Super 16: Stars, Panthers move up Super 16 ahead of Global Series Finland

The Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are headlining the NHL's voyage to Finland this week.

The Stars and Panthers will play the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal with games at Nokia Arena in Tampere on Friday (2 p.m. ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN) and Saturday (Noon ET; Victory+, SCRIPPS, NHLN, SN1).

The Stars, No. 2 in the Super 16 this week, have three Finnish players: defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, and forward Roope Hintz. The Panthers, No. 4, have four: forwards Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, and defenseman Niko Mikkola.

Between the Stars and Panthers, there are 18 European players who could play in the Global Series games.

Needless to say, the NHL is big in Finland, all over Europe, so this week in the Super 16 we decided to highlight that as a way to celebrate the Global Series.

The question answered by the writers and editors who participate in the weekly Super 16 was simple:

Who is the best European player on the team you have been assigned to write about?

Listed below are the 16 answers, with the rankings this week too, showcasing the Winnipeg Jets as the new No. 1, the Vegas Golden Knights moving up four spots to No. 3, the Panthers up two spots to No. 4 and the Carolina Hurricanes up eight spots to No. 7.

Finland, Sweden, Czechia, Russia, Slovenia, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany are all represented in the sampling of top European players below.

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 European edition of the Super 16:

1. Winnipeg Jets (9-1-0)

Total points: 225
Last week: No. 2

"With forwards Nino Niederreiter and Nikolaj Ehlers being the two most prominent Europeans on the Jets, the choice comes down to the 32-year-old Swiss or the 28-year-old Dane. I think it's a close call and a matter of personal appreciation for the type of hockey each of them plays. Ehlers, from Aalborg, Denmark, brings elite-level speed and puck-handling ability. Niederreiter, a native of Chur, Switzerland, has a great hockey IQ and effectiveness in front of the net. Both have produced seven seasons of at least 20 goals, although Neiderreiter's were with his previous teams. I'll give my vote to Ehlers not only because he is still in his prime and scoring at a slightly higher rate, but for his flashiness and creativity." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

2. Dallas Stars (7-2-0)

Total points: 219
Last week: No. 3

"The best European player on this team is from Finland. That's easy. Which of the three Finns? That's harder. A case can be made for Heiskanen, Hintz or Lindell. They will not only play for Team Finland in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, but each will be a major contributor. Force me to pick? I'm going with Hintz because he is a gamebreaker. Last season, the 27-year-old center was tied for third on the Stars with 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 80 games. He is playing even better this season with eight points (four goals, four assists) in nine games and could surpass his NHL career-best of 75 points (37 goals, 38 assists) set two seasons ago. He impacts the game all over the ice and is entering his prime." --Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

3. Vegas Golden Knights (7-3-1)

Total points: 197
Last week: No. 7

"Tomas Hertl looks like himself again with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 11 games. The 30-year-old center from Prague was recovering from knee surgery when he was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on March 8. He had four points (two goals, two assists) in six games down the stretch and one goal in seven games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. That helped him get to know Vegas, and the offseason helped him recover. That's benefitting him now. If Hertl can play like he did for the Sharks for 11 seasons, he will be the Golden Knights' best European player, strengthen them down the middle and help them remain Stanley Cup contenders." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

4. Florida Panthers (7-3-1)

Total points: 190
Last week: No. 6

"All due respect to others on the Panthers, but Barkov is their best European player. I mean, the play and the stats speak for themselves, right? The 29-year-old from Tampere, who will be the center of attention in his homeland at the Global Series this week, has been the driving force for the Panthers throughout his career. The reigning winner of the Selke Trophy voted as the League's best defensive forward missed eight games with a lower-body injury, then had a goal and an assist in his return, a 5-2 Florida win against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Barkov is back, and the Panthers are that much better for it." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

5. New York Rangers (6-2-1)

Total points: 181
Last week: No. 1

"Tough call here between Artemi Panarin (Russia), Igor Shesterkin (Russia) and Mika Zibanejad (Sweden). Wait, actually, no, it's not that tough. It's Shesterkin. Zibanejad is arguably a top 20 center in the NHL. Panarin is arguably a top five forward, but Shesterkin is arguably the best goalie in the League and his importance to the Rangers supersedes that of Panarin and Zibanejad. Panarin and Zibanejad are gamebreakers. Shesterkin is a gamechanger and, on a regular basis for the Rangers, a game saver. They rely on him because they know how good he is. The Rangers don't want to give up chances or lose the possession battle, but they don't necessarily worry about it because they know he will bail them out, as he does often. He's their best player overall, which means he has to be their best European player." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

6. Minnesota Wild (6-1-2)

Total points: 168
Last week: No. 4

"Kirill Kaprizov isn't just the best European player on the Wild, he might be the best in the NHL right now. The Russian forward is second in the NHL in scoring with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in nine games. He has six straight multipoint games and an NHL-high seven on the season. He's also averaging 22:49 of ice time, his highest in five NHL seasons. Kaprizov has managed to take his game to another level, which is saying something considering he's scored at least 40 goals in three straight seasons, but he and coach John Hynes have developed a good chemistry going back to last season. That's why in September, when the NHL.com staff made some way-too-early Hart Trophy predictions, I gave my vote to Kaprizov. I won't say I expected this kind of start to his season, but I think what he's doing now is sustainable." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

7. Carolina Hurricanes (6-2-0)

Total points: 156
Last week: No. 15

"Sebastian Aho would seem to be the obvious pick here, but I'm going with Martin Necas, who is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the entire NHL. The 25-year-old from Nove Mesto na Morave, Czechia, leads Carolina with 11 points and his four goals are tied for the team lead with United States-born defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and forward Jack Roslovic. He also leads Carolina in shooting percentage (25.0 percent) and is fourth among forwards in time on ice per game (17:47). He has points in six of Carolina's eight games, including points (three goals, five assists) in each of its four straight wins. Again, Aho gets the headlines and the spotlight when it comes to European players on the Hurricanes, and deservedly so, but don't forget about Necas." -- Bill Price, VP, Editor-in-Chief

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-3-0)

Total points: 126
Last week: No. 9

"Who is the best European player on the Lightning? It's not an easy call. It's like asking a kid to pick his favorite Christmas gift. You have Andrei Vasilevskiy, a winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie, and Victor Hedman, a Norris Trophy winner as the League's best defenseman, but the logical answer is Nikita Kucherov. The right wing is a dynamo offensively with four seasons of at least 100 points. Kucherov had 144 points last season and 113 in 2022-23. He's one of the most dangerous players on the power play, has a great vision, a great shot and a ton of skills." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

9. Washington Capitals (6-2-0)

Total points: 113
Last week: No. 10

"This one remains easy. Alex Ovechkin is among the best European players to ever play in the NHL. The 39-year-old is the leading goal-scorer in NHL history among European players with 857. And after scoring two more against the Rangers on Wednesday, Ovechkin is 38 away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky's NHL record (894) for the most by any player. Ovechkin is also second in NHL history among European players with 1,557 points, behind only Jaromir Jagr (1,921)." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

10. New Jersey Devils (7-4-2)

Total points: 105
Last week: No. 8

"Nico Hischier is the easy choice for top European-born player making a difference for the Devils. It's hard to believe the 25-year-old forward from Brig, Switzerland, is already in his eighth NHL season and fifth as captain. Chosen No. 1 in the 2017 NHL Draft, Hischier moved into the NHL lead with 10 goals after scoring in Wednesday's 6-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks and leads New Jersey with a 54.6 percent efficiency on face-offs (177-for-324). He is the second skater in Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts history to at least share the NHL lead outright in goals (minimum five goals) after Paul Gardner (Nov. 2-9, 1977; Rockies)." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

11. Vancouver Canucks (4-2-3)

Total points: 101
Last week: No. 12

"There are surprisingly few European players on the Canucks roster, which is what makes this so easy. It's Elias Pettersson, the native of Sundsvall, Sweden. It hasn't been the start to the season that either Pettersson or the Canucks would like, but the forward's talent is undeniable. He has four points (one goal, three assists) in nine games entering after scoring 89 points last season and 102 in 2022-23. He can make plays and score goals, and there's hope that the slow start will be just a memory as the season picks up." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

12. Toronto Maple Leafs (5-4-1)

Total points: 66
Last week: No. 11

"William Nylander was one of the first six players named to Sweden for the 4 Nations Face-Off and it's easy to see why. The 28-year-old has blossomed in this, the prime of his career, with 195 points (86 goals, 109 assists) in 174 games since the beginning of the 2022-23 season. His talents were on display in Toronto's 6-4 victory against Winnipeg on Monday with a dominant three-point performance (one goal, two assists). In the end, the newly formed Nylander-John Tavares-Max Pacioretty line combined for nine points (four goals, five assists) to end the Jets' season-opening eight-game winning streak. In the process his ability to play with flair means he's always capable of producing one of his trademark 'Wow' moments." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

13. Calgary Flames (5-4-1)

Total points: 57
Last week: No. 5

"Rasmus Andersson is off to an excellent start this season, which coincided in Calgary winning four of its first five games (4-0-1). The defenseman, a native of Malmo, Sweden, is in his seventh full season with the Flames. He leads them with 10 points (four goals, six assists) after 10 games. Andersson is one of nine European players on Calgary's roster and one of best offensively. Selected by the Flames in the second round (No. 53) of the 2015 NHL Draft, the 28-year-old has developed into an effective offensive defenseman. Andersson had 39 points (nine goals, 30 assists) in 78 games last season. His best offensive season was 2021-22 with 50 points (four goals, 46 assists) in 82 games and he's well on pace to surpass that total this season." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

14. Los Angeles Kings (6-3-2)

Total points: 50
Last week: NR

"Anze Kopitar may be one of the most underrated players in the game. He is the Kings' all-time leader in games (1,384) and assists (800), second in points (1,223) and fourth in goals (423). Kopitar, who is from Slovenia, is in his 19th season with the Kings and has won the Stanley Cup twice. He's also one of the best defensive forwards in the game, having won the Selke Trophy twice and being a finalist four times and a top five finisher seven times. The 37-year-old also leads the Kings in points this season (12; four goals, eight assists)." -- David Satriano, staff writer

15. Colorado Avalanche (5-6-0)

Total points: 38
Last week: NR

"No contest here. Mikko Rantanen, a native of Nousiainen, Finland, is arguably one of the best players in the NHL. The forward, who turned 28 on Tuesday, has 632 points (266 goals, 366 assists) in 581 games, including 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 11 games this season. He finished second on Colorado last season with 104 points (42 goals, 62 assists) in 80 games and helped it win the Stanley Cup in 2022, when he had 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 20 playoff games. A five-time 30-goal scorer, Rantanen is the total package with a lot left in the tank." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

16. Ottawa Senators (5-4-0)

Total points: 16
Last week: No. 14

"Tim Stutzleis no longer becoming one of the top players in the NHL. He's there. Now he just needs to stay there. Stutzle, who is from Viersen, Germany, leads the Senators with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in nine games. He has points in five straight games and eight of nine this season. Stutzle elevated himself to top-tier status in 2022-23, when he had 90 points (39 goals, 51 assists) in 78 games. He took a small step backward last season, dropping to 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) in 75 games, but a little bit of inconsistency is to be expected from a player in his early 20s. The 22-year-old is back to being a dominant, game-changing forward for the Senators. He is living up to the potential he came into the NHL with as the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: Boston Bruins 9, Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Edmonton Oilers 6, Seattle Kraken 4, Nashville Predators 4, St. Louis Blues 2

Dropped out from last week: Utah Hockey Club (No. 13), Bruins (No. 16)

Enterprise Team of the Week: The Hurricanes pulled off one of the most impressive feats for an Eastern Conference team in the past week-plus: They went to Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest and swept a four-game road trip. It started with a 3-2 overtime win at the Oilers on Oct. 22, when they came back from down 2-0 on goals from Oilers center Connor McDavid and won on Aho's goal at 4:53 of overtime. Two nights later, still in Alberta on Oct. 24, they won 4-2 at the Flames, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and holding on. From there they went to Climate Pledge Arena to play the Kraken on Saturday, winning that game 4-1 and allowing only 19 shots on goal. Then, in Vancouver on Tuesday they defeated the Canucks 4-3 in overtime with Aho scoring his second OT winner of the trip. Carolina starts a four-game homestand against the Bruins at Lenovo Center on Friday. -- Rosen

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Dallas Stars; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Toronto Maple Leafs; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. Minnesota Wild; 12. Washington Capitals; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Edmonton Oilers

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Seattle Kraken

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Vancouver Canucks; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs

TOM GULITTI

1. Dallas Stars; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Columbus Blue Jackets

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Toronto Maple Leafs; 13. Colorado Avalanche; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Edmonton Oilers; 16. Los Angeles Kings

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Florida Panthers; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Minnesota Wild; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Vancouver Canucks; 12. Calgary Flames; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Washington Capitals; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Seattle Kraken

TRACEY MYERS

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Minnesota Wild; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Washington Capitals; 10. Carolina Hurricanes; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Vancouver Canucks; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Boston Bruins; 16. Seattle Kraken

BILL PRICE

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. New York Rangers; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Vancouver Canucks; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Colorado Avalanche; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Ottawa Senators

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

1. Vegas Golden Knights; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. New York Rangers; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. New Jersey Devils; 12. Colorado Avalanche; 13. Toronto Maple Leafs; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Ottawa Senators

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Minnesota Wild; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. New York Rangers; 7. Washington Capitals; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Vancouver Canucks; 11. Calgary Flames; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Toronto Maple Leafs; 16. Seattle Kraken

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. New York Rangers; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Minnesota Wild; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Vancouver Canucks; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. New Jersey Devils; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Calgary Flames; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Ottawa Senators