Super 16: Rangers reclaim top spot; Flyers make big surge in rankings

It's the holiday season, a time to be festive and joyful, to appreciate what we have and maybe, if we're lucky enough, get a few things we need or want.

In the NHL, teams are still trying to figure out exactly what they need or want, and those items typically arrive shortly before the spring. But the holiday season in the NHL is also a time for teams and fans to appreciate the things they already have.

Maybe it's a red-hot player. Maybe it's a dynamic power play or a shutdown penalty kill. Maybe it's a player coming back from injury. Maybe it's a Stanley Cup ring or the expectation to get one this season.

The 16 teams in this week's edition of the Super 16 power rankings all have reasons to be festive in this holiday season.

Read on to find out what those reasons are.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the voters 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 very merry pre-holiday break Super 16.

1. New York Rangers (22-8-1)

Total points: 202
Last week: No. 3

"Where to begin with the reasons the Rangers and their fans should be festive in the holiday season? There are so many reasons for the team that leads the NHL in wins. But I'll begin with a more aerodynamic 'Breadman.' Artemi Panarin shaved his head in the offseason, maybe as a way to release the demons that kept him from being an impact player in New York's first-round seven-game series loss to the New Jersey Devils. He had two points in that series, both assists in Game 1, and nothing in the six games to follow. With his lettuce cut, Panarin has been flying this season. He has 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists), tied for fifth in the NHL with Bruins forward David Pastrnak in the same number of games (31). Panarin has developed chemistry with Alexis Lafreniere, who is having a breakout season of his own with 18 points (nine goals, nine assists). Their line, first with Filip Chytil as the center for 10 games and the past 21 with Vincent Trocheck, has been New York's most dominant line in a season that so far has been as merry as it gets." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

2. Vegas Golden Knights (21-8-5)

Total points: 183
Last week: No. 1

"Sing it with me: "On the fifth day of Christmas the NHL gave to me … the Vegas Golden Knights!" It doesn't get more festive than this. The Golden Knights already have received the best gifts: the Stanley Cup and fat championship rings. They've got one of the best records in the NHL and will be on the big stage New Year's Day, playing the Seattle Kraken in the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park. They don't have Jack Frost, but they do have Jack Eichel leading them in scoring. Talk about a nice list." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

3. Boston Bruins (19-6-6)

Total points: 181
Last week: No. 2

"David Pastrnak, always. Not only does Pastrnak continue to be as joyful a player as there is in the NHL, there are signs that the all-world scorer might just be getting hot. Pastrnak, who donned a red-and-green 'Santa, Baby' sweater on the way to the rink before the Bruins 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, followed up the sweet threads with two goals in the first period. All told, Pastrnak has five goals in his past six games, as he tries to keep pace with League leader Auston Matthews, who has 26. Pastrnak has 19, to go along with 24 assists for 43 points. And if that isn't something to make you feel festive, what is?" -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

4. Los Angeles Kings (18-7-4)

Total points: 169
Last week: No. 4

"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays; unless you're the Kings. They have just five home wins in 14 games this season (5-6-3) after a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, but they're an NHL-best 13-1-1 on the road. The bad news is their next two games and five of the next six are at Crypto.com Arena. Maybe next season, they can petition to play all of their games away from Tinseltown. Or maybe they'll start winning regularly at home and make that a festive place too." -- David Satriano, staff writer

5. Vancouver Canucks (22-9-3)

Total points: 164
Last week: No. 5

"The Canucks have plenty of reason to be in a festive mood this holiday season. They're challenging the Golden Knights for the lead in the Pacific Division and are playing far better than anyone predicted heading into the season. They have one of the NHL's best defensemen in Quinn Hughes, forward J.T. Miller is having a career year and Elias Pettersson is blossoming into the star many predicted he would be when selected No. 5 by Vancouver in the 2017 NHL Draft. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Canucks to feel festive is the new winning attitude coach Rick Tocchet has brought to the entire organization. Tocchet Hockey is working in Vancouver and the Canucks have a whole new attitude this season, which is translating on the ice." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

6. Dallas Stars (19-8-4)

Total points: 138
Last week: No. 9

"The Stars have a few things to be festive about, but I'm going with Matt Duchene. They signed the forward to a one-year, $3 million contract on July 1, one day after the Nashville Predators bought out the remaining three years of his seven-year, $56 million contract. Duchene has 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 30 games, including three points (two goals, one assist) in a 4-3 overtime win against the Seattle Kraken on Monday. Last season, he had 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games. If he keeps it up, he should come close or top those numbers. As much as the Stars are happy to have Duchene, it's probably vice-versa as well. Duchene came into this season with something to prove, and he's showing he's still got it." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (16-8-6)

Total points: 122
Last week: No. 7

"What a time to be a Maple Leafs fan. Not only do they get to watch players like William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares on a nightly basis, the NHL All-Star Game will be coming to Toronto in about seven weeks. Sure, the angst of the Trade Deadline, Nylander's contract situation and postseason expectations will follow, but for now, during the holidays, fans should enjoy the players they have and the superstars who will coming to town on Jan. 31." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

8. Winnipeg Jets (20-9-3)

Total points: 120
Last week: No. 10

"For a team that is doing considerably better than еxpected, there is plenty to celebrate this holiday season. The Jets should raise the first toast to their team defense that has been stellar since early November and have not allowed more than three goals in a game in seven weeks (since Nov. 2). Subsequent toasts can go to their solid play on the road (9-4-1) and their impressively balanced scoring with five players who have contributed 10-plus goals and 14 players who have hit double-digit points. But most importantly, the Jets are in the race for first place in the Central Division. It's happy times indeed in Winnipeg." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

9. Colorado Avalanche (20-11-2)

Total points: 112
Last week: No. 6

"There are lots of reasons for the Avalanche to be festive these holidays, but Nathan MacKinnon is probably the biggest. The center has the NHL's longest active point streak at 17 games with 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) during that stretch. This is MacKinnon's longest point streak during 11 seasons in the NHL. MacKinnon also leads the League with 130 points (52 goals, 78 assists) in 80 games during the 2023 calendar year, which is six more than Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

10. Philadelphia Flyers (18-11-4)

Total points: 93
Last week: No. 15

"The Flyers seem to have found joy in the work this season. The Day One belief is their path to success is through hard work, and that mindset, pushed by coach John Tortorella, has been embraced up and down the roster. Philadelphia certainly has high-skill players, among them Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett, but the Flyers have exceeded preseason expectations by outworking teams on a nightly basis. Their penalty kill (85.7 percent) is among the best in the NHL, they block 18.3 shots on goal per game and they consistently win puck battles along the boards. And their current 7-1-3 run shows all that hard work has a reward." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

11. Florida Panthers (18-12-2)

Total points: 76
Last week: No. 8

"The Panthers have a lot of firepower on offense, but coach Paul Maurice has been preaching the gift that keeps giving by way of exceptionally strong defense and it's paying off. Florida ranks among the top 10 in the NHL in goals-against average (2.63), shots-against average (27.1) and penalty killing (82.5 percent). The Panthers added Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niko Mikkola and Dmitry Kulikov in July via free agency and each is among the top four in hits, blocked shots, and scoring among Florida defensemen. Those contributions also have played a big part in the absence of Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, who each returned to the lineup Nov. 17 following offseason shoulder surgeries." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

12. New York Islanders (15-8-9)

Total points: 64
Last week: No. 11

"The Islanders have to be thrilled to be very much in the mix without the services of injured defenseman Adam Pelech, who hasn't played since Nov. 24. New York has gone 7-2-4 without Pelech, including an impressive 3-1 win against the high-powered Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. There's still no timetable for Pelech's return, but it will a tremendous gift for the Islanders when he's able to be back in the lineup." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

13. Nashville Predators (19-14-0)

Total points: 44
Last week: Unranked

"Juuse Saros. Yes, I know his numbers are not as good as they have been in the past. His goals-against average is marginally higher than it has ever been and his save percentage a tick lower than it's been since he became a full-time member of the Predators in 2016-17. I don't care and Predators fans shouldn't either. They should celebrate every day they see Saros in the crease. He is the biggest difference maker for this team. He makes huge saves and covers up a lot of warts on this team, giving them the confidence to take chances. He is one of the reasons Nashville is in the top half of the League in goals scored because his steadiness allows for risk taking when attacking. Simply, he is the gift that keeps giving by taking away from others." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

14. Carolina Hurricanes (17-12-4)

Total points: 40
Last week: Unranked

"The expectation to win is what should fuel the Hurricanes and 'Caniacs' everywhere this holiday season. High expectations bring about pressure and the Hurricanes have no doubt felt some of that this season, like in their four-game losing streak from Dec. 4-9. But high expectations also bring about a drive to reach them and, ideally come the spring, exceed them. That drive is what the Hurricanes have shown in the past six games, going 3-0-3, most notably in a 6-3 win against the Golden Knights on Tuesday. The Hurricanes have had their issues with keeping the puck out of the net this season, rare for them since coach Rod Brind'Amour took over in 2018. They allowed 2.59 goals per game in his first five seasons; 3.19 this season. It hasn't changed the expectation. This team is a Stanley Cup or bust team. The Hurricanes didn't qualify for the playoffs for nine straight seasons (2009-18). It feels like ancient history." -- Rosen

15. Washington Capitals (17-9-4)

Total points: 25
Last week: No. 14

"Charlie Lindgren's goaltending has provided reasons for the Capitals to be festive during the first two months of the season. Lindgren has pushed Darcy Kuemper for playing time and helped Washington surprise many by being in contention for a playoff spot. Among NHL goalies to play at least 10 games this season, Lindgren (7-3-2) is fifth with a .927 save percentage and ninth with a 2.40 goals-against average. Lindgren is also one off the NHL lead with two shutouts." -- Gulitti

16. New Jersey Devils (16-13-2)

Total points: 20
Last week: No. 16

"A lot of attention is given to center Jack Hughes and for good reason, but Devils fans are also lucky to be gifted another center in Nico Hischier, who is in his seventh NHL season. New Jersey's captain played his 400th NHL game on Tuesday and continues to be the heart and soul of the team. Hischier got his 300th NHL point Dec. 16 and now has 116 goals and 185 assists in 401 games. The Devils are 8-4-1 since he came back from an injury and coach Lindy Ruff called Hischier, 'That glue, that two-way player that we can play in any situation.'" -- Morreale

Others receiving points: Arizona Coyotes 6, Edmonton Oilers 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Minnesota Wild 1

Dropped out from last week: Oilers (No. 12), Detroit Red Wings (No. 13)

New Amsterdam Game of the Week

Each week, NHL.com will highlight one game that features two teams in the Super 16. This week, it's the No. 2 Golden Knights against the No. 11 Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSFL, SN).

It'll be a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final when the Golden Knights and Panthers play in South Florida on Saturday. The Golden Knights likely won't be flashing their gigantic Stanley Cup championship rings in the faces of the Panthers, but they will be able to walk into Amerant Bank Arena with a bit of a strut knowing they needed only five games to defeat the Panthers in the Cup Final in June. But the Panthers will want some measure of revenge, so they should be a ready opponent. It's the last game for both teams before the NHL goals on a three-day holiday break starting Sunday, and wouldn't you know they find each other matching up again early in 2024. The Panthers return to Las Vegas, where they lost 9-3 in Game 5 of the Cup Final, to play the Golden Knights on Jan. 4. There they'll see the championship banner. But that's for another day.

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Los Angeles Kings; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Colorado Avalanche; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Philadelphia Flyers; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Arizona Coyotes

BRIAN COMPTON

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Los Angeles Kings; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. New Jersey Devils

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Los Angeles Kings; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vancouver Canucks; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Nashville Predators

TOM GULITTI

1. New York Rangers; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Los Angeles Kings; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Nashville Predators

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Toronto Maple Leafs; 6. Los Angeles Kings; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Washington Capitals

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. New York Rangers; 2. Los Angeles Kings; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Arizona Coyotes; 16. Tampa Bay Lightning

TRACEY MYERS

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Vancouver Canucks; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Philadelphia Flyers; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Washington Capitals

BILL PRICE

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Los Angeles Kings; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Philadelphia Flyers; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Arizona Coyotes

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Vancouver Canucks; 2. Los Angeles Kings; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Nashville Predators; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Minnesota Wild

DAN ROSEN

1. New York Rangers; 2. Vancouver Canucks; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Los Angeles Kings; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Dallas Stars; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Nashville Predators; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Carolina Hurricanes; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. Arizona Coyotes

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Vancouver Canucks; 4. Los Angeles Kings; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Philadelphia Flyers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Colorado Avalanche; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Nashville Predators; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Carolina Hurricanes; 16. Washington Capitals

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Los Angeles Kings; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Nashville Predators; 16. Washington Capitals

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Vancouver Canucks; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Los Angeles Kings; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Philadelphia Flyers; 11. New York Islanders; 12. Florida Panthers; 13. Carolina Hurricanes; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. Arizona Coyotes