NHL Power Rankings: Every team's midseason MVP
This is the seventh in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.
In this edition, we select every team's MVP at the halfway point.
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1. Vegas Golden Knights (29-11-3)
Previous: 1
Jack Eichel. The American's evolution into a premier two-way center in Vegas has been a treat to watch. Eichel is on pace to crush his career high in points and has dominated opponents at five-on-five. He's going to fly past the Golden Knights' single-season scoring record of 78 points set by William Karlsson in the team's first campaign.
2. Washington Capitals (28-10-5)
Previous: 3
Alex Ovechkin. How could we not go with the guy who's in hot pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record? Despite missing 16 games with a broken leg, Ovi still leads the Capitals with 20 goals in 27 outings. He injects an unbelievable amount of energy into the lineup, so much so that it's hard to believe he's turning 40 in September.
3. Winnipeg Jets (29-12-3)
Previous: 2
Connor Hellebuyck. Though Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele are on pace for career years, the Jets' MVP is easily Hellebuyck. The veteran netminder has an NHL-best .928 save percentage and is the clear front-runner for the Vezina Trophy. He should be a rare goaltender in consideration for the Hart, too.
4. Minnesota Wild (27-13-4)
Previous: 5
Kirill Kaprizov. The Russian hasn't played since Dec. 23 but remains firmly in the race for the Hart Trophy. No Wild player has ever been a finalist for league MVP. Kaprizov has electrified with his dazzling skill and remains on pace for more than 100 points despite missing nine games so far.
5. Dallas Stars (27-14-1)
Previous: 13
Miro Heiskanen. Dallas' No. 1 rearguard logs more than 25 minutes per night and carries a huge load in matchup responsibilities among a Stars defensive corps that isn't as deep as years past. Matt Duchene may lead the team in scoring, but Dallas would not be able to stay afloat without Heiskanen's contributions.
6. Edmonton Oilers (26-13-3)
Previous: 7
Leon Draisaitl. It feels odd to not give this mantle to Connor McDavid, but Draisaitl has simply left us no choice. He was the first player to reach 30 goals this season, and he's on pace for a career-high 60 tallies. The superstar continues to reach new heights, and that's a scary thing for the rest of the league.
7. Los Angeles Kings (24-11-5)
Previous: 6
The Anderson-Gavrikov pair. The Kings have been without Drew Doughty all season yet lead the NHL in five-on-five goals for at 59.2%. Vladislav Gavrikov and Mikey Anderson have formed the NHL's premier shutdown pair in Doughty's absence. The duo has allowed just 1.64 expected goals against per 60, the best mark among any pairing in the league that has played more than 250 minutes together.
8. Carolina Hurricanes (26-15-3)
Previous: 9
Martin Necas. Sebastian Aho might overtake this spot before long, but Necas is the team leader in points (50) at the midway mark. Good thing they didn't trade him.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs (27-15-2)
Previous: 11
Mitch Marner. Things could've gone off the rails in Toronto with Auston Matthews' injury troubles and a lack of a contract extension for Marner. Instead, the pending UFA stepped up in Matthews' absence and has quieted talk about his contract status with his typical superb two-way play (Thursday's atrocious minus-6 against the Carolina Hurricanes aside).
10. Colorado Avalanche (26-17-1)
Previous: 10
Nathan MacKinnon. This title could have also gone to the Avalanche's two new saviors between the pipes, but we're going to go with the guy who leads the league with 68 points in 44 games. MacKinnon is just silly, man, and another Hart Trophy could be in his future.
11. New Jersey Devils (26-15-4)
Previous: 4
Jacob Markstrom. Remember where the Devils were last season? As great as Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt have been, the biggest difference-maker this campaign has been Markstrom. The Swede has provided goaltending New Jersey simply didn't get on a night-to-night basis a year ago.
12. Florida Panthers (25-15-3)
Previous: 12
Sam Reinhart. He's proving last season's outburst was no fluke as he ranks second in the NHL with 25 goals while leading the Panthers' scoring list by 10. Reinhart's also contributing Selke-caliber defense, and he's blossomed into the defending champions' most important player after playing a secondary or tertiary role much of his career.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (23-15-3)
Previous: 8
Nikita Kucherov. No Steven Stamkos, no problem for Kucherov. The Russian is on pace for his third 100-point campaign in a row and is the primary reason why Tampa Bay's power play remains among the best in the league.
14. Calgary Flames (20-14-7)
Previous: 16
Dustin Wolf. The undersized netminder boasts a .916 save percentage and an impressive 14-6-2 record as a rookie. The Flames are playing at a 112-point pace with Wolf between the pipes. If Calgary surprises by making the playoffs, don't overlook Wolf as a serious contender for the Calder Trophy.
15. Detroit Red Wings (20-18-4)
Previous: 28
Lucas Raymond. The upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off could be the stage where the Swede becomes viewed as a true star in the league. Raymond leads all under-23 players in scoring with 17 goals and 46 points. It's been a splendid campaign that hasn't received nearly enough recognition.
16. Vancouver Canucks (19-13-10)
Previous: 14
Quinn Hughes. His 47 points in 38 contests are third among NHL defensemen. Most importantly, Hughes is going to be vital in determining the Canucks' fate in the second half. As captain, it'll fall on his shoulders to help Vancouver manage the outside noise if it hopes to hang onto a playoff spot.
17. Montreal Canadiens (20-18-4)
Previous: 25
Cole Caufield. The Canadiens haven't had a 40-goal scorer in 31 years, since Vincent Damphousse did it in 1993-94. Patrik Laine could turn a few would-be Caufield goals into assists down the stretch, but the American is still on pace for his first 40-goal campaign.
18. Ottawa Senators (21-18-3)
Previous: 17
Linus Ullmark. Oh, the difference good goaltending can make. The Senators are 8-0-1 in Ullmark's past 10 starts, and the 2023 Vezina winner has an insane .952 save percentage over that stretch. The Swede has been out since Dec. 22. With him, Ottawa is a playoff team. Without him, it gets complicated.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (20-17-6)
Previous: 24
Zach Werenski. The 27-year-old leads the NHL in minutes per game and paces the Blue Jackets in scoring. In fact, he's on pace to break the single-season franchise points record. It doesn't get more "team MVP" than that.
20. St. Louis Blues (20-20-4)
Previous: 20
Jordan Kyrou. The Blues lack dynamic offensive players, but Kyrou's been the best of the bunch with 38 points through 44 games. St. Louis' offense would sorely lack speed and creativity without Kyrou's contributions.
21. Boston Bruins (21-19-5)
Previous: 15
David Pastrnak. He's the focal point of a lot of heat with the Bruins struggling to string together wins, but Pastrnak is still a point-per-game player through 45 games on a team with no one else even close. The issue with Boston's woeful offense is its lack of depth, not its top player.
22. New York Islanders (17-18-7)
Previous: 22
Anders Lee. Oh captain, my captain. The 34-year-old has turned back the clock and is on pace for his first 30-goal campaign since 2018. Lee nearly has as many goals through 42 games as he did last season.
23. Utah Hockey Club (18-17-7)
Previous: 18
Mikhail Sergachev. Injuries to top-four defenders Sean Durzi and John Marino could've plummeted Utah to the bottom of the league. Sergachev has played a career-high 25:52 per game to carry the workload on the back end in their absences. Only Zach Werenski in Columbus has averaged more minutes this season.
24. Pittsburgh Penguins (18-19-8)
Previous: 21
Sidney Crosby. Who else? This is an evergreen statement. Crosby is eyeing his 20th consecutive point-per-game season, which would break a tie with Gretzky for the most in NHL history. Sid leads the Penguins with 48 points in 45 games this campaign, and he'll need to keep it up if Pittsburgh hopes to make the playoffs.
25. Philadelphia Flyers (18-20-5)
Previous: 19
Travis Konecny. Locking up Konecny early was a smart move by general manager Daniel Briere. The 27-year-old is cruising toward career highs in goals and points, will feature for Team Canada at the 4 Nations, and is signed through 2033 at a reasonable $8.75-million cap hit.
26. New York Rangers (20-20-2)
Previous: 29
Adam Fox. While everything around Fox has seemingly gone awry for the Rangers, the 2021 Norris Trophy winner has remained his typical self. Fox has won his five-on-five minutes 33-24 and has a sparkling 57.3% expected goals for.
27. Seattle Kraken (18-23-3)
Previous: 23
Joey Daccord. Can someone check on Daccord to make sure he's OK? His running mate, Philipp Grubauer, is borderline unplayable at times and the Kraken in general have been pretty bad of late. Daccord is still chugging along, though, with a .912 save percentage and 13-9-2 record. Help him.
28. Anaheim Ducks (18-20-5)
Previous: 26
Lukas Dostal. Backstopping these Ducks with their minus-27 goal differential can't be easy, but Dostal sure is doing an admirable job. He owns a .910 save percentage and 2.89 goals against average across 25 starts and honestly deserves more than the 11 wins he has.
29. Buffalo Sabres (16-22-5)
Previous: 27
Tage Thompson. If there's a silver lining in Buffalo's dreadful season, it's Thompson looking like a superstar again. He leads the club with 34 points in 38 games after a tough 2023-24 in which he failed to meet expectations.
30. Nashville Predators (13-22-7)
Previous: 30
Jonathan Marchessault. After a slow start, Marchessault has rounded into form since early December. He has nine goals and 18 points in his past 14 games after notching just five goals and 13 points in his first 28 contests.
31. San Jose Sharks (13-26-6)
Previous: 32
Macklin Celebrini. The 2024 first overall pick has made the Sharks a fun team to watch despite still being in the league's basement. Celebrini plays like a 30-year-old veteran, not the youngest player in the NHL.
32. Chicago Blackhawks (14-27-2)
Previous: 31
Connor Bedard. The 19-year-old had a nine-game point streak end Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Bedard remains Chicago's best and most exciting player by a wide margin.
(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)