Key stats behind NHL teams in Super 16 Power Rankings

There have been 153 games played this season, about 11.4 percent of the 1,344-game schedule. It's still a small sample size when it comes to individual and team stats, too small, certainly, to draw any conclusions, but maybe large enough to start to see some trends, or at least where things could be heading this season.

Frankly, that's why we do a weekly Super 16 Power Rankings, to keep a gauge on the NHL, the ups and downs, twists and turns, all of it.

This week, the Super 16 focuses on key statistics, at least one per team, and why it is a potential driving force for success or a sign of trouble ahead, so below you'll get an understanding for why the Carolina Hurricanes are still No. 1, why the Edmonton Oilers bumped up one spot to No. 2, why the Boston Bruins are up seven to No. 4 or why there shouldn't be a looming concern for the Colorado Avalanche, who are down five spots to No. 9.

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

Here is the Super 16 Power Rankings, the stat edition:

1. Carolina Hurricanes (8-2-1)

Total points: 219
Last week: No. 1

"The Hurricanes continue to establish their identity through an aggressive penalty kill that is fourth in the NHL (89.2 percent). Carolina has allowed four power-play goals through its first 11 games and is sixth in goals-against per game (2.45). The Hurricanes' pressure makes it difficult for opponents to gain clean entries and their willingness to challenge puck carriers also creates opportunities to turn successful kills into offense, evidenced by their two short-handed goals this season. With Carolina averaging 3.82 goals per game, its ability to neutralize opposing power plays has provided another layer to its strong start." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

2. Edmonton Oilers (7-1-1)

Total points: 203
Last week: No. 3

"It's no surprise that the Oilers are again among the best power-play teams in the NHL. With forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and defenseman Evan Bouchard, the cornerstones of the top unit, they have been difficult to stop with the man-advantage. The Oilers scored three power-play goals in a 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday and have the second-best power-play percentage in the League (31.0 percent), behind only the Utah Mammoth (36.1 percent). McDavid has eight assists on the power play while still looking for his first power-play goal. Draisaitl has four power-play points (three goals, one assist) and Bouchard has five (one goal, four assists) after he scored in overtime on the man-advantage to defeat Minnesota. With forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out with an undisclosed injury, Vasily Podkolzin is on the first unit and has six power-play points (three goals, three assists) in nine games." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

3. Vegas Golden Knights (8-3-0)

Total points: 196
Last week: No. 2

"The Golden Knights are averaging 3.91 goals per game, third in the NHL, even though they lost forward Pavel Dorofeyev, who led them in goals each of the past two seasons (35 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2025-26). Jack Eichel leads Vegas with 18 points and Mark Stone is first with eight goals. Other storylines include rookie Trevor Connelly, who has seven points (four goals, three assists) in 11 games, and newcomer Victor Olofsson, who had five points (four goals, one assist) in four games before sustaining an undisclosed injury. Fourteen players have scored at least one goal." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

4. Boston Bruins (7-2-1)

Total points: 157
Last week: No. 11

"I threatened Dan Rosen that I was going to write about Jeremy Swayman every single week in this space, but I'm actually going to swerve here. The second-leading scorer on the Bruins (tied with Morgan Geekie) is Fraser Minten, the prize center who came from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Brandon Carlo deal before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Minten has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 10 games, with his four goals tied with David Pastrnak and Matthew Poitras for first on the Bruins. On a team where the young players have made the difference in the early going, it's great news that Minten might be adding scoring to his repertoire, rounding off a game that could push him into top-line center territory." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-0)

Total points: 144
Last week: No. 8

"The Lightning have gotten off to a strong start, winning seven of their first nine games, including an impressive 6-2 victory at Vegas on Tuesday. Though they are outscoring teams 23-15 at 5-on-5, their special teams play hasn't been, well, special. They're 12.9 percent on the power play and have allowed two short-handed goals, including one late in the first period against Vegas that tied the game 2-2. The penalty kill is tied for 17th (79.2 percent) and has given up at least one power-play goal in four of its past six games. The Lightning were 17th on the power play (20.7 percent) and third on the penalty kill (82.6 percent) last season, so the struggles now should get better, but they have to hope it gets better quickly and doesn't start affecting their 5-on-5 play." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

6. Utah Mammoth (7-3-0)

Total points: 143
Last week: No. 7

"What's been key for the Mammoth thus far? Their power play, without a doubt. They lead the NHL (36.1 percent, 13-for-36) through their first 10 games. They've scored at least one power-play goal in seven games and at least two in five. So, yes, the power play is clicking, and it's helped several Mammoth skaters led by Nick Schmaltz's team-high five power-play goals. For teams who commit a penalty against Utah this season, all the best to you and buckle up." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

7. Minnesota Wild (6-2-2)

Total points: 142
Last week: No. 6

"The stat that jumps off the page is Kirill Kaprizov's 11 goals in 10 games. Kaprizov, arguably Minnesota's best player, has come out flying, and his 17 points have driven the offense from Day 1. Those 11 goals account for more than a third of the Wild's 31 as a team, and it is the best goal-scoring start of Kaprizov's NHL career after he had seven through 10 games in 2024-25. He's projected to score 92 goals over 84 games, so, yes, regression is coming, but the company is impressive. Kaprizov matched the most goals by an active player through 10 games of a season, joining McDavid (2022-23), Pastrnak (2019-20) and Nikita Kucherov (2017-18). That's one heck of a key stat." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

8. New York Rangers (7-3-1)

Total points: 123
Last week: No. 5

"It's easy to eye the Rangers' 6-0-0 record at home and make that their key stat for this exercise. They haven't started this well at home since going 8-0-0 in 1990-91. Frankly, though, if the Rangers weren't so bad on home ice last season (14-20-7), a perfect home start this season wouldn't be such a big story. Yet they were and they are perfect now, so it's impressive and important. However, it's impossible to ignore goalie Dylan Garand and what he's doing in the wake of Igor Shesterkin's season-ending lower-body injury. Garand is where the key stat really lies for the Rangers. He's 4-2-1 with a 1.85 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and one shutout. I, for one, thought New York's Stanley Cup Playoff chances this season were contingent on Shesterkin playing at least 60 games. Small sample size for sure, but Garand has played well enough that maybe, just maybe, he'll ultimately prove me and many others wrong." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

9. Colorado Avalanche (5-4-1)

Total points: 121
Last week: No. 4

"The Avalanche are one of the deepest offensive teams in the League and one of two teams, joined by the Oilers, that has as many as four players averaging at least one point per game. For Colorado, it's Nathan MacKinnon with 16 points, and Artturi Lehkonen, Martin Necas and Cale Makar each with 11 in the first 10 games. For Edmonton, there is a huge fall off from the top four with the fifth-place scorer (Mathieu Joseph) having five points. Colorado has seven more players with at least five. They remain a matchup nightmare for all but the deepest teams." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

10. Florida Panthers (5-3-2)

Total points: 105
Last week: No. 12

"The number that stands out to me is 35.2. That's Carter Verhaeghe's shooting percentage (six goals on 17 shots). Verhaeghe scored 25 goals last season and 20 the season before, but has typically gotten off to slow starts, so six goals in 10 games is great for the forward." -- David Satriano, staff writer

11. Dallas Stars (5-3-1)

Total points: 92
Last week: No. 16

"Two key stats have my attention after nine games. The Stars are allowing 1.56 goals-against per game, far and away the best in the NHL ahead of the second-ranked New York Islanders (2.11), thanks in part to Jake Oettinger becoming the first goalie in Dallas/Minnesota North Stars history with three shutouts in his first six games, per NHL Stats. That's not too surprising since the Stars were second last season in goals-against (2.71) behind the Avalanche (2.40). Surprising is Wyatt Johnston without a goal in seven games, having missed a back-to-back set against the Avalanche on Oct. 13-14 with an illness, after the 23-year-old forward scored 45 last season. Seven games is the longest goal drought of Johnston's NHL career to begin a season and one reason why the Stars are averaging 2.44 goals per game. Don't be too concerned. Johnston has nine shots on goal in his past two games after only 11 in his first five and had three assists in a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 8 before the illness. Dallas has won three in a row and is 5-1-1 since Oct. 5 while averaging 3.00 goals per game. There's confidence that Johnston will get going during a six-game homestand that continues against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday." -- Jon Lane, staff writer

12. Ottawa Senators (7-3-0)

Total points: 79
Last week: No. 9

"Who needs offense? Despite trading Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers, the Senators are off to a strong start thanks largely to defense and goaltending. They are fifth in goals-against (2.40) after finishing 13th last season (2.99). That's helped make up for an offense that averages 2.70 goals per game (23rd) and converted only 13.0 percent of its power-play opportunities. With Linus Ullmark providing steady play in net, the Senators have been proving they don't need to light up the scoreboard to win. Ullmark had to leave Wednesday's 5-1 win against Florida with a lower-body strain, but not before moving into first in the NHL in save percentage (.945). He's also first with seven wins and second with a 1.33 goals-against average." -- Brian Eller, producer

13. Seattle Kraken (6-3-1)

Total points: 54
Last week: No. 15

"The Kraken can score. They're not dynamic, and they don't have a player with more than five goals in 10 games, but they are scoring by committee (16 skaters have at least one goal) and averaging 3.70 goals per game. That's why they are in the Super 16 for a second consecutive week. That's why they are getting by despite allowing 3.40 goals per game with a penalty kill at 72.4 percent. The Kraken were 28th last season, scoring 2.73 goals per game. This season, they're showing an ability to score their way out of some trouble." -- Rosen

14. Washington Capitals (5-4-0)

Total points: 36
Last week: N/R

"The key stats for the Capitals so far relate to their special teams. They have shown flashes of being a top team through their first nine games, but their inconsistent execution on the power play and penalty kill have been among the things holding them back. Their power play is tied with the New Jersey Devils for 19th (20.0 percent, 5-for-25) and their penalty kill is tied for 14th (80.0 percent, 24-for-30). That proved to be the difference in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Shortly after the Capitals failed to convert on a power play with the score tied 2-2 in the third period, the Kings scored on their man-advantage to take the lead. The expected return of Pierre-Luc Dubois after missing five games with an illness could help." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

15. New York Islanders (5-3-1)

Total points: 32
Last week: N/R

"Second in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.11). Fifth on the penalty kill (87.5 percent). Top 10 in shots on goal-against per game (25.3). Fourth in face-off percentage (53.8 percent). Why are the Islanders ranked this week? Why do they have points in four straight games (3-0-1)? It's all about their defensive metrics. They are one of the strongest teams in the League in that area of the game. It won't be enough, though. The Islanders have to improve offensively because 3.00 goals per game, 17.9 percent on the power play and 24.9 shots on goal per game won't be enough if their defensive metrics take a hit, which certainly could happen through the course of an 84-game season." -- Rosen

16. Toronto Maple Leafs (5-4-2)

Total points: 21
Last week: N/R

"There is a fairly simple statistic that captures the Maple Leafs' strong start: No. 34. In 11 games, Auston Matthews already has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists). We are seeing the return of the vintage Matthews. Last season, hampered by various injuries, Matthews had 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games. The Maple Leafs have once again become a threat on the power play (27.5 percent) and lead the NHL on the penalty kill (97.4 percent). -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com senior writer

Others receiving points: Montreal Canadiens 12, Winnipeg Jets 9, Buffalo Sabres 6, San Jose Sharks 5, Nashville Predators 3, New Jersey Devils 2

Dropped out from last week: Jets (No. 10), Canadiens (No. 13), Anaheim Ducks (No. 14)

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM 

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Utah Mammoth; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Seattle Kraken; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Buffalo Sabres

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Utah Mammoth; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Dallas Stars; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Montreal Canadiens

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Utah Mammoth; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Dallas Stars; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Montreal Canadiens; 16. Washington Capitals

BRIAN ELLER

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Utah Mammoth; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. Buffalo Sabres; 15. Dallas Stars; 16. New York Islanders

TOM GULITTI

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Utah Mammoth; 10. New York Rangers; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Montreal Canadiens

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Utah Mammoth; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. New York Rangers; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Seattle Kraken

JON LANE

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Utah Mammoth; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Seattle Kraken; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Winnipeg Jets

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Utah Mammoth; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. New York Rangers; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Winnipeg Jets

TRACEY MYERS 

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Utah Mammoth; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. New York Rangers; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Dallas Stars; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Winnipeg Jets; 16. Montreal Canadiens

SHAWN P. ROARKE 

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Edmonton Oilers; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Utah Mammoth; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. New Jersey Devils

DAN ROSEN

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Utah Mammoth; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Dallas Stars; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. New Jersey Devils

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Edmonton Oilers; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Utah Mammoth; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. New York Islanders

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Edmonton Oilers; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Utah Mammoth; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Seattle Kraken; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Dallas Stars; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Winnipeg Jets