NHL Power Rankings: Each team's midseason MVP

This is the third in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2025-26 campaign. In this installment, we identify each team's MVP at the midseason mark.

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1. Colorado Avalanche (31-4-7)

Previous: 1

Nathan MacKinnon. Obviously. MacKinnon is on pace for 68 goals and 144 points. He could very well be the MVP of the league come season's end.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning (26-13-3)

Previous: 3

Nikita Kucherov. There's a case for Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Kucherov has rattled off seven straight multi-point games and is top five in NHL scoring. He's on pace for his fourth season of 120 points, an achievement only seven other players in NHL history have accomplished.

3. Minnesota Wild (25-11-8)

Previous: 5

Jesper Wallstedt. The Wild have several strong options, but their rookie netminder has lost only six of 17 starts, leads the league in shutouts as well as save percentage, and ranks second in goals saved above average.

4. Dallas Stars (26-10-8)

Previous: 2

Miro Heiskanen. Many would figure this belongs to Mikko Rantanen, but there's a strong argument that Heiskanen has provided a greater impact on Dallas' success. He ranks fourth league-wide in average time on ice, has dominated his minutes, and is on pace for nearly 70 points.

5. Carolina Hurricanes (26-14-3)

Previous: 4

Brandon Bussi. Where would the Hurricanes be if Bussi hadn't been claimed just before the season? The 27-year-old, who's 15-2-1 with a .903 save percentage, has been a revelation. Pyotr Kochetkov is likely out for the campaign, and Frederik Andersen has struggled significantly. Without Bussi, Carolina would've faced a dire situation between the pipes.

6. Edmonton Oilers (21-16-6)

Previous: 19

Connor McDavid. Remember when McDavid had no goals and just seven assists in six games and some thought the sky was falling in Edmonton? Well, McDavid has been playing out of his mind since. The NHL's leader in points is a serious contender for his fourth career Hart Trophy.

7. Montreal Canadiens (24-13-6)

Previous: 16

Nick Suzuki. He checks all the boxes for a player in the MVP conversation. Suzuki has the Canadiens in prime playoff position, leads the club with 47 points in 43 games, and is playing stellar 200-foot hockey.

8. Washington Capitals (22-16-6)

Previous: 6

Tom Wilson. Everyone knows Wilson's reputation as a ferocious, physical player. But he's more than just that. Wilson's been excellent for Washington, scoring at a career-high rate. The 31-year-old is very deserving of his upcoming Olympic debut.

9. Buffalo Sabres (22-15-4)

Previous: 28

Tage Thompson. The soon-to-be Olympian has eight goals and 15 points during the Sabres' 11-1-0 run, leading the charge as Buffalo has completely turned its season around.

10. Detroit Red Wings (25-15-4)

Previous: 20

Moritz Seider. The Red Wings' blue-liner has blossomed into a true No. 1 this season. Seider's collected 31 points so far and ranks second among all skaters in goals above replacement. He's likely to be on plenty of Norris Trophy ballots in the spring.

11. New York Islanders (24-15-4)

Previous: 18

Matthew Schaefer. Barely old enough to play in the NHL, Schaefer has been an impact top-pairing defenseman from Day 1. He's must-see TV and has sparked an Islanders franchise that appeared to be in no man's land before winning the draft lottery.

12. Philadelphia Flyers (22-12-7)

Previous: 12

Trevor Zegras. The team leader in goals and points, Zegras has been everything and more than the Flyers hoped when they acquired him in the summer. He's regained his swagger and is a huge reason why Philadelphia is overachieving.

13. Vegas Golden Knights (18-11-12)

Previous: 8

Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights went 1-4-2 in the seven games Eichel missed in December due to injury. That speaks volumes about the value he brings to the team. Plus, he still leads Vegas in points despite his absence.

14. Florida Panthers (22-17-3)

Previous: 14

Brad Marchand. A remarkable campaign from the 37-year-old has kept Florida in the mix despite being without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk all season. Marchand has already matched his goal total from a year ago in 30 fewer games.

15. Toronto Maple Leafs (20-15-7)

Previous: 26

Auston Matthews. This answer might've been different a week ago, but it's no fluke that the Maple Leafs' recent turnaround has coincided with Matthews playing like a dominant, two-way superstar again. He's overcome a slow start with seven goals and four assists in his last five games.

16. Ottawa Senators (20-17-5)

Previous: 15

Jake Sanderson. Still only 23 years old, Sanderson is playing over 25 minutes a game. Only four players league-wide are averaging more. He's a true workhorse defenseman who has only gotten better as the Senators have leaned on him more.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-12-9)

Previous: 11

Sidney Crosby. The Penguins captain continues to prove age is just a number. He's sixth in the league in goals (on pace for 48) at 38 years old and has carried Pittsburgh back into the playoff discussion after three years of the club sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

18. Seattle Kraken (20-14-7)

Previous: 24

Lane Lambert. The Kraken don't have any players who jump off the page statistically, but Seattle's in a playoff spot halfway through the season under its new head coach.

19. Los Angeles Kings (18-14-10)

Previous: 10

Darcy Kuemper. The Kings are hanging around in the Western Conference playoff picture despite owning an abysmal offense. That's in large part because of Kuemper. The veteran netminder owns a .910 save percentage and ranks in the top 10 in goals saved above expected.

20. New Jersey Devils (22-19-2)

Previous: 7

Jesper Bratt. It's been a down year for most of New Jersey's core, but Bratt is leading the team in scoring and posting stronger underlying numbers than Nico Hischier.

21. Utah Mammoth (21-20-3)

Previous: 25

Dylan Guenther. The 22-year-old continues his trajectory toward becoming one of the elite goal scorers in the league. Guenther is within reach of what would be his first career 40-goal campaign.

22. New York Rangers (20-18-6)

Previous: 17

Igor Shesterkin. He leads the league in shots faced behind a porous Rangers defense but still owns a .913 save percentage and ranks third league-wide in GSAx. New York's season could be in real trouble with Shesterkin sidelined for the next few weeks due to a lower-body injury.

23. Boston Bruins (22-19-2)

Previous: 13

David Pastrnak. The Bruins have struggled lately, but things could be a lot worse if not for Pastrnak's production. He leads the club with 48 points in 41 games.

24. San Jose Sharks (22-18-3)

Previous: 27

Macklin Celebrini. Duh. If the Sharks make the playoffs, Celebrini could join Crosby and Wayne Gretzky as the only teenagers to win the Hart Trophy.

25. Nashville Predators (19-19-4)

Previous: 32

Ryan O'Reilly. Quietly, O'Reilly is producing at his highest rate since 2021. He would fetch an absolute haul if the Predators opt to deal him this season.

26. Anaheim Ducks (21-19-3)

Previous: 9

Leo Carlsson. The highs of the Ducks' season came through Carlsson and so have the lows. The budding star has zero goals in his last 11 games amid Anaheim's struggles. His unbelievable start still gets him the nod here, but he'll have to turn it around soon.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets (18-17-7)

Previous: 21

Zach Werenski. Few players around the league are leaned on as heavily as Werenski is by the Blue Jackets. He's on pace for more than 30 goals, a feat few defensemen have ever accomplished.

28. Calgary Flames (18-21-4)

Previous: 30

Mikael Backlund. The Flames captain has nearly matched his point total from last season already and leads the club at plus-17. Calgary doesn't have many standout performers this year, but the always dependable Backlund deserves the nod for midseason MVP.

29. Chicago Blackhawks (18-18-7)

Previous: 22

Connor Bedard. He hasn't played in almost a full month and still leads the Blackhawks in scoring by 10 points. Bedard has blossomed into the offensive dynamo many expected he would become.

30. St. Louis Blues (17-19-8)

Previous: 29

Justin Faulk. A veteran defenseman leading the Blues in goals at the midway point sums up St. Louis' shambolic season to date, but Faulk deserves his flowers for ranking sixth among blue-liners with 11 goals.

31. Vancouver Canucks (16-21-5)

Previous: 31

Kiefer Sherwood. This season has been a disastrous one for the Canucks. At least fan favorite Sherwood has bagged a bunch of goals and continues to throw an absurd amount of hits.

32. Winnipeg Jets (15-21-5)

Previous: 23

Mark Scheifele. The Jets are squandering a great year from their top center, who's on pace for a career-high 96 points and is well within his right to be upset about being left off the Canadian Olympic team.