💪NHL Power Rankings: 1 holiday 🎁 for each team🏒
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A healthy Ovi. The Capitals have remained surprisingly stellar even without the injured Alex Ovechkin, but Washington - along with everyone in the hockey world - hopes he'll be back sooner rather than later. The Russian sniper has been doing some skating but still isn't practicing in full.
Some power-play ideas. The Wild have been excellent this season despite not excelling with the man advantage. Five-on-five play is the best barometer for whether a team is legit - and this one clearly is - but Minnesota is 20th in the league with the extra man at 19.0%.
Improved play at evens. Speaking of five-on-five play, the Jets' underlying numbers have been concerning. Winnipeg sits 25th in expected goals for percentage and 24th in scoring chances for percentage in standard situations. The Jets are still a force, but between this and a poor penalty kill, there are some troubling signs.
Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / Getty
Some respect on Jesper Bratt's name. It's the Swedish winger, not Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, who leads the Devils in points this season. Bratt has 41 in 33 games, and he also tops New Jersey with 28 assists. Playing with Hughes helps, but Bratt remains one of the NHL's most underrated players.
Last year's Quinton Byfield. The 22-year-old has struggled to repeat his breakout campaign with just four goals and 13 points through 30 contests. The Kings will become legitimate contenders if Byfield elevates his game in the back half of the season.
Scoring help for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Those two freaks have already hit the 40-point mark, and Evan Bouchard ranks third on the team with ... 22. No one else has gotten to 20 points yet. McDavid and Draisaitl are also the only Oilers to hit double-digits in goals. Someone help them.
Bubble wrap for Mark Stone. The Golden Knights are 12-4-1 with Stone in the lineup. Vegas' captain has been superb when available, but he's already spent time on the shelf this season. Stone's health could be the difference between another deep playoff run and an early exit.
Josh Lavallee / National Hockey League / Getty
A better shooting percentage for Sebastian Aho. The star forward only has eight goals in 30 games while being handcuffed by a 10% clip. For comparison, his shooting percentage has hit at least 16% in each of the previous five seasons. Aho is on pace for just 21 tallies, which would be a career low.
Literally any depth scoring. It's been status quo for the Maple Leafs, who have leaned on the "Core Four" to produce the vast majority of the team's offense once again. David Kampf, Connor Dewar, and Ryan Reaves have yet to score a goal, while Max Domi, Steven Lorentz, Pontus Holmberg, and Nick Robertson are on pace to tally fewer than 10. An offensive boost in the bottom six would be significant.
Another hot streak for Logan Stankoven. The rookie has just one assist in his last nine games after posting 15 points in his first 18 contests. More production would be a big help to the Stars, who are dealing with Tyler Seguin's absence and Jason Robertson's offensive slump.
A top-six right-winger. Conor Geekie has done a solid job on the second line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, but the Lightning would become a much deeper offensive unit if they add a proven forward to the top six.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
To get their swagger back. The Panthers have been shut out in back-to-back losses with a date against the Oilers on deck. Head coach Paul Maurice also expressed concerns about his team's defensive play, saying Edmonton will score 15 goals if the Panthers don't clean things up.
Direct all presents to Kevin Lankinen. The savior of the Canucks' season was signed in late September. Lankinen stabilized the crease while Thatcher Demko was sidelined and has kept Vancouver in the race. The Canucks would be near the league's basement if Arturs Silovs (.847 save percentage) had been the primary starter in Demko's absence. Lankinen deserves all the love this holiday season.
Gifts arrived early. Goaltending was No. 1 on the Avalanche's wish list, and general manager Chris MacFarland got it for his squad early. Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood were acquired in a nine-day span to completely revamp the Avs' goaltending tandem. The early returns are promising: Wedgewood has a .931 save percentage in five games, while Blackwood made 38 saves in his Colorado debut Saturday.
Another highlight-reel tally for Nazem Kadri. The veteran forward has scored an absolutely sick goal in back-to-back games, so why not keep it going? Kadri's still got it.
Hunter Dyke / National Hockey League / Getty
A serious playoff push. Don't look now, but Utah is heating up. The newest NHL team is 7-2-2 in its last 11 games and playing fun hockey led by young guns Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley. Who needs a deadline pickup when Sean Durzi and John Marino are scheduled to return from injury in the back half? Utah contending for a spot in the postseason would be great to see in its first season.
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1. Washington Capitals (21-6-2)
Previous: 2A healthy Ovi. The Capitals have remained surprisingly stellar even without the injured Alex Ovechkin, but Washington - along with everyone in the hockey world - hopes he'll be back sooner rather than later. The Russian sniper has been doing some skating but still isn't practicing in full.
2. Minnesota Wild (20-7-4)
Previous: 3Some power-play ideas. The Wild have been excellent this season despite not excelling with the man advantage. Five-on-five play is the best barometer for whether a team is legit - and this one clearly is - but Minnesota is 20th in the league with the extra man at 19.0%.
3. Winnipeg Jets (22-9-1)
Previous: 1Improved play at evens. Speaking of five-on-five play, the Jets' underlying numbers have been concerning. Winnipeg sits 25th in expected goals for percentage and 24th in scoring chances for percentage in standard situations. The Jets are still a force, but between this and a poor penalty kill, there are some troubling signs.
4. New Jersey Devils (20-10-3-)
Previous: 6
Some respect on Jesper Bratt's name. It's the Swedish winger, not Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, who leads the Devils in points this season. Bratt has 41 in 33 games, and he also tops New Jersey with 28 assists. Playing with Hughes helps, but Bratt remains one of the NHL's most underrated players.
5. Los Angeles Kings (18-9-3)
Previous: 10Last year's Quinton Byfield. The 22-year-old has struggled to repeat his breakout campaign with just four goals and 13 points through 30 contests. The Kings will become legitimate contenders if Byfield elevates his game in the back half of the season.
6. Edmonton Oilers (18-10-2)
Previous: 14Scoring help for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Those two freaks have already hit the 40-point mark, and Evan Bouchard ranks third on the team with ... 22. No one else has gotten to 20 points yet. McDavid and Draisaitl are also the only Oilers to hit double-digits in goals. Someone help them.
7. Vegas Golden Knights (20-8-3)
Previous: 5Bubble wrap for Mark Stone. The Golden Knights are 12-4-1 with Stone in the lineup. Vegas' captain has been superb when available, but he's already spent time on the shelf this season. Stone's health could be the difference between another deep playoff run and an early exit.
8. Carolina Hurricanes (19-10-1)
Previous: 4
A better shooting percentage for Sebastian Aho. The star forward only has eight goals in 30 games while being handcuffed by a 10% clip. For comparison, his shooting percentage has hit at least 16% in each of the previous five seasons. Aho is on pace for just 21 tallies, which would be a career low.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (19-10-2)
Previous: 7Literally any depth scoring. It's been status quo for the Maple Leafs, who have leaned on the "Core Four" to produce the vast majority of the team's offense once again. David Kampf, Connor Dewar, and Ryan Reaves have yet to score a goal, while Max Domi, Steven Lorentz, Pontus Holmberg, and Nick Robertson are on pace to tally fewer than 10. An offensive boost in the bottom six would be significant.
10. Dallas Stars (18-11-0)
Previous: 8Another hot streak for Logan Stankoven. The rookie has just one assist in his last nine games after posting 15 points in his first 18 contests. More production would be a big help to the Stars, who are dealing with Tyler Seguin's absence and Jason Robertson's offensive slump.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (16-10-2)
Previous: 12A top-six right-winger. Conor Geekie has done a solid job on the second line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, but the Lightning would become a much deeper offensive unit if they add a proven forward to the top six.
12. Florida Panthers (18-11-2)
Previous: 9
To get their swagger back. The Panthers have been shut out in back-to-back losses with a date against the Oilers on deck. Head coach Paul Maurice also expressed concerns about his team's defensive play, saying Edmonton will score 15 goals if the Panthers don't clean things up.
13. Vancouver Canucks (15-9-5)
Previous: 11Direct all presents to Kevin Lankinen. The savior of the Canucks' season was signed in late September. Lankinen stabilized the crease while Thatcher Demko was sidelined and has kept Vancouver in the race. The Canucks would be near the league's basement if Arturs Silovs (.847 save percentage) had been the primary starter in Demko's absence. Lankinen deserves all the love this holiday season.
14. Colorado Avalanche (18-14-0)
Previous: 13Gifts arrived early. Goaltending was No. 1 on the Avalanche's wish list, and general manager Chris MacFarland got it for his squad early. Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood were acquired in a nine-day span to completely revamp the Avs' goaltending tandem. The early returns are promising: Wedgewood has a .931 save percentage in five games, while Blackwood made 38 saves in his Colorado debut Saturday.
15. Calgary Flames (15-11-5)
Previous: 16Another highlight-reel tally for Nazem Kadri. The veteran forward has scored an absolutely sick goal in back-to-back games, so why not keep it going? Kadri's still got it.
16. Utah Hockey Club (14-11-5)
Previous: 23
A serious playoff push. Don't look now, but Utah is heating up. The newest NHL team is 7-2-2 in its last 11 games and playing fun hockey led by young guns Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley. Who needs a deadline pickup when Sean Durzi and John Marino are scheduled to return from injury in the back half? Utah contending for a spot in the postseason would be great to see in its first season.
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