One year removed from barely sneaking into the playoffs as a wild-card club, the Minnesota Wild now rank first in the Western Conference heading into the All-Star break.
A number of possible causes for their turnaround have been offered - the astute coaching of new leader Bruce Boudreau, the Vezina-worthy play of Devan Dubnyk, or maybe the resurgence of veteran Eric Staal.
And yet few are talking about one of the most pivotal storylines unfolding in Minnesota - the newly elite play of 24-year-old Mikael Granlund.
In the midst of his fourth full NHL season, Granlund has graduated to full-fledged stardom for the Wild. The 2010 ninth overall pick has found a new gear in 2016-17, leading his team in scoring with 42 points through 48 games.
That's a career-high scoring pace by a mile, as Granlund is just two points away from topping his personal best of 44, set last season over a full 82-game campaign. He's also just one goal away from matching his former top mark of 13.
Should Granlund continue to put up numbers at his current pace, he'll finish with 21 goals and 72 points. The Wild haven't seen any of their skaters top 70 points since Mikko Koivu in 2010.
Considering how well Granlund has been playing of late, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him push forward all the way to that 70-point plateau.
With a goal and an assist in Thursday's victory over St. Louis, Granlund has racked up 28 points over his past 24 games. He's riding a nine-game point streak, during which he's put up 11 points.
The Finnish star has flown under the radar through his first trio of NHL campaigns. It's taken time to notice Granlund, but he's proven he's more than a depth piece in Minnesota, and looks poised to lead the Wild on a march through the postseason come playoff time.
When the New York Islanders cut head coach Jack Capuano loose, the club sat dead last in the Eastern Conference. Just five games later, the Isles have overtaken five Eastern teams and are one mediocre win streak away from a playoff spot.
That stark turnaround isn't simply the result of new bench boss Doug Weight's inspiring leadership - though the Islanders have gone 4-1 since he took over. It's just the reality of the situation for teams in the East this season, where the battle for the last few playoff spots is nowhere near finished.
Heading into the home stretch of 2016-17, the seven clubs at the bottom of the standings remain just three points apart, and all are within reach of a wild-card spot.
After triumphantly closing the gap on the backs of their elite rookie stars, the Toronto Maple Leafs have temporarily dropped out of a postseason position. Yet they remain just one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild-card slot, and the Leafs have played three fewer games than Philly.
Needless to say, it's still anyone's year in the East.
Perhaps the only clubs sure to remain in their current spots are the Metropolitan Division leaders, where the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Pittsburgh Penguins have been rolling over the rest of the league all season. All three have cleared 65 points and don't look likely to fall too far before the year is through.
The Atlantic Division-leading Montreal Canadiens appear to be a sure thing as well, sitting with a seven-point lead over the second-place Ottawa Senators.
Past that, the rest of the conference is an all-out mess. This time last season, the bottom three teams in the East were already well behind the middle-of-the-pack clubs by a full 10 points or more, their playoff hopes all but dashed.
But the basement dwellers are hanging around this time, which should mean plenty of heated conference rivalry tilts once the All-Star break concludes.
The NHL took on the unforgiving task of comparing players from each of its generations, compiling a 100 Greatest Players list for reveal in Los Angeles this weekend as part of the All-Star festivities.
While we admire their zest, it's not a task we'll gleefully take on ourselves. We will, however, scrutinize this generation.
Here are the top 50 players in the post-lockout era - 2005-06 and beyond - broken down categorically.
League Pillars
Sidney Crosby - an NHL-best 1.33 points per game Alex Ovechkin - only player with 1,000 points; his 547 goals are 181 more than the next most prolific sniper
Poles apart, but together sharing in the rescue of the NHL in its tenuous return from the 2004-05 lockout. Crosby and Ovechkin - and their only partially engineered rivalry - represent more than a generational and procedural shift; these all-time greats repaired and lifted the sport to new heights.
Hall of Fame Careers Established
Pavel Datsyuk - a league-best plus-227 Henrik Lundqvist - the most starts, most wins, and a .920 save percentage maintained over 12 seasons Evgeni Malkin- his 1.18 points per game is second to Crosby Daniel Sedin - the goal-scorer in the family, Daniel has over 300 goals and 800 points Henrik Sedin- the 2010 Hart Trophy winner ranks fourth with 856 points Joe Thornton- his 125-point season in 2005-06 the highest single-season total
With the exception of Lundqvist, this group of players didn't usher in the NHL, providing a convenient point of reference. Regardless, they've carved out Hall of Fame careers under the new directive.
Legendary Farewells
Martin Brodeur- won 135 games in the space of three seasons from 2005 to 2008 Nicklas Lidstrom- his 0.76 points per game rate second only to Erik Karlsson among defenders with 250-plus games Scott Niedermayer- won the Conn Smythe and his fourth Stanley Cup in 2007 Chris Pronger-- three Stanley Cup Final appearances (with three different teams) in six seasons Martin St. Louis-- the Art Ross winner in 2013; collected 774 points in 770 games
All-time great careers were interrupted when the NHL ceased its operations. Some merely hung on for a few seasons; others heightened their legend.
Transcendent Stars on Path to 1st-Balllot Induction
Patrick Kane- reigning Hart Trophy winner is one of five active players averaging more than a point per game Erik Karlsson- his 0.81 points rate tops among all defensemen Carey Price- the only netminder to win the Hart Trophy
Each major trophy winners, Kane, Karlsson, and Price raised the standard at their positions over the last few seasons.
The Exception to Every Rule
Jaromir Jagr - his 123-point season in 2005-06 is the second highest total for a single season
Unable to sort the ageless one. Though he's had only a few elite campaigns in the post-lockout era, Jagr wouldn't be the second all-time leading scorer without his bonus seasons borne from tireless dedication.
The Glory
Drew Doughty - two-time Stanley Cup champion and Norris Trophy winner Marian Hossa - five appearances and three wins in the Stanley Cup Final Duncan Keith - three Cups, and his 490 points the most among defensemen Anze Kopitar - two Stanley Cups, as well as a Selke and a Lady Byng Jonathan Toews - three-time Stanley Cup champion and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner
Championships have to count for something, right?
Former or Fleeting Dominance
Zdeno Chara - Stanley Cup-winning captain, and a win from six Norris nominations Jarome Iginla - second to Ovechkin with 367 goals Ilya Kovalchuk - one of three players to average better than a half goal per game Tim Thomas - one of two multiple Vezina Trophy winners Henrik Zetterberg - eighth in scoring with 782 points
Mastery is often short lived. Across many seasons, or in spurts, these players were at the top of their classes.
Within the foundation that supports a vibrant, competitive, healthy NHL, there are so many fantastic players. Chapters still need to be written with this band of All-Stars, major award winners, and champions.
All they've done is produce - for long, long periods of time.
Other Standouts
Brent Burns - tops with 65 goals in 213 games since moving back to the blue line Marian Gaborik - three 40-goal seasons, and the NHL's sixth-best per game goal rate Mike Green - his 31-goal season in 2008-09 the best single campaign among defensemen Dany Heatley - one of five players with multiple 100-point seasons, and one of four with multiple 50-goal seasons
Future is Now
Connor McDavid - 1.11 points rate through 95 games trails Crosby, Ovechkin, and Malkin.
In the first injury-free first half of his career, McDavid leads the NHL in scoring at the All-Star break. He'll lead one of these lists soon enough.
Unfortunately for him and his Toronto Maple Leafs, they experienced just that Thursday night in Philadelphia, dropping a 2-1 decision on a late goal from the Flyers.
The Leafs were in the second game of a back-to-back, and while they certainly played like they were out of gas in the third period - where they were out-attempted 32-11 at even strength - Babcock isn't buying into his team being fatigued, citing the glory days of minor hockey as a reference point.
"When you were young, you played three minor hockey games in one day and no one knows (they're tired)," Babcock said, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle. "You eat a burger and then you have some fries and then you put a little ketchup on the side and then you keep playing. You don't know. No one told you you were tired so you're not tired.
"So this is just because now we have all these (sports science) people working for us saying you've got to eat this and do this - forget that. Play the game."
To Babcock's point, the Flyers were also in the second portion of a back-to-back, and heavily carried play as the game wore on.
The compact schedule doesn't stop any time soon for the Leafs, either, as Toronto faces seven more back-to-back situations in the remaining 35 games of its season.
The Canadiens acquired Nesterov in exchange for a 2017 sixth-round pick and defender Jonathan Racine. With the 23-year-old Nesterov likely to debut after the All-Star break, here are a few things for Montreal fans and interested observers to keep in mind:
1. He gets a thumbs-up from fancy stats
While Nesterov was fairly sheltered through the 35 games he played in Lightning colors this season - starting 66 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone - he did come out on top when it came to his possession metrics.
Nesterov led all Lightning defensemen in even-strength Corsi For rating, posting a strong mark of 54 percent this season. That percentage was also good for fifth-best among all Lightning skaters.
He hasn't been wholly consistent in this area, as he finished with 50 percent in 2015-16. However, Nesterov topped 54 percent in his 27-game go-round in the big leagues in 2014-15 as well.
2. He's as versatile as they come
The young rearguard manned both sides of the rink for the Lightning this season, splitting time with partners Braydon Coburn, Jason Garrison, and Anton Stralman. He even spent a fair chunk of time with Tampa Bay's blue-line leader, Victor Hedman.
Of course, the most obvious example of Nesterov's versatility is the fact that he's been used as a forward on a number of occasions. He first got the call to play on the front lines during his time in the KHL. But Lightning coach Jon Cooper has tried him out on the club's fourth line at times as well - and Nesterov hasn't disappointed.
"He can skate, he's physical, he engages, he's got a good stick," Cooper told the Tampa Bay Times' Joe Smith in December. "He can do them both at forward and D. He's been kind of a utility guy."
3. He's a project, but he's cheap
For all his skill and potential, Nesterov comes with an extraordinarily reasonable contract, as he's owed only $725,000 this season. He's in the midst of a one-year deal signed with the Lightning after playing out his three-year entry-level pact.
He's a restricted free agent after this season, but since Nesterov hasn't exactly lit the league on fire throughout his 119 career games, it's fair to assume he'll be paid a pretty reasonable sum on his next deal as well.
That's excellent news for Montreal, as the club houses four defenders making over $4 million per season - with those annual salaries stretching as high as $7.9 million for Shea Weber.
Nesterov didn't cost the organization very much in terms of the trade itself either. Racine - who's the same age as Nesterov - has earned only one game in the big leagues, and the sixth-round pick won't set the club back much.
All in all, it's a strong move by Bergevin to bring in Nesterov as the perfect low-risk, high-reward option on the Canadiens' blue line.
For fans, All-Star weekend means watching the world's best players "compete" in a series of league-sanctioned events to grow the game. For players and coaches, the break provides a barometer of where a team lies heading into the stretch run of the season, and this year, it's as close as ever.
Remarkably, 12 of the 14 NHL clubs outside the playoff picture are within seven points of a spot, the outliers being the lowly Coyotes and Avalanche, who at this point have a snowballs chance in hell of making it.
Here's a look at the ground the outsiders will have to make up once festivities in Los Angeles conclude:
Eastern Conference (cut-line: 56 points)
Team
Games played
Points
Maple Leafs
47
55
Panthers
50
52
Islanders
47
51
Lightning
50
50
Hurricanes
48
49
Sabres
48
49
Red Wings
49
49
Devils
50
49
The Islanders have surged up the standings since Doug Weight took over behind the bench, moving from last place into striking distance with games in hand.
Elsewhere, the Panthers and Lightning - both heavily expected to make the playoffs this season - have some work to do, while the Red Wings' 25-year playoff streak is in jeopardy, but remains salvageable.
Western Conference (cut-line: 53 points)
Team
Games played
Points
Kings
49
52
Canucks
50
52
Stars
50
50
Jets
52
50
Coyotes
46
38
Avalanche
46
28
Save for the last two entries, the West is even closer than the East.
While the 16 teams slotted in postseason positions may feel comfortable right now, remember, the two teams - the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks - that reached the Stanley Cup Final last season, sat near the basement of their respective conferences last season at the midway point.
So as riveting as the skills competition and All-Star Game will be, try not to wear yourself out folks, because the regular season's final push is going to be a wild ride.
After their second road win in as many nights over a Pacific Division competitor - 4-1 over the San Jose Sharks - the Oilers sit in a tie for first place with 64 points at the All-Star break. This is not a drill.
The victory gives Edmonton a 7-0-1 record over their past eight games, and a win over San Jose - a team they've beat just four times in regulation over their last 32 attempts - shows a changing of the guard for a franchise finally on an upswing.
"I think it's a feather in the cap of the players," head coach Todd McLellan said upon notching first place, according to Eric Gilmore of NHL.com. "They bought into a system, they bought into each other, they care about each other. To scratch and claw and win on the road in theses last two games in very tough buildings is something we should be proud of and we should be confident with, but it's only the All-Star break."
McLellan's right, it is only the All-Star break, but the Oilers snapping their 10-season playoff drought looks like all but a formality at this point. Edmonton is 11 points clear of its wild-card chasers 51 games in, and as their past two games have shown, the Oilers are very well competitive with the best the Pacific has to offer.
Upon calling a penalty in Thursday night's game between the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets, referee Frederick L'Ecuyer was caught shouting some profanity.
Now, he's certainly not the first person to swear at a hockey game, but he might be the first to do it at center ice with his mic on.
