Super 16: Wedgewood, Jarvis among Olympic candidates at 1st quarter of season 

The NHL season will officially hit the quarter mark when the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks play at Rogers Arena on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, Victory+). That's the 328th game in a 1,312-game season.

The next quarter will determine who is going to the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026. Rosters have to be submitted by each national federation by Dec. 31. The halfway point of the season comes Jan. 3.

The Super 16 this week takes a closer look at players who have helped their cause with their play through the first quarter of the season. Clearly, if their team is ranked this week and the player is mentioned, he's doing something right not only individually, but for his team.

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 Olympic lookahead at the first quarter of the season edition of the weekly Super 16:

1. Colorado Avalanche (13-1-5)

Total points: 240

Last week: No. 1

"Perhaps no player in the NHL has improved his Olympic stock more than goalie Scott Wedgewood. No one had him on a projected roster entering the season, but goaltending is Team Canada's biggest question mark, and he's 11-1-2 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .917 save percentage and leads the NHL in wins. Among goalies born in Canada who have played at least seven games, Wedgewood is second in GAA and save percentage behind Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals in each category. Yes, he plays for a great team, but he would play for a great one in the Olympics too." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

2. Carolina Hurricanes (13-5-2)

Total points: 218

Last week: No. 3

"Seth Jarvis being named to Canada's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off last season surprised even Seth Jarvis. No one will be surprised if the Hurricanes forward is on Team Canada at the Olympics. He lived up to his inclusion on the 4 Nations roster, playing a smaller role but contributing an assist in three games. He is delivering for Carolina this season with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games. Jarvis plays on the top power play and kills penalties. Canada should be looking to build a similar type team as the one that won the 4 Nations, and with that Jarvis should be on it because of his versatility to play up and down the lineup and on both special teams." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

3. Dallas Stars (12-5-3)

Total points: 204

Last week: No. 5

"Jason Robertson was a prominent member of the 4 Nations Face-Off Snub Club last winter, the forward passed over by the United States with other notable names like Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens and Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres, who was called in late in the tourney as an emergency standby. Think it might have left Robertson with a chip on his shoulder? It certainly seems that way given how he's come out of the gates this season with an eye on an Olympic roster spot. He has 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in his past four games and at least one in eight of his past nine. With 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 20 games, the 26-year-old wing is the highest scoring United States-born player in the NHL. If that doesn't get a few eyeballs focused on him from the Team USA brass, we're not sure what will." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

4. New Jersey Devils (13-5-1)

Total points: 199

Last week: No. 2

"Jesper Bratt wasn't one of the initial players named to Team Sweden's roster but, rest assured, he'll be there when it's announced next month. The 27-year-old forward, who had shoulder surgery May 5, is one of the NHL's most spectacular playmakers. He ranks first on the Devils in assists (13) and is second in points (18) in 19 games this season. He's been a steady offensive force all season for New Jersey with at least one point in all but six games." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

5. Anaheim Ducks (13-6-1)

Total points: 155

Last week: No. 4

"There were questions about Chris Kreider and his suitability for Team USA after an uneven performance in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he did not play in two games and played a limited role in the 3-2 championship game loss in overtime to Canada. But Kreider is answering his critics after a change of NHL scenery, becoming a veteran leader in the renaissance by the Ducks after 13 seasons with the New York Rangers. He has 10 goals, tied for ninth among U.S.-born players this season. That goal-scoring touch might force USA Hockey to delay a move to younger players for the Olympics and go with the experienced Kreider." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

6. Winnipeg Jets (12-7-0)

Total points: 154

Last week: No. 7

"Canada's deepest position at the Olympics likely is center, where Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby have claims on the top two spots assuming Nathan MacKinnon plays on Crosby's right wing. But who fills out the center depth remains an open question that Mark Scheifele is doing an outstanding job of answering. Scheifele leads the Jets and is tied for fifth in the NHL with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 19 games but also has a plus-4 even-strength goal differential while averaging 16:18 of even-strength ice time, most among Jets forwards. He's won 51.1 percent of his face-offs and has the size (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) and smarts that can help a team anywhere in the lineup. Whoever ends up the center of Canada's third or fourth line will have to show they can contribute beyond producing offensively. Scheifele has proven he can do that." -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

7. Vegas Golden Knights (9-4-6)

Total points: 130

Last week: No. 8

"Shea Theodore went to the 4 Nations Face-Off with Canada last season and got hurt in the first game. He didn't finish the tournament, but that shouldn't impact his Olympic consideration, especially with his strong start to this season. Theodore has always been a dynamic offensive defenseman, evidenced by his 57 points (seven goals, 50 assists) in 67 games last season. This season, he is still producing, albeit not at that same clip (nine points in 19 games), but he's playing more (24:06 per game), on pace for his most minutes in a season, and he's been both offensively capable, as usual, and defensively sound. Theodore is not a lock, but if he was deemed to be one of Canada's seven best defensemen last season, which is why he was on the 4 Nations roster, there's no reason to think he's not one of its eight best this season." -- Rosen

8. Montreal Canadiens (10-6-3)

Total points: 100

Last week: No. 6

"Nick Suzuki is the obvious choice. The Canadiens captain is not a lock for Team Canada yet, but he's doing everything to convince management. He leads Montreal with 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) and plus-minus (plus-10) in 19 games. Suzuki is a natural center who can also play on the wing. He can play on the top line or the fourth line for the national team. After forward Alex Newhook broke his ankle, Suzuki is killing penalties. He could be used as a Swiss army knife at the Olympics." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

9. Pittsburgh Penguins (10-5-4)

Total points: 95

Last week: No. 11

"Coming off consecutive down seasons since being traded to Pittsburgh, defenseman Erik Karlsson was a question mark to be selected to Sweden's Olympic team at the start of this season despite playing well at the 4 Nations Face-Off. After not being one of the first six players named to the squad in June, the 35-year-old has all but locked up a roster spot by rebounding with a strong season. Karlsson has helped spark Pittsburgh's start with 13 points (one goal, 12 assists), which is third -- behind Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Maple Leafs) with 14 each -- for most among defensemen born in Sweden. He's plus-6 (after he was minus-24 last season) and leads the Penguins with 23:37 of ice time per game in 19 games." -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

10. Detroit Red Wings (12-7-1)

Total points: 90

Last week: Not ranked

"If we assume captain Dylan Larkin is already locked into Team USA's lineup, the Red Wing who has boosted his Olympic case the most is Alex DeBrincat. The 27-year-old forward has done the one thing that should matter most to general manager Bill Guerin, he's made himself impossible to overlook. His 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 20 games are impressive, but they don't tell the whole story. DeBrincat has been a power-play menace, scoring six of Detroit's 15 man-advantage goals, most among U.S.-born skaters, and has a team-leading 80 shots that is third in the NHL. At this point, he is not just a bubble candidate pushing for attention. He is forcing his way into the conversation by sheer production." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

11. Los Angeles Kings (10-6-4)

Total points: 84

Last week: No. 13

"The starting goalie for Canada is anyone's guess right now, which is why Darcy Kuemper should be in the running. Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues), Adin Hill (Golden Knights) and Thompson (Capitals) seemed like the likeliest candidates, but Binnington has struggled, and Hill is injured, leaving the door open. Kuemper, a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, is 7-4-3 with a 2.42 GAA, .904 save percentage and one shutout." -- David Satriano, staff writer

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (10-7-2)

Total points: 74

Last week: No. 9

"It's hard to say any one player on the Lightning has helped his case tremendously through the first quarter of the season, but it's easy to say that the one who probably hasn't hurt his chances is American forward Jake Guentzel, who is as steady as they come and is on a 47-goal, 86-point pace. He had 41 goals and 80 points in 80 games last season and is averaging 1.03 points per game since 2018-19. The only U.S.-born players who have scored a higher rate in that time are Auston Matthews (1.21), Matthew Tkachuk (1.08), Jack Eichel (1.07), Patrick Kane (1.07) and Robertson (1.06). Matthews, Tkachuk and Eichel were among the first six players named to Team USA. Kane and Robertson are hopefuls. Guentzel should be considered a lock. He already was before this season started and nothing has changed." -- Rosen

13. Boston Bruins (12-10-0)

Total points: 73

Last week: No. 10

"I feel slightly like a broken record, but I'm going with Hampus Lindholm. He was already probable to make Sweden's roster, even with their extremely deep pool of talent at defenseman, but the way that he has proven his worth to the Bruins, to me, makes him a lock. It's notable how different the team has been with and without him this season, and he's shown that he hasn't lost a step since playing only 17 games last season because of an injury that cost him a chance to play at the 4 Nations Face-Off. His bounce back, though, is a good sign for the Bruins and also a good sign for Sweden." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

14. Chicago Blackhawks (10-5-4)

Total points: 72

Last week: No. 12

"Wow, has Connor Bedard staked his claim to be part of Team Canada at the Olympics or what? The stats speak for themselves: Bedard has 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 19 games this season. He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in his past 11 games. He got his second hat trick of the season when the Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames 5-2 on Tuesday, his first coming against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 28. I get it. Canada has a lot of talent to choose from but how do you keep one of the hottest players in the League off the team? I say you don't." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

15. New York Islanders (11-7-2)

Total points: 39

Last week: Not ranked

"I have to think Bo Horvat is making Canada general manager Doug Armstrong's job more difficult as we get closer to the Olympics. The Islanders' No. 1 center is tied for fourth in the NHL with 13 goals, three of which have been game-winners. Horvat is playing well in all three zones, as evidenced by his plus-12 rating through 20 games. If he wasn't garnering serious consideration to be on Canada's roster before, he certainly is now." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

16. Seattle Kraken (9-5-5)

Total points: 34

Last week: No. 15

"Eeli Tolvanen was not selected to play for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off but could be playing his way into Olympic consideration. The Kraken forward is off to a good start with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 19 games, playing predominantly in a bottom-six role. Tolvanen is averaging 15:00 minutes of ice time per game and has earned time on the power play, where he has two goals and three assists. Tolvanen is familiar to playing for his national team. He played at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics prior to coming to North America and has represented his country at the IIHF World Junior Championship three times (2017, 2018, 2019) and the IIHF World Championship twice (2018, 2025). He had nine points (seven goals, two assists) in nine games at Worlds in May, when Finland lost to the eventual champion United States in the quarterfinal." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Dropped out from last week: Ottawa Senators (No. 14), Florida Panthers (No. 16)

Others receiving points: Utah Mammoth 15, Senators 12, Minnesota Wild 7, Philadelphia Flyers 6, Washington Capitals 4, New York Rangers 1, San Jose Sharks 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

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

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

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

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

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

ADAM KIMELMAN

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

MIKE G. MORREALE

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

TRACEY MYERS

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

BILL PRICE

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Anaheim Ducks; 6. Winnipeg Jets; 7. Vegas Golden Knights; 8. Chicago Blackhawks; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Detroit Red Wings; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. Pittsburgh Penguins; 16. San Jose Sharks

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Carolina Hurricanes; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Winnipeg Jets; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Anaheim Ducks; 7. Boston Bruins; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Vegas Golden Knights; 10. Detroit Red Wings; 11. Chicago Blackhawks; 12. Pittsburgh Penguins; 13. New York Islanders; 14. Los Angeles Kings; 15. Minnesota Wild; 16. Florida Panthers

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. New Jersey Devils; 3. Carolina Hurricanes; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Anaheim Ducks; 6. Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Montreal Canadiens; 8. Los Angeles Kings; 9. Seattle Kraken; 10. Boston Bruins; 11. Detroit Red Wings; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Chicago Blackhawks; 14. Utah Mammoth; 15. New York Islanders; 16. New York Rangers

MIKE ZEISBERGER

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