Super 16: Rangers take top spot; Kings, Avalanche on rise

It's Trophy Tracker week here at NHL.com to signify the best individual performances at the quarter mark of the season.

You've already read why the staff here thinks Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks is the favorite for Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks is the leading candidate for the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year, Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers is a notch above the rest for the Hart Trophy as most valuable player, and Thatcher Demko of the Canucks is the top goalie so far in the race for the Vezina Trophy.

There is no trophy for unsung hero, but there would be a lot of candidates if it did exist. And a lot of the teams in the weekly Super 16 power rankings wouldn't be there without their top unsung players.

Below you'll see the Rangers are up two spots to No. 1 this week, the Los Angeles Kings are up three spots to No. 2, the Boston Bruins are down two spots to No. 3, and the Colorado Avalanche are up four spots to No. 4. You'll see the Nashville Predators are in at No. 16 and that 21 teams received at least one voting point.

But you'll also read about the unsung hero of each team and why that player is deserving of some credit for having his team ranked at all.

Read on for more, but 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 Super 16.

1. New York Rangers (16-4-1)

Total points: 198

Last week: No. 3

"Jonathan Quick spent the first quarter of the season proving he still has a lot of life left in his pads. Quick has delivered big performances in a backup role to keep the Rangers rolling, including three starts in a four-game stretch in early November when No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin was dealing with a minor injury. Quick is 6-0-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and two shutouts in eight games, including seven starts. Both of his shutouts have come on the road; he made 29 saves in a 3-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 26 and 32 saves to make a 1-0 lead hold up against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 22. Shesterkin has been solid, and Louis Domingue even came in and won a game, but Quick's ability to deliver when his name is called is among the biggest reasons why the Rangers are in first place in the Metropolitan Division and good enough to be ranked first this week." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

2. Los Angeles Kings (13-4-3)

Total points: 186

Last week: No. 5

"The Kings have been clicking on all cylinders, ranking first in goals against (2.35 per game) and penalty-killing percentage (89.4 percent), and second in goals for (3.85). One player who isn't being talked about but should is fourth-line forward Carl Grundstrom. He’s played the fewest minutes of any regular on the team (averaging 11:10 per game) but ranks fourth with seven goals in 20 games. He also is one of only 22 players who have scored a power-play and short-handed goal this season. Grundstrom is on pace to shatter his NHL career highs in goals (12) and points (19), each set last season." -- David Satriano, staff writer

3. Boston Bruins (14-4-3)

Total points: 178

Last week: No. 1

"When the Bruins signed James van Riemsdyk on July 1, it didn't exactly make headlines. But the veteran has fit perfectly with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 20 games on what has become the Bruins' most steady line, alongside Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. Van Riemsdyk, the Bruins' fifth-leading scorer, was coming off a season in which he had 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 61 games for the Philadelphia Flyers. There seems to be no question that he will surpass that this season." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

4. Colorado Avalanche (15-6-0)

Total points: 176

Last week: No. 8

"Every defenseman gets lost in the supernova that is Cale Makar. But where would the Avalanche be with Devon Toews, who rarely gets the praise he deserves while riding shotgun with Makar? I'll tell you where they wouldn't be: fighting for first place in the NHL standings. Toews plays 23:30 per game, 45 seconds fewer than Makar. He has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 21 games and is plus-13. When he’s been on the ice, the Avalanche have owned 54.2 percent of the shot attempts. Most importantly, his responsible game allows Makar to take the type of chances and make the dizzying dashes of derring-do that make him the superstar he is." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

5. Vegas Golden Knights (14-5-4)

Total points: 163

Last week: No. 2

"He's rarely talked about, but Brayden McNabb deserves a lot of praise for everything he brings to the Golden Knights. The veteran defenseman is averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game, including more than three minutes on a penalty kill that is ranked among the best in the NHL. He's 32 and playing his 10th full season in the League, but McNabb seems to still have plenty of miles to go on that engine." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

6. Dallas Stars (13-5-2)

Total points: 145

Last week: No. 4

"The Stars were looking to increase their depth at center, and they did that when they signed Matt Duchene. He was coming off a tough season with 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games for the Nashville Predators, who bought out the final three years of his contract June 30. The 32-year-old came into Dallas with something to prove and he’s given the Stars scoring punch with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 19 games. He's a steady presence at third-line center and another player who is strong on face-offs." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

7. Vancouver Canucks (15-7-1)

Total points: 132

Last week: No. 6

"Quinn Hughes garners most of the headlines, so the contribution of fellow top-four defenseman Filip Hronek may not be as noticeable. Hronek is having a career season offensively with 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 23 games. His NHL career high is 39 points with the Detroit Red Wings and Canucks last season. He had 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 60 games before being traded to Vancouver on March 1. Hronek had one assist in four games with Vancouver before a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely. His contribution from the blue line this season has taken pressure off Hughes to be Vancouver's only offensive defenseman. Hronek has also been solid in his own end with a plus-14 rating." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

8. Florida Panthers (13-7-2)

Total points: 113

Last week: No. 7

"Anton Lundell won't get the attention some of his Panthers teammates will, but that doesn't make his role in their success any less important. Lundell generally slots in as the third-line center and is used to check the opposition's best players. But when top-line center Aleksander Barkov missed two games this month because of a knee injury, Lundell immediately moved into his spot, and the Panthers didn't miss a beat. Lundell impacts all phases of Florida's game, playing on the power play and penalty kill. He's won 51.8 percent of his face-offs, including 55.1 percent in the defensive zone. Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky are the first names that come to mind when you talk about the Panthers, but Lundell's role shouldn't be overlooked." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (11-6-3)

Total points: 96

Last week: No. 9

"The Maple Leafs haven't come out and publicly declared who their No. 1 goalie is, but rookie Joseph Woll seems to have made that decision for them, at least for now. With Ilya Samsonov having struggled to find consistency, Woll quietly has become Toronto's unsung hero. After starting the season a moribund 3-3-0 including a couple of starts in which he allowed a handful of weak goals, the 25-year-old has gone 4-2-0 in his past six games and whittled down his season numbers to a 2.74 GAA and .916 save percentage, respectable stats in a season when League-wide scoring is high. The Maple Leafs haven't given up on Samsonov by any means, but the net seems to deservedly belong to Woll for the time being." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

10. Carolina Hurricanes (13-8-0)

Total points: 92

Last week: No. 12

"Stefan Noesen not only provides secondary scoring as a depth forward but also is a solid physical presence each shift for coach Rod Brind'Amour. After scoring an NHL career-high 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 78 games last season, the forward has picked up where he left off in a bottom-six role for the Hurricanes this season; he's one of seven forwards on the team with five or more goals. He has 11 points (five goals, six assists) and has also chipped in on the second power-play unit while averaging 11:32 of ice time in 21 games. Carolina has controlled 61.1 percent of shots attempted with Noesen on the ice." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

11. Winnipeg Jets (12-7-2)

Total points: 73

Last week: No. 10

"Offensively, the Jets are doing it by committee, but the one guy pulling much more than his weight has been Cole Perfetti. The 21-year-old forward, playing on the second line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers, has 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 21 games and has significantly outscored both his linemates (11 points each). He is benefiting from the strong mentorship of Mark Scheifele, his childhood role model, who appreciates Perfetti's inquisitive hockey-nerd nature and admittedly sees a lot of himself in his young teammate. Perfetti probably won't stay in his unsung role for much longer." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

12. Detroit Red Wings (11-7-3)

Total points: 71

Last week: No. 16

"The Red Wings were looking for offense after finishing 24th in goals (237) last season. We all know about the addition of forward Alex DeBrincat in the offseason. But how about the addition of defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere? The 30-year-old has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 20 games; only center Dylan Larkin (21 points; eight goals, 13 assists) and DeBrincat (20 points; 12 goals, eight assists) has more for Detroit. Gostisbehere has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) on the power play, second to Larkin's 13 (four goals, nine assists)." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (10-8-5)

Total points: 32

Last week: No. 13

"Erik Cernak arguably has been the Lightning's top unsung player for a long time. Things are no different this season for the underrated and unheralded defenseman. Cernak (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) is again using his big body to play a physical, grinding game. Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev draw the honors as the Lightning's top defensemen, but Cernak is right behind them, averaging 19:17 of ice time. He leads Tampa Bay defensemen with 47 hits. His 30 blocks are second to Sergachev's 40. The Lightning have been up and down this season, but the more Cernak hits, the less they miss." -- Rosen

14. Washington Capitals (11-6-2)

Total points: 30

Last week: No. 11

"Rasmus Sandin's improved defensive play has made him an unsung part of the Capitals' success this season. The 23-year-old defenseman impressed with his offensive skills after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, putting up 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 19 games after joining Washington. But he struggled at times defensively in his increased role following the trade and was minus-7. Sandin hasn't been as productive offensively this season, with four assists in 19 games, but he has been much more reliable defensively (plus-2). Sandin also was valuable in carrying more of the load when defensemen Trevor van Riemsdyk, Martin Fehervary and Joel Edmundson missed time with injuries." -- Tom Gulitti, Staff Writer

15. New Jersey Devils (10-9-1)

Total points: 29

Last week: No. 15

"There's no denying the heart and determination of Brendan Smith, who this season has become a fan favorite as the Devils continue to push through their schedule minus some key injured players. Smith is officially listed as a defenseman, but he's been called upon to play fourth-line left wing in consecutive games in the absence of forwards Timo Meier (lower body), Erik Haula (lower body) and Tomas Nosek (upper body), forming a checking line with center Chris Tierney and Nathan Bastian. New Jersey forward Curtis Lazar said, ‘We don't know if he should be a forward, a defenseman or what, but he goes back to the bench, sits right in the middle and then we call on him for either the back end or up front, and he answers the bell.’ Smith has two assists in 20 games but ranks fourth on the Devils in hits (34) and sixth in blocked shots (16), and is third among defensemen in takeaways (seven) while averaging 14:37 of ice time. As Devils center Jack Hughes said, ‘He’s a beast.’” -- Morreale

16. Nashville Predators (11-10-0)

Total points: 24

Last week: Unranked

"Yakov Trenin played in 14 of Nashville's first 15 games and did not have a point. The Predators were 5-10-0 overall, 5-9-0 with Trenin in the lineup. In six games since then, the forward has five points (four goals, one assist), including a game-winning goal, and has averaged 17:18 of ice time compared to 15:12 prior to that. The Predators have won all six games. There are a lot of players playing well for Nashville in the past 12 days, but Trenin has jump-started the Predators in many ways. He scored the first goal in two of their six straight wins and gave them a 2-0 lead in another. Cole Smith, Colton Sissons and Alexandre Carrier could also be the Predators’ unsung hero at this point, and it's all based on the six-game winning streak that landed them in the Super 16 this week." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: St. Louis Blues 19, Philadelphia Flyers 5, Edmonton Oilers 4, Calgary Flames 1, New York Islanders 1

Dropped out from last week: Flyers (No. 14)

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 Colorado Avalanche against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; BSW, ALT, SN1).

The No. 4 Avalanche have won four in a row and seven of eight. The No. 2 Kings had won five in a row before losing 2-1 to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Colorado will be playing the second game of a back-to-back and its third game in four nights when it visits Los Angeles. The Kings won't play again until the Avalanche come into their building Sunday. This is a rematch of the season opener for both teams, a 5-2 Colorado win in Los Angeles on Oct. 11. -- Rosen

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED ’EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Los Angeles Kings; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Vancouver Canucks; 9. Carolina Hurricanes; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Detroit Red Wings; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. St. Louis Blues

BRIAN COMPTON

1. New York Rangers; 2. Los Angeles Kings; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Boston Bruins; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Detroit Red Wings; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. Nashville Predators; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Tampa Bay Lightning

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. New York Rangers; 2. Los Angeles Kings; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Detroit Red Wings; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. New Jersey Devils

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. New York Rangers; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Los Angeles Kings; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Detroit Red Wings; 16. Washington Capitals

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Los Angeles Kings; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Toronto Maple Leafs; 11. Carolina Hurricanes; 12. Detroit Red Wings; 13. Tampa Bay Lightning; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. St. Louis Blues

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

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

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. New York Rangers; 2. Los Angeles Kings; 3. Boston Bruins; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Vancouver Canucks; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Detroit Red Wings; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. Washington Capitals; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. New Jersey Devils

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. New York Rangers; 2. Boston Bruins; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Los Angeles Kings; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Detroit Red Wings; 13. Winnipeg Jets; 14. St. Louis Blues; 15. Washington Capitals; 16. New Jersey Devils