Every Monday until the end of the season, Hockey Prospectus will provide updated Player Power Rankings for the top 10 skaters and top five goalies in the NHL based on HP's proprietary value metric, GVT, a statistic that combines player contributions in all aspects of the game, including defense and the shootout.
Nearly to the midway point of the season, Craig Anderson continues to carry the ailing Ottawa Senators on his back. And he might be a threat to Tim Thomas' save percentage record.
Player Power Rankings: Skaters
These rankings
are through Feb. 24.
Rank
Player
Team
Pos.
Off. GVT
Def. GVT
Shootout GVT
Total GVT
1
John Tavares
New York Islanders
F
6.9
1.3
0.6
8.7
Not only is Tavares putting up the points -- he's tied for the
league lead with 13 goals -- but he also has drawn 10 minor penalties while
taking just three, third-best in the league. The Islanders' PP has scored
10.5 goals per 60 minutes while he's been on the ice.
2
Sidney Crosby
Pittsburgh Penguins
F
6
2.2
0.6
8.7
Crosby and the Penguins finally seem to have gotten the hang of
the power play. After finishing 20th, 19th and 25th in power-play efficiency
between 2008-09 and 2010-11, they were fifth last season and rank third this
year.
3
Patrick Kane
Chicago Blackhawks
F
6.5
1.7
0.1
8.3
The Blackhawks have been the best team in the NHL this season by
excelling at even strength, and Kane has helped with 16 even-strength points.
4
Steven Stamkos
Tampa Bay Lightning
F
8
0.6
-0.3
8.3
The Lightning remain the best offensive team in the NHL, and
Stamkos remains on top in many individual offensive categories, including
goals (tied with Tavares at 13), points (29), even-strength goals (8) and
even-strength points (19).
5
Thomas Vanek
Buffalo Sabres
F
5.8
1.5
0.6
7.9
The drought continues: Vanek has a meager two points in his past
seven games and has actually posted a negative (minus-1.0) GVT in that
period.
6
Eric Staal
Carolina Hurricanes
F
5.1
2.4
0
7.5
Staal is putting up good numbers, but he has been helped
significantly by starting 59 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone.
7
Patrik Elias
New Jersey Devils
F
5.4
2.7
-0.7
7.3
Elias is a valuable player in every manpower situation. On the
power play, with Elias on the ice, the Devils have outshot their opposition
by 86 shots per 60 minutes, while on the penalty kill they have been outshot
by only 33 shots per 60.
8
Matt Moulson
New York Islanders
F
5.9
1
0
6.9
Just nine players have scored 30 or more goals each of the past
three seasons: Alex Ovechkin, Bobby Ryan, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jarome Iginla,
Patrick Marleau, Phil Kessel, Rick Nash, Steven Stamkos … and Moulson. But
with the shortened season, it's unlikely the streak can continue.
9
Mike Ribeiro
Washington Capitals
F
5.5
1.4
0
6.9
Ribeiro has 50 percent more points than anyone else on the
Capitals despite getting less ice time -- especially power-play ice time --
than Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom or even Troy Brouwer.
10
Saku Koivu
Anaheim Ducks
F
4.2
2.1
0.6
6.9
The main reason the Ducks have excelled this season has been
their surprisingly potent offense, with players like Koivu exceeding
expectations, but with his limited ice time he'll have trouble keeping up
this pace for the rest of the season.
Player Power Rankings: Goalies
These rankings
are through Feb. 24.
Rank
Player
Team
Pos.
Goalie GVT
Def. GVT
Shootout GVT
Total GVT
1
Craig Anderson
Ottawa Senators
G
21.9
-0.4
-1.7
19.8
We're now at the 40 percent mark of the season and Anderson
continues to make a mockery of opposing offenses. There is a risk he will set
a save percentage record that will require an asterisk due to the
lockout-shortened season.
2
Antti Niemi
San Jose Sharks
G
11.3
0
0.3
11.6
The Sharks' offense has been so poor that Niemi has lost five of
his past six games despite allowing just 10 regulation goals and recording a
.936 save percentage in those games.
Pekka Rinne
Nashville Predators
G
11.9
0.5
-0.9
11.5
Increased workload? Rinne has gone from starting 63 percent of
his team's games in 2008-09 to 71, 78 and finally 89 percent last season.
He's also started 17 of 19 (89.5 percent) this year.
4
Kari Lehtonen
Dallas Stars
G
10.7
-0.5
0.4
10.6
Lehtonen hasn't played since Feb. 15, when he was injured
against Vancouver, but he played so well before that, the Stars should be
able to remain in the playoff race while he recuperates.
5
Carey Price
Montreal Canadiens
G
8
0.4
1
9.5
Price's regulation stats have been good. He's been excellent in
overtime and the shootout and his team has given him enough offensive support
for him to lead the NHL with 10 wins.
A version of this story originally appeared at ESPN Insider .
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Player Power Rankings (02/19)
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