Super 16: Teams hitting top speed as Olympic break nears

There essentially are two sprints in this marathon NHL season, the sprint to the break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the sprint to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

If you listen, when the games begin Thursday night you might even hear the starter's pistol for the first sprint because there are two weeks remaining until the Olympic break, and in that time there are 116 games to be played.

With the teams taking their mark, let's take a look at where they stand and how they should feel now that the Olympic break is in the picture.

Are they where they want to be at this point, playing winning hockey? If yes, what is working and what is sustainable? If not, what needs to change during the next two weeks?

Those are the questions tackled this week for the teams ranked in the Super 16.

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.

Here is the where they stand with two weeks before the Olympic break edition of the Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (34-5-9)

Total points: 237

Last week: No. 1

"An old adage says, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' That's pretty much how to describe the Avalanche, who have shown no signs of slowing down this season. They have 10 more points than the next closest team (Tampa Bay Lightning), have the best forward in the NHL in Nathan MacKinnon, the best defensemen in the NHL in Cale Makar, and this year have two of the best goalies in the NHL in Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. The Avalanche may be the one team in the NHL that doesn't want to take a break for the Olympics, that's how dominant they have been. So at this point, don't change a thing. They're in a great spot." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (31-13-4)

Total points: 227

Last week: No. 2

"Could the Lightning be in a better spot two weeks before the Olympic break? They're 13-0-1 in their past 14 games, and their .688 points percentage is second in the NHL behind the Avalanche (.809). And at some point, either just before or just after the Olympics, they'll get healthy again with the returns of defenseman Victor Hedman, out since Dec. 9 because of an elbow injury, and forward Brayden Point, recovering from a lower-body injury sustained Jan. 12. Nikita Kucherov is playing at a Hart Trophy level. They're getting contributions throughout the lineup, and younger players are gaining experience and confidence in key situations that only will strengthen the team moving forward. The present is very good for the Lightning, and the forecast looks like even more success on the horizon." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

3. Carolina Hurricanes (31-15-4)

Total points: 202

Last week: No. 5

"The Hurricanes are in a good place with defenseman Jaccob Slavin back in the lineup. There's a more responsible and cohesive look to the Hurricanes defense whenever No. 74 is on the ice. Additionally, the stellar play of Brandon Bussi cannot be denied, particularly with goalie Pyotr Kochetkov likely out for the remainder of the season because of a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old undrafted goalie, acquired off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Oct. 5, is 18-3-1, setting a record for most wins in his first 22 NHL games." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

4. Dallas Stars (28-13-9)

Total points: 182

Last week: No. 3

"The Stars can't feel great right now. They've lost 10 of 13 (3-6-4) and had a three-game losing streak, scoring just three goals in those three games, before a 6-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. However, they still are one of the top teams in the NHL and rank in the top 10 in goals for and goals against. The one thing that could help is acquiring a scoring forward (hello, Artemi Panarin?), as Dallas has just four players with double-digit goals. You never can have enough scoring, especially later in the season and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs." -- David Satriano, staff writer

5. Detroit Red Wings (31-16-4)

Total points: 178

Last week: No. 6

"The Red Wings should be thrilled. After nine seasons out of the playoffs, the longest drought in their century of history, they're fighting for first place in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. Goalie John Gibson has found his game. Defenseman Moritz Seider and forwards Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond are leading the way. But they've got to keep it up to bring the playoffs to Little Caesars Arena for the first time since its opening in 2017. Detroit has faded down the stretch each of the past two seasons, and the Atlantic is particularly competitive this season." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

6. Minnesota Wild (28-14-9)

Total points: 174

Last week: No. 4

"The Wild just need to survive until the break. Injuries are starting to take their toll a bit, especially with defenseman Jonas Brodin likely out until after the Olympic break because of a lower-body injury. Since the Quinn Hughes trade Dec. 12, the Wild have gone 11-5-4 (.650 points percentage) with a plus-12 goal differential. That's a pace that any team will take down the final stretch of the season." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

7. Vegas Golden Knights (24-12-12)

Total points: 149

Last week: No. 8

"The Golden Knights should be happy with where things are right now. They're first in the Pacific, 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, and best of all, they've landed what they needed well before the NHL Trade Deadline: a defenseman. Acquiring Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18 for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, prospect Abram Wiebe and two picks in the NHL Draft was big. It gives the Golden Knights the top defenseman they needed to replace Alex Pietrangelo, who is out for the season. If Andersson's visa issues can get taken care of soon, he can get a few games in with his new team before representing Sweden at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. It’s all looking up for the Golden Knights." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

8. Montreal Canadiens (28-15-7)

Total points: 140

Last week: No. 7

"The Canadiens hoped to continue their rise this season, and they are doing it so far. The young core continues to improve. Juraj Slafkovsky is having the best season of his career. Lane Hutson is playing like a Norris Trophy candidate. Ivan Demidov is playing like a Calder Trophy candidate. We could add that Nick Suzuki is averaging more than a point per game (55 points in 50 games) and Cole Caufield is tied for the NHL lead with seven game-winning goals." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com journalist principal

9. New York Islanders (27-18-5)

Total points: 116

Last week: No. 9

"The Islanders finally headed home after completing a seven-game road trip with a 4-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. What needs to change? They need a healthy Bo Horvat in the second half of the season. Their leader with 21 goals hasn't played since Jan. 1, and his absence clearly was evident during the latter stages of the trip. Horvat, who will play for Canada at the Olympics, is a leader and 200-foot player who New York needs in its lineup on a consistent basis if it has any chance of securing home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

10. Buffalo Sabres (27-17-5)

Total points: 109

Last week: No. 11

"What's working for the Sabres with the Olympic break looming? How about almost everything. Consider this: Beginning with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 11, the Sabres are 15-3-1 including a franchise record-tying 10-game win streak that has them back in the playoff hunt. Given the fact that they haven't been to the postseason since 2011, they've put themselves in position to end that 14-season dry spell heading down the stretch. With seven players having recorded double-digit goals, and the duo of Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen providing solid goaltending, the Sabres have created the type of buzz around the team that hasn't been seen in more than a decade. Let's see if they can keep the momentum going. More importantly, let’s see if general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who replaced Kevyn Adams on Dec. 15, can bring in additional talent by the trade deadline in March." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

11. Edmonton Oilers (25-18-8)

Total points: 77

Last week: No. 10

"The Oilers likely feel good about their game heading toward the break, with the exception of being unable to put together a three-game winning streak this season. Edmonton has won consecutive games nine times but has been unable to win a third straight, going 0-7-2 in that situation. The Oilers came up short again Tuesday, losing 2-1 at home to the New Jersey Devils after winning their previous two games by a combined score of 11-0. They have a good opportunity to put together the elusive string of wins with six of their seven games at home prior to the Olympics. Outside of that, Edmonton is in a good spot, currently battling with Vegas for the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Oilers are getting solid goaltending from Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram, who are expected to rotate starts until the break, leaving Calvin Pickard as the odd man out for how. Defensively, Edmonton is playing a lot better and offense rarely has been an issue with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl having outstanding seasons. If there is anything the Oilers could use it's more secondary scoring, which would help trying to win three in a row." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

12. Boston Bruins (28-20-2)

Total points: 70

Last week: No. 15

"This is a tricky question for the Bruins. Are they where they want to be? Maybe? They're vastly ahead of a team that was expected to be closer to No. 1 draft pick status than a spot in the playoffs. They're also coming off a six-game winning streak that was ended with a 6-2 loss to the Stars on Tuesday. And yet there's so much that they can do better, starting with the number of penalties they continue to take, something that improved during the win streak. They also need Morgan Geekie to capitalize on his goal Tuesday, his first in 13 games. But if the Bruins can continue to be a hard team to play against, continue to shore up their defense, and get Geekie back consistently scoring, they'll continue to be in the playoff conversation, which is all they can ask for during a season in which they were supposed to be in transition." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

13. Pittsburgh Penguins (24-14-11)

Total points: 60

Last week: Not ranked

"The Penguins got back to playing the way they did at the start of the season following the NHL holiday break, winning their first six games, and scoring at least four goals in each game, to climb back into playoff contention. They've been a bit inconsistent since then, with defenseman Erik Karlsson missing time because of a lower-body injury, but still improved from before the break, when they went 1-5-4 in their final 10 games. Sidney Crosby remains a constant and continues to drive Pittsburgh in his 21st NHL season. Evgeni Malkin's recent return after missing 15 games because of an upper-body injury and Karlsson's imminent return should help the Penguins put another surge together heading into the Olympic break and set them up for the stretch run." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

14. Toronto Maple Leafs (24-17-9)

Total points: 47

Last week: No. 12

"The Maple Leafs are looking to get healthy. It's that simple. At the same time, easier said than done. Part of Toronto's inconsistent play can be attributed not just to injuries (which every team is dealing with) but specifically, the fact that it's key players who are banged up. Forward William Nylander (groin) is out indefinitely, defenseman Chris Tanev (groin) is contemplating surgery, and forward Matthew Knies (lower body) is playing through an ailment he's had for most of the season. Adding fresh bodies via the trade route could help, but the Maple Leafs are hamstrung by limited draft capital. For the time being, what you see is what you get." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

15. Utah Mammoth (26-20-4)

Total points: 22

Last week: Not ranked

"If you were to ask the Mammoth front office in October whether they would be comfortable holding the first wild card spot in the Western Conference 50 games into the season, you likely wouldn't hear an objection. This is a team that missed the playoffs by seven points last season, so 2025-26 clearly represents a step forward, reinforced by a recent surge that has seen Utah win eight of its past 10 games (8-1-1). Injuries to forwards Logan Cooley (lower body) and Alex Kerfoot (upper body) notwithstanding, the Mammoth have stayed relatively healthy, with their top producers, forwards Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, JJ Peterka, and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev each appearing in every game. The power play remains a concern at 31st in the League, but Utah has thrived defensively, allowing just 2.78 goals per game, sixth fewest in the NHL. Much of that credit belongs to goalie Karel Vejmelka, who has been a workhorse and leads the League with 24 wins." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

16. Florida Panthers (25-20-3)

Total points: 17

Last week: No. 16

"The Panthers aren't feeling all that great about where they are, on the wrong side of the playoff line in the Eastern Conference with four wins in their past 10 games (4-5-1). It's a slide that started with a 3-2 overtime loss against the Canadiens on Dec. 30, when they had a 2-0 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the third period. The good news is forward Matthew Tkachuk is back. The bad news is defenseman Seth Jones remains out, and it's not a good sign for him since he was replaced on the U.S. Olympic roster by Jackson LaCombe of the Anaheim Ducks. The results need to start changing for the Panthers or they could be in trouble. The Eastern Conference race slowly is loosening, but the Panthers are helping that happen by losing more games than they win. They have nine games before the break, five against teams ranked ahead of them in this Super 16 (Minnesota, Utah, Buffalo, Boston and Tampa Bay). The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions have to make up some ground." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Dropped out from last week: Washington Capitals (No. 13), Philadelphia Flyers (No. 14)

Others receiving points: San Jose Sharks 14, Anaheim Ducks 9, Flyers 6, Seattle Kraken 3, Nashville Predators 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. San Jose Sharks

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. Anaheim Ducks

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Florida Panthers

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Florida Panthers

TOM GULITTI

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Utah Mammoth

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Minnesota Wild; 3. Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Detroit Red Wings; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. Boston Bruins

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

TRACEY MYERS

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. San Jose Sharks

BILL PRICE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Detroit Red Wings; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. San Jose Sharks

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Buffalo Sabres; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Montreal Canadiens; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. Nashville Predators

DAN ROSEN

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. San Jose Sharks

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. New York Islanders; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Utah Mammoth

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Detroit Red Wings; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Florida Panthers

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Detroit Red Wings; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Buffalo Sabres; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Toronto Maple Leafs; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Florida Panthers

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Detroit Red Wings; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs