Super 16: Kaprizov keeping Wild at No. 1, worthy of Quarter-Century Team

The NHL will soon start rolling out the Quarter-Century Team selections, revealing the top forwards, defensemen and goalies from each team since Jan. 1, 2000.

The St. Louis Blues' Quarter-Century Team will be revealed Dec. 30 with the Chicago Blackhawks to follow Dec. 31. They're up first because, of course, the Blues and Blackhawks will play the Discover NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field on Dec. 31 (5 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

While we wait for that, we here at NHL.com Super 16 headquarters decided to prepare a little look ahead for what's to come on these Quarter-Century Teams, giving a tease for which players could be on their current team's list.

There are plenty of choices and hard decisions, but this is just a taste and certainly not official.

Then again, our rankings each week are not official either, but they do provide a taste of what's happening in the NHL. And what's happening this week is the tightest race possible for the top spot in our Super 16.

The top four teams are the same and in the same order as last week but look at the total points for the Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets and you'll see what we mean by close.

Wild 218.

Capitals 217.

Jets 216.

For tabulating purposes, all 15 voters this week had the Wild and Jets at least in their top four. The Wild and Jets were each ranked No. 1 by four different voters. Three voters had the Capitals at No. 1.

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 is the quarter-century edition of the Super 16:

1. Minnesota Wild (20-8-4)

Total points: 218

Last week: No. 1

"There is no doubt that when the NHL announces Minnesota's Quarter-Century First and Second Teams on Jan. 7 that Kirill Kaprizov will be on the First Team. He's averaging 1.54 points per game and is the biggest star and most dominant player the Wild has ever had. Who else? Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. They rank No. 1 and No. 2 among defensemen in games played for the Wild (893 and 825, respectively), with Spurgeon also leading all skaters at plus-122 and defensemen in goals (113), points (395) and game-winning goals (22). Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy will be on the bubble. Though each are having a big impact, they may not have played enough years with the 24-year-old franchise." – Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

2. Washington Capitals (21-8-2)

Total points: 217

Last week: No. 2

"Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson, two of the top players on the Capitals' 2018 Stanley Cup team, are locks to be on their Quarter-Century Team. Ovechkin is second in NHL history with 868 goals and 27 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894, so he'll be a unanimous selection at the top of the forward list. It will be similar for Carlson, who ranks first among defensemen in Capitals history in games (1,040), goals (154), assists (543) and points (697). Tom Wilson, another 2018 Cup winner, will also likely make it as one of the three forwards on the second team. A fan favorite, Wilson ranks third among forwards who have played for Washington this century in games (785) and sixth in goals (159), assists (195) and points (354)." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

3. Winnipeg Jets (23-10-1)

Total points: 216

Last week: No. 3

"Now in his 10th NHL season, it's abundantly clear that Connor Hellebuyck is the best goalie ever to put on a Jets/Atlanta Thrashers jersey, so his name is about the easiest to write down when it comes to a Quarter-Century Team. He's already won the Vezina Trophy voted as the top goalie in the NHL twice (2020, 2024) and likely is on his way to a third. He's been in the top three in shots faced for eight straight seasons between 2017-18 and 2024-25, but his .918 save percentage during that span is fourth (minimum 100 games played), behind Ben Bishop (.923), Igor Shesterkin (.920) and Linus Ullmark (.919). There are a few other current Jets you could make a case for, among them forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, but there's no need for a discussion when it comes to Hellebuyck. Not only has he been great for the Jets, his 295 wins and 40 shutouts rank in the top 20 among NHL goalies since Jan. 1, 2000, and his .917 save percentage is 15th (minimum 100 games). -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

4. Vegas Golden Knights (20-8-3)

Total points: 200

Last week: No. 4

"Vegas has a rich history for a team in its eighth season, creating interesting debates. Among players on the current roster, I'd put forward William Karlsson and defensemen Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore on the first team. Each was part of the Golden Knights from the beginning, contributing to runs to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 and the Cup in 2023. In Vegas history, McNabb (533) ranks first, Karlsson (524) second and Theodore (474) fourth in games played. Karlsson (380) is second and Theodore (315) third in points. I'd put forwards Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and goalie Adin Hill on the second team. Each was a major contributor to the Cup team." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

5. New Jersey Devils (21-10-3)

Total points: 169

Last week: No. 8

"The impact that forwards Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes have made since entering the League has been invaluable, so much so that each could represent the Devils on their Quarter-Century Team. Hischier, the second Switzerland-born NHL captain in history, ranks first in goals (152), second in points (382), second in short-handed points (11) and second in face-off winning percentage (51.8 percent; 4,426-for-8,542) since entering the NHL in 2017-18. Bratt leads the Devils in assists (258) and points (401) since his arrival in 2017-18. Hughes has more goals (127), power-play goals (33), power-play points (110), overtime goals (seven) and average ice time among forwards (19:16) than any other Devils player since his debut in 2019-20. -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

6. Florida Panthers (20-11-2)

Total points: 153

Last week: No. 5

"This is the Golden Age of Florida Panthers hockey. They've been to the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two seasons, won the Cup for the first time in 2024 and are an elite team again this season, so it's no surprise that their Quarter-Century Team should be loaded with current players. Half of the 12 spots, in fact, could be found on the active roster. Aleksander Barkov, the captain, is Mr. Panther and a no-brainer. Aaron Ekblad is the most consistent defenseman to ever play for the franchise. No offense to Roberto Luongo, but Sergei Bobrovsky is the best goalie in team history. When did the winning start for the Panthers? When Matthew Tkachuk arrived. He changed the culture and deserves a spot for that alone. Sam Reinhart, a goal-scoring machine these days, and Carter Verhaeghe, among the most clutch Panthers, could be on there as well." – Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

7. Carolina Hurricanes (20-10-1)

Total points: 141

Last week: No. 6

"I can almost guarantee forward Sebastian Aho and defenseman Jaccob Slavin will be on Carolina's Quarter-Century team. Aho, who has been with the Hurricanes since the 2016-17 season, is second in goals (263), assists (327) and points (590) since Jan. 1, 2000, behind Eric Staal (322 goals, 453 assists, 775 points). Slavin is first in assists (231) and points (281) among defensemen in that time span. Goalie Frederik Andersen could make the second team. Another current Hurricane to make the team will be coach Rod Brind'Amour, who played for Carolina from Jan. 24, 2000, to the end of the 2009-10 season, and is fourth in goals (174), and third in assists (299) and points (473)." – Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

8. Toronto Maple Leafs (20-10-2)

Total points: 135

Last week: No. 9

"There are five candidates on the present-day Maple Leafs who could make either their first- or second-team roster. Forward Auston Matthews ranks third on the franchise's all-time goal list (378) behind Mats Sundin (420) and Darryl Sitter (389) and should be a shoo-in to join Sundin on the first team. So should Mitch Marner, who is sixth in team history with 680 points. William Nylander deserves consideration, too, ranking 11th in goals (235). And don't sleep on John Tavares, who is four points behind Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour for 19th in points (448-452). Finally, only Borje Salming (768) and Tomas Kaberle (520) have more points among Maple Leafs defensemen than Morgan Rielly (489), who should join Kaberle on the First Quarter-Century Team at the position." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

9. Los Angeles Kings (18-9-4)

Total points: 123

Last week: No. 7

"Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty are locks to be on the Kings' Quarter-Century team. They are all-time sporting greats in Los Angeles. Kopitar is first in Kings history in games played (1,404) and assists (819), second in points (1,246) and fourth in goals (427). He won the Selke Trophy voted as the League's best defensive forward in 2015-16 and 2017-18. Doughty is third in Kings history in games played (1,177), which ranks first among defensemen, is first at his position with 513 assists and 669 points and his 156 goals are five behind Kings general manager Rob Blake for most in team history among defensemen. Doughty won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2015-16. They have been cornerstone Kings for nearly two decades, two of the biggest pieces on their Stanley Cup-winning teams of 2012 and 2014. Adrian Kempe has a compelling case too. Kempe is fourth in goals (175), and fifth in assists (184) and points (359) among Kings forwards this century." – Dan Rosen, senior writer

10. Dallas Stars (19-12-0)

Total points: 122

Last week: No. 10

"Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger could all be on Dallas' Quarter-Century Team. Heiskanen is one of the League's top defensemen. Benn is the longest tenured captain in Stars history (since 2013) and has 927 points. Seguin has 687 of his 808 NHL points in 12 seasons with the Stars. Oettinger may be a bit of a wild card, considering Ed Belfour and Marty Turco in Dallas' goaltending past, but he's helped the Stars get to the Stanley Cup Final once and the Western Conference Final twice since 2020. Something to be said for that." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

11. Edmonton Oilers (18-11-2)

Total points: 98

Last week: No. 12

"Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be on the Oilers' Quarter-Century team. The two have by far been the best players in Edmonton the past 25 years. They're among the two best players in Oilers history and likely to join Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson and Kevin Lowe in the Hall of Fame. McDavid became the fourth-fastest player to 1,000 points earlier this season and Draisaitl is on pace for his fourth 50-goal season. A case could also be made for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to be included among the list of forwards for the team. Nugent-Hopkins (912 games) is in his 14th season, the longest-serving member of the Oilers this century and third-longest in team history behind Kevin Lowe (1,037) and Ryan Smyth (971)." – Derek Van Diest, staff writer

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (17-10-2)

Total points: 77

Last week: No. 14

"The Lightning have more than one player on the current team that should be part of its Quarter-Century Team. Andrei Vasilevskiy is their all-time leader in wins (307), shutouts (36) and games started (491). Victor Hedman is another logical choice. He's the only defenseman in Lightning history with at least 1,000 games played (1,079) and 700 points (753). Up front, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point will also join that team. Jon Cooper and his two Stanley Cup rings (2020, '21) would be the coach if we were picking coaches for the Quarter-Century teams." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

13. Vancouver Canucks (16-9-6)

Total points: 64

Last week: No. 11

"The Canucks have at least two slam dunks to be on their Quarter-Century team, defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson. Hughes not only leads the Canucks in points this season (37) and is a perennial Norris Trophy finalist but he's Vancouver's all-time leader in assists at his position (320) and is 39 points back of Alexander Edler for first in points among Canucks defensemen while playing more than 500 fewer games. Pettersson is 10th all-time in team scoring and a point-per game player in his seven-season NHL career. Goalie Thatcher Demko, whose 117 wins are fourth in Canucks history, also makes a compelling case." -- David Satriano, staff writer

14. Colorado Avalanche (18-15-0)

Total points: 40

Last week: No. 13

"The Avalanche's list for their Quarter-Century Team obviously begins with Nathan MacKinnon. The No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft will likely reach 1,000 points in the League this season if he stays healthy. Mikko Rantanen is 20 goals from 300 in the NHL and is a lock, as well as Cale Makar, even at fewer than 400 games. Gabriel Landeskog, who hopefully will play a game this season for the first time in more than two years, is also a slam dunk in my opinion. They are the four core players of Colorado's 2022 championship team and deserve to be on the list." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

15. Boston Bruins (17-13-3)

Total points: 33

Last week: No. 15

"It's been a pretty good 25 years for the Bruins, including one Stanley Cup championship (2011) and three trips to the Cup Final, which means a lot of successful teams and players. There are three current Bruins who I think should be on the Quarter-Century Team and I don't think there would be a lot of debate: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Marchand is fifth in their history with 954 points (414 goals, 540 assists) in 1,062 games and, assuming he re-signs after this season, could rise as high as third. Pastrnak, still only 28, is 10th with 760 points (360 goals, 400 assists) in 707 games. McAvoy has become a mainstay and a huge piece of Boston's identity and defensive mindset, while also rising to eighth in points by a defenseman with 290 (58 goals, 232 assists)." – Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

16. Calgary Flames (15-11-6)

Total points: 18

Last week: No. 16

"Flames captain Mikael Backlund should make it for longevity and consistency purposes. He leads Calgary this century in games played (1,022). He's also fourth in goals (205) and assists (341), and third in points (546). Backlund has never been a take-you-out-of-your-seats type of player like Jarome Iginla or Johnny Gaudreau were for the Flames this century, but he's has been with them since they selected him in the first round (No. 24) of the 2007 NHL Draft and he became a full-time player since 2010-11. He has represented the Flames and the city of Calgary well. He has been the steadying influence for years. There is a case for Rasmus Andersson to make it too. Among defenseman, Anderson is fourth in games played (487), tied for fourth in goals (42), third in assists (173) and fourth in points (215) this century." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: Utah Hockey Club 8, Ottawa Senators 5, Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Philadelphia Flyers 1

Dropped out from last week: None

Enterprise Team of the Week: The Devils, up three spots to No. 5 this week, are 3-0-1 with four goals-against in regulation and five total since losing 4-0 to the Avalanche on Dec. 8. In that time, their opponents have 68 shots on goal, which is 17 per game. Since the Super 16 ran last week, New Jersey is 3-0 with a 3-1 win against the No. 9 Kings (14 shots on goal), and 4-1 each against the Blackhawks (17 shots) and Blues (20 shots). They lost 2-1 in overtime to the No. 8 Maple Leafs on Dec. 10 despite outshooting them 39-17. The Devils are now first in the Metropolitan Division with 45 points, one better than the No. 2 Capitals, who have played three fewer games.

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

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

BILL PRICE

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

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

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

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