Brandon Wheat Kings forward Nolan Patrick remains in the No. 1 spot on NHL Central Scouting's rankings for the 2017 NHL Draft.
The NHL released its midterm draft rankings Wednesday, and the 6-foot-3, 198-pound pivot leads the pack of North American skaters. Patrick missed 35 games and the world juniors with an upper-body injury, but has scored six goals and 13 points in eight games since returning.
Here's a look at how the rest of the field plays out:
Fans aren't the only ones that awe at Erik Karlsson.
Upon visiting the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, opposing head coach Ken Hitchcock marveled at the swift blue-liner's skill set.
"He's a great skater but it's his anticipation that puts him ahead of everybody," Hitchcock told Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen. "It's his reads, when to jump, when to go, when to attack. He just seems to be a step ahead mentally (of) most players playing that position."
The Ottawa Senators captain lived up to the praise, delivering what's become a standard one-assist, two-hit, five-block performance in 24:16 of ice time, a key cog in the 6-4 win.
Hitchcock went on to coin Karlsson's unique style of play with a special term.
"We consider him to be an offenseman and we consider him to be a guy that's dangerous when you have the puck," Hitchcock said. "If you have the puck, and you make a puck error and he's on the ice, he will make you pay for it every time. That's just what exceptional thinkers do."
He has a point. After all, not too many defensemen lead their teams in scoring three seasons in a row, and counting:
Season
GP
G
A
P
2013-14
82
20
54
74
2014-15
82
21
45
66
2015-16
82
16
66
82
2016-17
42
7
29
36
It's no wonder Karlsson has two Norris Trophies to his name.
It likely isn't how they envisioned it, but a win is a win.
The slumping Philadelphia Flyers - owners of a 2-5-3 record over their last 10 games - escaped a sloppy effort Thursday night with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, and forward Brayden Schenn didn't mince words about his club's performance.
"That was ugly, wasn't it?" Schenn told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. "Probably not the way we wanted to draw it up, but at the end of the day we got the two points."
Philadelphia surrendered eight power plays, including back-to-back high-sticking double minors in the game's opening eight minutes.
"I don't know if I've ever seen anything quite like that," head coach Dave Hakstol said.
Up next for the Flyers in their search for consistency is a Saturday matinee in Boston against the Bruins.
Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."
Calgary Flames
Plus: Sean Monahan has arrived. The Flames' $44.6-million asset appears to have shaken off a slow start and has bounced back to the tune of 12 points over a 10-game streak.
Minus: Strangely, Calgary owns a home record of only 7-9. Even in last year's 26th place finish, it had a 22-16-4 mark at the Saddledome.
The Take: If the Flames are going to hold down a playoff position in the West, Brian Elliott needs to experience a Monahan-esque revival. Soon.
Edmonton Oilers
Plus: We all know the onus is on Connor McDavid to lead this club, and he's doing just that, but Leon Draisaitl has been a tremendous complement to the Oilers' attack. The 21-year-old's come into his own this season, recording 14 goals and 16 assists.
Minus: Jordan Eberle, meanwhile, only has one goal in his last 13 games.
The Take: It's nearly Christmas and the Oilers are tied for the Pacific Division lead in points. We haven't been able to say that much lately.
Montreal Canadiens
Plus: Despite an offense that's been depleted by injuries, the Canadiens are still finding ways to win, and sit comfortably atop the Atlantic.
The Take: Montreal having Anaheim, Minnesota, and Columbus on the slate before the holiday break is comparable to getting a giant lump of coal for Christmas, and it doesn't get easier from there. Due to the Bell Centre partly hosting the world juniors, the Habs embark on a six-game road trip starting Dec. 28.
Ottawa Senators
Plus: Mark Stone quietly has 13 points over his last 10 games, including four multi-point efforts, in easily his best stretch of the season.
Minus: When the club owner publicly addresses dwindling attendance numbers, it's not a great look.
The Take: The Atlantic Division isn't overly competitive. A strong January for the Senators could go a long way in helping secure a comfortable playoff seed.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Plus: Remember when Mike Babcock said Auston Matthews can be a dominant centerman by Christmas? He may have been on to something. The 19-year-old's potted a team-leading 15 goals, and continues to be rewarded with more ice time.
Minus: Toronto has provided opponents 23 power plays over its last five games, a recipe for disaster with an inexperienced club.
The Take: Over the past week or so, Toronto has looked dominant in terms of shot attempts and puck possession. It's somewhat moot, however, if you can't close a game and secure two points.
Vancouver Canucks
Plus: Adding franchise stalwart Mattias Ohlund to the club's Ring of Honor was a nice touch by the Canucks. Winning the game was nice, too.
Minus: On the other side of the spectrum, watching John Tortorella win his 500th game from the other bench had to sting a bit.
The Take: For the Canucks, this season is about establishing a plan for the future. They may be five points out of a playoff spot, but they're also three games below .500. It's important for Vancouver's brass to take the wins when they come, but keep the big picture at the forefront.
Winnipeg Jets
Plus: Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, and Nikolaj Ehlers could very well be the most dynamic line in the NHL. They each have 30, 29, and 26 points, respectively, this season.
Minus: Eight of the Jets' next 10 games will be played away from the MTS Centre. They're 5-10-2 on the road this season.
The Take: Though the club has an embarrassment of riches up front, until it gets consistent goaltending, it's tough to peg the Jets as a threat in the Central.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen will be sidelined three-to-four weeks after sustaining an upper body injury at a pre-Olympic qualifying game Friday, general manager Lou Lamoriello announced.
Andersen is expected to be back for the start of the regular season, but will miss the World Cup of Hockey, where he was selected as one of three goalies to Team Europe.
After learning of the injury, the Leafs flew Andersen from Belarus to Toronto over the weekend for an evaluation with team doctors.
The Maple Leafs acquired Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks via trade during the offseason, after a season in which the 26-year-old went 22-9-4 with a 2.30 goals against average and .919 save percentage.
There is no word yet on who may replace Andersen on Europe's roster.
