Now that we’re a few weeks into the season, we can start to get a feel for who these teams really are, and how off-season transactions are looking.
Although some general managers were certainly busier than others in the summer (we're looking at you, Jim Benning), all of them tackled long to-do lists ahead of the year. Priorities varied from bringing in fresh faces to locking up those already in-house (again, Benning), and the results are now starting to trickle in.
From newly re-signed franchise cornerstones and captains to players acquired in free agency and on the trade market, this week's Power Rankings highlights one player on each team who's making his GM look mighty smart. It's our Early Return On Investments edition. Let's dig in.
1. Carolina Hurricanes (9-0)
Eight wins in eight starts has new No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen – and his undefeated team – atop the standings, and our rankings. His numbers so far (1.50 goals against average, .949 save percentage) have him on pace for his best statistical season by a mile.
2. Florida Panthers (8-0-1)
The 2021-22 season is perhaps Aleksander Barkov’s last as the NHL’s biggest bargain at $5.9 million AAV, having signed an eight-year extension just before puckdrop on the year. If his five goals and 10 points through the first nine games of the season are any indication, the Panthers’ $80-million investment is well worth it.
3. Edmonton Oilers (8-1)
Nine points in nine games for Zach Hyman, but are we surprised? Not one bit – the gritty winger brings the perfect skillset to complement his new cast of MVP linemates.
4. St. Louis Blues (6-1-1)
He’s had to miss a few games while in COVID-19 protocol, but free agency pickup Brandon Saad has already proven to be a strong and versatile fit with the club throughout the lineup.
5. Washington Capitals (5-1-3)
Five! More! Years!
@ovi8 tied his own @Capitals record by beginning the season with points in eight straight games, a feat he first accomplished during his rookie campaign of 2005-06 and was matched by Alexander Semin in 2006-07.#NHLStats: https://t.co/qNrXIEgUGx pic.twitter.com/vTsQBlO5jc
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 2, 2021
6. Calgary Flames (6-1-2)
Centring the red-hot Flames' most reliable line, Blake Coleman is looking like he might just have been the missing piece to get this club moving.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (5-3-1)
Getting ahead of the curve by re-signing Brayden Point long before he’s due – he’s still playing on his three-year bridge deal this season, with his $9.5-million AAV kicking in next year – was GM Julien BriseBoise’s most impressive maneuvering this off-season.
8. Minnesota Wild (6-3-0)
He may have been slow to light the lamp, but Kirill Kaprizov – Minnesota’s new $9.5-million man – is looking more and more like his Calder Trophy-winning self. His seven assists through nine games lead the team.
9. New York Rangers (6-2-2)
From $925,000 to $9.5 million after signing a seven-year extension, defenceman Adam Fox looks like he’s once again in Norris form. (And for the record, he’s still playing on his ELC. Wild!)
10. Vegas Golden Knights (4-5-0)
He’s not playing any time soon, but the answer is still Jack Eichel.
11. Colorado Avalanche (4-4-1)
Captain Gabriel Landeskog is here to stay, and his team-leading 10 points through seven games tells us exactly how he feels about his shiny new eight-year deal.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs (5-4-1)
New fan favourite Michael Bunting has been everything the Maple Leafs need him to be, particularly in some tough days to start the season. He’s played just about everywhere, and brings the kind of grit and net-front presence the club lost when Zach Hyman went to Edmonton.
13. Winnipeg Jets (5-2-2)
Look away, Canucks fans. Since landing on Winnipeg’s blue line, Nate Schmidt has been the Nate Schmidt circa Vegas, not Vancouver.
14. Pittsburgh Penguins (3-3-2)
Danton Heinen.
That’s it, that’s the writeup.
15. Buffalo Sabres (5-3-1)
Veteran netminder Craig Anderson has been a bit of a revelation in Buffalo, but considering the news of the day – the Jack Eichel saga is over, at last! – Sabres fans can revel in the return of top prospect Peyton Krebs, forward Alex Tuch, a pair of picks, and finally ... closure.
16. New York Islanders (3-2-2)
Fresh off signing a three-year, $12-million pact and securing the No. 1 gig on Long Island, Ilya Sorokin is certainly looking like a starter. Although his record is a little shaky through seven starts, he’s shown flashes of brilliance (including a 42-save shutout against Vegas late last month).
17. Boston Bruins (4-3-0)
No Tuukka Rask on the roster to start the season brought questions in the crease, but with a 3-1 record, a decent 2.23 GAA and .927 SV% through his first four games, former Sabre Linus Ullmark is showing Boston he might be their answer.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets (6-3-0)
Looks like we might have that rare, wonderful, win-win one-for-one trade here between Columbus and Philadelphia. While Cam Atkinson thrives with the Flyers, Jakub Voracek is also looking revitalized by his new surroundings. The 32-year-old is averaging a point per game with a team-leading nine assists.
19. New Jersey Devils (4-3-1)
The top prize of the 2021 off-season, Dougie Hamilton, looks right at home on the Devils’ blue line, and is producing accordingly. He leads the team in assists (four) and his six points has him part of a three-way tie for top spot.
20. San Jose Sharks (6-3-0)
The Sharks have two new faces in net in James Reimer (free agency) and Adin Hill (trade), but it’s Reimer who’s standing out early in the season. The veteran has won three of his four starts this season, posting an impressive 1.54 goals-against average and .950 save percentage – numbers good enough to place him just behind the league’s top performer, Frederik Andersen.
21. Philadelphia Flyers (5-2-1)
Cam Atkinson, who landed in Philadelphia as one half of the one-for-one deal that sent Jakob Voracek to Columbus, looks right at home in the Flyers’ top six, leading the club in goals (six) through eight games and sitting third in points, with seven.
22. Nashville Predators (5-5-0)
He’s twice flirted with free agency, and twice landed back in Nashville. Now, we’re finally seeing the Mikael Granlund we expected when he was traded to the Predators in 2018-19. Since signing a four-year, $20-million pact, he’s put up a pair of goals and eight points in 10 games.
23. Dallas Stars (3-4-2)
First, he set the market for this year’s group of generational d-men with his eight-year extension. Now, Miro Heiskanen is setting the scoring pace in Dallas – his seven points through nine games gives him the team lead, and his trio of power-play points should have opponents nervous.
24. Detroit Red Wings (4-4-2)
Bending our own rules here, but ... fresh off signing his entry-level deal in the spring, 2020 first-rounder Lucas Raymond is already playing like a veteran – his four goals in 10 games place him second on the team, and his nine points have him tied for first.
25. Vancouver Canucks (4-5-1)
Jim Benning had the busiest of off-seasons, and while newly re-signed Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson are putting up points as expected, it’s trade target Conor Garland who’s making the GM look like a genius.
26. Anaheim Ducks (4-4-3)
Re-signing longtime captain Ryan Getzlaf wasn’t just good for the locker room leadership – the 36-year-old is piling up the points like he’s 26, and currently has himself a four-game, six-point streak going.
27. Los Angeles Kings (4-5-1)
Phillip Danault isn’t one to show up a ton on the scoresheet, but his impact down the middle of L.A. is certainly being felt.
28. Ottawa Senators (3-5-1)
With a goal and six points through nine games so far, veteran addition Tyler Ennis, who signed a one-year deal worth $900,000 in October, is already just three points shy of last season's totals with Edmonton.
29. Seattle Kraken (3-6-1)
On a team full of new additions, it’s *checks notes* Brandon Tanev who’s captured the hearts of the Kraken – and not just because of his team-leading six goals.
The Tanev cam is our new favourite thing, @SeattleKraken!
: @sound_hockey pic.twitter.com/FZzj4kDUJQ— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 29, 2021
30. Montreal Canadiens (3-8-0)
Not much is going right offensively for the Canadiens, who are averaging just two goals per game (29th league-wide) through their first 11 games. But newcomer Mike Hoffman, who signed a three-year, $13.5-million pact in July, is easing the struggle.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (1-8-2)
Seth Jones has made an immediate impact on Chicago’s blue line, but there’s still plenty of work to be done around him.
32. Arizona Coyotes (0-9-1)
With five assists to his name, former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere has been looking more like his old self through his first 10 games in the desert. His play has been one of just a few bright spots for Arizona.
