wild card race without mortgaging any of their future to do so. That's the right strategy for a team that knows a playoff berth this season would be a bonus." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: New York Rangers 15, St. Louis Blues 3

Dropped out from last week: Rangers (No. 16)

Enterprise Team of the Week: Last week, the Senators received five voting points in the Super 16. They were coming off a 4-3 overtime win against the Blackhawks, who are 31st in the overall NHL standings, a game after they came back from down 3-0 to the Capitals before losing 5-4 in a shootout. Little did we know that would be the start of something bigger. The Senators rallied to defeat the Rangers on Saturday. They won 2-1 against the Red Wings on Cozens' game-winner Monday and 5-2 against the Flyers on Tuesday. All told, Ottawa is on a four-game winning streak and six-game point streak (5-0-1). That's how you get 47 voting points. That's how you get into the Super 16 at No. 14 this week. That's how you get into a wild-card position in the East. Now the Senators have to keep building on it to finish the job and get into the playoffs for the first time since 2017. -- Rosen

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Calgary Flames

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Calgary Flames

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets

TOM GULITTI

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Calgary Flames

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. New York Rangers

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Columbus Blue Jackets; 14. New York Rangers; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Calgary Flames

TRACEY MYERS

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Columbus Blue Jackets; 16. Calgary Flames

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Winnipeg Jets; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. St. Louis Blues

DAN ROSEN

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. St. Louis Blues

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. St. Louis Blues

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. New York Rangers