Playoff seeding. Just trying to get into the postseason. A lottery pick. Winning the draft lottery so they can have the No. 1 pick.
These are the driving factors that make the remainder of the NHL regular season so compelling. Perhaps the only things more compelling than what happens to these teams are the players whose efforts will play such a massive role in shaping their teams' short- and long-term futures.
This week, our NHL Power Rankings take a look at each team's most pivotal player now that the trade deadline has passed.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.