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Week 17: NHL Power Rankings Recap

I did not want to do power rankings after this week. Fortunately, even for the power rankings that were filed after the Blue Jackets three-game losing streak, the thought seems to be that the Blue Jackets are a legit threat. In even better news, the actual standings haven’t taken much of a hit over the last seven days. Onto February…

SB Nation: 10th place (Last week: 10)
NHL.com: 14th (Last week: 15)
TSN: 12th (Last week: 15)
ESPN: 11th (Last week: 16)
CBS Sports: 11th (Last week: 13)
Fox Sports: 17th (Last week: 19)

Average ranking: 13th (Last week: 15)

The Blue Jackets can’t seem to strike a balance, continuing to run hot or cold through the end of January. For most of the month, we saw the team from last Spring that nearly made the playoffs with a solid string of wins. This week, we saw the October-November Blue Jackets that seem to derail every single season before the games even begin. The key heading into the West Coast trip and returning after the Olympics will be achieving some kind of balance, making sure highs aren’t too high, and lows aren’t too low. Without a captain to be in the ear of the players, it will have to come by leadership committee, starting with the coaches. You have to wonder, are weeks like this why the Blue Jackets remain without a captain, or do they need a strong leader now more than ever? I have a feeling that bringing in a veteran presence will be a key target for GM Jarmo Kekalainen before the March 5th trade deadline.

Previously: Week 16

Where do you rank the Blue Jackets?

10 23
11 4
12 19
13 10
14 5
15 7
16 4
17 2