![\"32](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/32-Thoughts-podcast-Elliotte-Friedman-Kyle-Bukauskas-640x360.jpg\")
32 Thoughts: The Podcast<\/p>\nFor many American households, there\u2019s no doubt that turkey is the star of the show when it comes to a Thanksgiving feast. But while the bird often takes top billing on dining room tables, the \u201cturkey\u201d label carries a negative connotation in other parts of life \u2014 including sports.<\/p>\n
The arrival of a big holiday in the U.S. brings a one-day hockey hiatus, as fans shift their focus to food and football on Thursday. On Friday, though, 30 of the 32 NHL teams will be back in action, and for some players, it\u2019s the next opportunity to shake out the turkey legs and get going.<\/p>\n
From rookie Matthew Schaefer\u2019s stunning play to breakouts for Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard to Jason Robertson\u2019s unreal November (22 points in 13 games), the league has seen more than its share of incredible performances.<\/p>\n
At the other end of the spectrum, not every player is having the year they hoped when the puck dropped in October.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, as Americans gobble one of their most celebrated meals, let\u2019s use this week\u2019s edition of the Power Rankings to identify one turkey on all 32 NHL teams.<\/p>\n
1. Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5)\u00a0He\u2019s heated up recently, but second-line centre Brock Nelson had just five points after 16 games. That\u2019s about the best we can do on a team where it feels like every player is flying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
32 Thoughts: The Podcast<\/p>\n
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.<\/p>\n
Latest episode<\/a><\/p>\n 2. Dallas Stars (15-5-4)\u00a0Maybe it was partially due to the lower-body injury that ultimately pushed him out of the lineup halfway through November, but defenceman Thomas Harley just did not look like himself through six weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Tampa Bay Lighting (14-7-2)\u00a0The Bolts acquired Oliver Bjorkstrand from Seattle at last season\u2019s deadline in part because they\u2019d have him under contract for this year, too. So far, a guy they surely hoped would score 15 to 20 goals is stuck on two.\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Carolina Hurricanes (15-7-1)\u00a0Andrei Svechnikov just has not become the sniper the Canes had hoped. He\u2019s got 12 points on the season and his name is starting to pop up in trade rumours.\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. New Jersey Devils (15-7-1)\u00a0Of the 37 goalies who\u2019ve played at least 10 games this season, only seven have a worse goals-saved-above-expected-per-60 mark on\u00a0Moneypuck\u00a0than Jacob Markstrom.\u00a0<\/p>\n 6. Minnesota Wild (13-7-4)\u00a0Nobody was projecting a return to 30-goal form for Vladimir Tarasenko when the Wild inked him to a one-year deal in the summer, but two goals in 18 games is a disappointment. Tarasenko has been sidelined with a lower-body issue since mid-November and the Wild just keep winning without him.\u00a0<\/p>\n 7. Anaheim Ducks (14-8-1)\u00a0It\u2019s crazy how far Pavel Mintyukov\u2019s stock has fallen in a couple years, following a 28-point debut in 63 games as a 20-year-old rookie blue-liner. He\u2019s stuck on three assists this season and it feels like we\u2019re moving toward fresh-start territory for the 10th-overall pick from 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n 8. Ottawa Senators<\/a> (12-7-4)\u00a0Linus Ullmark had an .863 save percentage through 12 games, but he\u2019s really gotten it back on the rails with a .914 in his past six. His form must stay there for the Senators to thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n 9. Philadelphia Flyers (12-7-3)\u00a0Five goals in his past nine games have changed the complexion of Matvei Michkov\u2019s sophomore season a bit, but the youngster was still \u2014 however gently \u2014 called out by his\u00a0captain<\/a> a couple weeks ago.<\/p>\n 10. Los Angeles Kings (11-6-6)\u00a0Phillip Danault is a defensive security blanket, first and foremost, but a stat line of 0-4-4 through 23 games is still jarring to see for a player who\u2019s firmly established as a 45-point guy.\u00a0<\/p>\n 11. Washington Capitals (13-9-2)\u00a0Connor McMichael cooled off down the stretch last season and he\u2019ll be in tough to repeat last season\u2019s 26-goal showing with just three in 24 games this fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n 12. Montreal Canadiens<\/a> (12-7-3)\u00a0Sam Montembeault entered the season with a medium hold on one of Canada\u2019s three Olympic goalie spots. Today, he\u2019s lost his grip on the starter\u2019s role in Montreal.\u00a0<\/p>\n 13. Pittsburgh Penguins (11-6-5)\u00a0Erik Karlsson is a plus-player for just the second time in seven seasons; Evgeni Malkin is on pace for 89 points, which would be the second-best total ever for a player in their age-39 season or older and Sidney Crosby could well score 40 goals at 38 years old. Friends, there\u2019s not a turkey to be found in Steeltown.\u00a0<\/p>\n (By the way, always and forever, stick tap to Gordie Howe, who put up 103 points at 40 years old in 1968-69).\u00a0<\/p>\n 14. Vegas Golden Knights (10-5-8)\u00a0Stop scrambling for the underlying numbers and just admit that four goals and 22 points in 23 games is a little underwhelming for Mitch Marner.\u00a0<\/p>\n 15. Winnipeg Jets<\/a> (12-10-0)\u00a0Zero goals in 17 games was not what the Jets had in mind when they inked Gustav Nyquist in the summer to help provide offence deeper down the lineup.\u00a0<\/p>\n 16. New York Islanders (13-9-2)\u00a0Captain Anders Lee has scored at least 28 goals in three of the past four seasons, including 29 last season. With four in 24 games, he\u2019ll have to pick it up to get up there this time around.\u00a0<\/p>\n 17. Detroit Red Wings (13-10-1)\u00a0Andrew Copp has but one goal this season and his minus-11 mark is second-worst on the club, ahead of only rookie D-man Axel Sandin-Pellikka.\u00a0<\/p>\n 18. Seattle Kraken (11-6-6)\u00a0Mason Marchment seemed like a nice pickup for Seattle when Dallas had to dump salary, but so far the big guy has found the net just twice in 22 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n 19. Florida Panthers (12-10-1)\u00a0Carter Verhaeghe has gone from 42 goals in 2022-23 to 34 in 2023-24 to 20 last season. Right now, he\u2019s on pace for 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n 20. Boston Bruins (14-11-0)\u00a0Joonas Korpisalo has not been good as Jeremy Swayman\u2019s backup. Among goalies with at least nine games played, Korpisalo\u2019s goals save above expected per 60 minutes is second-worst only to Sam Montembeault.\u00a0<\/p>\n 21. Utah Mammoth (12-9-3)\u00a0Barrett Hayton scored Wednesday night, but he\u2019s producing at just an 18-point clip this season. Sidenote: How boom or bust was the top 10 of the 2018 draft? Booms: Rasmus Dahlin (1st\u00a0overall), Brady Tkachuk (4th), Quinn Hughes (7th) Evan Bouchard (10th). Busts: Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3rd), Barrett Hayton (5th), Filip Zadina (6th), Adam Boqvist (8th), Vitali Kravtsov (9th). The only TBD might be Andrei Svechnikov at No. 2, and we cited him as a turkey today.\u00a0<\/p>\n 22. San Jose Sharks (11-10-3)\u00a0The Sharks took a flyer on John Klingberg, hoping he could rebuild a bit of his old value as a right-shooting puck-mover. The veteran D-man, though, has been a healthy scratch this month in San Jose.\u00a0<\/p>\n 23. New York Rangers (12-11-2)\u00a0It\u2019s Year 6 and Alexis Lafreniere is on pace for 16 goals and 43 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n 24. Columbus Blue Jackets (11-9-4)\u00a0Sean Monahan had 57 points in 54 games last year during Year 1 in Columbus. He\u2019s managed to stay healthy this time out, but has only two goals and 10 points in 24 outings.\u00a0<\/p>\n 25. Chicago Blackhawks (10-8-5)\u00a0Spencer Knight has been terrific as the starter; Arvid Soderblom has an .881 SP in seven games as the backup.\u00a0<\/p>\n 26. Edmonton Oilers<\/a> (10-10-5)\u00a0There\u2019s a lot not to like on the leaky Oilers, but veterans Brett Kulak, Jake Walman and Darnell Nurse have some of the worst underlying numbers on the defence corps.\u00a0<\/p>\n 27. Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> (10-10-3)\u00a03-3-6 and dash-13 for Max Domi is a tough line to look at right now.<\/p>\n 28. Buffalo Sabres (9-10-4)\u00a0Maybe he never lived up to his first-round billing, but Peyton Krebs was a plus player on average-to-bad Buffalo teams the past couple years and potted 10 goals last season. This year he\u2019s minus-10 with a big, fat goose egg in the goal column through 23 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n