Super 16: Landeskog of Avalanche, Devils captain Hischier among stars from Europe 

It's a big international week in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators in Stockholm for the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal.

They'll play two games at Avicii Arena on Friday (2 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN) and Sunday (9 a.m. ET; FDSNSO, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN), the 17th and 18th NHL regular-season games played in Stockholm.

In addition, Slovakia-born defenseman Zdeno Chara and Russia-born forward Alexander Mogilny became honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony in Toronto on Monday.

On top of that, the conversations and debates over the rosters for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, albeit mostly about Canada and the United States, are starting to rage throughout the League.

Since we're all about themes and trends here at NHL.com Super 16 headquarters, we figured now would be the perfect time to give our weekly power rankings an international flavor.

What is the European influence on the 16 teams ranked this week?

That question is answered in this week's Super 16, which features four new teams from last week, showcasing the topsy-turvy nature of the NHL at least in the first quarter of the season.

To come up with the Super 16, the 15 voters first 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 international edition of the weekly Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (11-1-5)

Total points: 240

Last week: No. 1

"It was nice to see Gabriel Landeskog score his first regular-season goal in more than 3 1/2 years in the Avalanche's 4-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Landeskog is one of the feel-good stories in the NHL, working his way back from a serious knee injury that sidelined the Sweden native and Colorado captain for three seasons. Martin Necas (Czechia) has been fantastic since his arrival from the Carolina Hurricanes last season. The forward scored his 10th goal Tuesday and has 20 points in 17 games, a big reason why the Avalanche have a four-point lead atop the NHL standings. With Finland-born forward Artturi Lehkonen averaging a point per game (seven goals, 10 assists in 17 games), Colorado has no shortage of European players having an impact on its great start." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

2. New Jersey Devils (12-4-1)

Total points: 200

Last week: No. 4

"The Devils have quite a few European-born players in the lineup making major contributions this season. At the top of the list is forward Nico Hischier, who on Feb. 20, 2021, not only became the 12th player to be named Devils captain but also the second Switzerland-born player in League history. Hischier is joined by two other countrymen, forward Timo Meier and defensemen Jonas Siegenthaler, all set to represent their country in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Additionally, forward Jesper Bratt and goalie Jacob Markstrom of Sweden, forward Ondrej Palat of Czechia, forward Arseny Gritsyuk of Russia, and defenseman Simon Nemec of Slovakia have each played prominent roles." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

3. Carolina Hurricanes (11-5-0)

Total points: 195

Last week: No. 7

"The Hurricanes get a big chunk of their scoring from two Europeans, Sebastian Aho and Nikolaj Ehlers. Aho, from Finland, leads Carolina with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) and Ehlers (Denmark) is fourth with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Aho has been a mainstay with Carolina, the 28-year-old playing his 10th season there since being selected in the second round (No. 35) of the 2015 NHL Draft. Ehlers, 29, is in his first season with the Hurricanes after signing a six-year, $51 million contract July 3. They form quite a 1-2 punch." -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

4. Anaheim Ducks (11-4-1)

Total points: 192

Last week: No. 9

"There are seven European-based players helping to fuel one of the most impressive starts in the NHL, but three are of the most importance. Nobody has had a bigger impact than Leo Carlsson of Sweden. The 20-year-old forward has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 16 games to lead the Ducks and European-born players. Goalie Lukas Dostal is 8-4-1 with a 2.69 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 13 games and the favorite to represent Czechia at the Olympics. The final piece of the puzzle has been absent for the past 10 games, but captain Radko Gudas will be vital to this team. The defenseman, also from Czechia, brings physicality and, as the captain, leadership." -- Shawn P. Roarke, director of editorial

5. Dallas Stars (10-4-3)

Total points: 181

Last week: No. 8

"No NHL team leans on its European backbone quite like the Stars and their core from Finland (or the 'Finnish Mafia' as they are lovingly called in Texas). There's Miro Heiskanen's smooth brilliance on the blue line, Roope Hintz's explosive power down the middle, Esa Lindell's steady defensive presence and Mikko Rantanen's elite scoring touch since arriving. They bring the calm precision and icy composure Finland is famous for, and a ruthless edge when the game is on the line. I covered the Stars at the 2024 Global Series in Tampere and saw firsthand how much they're are adored back home. Around them, Sweden's Nils Lundkvist and Oskar Back add youthful skill and structure, Czechia workhorse Radek Faksa brings shutdown reliability and Switzerland-born prospect Lian Bichsel (6-foot-7, 237 pounds) looms as the next big-bodied defenseman in the organization. They've given Dallas a distinctly Nordic identity." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

6. Montreal Canadiens (10-4-2)

Total points: 167

Last week: No. 5

"The 'Habs' have four European players on their roster, four with an impact. Ivan Demidov (Russia) is a probable candidate for the Calder Trophy given to the NHL rookie of the year. Oliver Kapanen (Finland) is skating as the second-line center. Juraj Slafkovsky (Slovakia) is the left wing on the first line. Jakub Dobes (Czechia) is playing a key role in net. Patrik Laine (Finland) is the other European in Montreal, but he's out 3-4 months after having core muscle surgery in late October." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, LNH.com journalist principal

7. Winnipeg Jets (10-6-0)

Total points: 143

Last week: No. 2

"The Jets are getting contributions from their two top European-born players with Nino Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov being utilized in top-six roles. Niederreiter has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 16 games and Namestnikov has seven (six goals, one assist) in 16 games. Niederreiter was named to Switzerland's preliminary Olympic roster. The 33-year-old has represented his country at international tournaments since playing with the U-18 team in 2008. He has played at two IIHF World Junior Championships, nine IIHF World Championships (three silver medals) the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey 2016 (silver)." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

8. Vegas Golden Knights (7-4-4)

Total points: 121

Last week: No. 3

"The Golden Knights' two most important players right now are their European goalies, Switzerland native Akira Schmid and Sweden-born Carl Lindbom, who split the past eight games while Adin Hill (Canada) recovers from a lower-body injury. Schmid is 2-1-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .903 save percentage in his four starts, while Lindbom is 0-3-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .869 save percentage. Vegas has done well protecting its goalies, allowing just 25.5 shots on goal per game the past eight games, but Schmid and Lindbom have combined for an .892 save percentage at 5-on-5 that's 27th in the NHL. Vegas is 2-4-2 since Hill last played Oct. 20. With no definitive timeline for Hill to return, the Golden Knights will need their European goalie tandem to raise their level of play for them to maintain their place near the top of the Pacific Division." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (8-6-2)

Total points: 111

Last week: No. 13

"When it comes to European influences for a single team, the Lightning take a back seat to no one. Their 'Big Three' of defenseman Victor Hedman (Sweden), forward Nikita Kucherov (Russia) and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (Russia) form the present backbone of the franchise. Not only were all three on Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup championship teams in 2020 and 2021, but consider the hardware each collected on the way. Hedman won the 2018 Norris Trophy voted as the NHL's top defenseman, Kucherov won the 2019 Hart Trophy as League MVP and Vasilevskiy won the 2019 Vezina Trophy as top goalie. In the end, all three should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. So, yeah, add that all up and I would say they've been influential … and continue to be." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

10. Boston Bruins (11-7-0)

Total points: 103

Last week: Not ranked

"The easy answer, obviously, is David Pastrnak (Czechia), he of the 401 NHL goals and this season a team-high 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists). While in Sweden for the Global Series, I'm going to highlight the most impactful Swedish player on the Bruins: Hampus Lindholm. I remember talking to Brad Marchand last spring and he mentioned just how under the radar and how important the defenseman has become to the Bruins, and how much he was missed when he played only 17 games last season because of injury, an underrated factor in Boston's disappointing 2024-25 season. He spreads out and lengthens the defensive group in a way that makes them work. Add in a better-than-expected start for Sweden-born forward Viktor Arvidsson (five goals in 18 games after scoring 15 in 67 last season) and the contributions of Czechia forward Pavel Zacha (15 points in 18 games) and the Bruins are definitely being bolstered by their European contingent." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

11. Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-3)

Total points: 97

Last week: No. 11

"European players have had a huge impact on the Penguins' resurgence this season, beginning with center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Erik Karlsson. Malkin has turned back the clock and the 39-year-old from Russia leads the Penguins with 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 17 games. Karlsson, who will play two games in his native Sweden during the Global Series, has had a bounce-back season on defense with 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 17 games and leads Pittsburgh in averaging 23:37 of ice time per game. Goalie Arturs Silovs (Latvia) also has played a significant role in Pittsburgh's success (4-2-3, 2.49 GAA, .916 save percentage, one shutout)." --Tom Gulitti, senior writer

12. Chicago Blackhawks (8-5-4)

Total points: 54

Last week: Not ranked

"I’d count Andre Burakovsky (Sweden) and Teuvo Teravainen (Finland) as the two European players who have had the biggest impact for the Blackhawks this season. Burakovsky, who the Blackhawks acquired from Seattle in the offseason, didn’t play on Wednesday due to illness but when he’s been in, he has been a great complement to Connor Bedard. He has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 16 games. The Blackhawks would probably like Teravainen to shoot more (19 shots on goal in 17 games) but he’s been good at setting up others and has 12 points (three goals, nine assists)." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

13. Los Angeles Kings (8-5-4)

Total points: 43

Last week: Not ranked

"The Kings' European influence is large with four of their top-six forwards and five in their top-nine all from the continent. Adrian Kempe (Sweden), Anze Kopitar (Slovenia) and Joel Armia (Finland) make up the top line. Kevin Fiala (Switzerland) is on the second line and Andrei Kuzmenko (Russia) is a third-liner. Kempe leads the Kings with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists). Fiala leads them with eight goals. Kopitar, in his final season of a likely Hall of Fame career, has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 13 games. Armia has eight points (three goals, five assists) and Kuzmenko has seven (three goals, four assists). If the Kings are going anywhere this season it'll be on the backs of their Euro contingent." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

14. Ottawa Senators (8-5-4)

Total points: 39

Last week: Not ranked

"Ottawa's most important player this side of the injured Brady Tkachuk is goalie Linus Ullmark of Sweden. Ullmark is off to a slower than expected start (6-4-4, 3.21 GAA, .870 save percentage). He is, however, the Senators' backbone and if the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner can pick up his game it'll help put Ottawa in a more secure position. The Senators are 6-1-3 since a 2-4-1 start. Germany-born Tim Stutzle (16 points; eight goals, eight assists in 17 games) is key up front. Similarly, Artem Zub (Russia) is one of the Senators' most important defenseman with nine points (two goals, seven assists). Lars Eller (Denmark) and Fabian Zetterlund (Sweden) are important depth forwards. Zetterlund needs to pick up his offense. He has one goal in 17 games after scoring 19 in 84 split between Ottawa and the San Jose Sharks last season, and 24 in 82 games in 2023-24." -- Rosen

15. Seattle Kraken (7-4-5)

Total points: 36

Last week: No. 12

"The Kraken have four skaters on the roster from Europe and three have been regulars in the lineup this season: defenseman Adam Larsson (Sweden), and forwards Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen (each from Finland). Larsson is a stay-at-home defenseman who is a key contributor on the penalty kill and blocking shots. Kakko doesn't have a point in six games since returning from injury but proved he can be an impact player with 30 points in 49 games with Seattle last season. Tolvanen scored 23 goals last season and is off to a nice start with seven in 16 games. The Kraken are off to a good start, partly because of their contributions." -- David Satriano, staff writer

16. Florida Panthers (8-7-1)

Total points: 33

Last week: No. 16

"The Panthers' most influential European, captain Aleksander Barkov, is out for the season because of a knee injury, but goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (Russia) runs a close second in terms of influence on the team and he's a big reason Florida is staying afloat this season despite major injuries. Bobrovsky is 8-4-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .893 save percentage. Don't let the save percentage fool you. Bobrovsky, as we know from the past two Stanley Cup runs and his two Vezina Trophy wins, is one of the elite goalies in the game. The Panthers' European group runs deep beyond Barkov and Bobrovsky. Finland is well represented in South Florida with Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola joining Barkov. Gustav Forsling is one of the top Sweden-born defenseman in the League. Jesper Boqvist (Sweden) is a depth forward. The Panthers are also missing defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (Russia). Every player mentioned here played a big role in Florida winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships." -- Rosen

Dropped out from last week: Utah Mammoth (No. 6), Detroit Red Wings (No. 10), Toronto Maple Leafs (No. 14), Edmonton Oilers (No. 15)

Others receiving points: Mammoth 25, Philadelphia Flyers 22, San Jose Sharks 10, Washington Capitals 9, Maple Leafs 6, Red Wings 5, Oilers 4, New York Islanders 3, New York Rangers 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. New Jersey Devils; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Anaheim Ducks; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Utah Mammoth; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Seattle Kraken; 14. Chicago Blackhawks; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Detroit Red Wings

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Seattle Kraken; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Boston Bruins; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Ottawa Senators

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Anaheim Ducks; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Winnipeg Jets; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Chicago Blackhawks; 13. Philadelphia Flyers; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Ottawa Senators

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Anaheim Ducks; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Chicago Blackhawks; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Los Angeles Kings

TOM GULITTI

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. New Jersey Devils; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Anaheim Ducks; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Winnipeg Jets; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Chicago Blackhawks

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Vegas Golden Knights; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Chicago Blackhawks; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. Los Angeles Kings

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Florida Panthers; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Anaheim Ducks; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Washington Capitals; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Edmonton Oilers; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. New York Rangers

TRACEY MYERS

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. New Jersey Devils; 3. Anaheim Ducks; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Pittsburgh Penguins; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Vegas Golden Knights; 12. Ottawa Senators; 13. Tampa Bay Lightning; 14. Chicago Blackhawks; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Seattle Kraken

BILL PRICE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Anaheim Ducks; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. New Jersey Devils; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Boston Bruins; 13. Chicago Blackhawks; 14. Philadelphia Flyers; 15. Seattle Kraken; 16. New York Islanders

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Anaheim Ducks; 9. Montreal Canadiens; 10. Florida Panthers; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Seattle Kraken; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. Chicago Blackhawks; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

DAN ROSEN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Anaheim Ducks; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. Montreal Canadiens; 11. Chicago Blackhawks; 12. San Jose Sharks; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Utah Mammoth; 16. Pittsburgh Penguins

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Anaheim Ducks; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Montreal Canadiens; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Boston Bruins; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Pittsburgh Penguins; 11. Chicago Blackhawks; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. San Jose Sharks; 15. New York Islanders; 16. Florida Panthers

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Anaheim Ducks; 3. New Jersey Devils; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Boston Bruins; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Vegas Golden Knights; 11. Winnipeg Jets; 12. Philadelphia Flyers; 13. Chicago Blackhawks; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Ottawa Senators

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Anaheim Ducks; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Montreal Canadiens; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Dallas Stars; 8. Chicago Blackhawks; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Winnipeg Jets; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Vegas Golden Knights; 13. Tampa Bay Lightning; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. Philadelphia Flyers; 16. Utah Mammoth

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. Montreal Canadiens; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Anaheim Ducks; 8. Winnipeg Jets; 9. Boston Bruins; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. Los Angeles Kings; 14. Seattle Kraken; 15. San Jose Sharks; 16. Chicago Blackhawks