Super 16: McDavid’s return helps Oilers move up in power rankings

The season is more than a month old and we're starting to see the strengths and weaknesses of every team. They're becoming more evident with each game.

But we're positive here at the NHL.com Super 16 power rankings, so we're going to focus on the good, as in the best thing going at the moment for each team ranked this week.

It could be a player or players. It could be special teams or a goalie. It could be depth. In the case of the No. 1 Winnipeg Jets, it could be everything.

Read below to find out who is ranked where and why, because the best thing going for them has to be a big reason for it.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 14 voters this week 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 “best” edition of the Super 16:

1. Winnipeg Jets (15-1-0)

Total points: 223
Last week: No. 1

"Best thing going right now for the Jets? Um, everything. They are the fastest team to 15 wins in a season in NHL history. They've won seven in a row. They lead the NHL in goals per game (4.56), goals against per game (2.13) and power play (42.2 percent) not to mention wins and points. But the best thing going for the Jets on the whole is their depth, which is the biggest reason for their historically good start. All four lines and three defense pairs fit with players slotted correctly. They have 11 players with 10 or more points. Their defensemen have produced 52 points, the most in the NHL by a defense group. As good as goalie Connor Hellebuyck is and has been, and he's been the best in the NHL this season, the Jets are not relying only on him for their success. It's about depth and it's destroying the rest of the NHL." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

2. Carolina Hurricanes (11-4-0)

Total points: 204
Last week: No. 3

"Martin Necas has been viewed as a supremely skilled player with the puck on his stick since he became a full-time NHL player in 2019-20, but this season he's raised his level to rank among the best players in the League. His 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 15 games lead the Hurricanes and are tied for third in the NHL. His 15 even-strength points lead Carolina, and his five even-strength goals are tied with Jordan Martinook for second behind Jack Roslovic (nine). But Necas also has been reliable defensively, with his six takeaways second among Hurricanes forwards to Seth Jarvis (seven), and he has a plus-8 even-strength goal differential, up from a minus-6 last season. His average of 1.67 points per game likely isn't sustainable for 82 games, but reaching 100 points for the first time in the NHL feels reasonable for a player just hitting his prime at age 25." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

3. Florida Panthers (11-4-1)

Total points: 199
Last week: No. 2

"Yes, the Panthers (.719 points percentage) lost Tuesday to the New Jersey Devils, but they remain one of five teams playing at a better than .700 clip. When you do that, most everything is going right. Florida wins with tenacity and fundamentals mixed liberally with skill up and down its roster. That is most evident on the penalty kill, which kills 87 percent of its chances. Throw in a League-high four short-handed goals and the Panthers have the most dangerous PK in the NHL, a testament to their philosophy and DNA." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

4. Minnesota Wild (10-2-3)

Total points: 176
Last week: No. 5

"We can talk all we want about the Wild's impressive 7-1-2 road record or about Matt Boldy blossoming into an NHL star, but who are we kidding? This team has Kirill Kaprizov's name written all over it, and he has been playing out of his mind. With 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists) in 15 games, the 27-year-old winger is going toe-to-toe with Nathan MacKinnon for the League scoring lead. Kaprizov has 10 more assists than the next closest teammate and his plus-14 is tied for the League lead. At this time last season, he had 15 points and was minus-11. Even stopping the puck with his upper lip last week and losing a tooth in the process didn't slow Kaprizov down. All stitched up and likely in considerable pain, he had back-to-back three-point road games at San Jose and Anaheim. If I had to vote today, Kaprizov would be my no-brainer Hart Trophy candidate as NHL MVP." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

5. New York Rangers (9-4-1)

Total points: 146
Last week: No. 4

"There's no debate the best thing going for the Rangers right now is their goaltending. Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick have been outstanding and unquestionably the biggest reason they are 9-4-1. Shesterkin has faced an average of 31.2 shots per game and is 6-4-1 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. Quick is proving to be the most reliable backup in the NHL, going 3-0-0 with a 1.17 GAA and .964 save percentage, including a 37-save shutout against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

6. Vegas Golden Knights (10-4-2)

Total points: 139
Last week: No. 6

"The Golden Knights are one of the best offensive teams in the NHL, tied with the Washington Capitals for second in goals per game (4.13) and second on the power play (32.5 percent). Jack Eichel is tied for third in the League with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 16 games, and Mark Stone is tied for 13th with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 13 games. Vegas has scoring depth too: 18 players with a goal, 11 with three or more." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

7. Washington Capitals (10-4-1)

Total points: 136
Last week: No. 8

"A lot has been going well for the Capitals, but I'll pick Dylan Strome's play as the best among them. The center has 18 assists in 15 games, including assists on all of Alex Ovechkin's 10 goals. Strome has emerged as the playmaking center Ovechkin needed to help him get to the NHL all-time goals record after Nicklas Backstrom's nagging hip injury forced him to stop playing and Evgeny Kuznetsov was traded last season. Ovechkin needs 32 goals to break Wayne Gretzky's record of 894." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

8. Dallas Stars (9-5-0)

Total points: 127
Last week: No. 7

"In my opinion, the best thing going for the Stars right now is Matt Duchene. It's his second season with the Stars and the veteran center has rediscovered his scoring touch, leading Dallas with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 14 games. Fifteen of those points (seven goals, eight assists) have come over his past nine games. Two seasons ago, the 33-year-old had the remainder of his contract bought out by the Nashville Predators. Now Duchene, who is usually playing on the second line with left wing Mason Marchment and right wing Tyler Seguin, is averaging 1.29 points per game. Pretty, pretty, pretty good." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

9. New Jersey Devils (11-6-2)

Total points: 125
Last week: No. 10

"New Jersey's specialty teams have played a key role in the promising start to the season, particularly the power play, which ranks fifth in the League with a 27.8 percent efficiency. Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Stefan Noesen, and Dougie Hamilton have been manning the top unit and have combined for 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 19 games. The penalty kill ranks eighth (84.0 percent) and has been fueled by Hischier, Dawson Mercer, Jonas Siegenthaler and Johnathan Kovacevic. Coach Sheldon Keefe has also utilized Bratt and Jack Hughes on the penalty kill with encouraging results." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

10. Vancouver Canucks (8-3-3)

Total points: 112
Last week: No. 11

"The best thing going for the Canucks is Quinn Hughes. He's the captain, but also the heart and soul of this team. Hughes, a defenseman, is at the top of the scoring leaderboard for the Canucks with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists). He's also playing close to 25 minutes per game. After Hughes, the next best thing going for Vancouver is its road record this season (6-1-0)." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

11. Los Angeles Kings (9-6-3)

Total points: 83
Last week: No. 9

"I think you have to be impressed with the responsibility Vladislav Gavrikov has taken on in his second full season with the Kings. The defenseman leads them in rating (plus-11) and, more importantly, time on ice per game (23:30), usually reserved for Drew Doughty, who is month to month with a fractured ankle. Gavrikov isn't Doughty -- few, if any are, let's be honest -- but he's helped keep Los Angeles near or at the top of the Pacific Division while its future Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman continues to heal." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

12. Toronto Maple Leafs (10-6-2)

Total points: 75
Last week: No. 12

"The Maple Leafs are 12th in terms of fewest goals allowed (47). Yes, you heard that right: Toronto has entered the upper tier of stingiest defensive teams in the NHL. Known in the past for a wide-open style that proved to be electric in regular seasons and unsuccessful in Stanley Cup Playoffs, they're starting to overcome growing pains and buy into coach Craig Berube's north-south, keep-it-simple approach. They still have nights where they revert to bad habits, often with sloppy play in their own zone. But at least there are signs that things are tightening up, thanks in part to offseason additions like goalie Anthony Stolarz, and defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

13. Edmonton Oilers (8-7-1)

Total points: 36
Last week: No. 15

"The Oilers are driven by the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and they are once again leading the way. The two are the best thing going for Edmonton this season. After a sluggish start, Draisaitl is heating up with six goals in his past six games. His two goals, including the winner in a 4-3 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on Tuesday gave him 12 on the season, lifting him into a tie for the most goals this season along with Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens and Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. McDavid has seven points in his past two games. He had a goal and three assists in the win against the Islanders, getting him to within a point of 1,000 for his career. He also had a goal and two assists in a 7-3 win at Vancouver on Sunday. As McDavid and Draisaitl go, so do the Oilers, who have won six of their past nine games and are making their way up the Pacific Division." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

14. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-6-1)

Total points: 35
Last week: No. 13

"While it would be easy to say that Nikita Kucherov and his 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists), good for seventh in the NHL, are the best thing going for the Lightning, I'm sticking instead with Andrei Vasilevskiy. Though the goalie has struggled on the road, his ability to bounce back from last season was of paramount importance to the Lightning, crucial to them getting into the playoffs and potentially succeeding once there. It hasn't been perfect, but Vasilevskiy has a .910 save percentage and a 2.43 GAA, far better than last season (2.90, .900). And that's the best news the Lightning could get." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

15. Colorado Avalanche (9-8-0)

Total points: 29
Last week: NR

"The best thing going for the Avalanche is obvious -- it's their ability to score, which better be good because their ability to defend and keep the puck out of the net hasn't been this season. Colorado is averaging 3.47 goals per game, tied with New Jersey for ninth in the NHL. The Avalanche are allowing 3.71, which is 30th in the League, better than only the Pittsburgh Penguins (3.83) and Montreal Canadiens (4.13). If they were struggling offensively, they'd be nowhere near the Super 16." -- Rosen

16. Calgary Flames (8-6-3)

Total points: 27
Last week: No. 14

"Goaltending was a question for the Flames heading into the season after Jacob Markstrom was traded to the Devils, but Dustin Wolf is providing answers. The goalie is a reason Calgary is staying competitive in what general manager Craig Conroy described as a 'retooling' phase. Wolf was outstanding in a 3-1 win against the Kings on Monday, making 28 saves. He is 5-2-1 in eight starts with a .913 save percentage. Wolf could be the best thing going for the Flames with defenseman Rasmus Andersson cooling off after a hot start and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri still trying to gain traction. Wolf was the best goalie in the American Hockey League for two seasons before making the jump to the NHL. Wolf has been sharing the net with Dan Vladar this season, but if he continues to play well he could earn the bulk of the starts going forward." -- Van Diest

Others receiving points: Boston Bruins 16, Ottawa Senators 16

Dropped out from last week: St. Louis Blues (No. 16)

Enterprise Team of the Week: It's the Jets. It has to be the Jets. How could it not be the Jets? They've won seven in a row, including three straight since last week's Super 16, all against teams ranked this week; 1-0 against the No. 15 Avalanche, 4-1 against the No. 8 Stars and 6-3 against the No. 5 Rangers. Their run of games against teams ranked in the Super 16 continues Thursday, when they're at No. 14 Tampa Bay. Then they have two straight games against the No. 3 Panthers; at Florida on Saturday and home on Tuesday. Yeah, it's the Jets. -- Rosen

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED ’EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

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

BILL PRICE

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

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