Markstrom could be that type of difference-maker for Calgary. Whoever said "defense wins championships" never ran up on a hot goalie in the playoffs. How much better will he make the Golden Knights? What type of postseason impact can Eichel have, considering we've never seen him play in the NHL playoffs? The Vegas Hope-O-Meter should be off the charts on this one. It's the debut everyone is waiting for: Eichel, suiting up Wednesday for the first time in Vegas after being acquired from Buffalo and having herniated disk surgery. The Capitals will be in a fight for playoff seeding in the highly contested Metropolitan Division, and if anyone has the potential to push his team past the competition, it's Ovechkin. Ovechkin is also the best player on a team that asks a lot of him and he continues to deliver. You want hope for today and tomorrow? Kaprizov's that guy. Kaprizov kicked off 2022 with 21 points in 13 games, making an already-strong Wild team even more dangerous. Where was the heralded scoring stud Minnesota supposedly had in its ranks? Well, he's here. You were a little worried about Kaprizov back in the fall.
The Lighting are truly a sum of their parts, and it's taken them places they should be optimistic about reaching again. To single out any one player or one factor does this group a disservice. When one gives out a bit, another picks up. The Lightning's success comes from consistency in all phases - veteran leadership, depth of scoring, a solid blue line and MVP-caliber goaltending. If any team can operate well under pressure, it's Tampa. Resilience is a superpower in the playoffs, and Pittsburgh's got it. The Penguins have kept humming along, even improving. Other players have zipped in and out of the lineup, too. Most recently, Evgeni Malkin has missed time and there's still a search going for his ideal linemates. and not fully stocked? Pittsburgh took over the Metropolitan Division's top spot last week, which wouldn't normally be notable except it happened without the Penguins being fully healthy or figured out. The caveat is, as always, what can they add in the playoffs? Cautious optimism suggests it could be a whole lot. Both have, at times, tried to pull Toronto through recent rough patches. Both are peaking this season around the same time. It's all about the Maple Leafs' Big Two: Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. He's the present, and the future, of the franchise. The only Carolina Hurricane who has ever had more? Ron Francis (10). Consider that Aho is the Hurricanes' leading scorer and already has 20 goals this season, for the sixth 20-goal campaign of his career. Florida has yet to be shut out and has had only three (3!) occasions all season where it has scored only a single goal. The Panthers have averaged over four goals per game this season to lead the league in that category. Plus, have we mentioned that Cale Makar has only gotten better this season? Top to bottom, Colorado stays consistent. Even more impressive, Colorado had dealt with superstar Nathan MacKinnon's absences seamlessly, and Nazem Kadri's superb (and, potentially Hart Trophy-contending?) season only gets better. In 20 games since the start of 2022, the Avs have lost exactly one game in regulation. Points paces are through Tuesday's games. Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the last edition, published on Feb.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors rates teams against one another - taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule - and those results are tabulated to produce the list featured here. From top performers to comeback stories to future considerations, there's bound to be something about which to smile. Every franchise has at least one Reason For Optimism (RFO), and we're here to highlight it alongside this week's power rankings. Welcome to the second half of this 2021-22 NHL season, where hope springs eternal for all 32 teams.
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NHL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus reasons for optimism for every team
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