Habs hold top spot in NHL Power Rankings

As great as the Habs have been historically, they've never started a season like this, a much-improved possession team in the early going backstopped by the best goaltender on the planet.

Key Injuries: None.

With Evgeny Kuznetsov busting out, the Capitals offence is going to be tough to keep under wraps, and having two high-end centres gives Washington options when they want to move Alex Ovechkin around the lineup.

Key Injuries: None.

While G Kari Lehtonen hasn't improved yet on last season's numbers, Antti Niemi has been an upgrade and competent goaltending goes a long way for a team that can score like this. LW Jamie Benn and C Tyler Seguin are tied for the lead and, barring injury, they are going to remain in that race all season.

Key Injuries: RW Patrick Eaves (lower body).

The defence is the backbone for this Predators team, and its a good value group (at least aside from Shea Weber's forever deal), but the strong start has been augmented by G Pekka Rinne in top form and RW James Neal sniping six goals in eight games. The man knows his business.

Key Injuries: None.

The Blues will need to be creative to fill some holes up front, but they are getting the benefit of inserting some quality rookies into the lineup, whether it's Robby Fabbri on the wing or defencemen Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson.

Key Injuries: LW Patrik Berglund (shoulder), D Kevin Shattenkirk (lower body), C Paul Stastny (foot), LW Jaden Schwartz (ankle).

The Kings started slowly, losing three in a row, but they are coming on, with the league's best possession stats and five straight wins.

Key Injuries: LW Dwight King (foot), D Matt Greene (upper body).

RW Blake Wheeler has a point in all eight games and the Jets offence has been boosted by rookie LW Nikolaj Ehlers, who has six points, and a team-leading 28 shots on goal.

Key Injuries: None.

The Rangers are having success even when their star scorers aren't producing. Rookie C Oscar Lindberg leads the way with five goals and seven points, while wingers Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller have contributed six points. Guess it's a good thing that teh goaltending has been awesome (.940 SV%).

Key Injuries: LW Viktor Stalberg (head).

There was some regression expected with the Triplets, but C Tyler Johnson has yet to score a goal, and RW Nikita Kucherov doesn't have an assist, so the Lightning aren't quite the force of nature that they were last season. 

Key Injuries: None.

G Martin Jones is off to an excellent start (.940 SV% in seven games), which has masked some early problems, but the Sharks are also doing a nice job spotting in some young forwards as they try to keep the lineup fresh.

Key Injuries: Raffi Torres (suspension), RW Joonas Donskoi (lower body), C Logan Couture (fibula).

Goaltending has fallen off, as expected, from last season and possession numbers are mediocre, but the Wild are getting some goals from snipers Zach Parise, who has seven, and Thomas Vanek, who has four, on their way to a solid record.

Key Injuries: None.

The goaltending has been great and the Islanders have some good depth up front, even if a few are underachieving, but there is some concern with their possession drop, to where they are currently 23rd using score-adjusted metrics.

Key Injuries: D Thomas Hickey (lower body).

Not as dominant as in recent seasons, and trying to tread water without Duncan Keith, the Blackhawks are getting strong goaltending from Corey Crawford as well as production from Patrick Kane and Russian rookie Artem Panarin to keep them afloat.

Key Injuries: D Duncan Keith (knee).

Detroit's possession numbers have crashed and that's definitely a concern, but it's not all bad news. rookie C Dylan Larkin is looking like a future star and, along with Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, represents the next generation of Red Wings scorers.

Key Injuries: LW Johan Franzen (concussion), D Mike Green (upper body), C Pavel Datsyuk (ankle), C Brad Richards (back).

43-year-old Jaromir Jagr is giving the Panthers all they could ask for, and then some, scoring six goal and four assists in eight games, but his super start has overshadowed Florida's strong goaltending, which ranks fourth in the league with a .933 save percentage.

Key Injuries: C Aleksander Barkov (wrist).

There seems to be no chance that the Coyotes are going to maintain this start, but for a team with no expectations, getting early production from rookies Max Domi (10 points) and Anthony Duclair (seven points) has added some excitement.

Key Injuries: C Martin Hanzal (lower body), C Antoine Vermette (lower body).

There were no expectations on the Devils either, and while their overall play is still shaky, they have been getting production from one line -- Mike Cammalleri, Adam Henrique and Lee Stempniak; an obvious number-one line if there ever was one.

Key Injuries: LW Ryane Clowe (concussion), LW Patrik Elias (knee).

For a Flyers team that has struggled to score, maybe they should bite the bullet a bit and play Sam Gagner, who has four points in five games, some more. The Flyers have managed to be competitive early, even while C Claude Giroux and RW Jakub Voracek aren't quite in midseason form.

Key Injuries: C Sean Couturier (upper body).

The top end of the depth chart is performing well, though it could be better if RW Bobby Ryan could get on track, but there are some questions to be answered regarding depth performance if the Sens are going to be better than mediocre.

Key Injuries: LW Clarke MacArthur (concussion), D Marc Methot (concussion), LW Mike Hoffman (lower body).

It seemed unfathomable that the Penguins, with Phil Kessel joining Sidney Crosby on the top line, would have trouble scoring, but they have and Kessel is now getting a turn alongside Evgeni Malkin as Pittsburgh tries to find the right combinations to take advantage of their high-end skill.

Key Injuries: C Eric Fehr (elbow), RW Beau Bennett (undisclosed).

G Ryan Miller (.926 SV%) has been really good, which helps hide some bumps that come with the development process of young players. The Canucks defence is benefitting from the addition of Ben Hutton, but young forwards Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen, Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi are all works in progress.

Key Injuries: LW Chris Higgins (foot).

While there are some teams whose flaws have been hidden by goaltending, it hasn't worked that way for the Bruins, who have played okay since the return of Zdeno Chara, but have watched G Tuukka Rask struggle (.854 SV%). On the plus side, C David Krejci is rebounding from a miserable season and is tied for the scoring lead.

Key Injuries: None.

The Oilers haven't found the answers they were looking for on the blueline, but C Connor McDavid is already looking like a gamebreaker and RW Nail Yakupov is starting to fulfill his promise. 

Key Injuries: RW Jordan Eberle (shoulder), D Griffin Reinhart (undisclosed), D Justin Schultz (undisclosed).

It's no surprise that the Avs, a team without interest in analytics, have the league's worst possession stats. Even better, Patrick Roy gets to make five-year-old arguments about the flaws of Corsi, rather than figure out how to stop this slow-motion car crash.

Key Injuries: D Brad Stuart (back).

Shooting and goaltending woes continue to plague a Hurricanes team that is controlling play like a contender. If one Hurricanes skater could be better, my vote is for C Jordan Staal, who is still looking for his first point and has eight shots on goal in eight games. 

Key Injuries: D James Wisniewski (knee).

Results haven't been ideal, but the Sabres are trying to make a go of it with subpar goaltending in the absence of Robin Lehner and there's been substantial territorial progress over last year's disastrous campaign.

Key Injuries: D Zach Bogosian (lower body), G Robin Lehner (ankle), LW Evander Kane (knee).

The Flames were prime regression candidates coming into the season, but it was reasonable enough to hope that additions like D Dougie Hamilton, RW Michael Frolik and C/LW Sam Bennett could help stem that anticipated statistical slide. Trouble is, Hamilton has struggled and Calgary hasn't been able to find an answer in goal, so all the heart in the world doesn't make up for those shortcomings.

Key Injuries: D T.J. Brodie (hand), LW Lance Bouma (fibula).

The Maple Leafs are playing competitive hockey at 5-on-5, but their special teams have been terrible and the goaltending isn't doing its part to keep the team in games.

Key Injuries: C Tyler Bozak (lower body), D Jake Gardiner (lower body).

What more can be said about the Ducks' spectacular inability to score? This is the shocking early development of this NHL season.

Key Injuries: D Simon Despres (upper body).

G Sergei Bobrovsky's terrible start (.852 SV%) put the Blue Jackets behind the eight-ball to start the season, and cost head coach Todd Richards his job, and the John Tortorella era isn't beginning smoothly, with franchise centre Ryan Johansen returned to Columbus to undergo tests. If the goaltending corrects itself and the Blue Jackets could do something to upgrade their defence, they still have a chance to rally the troops.

Key Injuries: C Ryan Johansen (illness).