Super 16: Top 5 of power rankings remain same at midseason

The midpoint of the season arrived Wednesday, and all week at NHL.com we have been running our Trophy Tracker series.

Consider the Super 16 power rankings this week the Trophy Tracker edition, or at least the MVP addition.
Who is the biggest reason for the Boston Bruins being the unanimous No. 1? Who has made the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights stay in the top five.
Is there a player who has made the difference in the Los Angeles Kings jumping three spots to No. 9? What about the MVP of the Seattle Kraken, who have won six straight games and are up three spots to No. 12?
As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 13 voters put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like. A point total assigned to each with the team selected first is given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on down the line.
Here is the Super 16 for this week, with a select member of the voting panel offering his or her thought on the most valuable player of each team.

1. Boston Bruins (32-4-4)

Total points: 208
Last week: No. 1
"There are a whole host of candidates for Bruins MVP this season. Is it Linus Ullmark? David Pastrnak? Patrice Bergeron? Hampus Lindholm? Jim Montgomery? (Yeah, I know he's not a player.) I'm going with Ullmark, even though I don't think you can go wrong with any of those choices. But Ullmark has been rock-solid, the absolute favorite for the Vezina Trophy given to the best goalie in the NHL. He's 22-1-1 with a 1.87 goals-against average, .938 save percentage and two shutouts. When you have a goalie that good, it frees up the rest of the team to be its best. And this team has been its best all season." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

2. Carolina Hurricanes (25-9-7)

Total points: 193
Last week: No. 2
"The Hurricanes have numerous candidates for MVP, including forwards Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, defenseman Brent Burns, and goalie Pyotr Kochetkov. But the best player for them all season has been Martin Necas. The forward leads them in points (39) and shots on goal (142), is among team leaders in power-play goals (five) and power-play points (12), and is second among forwards in ice time per game (19:26). Necas had 40 points last season (14 goals, 26 assists) and should shatter his NHL career high of 41 set in 2020-21. Carolina is 12-3-2 when he scores a goal this season, and he always seems to be on the ice when a big play is made."-- David Satriano, staff writer

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (26-9-7)

Total points: 172
Last week: No. 3
"Mitchell Marner's historical run has easily made him Maple Leafs MVP through the first half. The 25-year-old had a 23-game point streak, the longest in the 105-year history of the Maple Leafs. Consider this, too: In a league where every player's goal is consistency, Marner has at least one point in 37 of 42 games. Did we mention he's arguably Toronto's best penalty killer? On a team full of stars, Marner has been the brightest one." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

4. Dallas Stars (25-11-6)

Total points: 166
Last week: No. 4
"I could go in two different directions here, but I'll take forward Jason Robertson as Stars midseason MVP. A finalist for the 2021 Calder Trophy given to the top rookie in the NHL, Robertson has not skipped a beat. He leads the Stars with 58 points (29 goals, 29 assists) in 42 games, 14 more than Roope Hintz, who is second with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists). The 23-year-old is one of the most electrifying young players in the NHL today and he's helped Dallas stay at or near the top of the Central Division." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

5. Vegas Golden Knights (27-13-2)

Total points: 144
Last week: No. 5
"Goaltending has been a hot-button issue in Vegas. Marc-Andre Fleury competed with Robin Lehner, then got traded. Lehner was supposed to be the No. 1, then got hurt. Well, how valuable has Logan Thompson been? He's sixth in the NHL in wins (18), and has a 2.66 GAA, .914 save percentage and two shutouts. Thompson is a top candidate to win the Calder Trophy. Without his ability to stabilize the goaltending, the Golden Knights wouldn't be where they are." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (25-13-1)

Total points: 129
Last week: No. 6
"Guys like Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman are more obvious choices, but Nikita Kucherov has been dynamite this season. The forward had four points (two goals, two assists) in a 6-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, moving him 14 ahead of Steven Stamkos for the Lightning scoring lead with 59 (16 goals, 43 assists) in 39 games. If he can stay healthy, Kucherov could come close to matching his NHL career-high 128 points from 2018-19. He's on pace for 124." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

7. New Jersey Devils (26-12-3)

Total points: 121
Last week: No. 8
"Jack Hughes had the look of a player on the verge of superstar status entering this season and hasn't disappointed. The 21-year-old, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, leads the Devils in goals (26), points (49), points per game (1.20) and shots on goal (187) and is first among New Jersey forwards in average ice time (20:01). He is without a doubt the MVP at the midway point of the season for the Devils, who have won two straight and are No. 9 in my Super 16 poll this week. Hughes was the youngest player at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game and will again represent the Metropolitan Division at the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida, on Feb. 4. He's a gamebreaker worth the price of admission." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

8. Winnipeg Jets (26-14-1)

Total points: 101
Last week: No. 7
"Unlike the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild or Stars, where pointing a finger at Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov and Robertson as the respective team's MVP is a no-brainer, the choice among the Jets is much less trivial. Arguments can be made for Kyle Connor, Winnipeg's leading scorer with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists), Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is one point behind Connor and a force all over the ice, or Connor Hellebuyck, whose 20 wins are second in the NHL behind Ullmark, or the tenacious Mark Scheifele and his Jets high 24 goals in 41 games. But I am going with Josh Morrissey. Day in and day out, the 27-year-old defenseman has been a scoring machine. Morrissey's 39 assists lead the Jets and are second among NHL defensemen behind Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks (42). His 46 points are third on the Jets and tied with Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres for second in the NHL at the position. He has not gone more than two games without a point this season." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

9. Los Angeles Kings (25-14-6)

Total points: 92
Last week: No. 12
"There wasn't much fanfare when the Kings signed goalie Pheonix Copley to a one-year contract July 13, or when the goalie was recalled from Ontario of the American Hockey League on Dec. 1. His arrival has changed the course of their season. Since Copley arrived, the Kings are 13-5-2 in 20 games and the 30-year-old has supplanted Jonathan Quick as the No. 1 goalie, going 12-2-0 with a 2.59 GAA and .904 save percentage in 14 games. Prior to this season, Copley played 31 games in four NHL seasons since 2015-16 with the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals, and never more than the 27 he played for the Capitals in 2018-19. He's always been an insurance goalie or a backup, never a star, but the Kings aren't a contender for the top spot in the Pacific Division without Copley playing at his current level." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

10. New York Rangers (23-12-7)

Total points: 89
Last week: No. 10
"Adam Fox is having a season worthy of being in the discussion for the Norris Trophy given to the best defenseman in the NHL and is the Rangers' most valuable player. He's third on New York with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists), trailing forwards Artemi Panarin (45 points) and Mika Zibanejad (44). He is fourth among NHL defensemen in points, third in assists, third in even-strength points (26) and ninth overall in average ice time per game (25:02). If the Rangers need a big play, they look to Fox. If they need to shut a team down, they look to Fox. As much talent as they have, and they still have arguably the best goalie in the NHL in Igor Shesterkin, Fox is their engine, their heart and soul, their best player." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

11. Washington Capitals (23-15-6)

Total points: 87
Last week: No. 9
"The Capitals needed a team effort to survive the host of injuries they had the first half of the season, including defenseman John Carlson (hit in face with puck), and forwards Nicklas Backstrom (hip surgery), Tom Wilson (knee surgery) and T.J. Oshie (upper body), and still hold a Stanley Cup Playoff spot. But Alex Ovechkin is Washington's clear MVP again, leading in goals (29) and points (48). The 37-year-old's first-half highlights included a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 13 to become the third player to reach 800 NHL goals and two more against the Jets on Dec. 23 to pass Gordie Howe (801) for second in NHL history with 802. Wilson and Backstrom each made their season debut Sunday, but the Capitals will need Ovechkin to continue to play at this high a level to extend their streak of qualifying for the playoffs to nine straight seasons." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

12. Seattle Kraken (24-12-4)

Total points: 84
Last week: No. 15
"There have been some marquee performances for the Kraken that have garnered headlines, but nobody has been more valuable than Vince Dunn. The defenseman simply does everything for them. Yes, Jared McCann is on pace for 41 goals and Matty Beniers is the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy, but neither impacts Seattle the way Dunn does. He plays in all situations, is second on the Kraken in ice time (23:36) behind Adam Larsson (24:05), fourth in scoring with 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 40 games, and his plus-20 rating is second behind Larsson's plus-21 and tied for 11th in the NHL. Without the steadying influence of Dunn, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, the Kraken would have trouble reaching and holding the heights that have been found." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

13. Minnesota Wild (22-14-4)

Total points: 56
Last week: No. 11
"Kaprizov is the king in the State of Hockey since he joined the Wild in 2020-21. The 25-year-old forward helped Minnesota make the playoffs in his first two seasons. The Wild will need him to continue to be on top of his game in the second half. So far, 'The Thrill' doing just fine with 24 goals and 49 points. Since his NHL debut, Kaprizov (Novokuznetsk, Russia) has 208 points, second among players born in Europe. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (Cologne, Germany) is first with 257." -- Robert Laflamme, LNH.com senior writer

14. Pittsburgh Penguins (21-13-6)

Total points: 46
Last week: No. 13
"It's Sidney Crosby, again. He's 35 years old and the Penguins captain is showing no signs of slowing down. Crosby is Pittsburgh's most valuable player this season. He leads the Penguins in goals (21), assists (27), points (48), and even-strength goals (18), assists (20) and points (38). Crosby is second in the NHL in even-strength points behind Karlsson (41). His production has been paramount to Pittsburgh's success. Crosby has 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) and is plus-19 in 21 wins. He has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) and is minus-18 in 19 losses." -- Rosen

15. Colorado Avalanche (20-16-3)

Total points: 25
Last week: No. 14
"Mikko Rantanen has stood out in what has been to date a rough season for the defending Stanley Cup champions with the number of injuries to key players. Rantanen gets the nod as Avalanche MVP ahead of defenseman Cale Makar because of his goal scoring. He leads Colorado and is seventh in the NHL with 27 goals and tied with Robertson for the most even-strength goals (22). Rantanen leads the Avalanche with 50 points. He is one of six Colorado players who has played all 39 games this season, which alone is enough to put him in the MVP running. The Avalanche have used 35 skaters and three goalies. Rantanen has been the best of them all."-- Rosen

16. Buffalo Sabres (20-17-2)

Total points: 16
Last week: Unranked
"The Sabres have had a strong season and there are a number of top candidates for their team MVP. I was torn between Dahlin and Tage Thompson. Defense wins championships, so Dahlin gets the nod, though it was and remains a close vote. Dahlin's 46 points are tied with Morrissey for second at the position. He's tied for first among defensemen with 13 goals (Karlsson). He is third in the NHL in ice time per game 26:21. Thompson is third in goals (31), sixth in points (57) and tied with McDavid for second with 14 power-play goals. He's been terrific, but Dahlin is the Sabres' ultimate driver and overall best player." -- Rosen

Others receiving points:Nashville Predators 15, New York Islanders 14, Calgary Flames 10
Dropped out:Islanders

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Seattle Kraken; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Buffalo Sabres; 16. Nashville Predators
BRIAN COMPTON
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Seattle Kraken; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Calgary Flames
NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Seattle Kraken; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Pittsburgh Penguins; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. New York Islanders
TOM GULITTI
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. New Jersey Devils; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Seattle Kraken; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. New York Islanders
ADAM KIMELMAN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Minnesota Wild; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Calgary Flames
ROBERT LAFLAMME
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. Seattle Kraken; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Nashville Predators
MIKE G. MORREALE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New York Rangers; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. New York Islanders
TRACEY MYERS
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. New Jersey Devils; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Calgary Flames
SHAWN P. ROARKE
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Los Angeles Kings; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Calgary Flames; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. New Jersey Devils
DAN ROSEN
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Seattle Kraken; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. New York Islanders
DAVID SATRIANO
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. New Jersey Devils; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Los Angeles Kings; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. New York Rangers; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Nashville Predators
PAUL STRIZHEVSKY
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Seattle Kraken; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Calgary Flames
MIKE ZEISBERGER
1. Boston Bruins; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Toronto Maple Leafs; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. New Jersey Devils; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Seattle Kraken; 10. Los Angeles Kings; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Colorado Avalanche
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