Welcome back to the Power Rankings, where we\u2019ve chosen to focus on the positive.<\/p>\n
This week, without much movement at the top and no preseason Cup contenders hitting the skids, we\u2019re picking one guy on each team that we like. No other prerequisites. Being good at hockey helps, but \u2026 eh. For the time being, that\u2019s secondary. There\u2019s more to life than spreadsheets and calculators and whatnot.<\/p>\n
Last week: 1
Sean\u2019s ranking: 1
Dom\u2019s ranking: 1<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a million different reasons to love David Pastrnak. He\u2019s on pace for his second straight 60-goal season, is putting up some Hart-worthy numbers, has some serious off-ice swag, and just a great all-around vibe. He\u2019s one of the best players in the league and of the coolest too.<\/p>\n
Our reason? His nickname is Pasta and we love pasta. Pasta should have a podcast where he goes to a pasta place with an opponent on the road and they just chat about life \u2014 call it Pasta Pals. We\u2019d listen.<\/p>\n
Last week: 2
Sean\u2019s ranking: 2
Dom\u2019s ranking: 3<\/p>\n
An easy way to rise up this particular set of rankings: Stepping up in tough spots. Brayden McNabb has played major minutes this season because of absences along the rest of Vegas\u2019 blue line, and he deserves some credit.<\/p>\n
Last week: 3
Sean\u2019s ranking: 3
Dom\u2019s ranking: 2<\/p>\n
Some of the reasons we like certain players are obvious: They\u2019re good at hockey and do cool stuff on the ice that makes you say \u201cWow!\u201d<\/p>\n
We like Mason Marchment because if there was ever a live action Super Mario movie, he would be the first choice to play Waluigi, objectively the best Mario character. The resemblance is uncanny.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Last week: 4
Sean\u2019s ranking: 6
Dom\u2019s ranking: 4<\/p>\n
It took longer than it should\u2019ve, but Adam Fox has finally parlayed his Norris-caliber play into free bagels. Because he likes them. Nothing more relatable than that.<\/p>\n
Last week: 7
Sean\u2019s ranking: 5
Dom\u2019s ranking: 5<\/p>\n
Jack Johnson is not only a Stanley Cup champion, he also created the hit song Banana Pancakes. There are a lot of champions around the league, but there isn\u2019t another hit songwriter.<\/p>\n
Last week: 5
Sean\u2019s ranking: 4
Dom\u2019s ranking: 8<\/p>\n
Quinn Hughes? Elias Pettersson? J.T. Miller? One of three co-leaders in points this season? Nah. Call us when they ever score a goal as nice as this one.<\/p>\n
Han g\u00f6r det igen!! Nils H\u00f6glander med ett nytt Zorro-m\u00e5l ????????#twittpuck #shl @rogle_bk pic.twitter.com\/PrVP7YhP1U<\/p>\n
\u2014 TV4 Hockey (@TV4_Hockey) October 29, 2019<\/p>\n
As long-time readers know, we hold a special fondness for The Michigan and anyone who pulls it off. We\u2019re still waiting patiently for Nils Hoglander to do it in the NHL, and when he does it\u2019s going to be electric.<\/p>\n
Last week: 6
Sean\u2019s ranking: 7
Dom\u2019s ranking: 6<\/p>\n
It\u2019s officially (and finally) fun to watch Quinton Byfield play in the NHL. He\u2019s racking up points (13 in 15 games) and playing on a play-driving first line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.<\/p>\n
Last week: 10
Sean\u2019s ranking: 8
Dom\u2019s ranking: 7<\/p>\n
For years, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been a go-to for anyone looking to make a joke about seemingly washed-up defensemen. In his first season with Florida, though, he\u2019s performing admirably in first-pair minutes while Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad recover from offseason surgeries. The Panthers might have sunk without him.<\/p>\n
Last week: 13
Sean\u2019s ranking: 9
Dom\u2019s ranking: 10<\/p>\n
We\u2019re big fans of any player with rocket skates, especially when it comes from a slightly unexpected source. Rasmus Kupari owning the league\u2019s fastest speed so far this season at 24 mph certainly qualifies.<\/p>\n
Last week: 9
Sean\u2019s ranking: 10
Dom\u2019s ranking: 9<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a pretty strong correlation between \u201cGuys We Like\u201d and \u201cGuys On First Name Basis.\u201d Sid. Connor. Auston. Tage. (Quinn!)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a universal sign of \u201cthis guy rules\u201d and it of course applies to Dougie. He\u2019s been his same ol\u2019 self this season: Five goals and 12 points in 15 games, amazing offense, questionable defense. The usual. Nothing less. Nothing more. You know what you get with Dougie and what you get is an elite defenseman, consistently one of the league\u2019s very best.<\/p>\n
Last week: 8
Sean\u2019s ranking: 11
Dom\u2019s ranking: 11<\/p>\n
Time to get scientific. Plenty of times this season, when we\u2019ve landed on a Hurricanes game, Stefan Noesen has done \u2026 something. On Wednesday, it was wiring one past Flyers goalie Carter Hart. Of course, that was the only goal Carolina scored in that game, which is part of the reason they slipped this week. Noesen is a versatile player, but he probably shouldn\u2019t be your sole source of offensive production.<\/p>\n
Last week: 11
Sean\u2019s ranking: 12
Dom\u2019s ranking: 12<\/p>\n
There might not be a player in the league right now with better vibes than William Nylander. He exists within his own aura of chilled cool, completely unfazed by anything around him. Whether it\u2019s looming contract talks, a swarm of defenders trying to take the puck off him, or your confused uncle still saying they need to trade him for a defenseman with some snarl \u2014 it all rolls off him. To the rest of the league, the Leafs as an entity can be pretty annoying. Nylander is the exception to the rule \u2014 he\u2019s impossible to hate.<\/p>\n
Also, make some time for Nylander\u2019s Swedish origin story\u00a0from Jonas Siegel, it\u2019s good stuff.<\/p>\n
Last week: 18
Sean\u2019s ranking: 13
Dom\u2019s ranking: 14<\/p>\n
Enjoyed this a few days ago from Josh Yohe. Lars Eller remains one of the most defensively reliable forwards in the league. There\u2019s always space for a fella like that.<\/p>\n
Last week: 12
Sean\u2019s ranking: 15
Dom\u2019s ranking: 13<\/p>\n
Stuart Skinner went out, had three solid games in a row and reminded everyone that the Oilers \u2014 if they get half-decent goaltending \u2014 should not be counted out, pathetic start be damned. And we appreciate that.<\/p>\n
Last week: 14
Sean\u2019s ranking: 14
Dom\u2019s ranking: 15<\/p>\n
Brandon Hagel (eight goals, eight assists) plays each game like a man determined to prove that his contract wasn\u2019t an overpay. Integrity matters.<\/p>\n
Last week: 16
Sean\u2019s ranking: 16
Dom\u2019s ranking: 16<\/p>\n
John Gibson (.927 save percentage, fifth in the NHL in GSAx) is finally playing up to his reputation. That\u2019s good for him, good for the Ducks and good for the trade market.<\/p>\n
Last week: 28
Sean\u2019s ranking: 18
Dom\u2019s ranking: 17<\/p>\n
Give it up for Dylan Strome, an early Cy Young candidate (seven goals, zero assists) who has felt underrated for a while now.<\/p>\n
Last week: 17
Sean\u2019s ranking: 17
Dom\u2019s ranking: 18<\/p>\n
Logan Cooley\u2019s name has the word \u201ccool\u201d in it, so he immediately gets points for that. We\u2019re still waiting for him to do anything nearly as cool as his goal down under, but it\u2019s certainly coming soon. His skill is on display every night.<\/p>\n
Last week: 15
Sean\u2019s ranking: 19
Dom\u2019s ranking: 20<\/p>\n
Alex DeBrincat has fit like a glove with Detroit. The Short King Wing started off red hot and looks in line for a huge season suiting up next to Dylan Larkin every night. We love when a guy finds his forever home, especially when it\u2019s a lil\u2019 guy who just fills the net.<\/p>\n
Last week: 20
Sean\u2019s ranking: 20
Dom\u2019s ranking: 19<\/p>\n
Filip Gustavsson (.872 save percentage, a league-worst minus-8.03 GSAx) is graciously giving everyone else in The Athletic NHL fantasy league a shot at beating Sean each week.<\/p>\n
Last week: 24
Sean\u2019s ranking: 22
Dom\u2019s ranking: 21<\/p>\n
There was something very endearing about this nugget on Jake Sanderson from Ian Mendes. He seems to be very serious about adopting the nickname \u201cSnake,\u201d given to him by assistant coach Jack Capuano \u2014 and also, somehow, made it well into his 20s without anyone ever calling him that.<\/p>\n
Last week: 22
Sean\u2019s ranking: 21
Dom\u2019s ranking: 24<\/p>\n
A huge chunk of the Blues\u2019 well-being hinges on Robert Thomas bouncing back from a weird post-extension season in 2022-23, and he\u2019s managed to do that thus far, partially because he\u2019s shooting the puck himself more frequently. He\u2019s one of the league\u2019s better playmakers, and averaging two extra shots per 60 won\u2019t hurt anyone.<\/p>\n
Last week: 19
Sean\u2019s ranking: 23
Dom\u2019s ranking: 23<\/p>\n
Tage? Tage.<\/p>\n
Last week: 29
Sean\u2019s ranking: 25
Dom\u2019s ranking: 22<\/p>\n
On a defense group that features Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, it takes a lot of gusto for your agent to say you\u2019re the best one on the team. It\u2019s an even spicier take when you\u2019re Nikita Zadorov: a career third-pair defenseman.<\/p>\n
We have nothing but respect for that kind of self-confidence. The way he\u2019s been unafraid to call out how pathetic the rest of his team has been most of the season has also been admirable.<\/p>\n
Last week: 25
Sean\u2019s ranking: 24
Dom\u2019s ranking: 26<\/p>\n
The Flyers have put together a surprisingly likable team this year so there are a lot of options. We can\u2019t resist a misfit toy putting it together on a new team though. Shoutout to Sean Walker who is crushing it in a top-four role after being a salary cap dump last summer. Walker has seven points in 16 games and a 59 percent expected goals rate. Good for him!<\/p>\n
Last week: 14
Sean\u2019s ranking: 26
Dom\u2019s ranking: 25<\/p>\n
Sebastian Aho soldiers on, despite never having a shot at being the best hockey player named \u201cSebastian Aho.\u201d Gutsy. Courageous.<\/p>\n
Last week: 21
Sean\u2019s ranking: 27
Dom\u2019s ranking: 27<\/p>\n
Brandon Tanev\u2019s commitment to the bit is unparalleled. In a league that takes itself too seriously, his annual Saw A Ghost headshot remains a national treasure.<\/p>\n
babes wake up, new turbo headshot just dropped pic.twitter.com\/kYSWXTzdZh<\/p>\n
\u2014 Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 20, 2023<\/p>\n
Last week: 23
Sean\u2019s ranking: 28
Dom\u2019s ranking: 29<\/p>\n
Goal Caufield is elite at scoring goals in general. Change the clocks to say \u201covertime,\u201d though, and he becomes Wayne Gretzky in his prime. Maybe better.<\/p>\n
Last week Caufield scored his seventh career overtime winner in just 136 games, smashing the previous record held by Frank Finnigan by 86 games. Any time you can obliterate a record held by a guy who sounds like he was born in the 19th century, you must be doing something right. Caufield is just automatic in the extra frame.<\/p>\n
Last week: 26
Sean\u2019s ranking: 30
Dom\u2019s ranking: 28<\/p>\n
An upper-body injury is going to cost Tommy Novak some time, but he still deserves a spot here. He didn\u2019t play an NHL game until he was 24, caught fire at the end of last season and was following it up.<\/p>\n
Last week: 30
Sean\u2019s ranking: 29
Dom\u2019s ranking: 31<\/p>\n
Nick Foligno \u2014 now there\u2019s a man who understands his job.<\/p>\n
Connor Bedard gets crushed by Dmitry Kulikov, and Nick Foligno was having absolutely none of it. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com\/Uxc3o4Tzh5<\/p>\n
\u2014 Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 12, 2023<\/p>\n
Last week: 27
Sean\u2019s ranking: 31
Dom\u2019s ranking: 30<\/p>\n
The American Dream? It\u2019s job security in a high-paying field regardless of performance. Jarmo Kekalainen is living the dream, baby! We salute you, Jarmo!<\/p>\n
(Adam Fantilli, who set a franchise record with 10 shots Thursday night, is nice too).<\/p>\n
Last week: 31
Sean\u2019s ranking: 32
Dom\u2019s ranking: 32<\/p>\n
The San Jose Sharks are a special group, but as long as Tomas Hertl is there this is an easy choice. One of the most fun-loving players in the league is unfortunately a man on his own island this year, but what he\u2019s doing despite the lack of help is extremely impressive. The Sharks may only have 21 goals this season (!), but Hertl somehow has a point on 11 of them. He\u2019s doing his part.<\/p>\n
(Photo: Lawrence Scott \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n