NHL Power Rankings: Rangers back on top, plus each team’s nationality mix
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
Another week, another new No. 1 team atop the ESPN NHL Power Rankings!
Plus, with the league’s holiday roster freeze in effect, and the IIHF World Junior Championship set to begin Tuesday, we analyzed each team’s roster to sort out the nationality mix of each club.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors each send in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Dec. 15. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 75.00%
Next seven days: vs. EDM (Dec. 22), vs. BUF (Dec. 23), vs. WSH (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 13 Americans, 6 Canadians, 3 Swedes, 2 Russians, 1 Czech, 1 Finn.
New York leads the NHL this season with the largest group of U.S.-born players, and has the fewest number of Canadians.
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 73.33%
Next seven days: @ WPG (Dec. 22), @ MIN (Dec. 23), @ BUF (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Americans, 8 Canadians, 4 Swedes, 3 Czechs.
Boston has one of the larger U.S.-born contingencies, and it’s a diverse group at that with players coming from nine states.
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 69.12%
Next seven days: @ FLA (Dec. 23), @ ANA (Dec. 27), vs. LA (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 18 Canadians, 3 Americans, 2 Russians, 1 Swede, 1 Dane, 1 Czech.
Vegas has expanded its international representation over the past year. At this time in 2022-23, the Golden Knights were represented by a league-low three countries (Canada, the U.S. and Sweden), but now they have skaters from double that number.
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 68.97%
Next seven days: vs. CGY (Dec. 23), vs. SJ (Dec. 27), @ VGK (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 8 Americans, 7 Canadians, 5 Swedes, 1 Slovenian, 1 Russian, 1 Swiss.
Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar is one of three Slovenian-born skaters to ever play in the NHL, and the only one to have dressed in more than 50 games in the league.
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 69.12%
Next seven days: vs. SJ (Dec. 23), vs. PHI (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 10 Americans, 8 Canadians, 4 Swedes, 3 Russians, 1 Latvian, 1 Czech, 1 Swiss.
Vancouver is tied for the second-most countries represented (with seven) this season, and claims one of the five most productive Latvian-born NHL players in forward Teddy Blueger.
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 67.74%
Next seven days: @ NSH (Dec. 23), @ STL (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 10 Canadians, 5 Americans, 4 Finns, 1 Swede, 1 Russian, 1 Czech.
Dallas is an apparent draw for Wisconsin-bred skaters, with three prominent veteran players from the state — Joe Pavelski, Craig Smith and Ryan Suter — in the lineup.
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 63.33%
Next seven days: @ CBJ (Dec. 23), vs. OTT (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 16 Canadians, 5 Americans, 5 Swedes, 1 Czech, 1 Russian.
Toronto has two California-born players on its roster, but neither Auston Matthews nor Nick Robertson were raised there primarily; Matthews moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, as a toddler and Robertson relocated to Michigan at age 8.
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 66.13%
Next seven days: vs. BOS (Dec. 22), @ CHI (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Canadians, 7 Americans, 2 Swedes, 1 Russian, 1 Finn, 1 Dane, 1 Swiss.
Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers is one of 17 Danish-born players to dress in the NHL, and holds the record among them for most goals scored (186).
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 63.64%
Next seven days: vs. ARI (Dec. 23), @ ARI (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Canadians, 7 Americans, 3 Russians, 3 Finns, 2 Swedes, 1 Czech, 1 Slovakian.
Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev grew up in Russia — and represents that country internationally — but was born in Bulgaria and became the first Bulgarian-born player to suit up in the NHL.
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 60.94%
Next seven days: @ DET (Dec. 22), @ VAN (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 10 Americans, 3 Swedes, 1 Russian, 1 Finn.
Philadelphia goaltender Cal Petersen hails from Iowa, one of just four NHLers from that state to make the NHL.
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 59.38%
Next seven days: vs. VGK (Dec. 23), @ TB (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 5 Americans, 4 Finns, 3 Swedes, 2 Russians, 1 Latvian.
Florida’s Aleksander Barkov became just the eighth Finnish-born player to ever captain an NHL team when he was given the C in 2018. He’s the only Finn currently captaining a team, too.
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 60.94%
Next seven days: @ CAR (Dec. 23), vs. PIT (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 8 Americans, 3 Swedes, 3 Russians.
New York defenseman Noah Dobson is one of three active NHLers born in the tiny Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (population: 157,000). He is among the top producers out of his home province with over 150 career points to date.
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 63.33%
Next seven days: vs. TB (Dec. 23), @ NYR (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 9 Americans, 3 Swedes, 3 Russians, 1 Slovakian, 1 Belarusian.
Washington’s native Belarusian, Aliaksei Protas, started out playing in his original country before toggling between opportunities in the U.S (skating with a youth hockey team in Colorado) and Canada (with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders).
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 57.58%
Next seven days: vs. NYI (Dec. 23), @ NSH (Dec. 27), vs. MTL (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 8 Americans, 7 Canadians, 4 Finns, 3 Russians, 1 Swede, 1 Dane, 1 Czech.
Carolina has dressed four goaltenders this season and each hails from a different country: Denmark, Finland, Russia and Canada.
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 54.84%
Next seven days: vs. DET (Dec. 23), vs. CBJ (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Canadians, 4 Swiss, 4 Americans, 3 Czechs, 2 Swedes, 1 Slovakian, 1 Finn.
New Jersey is the only NHL team this season to have a country other than Canada or the United States among its two most represented nations, thanks to a league-leading four Swiss-born skaters.
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 57.58%
Next seven days: vs. DAL (Dec. 23), vs. CAR (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 7 Americans, 3 Swedes, 3 Finns, 1 Swiss, 1 Russian.
Nashville entrusts its net to the NHL’s only all-Finnish goaltending duo, Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen.
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 54.41%
Next seven days: @ WSH (Dec. 23), vs. FLA (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 9 Americans, 3 Russians, 2 Swedes, 1 Slovakian, 1 Finn.
Tampa Bay dresses three skaters from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, a perennial powerhouse in producing NHL players (despite its relatively small population of 1.2 million).
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 56.25%
Next seven days: @ COL (Dec. 23), vs. COL (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 8 Americans, 2 Finns, 2 Czechs, 1 Swiss, 1 Slovakian, 1 Belarusian.
Arizona defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok is one of the highest drafted Belarus-born players in the past 20 years — he was selected 52nd overall by Florida in 2019. He is one of three skaters from Belarus selected that high since 2003.
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 53.13%
Next seven days: vs. PHI (Dec. 22), @ NJ (Dec. 23), @ MIN (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Americans, 7 Canadians, 2 Finns, 2 Swedes, 1 German, 1 Russian, 1 Dutch.
Detroit is home to the league’s only active Netherlands-born skater in Daniel Sprong, the first player from his country to appear in an NHL game since Ed Beers in 1986.
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 51.54%
Next seven days: @ CHI (Dec. 22), @ CAR (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 19 Canadians, 5 Americans, 2 Finns, 1 Swede, 1 Slovakian.
Montreal leads the NHL this season in Canadian-bred players and, at the same time, is home to one of just two active players (Noel Acciari) hailing from the small state of Rhode Island.
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 53.23%
Next seven days: @ OTT (Dec. 23), @ NYI (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Americans, 9 Canadians, 5 Swedes, 2 Finns, 1 Dane, 1 Czech, 1 Russian.
Pittsburgh is tied this season for the largest number of Swedish-born players while also boasting the NHL’s top active player from Denmark — forward Lars Eller — by total games played (984).
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 51.56%
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Dec. 23), vs. DAL (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Canadians, 8 Americans, 3 Russians, 1 Swede, 1 Finn, 1 Czech.
St. Louis packs a punch on the blue line with three of its top six defenders — Justin Faulk, Nick Leddy and Scott Perunovich — calling three different Minnesota cities home.
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 51.61%
Next seven days: vs. BOS (Dec. 23), vs. DET (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Americans, 10 Canadians, 4 Swedes, 1 Austrian, 1 Russian, 1 Norwegian.
Minnesota’s Mats Zuccarello is one of just eight Norwegians to ever play in the NHL, and he has also been the most successful, with 192 goals and 601 points in 794 career games.
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 48.33%
Next seven days: @ NYR (Dec. 22), @ SJ (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 18 Canadians, 3 Americans, 3 Swedes, 1 German.
Edmonton can claim a tie for the second-most Canadians on an NHL roster this season, and the league’s most productive German skater of all time, Leon Draisaitl.
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 50.00%
Next seven days: @ LA (Dec. 23), vs. SEA (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 9 Canadians, 8 Americans, 4 Swedes, 2 Belarusians, 2 Slovakians, 1 Russian, 1 Czech.
Calgary is the only NHL squad with multiple players from Belarus, and forward Yegor Sharangovich is, at just 25, among the most productive pro players from his country (ranking sixth overall in career scoring, with 125 points in 236 games).
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 45.59%
Next seven days: @ NYR (Dec. 23), vs. BOS (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 12 Canadians, 10 Americans, 3 Swedes, 2 Finns, 2 Czechs, 1 Latvian, 1 German.
Buffalo has one of the league’s more diverse lineups as is, but the Sabres also boast the uniqueness of Dylan Cozens: He’s one of three NHLers to be born in Canada’s Yukon Territory, and the only one taken with a first-round draft choice.
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 45.59%
Next seven days: @ ANA (Dec. 23), @ CGY (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 13 Canadians, 7 Americans, 3 Swedes, 2 Slovakians, 1 German, 1 French, 1 Finn, 1 Dane.
Seattle has an eclectic mixture of nationalities this season with a league-high eight countries represented. But the Kraken hit nine in terms of birth countries; forward Andre Burakovsky was born in Austria but raised in Sweden, the place he calls home and represents internationally.
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 41.18%
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Dec. 23), @ NJ (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 13 Canadians, 7 Americans, 5 Russians, 2 Swedes, 1 Czech, 1 Latvian, 1 French, 1 Finn.
Columbus is tied for the most nationalities represented (eight), including French-born Alexandre Texier, who is top-five all-time in points among players from his home country.
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 39.29%
Next seven days: vs. PIT (Dec. 23), @ TOR (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 13 Canadians, 5 Americans, 3 Finns, 2 Swedes, 2 Russians, 2 Czech, 1 German.
Ottawa forward Tim Stutzle is rapidly becoming one of the most productive German-born NHL players of all time, and joins Orest Romashyna (who never actually played in the NHL) and Leon Draisaitl in a tie for being the highest-drafted skater from Germany (all three were selected third overall in 1963, 2014 and 2020 respectively).
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 37.50%
Next seven days: vs. SEA (Dec. 23), vs. VGK (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 11 Canadians, 7 Americans, 2 Czech, 2 Swedes, 2 Russians, 1 Finn.
Anaheim forward Bo Groulx is among a handful of NHLers to have been born in France. But the son of former pro hockey player Benoit Groulx (now head coach of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch) actually grew up in Gatineau, Quebec, and represents Canada internationally.
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 33.87%
Next seven days: vs. MTL (Dec. 22), @ STL (Dec. 23), vs. WPG (Dec. 27)
Roster breakdown: 13 Canadians, 10 Americans, 2 Swedes, 1 Russian, 1 German, 1 Czech, 1 Swiss.
Chicago goaltender Petr Mrazek is one of six active Czech-born netminders in the league this season, and the most veteran at that with over 350 games played.
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 31.82%
Next seven days: @ VAN (Dec. 23), @ LA (Dec. 27), vs. EDM (Dec. 28)
Roster breakdown: 10 Canadians, 8 Americans, 5 Swedes, 4 Russians, 3 Czechs, 2 Finns, 1 German.
San Jose is tied for the largest number of Czech-born skaters with three; there are fewer than 30 skaters total hailing from Czechia in NHL lineups this season.
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Alden Gonzalez
LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts stubbed a toe on his left foot during an off-the-field incident and was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ lineup Friday night for the opener of a highly anticipated weekend series against the New York Yankees.
Betts was scheduled to undergo X-rays at Dodger Stadium before first pitch. Until then, the team will hope for the best.
“It’s day-to-day right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So, that’s where we’re at.”
The incident — affecting Betts’ second toe — was believed to occur late Wednesday night, after the Dodgers returned from a six-game road trip through New York and Cleveland. Roberts didn’t find out until Betts called him Friday morning. He was vague on the details.
“I really don’t know,” Roberts said when asked how the injury occurred. “I think it was at home. It’s probably a dresser, nightstand, something like that. It’s just kind of an accident. I think that Mookie will be able to give more context, but that’s kind of from the training staff what I heard. So hopefully, it’s benign, it’s negative. Not sure, but I feel confident saying it’s day-to-day … but putting on a shoe today was difficult for him.”
Betts’ injury isn’t the Dodgers’ most serious at the moment. Late-inning reliever Evan Phillips, who was rehabbing a forearm injury, didn’t feel right playing catch earlier this week and will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, knocking him out for all of 2025 and most of 2026.
Phillips, 30, was released by the Baltimore Orioles in August 2021 and designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays less than two weeks later. The Dodgers picked him up and turned him into a valuable late-game option. From 2022 to 2024, Phillips posted a 2.21 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, saved 44 games and struck out 206 batters in 179 regular-season innings.
But Phillips dealt with arm issues during last year’s postseason run and was left off the team’s World Series roster. He then went on the IL because of a rotator cuff strain in the middle of March, returned a month later, notched seven scoreless appearances, then went back on the IL on May 7 because of what the team called forearm discomfort. Platelet-rich-plasma injections did not take. Phillips never got better.
“As we started getting into it, it wasn’t really responding,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We felt like this could be a possibility, so as he got deeper into the process and it wasn’t really getting better, the decision to do it was pretty much evident with our information.”
The loss of Phillips is coupled with the Dodgers having four other high-leverage relievers on the IL — Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech, all of whom are right-handed.
The Dodgers tried to backfill some of that depth by trading for former All-Star closer Alexis Diaz on Thursday. But Diaz, who struggled so badly this season that the Cincinnati Reds optioned him to Triple-A, will initially work out of the Dodgers’ spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz.
The Dodgers also have three starting pitchers — Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki — recovering from shoulder injuries, with Shohei Ohtani not expected to join the rotation until sometime after the All-Star break.
The lineup, at least, had been healthy. Until now.
Betts, 32, got off to a slow start but was still slashing .254/.338/.405 with 8 home runs and 5 stolen bases while slotting between the hot-hitting Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the No. 2 spot. More notably, Betts had proven to be a capable major league shortstop after working during the offseason at the position.
But the toe injury could set him back, in much the same way a broken left hand robbed him of nearly two months in 2024.
At this point, Roberts said, “I don’t see it being long term.” But the Dodgers can’t say that definitively yet.
“We need to see the doctors and kind of get a better sense of it,” Gomes said. “It happened pretty recently, so it’ll take some time before we have a better understanding.”
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