2021-22 NHL Power Rankings: Contenders and pretenders after two weeks

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All teams are fighting for the Stanley Cup, but who are the contenders and who are just pretenders? Here's a look at where teams stand in the latest 2021-22 NHL Power Rankings (updated 10/25).

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The Coyotes are all in on the Shane Wright draft sweepstakes. Five games into the season, Arizona has managed only one point.

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This is not the start Chicago envisioned when it brought in Tyler Johnson, Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury in the offseason.

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Montreal was going to take a step back with no Shea Weber and Carey Price out indefinitely, but it's worse than that. This team is an absolute mess.

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Anze Kopitar has six goals, but he can't do it all by himself.

5/32

Everything surrounding Seattle has been exciting, but underneath all the pageantry is the fact that this team just is not very good.

6/32

The Senators are probably still a year away from competing for the playoffs, but they are a competitive team. Four of their first five games have been one-goal games.

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A 3-2-1 start is very good for a Detroit team that has struggled for so long, but the strength of schedule has been pretty weak. What will the Red Wings look like when they are tested against better teams?

8/32

The Ducks may not be very good, but John Gibson sure is.

9/32

Juuse Saros has started five games and has won just one of them.

10/32

It was a nice start, but after two straight losses it looks like reality is starting to set in for a thin Buffalo team.

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The fact that Vegas has only one win in five games and that the lone win came against Seattle is a huge surprise.

12/32

The success of Columbus this year depends on two players: Elvis Merzlikins and Patrik Laine. So far, so good.

13/32

A 3-2-1 start to the season is OK, but it looks a lot better when you consider all six of those games were on the road.

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Just four games in, Elias Lindholm already has six goals.

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On paper, the Leafs are great. Getting blown out by a Pittsburgh team without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang shows this team's biggest problem is between the ears.

16/32

Jack Hughes needs to come back soon because when the Devils are full strength, they're fun to watch and pretty darn good.

17/32

It's been an up-and-down start for the Flyers who still feel like one of the hardest teams to read.

18/32

Braden Holtby has been unbelievable to start and looks like he may be the top option for a Dallas team with a lot of goalie depth.

19/32

Winnipeg has three losses on the road, but two wins at home.

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What a difference the goaltending has made in San Jose.

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The Islanders started slow, but now they have won three of their last four and did not even allow a goal in their last two.

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At some point you have to give Andrei Vasilevskiy a break, right? He has started every game thus far and this is after two straight Cup runs.

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It has been a slow start for Colorado, but in a clash of the titans against the Avalanche and Lighting, it was the Avalanche who came out on top in a shootout.

24/32

You might not like Brad Marchand, but boy is he really, really good. In four games, he already has seven points.

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Igor Shesterkin has been lights out with a .953 save percentage and 1.47 GAA.

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Evgeny Kuznetsov is red-hot and that greatly changes the trajectory for Washington. When he can play like this, they can compete with anyone.

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You have to give Mike Sullivan credit. It doesn't matter who is out for the Penguins, he always has them ready to play.

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Minnesota has won four of its first five. Is a special season brewing for the Wild?

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Offense does not seem to be a problem for the Blues who are scoring 5.5 goals per game.

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Of course, Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his first goal as a Hurricane against Montreal. Of course.

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Connor McDavid has recorded multiple points in all five games he has played in.

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Florida is undefeated, has scored at least four goals in every game and has allowed more than two goals only once.

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