1 Hurricanes Martin Necas | The elite scoring the Hurricanes were looking for all those years was on their roster the entire time. Martin Necas has leveled up his game this season, and the Canes now have a truly elite forward at the top of their lineup. Necas is tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in points (35). He’s also 10th in goals (12) and third in assists (23). Pretty good company. — 16-6-1
2 Jets Connor Hellebuyck | The Jets have a human erasure between the pipes, and he gives them a chance to win every single time he starts. Case in point: Hellebuyck just saved 3.71 goals above average in Winnipeg’s 4-1 win over the Wild on Monday. That brought him to 13.6 goals saved above average, the best mark in the NHL. — 18-5-0
3 Wild Young guns | When you’re paying two players just shy of $15 million not to play for your team, you need young players on team-friendly deals to step up. That’s exactly what Minnesota has gotten this season. Marco Rossi and Brock Faber are both still on their entry-level contracts, and they have become key parts of this Wild lineup. Matt Boldy is now making $7 million per season, but even that looks like a bargain right now. — 15-4-4
4 Devils Special teams | The Devils are a strong team at five-on-five, but what really makes them dangerous is their ability to dominate on special teams as well. New Jersey ranks second with a 31.5% conversion rate on the power play, and the penalty kill is sixth at 83.6%. No matter the situation, the Devils can simply overwhelm their opponents. 5 16-8-2
5 Capitals Spencer Carbery | In the summer of 2023, Spencer Carbery was perhaps the hottest name on the coaching market, and for good reason. Carbery has quickly transformed the Capitals from a mediocre squad into a possible Stanley Cup contender. It’s no fluke either. Washington has a 51.8% five-on-five expected goals share, and it has a plus-24 goal differential in those situations. 1 16-6-1
6 Golden Knights Goals | Scoring is a pretty important aspect of winning hockey games, and the Golden Knights are very good at it. Their 85 goals are tied for second in the NHL, and they’re getting contributions from up and down the lineup. Five players have at least eight goals and two more have six. It’s tough to defend a team that can do damage with all four lines. — 14-6-3
7 Maple Leafs Home ice | The atmosphere at Scotiabank Arena has been the butt of jokes on