NHL Player Power Rankings: Kane, Holtby keeping their teams on top
All-Star Weekend has come and gone, and as the countdown begins to the trade deadline at the end of February, a number of players continue to provide more value than their teams can afford to lose.
The Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks have remained atop their respective conferences thanks to incredible performances throughout their lineups with a mix of high-end scoring and premier goaltending.
Meanwhile, other superstars continue to keep their teams competitive as this year's playoff race looks like it will go down to the final weeks.
Here are the league's top players through four months of action:
1. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 30 | 43 | 14 | 52.8 |
This is simply a no-brainer, as Kane is set to lead the league in scoring for the third consecutive month.
While leading the NHL in both goals and assists, the 27-year-old also sits in the top five in plus-minus (plus-22), game-winners (6), and shots on goal (190). It's going to take a lot for Kane to fall down this list in the coming months.
2. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 30-5-3 | 2.07 | .929 | 2 |
Of the 15 goalies who have started at least 24 games this season, Holtby is the only man with fewer than 10 regulation losses on the season, and it's anyone's guess when, or if, he'll reach that mark.
He only has one regulation loss since Nov. 10, and is in great position to become the first goalie to win 50 games in NHL history.
3. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 11 | 41 | 18 | 51.9 |
Even with his team outside a playoff position, Karlsson's third Norris Trophy is looking like a lock as the defenseman sits fourth in the scoring race.
The 25-year-old has surpassed Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter to lead the league with 28:51 of ice time per game, and is on pace to become the first 80-point blue-liner in a decade.
4. Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
| Name | GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benn | 50 | 28 | 30 | 16 | 56.1 |
| Seguin | 50 | 25 | 28 | 14 | 55.6 |
A joint entry is due for the Stars' two-headed monster that sits second and third in league scoring respectively, despite individual and team struggles in recent weeks.
While the captain has recovered with six points in his last seven, the Stars will need a similar bounce-back from Seguin - who has just three points in January - in order to keep up with Chicago in the Central.
5. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 15 | 34 | 14 | 51.1 |
The early season production from Kuznetsov wasn't an aberration, and the best may still be yet to come from the young winger.
The 23-year-old's 16 points in January trailed only Kane despite playing four fewer games. His production is even more impressive considering he receives significantly less power-play time per game (2:12) than the rest of the league's top 10 scorers - Taylor Hall is closest at 2:55.
6. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 52.7 |
After putting up 46 assists or more in his first six seasons, it's incredible to think Ovechkin is likely to fall short of the 30-assist mark for a fifth straight year.
But no one can deny his sniping ability: The Capitals captain hasn't gone three games without a goal since mid-December, while January saw him become the fifth-fastest player to score 500 goals in NHL history.
7. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 28-12-2 | 2.14 | .931 | 7 |
There's no arguing that the Blackhawks have one of the most talented rosters in the league, but it's no longer possible to claim the team is succeeding in spite of lackluster goaltending.
Crawford has been lights out in 2016 with a 9-2-0 record and has yet to allow more than three goals in a game so far in the new year. His league-leading seven shutouts match the total he racked up over his three previous seasons.
8. Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 55.1 |
Despite continued dominance by the Blackhawks and Capitals and a recent surge from the Lightning, it's the Sharks who entered the All-Star break as the hottest team in the NHL - 8-0-2 in their last ten - and their captain is a big reason why.
Pavelski continues to prove he's one of the league's most consistent forwards, recording 11 points in his last 10 games, and he's playing at a point-per-game pace for the first time in his career. Only Ovechkin has more goals since the start of the 2013-14 season, and the 31-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down.
9. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 10 | 18 | 12 | 58.0 |
Though he's not lighting up the scoresheet like the rest of the players on this list, it's hard to find a more impactful defenseman on a contending team than Doughty.
The 26-year-old is arguably the best two-way blue-liner in the game and leads all defensemen who've played in 40 games or more in Corsi For, as he and captain Anze Kopitar pace the Pacific-leading Kings. Sooner or later, Doughty will finally be able to add a Norris to his crowded trophy case.
10. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
| GP | G | A | PPP | CF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 17 | 24 | 16 | 52.0 |
Though he wasn't selected for All-Star Weekend, the Penguins captain is heating up and helped vault his team into a playoff spot before the break.
Crosby is now on a season-best seven-game point streak as he tied Flames rookie Sam Bennett for the most goals in January with eight. Look for the 28-year-old to have a monster second half.