Super 16: Reasons for optimism entering holiday break

It's a time for joy and merriment as the NHL rests for the holiday break.

Sure, there are reasons for concern, even for the 16 teams ranked this week in the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings.

But now is not the time to dwell on those. Now is the time to think positively, to find all the reasons for optimism, to be festive and full.

So that's what we're doing with the Super 16 this week, offering reasons why every team in the power rankings can wake up on this Christmas morning feeling good about what they've done so far and what they can look forward to.

As always, to come up with the Super 16, the 15 voters this week first put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

And with that, we have this festive edition of the Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (27-2-7)

Total points: 240
Last week: No. 1

"Everything about this season has been festive for the Avalanche. It's impossible to pick just one thing. They are the best team in the NHL. They have arguably the best forward in Nathan MacKinnon and the best defenseman in Cale Makar. They might have the best goaltending tandem in Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. They've scored the most goals and allowed the fewest. The only place they can find any coal is on the power play, but even that has been coming around of late. And the only problem for the Avalanche is it's only Christmas and they still have 46 games to play before they can get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and make it all matter more." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

2. Dallas Stars (25-7-6)

Total points: 223
Last week: No. 2

"If it comes down to one reason to be festive, it's the consistency the Stars have had thus far. The Stars have picked up where they left off last season, when they were one of the NHL's best teams, and they've weathered injuries, from captain Jamie Benn and forward Matt Duchene earlier this season to forward Tyler Seguin now. It's a testament to the depth the Stars have, for sure. Their goaltending has been good too. Jake Oettinger or Casey DeSmith? It doesn't matter, each has got this. It's the most wonderful time of the year and considering how things are going, the Stars certainly agree with that." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

3. Minnesota Wild (22-10-6)

Total points: 206
Last week: No. 4

"If there are Wild fans out there who are not festive this holiday season, there's a good chance they may be distant relatives of The Grinch. Simply, in the wake of the franchise-alternating trade for defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this month, the Wild fan base should be over the moon. They are a top-three team in the standings and in talent. Mats Zuccarello is returning to health and that is no small thing for this team. They have an established core that also features Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. If holes remain, the Wild have a general manager that has shown he won't sit on his hands. Happy Holidays indeed!" -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

4. Carolina Hurricanes (22-11-3)

Total points: 197
Last week: No. 3

"The Hurricanes big reason to be festive this week is the loud fans who pack Lenovo Center every game. And I mean every game. The Hurricanes have sold out 135 straight home games, including the 18 they have played at home this season. And why wouldn't you go to see the 'Canes? The scene in the parking lot pregame is like a college football tailgate party and the team on the ice is always really, really good. So, the Hurricanes can celebrate because of their fanbase and their fanbase can celebrate because of the Hurricanes." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

5. Vegas Golden Knights (17-8-10)

Total points: 151
Last week: No. 5

"Even after a tough week that has tested their depth, with forwards Jack Eichel and William Karlsson, defenseman Shea Theodore, and goalie Adin Hill all sidelined, the Golden Knights have plenty to be festive about. This is still a very good hockey team, and when you take a 30,000-foot view of the franchise, that's beyond debate. From Day 1, Vegas has been built on competitiveness, accountability and an expectation to win, and it's produced results almost immediately: a Stanley Cup Final appearance in their inaugural season in 2017, a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, and playoff berths in every season but one -- even that miss coming with a respectable 94 points. No team in NHL history can match that kind of instant and sustained success. Injuries sting, losing streaks happen, but the standard in Vegas remains high. Wearing that jersey means something, and it should." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

6. Detroit Red Wings (22-13-3)

Total points: 148
Last week: No. 8

"The Red Wings have the most festive uniforms in the NHL. When he played for Detroit from 2005-20, Jimmy Howard once had his goalie mask decorated to look like Santa's head for Christmas. I told him it was brilliant, because the Red Wings home uniforms look like a Santa suit. He said he hadn't thought of that, and now he was annoyed. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Oh, and like they were when Howard was in the net, the Red Wings are relevant again. They've won three in a row, eight of 10, and they're in first place in the Atlantic Division." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

7. Anaheim Ducks (21-14-2)

Total points: 134
Last week: No. 6

"The Ducks have been in a merry mood this holiday season, ranking among the top five in the league in goals. They possess an elite center in Leo Carlsson, a best-kept-secret on defense in Jackson LaCombe, a sniper on wing in Cutter Gauthier, one of the League's top rookies in Beckett Sennecke, veteran leaders in Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, and a coach in Joel Quenneville who has been there and done that. The challenge now will be channeling some measure of consistency over the second half on the way to possibly qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight seasons." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (20-13-3)

Total points: 128
Last week: No. 10

"What better reason to be festive heading into the holiday break with two straight wins in which you've outscored the opposition 10-5? That's exactly what the Lightning have done thanks to a 6-4 victory against the high-flying Hurricanes on Saturday followed by a 4-1 decision against the St. Louis Blues Monday. Keep in mind that they're accomplishing this without the services of captain Victor Hedman (elbow), who is scheduled to be out until early February. The Lightning are encouraged to be joyous in the next few days, given they'll likely be surly when they return to face the rival Florida Panthers on Saturday." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

9. Washington Capitals (19-13-5)

Total points: 112
Last week: No. 7

"A reason for the Capitals to be festive is the return of rookie forward Ryan Leonard on Tuesday after he missed seven games with shoulder and facial injuries. Washington went 2-3-2 in his absence and missed his youthful energy and speed. It didn't make a difference in a 7-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday, but the 20-year-old was getting more comfortable with each game before he was injured on a hit from Jacob Trouba in the first period at the Ducks on Dec. 5. Leonard had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the nine games before he was injured, including his first four-point game (two goals, two assists) in a 7-1 win at the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 3." --Tom Gulitti, senior writer

10. Philadelphia Flyers (19-10-7)

Total points: 111
Last week: No. 11

"There's still a ton of hockey to be played, but the fact that the Flyers are in the hunt for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020 certainly is something to be joyful about. A few of their best holiday presents actually were delivered during the offseason. Leading scorer Trevor Zegras arrived in a trade with the Ducks on June 23 and has smiled like it's Christmas morning almost since the start of the season. Goalie Dan Vladar, who signed a two-year contract July 1, has played at a star level and has worked himself into discussion to be one of the top two goalies for Czechia at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. And Christian Dvorak, who signed a one-year contract July 1, has become their top center, on a line with Zegras and Travis Konecny." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

11. Florida Panthers (20-14-2)

Total points: 86
Last week: No. 15

"There are quite a few things to be festive about down in Panther-Land this holiday season, between the approaching 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park in Miami on Jan. 2 (8 p.m. ET; HBO Max, truTV, TNT, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS) and the approaching return of forward Matthew Tkachuk, which is "on track," according to coach Paul Maurice. But I think the thing they should be most festive about is their improved play of late, with an 8-2-1 record in their past 11 games. This is a team that is rounding into the form that it's shown with three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final and two straight Cup wins, even without Tkachuk and captain Aleksander Barkov. It's something that other teams should find scary and something that should have the Panthers full of festive cheer at the break." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

12. New York Islanders (20-13-4)

Total points: 77
Last week: No. 9

"After losing their first three games and being 5-6-2 at home on Dec. 1, I think the Islanders will be celebrating during the holiday break knowing they are very much in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Bo Horvat missed the last five games before Christmas, but there's a good chance he'll be back when the season continues against the New York Rangers on Saturday. Ilya Sorokin has looked more like his old self of late, a great sign heading toward the second half of the season. After missing the playoffs last season, the Islanders have to be pleased to be very much in the race at the holiday break." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

13. Edmonton Oilers (19-13-6)

Total points: 72
Last week: No. 14

"The Oilers are back in the race for first place in the Pacific Division, which has most Edmonton fans in a festive mood heading into the holiday break. The Oilers got off to a slow start this season, which is turning into an annual tradition. They struggled early in the past two seasons but recovered and managed to get to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Panthers on both occasions. This season, the Oilers again stumbled out of the gate, but they're 8-2-1 since Dec. 4 and are in a three-way tie for first place in the Pacific with the Golden Knights and Ducks; each has 44 points. Connor McDavid is back dominating in a way only he can with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) during an 11-game point streak. He leads the NHL with 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists)." -- Derek Van Diest, senior writer

14. Montreal Canadiens (20-12-5)

Total points: 70
Last week: No. 16

"Juraj Slafkovsky is giving the Canadiens one reason to be festive at the holiday break. The No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft is playing the best hockey of his career. The Slovak has gained confidence since the start of the season. Montreal coach Martin St. Louis played the right card when he decided to use him on the left wing with Oliver Kapanen (22) and Ivan Demidov (20) on the second line. At only 21 years old, Slafkovsky is playing the role of the older brother on that unit with the two rookies." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

15. Ottawa Senators (18-13-5)

Total points: 29
Last week: Not ranked

"The Senators' resiliency this season is a reason to be festive. They lost captain Brady Tkachuk three games into the season, but went 11-5-4 in 20 games without him. Then things somehow got harder when Tkachuk returned and the Senators went 2-6-0 in his first eight games back in the lineup. But now they're cooking again, 4-0-1 in their past five games. Yes, they lost 3-2 in overtime to the red-hot Buffalo Sabres, who have won seven in a row, but a five-game point streak after the way things were going is reason enough to feel pretty good." -- Rosen

16. New Jersey Devils (20-16-1)

Total points: 19
Last week: Not ranked

"It hasn't been exactly festive around the Devils, at least of late, and they aren't thrilled about losing two in a row before the break, 3-1 to the Sabres and 2-1 to the Islanders. But let's not ignore the obvious reasons the Devils should feel good about their chances coming out of the break; Brett Pesce, Jack Hughes, Timo Meier and Arseny Gritsyuk are playing again. Pesce missed 24 games and Hughes missed 18. Meier was on a personal leave for five games and Gritsyuk was out for four. But all four played the last two games, a definite reason for the Devils and their fans to feel some joy during a tough portion of the season." -- Rosen

Dropped out from last week: Boston Bruins (No. 12), Los Angeles Kings (No. 13)

Others receiving points: Bruins 17, Kings 15, Buffalo Sabres 2, Utah Mammoth 2, Pittsburgh Penguins 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Anaheim Ducks; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Detroit Red Wings; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Los Angeles Kings

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Anaheim Ducks; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Edmonton Oilers; 8. Detroit Red Wings; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Ottawa Senators

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. New Jersey Devils

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Philadelphia Flyers; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. New Jersey Devils

TOM GULITTI

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Philadelphia Flyers; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. New Jersey Devils

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Anaheim Ducks; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Edmonton Oilers; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Utah Mammoth

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Edmonton Oilers

TRACEY MYERS

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Anaheim Ducks; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Boston Bruins

BILL PRICE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. Utah Mammoth

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

DAN ROSEN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Montreal Canadiens; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Buffalo Sabres

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Washington Capitals; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Buffalo Sabres

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Philadelphia Flyers; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Montreal Canadiens; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Edmonton Oilers

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Anaheim Ducks; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Florida Panthers

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. New York Islanders; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Ottawa Senators