Super 16: Where teams in NHL.com power rankings stand as Trade Deadline nears

The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.

That much we know.

But do we know if the teams in this week's Super 16 are in a good position going into the deadline?

Yes? No? I don't know?

That's the game we played this week for the 16 teams ranked.

Yes, Team X is in a good position, and why.

No, Team X is not in a good position, and why.

I don't know if Team X is in a good position, and why.

The responses are below.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 15 voters 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 yes, no, or I don't know trade deadline edition of the Super 16:

1. Winnipeg Jets (42-16-4)

Total points: 240
Last week: No. 1

"Yes. The Jets are tied with the Washington Capitals atop the NHL standings with 88 points. They're among the top scoring teams in the League. They have a defense anchored by arguably the world's best goalie, Connor Hellebuyck. And most importantly, they're healthy. Does that mean general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and his staff can take the week off? No, but the focus is going to be more about adding depth. Winnipeg's only soft spot is its penalty kill, which is 16th in the League at 79.1 percent, in part because its short-handed face-off winning percentage of 42.0 percent is 29th. Finding a bottom-six center who can kill penalties and is strong in the circles could be the priority before the deadline. They also could look to add a veteran defenseman, especially with Dylan Samberg away from the team because of a family matter. However, if the Jets stand pat, well, there's a reason they have the most wins in the League." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

2. Washington Capitals (40-14-8)

Total points: 224
Last week: No. 2

"Yes. Even after struggling some in the past week, the Capitals are in a solid position atop the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, and their main concern is getting back to their top game before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Washington might still upgrade its forward and defensive depth before the deadline, but it already has one of its deepest teams since it won the Cup in 2018. Alex Ovechkin has a strong supporting cast around him while he chases down Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal record." --Tom Gulitti, senior writer

3. Dallas Stars (40-19-2)

Total points: 204
Last week: No. 3

"I don't know. Right now, they're playing great hockey, getting impressive performances all around without forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Miro Heiskanen, both of whom could be back to start the playoffs, but that's not certain. That's where my 'I don’t know' comes in because as well as the Stars are playing now, couldn't a depth move, especially at defenseman, help as the playoffs approach? Are the guys filling the voids right now going to need some help so they can be as fresh as possible heading into the postseason? Or just leave it be? You see my conundrum." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

4. Florida Panthers (38-21-3)

Total points: 182
Last week: No. 6

"Yes. The Panthers are where they need to be to start the defense of their first Stanley Cup championship. They are on a roll. They just defeated a Lightning team that was on a tear and is among the League's elite. And, oh yeah, they had one need for the playoffs: a solid depth defenseman. Say hello to Seth Jones, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Jones was the best defenseman available and he is a perfect fit for the things the Panthers want to do. He can move the puck in transition and understands their small-gap defensive system. And they got him without touching the lineup that remains from the championship team. Spencer Knight was the centerpiece going to Chicago in the deal, but the goalie would have been the backup behind Bobrovsky this postseason. The Panthers acquired Vitek Vanecek from the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday to fill the backup role. They are primed for these playoffs." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (38-21-3)

Total points: 180
Last week: No. 4

"I don't know. Surprised by that answer? Given their steady goaltending and a more playoff-ready style under coach Craig Berube, shouldn't the obvious answer be yes? Here's why it isn't: Consider that the past six representatives of the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final have all come from the Atlantic Division, the one Toronto is in: the Boston Bruins (2019), Tampa Bay Lightning (2020-2022) and Florida Panthers (2023-2024). The Lightning are 9-0-1 in their past 10 games and added forwards Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Seattle Kraken in a trade on Wednesday. The Panthers, the defending champions, already made an impact trade in recent days by acquiring defenseman Seth Jones. Unless the Maple Leafs are proactive on the trade front to try to keep up, are they good enough right now to get past Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, or both? Keep in mind that Toronto's season will be gauged on postseason success, a tall order for a franchise that has won just one playoff series in 21 years. Given how tough the competition is just to get out of the Atlantic, there are a lot more questions than answers, making the deadline that much more intriguing." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

6. Vegas Golden Knights (37-18-6)

Total points: 178
Last week: No. 5

"I don't know. It will be interesting to see what direction the Golden Knights take. We're still unsure when Shea Theodore will return after his injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off, or if Alex Pietrangelo seems to be OK after he withdrew from the best-on-best tournament because of an ailment. But we know how rigorous the playoffs are, so the Golden Knights may need to add another defenseman before 3 p.m. ET on Friday to make them a legitimate threat to hoist the Stanley Cup again." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

7. Tampa Bay Lightning (36-21-4)

Total points: 152
Last week: No. 7

"Yes. Period, full stop. And that was the answer before they acquired Gourde and Bjorkstrand from the Kraken on Wednesday, fully bolstering their depth. Not only are the Lightning one of the hottest teams in the NHL, but they're solid all around. Vasilevskiy is back to being his usual unbeatable self in goal. The Lightning are second in the NHL in goals for per game, at 3.56, behind only the Capitals at 3.58. And their defense is among the best, allowing a measly 2.61 goals against per game, fifth in the NHL. They're in great shape to make yet another run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

8. Carolina Hurricanes (36-22-4)

Total points: 128
Last week: No. 11

"I don't know. It's unclear where things stand with Mikko Rantanen. If they decide to keep the forward for the rest of the season and take their chances in free agency, I would say they are in a very good spot. Of course, if they can add another scorer to go with Rantanen, they would be in a great spot. But if they decide to flip him after having acquired him in a trade on Jan. 24, then again, I don't know where they stand. They might be the most interesting team to watch over the next few days." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

9. Minnesota Wild (36-22-4)

Total points: 111
Last week: No. 9

"Yes. Albeit a very reluctant yes. Are the Wild doing better this season than last? Absolutely. They have seven more wins than they did after 62 games in 2023-24, when they ended up missing the playoffs by 11 points. Minnesota is on track to make it this time around, but based on how the last couple of months have gone, expectations have come down significantly. After an amazing 20-6-4 start, the Wild are 16-16-0 since Dec. 14 with seven losses by four goals or more. Missing key forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, and defenseman Jonas Brodin for extended periods is only adding to the uncertainty." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

10. Colorado Avalanche (36-24-2)

Total points: 104
Last week: No. 13

"No. The Avalanche do not have a lot of assets to use if they want to add some depth at the trade deadline. They don't have their first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (traded to the Philadelphia Flyers last year), and they only have three picks in the draft (one in the second round, another in either the fourth or fifth round, and one in the seventh). They will need to move their first-round pick in 2026 or 2027 if they are hoping to get a big fish on the market. The prospect pool is thin in Denver. Forward Calum Ritchie and defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev are probably the two best prospects." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

11. Edmonton Oilers (35-22-4)

Total points: 102
Last week: No. 8

"Yes. The Oilers made a few changes after reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season but still have the same core in place, led by forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton added size to its bottom-six forward group with the acquisition of Trent Frederic (6-foot-3, 221 pounds) from Boston in a trade on Tuesday, and if Evander Kane, who hasn’t played this season because of knee and abdominal surgeries, returns in time for the playoffs, he will give the Oilers another physical forward in the lineup. They are likely looking to shore up their defense prior to the deadline. Outside of Draisaitl, most of the Oilers are producing offense at a lower rate than they were last season, but this is still a talented, playoff-experienced team capable of going on another extended postseason run." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

12. Los Angeles Kings (31-20-9)

Total points: 70
Last week: No. 10

"No. The Kings have lost five straight after Wednesday's 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues. With the two losses to the Blues, and those to Chicago and Vancouver, that's four losses to teams not currently in a playoff position. If the Kings keep it up, they will also be out of the playoff picture. You can't win without scoring, and they are not scoring. Expect them to acquire a forward or two prior to the deadline with hopes of getting out of their rut." -- David Satriano, staff writer

13. New Jersey Devils (33-24-6)

Total points: 61
Last week: No. 12

“No. Center Jack Hughes, New Jersey’s leading goal-scorer with 27, is out for the season after having shoulder surgery on Wednesday, so the Devils should be buyers leading up to the deadline. In particular, they need to acquire a center, maybe two, to provide the offense needed down the stretch and, if needed, the playoffs. New Jersey also lost defenseman Dougie Hamilton to injury on Tuesday, but the full extent of that one is unknown. Goalie Jacob Markstrom returned on Sunday after an 11-game absence (MCL sprain), so that position is solidified. The Hamilton injury is a tricky one because the Devils have Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey already in the fold to hold down the position. The Devils don't have a first-round pick in the 2025 draft to offer in a trade, but they do possess a few blue-chip defenseman prospects.” -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

14. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-23-8)

Total points: 53
Last week: No. 16

"Yes. Defenseman Zach Werenski said when the Blue Jackets started the season the goal was to be playing meaningful games by the time the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium rolled around. Mission accomplished. The Blue Jackets not only defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 in the Stadium Series on Saturday, they're in a playoff position and may be authoring the best team story in all of sports this season. They had a four-game winning streak end with a 6-2 loss at the Lightning on Tuesday, but the Blue Jackets are in position to control their own destiny, something no one inside or outside the organization could have seen coming. That's a win in itself. Their young players are taking big steps. They're hard to play against. They score. Win. Win. Win. It appears they could be buyers, or at least staying with the status quo, before the deadline. That's a win too, especially because defenseman Ivan Provorov could be one of the top rental players on the market. Keep him and go for it. If that's the strategy, how can you not love it?" -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

15. Calgary Flames (29-23-9)

Total points: 21
Last week: No. 15

"I don't know. The Flames don't know either. That's not necessarily a problem, but it is reality. They're in the playoff race. That's a good thing. But they're tied for last in the NHL in goals per game (2.59) with the Nashville Predators. You'd think that would be an immediate reason to add to bolster the team for its playoff push. Fair. But is it the right move for the Flames to give up assets to bolster the team when the likely first-round opponent is the Jets? If you're not sure what the answer is, and I'm not sure, how can you say definitively the Flames are in a good position or not in a good position? They don't want to punt on this season, so it's possible staying the course might be the way to go. It won't convince me one way or another in terms of how I view them going into the deadline or coming out of it, but it could be just enough to get them into the playoffs, which, after all, should be the goal." -- Rosen

16. New York Rangers (31-26-5)

Total points: 17
Last week: NR

"I don't know. The Rangers are in the playoff race and they're still selling, trading pending unrestricted free agents Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Avalanche on Saturday. Forward Reilly Smith, another pending UFA, is expected to be traded before the deadline on Friday too. He has been a healthy scratch for roster management purposes for the past three games. But the Rangers are playing better and they have a chance to be a playoff team. They could even try to thread the needle and be buyers at the deadline too, picking up a player or two that will help them now and going into next season. That would be the way to go. You can't say they're in a good position now because they're a bubble team and they're selling. But you can't say they're in a bad position now because they're playing better and they're right in the thick of the race. So, I don't know it is, and let's see where it all goes for a team that two months ago looked completely out of it." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: Detroit Red Wings 6, Ottawa Senators 5, Montreal Canadiens 2

Dropped out from last week: Red Wings (No. 14)

Enterprise Team of the Week: The Panthers, No. 5 this week, have won four games in a row and acquired Jones on Saturday. It's been a good run for the defending Stanley Cup champions even if they won’t have forward Matthew Tkachuk for the rest of the regular season. They have allowed five goals in their four-game winning streak, including a 2-1 win against the No. 7 Lightning on Monday that ended Tampa Bay's eight-game winning streak. Jones made his Panthers debut and played 22:56 in the win against the Lightning. Florida is 9-2-0 since Jan. 29.

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED ’EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

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

BILL PRICE

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 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. Minnesota Wild; 11. Columbus Blue Jackets; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. New York Rangers; 16. Montreal Canadiens

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

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