NHL teams in Super 16 Power Rankings will go as far as …

Will go as far as.

That phrase is used frequently with the NHL season underway, eight of 1,344 games in the books, and media members and fans all making predictions, talking about why they like or don't like a team.

We will join the party in this week’s Super 16 Power Rankings.

Each of the 15 NHL.com staffers who vote on the weekly power rankings was assigned a team and tasked with including the words "will go as far as" at the start of their analysis. 

As always, to generate the Super 16 Power Rankings, the 15 voters put together their own rankings 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 first in-season edition of the Super 16 Power Rankings:

1. Carolina Hurricanes (0-0-1)

Total points: 233
Preseason: No. 1

"The Hurricanes will go as far as their will to repeat takes them. For years they've been the team taking their best shot on championship teams like the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals. Now, as the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Hurricanes will take everybody's best shot. They're built to handle it. They're built to give better than they get. They're built to win the Cup again. But for a team as experienced as this one, the role reversal from hunters to hunted is new. How the Hurricanes handle it will determine how far they can go this season. The top of the mountain is where they expect to finish, again. They know how hard it is to get there once. They have no idea yet how hard it is to get there again." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

2. Colorado Avalanche (0-0-0)

Total points: 224
Preseason: No. 2

"The Avalanche will go as far as the Stanley Cup Final. Simply, there is no team better than them in the League. Forget the upset loss in the playoffs. It can be explained away through injuries to important people and the Vegas Golden Knights hitting their stride at the right time. Remember the regular-season team, the one that had a League-low 16 regulation losses, recorded a League-best 121 points and had a plus-99 goal differential. The key parts of that team are back for this season and they aren't happy. That's going to be a problem for the rest of the League. See you in June." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

3. Dallas Stars (0-0-0)

Total points: 190
Preseason: No. 3

"The Stars will go as far as Jake Oettinger takes them. The goalie is steady and dependable in the regular season. His career numbers represent that with a record of 184-78-33, a 2.54 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 305 games (296 starts). The Stanley Cup Playoffs? Well, they've been more of a mixed bag. His GAA was 2.83 last postseason against the Minnesota Wild, who eliminated the Stars in six games in the Western Conference First Round. In 2024-25 he had a 2.82 GAA in 18 playoff games (yes, that's the season the Stars were eliminated in the conference final for the second straight season and Oettinger was pulled early in Game 5 against the Edmonton Oilers). The Stars enter another season with the Stanley Cup on their mind and a whole lot of players that can get them there. That includes Oettinger, but on the biggest stage he must be great." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

4. Florida Panthers (1-0-0)

Total points: 181
Preseason: No. 4

"The Panthers will go as far as their new-look goaltending takes them. Florida still has a deep and battle-tested lineup capable of making a Stanley Cup run, especially with Aleksander Barkov back and Brady Tkachuk joining a loaded forward group. But after Sergei Bobrovsky's departure, the biggest question is in the crease. Jacob Markstrom does not need to carry the Panthers every night, but he must provide steady, timely saves. Florida's aggressive forecheck and defensive structure should reduce his workload, and Akira Schmid gives the club another option if Markstrom falters. The Panthers know how to win in the postseason, and their core still possesses the skill, size and nastiness to overwhelm opponents. If Markstrom supplies dependable playoff-caliber goaltending, Florida’s championship window remains open." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

5. Montreal Canadiens (1-0-0)

Total points: 174
Preseason: No. 5

"The Canadiens will go as far as the team's young core can take them. Nick Suzuki, 27, Cole Caufield, 25, Juraj Slafkovsky, 22, Ivan Demidov, 20, Lane Hutson, 22, and Noah Dobson, 26 are all 27 or younger, yet they now possess the experience of a long playoff run. To maintain their spot among the elite, the Habs will also need to see the playoff version of goalie Jakub Dobes." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com senior writer

6. Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-0)

Total points: 171
Preseason: No. 6

"The Golden Knights will go as far as their health takes them. They have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs eight times in nine seasons. The time they failed to qualify, in 2021-22, they were decimated by injuries. When they were in danger of missing the playoffs last season, replacing coach Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella with eight games to go and a four-point cushion, injuries were a factor then, too. Center William Karlsson missed 68 games last season. Captain Mark Stone missed 22. Adin Hill missed 39, Carter Hart missed 34 and Vegas went 24 games without both goalies. Stay relatively healthy, and the Golden Knights should make the playoffs again." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

7. Minnesota Wild (0-0-0)

Total points: 142
Preseason: No. 7

"The Wild will go as far as how they navigate a challenging October that has them playing 10 of 15 games on the road including a five-game trip through the Pacific Northwest and Salt Lake City from Oct. 20-27. Games in October matter and a fast start rests on Jesper Wallstedt proving he's a legitimate starting goalie for the long haul, Quinn Hughes playing like an annual Norris Trophy contender in his first full season with Minnesota, and four-time 40-goal scorer Kirill Kaprizov elevating his game to where he flirts with 50. But the start to their season got a lot harder with the news that Brock Faber will be out indefinitely with a skull fracture, a result of the defenseman getting hit in the head by a puck during a 2-1 preseason loss to the Dallas Stars on Sept. 25. Faber's injury will be another challenge for the Wild to navigate at the start of the season." -- Jon Lane, staff writer

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (0-0-0)

Total points: 141
Preseason: No. 8

"The Lightning will go as far as Andrei Vasilevskiy's health allows them to go. Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy as the League's best goalie last season, when he went 39-15-4 with a 2.31 GAA and .912 save percentage in 58 games. The Lightning won 50 games and finished second in the Atlantic Division. One very much has a lot to do with the other. Vasilevskiy is typically at the top of his game when he's healthy. The good news is Vasilevskiy is typically healthy, which allows him to regularly play close to or more than 60 games in a season. If he does that again the Lightning will be just fine. They'll make the playoffs and do so with real Stanley Cup aspirations. But if the worst-case scenario happens and Vasilevskiy gets hurt, the load will fall on Dennis Hildeby, who has played in 26 NHL games. As I wrote last week in this space, Vasilevskiy is arguably the most indispensable player to his team in the League." -- Rosen

9. Buffalo Sabres (0-0-0)

Total points: 124
Preseason: No. 9

"The Sabres will go as far as the answers to these three questions can take them: 1) Can they survive a regular season in an Atlantic Division that will be tough from top to bottom? 2) Who steps up to fill the voids left by the offseason departures Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch? 3) Are goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis consistent enough to lead the Sabres past the second round, where they lost to the Canadiens in seven games this past spring? They have a high ceiling. Considering they were one overtime goal away from reaching the Eastern Conference Final last season, it's reasonable to give them a chance to get to conference final this time season. At the same time, however, there are those three pressing questions that will determine if such a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is feasible. Stay tuned." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

10. Washington Capitals (0-0-0)

Total points: 95
Preseason: No. 10

"The Capitals will go as far as rookies Ilya Protas and Cole Hutson can impact their team. The Capitals have a deep, experienced roster that is good enough to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but if Protas, a forward, and Hutson, a defenseman, can excel in significant roles as 20-year-olds, that can elevate them to contend for the Stanley Cup. Protas will start the season as Washington's third-line center and play on the second power-play unit. Hutson will quarterback the second power-play unit and have a chance to play top four minutes while defenseman Rasmus Sandin is recovering from ACL surgery. Each has the potential to be a special player. How close they get to that this season could determine how close the Capitals get to the Cup." --Tom Gulitti, senior writer

11. Edmonton Oilers (0-0-1)

Total points: 83
Preseason: No. 11

"The Oilers will go as far as their goaltending will take them. It's a familiar theme in Edmonton with questions regarding the quality of its goalies and whether they are good enough to help win the Stanley Cup. Tristan Jarry, Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen are the three goalies Edmonton will count on this season. Jarry will look to have a bounce-back season after struggling with the Oilers last season, but go off to a rough start, allowing six goals in a season-opening loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. He was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner and lost the No. 1 job to Connor Ingram. Levi spent all of last season in the American Hockey League, while Andersen, who won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes, has yet to dress for Edmonton after sustaining an undisclosed injury this summer. Unfortunately for the Oilers, they can't play all three at the same time, so they will need one to step up and provide them goaltending worthy of a Stanley Cup contender." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

12. Utah Mammoth (0-0-0)

Total points: 68
Preseason: No. 12

"The Mammoth will go as far as their goaltending takes them. Last year was a breakout for Karel Vejmelka, who was 38-20-3 with a 2.75 GAA and .897 save percentage in 64 games (63 starts). He finished second in the NHL in wins and led all goalies in games played. Utah will lean on him again this season, with Sebastian Cossa as the backup. Cossa, who was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on June 26, has one game of NHL experience (in 2024-25) and looked shaky in the preseason." -- David Satriano, staff writer

13. Philadelphia Flyers (0-1-0)

Total points: 54
Preseason: No. 13

"The Flyers will go as far as their offense carries them, especially the power play. Last season, their first under coach Rick Tocchet, the Flyers were one of the better defensive teams in the NHL, allowing 25.5 shots on goal per game, fourth-fewest in the League. But offensively there were issues, including a power play that ranked last in the NHL at 15.7 percent. Having a healthy Tyson Foerster should help; the forward was on nearly a 40-goal pace when an arm injury sustained Dec. 1 sidelined him for four months. A rejuvenated Matvei Michkov and a full season of Porter Martone also should energize the attack. If the power play can crack the top 20 in the NHL -- it hasn't done that well since 2020-21 -- it will go a long way toward the Flyers having another successful season." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

14. Anaheim Ducks (0-0-0)

Total points: 49
Preseason: No. 14

"The Ducks will go as far as Cutter Gauthier can help take them. Though goalie Lukas Dostal and a defense led by Jackson LaCombe need to play their parts, the offense will be what drives this team to the playoffs, and Gauthier will be leading the charge. Anaheim has several talented young forwards such as Leo Carlsson, 21, and Beckett Sennecke, 20, but Gauthier led the club last season in goals (41), points (69), game-winning goals (seven), power-play goals (11), shots on goal (285) and also won 49 percent of face-offs. He was rewarded with a new contract and will need to build on that successful season for the Ducks to reach the postseason." -- Dave Miniaci, producer

15. Boston Bruins (1-0-0)

Total points: 48
Preseason: No. 15

"The Bruins will go as far as their goaltending takes them. I feel a bit like a broken record and, yes, there are many other things that have to happen to get the Bruins back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But it all starts with Jeremy Swayman. If he can replicate the season he had last year in becoming a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as best goalie in the NHL, it’s possible. He began the season with a 24-save shutout against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. If he falters, it could be a long season for the Bruins. The Atlantic may well be the best division in hockey and it will be a gauntlet. Having a wall in net would help." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

16. San Jose Sharks (0-0-0)

Total points: 29
Preseason: No. 16

"The Sharks will go as far as Yaroslav Askarov takes them. San Jose has given its young goalie a much better team to work with, and now it is time for the 24-year-old to show he can handle the job. There were plenty of flashes last season, including a brilliant November, when his 8-2-0 record, 1.88 GAA and .947 save percentage led the League, but the final numbers, a 3.63 GAA and .884 save percentage, were not good enough. The encouraging part is that Askarov looked much sharper in the preseason, and the Sharks clearly believe another step is coming. For all the upgrades San Jose made, Askarov still feels like the biggest swing factor in whether this team merely improves or actually makes the playoffs." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

Others receiving points: Pittsburgh Penguins 15, New Jersey Devils 9, Toronto Maple Leafs 6, New York Islanders 2, Ottawa Senators 2

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Utah Mammoth; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. San Jose Sharks

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

JON LANE

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Buffalo Sabres; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. Boston Bruins

DAVE MINIACI

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Washington Capitals; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Anaheim Ducks; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. New Jersey Devils

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Utah Mammoth; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Buffalo Sabres; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. New Jersey Devils

TRACEY MYERS 

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Buffalo Sabres; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Pittsburgh Penguins; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Edmonton Oilers

SHAWN P. ROARKE 

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Buffalo Sabres; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Utah Mammoth; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. San Jose Sharks

DAN ROSEN

1. Montreal Canadiens; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Minnesota Wild; 10. Utah Mammoth; 11. Buffalo Sabres; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Anaheim Ducks; 16. San Jose Sharks

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Buffalo Sabres; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Montreal Canadiens; 9. Anaheim Ducks; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Edmonton Oilers; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Buffalo Sabres; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Anaheim Ducks; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Carolina Hurricanes; 2. Colorado Avalanche; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Edmonton Oilers; 10. Utah Mammoth; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Buffalo Sabres; 13. San Jose Sharks; 14. Boston Bruins; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Anaheim Ducks