NHL Power Rankings: Jets stay on top, Wild rise, plus our early MVPs

The NHL’s quarter mark is just about here, which gives us a good opportunity to take stock and deliver some kudos to the best around the league.

Here are our picks for each team’s MVP from the season’s first quarter. Most of them are players — most of them.

Last week: 1
Sean’s ranking: 1
Dom’s ranking: 1

First-quarter MVP: Connor Hellebuyck

Thursday’s loss to Tampa Bay was a bit of a dud for Winnipeg, but hey, Hellebuyck wasn’t in net for it. He’s the best goalie on earth and the single biggest reason for the Jets’ record-breaking start.

A save percentage around .930, one of the highest workloads in the league, more goals saved above average than almost everyone else — none of that is surprising, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. There’s work left to do, especially come April, but Hellebuyck is on track to be in the real Hart Trophy conversation, and he’ll deserve it.

Last week: 2
Sean’s ranking: 2
Dom’s ranking: 2

First-quarter MVP: Eric Tulsky

The King of the Nerds had what looked like a tough first GM summer ahead of him. He had to extend Seth Jarvis, trade or re-sign Martin Necas and then plug some big holes (Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce) without a whole lot of money to plug them. Safe to say he aced his first test.

The defense looks better than ever with Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield elevated to the second pair while newcomers Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker crush sheltered minutes. Up front, Jack Roslovic has been a nice addition (nine goals in 14 games), while William Carrier has offered defensive punch. The extensions given out to Jarvis and Necas already look like bargains, and the decision not to trade Necas looks especially savvy given his scorching start.

Sure, we could give MVP to someone on the ice or to Rod Brind’Amour for making the vision come to life. But given the cap constraints, it’s hard not to bang our fists on the table and chant.

Last week: 3
Sean’s ranking: 3
Dom’s ranking: 3

First-quarter MVP: Sam Reinhart

Reinhart hasn’t followed up on his 2023-24 season — he’s improved upon it. His goal against New Jersey on Thursday was his league-leading 13th, and he’s now working on a nine-game point streak. With him on the ice at five-on-five, the Panthers have out-scored their opponents 18-7, with a big chunk of that play coming while Aleksander Barkov was on the shelf.

Maybe most impressively, Reinhart has been held off the scoresheet a grand total of two times. Tons of production and tons of consistency for a player who’s become one of the game’s best few snipers.

Last week: 4
Sean’s ranking: 4
Dom’s ranking: 5

First-quarter MVP: Jake Oettinger

Dallas can beat you in a ton of different ways. Whether it’s offensive power, defensive might, or strong goaltending, the Stars find a way and it’s why they’ve been a popular Stanley Cup pick the last few seasons.

The Stars aren’t scoring as much as expected (3.3 goals per 60, 13th), aren’t defending as well as expected (3.3 expected goals against per 60, 23rd) — and it hasn’t really mattered. The third pillar, goaltending, has stepped in. Oettinger has been the team’s best player.

That’s a nice change from last season; credit to Oettinger for bouncing back. So far he’s saved 6.9 goals above expected through 10 games, good for seventh in the league.

Last week: 6
Sean’s ranking: 5
Dom’s ranking: 4

First-quarter MVP: Kirill Kaprizov

Kaprizov may be the league MVP over the first quarter. He’s been that good.

Kaprizov has long been on the periphery of the MVP-caliber player conversation and has been perhaps unfairly punished for the system he’s in and the lack of weapons around him. Put him anywhere else and he’d probably already have been a Hart contender.

This year, it hasn’t mattered. He’s putting up gaudy scoring totals while maintaining his underrated defensive game. It helps that other Wild players have stepped up, too, but it’s still Kaprizov driving the bus.

Last week: 5
Sean’s ranking: 6
Dom’s ranking: 8

First-quarter MVP: Igor Shesterkin

Have we seen vintage Shesterkin this season? Not quite — he tends to save that for the spring. Still, as tends to be the case, the Rangers are asking a lot of him, and he’s rising to the occasion.

Aside from a .913 save percentage, Shesterkin is top five in goals saved above expected, and the only two starters who face more high-danger shots (Lukas Dostal and Mackenzie Blackwood) are on bottom-feeding teams. The Rangers are too talented to be the Ducks or the Sharks, obviously, but Shesterkin still bumps them up a few levels.

Last week: 8
Sean’s ranking: 8
Dom’s ranking: 7

First-quarter MVP: Jack Eichel

We gassed up Eichel’s dialed-up point production last week, and he took it a step further in the ensuing three games, putting up a goal and five assists. A 128-point pace is serious business, and it’s helped make the Golden Knights the No. 2 offensive team in the league. If that continues, he’s a lock to show up on some ballots. Vegas needed to make up for lost offense along the wings, and Eichel is coming through.

Last week: 10
Sean’s ranking: 10
Dom’s ranking: 6

First-quarter MVP: Quinn Hughes

We talked about this last week, but it bears repeating from the dastardly East Coast Media: Hughes has been amazing — again. There’s a solid case to be made that he’s right there with Cale Makar as the best defenseman in hockey. His plus-5.4 Net Rating leads all defenders and is tied for second in the league, all thanks to his otherworldly impacts at five-on-five. Few if any players are pushing play like Hughes.

No other Canucks player comes close to Hughes’ impact. He’s been by far the biggest reason for Vancouver’s success and at this point it’s not #HughesNorrisWatch that Canucks fans should be shouting from west coast rooftops — it’s #HughesHartWatch.

9. New Jersey Devils, 12-6-2

Last week: 9
Sean’s ranking: 7
Dom’s ranking: 9

First-quarter MVPs: The shutdown pair

Last season, Jonas Siegenthaler looked washed as a top-four option. Jonathan Kovacevic looked like a typical sheltered defenseman. Neither seemed like they would be big needle-movers. And yet the Devils are 12-6-2, and the team’s unlikely shutdown duo is leading them to that mark.

It’s been that pair taking on the toughest minutes most nights and they have crushed that assignment outscoring teams 16-6 while earning 62 percent of the expected goals. Most of that effect has come via elite defense.

Last week: 7
Sean’s ranking: 9
Dom’s ranking: 11

First-quarter MVP: Spencer Carbery

Credit to Brian MacLellan, Chris Patrick and Co. for adding a bunch of solid players — a wild idea that somehow has worked out — but Carbery deserves an even bigger share for the buttons he’s pushed, which have made the Capitals, it seems, sustainably good. We’ll zero in on two.

The first: sticking winger Aliaksei Protas with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Thanks in part to Protas’ playmaking, size, defensive chops and (surprising) finishing ability, the Caps have won their minutes 15-1. The second: moving Connor McMichael full-time to the wing, where he’s second in the league with nine five-on-five goals.

Last week: 12
Sean’s ranking: 11
Dom’s ranking: 10

First-quarter MVP: Anthony Stolarz

The Core Four hasn’t played up to their usual level and the Leafs have had a meh start by their standards. It’s a start that could’ve been a lot worse, though, if not for the heroics of Stolarz. He looks like the real deal, the best goalie the Leafs have had since prime Frederik Andersen — at least. Stolarz has a .930 on the season so far and has saved 10.6 goals above expected, good for third in the league.

Stolarz has flashed that ability in a backup role, but there were questions regarding how he’d handle a bigger workload. Those questions feel emphatically answered early. Now the Leafs need the guys in front of him to step it up.

Last week: 13
Sean’s ranking: 12
Dom’s ranking: 14

First-quarter MVPs: Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman

As long as their biggest guns are playing at their current level, the Lightning will be relevant. Kucherov is having yet another hyper-productive season (24 points in 15 games) and seems to have added an even nastier finishing touch to his bag. Hedman, meanwhile, is back to his dominant ways — the Lightning are outscoring opponents 15-6 with him on the ice and controlling 60 percent of the expected goals.

As for the power play — yep, they’ve still got the juice. Ask Eric Comrie about that one.

Last week: 17
Sean’s ranking: 13
Dom’s ranking: 13

First-quarter MVP: Nathan MacKinnon

The Avalanche managed to keep their heads above water without Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen, and a huge chunk of that is because of MacKinnon. “Huge” might actually be an understatement; the man is on pace for nearly 160 points. He’d be third in the NHL in scoring if you took away all his goals. Without his work at five-on-five, or on the league’s second-most productive power play, Colorado would be in serious trouble. He’s delivered, though, and has got to be viewed as the overall favorite. Again.

Last week: 16
Sean’s ranking: 14
Dom’s ranking: 12

First-quarter MVP: Leon Draisaitl

Those who checked in on Friend Of The Rankings Greg Wyshynski’s Awards Watch earlier this week were met with a shocking twist when reading up on the current Selke shortlist: Leon Draisaitl. The superstar scorer synonymous with annually poor defensive results? That Draisaitl? The very same — and it was an absolutely correct call (for now).

Right now, the ‘D’ in Draisaitl stands for defense. His plus-1.9 Defensive Rating currently ranks second (!) among all forwards thanks to the Oilers giving up just 2.0 xGA/60 with him on the ice. That’s 0.37 better than when he’s on the bench. Couple that with 12 goals and 20 points in 16 games and Draisaitl has been easily playing the best hockey of his career.

Last week: 11
Sean’s ranking: 15
Dom’s ranking: 15

First-quarter MVP: Vladislav Gavrikov

Eric Stephens wrote a story earlier this week about how the Kings have gotten by without Drew Doughty, and there’s nothing left to say about Gavrikov that he didn’t cover, so we’ll say it again. Gavrikov is crushing top-pair duties (on his off side) to the right of Mikey Anderson; the Kings are winning his minutes 14-7 and allowing a team-best 1.54 goals against/60 with him on the ice.

Last week: 15
Sean’s ranking: 16
Dom’s ranking: 16

First-quarter MVP: Kyle Palmieri

Palmieri leads the Islanders in points and goals overall — and in terms of his per/60 production (1.43 goals, 2.86 points), he’s having the best season of his career. The Isles will need more production from other players if they want to make a postseason return, but Palmieri is doing his part.

Last week: 20
Sean’s ranking: 17
Dom’s ranking: 17

First-quarter MVP: Tim Stützle

Two years ago, Stützle looked on track to being a superstar in Ottawa after a 90-point season. It’s what made last year’s drop-off so disappointing. Good news — he is back and looking ready to power Ottawa into a playoff spot. His 20 points in 15 games is obviously great, but it’s his detail elsewhere that’s putting Stützle on the fast track toward franchise status. The Senators are significantly winning their minutes with him on the ice and that’s a big deal.

18. Utah HC, 7-6-3

Last week: 18
Sean’s ranking: 19
Dom’s ranking: 18

First-quarter MVP: Mikhail Sergachev

Utah may be reeling a bit after a hot start, but at the very least the team’s big summer splash does look like a win so far. Sergachev has been as good as advertised, playing like the legit No. 1 he was long expected to be. He may not be enough to get Utah into the playoffs, but he’s been their best player so far.

Last week: 19
Sean’s ranking: 18
Dom’s ranking: 20

First-quarter MVP: Tage Thompson

It took the Sabres until Nov. 14 to win a game in which Thompson didn’t score — and actually, against the Blues, he didn’t play at all. While we wait and see whether he misses more time, we’ll say it again: Thompson is back and probably better than ever. He’s scored a league-leading 10 goals at five-on-five — compared to 16 in all of 2023-24 — and Buffalo is dominating his minutes in terms of actual goals (15-4) and expected goals (61 percent).

Last week: 14
Sean’s ranking: 20
Dom’s ranking: 19

First-quarter MVP: David Pastrnak

For a second we were going to put “the fans” as Boston’s MVP for having to endure the Bruins’ mess of a start (poor Boston sports fans, they just never catch a break). And then Pastrnak did Pastrnak things on Tuesday against the Blues, scoring a late go-ahead goal to complete a third-period comeback that felt season-saving. After a rough start, Pasta looks like he’s back.

Are the Bruins back too? Maybe, maybe not. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves, especially after a messy loss to Dallas on Thursday, but as he goes, the Bruins usually follow. That Pastrnak is the team’s most valuable player through a cold-ish stretch speaks volumes about both him and the team.

Last week: 21
Sean’s ranking: 21
Dom’s ranking: 21

First-quarter MVP: Moritz Seider

Seider’s minutes have gone from “comically unfair” to “really difficult,” and his results have improved accordingly. Imagine that! With him on the ice, Detroit is allowing 1.82 goals per 60 — that’s top-50 in the league among regular defensemen and, hopefully for the Wings, a sign of things to come.

Last week: 22
Sean’s ranking: 22
Dom’s ranking: 22

First-quarter MVP: Rasmus Andersson

Andersson has cooled off a bit after an explosive start, going pointless in his last six games. Still, that start was enough to make him Calgary’s most impactful player from the first quarter, where he still leads the team in points. That probably doesn’t bode well for the Flames, though.

Last week: 25
Sean’s ranking: 23
Dom’s ranking: 25

First-quarter MVP: Jared McCann

Is it a great sign for the Kraken that McCann is in this spot? Probably not — the franchise’s future might depend on Matty Beniers eventually figuring it out. Still, McCann deserves credit for having yet another productive season. He’s actually scoring more (4.22 points/60) than he did during his breakout 2022-23.

24. St. Louis Blues, 7-9-1

Last week: 23
Sean’s ranking: 25
Dom’s ranking: 23

First-quarter MVP: Jordan Kyrou

With Robert Thomas out, no Blue is more capable of shouldering the offensive load than Kyrou, and he’s basically done his part — especially lately. Kyrou has a six-game point streak and the Blues are winning his minutes, though it should be noted that they’ve now lost four straight.

Last week: 28
Sean’s ranking: 26
Dom’s ranking: 24

First-quarter MVP: Juuse Saros

What makes Nashville’s plummet even more surprising is that Saros has been pretty great. Usually, when a decent team goes through a rough stretch, it’s weak goaltending to blame, but that’s not the case here where Saros has arguably been the team’s best player. He’s sixth in goals saved at 7.3 with a respectable .910 save percentage. That the Predators are 5-9-3 anyway is a really bad sign.

Last week: 29
Sean’s ranking: 24
Dom’s ranking: 27

First-quarter MVP: Travis Konecny

We decided on this before Thursday night’s game — and then Konecny provided a prime example of the reliable offensive production he adds to a Flyers lineup that can be, uh, a little thin in spots. Late in the second period against Ottawa, he tied the game on a breakaway goal. It was Philly’s seventh shot of the game against 28 for the Sens in a game they wound up winning 5-4 in overtime.

Last week: 27
Sean’s ranking: 27
Dom’s ranking: 26

First-quarter MVP: Evgeni Malkin

Say what you will about what’s gone on with the Penguins, but Malkin is to blame for exactly none of it. He’s been a point-per-game player so far this season, Pittsburgh is winning his minutes overall and his defensive results are some of the strongest on the team. Expecting more from a 38-year-old with a $6.1 million cap hit would be ridiculous.

Last week: 30
Sean’s ranking: 29
Dom’s ranking: 28

First-quarter MVP: Seth Jones

Jones has played tough minutes pretty evenly for a poor Blackhawks team, and we’ll count that as a win. Scoring at a 51-point pace isn’t bad either. He may not be playing up to the price Chicago paid for him, but he’s doing his part as the team’s top defenseman. The Blackhawks just need the rest of the group to get into shape.

Last week: 24
Sean’s ranking: 28
Dom’s ranking: 29

First-quarter MVP: Zach Werenski

The Blue Jackets have risen to the occasion under Dean Evason, looking like a significantly more competitive team on a nightly basis. Werenski leads the way, as he’s arguably playing some of the best hockey of his career so far, putting up 10 points in 15 games while winning tough minutes by a significant margin.

30. Anaheim Ducks, 5-8-2

Last week: 26
Sean’s ranking: 30
Dom’s ranking: 30

First-quarter MVP: Lukas Dostal

The Ducks aren’t the league’s worst team in the standings, but they sure look like it on a nightly basis. Worse than usual, too, which is impressive given how bad they’ve been the last few seasons. Dostal has saved as many goals above expected as Hellebuyck with 13.3. If not for him, the Ducks might not have 10 points.

31. San Jose Sharks, 5-10-3

Last week: 32
Sean’s ranking: 31
Dom’s ranking: 31

First-quarter MVP: The goalies

MacKenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek are playing pretty well for two unwanted goalies. Blackwood has a .910 save percentage and has saved 4.5 goals above expected. Vanecek has a .907 with 3.7 goals saved. That puts San Jose’s goaltending tandem among the league’s best.

Last week: 31
Sean’s ranking: 32
Dom’s ranking: 32

First-quarter MVP: Nick Suzuki

All due respect to Cole Caufield and his 12 goals, but Suzuki leads the Canadiens in points and is the only forward on the team with a positive on-ice goal differential. It’s not much, but it’s something.

(Top photo of Kirill Kaprizov: Nick Wosika / Imagn Images)



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