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NHL Power Rankings: Most impactful performances so far in NHL qualifying round

NHL Power Rankings

In this week’s NHL Power Rankings we are taking a look at some of the most important and impressive performances so far in the qualifying round. Players and performances that are making an impact in determining who moves forward in the bubble and who goes home.

Two important notes here.


  • First, We are only looking at players that are playing in the QUALIFYING round portion of the playoffs. So no players from the Round Robin portion will be included. It is not that they are not important, it is simply the fact they are not at risk of being eliminated in this round and we want to focus on teams that are still fighting for their postseason lives right now.
  • Second, this is not a ranking of the best overall players. It is simply a ranking of players that could (and have) significantly impact the outcome of a series and play a major role in deciding which teams advance and which teams do not.

Who do we like so far?

To the rankings!

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers. He is the most dominant player in the NHL and has already put on a clinic in the Oilers’ series against Chicago. His incredible Game 2 effort on Monday set the tone early for the Oilers and drove them to a much-needed win to keep them in their series. When he is going at his top level there is no one in the league that can match him.

2. Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes. An emerging superstar in Carolina, Svechnikov is already turning into the Hurricanes’ go-to player on offense. He made history in their Game 2 win by recording the first postseason hat trick in Hurricanes/Whalers postseason history. He is still only 20 years. Sky is the limit here.

3. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens. If the Canadiens are going to pull off the upset against the Pittsburgh Penguins it is going to have to be because of Price. Through two games he has done everything he can to keep his team in it. He helped them take Game 1 with a huge performance early on and was perhaps even better in a Game 2 loss. He just did not get any offensive support.

4. Dominik Kubalik, Chicago Blackhawks. Kubalik has been exactly what the Blackhawks needed this season -- Another impactful player to emerge in their lineup to serve as an important complementary piece to their remaining core. Even more important is the fact is still very cheap against the salary cap. He opened the postseason with a five-point effort in Game 1 against Edmonton. He is a rookie of the year finalist, a much deserved honor.

5. Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets. Goaltending was always going to make-or-break the Blue Jackets’ season, and the duo of Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins has done its part to give them a chance. Korpisalo added to the postseason anxiety Maple Leafs fans were probably already feeling in Game 1 when he pitched a shutout in Toronto.

[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

6. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets. Very similar to Price in Montreal, if the Jets are going to make something happen in the playoffs they are going to need Hellebuyck to play like the Vezina Trophy finalist that he is this season. That is even more true if top forwards Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine continue to miss time.

7. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes. Svechnikov’s dominance has kind of overshadowed what Aho has done for the Hurricanes, but this duo has become a two-headed monster for the Hurricanes. Svechnikov might end up being a bigger star, but Aho is the building block piece in Carolina.

8. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins. He has been on the ice for all three of the Penguins’ 5-on-5 goals through the first two games, has scored two of them, and helped get the Penguins rolling in Game 2 with a first period goal to finally break through on Price.

9. Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock got the Game 1 shutout for the Wild, but Spurgeon was the best player on the ice for the Wild. He played his usual big minutes, was a rock defensively, and contributed to all three Wild goals, scoring two of them. Consistently one of the league’s most underrated and overlooked players.

10. Adam Lowry, Winnipeg Jets. Lowry is making an early bid for the 2020 John Druce Award for being the out of nowhere postseason star. After recording just 10 points in 49 regular season games, Lowry already has three points in the Jets’ first two postseason games and has played a significant role in filling in for the team’s injured stars. He was huge for them in what basically amounted to a must-win game in Game 2 against Calgary.

MORE:
2020 NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers schedule

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.