Since the summer season content has been pretty dry, here are some brand new power rankings featuring all sixteen teams competing on the Xbox side of the LGHL. These power rankings will feature a short summary/overview of every team. I will also include two grades; one regarding each team's overall depth while the other one will depict each team's top-tier talent (game 7 scenario). PLAYOFFS LOCKS Vancouver Canucks: There isn't much to say about the Canucks other than the fact that they have been dominating the regular season so far. They have good depth with a plethora of modest contracts and two great free contracts. Additionally, Vancouver tends to take advantage of their matchups as the ownership group firmly believes that all three lines can win against anyone in a best-of-one scenario. Depth: A+ Top-Tier Talent: A Chicago Blackhawks: After their first few lackluster weeks, the Chicago Blackhawks have finally hit their stride with the addition of a few key players. This team is fortunate enough to find success with all of their lines, which is simply a great showing of their team's depth. It would be shocking to see the Blackhawks make many moves before the trade deadline as they have built a well-balanced squad. Depth: A Top-Tier Talent: A Vegas Golden Knights: The Vegas Golden Knights round out the top three in these Power Rankings. The Golden Knights regular season success has been refreshing as the management group had struggled to form competitive teams over the past few seasons. That said, this team can easily be deemed as well-balanced, and the Golden Knights still possess some of the LGHL's top players. It is also important to acknowledge @Josh55777's season as he is statistically the best goalie in the league. Depth: B+ Top-Tier Talent: A Edmonton Oilers: Similarly to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Oilers were struggling earlier on in the season, but they found the right line combinations to become a force in the Pacific division. Despite a few early-season mishaps, this team boasts the second-best goal differential in the league (+47), and more importantly, the Oilers are the team that has allowed the fewest goals since the start of the season. This team's depth can be perceived through their contracts; they only have one player with a salary greater than $5,000,000 in @SoY LoS 19, and his 16-3 record shows that he is worth his price tag. Depth: A Top-Tier Talent: B+ Arizona Coyotes: Perhaps the hardest team to rank because the ownership group is known to make the right trades at the right moment, and the Coyotes are a gifted player or two away from being a great team. Obviously, their higher-end players are some of the best players across the whole league. That said, this league is competitive enough that players are not able to single-handedly win games anymore. I expect this team to finish the season strongly and compete for the top spot in the Central division. Depth: B Top-Tier Talent: A+ PLAYOFFS HOPEFULS San Jose Sharks: Look good, feel good, play good. When a team has astonishing jerseys, they are required to play at an elite level, and the Sharks have been able to do that. Despite their clear lack of consistency, this team is built like a true contender: good free contracts, decent cheap players, and a first line that regularly gets 2+ wins almost every week. This Sharks' roster contains notable players at every position, meaning that everyone on this roster has value on the trade market. If desired, the management group will be able to switch a few players to make a deep playoff run. Depth: B+ Top-Tier Talent: B+ Colorado Avalanche: The Avs are the most unpredictable team in the league, period. They have great players underperforming and some unfamiliar faces having decent seasons. It would be easy to rank the Avalanche higher on the list if all their players had played at the level everyone is expecting them to. I fully expect this team to make strides through the remainder of the regular season. The Avs are (on paper) not in a situation in which they NEED to make moves to compete; they simply need more results with their current players. Depth: B+ Top-Tier Talent: A Minnesota Wild: The Wild are the definition of a "good not great" team. The free contracts are decent, and the roster doesn't have one glaringly atrocious player on it, but it lacks top-tier talent. That said, the Wild possess objectively good players, and some of the players on that team have played together before, which adds to their overall team chemistry. At this point in the season, Minnesota might be looking for a possible apathetic first-liner on a non-playoff team to help them solidify their playoff stance. Depth: A Top-Tier Talent: B Winnipeg Jets: The Jets are having a weird season in the sense that this roster is similar to what they had last season, but they have struggled to find regular-season success in the first six weeks of play. Some great players have been and still are underperforming, which leads to a very misleading .500 team. I believe that this core group can bounce back and aim for a playoff spot, but they will need to get started sooner rather than later because there are only three weeks of games left. Depth: B Top-Tier Talent: B+ TECHNICALLY STILL IN THE MIX St. Louis Blues: The Blues have one of the more unique rosters as it displays a fair balance of Xbox and Playstation players. The management group plays on seemingly different lines, which gives this team a lot of lineup flexibility. This team does not have the best depth as most of their third line's playstyle revolves around beating the single-game hit record. Unlike their real-life counterparts, I do not expect this team to make big splashes in the trade department. I believe that the Blues are talented enough to sneak into the playoffs if the rest of the league takes them too lightly. Depth: C+ Top-Tier Talent: B Seattle Kraken: The Kraken might be ranked a little too high due to recency bias, but they have been lowkey good over the last couple of weeks. As Drake once said, "started from the bottom, now we're here." That phrase represents the Kraken's season perfectly as they were one of the most underperforming teams in League Gaming's recent memory. A few trades, a questionable (at the time) waive, and developed chemistry has brought this team from the very bottom of the league to the middle of the pack. I still don't expect this team to make the playoffs, but they will be a nuisance to fringe teams. Depth: B Top-Tier Talent: C+ Calgary Flames: The Flames are in a situation that was easy to foresee before the first game; they lack true honorable free contracts. It is never a good sign when the management is barely able to compete against second lines from around the league. As a team, they have hidden gems sprinkled throughout their lineup which will certainly attract a lot of attention from other GMs wanting to improve their team before playoffs. I think this team will continue to descend in the standings over the next few weeks. Depth: C Top-Tier Talent: C+ THE SEASON'S OVER IN THREE WEEKS These teams have had their fair share of underperforming players alongside underwhelming starts from most of their lines. It is highly improbable that they will make the playoffs at all, but they have a few pieces that might interest other GMs. These power rankings are not intended to make fun of lower-ranked teams, so I will pick out two trade candidates that other GMs will likely target for each of the last four teams. 13. Nashville Predators - @wayzox-_- (750k) - @No Regretzkys (1M) 14. Anaheim Ducks - @Desyd19 (8M) - l1l Pev l7l (750k) 15. Los Angeles Kings - @the rocket05 (1.75M) - @FazYQC197 (3M) 16. Dallas Stars - @l Clavette l (8M) - Schemmm (1M)
@Desyd19 is stuck after underperforming on his massive cap hit. Should be ashamed that he asked for that much.
