Super 16: Most Valuable Player at halfway point of season

Halfway there.

Technically, the NHL season reached the midpoint on Jan. 3, when the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks finished the 656th game. But technicalities aren't stopping NHL.com from running its Trophy Tracker series this week, and it won't stop us here at Super 16 headquarters from doing our own version.

Who is the Most Valuable Player for each team ranked this week, a list that includes the Seattle Kraken, who break in at No. 16 on the heels of a four-game winning streak and nine-game point streak (8-0-1), both still active heading into their game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday?

The question above is answered below.

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, here is the midseason MVP edition of Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (31-4-7)

Total points: 240
Last week: No. 1

"There could be an argument for defenseman Cale Makar, forward Martin Necas or even goalie Scott Wedgewood when considering a most valuable player for the Avalanche at the halfway point in the NHL season. But make no mistake -- center Nathan MacKinnon stands above the rest. MacKinnon is the driving force behind Colorado's success. A certain candidate for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, MacKinnon leads the League in goals (35), even-strength goals (28) and points per game (1.76). He has 74 points in 42 games, one point behind Connor McDavid in one fewer game played." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (26-13-3)

Total points: 214
Last week: No. 5

"Remember when Andrei Vasilevskiy was without a win after his first five games (0-3-2)? Remember the ensuing fretting and nail biting among Lightning supporters who figured the goalie's play was an offshoot of the undisclosed injury that kept him out of a good chunk of training camp? If it's hard to remember those days, it's because of Vasilevskiy’s impressive response. If you want to find the backbone of Tampa Bay's resurgence that has rocketed the Lightning to the top of the Atlantic Division (including their current eight-game winning streak), look no further than Vasilevskiy; the 31-year-old is 17-4-0 with a .922 save percentage since Oct. 26. With acknowledgement of yet another fine season from forward Nikita Kucherov, who once again finds himself in the top 10 in NHL scoring with 61 points (20 goals, 41 assists), Vasilevskiy is the Lightning's MVP thus far and has Tampa Bay thinking Stanley Cup again." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

3. Minnesota Wild (25-11-8)

Total points: 206
Last week: No. 3

"At this point of the season, the MVP conversation in Minnesota is a genuine two-horse race, but right now it tilts slightly toward forward Matt Boldy. He leads the Wild in goals and sits just one point behind Kirill Kaprizov through 44 games, with 26 goals and 48 points compared to Kaprizov's 24 goals and 49 points, giving Boldy a slight edge. Kaprizov remains elite and still the emotional heart of the team, but this season is more ordinary by his sky-high standards, whereas Boldy is on a career trajectory that has him reliably driving offense and contributing in all situations. Meanwhile, goalies Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, with a combined .918 team save percentage and a stingy 2.41 GAA, have been outstanding as a unit but have split duties enough that neither carries an MVP case on his own. For me, Boldy's all-around performance, consistency and clutch scoring narrowly put him ahead as Minnesota’s MVP thus far." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

4. Dallas Stars (26-10-8)

Total points: 204
Last week: No. 2

"I've got to go with Mikko Rantanen as the Stars' midseason MVP. The forward leads them with 59 points (17 goals, 42 assists) in 43 games and remains one of the League's most consistent scorers. Need proof of the latter? The longest point drought Rantanen has endured this season is two games (twice). Yep, that's some reliable scoring right there. Dallas knew what it was getting when it acquired Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes last season, and he continues to be the Stars’ top gun." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

5. Carolina Hurricanes (26-14-3)

Total points: 184
Last week: No. 4

"There are plenty of candidates, but to me, it's Sebastian Aho, who leads the Hurricanes with 43 points and 26 assists along with his 17 goals. He is averaging exactly one point per game and a big reason Carolina, which was without Seth Jarvis for eight games, still leads the Metropolitan Division." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

6. Detroit Red Wings (25-15-4)

Total points: 141
Last week: No. 6

"No one on the Red Wings has been 'Mo' valuable than Moritz Seider. He has become a candidate for the Norris Trophy, which goes to the NHL's best defenseman as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He's averaging 25:12 of ice time, first on Detroit and sixth in the NHL, playing in all situations and against top competition. He has 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) in 44 games, fourth on Detroit and tied for ninth among NHL defensemen." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

7. Montreal Canadiens (24-13-6)

Total points: 136
Last week: No. 8

"Juraj Slafkovsky has been the Canadiens' MVP for the past 20 games. But if we are looking for the MVP of the first half of the season, Nick Suzuki is at the top of the mountain, just ahead of Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson. Suzuki is heading towards his first season with at least 90 points and he's playing close to 21 minutes per game. He will represent Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com journalist principal

8. New York Islanders (24-15-4)

Total points: 129
Last week: No. 12

"Matthew Schaefer would be my Islanders pick to win the Hart Trophy as League MVP. The impact the rookie defenseman has made on the franchise on and off the ice is indisputable. Just 18 years old, Schaefer is averaging a team-high 23:46 per game. He ranks third for New York with 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 43 games and is plus-10. His jerseys are flying off the shelves. He's an official Hockey Fights Cancer champion, a phenomenal way to honor his late mother, who he lost nearly two years ago. Mature beyond his years in every way, Schaefer, in my opinion, is the biggest reason why the Islanders are very much in the race to win the Eastern Conference halfway through the season. New York won the lottery in more ways than one last June." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

9. Philadelphia Flyers (22-12-7)

Total points: 127
Last week: No. 11

"The biggest reason the Flyers are in contention for a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is improved play in goal, and that's why Dan Vladar is their midseason MVP. Last season, Philadelphia had an .890 save percentage at 5-on-5; that was the worst since the NHL began tracking the stat in 2009-10. This season, its 5-on-5 save percentage is .904, and Vladar is a huge reason why. The Flyers signed the goalie to a two-year contract on July 1, 2025, hoping he'd form a solid tandem with Samuel Ersson. Instead, he's established himself as the undisputed No. 1, going 16-6-3 with a 2.37 goals-against average and .910 save percentage, with a .924 even-strength save percentage." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

10. Vegas Golden Knights (18-11-12)

Total points: 88
Last week: No. 7

"Who is the Golden Knights’ MVP? It’s a harder-than-expected question, especially given their recent struggles. The answer is probably Jack Eichel, who raced out of the gate, but he was out from Dec. 13 to Jan. 2 because of a lower-body injury which has blunted his impact a bit of late. Still, he leads Vegas with 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) in 34 games, one more than Mitch Marner, who has 42 points in 41 games. Eichel has two assists in his three games since his return, and I expect him to round back into form, perhaps helping the Golden Knights as a whole round back into form." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

11. Washington Capitals (22-16-6)

Total points: 80
Last week: No. 13

"Tom Wilson has done it all for the Capitals this season and has been their clear MVP. The 31-year-old forward leads Washington in goals (22) and points (42), as well as hits (110), even after he sustained a lower-body injury against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Wilson plays in all situations -- even strength, power play, penalty kill -- and plays with an imposing physical edge that makes him a rarity in the NHL. That was enough to convince Canada to name him to its Olympic team. The Capitals were relieved that Wilson's injury wasn't as serious as it first looked and are hopeful he'll be back soon. They can't afford to have him out for too long." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

12. Buffalo Sabres (22-15-4)

Total points: 69
Last week: No. 14

"The Sabres were stuck again in mid-November, a 6-3 loss at the Avalanche on Nov. 13 dropping them to 5-8-4. It was their fifth straight defeat, fourth consecutive in regulation. But two days later, playing the Red Wings in the last game of a four-game road trip, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson blocked five shots and then scored in overtime to give Buffalo a 5-4 victory. Starting with that game, Samuelsson has been the Sabres’ best and most valuable player. He has 14 points (four goals, 14 assists) and is plus-17 in the past 24 games while averaging 23:35 of ice time. Buffalo is 17-7-0, including 11-1-0 since Dec. 9, including a 10-game winning streak. Samuelsson had seven points (one goal, six assists) all at even strength, and was plus-9 while playing 24:36 per game during the winning streak. Tage Thompson leads Buffalo with 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists) since the season turned around in Detroit. Rasmus Dahlin has been a stalwart on the back end with 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 23 games since then. But Samuelsson got Buffalo going and has kept things rolling." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

13. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-12-9)

Total points: 66
Last week: No. 16

"It's Sidney Crosby in a landslide. He's 38 years old and still getting it done at an elite level, driving the Penguins to an active five-game winning streak and into playoff position 41 games into a season in which they were supposed to be stuck in in the mushy middle of the NHL standings, caught between trying to hang on to an old championship era while attempting to usher in a new age of Penguins hockey. That is happening, but Crosby won't let Pittsburgh be stuck; he leads the team with 24 goals and 47 points. He has 15 goals and 31 points at even strength, nine goals and 16 points on the power play, and three game-winning goals, including one in overtime. He's averaging 19:41 of ice time per game. If No. 87 leads the Penguins to the playoffs, he'll have a strong case for Hart Trophy consideration." -- Rosen

14. Edmonton Oilers (21-16-6)

Total points: 58
Last week: No. 9

"There is little debate Connor McDavid has been the MVP for the Oilers this season. The forward took over the lead in the NHL scoring race with a hat trick in a 6-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and is currently on a 16-game point streak with 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists). McDavid has 75 points (28 goals, 47 assists) in 43 games this season. He has already surpassed his total goal output from last season, when he had 100 points (26 goals, 74 assists) in 67 games. McDavid has taken over games on his own this season, placing Edmonton in the thick of the Pacific Division race. McDavid helped the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers on both occasions, and he looks determined to get back there a third consecutive time to try and finish the job." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

15. Florida Panthers (22-17-3)

Total points: 38
Last week: No. 10

"Anton Lundell has been a godsend for the Panthers, who lost their captain and do-everything center Aleksander Barkov to a knee injury during training camp. Suddenly, there was a need for a No. 1 center. Enter Lundell, who was being groomed for that role at some point in the future. But his time is now, and he has responded -- he is on track for the best offensive production in his five-season NHL career and lapping the 45 points he had last season. Lundell is a key cog on the power play and the most-used forward on the penalty kill. Sure, Florida misses Barkov, but the sting is a little less painful thanks to Lundell." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

16. Seattle Kraken (20-14-7)

Total points: 34
Last week: Not ranked

"The Kraken have done it by committee, with five players having at least 20 points and only two with more than 10 goals. Jordan Eberle leads them in goals (15), points (28), and has 12 power-play points and three game-winners. Seattle’s captain has been a leader for the franchise since its beginning and has done all he can this season to try and get it back to the playoffs after missing out the past two seasons." -- David Satriano, staff writer

Dropped out from last week: Anaheim Ducks (No. 15)

Others receiving points: Ducks 11, Toronto Maple Leafs 6, Los Angeles Kings 5, Boston Bruins 2, San Jose Sharks 2

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

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

BILL PRICE

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

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

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

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