NHL Power Rankings: Picking each team's midseason MVP
This is the ninth edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2020-21 season. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.
In this edition, we pick the MVP for each team as we hit the midway point of the season.
1. Colorado Avalanche (32-8-3)Previous rank: 3rd
Sorry, Nazem Kadri, but there's no way the Avalanche's midseason MVP isn't Cale Makar. The 23-year-old blue-liner is on pace for nearly 40 goals this season. He'd join Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey as the only defensemen ever to accomplish the feat.
2. Florida Panthers (31-9-5)Previous rank: 1st
Jonathan Huberdeau has long been a superstar, but he's hit a new level this season. The Panthers winger has played his way into the Hart Trophy conversation and currently leads the league in points and assists.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (31-9-2)Previous rank: 2nd
Frederik Andersen has been exceptional, but the MVP has to be Sebastian Aho. The star center is Carolina's best all-around player and leads the squad in points.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (29-10-6)Previous rank: 4th
The back-to-back defending champs deserve a lot of credit for overcoming a ton of key injuries, but Tampa Bay would be nowhere without Andrei Vasilevskiy. He's registered a .922 save percentage and 12.9 goals saved above average across 35 appearances this season.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins (27-11-7)
Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 6th
Where would the battered yet triumphant Penguins be without Kris Letang this season? His 40 points in 41 games rank second among all Pittsburgh skaters, behind just Jake Guentzel. The 34-year-old plays a demanding 25:44 of ice time a night, which is sixth-most among all NHL defensemen.
6. Minnesota Wild (27-10-3)Previous rank: 8th
Kirill Kaprizov is Minnesota's MVP by a landslide. Some teams are easier to pick for this assignment.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-10-3)Previous rank: 5th
Even though Jack Campbell is beginning to look just a little bit more human as of late, there's something to be said about his performance this season. He's authored a tidy .926 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average in 30 appearances. The newfound No. 1 starter role looks great on the 30-year-old late bloomer.
8. New York Rangers (29-13-4)Previous rank: 7th
There's no way the Rangers are where they are without Igor Shesterkin. The poised netminder leads the league in goals saved above average (22.59) while playing behind a squad that ranks near the bottom of the league in expected goals against and high-danger scoring chances allowed.
9. Boston Bruins (25-14-3)Previous rank: 9th
Brad Marchand probably looks at all the columns about the Bruins' aging core and their closing contention window and laughs. The 33-year-old has an outlandish 47 points in 37 games and is on pace to eclipse the 40-goal mark for the first time in his illustrious career.
10. St. Louis Blues (26-13-5)
David Berding / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 12th
The Blues have several options here - the sign of a well-rounded team - but we're going with Ryan O'Reilly. The captain is still the heart and soul of the squad, is arguably the best defensive center in the league, and has tallied a respectable 29 points in 40 games.
11. Vegas Golden Knights (26-16-3)Previous rank: 13th
As good as Chandler Stephenson has been this season with linemates Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty missing so much time, we have to go with Shea Theodore. The 26-year-old defenseman is second on the team with 31 points in 41 games and is logging 23:18 per contest.
12. Washington Capitals (24-12-9)Previous rank: 10th
Surprise, surprise, the Capitals' MVP is Alex Ovechkin. It feels like the 36-year-old is going to break the record for most amount of records broken in a single season. His climb up the NHL's all-time goals list is required viewing; with 29 goals already this season, he's just eight away from passing Jaromir Jagr for third place.
13. Calgary Flames (21-13-6)Previous rank: 18th
If this is how it ends for Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary, then he's going out in style. The revitalized 28-year-old, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, leads the Flames with 52 points in 40 games. He already surpassed his point total from last season and is only six points away from matching his performance in 2019-20.
14. Nashville Predators (27-14-4)Previous rank: 11th
Juuse Saros should be a Vezina Trophy finalist and has been the catalyst for Nashville's resurgence this season. The netminder owns a .927 clip and a whopping 20.6 goals saved above average so far.
15. Edmonton Oilers (22-16-2)
Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 20th
Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are tearing it up, but we're giving the edge to McDavid. Opponents still fear No. 97 more, and his defensive metrics are a bit better than No. 29's.
16. Anaheim Ducks (23-16-8)Previous rank: 17th
Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras have both been great, but the main reason the Ducks are still in the playoff picture is John Gibson. The netminder has posted a .922 save percentage in 32 games and ranks fourth in the league in goals saved above expected.
17. Los Angeles Kings (23-16-7)Previous rank: 14th
Tip your cap to Drew Doughty. He leads all Kings defensemen with 23 points in 27 contests, good for a breezy 0.85 points per game rate. The Kings also control a stellar 60.6% of the shot attempts with the 32-year-old veteran on the ice at five-on-five. Doughty has pulled all this off while eating the most amount of ice time per contest (25:32) in Los Angeles.
18. Dallas Stars (23-17-2)Previous rank: 18th
Age simply isn't a factor for Joe Pavelski. The 37-year-old paces the Stars in assists and points, and he's just outside the top 10 in league scoring.
19. New York Islanders (15-16-6)Previous rank: 22nd
Ilya Sorokin has arrived. The wins are hard to come by this year, but Long Island's starter of the future has done all he can with a .923 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average.
20. Vancouver Canucks (19-19-6)
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 19th
Many of Vancouver's forwards are having down years, but J.T. Miller is not one of them. He's posted 44 points in 42 games while playing multiple positions and being asked to drive different lines. If the Canucks decide to trade him before the deadline, they'll get a haul.
21. Winnipeg Jets (18-16-7)Previous rank: 15th
The Jets are stumbling quite a bit, but the last person who should take the blame for their struggles is Kyle Connor. The 25-year-old leads all Winnipeg skaters with 24 goals, 20 assists, and 44 points. For comparison, Pierre-Luc Dubois has the second-most points on the team with 32 in the same amount of games.
22. San Jose Sharks (22-20-3)Previous rank: 21st
Timo Meier? More like Timo Fire. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a career season with 47 points through 40 games and is posting sparkling underlying offensive numbers to boot.
23. Detroit Red Wings (19-20-6)Previous rank: 23rd
Rookies Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider have been exceptional, but captain Dylan Larkin gets the nod. The 25-year-old center is having a huge bounce-back year, collecting 41 points in 40 games.
24. Chicago Blackhawks (16-21-7)Previous rank: 25th
Patrick Kane is the club's leading scorer and perhaps the obvious choice - and has been for much of the past 15 years - but we're going to give it to Alex DeBrincat and his 26 goals, which is more than double the total of Chicago's runner-up.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets (20-21-1)
Jamie Sabau / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 24th
The Blue Jackets struggle to generate offense, so the fact Zach Werenski is on pace for 50 points as a defenseman earns him the crown.
26. Seattle Kraken (14-26-4)Previous rank: 31st
Things haven't exactly gone to plan in the Kraken's inaugural season, but Jared McCann has proven to be a savvy expansion pick. He leads Seattle with 18 goals and 28 points.
27. Ottawa Senators (13-21-4)Previous rank: 28th
Drake Batherson was playing great before his injury, but we're going with Thomas Chabot. He's not having his finest season points-wise, but he averages an NHL-high 27:08 per game and his underlying numbers are off the charts.
28. Buffalo Sabres (14-23-7)Previous rank: 29th
Rasmus Dahlin has taken a major leap in his development in his first full season under head coach Tony Granato. The 21-year-old has been an offensive catalyst from the back end, as he's on pace for nearly 60 points.
29. New Jersey Devils (15-23-5)Previous rank: 26th
Not many expected Jesper Bratt to be New Jersey's top offensive player this season, but here we are. The 23-year-old winger is on pace to shatter his career bests across the board, operating at a near point per game pace 40 games into the season.
30. Philadelphia Flyers (14-22-8)
Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 27th
Captain Claude Giroux is having another fine season despite the team's struggles, posting 35 points in 41 games. Will he waive his no-movement clause ahead of the deadline? If so, the Flyers will get a nice return.
31. Arizona Coyotes (10-29-4)Previous rank: 30th
He doesn't have a whole lot of help up front, but Clayton Keller is putting together a quality offensive season with a team-leading 35 points through 43 games.
32. Montreal Canadiens (8-29-7)Previous rank: 32nd
It's hard to find anything positive from Montreal's season, but Nick Suzuki has posted strong defensive metrics and leads the team in points.
(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)
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