NHL stats everyone is searching for today: Super 16 power rankings explained
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The stat-focused Super 16 power rankings came out October 22, 2026, and Carolina stayed at number 1 with 219 votes.
- Boston is the biggest riser, up seven spots to number 4, while Colorado fell five spots to number 9.
- Special teams are the early story: Utah leads the power play at 36.1 percent, and Dallas leads team defense at 1.56 goals per game.
Searches for "NHL stats" jumped in Canada today, October 23. Fans want to know which numbers matter early in the season. The league's own site answered with a stat edition of its Super 16 power rankings.
What happened
NHL published the stat edition on October 22, 2026. Fourteen voters ranked the 16 best teams. Each first-place vote was worth 16 points.
Only 153 games have been played so far. That is about 11.4 percent of the 1,344-game season, says NHL. The sample is small, but patterns are starting to show.
Carolina stayed at number 1 with 219 points. With an 8-2-1 record, the Hurricanes keep the top spot. Edmonton moved up one spot to number 2 with a 7-1-1 record.
Vegas slipped to number 3 with an 8-3-0 record. Boston jumped seven spots to number 4. Tampa Bay climbed three spots to number 5 with a 7-2-0 record.
Two other outlets released their own lists. DAZN published rankings on October 20 and updated them the next day. The Hockey Writers ranked Carolina first too, with Vegas second.
Why it matters
Special teams decide close games in October. A power play is when one team has extra skaters after a penalty. A penalty kill is when a team defends while short-handed.
Carolina kills 89.2 percent of penalties, the fourth best mark. The Hurricanes have allowed only four power play goals in 11 games, says NHL. They also score 3.82 goals per game.
Utah owns the best power play in the league. The Mammoth score on 36.1 percent of chances. That is 13 goals on 36 tries, and Nick Schmaltz has five of them.
Edmonton is second on the power play at 31.0 percent. Connor McDavid has eight assists on the power play, says NHL. The Oilers moved up to number 2 after a 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota.
Boston's rise is about its young players. Fraser Minten has 8 points in 10 games, says NHL. That ties him with Morgan Geekie as the team's second-leading scorer.
Tampa Bay wins without a good power play. The Lightning score on only 12.9 percent of chances, ranked 29th. Their penalty kill sits at 79.2 percent, tied for 17th, says NHL.
Colorado's fall is the week's warning sign. The Avalanche dropped five spots to number 9. They started 5-4-1 after a rough stretch.
Nathan MacKinnon still drives the Avalanche with 16 points. Artturi Lehkonen, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar each have 11, says NHL. Four players at a point per game keep Colorado dangerous.
Minnesota leans on one hot scorer. Kirill Kaprizov has 11 goals in 10 games. That is the best start of his career, says NHL.
Kaprizov's 11 goals match an active-player record. The mark is shared with McDavid, Pastrnak, and Kucherov, says NHL. His hot start drives the Wild offense.
The Rangers are winning despite a major injury. Igor Shesterkin is out for the season with a lower-body injury. Dylan Garand has stepped in with a 1.85 goals against average, says NHL.
Garand also has a .929 save percentage and one shutout. His 4-2-1 record keeps New York at number 8. The Rangers are 7-3-1 overall.
Dallas leads the league in team defense. The Stars allow only 1.56 goals per game, says NHL. No other team is close.
Jake Oettinger drives the Dallas defense. He is the first goalie in Dallas or Minnesota North Stars history with three shutouts in his first six games. The Stars are 5-3-1 overall.
Ottawa wins with defense and goaltending. The Senators allow only 2.40 goals per game, fifth best. Linus Ullmark has a .945 save percentage, tied for first in the NHL, says NHL.
Seattle scores by committee. Sixteen different skaters have at least one goal for the Kraken. They average 3.70 goals per game, says NHL.
Florida's Carter Verhaeghe is finishing at a wild rate. He has six goals on just 17 shots. That is a 35.3 percent shooting rate, says NHL.
Toronto's Auston Matthews looks like his old self. He has 18 points in 11 games. That is 8 goals and 10 assists, says NHL.
Read our Hurricanes vs Oilers preview for the top two teams. Our Rangers vs Maple Leafs preview covered their October 22 matchup. For the struggling West, see our Red Wings vs Canucks preview.
What happens next
The sample size warning still applies. With about 11 percent of the season played, rankings will move fast. Every list will look different in a few weeks.
Watch Boston's deeper numbers. The Bruins rank second in PDO, per The Hockey Writers. PDO is the sum of save and shooting percentages.
Watch Tampa Bay's power play too. It finished 17th last season at 20.7 percent, says NHL. If it climbs, the Lightning could pass Edmonton and Vegas.
Edmonton and Colorado have average expected goal shares at even strength. That comes from The Hockey Writers. Their shooting luck is high right now.
The Hockey Writers note Week 4 could shuffle the middle. Detroit faces a soft schedule of teams below them in the rankings. Dallas started a six-game homestand with Winnipeg up next.
Brady Tkachuk's back-to-back hat tricks powered Florida's climb. Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe added hat tricks of their own, says The Hockey Writers. That run explains the Panthers' rise.
The bottom of the league tells its own story. Vancouver has lost seven straight games, says The Hockey Writers. Los Angeles was the last winless team before Philadelphia ended its drought.
The stat edition of the Super 16 shows one clear truth about October hockey. Special teams decide close games early in the season. The teams that score on the power play and kill penalties are the ones sitting on top.
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