NHL Power Rankings: Players who must step up

This is the fourth in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.

In this edition, we look at a player on each team who needs to step up their game.

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1. Winnipeg Jets (18-7-0)

Previous rank: 1

Eric Comrie. We don't mean to pick on the guy, and the Jets are off to a great start, but we had to choose someone. Comrie owns a decent .903 clip, but he's posted a 3-3-0 record. Connor Hellebuyck has only one more loss than Comrie, and he's appeared in 13 more games.

2. Washington Capitals (17-6-1)

Previous rank: 4

Charlie Lindgren. His emergence down the stretch last season was one of the driving factors behind the Capitals' run to the playoffs. The magic hasn't carried into this season, though, as he's posting an .893 save percentage and scored a brutal own goal. Counterpart Logan Thompson, meanwhile, has a sparkling 10-1-1 record.

3. Minnesota Wild (16-4-4)

Previous rank: 6

Yakov Trenin. General manager Bill Guerin's one notable addition this summer was Trenin, who signed a four-year, $14-million contract. Not only has Trenin failed to score a goal, but he has just one assist, too. The 27-year-old simply can't be that much of an offensive black hole.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (16-7-1)

Previous rank: 2

Brent Burns. The veteran defenseman was snake-bitten through the first quarter of the season, logging just one goal and six points in 24 games. That translates to just three tallies and 20 points over 82 contests. It's a step back for Burns, who hit 43 points last campaign and 61 the season prior.

5. Vegas Golden Knights (15-7-3)

Previous rank: 7

Noah Hanifin. Vegas' 2024 deadline addition hasn't been the same player in his first full season with the club, especially in his own end. His minus-5.5 defensive goals above replacement is second worst among NHL blue-liners.

6. New Jersey Devils (16-9-2)

Previous rank: 10

Jacob Markstrom. It's not like the veteran goaltender has been bad. We just expect more from him. He owns a .902 save percentage and 11 wins in 18 games, but he's allowed 1.48 goals above expected at all strengths.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (14-7-2)

Previous rank: 8

Nick Robertson. Two goals and no assists in 20 games is not the start Robertson was looking for after requesting a trade in the offseason and ultimately signing a one-year, prove-it deal. The opportunity is ripe for the taking right now, too, with the Maple Leafs missing six of their regular forwards.

8. Dallas Stars (15-8-0)

Previous rank: 5

Jason Robertson. Vintage performances from Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin are alleviating the concern over Robertson's drop in scoring. Nick's brother is on pace for only 18 goals and 50 points just two seasons removed from recording 46 and 109. Dallas needs its star to perform like the talent he is.

9. Florida Panthers (15-9-1)

Previous rank: 3

Sergei Bobrovsky. The 36-year-old was superb last season with a .915 save percentage and was strong in the playoffs, too. But Bobrovsky hasn't given the Panthers the same level of goaltending this season with a subpar .890 save percentage. As long as he's on the books for $10 million, he must provide at least league-average goaltending.

10. Los Angeles Kings (14-8-3)

Previous rank: 11

Quinton Byfield. Many expected Byfield to be pushing for a spot on Team Canada after his breakout season, but the 2020 second overall pick has taken a step back. He's much better on the wing than at center, and it might be time for the Kings to accept that and put Byfield back on Anze Kopitar's wing for the foreseeable future.

11. Vancouver Canucks (13-7-3)

Previous rank: 12

Nils Hoglander. After scoring a career-high 24 goals a year ago, Hoglander has just two in 23 games this season. The Swedish winger is reportedly generating interest on the trade market, but the Canucks don't stand to get much of a return if he isn't producing.

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (12-9-2)

Previous rank: 13

The penalty killers. The Lightning's unit ranks 22nd in the league with a 77.9% success rate. That's an area they'll need to tighten up if they look to challenge the Panthers and Maple Leafs for the top two spots in the Atlantic Division.

13. Colorado Avalanche (13-12-0)

Previous rank: 16

Alexandar Georgiev. Few players in the league are having as disappointing a season as Georgiev. The Avalanche's starter has a measly .875 save percentage but somehow has a winning record. Colorado isn't a legitimate contender as long as its goaltending is this terrible.

14. Edmonton Oilers (13-9-2)

Previous rank: 14

Stuart Skinner. An .887 save percentage through 16 games is simply unacceptable but not unfamiliar for Skinner, who started last season in a similar manner before turning it around. He needs to find a way to right the ship.

15. Philadelphia Flyers (12-10-3)

Previous rank: 20

Morgan Frost. His future with Philadelphia is uncertain after a series of healthy scratches earlier this season. However, the Flyers are going to need more out of him, either to net a better return in a trade or to prove that he's a fit for the roster moving forward.

16. Calgary Flames (12-9-4)

Previous rank: 21

Andrei Kuzmenko. The Russian winger buried 39 goals in his first season with the Canucks, then took a notable step back and was traded to the Flames, then returned to form with 14 goals in 29 games after arriving in Calgary. He's regressed again with just one goal in 25 contests amid a frustrating offensive campaign for the Flames.

17. Boston Bruins (12-11-3)

Previous rank: 18

Elias Lindholm. It's easy to point to Jeremy Swayman here, but the Bruins' biggest issue is scoring goals. Boston ranks second-last in the NHL with 2.46 goals per game. Marquee signing Lindholm isn't playing up to his $7.75-million price tag and is producing at a lackluster nine-goal, 41-point pace.

18. Buffalo Sabres (11-11-2)

Previous rank: 19

Jack Quinn. One goal and four assists in 23 games is inexcusable production for someone who's supposed to be an offensive-minded top-six winger. The Sabres need more from the 2020 No. 8 pick if they're going to snap their 13-year playoff drought.

19. New York Rangers (13-9-1)

Previous rank: 9

Jacob Trouba. The Rangers are a hot mess right now. They need several players to step up, but arguably none more so than Trouba, who's playing like one of the league's worst defensemen this season. The trade rumors can't be easy to deal with, but as the captain, Trouba needs to start leading by example and buckling down defensively.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (11-9-3)

Previous rank: 27

Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets are exceeding expectations so far, but they still project to be sellers at the deadline, and Provorov is their biggest rental chip. However, they don't stand to get a huge return for him if he continues to underwhelm. He has just eight points in 23 games and unimpressive underlying metrics.

21. St. Louis Blues (11-12-2)

Previous rank: 24

Jim Montgomery. Not a player, but extremely important. The Blues raised some eyebrows after firing head coach Drew Bannister once Montgomery was made available by the Bruins, and they're 2-0-1 under his guidance so far. Montgomery will need to continue getting the best out of his new squad.

22. Pittsburgh Penguins (10-12-4)

Previous rank: 26

Tristan Jarry. The past few months were rough for Jarry. He lost the starting job late last season to Alex Nedeljkovic (who has also been bad this year) and found himself in the AHL on a conditioning stint early this campaign. Jarry is signed through 2027-28 at over $5 million, so the Penguins have to find a solution here.

23. Utah Hockey Club (10-10-4)

Previous rank: 23

Lawson Crouse. The power forward ended a 14-game point drought with a goal Friday. It's an abysmal campaign for Utah's associate captain, who has just four goals and a single assist. Crouse needs to return to the consistent 20-goal scorer he was in recent seasons to provide Utah with more secondary scoring.

24. New York Islanders (9-10-6)

Previous rank: 22

The front office. Is it cheating by going off the board and not naming a player? Maybe. But there's nothing one player can do to turn around this tire fire of a team. It needs to start fresh, and that should begin at the top by removing Lou Lamoriello from his GM post, or, at the very least, urging him to sell at the deadline, which he refused to do in recent years.

25. Detroit Red Wings (10-11-3)

Previous rank: 25

Patrick Kane. It might not be fair to put all this on the 36-year-old veteran's shoulders, but the Red Wings are going to need more than three goals and 10 points from him if they want to end their playoff drought.

26. Seattle Kraken (11-13-1)

Previous rank: 15

Matty Beniers. The Kraken need Beniers to be a legitimate top-six center, and his production hasn't been up to snuff. His scoring rate has dropped again after a sophomore slump, and he has the same amount of goals as Shane Wright despite playing over five more minutes per game. Beniers is in the first year of his seven-year, $50-million contract. This level of offense just won't cut it.

27. San Jose Sharks (9-13-5)

Previous rank: 29

Vitek Vanecek. We're assuming that either he or Mackenzie Blackwood will be traded to make room for Yaroslav Askarov. Blackwood has been the better goalie this season, so we'll focus on Vanecek, who owns an .894 save percentage on the campaign.

28. Anaheim Ducks (10-10-3)

Previous rank: 28

Trevor Zegras. He's only on pace for 14 goals and 36 points this season, and none of the goals he's registered so far were worthy of the highlight reel. Come on. Do something. We know you have another lacrosse pass in you, Trevor.

29. Ottawa Senators (10-12-2)

Previous rank: 17

Linus Ullmark. Ottawa's prized offseason acquisition has been a big disappointment so far, owning an .889 save percentage in 15 games. Ullmark has never ended a season with a mark lower than .905. If he was providing the Senators with league-average goaltending, they'd probably be in a playoff spot.

30. Montreal Canadiens (8-13-3)

Previous rank: 30

Kirby Dach. It'd be easy to single out Juraj Slafkovsky here, but we're going to look elsewhere. Dach has mustered just one goal and eight points in 23 games and is a team-worst minus-20. Sure, he missed all but two games of the 2023-24 campaign with a torn ACL and MCL, but the Habs still need him to be better than this.

31. Nashville Predators (7-12-6)

Previous rank: 31

Jonathan Marchessault. The Predators own one of the league's worst offenses, in part because their splashy free-agent signings aren't producing. Marchessault is arguably the most disappointing, with just four goals in 25 games after potting a career-high 42 with Vegas last season.

32. Chicago Blackhawks (8-14-2)

Previous rank: 32

Philipp Kurashev. The Swiss forward is having an atrocious season with only five points and a team-worst minus-19 rating. Somehow, he's still playing close to 16 minutes night in, night out, and often alongside Connor Bedard.

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