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Greg Wyshynski
The standings tell us that the 2025-26 NHL season is one of the most competitive in recent memory. History tells us that this is the most competitive playoff race we’ve had in the NHL shootout era, beginning in 2005-06.
Entering Tuesday night’s games, there were 26 teams with a .500 points percentage or greater. According to ESPN Research, that was tied for the largest number of teams at .500 or better at this point in the season (with 616 league games played). But more importantly, the 29 teams that were within four points of a playoff spot was the most the league has ever had this deep into the season. The previous high was 26 teams in 2015-16.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC2 Florida Panthers
M2 New York Islanders vs. M3 Philadelphia Flyers
A1 Detroit Red Wings vs. WC1 Washington Capitals
A2 Montreal Canadiens vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 San Jose Sharks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Minnesota Wild
P1 Edmonton Oilers vs. WC1 Los Angeles Kings
P2 Vegas Golden Knights vs. P3 Anaheim Ducks
ATLANTIC DIVISION
The locks
Record: 22-13-3, 47 points
Playoff chances: 99.4% (Stathletes); 88.7% (Money Puck)
The Lightning have the second-best points percentage (.618) in the conference, despite a slew of lineup absences this season for players like Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak and Nick Paul. They’ve thrived despite some key players like center Brayden Point (21 points in 31 games) not producing at their usual clips.
As one NHL coach recently told ESPN, the Lightning are the team to beat in the East if they’re at full capacity. «I feel like they’ve really figured out their bottom six. I think Kucherov can carry them. They’re going be able to play at a really high level,» the coach said.
MVP: Nikita Kucherov. It’s become so commonplace for «Kuch» to be dominant that a 49-point performance in his first 34 games barely registers. His 1.44 points-per-game average is the fourth best in the NHL this season. Entering Tuesday, he was leading the Lightning by 10 points (over Jake Guentzel) in four fewer games.
Work to do
Record: 21-15-2, 44 points
Playoff chances: 71.9% (Stathletes); 59.7% (Money Puck)
It’s probably not a coincidence that the closer the Panthers come to getting star winger Matthew Tkachuk back in their lineup, the more swagger they seem to have. Florida went 9-4-1 in 14 games in December, flexing offensively (3.43 goals per game) while doing enough defensively.
The goal was to hang tight until reinforcements arrive. Obviously, Aleksander Barkov is feared lost for the regular season after knee surgery. But Tkachuk’s return will help rebalance the lineup while adding a 100-point winger back into the rats’ nest. Stathletes projects the Panthers to finish with 95.7 points.
MVP: Brad Marchand. The 37-year-old winger was pressed into carrying this team offensively after Barkov and Tkachuk were lost, and he met the challenge. Marchand’s 22 goals and 44 points both led the Panthers over 38 games. He had 14 points on the power play, skating 18:44 on average. A heart-and-soul player who has powered the defending champs to the playoff bubble as only Brad Marchand can.
Record: 18-15-5, 41 points
Playoff chances: 64.9% (Stathletes); 43.6% (Money Puck)
Scoring hasn’t been an issue for the Senators this season, who are ninth in goals per game (3.21), and that was with Brady Tkachuk restricted to 18 games because of injury. But they’re 23rd in the NHL overall — and 22nd in the past month — in goals against. That’s despite having an analytically strong team at 5-on-5.
The problem? They have the 32nd-ranked team save percentage (.872) through 38 games. While Linus Ullmark — current on leave — has shown some uptick in quality recently, Leevi Merilainen was 1-4-0 with an .862 save percentage this month heading into Tuesday night. If the Senators can put it all together, they’ve got something here. But the goaltending has to be at least average for that to happen.
MVP: Jake Sanderson. The defenseman leads the Senators in goals above replacement (11.5) and wins above replacement (2.0) while generating 27 points in 38 games. He plays in every situation for an average of 25:08 in ice time. Just a do-it-all D-man who has been rock solid for the Sens.
Record: 20-12-6, 46 points
Playoff chances: 60.4% (Stathletes); 60.6% (Money Puck)
Both stats sites are right around the same number for the Habs, and it’s a probability the Canadiens will no doubt be happy with. Nick Suzuki (42 points) and Cole Caufield (18 goals) were stating their Olympic cases. Lane Hutson (36 points) was building on his rookie of the year 2024-25 campaign, while Ivan Demidov (32 points) was building a case for Montreal to win back-to-back Calders.
The Noah Dobson trade looks like a winner. So does rookie goalie Jakub Dobes, who stabilized the position as Sam Montembeault struggled.
MVP: Nick Suzuki. The 26-year-old continues to put up numbers and play a 200-foot game while being relegated to that tier just below the best-of-the-best centers in the NHL. (See also: Mark Scheifele, Dylan Larkin, Wyatt Johnston). When they put him and Caufield with Juraj Slafkovsky, it’s still one of the best lines in hockey, with a 60.5% goals-for percentage in 278 minutes of ice time this season.
Record: 20-14-4, 44 points
Playoff chances: 59.1% (Stathletes); 47.6% (Money Puck)
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So what was it that turned this Sabres season around? Were the players too comfortable under former GM Kevyn Adams, and now suddenly on their toes knowing that Jarmo Kekalainen will trade anyone if given the right deal? Was it Alex Lyon turning into Dominik Hasek in December (7-0-0, .921 save percentage)? Was it a healthy Josh Norris (!) being a point-per-game player?
Was it because, as the podcast «What Chaos» noted, Buffalo started a winning streak right after it was made a punchline on the hit HBO/Max series «Heated Rivalry»?
Whatever the case, welcome back to relevance, Buffalo. Here’s hoping this isn’t an aberration and the team makes the playoff cut for the first time since 2011.
MVP: Tage Thompson. The Sabres center probably didn’t need to make too loud a statement to earn a U.S. Olympic roster spot, given he was «next man up» for the 4 Nations Face-Off gold medal game. But 18 goals in 38 games is a pretty loud closing argument.
0:45
Tage Thompson’s goal ties it up for the Sabres
A clutch finish from Tage Thompson ties the score for the Sabres.
Record: 20-18-2, 42 points
Playoff chances: 33.0% (Stathletes); 21.4% (Money Puck)
The Bruins are a team that was carried by two offensive stars in David Pastrnak (41 points) and Morgan Geekie (25 goals), while getting a nice bounce-back season from Jeremy Swayman in goal. But as one NHL coach told ESPN, first-year coach Marco Sturm deserves the credit for getting them back on the right track.
«It feels like they’re back to having an identity. Back to being a hard team to play against every night,» the coach said.
MVP: Morgan Geekie. The Bruins forward laughed in the face of regression predictions with an outstanding first 40 games of the season. He entered Tuesday night tied for second in the NHL in goals scored (25) and has 40 points.
Record: 23-14-3, 49 points
Playoff chances: 12.8% (Stathletes); 63.8% (Money Puck)
The disrespect from those Stathletes computers!
The first time the Yzerplan seems like it’s coming into focus, with the Red Wings leading the Atlantic in points through 40 games, and there’s a less than 13% chance they’ll make the cut? Granted, 49 points is just five more than teams on the bubble who have games in hand. But how about a little optimism for a team seeking its first playoff berth since 2016?
«I think if you played them the last couple of years, it feels different playing them this year,» one NHL veteran said. «Detroit’s looked pretty good.»
MVP: Moritz Seider. Truth be told, the Red Wings have their flaws. They remain a top-heavy offensive team, albeit one getting outstanding seasons from Alex DeBrincat (20 goals), Dylan Larkin (20 goals) and Lucas Raymond (42 points). When it comes to offense from their blue line, it’s basically all Seider. He has 30 points in 40 games, with no other defenseman having more than 15. He has also been the best overall player on the Red Wings, posting 17.1 goals scored above replacement and adding 2.8 wins to the team.
Lottery-bound
Record: 17-15-6, 40 points
Playoff chances: 3.1% (Stathletes); 11.2% (Money Puck)
Auston Matthews is in his second season of offensive decline. There’s a Mitch Marner hole they’ve not done nearly anything to fill. Injuries have plagued them. Coach Craig Berube’s seat was so hot that GM Brad Treliving had to give him public support, while Peter DeBoer, the guy everyone assumed would be the next Leafs coach, called Berube to give him a pep talk.
It has been a hard, weird, frustrating season for a team for whom the championship-contending window may have closed suddenly.
MVP: William Nylander. Willie Styles has 14 goals and 27 assists in 33 games this season, leading the Leafs. The fact that he’s the only Toronto player at a points-per-game average higher than 1.00 (Nylander is at 1.24) is a stunning warning sign that something’s amiss in the Six.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
The locks
Record: 24-11-3, 51 points
Playoff chances: 99.3% (Stathletes); 95.5% (Money Puck)
The Hurricanes remain an Eastern Conference favorite despite some injury concerns for players like Seth Jarvis, Jaccob Slavin and Pyotr Kochetkov (who’s lost for the season). Top to bottom this might be the deepest offensive team that coach Rod Brind’Amour has had in Raleigh, with goal-scoring threats on every line.
MVP: Brandon Bussi. With Frederik Andersen yet to find his stride and Kochetkov having been shut down for surgery, the Hurricanes needed a hero in goal. Enter Bussi, the former Bruins minor leaguer who has gone a preposterous 13-1-1 in 15 games, with a .911 save percentage and 7.0 goals saved above expected, per Stathletes.
Work to do
Record: 20-14-5, 45 points
Playoff chances: 91.0% (Stathletes); 77.3% (Money Puck)
Coach Spencer Carbery has the Capitals playing fundamentally sound hockey after two straight playoff appearances, but they’ve been slowly sliding from a torrid early pace. Their power play has struggled all season. Their offense has dipped over the past month. They’ve gotten some strong goal-scoring performances and goalie Logan Thompson continues to thrive (15-10-3, .915 save percentage), but they need to improve their scoring either internally or through outside changes.
MVP: Tom Wilson. What if we told you there was a Washington Capitals player with 19 goals in 38 games, shooting 21.1%, leading the team in power-play goals and overall points this season, while being a physical presence all over the ice? And what if we told you that player’s name was not Alex Ovechkin but Tom Wilson, munching on the U.S. Olympic carrot in front of him to have an epic first half of the season?
Record: 19-11-7, 45 points
Playoff chances: 61.6% (Stathletes); 52.2% (Money Puck)
One of the truly strange stats of the season, for a team in a playoff spot after 37 games: The Flyers have scored the first goal of the game only 12 times, the fewest in the league. They’re 7-3-2 in those games. They gave up the first goal in 25 games, going 12-8-5 for the third-highest points percentage when trailing first, behind Colorado and Carolina. That’s what hiring Rick Tocchet gets you: an effort that can sometimes overcome wonky execution.
MVP: Trevor Zegras. With a goalie stick tap to netminder Dan Vladar, who has stabilized the Flyers’ goaltending with a .909 save percentage and 13 wins, Zegras is having a contract-year heater with a team-leading 15 goals and 37 points in 37 games.
Record: 21-14-4, 46 points
Playoff chances: 59.7% (Stathletes); 57.5% (Money Puck)
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No matter what happens this season for the Islanders, things have changed. The arrival of 2025 No. 1 draft pick Matthew Schaefer — and the rookie’s performance on the team’s back end — has sent a jolt through the organization that it hasn’t experienced since UBS Arena first opened.
Of course, it helps that Schaefer has joined an Islanders team that’s contending for a playoff spot with a .590 points percentage in 39 games. Some of that is a credit to Schaefer, while the Islanders have also benefited significantly from the goaltending of Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich.
MVP: Bo Horvat. That Horvat can score goals is not a surprise. That he can score goals at this clip — 20 of them in 34 games — has been one of the stunners of the season. Consider that Horvat’s goals-per-game average (0.59) ranks eighth in the NHL, ahead of players like Kirill Kaprizov and Macklin Celebrini.
0:17
Bo Horvat’s lone goal wins the shootout for Islanders
Bo Horvat’s lone goal wins the shootout for Islanders
Record: 20-16-2, 42 points
Playoff chances: 47.9% (Stathletes); 36.2% (Money Puck)
The Devils finally got star center Jack Hughes back on Dec. 21, having treaded water without him in the lineup. When they’re healthy, New Jersey has as dominant a top six as you’ll find in the conference. But their forward depth, a log-jam on defense and inconsistent goaltending from Jacob Markstrom has subverted any sort of momentum the Devils have tried to build this season.
It’s hard to reconcile the team they were before Hughes’ injury (with a .735 points percentage in 17 games) with the one that’s taken the ice in more than a few losses lately.
MVP: Jack Hughes. The way this team started to unravel with him out of the lineup, especially on offense, just underscored his value. Hughes has 21 points in 20 games, including 11 goals. The Devils are 12-6-2 with him in the lineup.
Record: 16-12-9, 41 points
Playoff chances: 19.7% (Stathletes); 33.6% (Money Puck)
The problem with having a veteran core is that veterans can be prone to injury. Evgeni Malkin had 29 points in 26 games before going on injured reserve on Dec. 7 with an upper-body injury. Pittsburgh has gone 2-5-4 in his absence, the third-worst points percentage in the league over the past 11 games. Prior to that? They were 14-7-5 (sixth best in the league).
MVP: Sidney Crosby. The constant. Sid has 39 points in 37 games, leading the Penguins with 20 goals. His objective before the season was to remain in Pittsburgh and help lead them back to the playoffs. He’s doing everything in his power to see that through.
Long shots at best
Record: 19-17-5, 43 points
Playoff chances: 8.7% (Stathletes); 28.4% (Money Puck)
Adam Fox is back for the Rangers, which hopefully helps jump-start an offense that has lingered near the bottom of the NHL. The goaltending remains a foundation on which to build between Igor Shesterkin (.910 save percentage) and Jonathan Quick (.937). But concerns about the Rangers’ depth at forward, and especially on the blue line beyond Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, have been well-founded so far this season.
MVP: Adam Fox. While he has been limited to 27 games, he had 26 points and was skating 23:50 per game before his injury. Fox and Gavrikov were one of the league’s top defensive pairings and will likely be again when reunited. It was an important season for Fox after getting his star tarnished at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He had 21 points in the Rangers’ 13 wins when he was in the lineup this season.
Record: 17-15-6, 40 points
Playoff chances: 7.6% (Stathletes); 22.7% (Money Puck)
The Jackets have regressed a bit since their promising start. Essentially, they are who many thought they were: a team lacking in offensive depth and trying to overcome defensive lapses with one good goaltender in Jet Greaves. They’ve scored a bit more in their past 13 games, but were 28th in the NHL defensively during that stretch.
MVP: Zach Werenski. The Norris Trophy runner-up was also seventh for the Hart Trophy (MVP) last season for a reason. Entering Tuesday night, Werenski was leading the Jackets in points (40) and was tied with Kirill Marchenko (14) for the lead in goals. He averages 26:48 in ice time and plays in all situations. A truly elite defender.
CENTRAL DIVISION
The locks
Record: 29-2-7, 65 points
Playoff chances: 99.9% (Stathletes); 100% (Money Puck)
The Avalanche have two regulation losses through 38 games, and are the only team in the NHL to earn points in every home game this season (16-0-2). They’re going to threaten the Bruins’ records for most wins (65) and points (135) in an NHL regular season, thanks to the league’s best offense (4.00 goals per game) and defense (2.18 goals against per game). As powerful a juggernaut as the NHL has seen in quite some time.
MVP: Nathan MacKinnon. Nate Dog has been on a mission all season, scoring 66 points in his first 38 games. If that holds, it would be the highest points-per-60 average of his career. With 32 goals, he’s on pace for the first Rocket Richard Trophy of his career, too.
Record: 24-10-6, 54 points
Playoff chances: 99.9% (Stathletes); 99.2% (Money Puck)
The Quinn Hughes trade changed everything. It gave Minnesota the elite-level defenseman that other Western Conference contenders boasted. It super-charged the Wild’s offense: In their first eight games with Hughes, they averaged 4.13 goals per game; in their previous 32 games, they averaged 2.81. He’s averaging 27:14 in ice time and impacting every facet of their game.
MVP: Jesper Wallstedt. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov both had 47 points in 40 games to lead the Wild in scoring. But they are not The Wall of St. Paul. Wallstedt is 11-2-2 with a .931 save percentage in 15 games. The rookie hasn’t just stabilized the Minnesota goaltending — he has been one of the league’s best this season.
0:11
Jesper Wallstedt makes beautiful save
Jesper Wallstedt makes beautiful save
Record: 25-7-7, 57 points
Playoff chances: 98.9% (Stathletes); 99.7% (Money Puck)
For a long while this season, the Stars were keeping pace with the mighty Avalanche before falling eight points back after 39 games. There is absolutely no shame in a .731 points percentage and the league’s second-best record. There’s also probably a sense of relief that Glen Gulutzan stepped in behind the bench for Pete DeBoer and has managed to make Dallas a better offensive (3.49 GPG) and defensive (2.62 GAA) team this season.
MVPs: Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith. The Stars aren’t hurting for MVP options. Mikko Rantanen is among the NHL’s top points producers (54 in 38 games). Jason Robertson (23 goals) and Wyatt Johnston (20) have been filling the net. But we’re going to zag here. Oettinger (.910 save percentage) and DeSmith (.915 ) have elevated Dallas to the third-best goaltending in the league this season, with both among the league’s best in goals saved above expected.
Work to do
Record: 18-19-3, 39 points
Playoff chances: 75.0% (Stathletes); 28.5% (Money Puck)
Just a slight disparity here between the two stats sites regarding the Mammoth, who have been in and around the wild-card spots in the West for most of the season. They score about as much as they give up. Utah had a (.518) points percentage before star forward Logan Cooley (23 points in 29 games) was injured on Dec. 4. They’re 5-7-0 since then, with a considerably less-impactful offense (2.67 GPG).
MVP: Dylan Guenther. This could go to goaltender Karel Vejmelka by default, as he’s once again a one-man band in the crease, playing 29 games. But Guenther has been awesome, with 17 goals and 15 assists, including a team-high three overtime winners. He doesn’t always get the benefit of playing with Utah’s best offensive talents, but dominates nonetheless — his 10 go-ahead goals are tied with Cole Caufield, Morgan Geekie and Bo Horvat for the league lead.
Record: 15-18-4, 34 points
Playoff chances: 25.2% (Stathletes); 23.1% (Money Puck)
Connor Hellebuyck, the NHL’s top goaltender and league MVP last season, had arthroscopic knee surgery in late November to repair a lingering issue. His numbers are … fine: a .908 save percentage and a 9-9-3 record through 21 games. Analytically, he remains one of the league’s top goaltenders. But the Jets are starting him basically every game, and they are just 1-3-3 since he returned from the operating table.
MVP: Josh Morrissey. The Jets have gotten the usual performances from Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, who both have 45 points in 37 games. But Morrissey has been the team’s steadying presence in all facets of the game, with 30 points in 37 games and a plus-7, skating 24:26 per night.
Record: 17-17-4, 38 points
Playoff chances: 17.9% (Stathletes); 21.7% (Money Puck)
That the Predators are even in this conversation right now is nothing short of remarkable. They went from a countdown to trading veterans and changing coaches to a .500 points percentage, and they are now within range of a wild-card spot. Nashville has the sixth-best points percentage in the NHL (.692) since Dec. 1. That’s absurd, given where they were a month earlier.
MVP: Steven Stamkos. Just as absurd is the fact that Stamkos has been the one driving the bus offensively. He had four goals through 22 games, leading to trade speculation as well as debates about whether one of the NHL’s best goal scorers of the past 25 years had lost his mojo. In their December run, Stamkos had 11 goals and five assists in 13 games. Hey, if nothing else, his trade value is back up.
Long shots at best
Record: 15-17-8, 38 points
Playoff chances: 11.7% (Stathletes); 10.7% (Money Puck)
The Blues have managed to keep their heads just high enough above water to hang in the Western Conference wild-card race, but one wonders how long that’ll continue. Through 40 games, they were the worst offensive team in the NHL (2.50 GPG) in front of the league’s third most-porous goaltending (.879 save percentage).
MVP: Jake Neighbours. In a season with plenty of players missing their marks, the young forward has 10 goals and seven assists in 28 games during an injury-shortened season. He’s tracking for the best points-per-60 mark of his career.
Lottery-bound
Record: 14-18-6, 34 points
Playoff chances: 0.1% (Stathletes); 6.8% (Money Puck)
Well, it was fun while it lasted. The Blackhawks’ early-season success slipped into winter doldrums, having gone 4-10-1 in their past 15 games, the worst points percentage in the NHL during that span. They were always going to go as far as their depth, goalie Spencer Knight (10-11-5, .910 save percentage) and star center Connor Bedard could take them. Once Bedard went out … yikes.
MVP: Connor Bedard. Due respect to the season that Knight has had, but the fact that Chicago went 1-7-0 after Bedard’s shoulder injury is everything you need to know about his value. Well, that and 44 points in 31 games.
PACIFIC DIVISION
The locks
Record: 17-9-11, 45 points
Playoff chances: 99.0% (Stathletes); 92.8% (Money Puck)
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As in tradition, we’ve yet to see the awesome power of this fully armed and operational Death Star in the regular season. The Golden Knights have had several players in and out of the lineup, with players like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin and William Karlsson missing time because of injury.
Vegas has played through all of this to earn the fourth-best points percentage (.608) in the West, thanks to the third-best expected goals against at 5-on-5 in the league. Even the most bleary-eyed Vegas tourist could see the potential here if the Golden Knights are at full capacity for the postseason — which has a funny way of happening. That established: They’d look a bit better with a healthy Adin Hill than what Carter Hart has been giving them since he signed with Vegas.
MVP: Jack Eichel. Just because he has missed some time in the lineup doesn’t diminish his accomplishments this season, with 12 goals and 29 assists in 31 games, including three game-winning goals. And that’s with just two penalty minutes, to boot.
Record: 20-14-6, 46 points
Playoff chances: 96.7% (Stathletes); 84.5% (Money Puck)
The biggest news for the winner of the past two Western Conference titles has been their attempt to finally address their systemic goaltending problems. Stuart Skinner was sent to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry (and the rest of Jarry’s contract). Connor Ingram, having percolated in the AHL after arriving from Utah, has looked good in a small sample. Calvin Pickard, a holdover from the previous goaltending batteries, still has his moments of glory, counterbalanced with moments of «Hey, we should probably rethink our goaltending.»
MVP: Connor McDavid. Around 14 games ago, McDavid decided he was going to propel the Oilers back to the top of the division. McDavid had 33 points in those 14 games (2.36 per game), including 13 goals. That’s sick. But that’s McDavid.
0:38
Connor McDavid scores short-handed goal vs. Bruins
Connor McDavid scores short-handed goal vs. Bruins
Work to do
Record: 16-13-9, 31 points
Playoff chances: 80.2% (Stathletes); 75.6% (Money Puck)
The Anze Kopitar Farwell Tour sees the legendary center with 20 points in 34 games while playing his expected brand of defense. Defense certainly hasn’t been the issue for the Kings, who are second to Colorado in goals against per game (2.55) through 38 games. Offense, however, has been the challenge: The Kings are 29th in goals per game, and that lack of scoring has cost them this season with a .417 winning percentage in one-goal games.
MVP: Darcy Kuemper. Money Puck and Stathletes both have Kuemper on the right side of goals above expected, and he has been a stabilizing force for the Kings. Kuemper has a .917 save percentage and two shutouts.
Record: 21-16-2, 44 points
Playoff chances: 73.2% (Stathletes); 67.9% (Money Puck)
What happened to our sweet offensive steamroller? The Ducks averaged 3.6 goals per game through the first 25 games of the season, second only to the Avalanche. Over their past 14 games, that average has dipped down to 2.86 — one reason why they went from a .620 points percentage in that earlier stretch to .464 in December.
Among the players whose hot starts cooled significantly: Chris Kreider, who has one goal in his past 14 games; Cutter Gauthier (eight points in 14 games) and Leo Carlsson (eight points in 13 games).
MVP: Lukas Dostal. Even when the Ducks were crushing opponents, their climb up the standings was only possible because of Dostal. That established, we reserve the right to hand this award to Carlsson if Dostal’s current play continues: He has been pulled from games more times (twice) than he has won (once) in his past five appearances.
Long shots at best
Record: 17-18-4, 38 points
Playoff chances: 8.9% (Stathletes); 31% (Money Puck)
The emergence of Devin Cooley coupled with Dustin Wolf finding his game again gives the Flames one of the better goaltending batteries in the conference. They’ve had a strong month (8-4-0), but can they score enough?
MVP: Nazem Kadri. Coach Ryan Huska’s low-event hockey doesn’t offer many moments for offensive achievement, but Kadri has 31 points (including eight goals) in 39 games to lead the team. That includes 11 points on the team’s dreadful power play.
Record: 16-14-7, 39 points
Playoff chances: 6.5% (Stathletes); 31.1% (Money Puck)
Like with the Flames, the stats sites are significantly split on whether the Kraken’s push in the West is real. Seattle has seen some wild variance in its underlying numbers, as its expected goals against (24th) are much higher than its actual goals against (fifth) at 5-on-5. But the Kraken are yet another team that doesn’t seem to have the offensive horses to drag a great defensive club to the playoffs, despite an impressive 14 goals from Jordan Eberle.
MVP: Philipp Grubauer. One of the NHL’s most unlikely resurgences this season. The Kraken know they can count on Joey Daccord to provide solid goaltending, but last season Grubauer’s disastrous campaign — especially analytically — didn’t given them a second good option in goal. This season, Grubauer has a 6-3-1 record with a .917 save percentage and a better goals saved above expected than Daccord.
Lottery-bound
Record: 19-17-3, 41 points
Playoff chances: 5.1% (Stathletes); 17.1% (Money Puck)
The heart wants this freaky party in the Shark Tank to continue into the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sharks are one of the most entertaining teams in the NHL. That doesn’t quite make them a «good» team yet, as the playoff chances and the 31st-ranked defense in the league would indicate. But fun nonetheless.
MVP: Macklin Celebrini. Yeah, a real spoiler warning on this one, right? Through 39 games, the 19-year-old Celebrini has 60 points, which is not going to help him beat the «next Sidney Crosby» rap. He’s 31 points better than the next-highest scorer on the Sharks, as well as nine goals better than the next-highest goal scorer. He’s an absolute superstar, and he’s just getting started.
Record: 16-19-3, 35 points
Playoff chances: 1.8% (Stathletes); 10.5% (Money Puck)
Rebuild, reboot, retool, reconfiguration, regurgitation … whatever word the Canucks are using this week to describe their post-Quinn Hughes Era is probably applicable. Vancouver’s 6-4-0 record in the past 10 games was a nice little uptick, but the franchise is better off with this being a lost season — and with more trades to be made, it likely will be.
MVP: Kiefer Sherwood. What a time to be alive when Sherwood was scoring at will earlier this season. He has 16 goals in 38 games, without question the most on Vancouver, but the real value he has given the Canucks is increasing the return when they eventually trade the pending UFA.
