Super 16: Capitals rise to No. 1 in power rankings, Stars move up 6 spots ahead of 4 Nations

The 4 Nations Face-Off is no longer a tournament in the distance, something to talk about tomorrow. It will begin in less than four weeks. It's almost here.

It's time to start focusing on the 92 players who have been selected to participate in the tournament that will run Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston. How are they playing? Who is hot? Who is not? Is anyone battling an injury that could jeopardize his spot in the tournament?

That's the exercise in this edition of the Super 16 power rankings.

The rankings, as always, are based on how each NHL team is performing, but the performance of the teams ranked below, with one notable exception (the No. 1 team), is impacted greatly by the performance of the players who will be playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best hockey tournament since the World Cup of Hockey 2016.

So here are the players the Super 16 voting panel are watching in the run-up to the tournament opening with Team Canada playing Team Sweden at Bell Centre on Feb. 12 (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS) followed by Team United States against Team Finland on Feb. 13 (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS).

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 15 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 are the players we're looking forward to watching at the 4 Nations Face-Off edition of the Super 16:

1. Washington Capitals (29-10-5)

Total points: 229
Last week: No. 3

"The Capitals are the lone team without any players selected for the 4 Nations Face-Off, but they would have several candidates for injury replacements if any were needed. Logan Thompson, who is 19-2-3 with a 2.23 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and one shutout, could have easily been picked as one of Canada's three goalies. John Carlson, who has 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) in 44 games and leads Washington in average ice time (23:56), was similarly overlooked by the United States and could be one of the first calls if a defenseman is needed. Tom Wilson, a forward tied for fourth in the NHL with nine power-play goals and an effective penalty killer, would likely be on Canada's short list of potential replacements. Rasmus Sandin might be an option for Sweden if it needs a defenseman." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

2. Winnipeg Jets (30-12-3)

Total points: 224
Last week: No. 2

"The biggest advantage the United States has on the rest of the field for the 4 Nations Face-Off is its depth at goalie, and Connor Hellebuyck will be at the top of that depth chart. Hellebuyck was a unanimous choice by an NHL.com panel to win the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the League at the halfway mark of the season, just like he was at the first quarter. All Hellebuyck has done is lead the NHL in wins (27), shutouts (six), GAA (1.99; minimum 20 games), save percentage (.929; minimum 20 games) and games played (35)." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

3. Vegas Golden Knights (29-12-3)

Total points: 214
Last week: No. 1

"The Golden Knights have seven players going to 4 Nations: goalie Adin Hill, forward Mark Stone, and defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore will play for Canada; forward Jack Eichel and defenseman Noah Hanifin for the United States; and forward William Karlsson for Sweden. It's Hill who I have my eyes on. Canada's goalies are one of the top storylines (meaning questions) going into the tournament. Between Hill, Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues) and Sam Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens), Canada is going to need one of them to step up. There is no guarantee or lock. Hill wants to be that guy, but he must play like it leading up to the tournament. He has been the best of Canada's three goalies since the rosters were named Dec. 4, going 7-3-0 with a 2.31 GAA and .909 save percentage. That's good for Hill. Keep it up and he could be in net for the tournament opener." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

4. Dallas Stars (28-14-1)

Total points: 175
Last week: No. 10

"Four Stars players were chosen to represent their countries, forward Roope Hintz and defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell (Finland), and goalie Jake Oettinger (United States). I'm intrigued by Oettinger, who probably is an afterthought behind Hellebuyck in the Vezina race, but he's won six games in a row, and starting Hellebuyck may not be a slam dunk for the United States. Oettinger could get a start in the round-robin round, and who knows what could happen from there." -- David Satriano, staff writer

5. Edmonton Oilers (28-13-3)

Total points: 173
Last week: No. 6

"Mattias Ekholm is quietly having an outstanding season for the Oilers and expected to make a similar contribution on defense for Sweden at 4 Nations. Ekholm was acquired with a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Feb. 28, 2023, for defenseman Tyson Barrie, forward prospect Reid Schaefer and a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. It was one of the best trades in Oilers history because Ekholm is one of their top defensive defensemen who can generate offense from the back end. He is expected to take on a big role for Sweden, likely going up against opponents' top lines. He's on Edmonton's top pair with Evan Bouchard and has been credited with helping accelerate his partner's offensive development. Bouchard is somewhat overshadowed with the presence of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse, but his contribution is not overlooked by the Oilers and will undoubtably be appreciated by Sweden in the best-on-best tournament." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

6. Minnesota Wild (27-14-4)

Total points: 170
Last week: No. 4

"The Wild are sending four players to 4 Nations: Goalie Filip Gustavsson, defenseman Jonas Brodin and forward Joel Eriksson Ek representing Sweden, and forward Matt Boldy the United States. I am most curious to see Boldy, a 23-year-old who went on a tear to start the season with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in his first 20 games. He was outstanding at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in eight games for fifth-place United States. Like many young offensive talents, Boldy is a streaky scorer. I'm excited to see what he can do with world-class teammates and whether he can time his next hot streak for that short mid-February competition." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

7. New Jersey Devils (26-15-5)

Total points: 127
Last week: No. 9

"Four Devils will play at 4 Nations: forwards Jack Hughes (United States), Jesper Bratt (Sweden) and Erik Haula (Finland), and goalie Jacob Markstrom (Sweden). Of the group, I'm watching Markstrom closely and if the 34-year-old will ultimately earn the starter's role when the bigger games roll around. It'll likely come down to Markstrom and Filip Gustavsson of the Wild to get the lion's share. Since Sweden announced its roster Dec. 3, Markstrom is 9-2-3 with a 1.62 GAA, .924 save percentage and two shutouts in 14 games (all starts). Gustavsson, 26, is 7-5-0 with a 3.37 GAA, .895 save percentage and one shutout in 13 games entering Wednesday." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

8. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-16-2)

Total points: 125
Last week: No. 5

"Which version of Auston Matthews will we see when he puts on the red, white and blue of the United States at 4 Nations? Will the forward be the ailing warrior who missed part of the Maple Leafs' first half because of a nagging upper-body injury or the dynamic gamechanger who scored an NHL-leading 69 goals last season? Not only will it be one of the most intriguing storylines of the tournament, the potential of seeing Matthews at the top of his game under the international spotlight will be must-see TV." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

9. Los Angeles Kings (24-12-5)

Total points: 124
Last week: No. 7

"Adrian Kempe will deservedly represent Sweden at 4 Nations. He has become a 20-goal scorer for the fourth straight season and leads the Kings in goals (20) and plus/minus (plus-20) and is second in points (39) in 41 games. He is a huge reason why Los Angeles has been able to stay afloat without Drew Doughty, the pillar of its defense who has yet to play this season after breaking his left ankle in September. It will be fun to watch how Kempe fares in the upcoming best-on-best tournament." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

10. Florida Panthers (26-16-3)

Total points: 115
Last week: No. 11

"The assignment for this week is who to watch from each team in the Super 16 going to the 4 Nations Face-Off. Well, one third of Florida's roster is going, so that is a lot of options, but I have my eye on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who will also likely be the captain for Finland in as the country's most decorated active player. The Finns are underdogs and will need their best players to have superhuman efforts. Barkov often plays at a superhuman level but has a bit of room for improvement. He is playing at a point-per-game pace and the reigning holder of the Selke Trophy voted as the League's best defensive forward is playing his usual sound own-zone game with the Panthers getting 59.0 percent of the shot attempts at 5-on-5 when he is on the ice. Plus, Barkov is winning 60.3 percent of his face-offs. There is still a bit more to give and I expect Barkov to find that top gear as the tournament nears." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

11. Colorado Avalanche (27-17-1)

Total points: 110
Last week: No. 8

"I'm always intrigued by Nathan MacKinnon and the greatness he shows every season. Maybe I shouldn't be because he's one of the elite players in the NHL, but here we are. And as exceptional as he's been in regular-season action, how great could he be for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off? The reigning Hart Trophy winner as League MVP is at it again, leading the NHL with 70 points (15 goals, 55 assists) in 45 games. Sure, his goals aren't close to where they were last season (51), but the production is as strong as ever and he should get at least 100 points for the third straight season. I'm just picturing the possibilities of what he can do for star-studded Canada. He'll be a force, because that's just what he is." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

12. Carolina Hurricanes (26-16-3)

Total points: 103
Last week: No. 12

"Seth Jarvis is certainly the most intriguing member of Team Canada. Heck, he might be the most intriguing player in the whole tournament. Among a group of high-profile forwards on Canada is Jarvis, who is not exactly a household name, but could be a gigantic X-factor. I'm very interested to see how coach Jon Cooper deploys Jarvis in the tournament. Who knows? After it's all over, he may be a household name outside Carolina." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (23-16-3)

Total points: 57
Last week: No. 13

"The Lightning have five players heading to 4 Nations, shoo-ins Victor Hedman (Sweden), Brayden Point (Canada) and Jake Guentzel (United States) and up-and-comers Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel (Canada). I'm interested to see what Cirelli and Hagel can do on that kind of stage, under that kind of pressure. With what Canada has on offense, Cirelli and Hagel are likely to play lower down in the lineup, but they'll also have the advantage playing for Cooper, their coach who knows them best." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

14. Columbus Blue Jackets (21-17-6)

Total points: 30
Last week: NR

"Zach Werenski will represent the United States and is a candidate for the Norris Trophy given to the NHL's best defenseman. Maybe he should be a candidate for the Hart Trophy. He leads skaters in average ice time (26:40) and defensemen in goals (15) and is tied with Cale Makar of the Avalanche for first at his position with 50 points. He leads the Blue Jackets in scoring and has stepped up as a leader off the ice in the absence of captain Boone Jenner, who hasn't played all season because of a shoulder injury. Who has been more valuable to his NHL team this season? How valuable will Werenski be for the United States in this tournament?" -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

15. Calgary Flames (21-15-7)

Total points: 24
Last week: No. 15

"There's only one Flames player to watch at 4 Nations, so it's eyes on defenseman Rasmus Andersson. His production has dropped since he was named to Team Sweden. He had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his first 26 games this season, but just three assists in his past 17. That said, he's still leading the Flames in ice time (24:21) and making an impact all over the ice. Andersson's role won't be the same on Team Sweden as it is in Calgary, but his ability to play in all situations could prove to be as valuable in the tournament as it already is to the Flames." -- Rosen

16. Ottawa Senators (22-18-3)

Total points: 10
Last week: No. 16

"The Senators have two players expected to play at 4 Nations: forward Brady Tkachuk (United States) and goalie Linus Ullmark (Sweden). Tkachuk will be fun to watch for plenty of reasons and will play with his older brother, Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk. It'll be a showcase of their great mix of talent and grit multiplied by two. Brady will also be skating at Bell Centre in a hostile environment. He's used to that feeling when the Senators are playing in Montreal and not shy to play the role of the villain. In Boston, Brady will also be playing as one of the crowd favorites for the first time." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

Others receiving points: Detroit Red Wings 9, Montreal Canadiens 9, Vancouver Canucks 6, Boston Bruins 6

Dropped out from last week: Vancouver Canucks (No. 14)

Enterprise Team of the Week: The Blue Jackets are in the Super 16 for the first time this season. They're in because they've won five in a row and are 9-2-1 since Dec. 19. They're easily the best story in the NHL this season and arguably the best story in all of sports based on where they are in the standings as the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference 44 games into the season with the backdrop of everything they've gone through to get there, most notably the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau, who was their leading scorer last season. Columbus was ranked by 14 of the 15 staff members who participate in the weekly rankings. It's hard to argue against their inclusion based on all the above. -- Rosen

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

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

BILL PRICE

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

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

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Vegas Golden Knights; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Minnesota Wild; 5. Edmonton Oilers; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. New Jersey Devils; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Colorado Avalanche; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Columbus Blue Jackets; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. Montreal Canadiens

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

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