Welcome to Power Rankings. We’re focusing on the positives here.
This week, there are no major moves in the top half, and the preseason cup candidates are in good form, so I’ll name one player from each team that I like. There are no other prerequisites. Being good at hockey helps, but… hmmm. For now, that’s secondary. There’s more to life than spreadsheets and calculators.
Last week: 1
Sean’s ranking: 1st place
Dom ranking: 1
There are a thousand reasons to love David Pastrnak. He’s on track for his second straight 60-goal season, putting up numbers worthy of Hart, and has some serious stuff off the ice, with a great all-around vibe. He’s one of the best players in the league, and also one of the coolest.
What is our reason? His nickname is Pasta and we love pasta. Pasta needs a podcast where he goes to a pasta shop with his opponents on the street and just talks about life. It’s called “Pasta Pals.” Let’s listen.
Last week: 2
Sean’s ranking: 2nd place
Dom ranking: 3
An easy way to move up this particular ranking is to step up in difficult spots. Brayden McNabb has played major minutes this season with the rest of Las Vegas’ blue line sidelined, and he deserves some credit.
Last week: 3
Sean’s ranking: 3
Dom ranking: 2
Some of the reasons why we like certain players are obvious. They’re good at hockey and do some cool moves on the ice that make you say, “Wow!”
We like Mason Marchment because if there was ever a live-action Super Mario movie, he would be the first choice to play Waluigi, objectively the best Mario character. The resemblance is striking.
Last week: 4
Sean’s ranking: 6
Dom ranking: 4
It took longer than expected, but Adam Fox finally turned his Norris-level play into a free bagel. because he likes them. Nothing resonates with me more than that.
Last week: 7
Sean’s ranking: 5
Dom rank: 5
Jack Johnson is not only a Stanley Cup champion, but he also created the hit song “Banana Pancakes.” There are many champions in the league, but no hit songwriters like this one.
Last week: 5
Sean’s ranking: 4
Dom ranking: 8
Quinn Hughes? Elias Pettersson? JT Miller? One of the three co-leaders in points this season? No. If they score a great goal like this, please let us know.
As longtime readers know, we have a special love for Michigan newspapers and the people who make them happen. We’re patiently waiting for Nils Hoglander to do it in the NHL, and when he does, it’s going to be emotional.
Last week: 6
Sean’s ranking: 7
Dom ranking: 6
It’s officially (and finally) fun to watch Quinton Byfield play in the NHL. He has racked up points (13 goals in 15 games) and is playing in the frontline alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Last week: 10
Sean’s ranking: 8
Dom ranking: 7
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has long been the go-to guy for anyone wanting to make a joke about a defenseman who seems washed up. But in his first season at Florida, he has performed admirably in first-pair minutes while Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad recover from offseason surgeries. Without him, the Panthers might have sunk.
Last week: 13
Sean’s ranking: 9
Dom ranking: 10th place
We’re big fans of athletes wearing rocket skates, especially when it comes from a slightly unexpected source. Rasmus Kupari, who has been the fastest player in the league so far this season at 24 mph, certainly qualifies.
Last week: 9
Sean’s ranking: 10th place
Dom ranking: 9
There is a pretty strong correlation between “men we like” and “men by name”. Sid. Connor. Auston. Tashita. (Quinn!)
It’s a universal sign that “this guy rules,” and that of course applies to Dougie. This season, he’s still the same. He has five goals and 12 points in 15 games, great offense and questionable defense. The usual. Nothing more. Nothing more. You know what you get with Dougie, an elite defenseman who is consistently one of the best players in the league.
Last week: 8
Sean’s ranking: 11th
Dom ranking: 11th place
It’s time to get scientific. Many times this season, when we went to Hurricanes games, Stefan Noesen did…something. He outscored Flyers goaltender Carter Hart by one point on Wednesday. Of course, this was the only goal Carolina scored in that match, and it was one of the reasons why they fell down this week. Nosen is a versatile player, but he probably shouldn’t be the only source of offensive production.
Last week: 11
Sean’s rank: 12th
Dom ranking: 12th place
There may not be a player in the league today with a better vibe than William Nylander. He is completely unfazed by anything around him, existing within his own cold, calm aura. Everything brings him down, whether it’s the looming contract negotiations, the swarms of defenders trying to take the puck from him, or his confused uncle who is still yelling at him and saying he needs to trade for a defenseman. For the rest of the league, the Leafs organization is quite a nuisance. Nylander is an exception. It’s impossible to hate him.
Also, make time to listen to Nylander’s Swedish origin story by Jonas Siegel. That’s good.
Last week: 18
Sean’s rank: 13th
Dom ranking: 14th place
I enjoyed this from Josh Yohe a few days ago. Lars Eller remains one of the most defensively reliable forwards in the league. There will always be space for such a man.
Last week: 12
Sean’s rank: 15th
Dom ranking: 13th place
Stuart Skinner was sent off and had a good third straight game, reminding everyone that the Oilers shouldn’t be counted out for having half-hearted goaltending and that a pathetic start is no good. And we appreciate that.
Last week: 14
Sean’s rank: 14th
Dom ranking: 15th place
Brandon Hagel (eight goals, eight assists) plays every game like a man determined to prove his contract isn’t too much. Honesty is important to him.
Last week: 16
Sean’s rank: 16th
Dom ranking: 16th place
John Gibson (.927 save percentage, fifth in the NHL in GSAx) is finally living up to his reputation. That’s good for him, good for the Ducks, and good for the trade market.
Last week: 28
Sean’s rank: 18th
Dom ranking: 17th place
Let’s give up on Dylan Strome, an early Cy Young candidate (7 goals, 0 assists), who has felt underrated for a while now.
Last week: 17
Sean’s ranking: 17th
Dom ranking: 18th place
Logan Cooley has the word “cool” in his name, so he gets instant points. We are still waiting for him to do something as great as his goals, but it will definitely happen soon. His skills are on display every night.
Last week: 15
Sean’s ranking: 19th
Dom ranking: 20th place
Alex DeBrincat fit like a glove in Detroit. The short King Wing is off to a red hot start and will have a big season suiting up next to Dylan Larkin every night. We love it when a guy finds a forever home, especially when it’s a little guy who just fills the net.
Last week: 20
Sean’s ranking: 20th
Dom ranking: 19th place
Filip Gustafsson (.872 save percentage, league-worst -8.03 GSAx) is a nice addition to everyone else. The Athletic In NHL fantasy leagues, you have a chance to beat Sean every week.
Last week: 24
Sean’s ranking: 22nd
Dom ranking: 21st place
I found this nugget about Jake Sanderson by Ian Mendes quite fascinating. He seems very serious about adopting the nickname “Snake” given to him by assistant coach Jack Capuano, but somehow he managed to get through his 20s without anyone calling him that. I spent a lot of time there.
Last week: 22
Sean’s ranking: 21st
Dom ranking: 24th place
A big part of the Blues’ happiness will depend on Robert Thomas bouncing back from a strange season following the extension of the 2022-23 season, but the reason he’s managed to do so so far is partly due to his own Blame it on shooting the puck more often. He’s one of the better playmakers in the league, averaging two extra shots per 60 without hurting anyone.
Last week: 19
Sean’s ranking: 23rd
Dom ranking: 23rd place
Tashita? Tashita.
Last week: 29
Sean’s ranking: 25th
Dom ranking: 22nd place
It takes a lot of guts for your agent to say you’re the best on the team on a defense that features Rasmus Andersson, Mackenzie Weegar, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. If you’re Nikita Zadorov, a career third-pair defenseman, it’s an even spicier take.
We have nothing but respect for such confidence. He also deserves credit for being able to criticize the rest of the team for most of the season.
25. Philadelphia Flyers, 8-7-1
Last week: 25
Sean’s ranking: 24th
Dom ranking: 26th place
The Flyers have put together a surprisingly likable team this year, so there are plenty of options. But we can’t resist misfit toys forming a new team. Shout out to Sean Walker, who has been playing a top-four role after being jettisoned on the salary cap last summer. Walker has seven points in 16 games with an expected goal percentage of 59 percent. He was good to him!
Last week: 14
Sean’s rank: 26th
Dom ranking: 25th place
Sebastian Aho is a soldier even though he has never had a chance to become the best hockey player named “Sebastian Aho”. Gently. Courageous.
Last week: 21
Sean’s ranking: 27th
Dom ranking: 27th place
Brandon Tanev’s commitment to bits is unparalleled. In a league that takes itself too seriously, the annual Saw a Ghost headshot remains a national treasure.
Last week: 23
Sean’s ranking: 28th
Dom ranking: 29th place
Goal Caufield is an elite goal scorer across the board. But change his clock to “overtime,” and he becomes Wayne Gretzky in his prime. It’ll probably get better.
Last week, Caufield recorded his seventh career overtime winner in just 136 games, breaking the previous record held by Frank Finnigan by 86 games. If you can erase the records of someone born in the 19th century, you must be doing something right. Caufield just works automatically within the extra frame.
Last week: 26
Sean’s ranking: 30th
Dom ranking: 28th place
Tommy Novak will spend some time with an upper-body injury, but he still deserves a spot here.he Did not appear in an NHL game Until he turned 24, he caught fire at the end of last season and was waiting to see what happened.
Last week: 30
Sean’s ranking: 29th
Dom ranking: 31st
Nick Foligno — Now we have a guy who knows his job.
Last week: 27
Sean’s Ranking: 31
Dom ranking: 30th place
American dream? It’s job security in a high-paying field, regardless of performance. Jarmo Kekalainen is living the dream, baby! I salute you, Jarmo!
(Adam Fantilli, who set a franchise record with 10 shots on Thursday night, is also great).
Last week: 31
Sean’s Ranking: 32
Dom ranking: 32nd place
The San Jose Sharks are a special group, but as long as they have Tomas Hertl, this is an easy choice. One of the league’s most fun-loving players is unfortunately on his own island this year, but what he’s been doing despite the lack of help is pretty impressive. The Sharks may only have 21 goals this season (!), but Hertl has somehow managed to score points on 11 of them. he is doing his part.
(Photo: Lawrence Scott/Getty Images)