NHL Power Rankings: The Injury-Stricken Edition

Health is often dragged out as a reason for why a team is faltering, and not as much as a source of success. Chicago, which ranks second overall in NHL health, has followed MVP fave Patrick Kane’s record-breaking point streak with a franchise-best 12-game winning streak… and counting.

The NHL-leading Capitals have lost the third fewest man-games. Makes sense. Vezina favourite Braden Holtby gave a scare when he left Saturday’s game to dehydration, but he’s already bounced back with a win. John Carlson’s injury has been the Caps’ biggest obstacle.

So when the Kings are healthy and well-rested, they run away the divisional crown? Got it. Fun fact: $80-million man Anze Kopitar has missed a total of just 11 games in his last nine seasons.

Picked on as the East’s greatest underachiever for the bulk of the season, the Lightning have now won six in a row. Not bad when you consider the team’s top point producer in 2014-15, Tyler Johnson, has missed 13 games and has probably not been 100 per cent all year. Ondrej Palat, the team’s best two-way forward, has missed 20 games.

After missing the post-season last season, the Bruins have done well to maintain a wild-card spot in light of lengthy injuries to top forwards David Pastrnak (foot) and David Krejci (upper body), who returned to practice Monday.

Recent blows to top-four defencemen Johnny Boychuk and Travis Hamonic have been a reality check for the Isles, who are playing sub-.500 hockey in January.

The healthiest team in the NHL has watched Washington run away with the division while jostling neck-and-neck with that team in Brooklyn for the Metropolitan’s No. 2 seed. No excuses here.

San Jose has suffered the fourth-fewest lost man-games, but losing star centre Logan Couture for 30 games was a massive blow. The Sharks should be happy to find themselves in a playoff spot.

Two of St. Louis’s top five scorers — Paul Stastny and Kevin Shattenkirk — have missed at least 10 games this season. Jaden Schwartz broke his ankle after just seven games played. “This is one of those years where we’ve got to absorb quite a bit,” coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We’ve just got to keep going.”

In perhaps the quietest turnaround this season, the Avs have fought back to a wild-card spot, despite playing in the NHL’s toughest division and ranking top-10 in most man-games lost. Back-end horse Erik Johnson has missed seven games.

The Stars have dropped seven of their last eight games. No one on the Dallas core has missed more than seven games.

Starting the season sans Pavel Datsyuk is never a good thing, and concussion symptoms have put veteran Johan Franzen’s career in jeopardy. Toss in injuries to Kyle Quincey and the newly-acquired Brad Richards, and the Red Wings have lost the fourth most man-games.

Star defenceman Aaron Ekblad is hopeful to return Friday after getting shellacked by Edmonton’s Matt Hendricks on Jan. 10. Quite telling that the Panthers have lost every one of their four games since that injury.

One of the best stories in the league, Arizona has played itself into playoff position despite losing No. 1 goalie Mike Smith long-term and battling through stretches without top forwards Shane Doan, Martin Hanzal and Antoine Vermette. (No all-stars, though.)

It’s difficult to overstate the impact caused to this team when all-star Kris Letang is not in the lineup. Letang logs six more minutes per game than any other Penguin. He’s missed 10 games so far this year and hasn’t enjoyed a 70-game season since 2010-11.

Minnesota absorbed injuries to top-four defenceman Marco Scandella and elite winger Zach Parise well, but a four-game skid has the Wild clinging to a wild-card slot.

The Devils should get a boost with Mike Cammalleri coming off IR this week. How valuable is he to this goal-deficient squad? The guy has missed eight games to injury and still leads New Jersey in scoring by three points.

Top-pairing defenceman Mark Streit has returned after dealing with a displaced pubic plate (barf), and the Flyers have won five of their last seven.

After an awful start and a sudden appendectomy, captain Ryan Getzlaf has asserted his position atop the Ducks’ leaderboard in points (28) and assists (25). Ten games without No. 1 defenceman Cam Fowler haven’t helped Anaheim’s bizarre campaign.

Milan Michalek is among a group of NHL forwards who have broken a bone while blocking a shot. And 20-goal guy Mike Hoffman crashed into a goal post but is mercifully listed as day-to-day. Could’ve been worse.

Carolina got a little boost with the return of Nathan Gerbe but just lost starting goalie Cam Ward to a concussion. The early-season injury to top-four blueliner James Wisniewski has actually allowed some young D-men to shine in a development year for this team. You know the name Noah Hanifin, but keep an eye on Jaccob Slavin.

Winnipeg has fared better health-wise than it did last season, but the Jets’ slump coincided with the loss of emerging centre Mark Scheifele. And the long-term injury of starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec has forced them to rely on an inexperienced tandem.

One of the 10 healthiest clubs in the league, Calgary’s horrid start out the gate can be attributed partially to the ailment of stud defenceman T.J. Brodie. Mark Giordano, rebounding from biceps surgery, didn’t seem quite himself for the first couple months either.

The sixth-healthiest team in the league can’t cite injuries as a reason for falling out of playoff position and below the Canucks (!) in the standings. Look instead to a lack of scoring and “all-star” goaltender Pekka Rinne’s .902 save percentage and pedestrian 16-15-6 record.

Not the only reason they’re bad, but certainly no help: Buffalo ranks second in man-games lost. Core players Robin Lehner, Tyler Ennis, Evander Kane, and Zach Bogosian have all missed significant time.

After Tuesday’s loss, the Canucks have fallen to 6-12-4 (and three ties) since 2000-01 when Henrik Sedin is not in lineup. The captain got his shoulder smashed by Mikhail Grabovski Sunday and won’t be back until February — and Vancouver needs every point it can get to remain in the hunt.

The Maple Leafs rank top-10 in man-games lost. Long stretches without James Reimer (the Leafs’ best goalie this year) and now James van Riemsdyk (their best sniper) will ultimately serve the rebuild plan well.

TVA reports that Carey Price has not suffered a setback and is still on track for a February return. Habs fans better hope that is the case, with Montreal going 4-16-1 in its last 21 games. The club’s steep decline since Price got sidelined makes us want to nominate him for the Hart all over again. (P.S. Nathan Beaulieu left Tuesday’s game injured.)

According to the excellent (if depressing) ManGamesLost.com, the Edmonton Oilers lead the league with more than 200 man-games lost. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins blocked a shot with his hand this week and could be gone two months, and the Connor McDavid injury has been disastrous for Edmonton’s playoff hopes and the kid’s Calder shot.

Much is made about the healthy scratches in Columbus (hey there, Scott Hartnell and Fedor Tyutin!), but the team has had to overcome the multiple unhealthy scratches of Nick Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky and Sergei Bobrovsky, who just returned Tuesday.