Super 16: Senators, Blue Jackets rise in power rankings

Three weeks to go. That's it. That's all we've got remaining in the regular season and yet, so much is still undecided.

The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are the only two teams to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as of Thursday morning.

The New York Islanders were in a playoff position Tuesday morning. They weren't Wednesday, overtaken by the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.

The Nashville Predators weren't in a playoff position a week ago. Now they're three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Things change quickly, and it leads to questions, which we have aplenty in the Super 16 this week, one each, in fact, for every team ranked as they gear up for the stretch run, including a 13-game Thursday with 12 of the 16 teams ranked this week in action.

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

Here is the big question edition of the Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (47-13-10)

Total points: 235

Last week: No. 1

"If there is one question heading into the homestretch regarding the Avalanche, it's the special teams. Since the NHL season resumed after the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Avalanche power play is at 22.9 percent, which is tied for 12th in the NHL with the Florida Panthers and Utah Mammoth in that span, entering Thursday. The penalty kill is at 78.8 percent, which is 17th. The good news is that they are picking up stream, with the power play clicking at 33.3 percent (sixth) and the PK at 92.9 percent (fourth) since March 17." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief 

2. Dallas Stars (43-17-11)

Total points: 219

Last week: No. 2

"It's hard to pick apart the Stars, who are rolling right along in the Central Division, the toughest in the League, and still have a legitimate chance to chase down the Avalanche for the Presidents' Trophy. But to be at their best, they need to be healthy and get a bit of time as a complete roster. Do they have enough time left in the season to do that? Top forward Mikko Rantanen could be back by this weekend, but forward Roope Hintz isn't expected back until the final week of the regular season and Radek Faksa is likely out until the end of the regular season. It will be interesting to see how the lineup changes as each is integrated from long-term absences." -- Shawn P. Roarke, director of editorial  

3. Buffalo Sabres (44-20-8)

Total points: 214

Last week: No. 3

"There's no doubt the Sabres are sailing into uncharted waters here. This is a Buffalo franchise that has not been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, a gap of 15 years. As such, how will this group react down the stretch? If and when they do clinch a postseason spot in the final three weeks of the regular season, as the odds suggest, can they carry the momentum into the so-called second season? For the Sabres, their Achilles heel would seem to be the lack of experience we've documented here. Of course, that hasn't been a factor during the past three months when they've been the hottest team in the NHL." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

4. Carolina Hurricanes (45-20-6)

Total points: 198

Last week: No. 4

"The biggest question heading down the stretch for the Hurricanes is goaltending. While Brandon Bussi has provided some relief in that department for 36-year-old Frederik Andersen, he's still in his first season. Additionally, the wear and tear of 30-plus games is beginning to show; the 27-year-old Bussi is 2-3-0 with a 3.84 goals-against average and .840 save percentage in five games in March. Andersen is 5-2-0 with a 2.98 GAA and .860 save percentage. It'll be interesting to see who coach Rod Brind'Amour sticks with down the stretch." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

5. Tampa Bay Lightning (44-21-5)

Total points: 180

Last week: No. 6

"The Lightning's struggles defensively have been obvious since the return from the Olympic break, and it's one of the reasons the Sabres have passed them for first place in the Atlantic Division. They've allowed 3.67 goals in 15 games since the return, and 29.1 shots on goal per game. Those numbers are moving significantly in the wrong direction from where they were before the break (2.51 goals allowed, 26.7 shots on goal allowed). Is that on their structure? Is it on goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy? He was NHL.com's pick for the Vezina Trophy through the first three-quarters of the season, but since play resumed, he has an .896 save percentage in 12 games, compared to .920 in 37 games prior to the break. Whatever the reason for their issues, the time is now to fix them if they want to have a deep run through the postseason." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

6. Minnesota Wild (40-20-12)

Total points: 169

Last week: No. 5

"The Wild look every bit like a contender, and a lot of that traces to a front office that has built a deep, well-structured roster. But if I'm nitpicking a flaw that could matter in a playoff series, I keep coming back to the face-off circle. It's not a minor issue; it's a genuine concern. Minnesota ranks 30th in the NHL at 46.8 percent, and there's no easy fix hiding in the numbers. Joel Eriksson Ek (48.9), Ryan Hartman (45.2), and Danila Yurov (39.3) are all underwater despite taking the bulk of the draws. Nico Sturm has been excellent at 54.6 percent, but in a limited role with fewer than 400 attempts and under 11 minutes per night, he can only move the needle so much. Does this doom them? No. But it does mean more time chasing the puck, and against elite teams like Dallas or Colorado, that's a dangerous way to live in the playoffs." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

7. Montreal Canadiens (39-21-10)

Total points: 142

Last week: No. 7

"The biggest question mark for the Canadiens heading into the postseason lies with their second line. Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen each scored a big goal Tuesday against the Hurricanes, but that line has slowed down since returning from the Olympics. Alex Newhook may not be the right winger to help the two rookies. It's something the Canadiens are going to have to figure out before the playoffs begin." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com senior writer

8. Columbus Blue Jackets (38-22-11)

Total points: 134

Last week: No. 10

"The Blue Jackets have been on the ultimate heater since Rick Bowness took over as coach on Jan. 12. They are 19-3-4 with a plus-30 goal differential (94-64), scoring 3.62 goals-per game and allowing 2.46. They have shown no signs of slowing down with a 9-2-4 record since returning from the Olympic break, including a 3-2 win Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers, who were on a heater of their own coming into the game with wins in five of six games and nine of 12. However, when a hot streak goes on for this long, the question is always what is lurking behind it? The Blue Jackets have played their way into a playoff position, but they're far from secure, so they can't have any lag. I just wonder if at some point in their final 11 games they cool off a bit, because if that happens, it could knock them right out of the playoff mix. They still play the Canadiens, Hurricanes and Boston Bruins twice each. The Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are also on the schedule. It's a grind to the end for Columbus with 11 games in 20 days." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

9. Boston Bruins (40-24-8)

Total points: 95

Last week: No. 11

"Can the Bruins win on the road? That might be their biggest question heading down the stretch toward the playoffs. They have the fewest road wins of any team currently in a playoff position, tied with the Nashville Predators with 14. Six of their final 10 games are on the road, with two at Columbus and one each at Carolina and Tampa Bay. Their results of late have shown improvement, highlighted by a massive win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday and then Wednesday's 4-3 win in an OT thriller in Buffalo. They have eight of 10 possible points in their past five road games. But it's a question that needs to be answered for the Bruins to make it past the regular season." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

10. Pittsburgh Penguins (35-20-16)

Total points: 94

Last week: No. 9

"The Penguins' biggest question is whether their defense and goaltending will hold up. Pittsburgh played good team defense for most of the season but has struggled of late. The Penguins' 6-2 loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday was their fourth straight game and eighth in their past 11 in which they allowed at least four goals. Since March 5, they are last in the NHL in allowing 4.36 goals per game. They need to tighten up defensively and get more saves from Stuart Skinner (3.88 goals-against average, .873 save percentage since March 5) and Arturs Silovs (4.07 GAA, .840 save percentage since March 5) or they could miss the playoffs." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

11. Ottawa Senators (38-24-9)

Total points: 89

Last week: No. 14

"The Senators are 15-3-2 in their past 20 games, but how long will they be able to survive in a playoff position with the injuries they have on the back end? Thomas Chabot (right arm) and Jake Sanderson (upper body), Ottawa's top two defensemen, are out. So is Nick Jensen (knee). Replacements Dennis Gilbert (undisclosed) and Lassi Thomson (lower body) are hurt, too. They had two defensemen make their NHL debuts in a 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday with Carter Yakemchuk shining, his goal and assist earning him first star honors. But for a team that relies so much on defending well, on limiting shots on goal, at what point do injuries on defense become a problem?" -- Rosen

12. Anaheim Ducks (40-27-4)

Total points: 87

Last week: No. 12

"The biggest area the Ducks need to improve on is giving up fewer goals, be it overall or on the penalty kill. The Ducks have no problem scoring (3.27 per game) but they're 30th in the NHL in allowing 3.45 goals per game. Their penalty kill is ranked 21st (78.0 percent). The cardiac Ducks have found ways to win in dramatic fashion, and their eight shootout wins are second in the NHL trailing only the Flyers' nine. There's no shootout in the playoffs. Coach Joel Quenneville is a defense-first guy, and the longer he's in Anaheim, the better their defense is likely to get. But they definitely need to get stronger there now. Can they?" -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

13. New York Islanders (40-27-5)

Total points: 52

Last week: No. 8

"The Islanders have shown plenty of resiliency over the course of this season, but it's fair to wonder about and question why they struggle to string wins together, which was on full display in a 4-3 home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday after a hard-fought 1-0 win against the Blue Jackets 48 hours prior. It will be the main reason most will likely point to should they fail to clinch a playoff berth. Every point is crucial and several teams in the East are still in the mix, so the Islanders need to figure some things out pretty quickly." -- Brian Compton, managing editor  

14. Utah Mammoth (37-29-6)

Total points: 39

Last week: No. 15

"If the Mammoth make the playoffs, one thing they would need to improve is the power play, which is ranked 26th in the League, ahead of only the Avalanche (surprising), Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. Special teams can win or lose games in the postseason and this is a young roster with few players who have experienced playoff success. Dylan Guenther (seven power-play goals, zero playoff games) and Nick Schmaltz (six power-play goals, four playoff games) lead the team in goals on the man advantage but have combined to play just four postseason games. Can they tweak the power play to make it a weapon?" -- David Satriano, staff writer

15. Edmonton Oilers (35-28-9)

Total points: 35

Last week: No. 16

"Leon Draisaitl is expected to be out for the remainder of the regular season with a lower-body injury, and it will be interesting to see how the Oilers continue to deal with the loss of one of their star forwards. So far, it's been a bumpy road for the Oilers, who are trying to focus on tightening up defensively to make up for the offense lost in Draisaitl's absence. Edmonton still has a chance to finish first in the Pacific, despite having only won three consecutive games once this season. Connor McDavid described the race for the top spot in the Pacific as "a bit of a pillow fight right now." The Oilers played a sound defensive game in a 5-2 win at the Mammoth on Tuesday, but can they put together two good defensive efforts in a row without Draisaitl in the lineup, when they travel to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday in a massive division showdown?" -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

16. Detroit Red Wings (38-25-8)

Total points: 26

Last week: No. 13

"Is March going to unravel another season for the Red Wings? Detroit went 3-9-2 in March in 2023-24 and 4-10-1 for the month last season. Each time, the Red Wings fell out of a playoff spot. Coach Todd McLellan didn't want to talk about it this season, saying this is a new group that will write its own story. But the narrative hasn't changed much. The Red Wings have gone 4-5-2 this month, and they've fallen out of a playoff spot again. They've got three more games in March to start turning things around in their effort to make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Dropped out from last week: None

Others receiving points: Vegas Golden Knights 15, Nashville Predators 12, Philadelphia Flyers 5

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Nashville Predators

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Utah Mammoth

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Utah Mammoth

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Columbus Blue Jackets; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Utah Mammoth; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Montreal Canadiens; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Nashville Predators

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS 

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Buffalo Sabres; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Pittsburgh Penguins; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Nashville Predators

BILL PRICE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Vegas Golden Knights; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Nashville Predators

SHAWN P. ROARKE 

1. Buffalo Sabres; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Utah Mammoth; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Detroit Red Wings

DAN ROSEN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Anaheim Ducks; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Detroit Red Wings

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Buffalo Sabres; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Anaheim Ducks; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Pittsburgh Penguins; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Detroit Red Wings; 16. Philadelphia Flyers

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Buffalo Sabres; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Ottawa Senators; 8. Columbus Blue Jackets; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Detroit Red Wings; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Nashville Predators

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Buffalo Sabres; 4. Tampa Bay Lightning; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Columbus Blue Jackets; 10. Ottawa Senators; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Vegas Golden Knights; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Nashville Predators