I think they’re in big trouble. The best time to recognize it would be now, but the front office seems to want to keep their head in the sand.
I have a hard time convincing myself that they fall anywhere else on this timeline given the age of their core.
The Canucks have the best lottery odds after a highly successful tank season and a long road ahead to become a contender. Canucks Notebook 26.04.20: puckluckanalytics.com/2026/04/20/c...
Oops.
(Contention roadmaps have been updated. puckluckanalytics.com/contention-r...)
The last part. Louder. For those in the back
Keith Pelley thinks this is a quick retool?
From my Atlantic Division contention roadmaps a week ago:
The whole Yzerplan is teetering on the rails right now. The contention cohort just doesn’t seem to be there.
Not hard to envision a future where the whole thing just keeps sliding further into the future
Fourth installment of the contention roadmaps - it's the Metropolitan Division
puckluckanalytics.com/2026/03/26/m...
Moving on the Eastern Conference with the Atlantic Division Contention Roadmaps. Change is afoot...
puckluckanalytics.com/2026/03/24/a...
Current & projected standings - Mar 15
Confirmed
Treliving is the master at convoluted trade conditions that are highly risky for his own team but you wouldn’t know it from a quick glance
This was his masterpiece in CGY. Could have sent a 2OA pick to MTL if things had fallen a bit differently
bsky.app/profile/puck...
Post deadline depth charts, age profiles, cap cliffs, draft pipelines, and team profiles have all been updated, included the 3/4 season player projections update. Links to all from here:
puckluckanalytics.com/2025-2026-se...
Projected 5v5 Point Leaders - Mar 7
Current and projected standings - Mar 7
Top 5 teams in the model with deadline deals and a 3/4 season player projection update:
Avalanche
Lightning
Hurricanes
Blue Jackets
Stars
Nice haul for them for the 26 draft.
The Hawks quietly had a solid deadline. Their pipeline is well stocked, it just needs time to ripen. Didn't make any silly aggressive additions. Just stayed patient and took the opportunity to convert a few vets that aren't part of the long term plan into additional futures.
After the Flames jettisoned MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri this week in favor of futures, they have one of the best looking draft pipelines in the NHL.
The Rebiggle Model📈
‘They called Kevin’ 😂
This needs to be turned into a meme to be used whenever a team trades for a tall, replacement level Dman
I'm not convinced the Oilers are any better than they were a week ago. And they're capped out. And there isn't much juice left to squeeze out of their pipeline.
The Flames might be onto something with this 'Rebiggle' idea
2026 draft is in the middle of their Contention Cohort. The package they got back from Utah for Weegar gives their success odds a nice bump
The Mammoth are positioned to be the next challenger to the current big 3 in the Central.
Rumour suggests they may be active at the deadline. Will they continue to build around the budding young core or risk short-circuiting the whole process?
The Blackhawks certainly have volume in their pipeline. And it's starting to turn out NHL calibre players. Already 9 players from 2022 and later drafts that have at least 20 NHL GP under their belt.
Put up the Central Division roadmaps this morning and the Blackhawks immediately go out and do exactly what their roadmaps says they should - turn an expiring vet into supplementary draft capital
Managed to get another division of contention roadmaps together before the trade deadline. Here’s the Central Division:
Uh oh.
Current & Projected Standings - March 1
The Kings rebuild has been short circuited. The contention cohort has been pillaged for veteran adds.
Ken Holland has already leaned in harder with the Panarin acquisition. Does he have anything else up his sleeve this deadline?
The Ducks look like they’re on the leading edge of the Pacific Division rebuilding teams. Currently in a playoff spot, will they stay patient this deadline?