theScore's NHL Power Rankings are published every other Monday. Our second go-round is put together by editors Josh Gold-Smith, Sean O'Leary, and Josh Wegman.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-1-1) ▲

Previously 12th

Imagine a team where a healthy Steven Stamkos isn't even the top offensive weapon? Thanks to Nikita Kucherov, that's the Lightning these days - and that's awfully scary. - Wegman

2. Los Angeles Kings (6-0-1) ▲

Previously 5th

The Kings are faster, younger, and the only team without a regulation loss. New head coach John Stevens has them playing a more aggressive style, and it's working - especially while Jonathan Quick looks like he wants a Vezina. - Wegman

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (6-2-0) ▼

Previously 2nd

The Leafs still have troubles in their own end, but nobody can argue with their prolific offense. Thirteen players are on pace for at least 40 points, and Auston Matthews is an early Hart candidate. - Wegman

4. Chicago Blackhawks (5-2-2) ▼

Previously 1st

The Blackhawks still have plenty of speed and three dangerous lines. It would be foolish to disrespect a team with three Stanley Cups in the last decade. - Wegman

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-3-1) ▲

Previously 11th

Glaring weaknesses at third-line center and backup goalie could hold the Pens back until they find upgrades, but the champs still have the firepower to keep them in the top five. - Wegman

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

6. Ottawa Senators (4-1-3) ▲

Previously 21st

The Sens avoided what many thought would be a disaster, going 3-0-2 without Erik Karlsson in the lineup. The captain has now played three games, and already has six points. They'll be a tough team to beat from here on out. - Wegman

7. St. Louis Blues (6-2-1) ▼

Previously 4th

Even with all the early injuries, the Blues remain one of the league's top teams, in large part due to captain Alex Pietrangelo, Jaden Schwartz, and Vladimir Tarasenko. - Wegman

8. Dallas Stars (5-3-0) ▲

Previously 27th

The Stars experienced some growing pains to start the year, but those can be expected with a new head coach. They've now won four straight, albeit against a relatively soft schedule. Ben Bishop has provided a long-awaited solution in goal, and we all know this team can score. - Wegman

9. Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-0) ▼

Previously 8th

Moving captain Claude Giroux to the wing has paid early dividends, as he has 10 points in eight games. Sean Couturier, known more as a shutdown player, has flourished in the No. 1 center role, providing offense and defense. Regardless, the Flyers' depth up the middle will be a question mark moving forward. - Wegman

10. New Jersey Devils (6-2-0) ▲

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Previously 19th

The Devils are young, fast, skilled, and exciting to watch, but it's still awfully early. They've had some impressive victories - beating three teams ahead of them in these power rankings - but we're still in wait-and-see mode. - Wegman

11. Columbus Blue Jackets (5-3-0) ▲

Previously 14th

Newcomer Artemi Panarin has settled in quite nicely, and along with Alexander Wennberg and Cam Atkinson, he's part of what's been one of the most productive lines in the NHL. Back-to-back losses to the Lightning and Kings aren't much to be ashamed of. - O'Leary

12. Washington Capitals (4-4-1) ▼

Previously 3rd

Alex Ovechkin has slowed drastically after a scorching start, and losses to the Red Wings and Panthers over the weekend have Washington trending in the wrong direction. - O'Leary

13. Anaheim Ducks (3-3-1) ▼

Previously 10th

Boy, the loss of Cam Fowler is really going to test what's already a depleted defense. Thankfully, John Gibson has quietly posted a .932 save percentage through seven starts - O'Leary

14. Nashville Predators (4-3-1) ▲

Previously 29th

The Preds haven't looked particularly great or particularly bad, but if they can keep up high shot rates, their wildly low shooting percentage (5.95) should improve, and so should their record. - O'Leary

15. Vegas Golden Knights (6-1-0) ▼

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Previously 6th

Vegas keeps winning, but with Oscar Dansk leading the charge in goal from here on out, you can color us skeptical. - O'Leary

16. New York Islanders (4-3-1) ▲

Previously 22nd

The Islanders have been fairly average across the board, but have managed just a 4 percent conversion rate on the power play - how is that even possible? - O'Leary

17. Calgary Flames (4-4-0) ▼

Previously 16th

Mike Smith's early workload has been similar to his prior duties in Arizona, but he's survived so far, posting a .927 save percentage across eight starts. Calgary still might want to cut down on the shots against per game (35.4). - O'Leary

18. Florida Panthers (3-4-0) ▼

Previously 15th

Florida's offered a balanced attack so far, but with Roberto Luongo headed to the IR, the team will need to tidy things up in the defensive zone. - O'Leary

19. Minnesota Wild (2-2-2) ▲

Previously 25th

The Wild have been ravaged by injuries, and should be focused on staying afloat until their talented roster can be reassembled. - O'Leary

20. Edmonton Oilers (2-5-0) ▼

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Previously 15th

The Oilers have managed a worse record than nearly every team on this list, but considering they're averaging almost 40 shots per game and still employ Connor McDavid, they retain the benefit of the doubt, for the time being. - O'Leary

21. Boston Bruins (3-3-1) ▼

Previously 9th

Things have really gone downhill for the Bruins since their season-opening win over the Predators.

A slew of injuries (Tuukka Rask, Ryan Spooner, Adam McQuaid), a pair of losses to the Avalanche, and an overtime loss to the Sabres in which they blew a three-goal lead have left Boston smarting, despite getting Patrice Bergeron and David Backes back from their respective ailments. - Gold-Smith

22. Winnipeg Jets (4-3-0) ▲

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Previously 31st

Winning four of out five games since the last edition of the power rankings gets the Jets out of our basement and closer to where many project they'll ultimately finish.

Victories over the Oilers and Wild inspire some hope, but Winnipeg still has some work to do before it can be considered a legitimate playoff threat. - Gold-Smith

23. Carolina Hurricanes (3-2-1) ▼

Previously 18th

It wasn't easy evaluating the Hurricanes after one game, but it's a little clearer now. Carolina earned big road wins over the Oilers and Flames, but losses to the Jets and Stars showed consistency is still a work in progress. - Gold-Smith

24. Vancouver Canucks (4-3-1) ▼

Previously 17th

Vancouver has won three of its last four, but two of those were over the Sabres and Red Wings. It's only a matter of time before reality sets in. - Gold-Smith

25. San Jose Sharks (3-4-0) ▲

Previously 30th

Wins against a couple of struggling squads in the Canadiens and Sabres and a victory over the surprising Devils were enough for the Sharks to gain some ground, despite a pair of losses to the Islanders.

San Jose still isn't scoring enough, though, and will need to figure that out as it continues a five-game road trip Monday at Madison Square Garden. - Gold-Smith

26. Detroit Red Wings (4-4-1) ▼

Previously 7th

Last week was a big test for the Red Wings, and they failed it by losing three games against legit contenders in the Lightning, Maple Leafs, and Capitals. Following that up with a 4-1 beatdown on home ice at the hands of the Canucks wasn't great, either. - Gold-Smith

27. New York Rangers (2-5-2) ▼

Previously 23rd

The Rangers have lost five of their last six, and while Saturday's win over the Predators was a good sign, New York hasn't been playing to its full potential. We knew the Rangers were going to regress, but it wasn't supposed to happen this quickly. - Gold-Smith

28. Colorado Avalanche (4-4-0) ▼

Previously 20th

Last week, we told you not to get used to seeing the Avalanche ranked as high as they were, and Colorado responded by winning three straight, before losing three in a row. Despite solid play at times, the Avalanche are still too inconsistent to sustain success over the long haul. - Gold-Smith

29. Montreal Canadiens (1-6-1) ▼

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Previously 24th

It's still way too early for the Canadiens to give up on the season, but seven straight losses are definitely cause for concern. Montreal went 0-for-3 on its California road swing last week, as both scoring and defense remain major issues. - Gold-Smith

30. Buffalo Sabres (2-5-2) ▼

Previously 26th

The Sabres earned a big comeback win over the Bruins on Saturday night, but they still have the third-worst goal differential in the league and a host of root causes to account for that. - Gold-Smith

31. Arizona Coyotes (0-7-1) ▼

Previously 28th

The NHL's lone remaining winless team has seven regulation losses in eight games. That's bad. - Gold-Smith

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on Rick Vaive, who racked up 788 points in 876 career games with four NHL teams.

On playing for the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association prior to joining the NHL:

The most interesting part was my junior team (the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Castors) not wanting me to leave. They offered me a heck of a lot more money than I would've made in Birmingham.

I kept telling them, “It’s not about the money. I want to be a better player, and in order to do that, I’m going there to play against better players. It’s nothing against you guys, you’ve treated me extremely well, but this is a big step for me and I want to make it.”

They kept upping the ante … it was ridiculous money for 1978. The problem was, most of their best players had already moved on. Attendance had been going down, and they wanted to keep it up. But I said no.

On leading the WHA in penalty minutes that season:

It was a tough league back then; the year before, Birmingham had the toughest team in pro hockey. They beat up on everybody. And then they got rid of those guys, and everybody else figured it was time to take it out on the young guys. I had a few broken noses and quite a few punches to the head.

John Brophy was my coach, and he was a big part of that. We talked a lot; he was a Maritimer, as was I. He said, “We’ve got guys that can look after that, but you have to do some of it yourself.” And I kind of already knew that; I had done that in junior. And I knew that if you don’t stick up for yourself, then they’re gonna run all over you.

I didn’t win too many fights, but I think guys got tired of breaking their knuckles on my helmet and head. And it worked; it gave me a lot more room.

On his first NHL game:

I just remember I was terrified. I mean, it was the NHL; it's where you always dream of playing. The butterflies were floating around like crazy. I don't remember much else, to be honest. All I remember is we wore those Halloween sweaters (laughs). We took a lot of ribbing over that.

I remember my first goal like it was yesterday. It was actually a backhand, believe it or not. I came down the right side and the defenseman kind of cheated to the outside so I cut into the middle through the slot and roofed a backhand past Rogie Vachon. That's a good memory.

On who hit him the hardest in his career:

It was a lot of guys. And the funny thing was, back then, the defensemen were big. Most teams had defensemen who were 6-3, 6-4 and 230 (pounds). And they hit hard. And most of the rinks back then, especially Maple Leaf Gardens and the Montreal Forum, the boards and the glass, they didn't give.

When you look at Montreal's defense my first couple of years, (Larry) Robinson was still there, and (Gilles) Lupien. They'd run you into the boards and it was like hitting a cement wall.

On who dished out the best trash talk:

You know what's funny? It was Glen Sather.

I scored against Edmonton a lot. And Sather wouldn't start until about halfway through the game, and then every time I would skate by, he would say something like, "I'm gonna send (Dave) Semenko after you." And I would turn around and say, "What's that about?" And then I would chirp back at him - so he did send Semenko after me (laughs).

The things he would say ... I remember one time there was a faceoff right by the bench, and he was chirping at me. I turned around and said, "Glen, you were a midget when you played. You never went in a corner. So why are you chirping?" I could see the guys on the bench chuckling a little bit.

On his favorite referee story:

(Laughs) I actually have two of them. In Vancouver, Harry Neale was our coach - and Harry used to have that kind of high-pitched voice, and every time the referee would skate by, he would say, "Come on, come on! You missed that penalty," or something like that.

I think the referee was Ron Wicks. And Harry was chirping at him about something, and Ron skated by the bench, turned around and said, "Harry, I'm trying to help you as much as I can, but your team's not very good!" The whole bench cracked up over that, even though it was a shot at us.

The other one was in Buffalo, when Rick Dudley was head coach. Duds was pretty bad at getting on the referees and the linesmen, and they would come to us and ask if we could talk to him, and we did - but it didn't stop him.

One night we're playing L.A., and we're up 5-2 with about a minute left in the game, and Dudley was getting on Ron Asselstine so bad that night. So right by our bench, the Kings were in on a rush and the lead guy was literally 4 feet offside. Actually, it might have been 6 feet. It was a lot. And Asselstine waved it off, turned around and smiled at Duds. And they scored on the rush.

Duds went nuts. He was banging on the glass, and at the old (Buffalo Memorial Auditorium), the glass would move quite a bit by the bench and it was almost touching the fans, and they were all backing away. I mentioned it to Ron when I saw him recently, and he started laughing and said, "I remember that very vividly." I thought it was pretty funny myself.

On his favorite NHL game:

I don't think I was ever in any really meaningful ones (laughs). I think it would have to be Game 3 of the 1986 playoffs, when we swept Chicago in the first round. It was a best-of-five, and they finished 29 points ahead of us in the Norris Division. We snuck into the playoffs, and swept them in three straight. It was at Maple Leafs Gardens, and I couldn't believe the crowd.

Because we were such underdogs, I don't think a lot of the season-ticket holders bought their (playoff) tickets, so they went on sale to the public. So it was all your rabid, crazy fans at that third game. And late in the game, we were up by two or three goals, and about 40 brooms were thrown on the ice. To see that at the Gardens was kind of unheard of.

That was a good feeling, when we knocked them out three straight. That was probably the most meaningful game I played in.

On the guy from his playing career he considers most underrated:

Although he's in the Hall of Fame, Chris Chelios is the guy.

I think people realize he was a good player, but I don't think they know just how good he was at reading the play, and how smart he was. He didn't overexert himself in any game; he didn't have to, because he was always in the proper position. He was very physical - dirty at times, but that was okay, because he was just giving it back. But he was smart.

He moved the puck well, he saw the ice well, he could run a power play, he could kill penalties ... he could do it all. And he played, what, 26 years? The fact that a defenseman could do that, it's incredible. And he could get under your skin as well as anyone. But he wouldn't say anything - he'd hit you, and then he'd smile, or just skate away. He let his play do the talking.

On playing his last NHL game at age 32:

I remember it very clearly. I was playing for Buffalo. It was at the Montreal Forum. And I didn't get a shift.

John Muckler was in the midst of taking over as general manager, and he fired Dudley early in the season. And I had been playing on a line with Pierre Turgeon. I wasn't scoring, but I had about 70 or 80 shots, and probably three or four quality chances each game. John stepped in as coach, and I suddenly found myself in the press box pretty much for the rest of the year.

My last game, we had some injuries. And the team had called up Jody Gage and someone else from Rochester; both of them had basically played their whole career in the minors and they were in their 30s. And he gave them regular playing time and sat me on the bench, and I didn't get one shift. And that was very disappointing.

I think if I had been able to go somewhere else and get another chance, I could have prolonged my career by three, four, maybe five years. You never want to stop playing - and then that day comes and it's like, "Wow." You can't believe it's over.

On which current NHL player reminds him of himself:

I think if there's anybody that plays a similar style ... I know it kinda sounds crazy, but (Alex) Ovechkin reminds me a lot of the way I played.

It's kind of the same thing with him: if he doesn't get involved early, and hit a few guys or get hit, and get his nose in there, he seems to fade away and you don't really see him the rest of the night. Of course, he might get on a power play and one-time one home. But yeah, a lot of his goals are slappers, he gets around the net a lot, he isn't afraid to hit or get hit.

I would say out of all the guys, he's probably the guy that's the closest to me in terms of style of play. He can play any way he wants to. I considered myself a guy like that. If the coach wanted me to play a bang-and-crash style, okay. If he wanted me to play wide open and score goals, okay. I was good with either one of those styles.

(Special thanks to the NHL Alumni Association for its assistance.)

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

Other entries in this series:

• Denis Savard
• Jeremy Roenick
• Kris Draper
• Bill Ranford
• Olie Kolzig

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As a 31-year-old unrestricted free agent with three Stanley Cup rings on his resume, Bryan Bickell was in position to cash in this past summer.

Instead, he chose to retire after a 10-year career, and nearly a year to the date he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis - an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body - it's a decision he's clearly at peace with.

"I don't know how many more years I could've played but I wanted to finish and worry about my health," Bickell said in a recent interview with theScore. "Not get injured anymore. To be around the kids. There's an upside compared to last year to move on."

After winning the 2014-15 Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, Bickell spent much of the next season in the American Hockey League, as he battled injuries, unexplained health problems, and a level of play far below the standard he'd set during his career.

He continues to deal with those recurring health issues in retirement, which he now knows stem from the relapsing-remitting form of MS he's been diagnosed with.

In that form of the disease, Bickell's symptoms come and go, often taking different shapes every time they rear their ugly head. Like a lot of MS patients, he's often left in the dark as to what struggles can be blamed on the disease, which currently has no cure.

"We don't really know exactly when it started, it could've started five years ago. Nobody can really pinpoint it," he said, while admitting to feeling "exhausted" about once a month.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

Before stepping away, Bickell opened the current NHL season back in Chicago, where he played the majority of his career after being selected 41st overall by the Blackhawks in 2004. He signed a one-day contract in early October, and then retired as a member of the team.

"It was an honor to do that, not every player gets to do it," Bickell said. "The nine years I was with the 'Hawks and getting the opportunity to come back to retire there was special, 'cause of the memories and the friendships and fans."

It was an honor that helped Bickell put to bed a season in which he played only seven games for the Carolina Hurricanes and scored just one goal before taking a much-needed leave from the NHL level. He was diagnosed with MS soon after, on Nov. 14, 2016.

Bickell would eventually return to the playoff-eliminated Hurricanes for four games to end the campaign, and provided one last on-ice memory with a shootout winner against the Philadelphia Flyers in his career finale.

Long known as a grinder, and with a history of success throughout tough postseason battles, Bickell is now carrying on that persona in retirement as he helps others fight the debilitating disease he's living with.

He and his wife, Amanda, have partnered with Manantler Brewing Co. to raise funds for a new MS service dog program they run via the Bryan & Amanda Bickell Foundation. The program currently has one fully-trained dog, a pit bull, that assists those diagnosed with MS, with plans to add more.

"It's not just for the person; it's for the family as well. That's what we're doing. We'll keep this going and see how it goes," Bickell said.

Per the foundation's website, the dogs "will be specifically trained for the individual that it is going to serve."

In helping others affected by the disease, Bickell is preserving those same principles from which he derived so much on-ice success.

"That's one thing I wanted to do, push on," he added.

The 2017-18 season means different things for the Blackhawks and Hurricanes, who are at opposite ends of the competitive spectrum. But for Bickell - who hasn't ruled out returning to the sport one day in some capacity - his focus is now elsewhere for the first time in more than a decade, and he's OK with that.

"Just being a dad, really. I have two young girls, that are 3 and 1 who are keeping me pretty busy."

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights, for better or for worse, have captured the attention of the hockey world early in their maiden voyage, jumping out to a 6-1 record - the most successful start to a franchise's inaugural campaign in the 100-year history of the NHL.

Whether you're a skeptic or a fan, the product in Vegas is about to be tested mightily, as replacement starting goaltender Malcolm Subban joined Marc-Andre Fleury on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

The optics of the situation are quite simple: An NHL team lost two goalies to injury, so they must be screwed. But when looking at how reliant Vegas has been on strong goaltending through its first eight games, it appears unusually obvious that the Golden Knights' unforeseen early success is about to come to a screeching halt.

The options

First off, let's look at who Vegas will roll with in goal while Fleury and Subban are on the shelf.

After Subban was pulled from Saturday's contest, he was replaced by Oscar Dansk, who stopped 10 of 11 shots to lock down an overtime win over St. Louis in his NHL debut.

Dansk, 23, was a second-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2012, and had a save percentage of .903 in 24 games with Rogle BK of the Swedish league last year. He'll be the starter from here.

Who will back him up? That's a good question. General manager George McPhee said the team will call a player up from AHL Chicago at the completion of the Wolves' game Sunday. The two goalies currently on that roster are Max Lagace (no NHL experience) and C.J. Motte (barely any AHL experience). Yikes.

The numbers

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

The numbers propping up the Golden Knights' hot start don't appear to be very sustainable. Vegas owns the seventh-highest PDO (shooting percentage plus save percentage) in the NHL at 103.13. That number typically moves closer to 100 as the season wears on, and should take a hit sooner than later considering Fleury and Subban combined for a sky-high .936 save clip early on.

At five-on-five, Vegas also owns the league's second-worst Corsi differential at minus-47 and the worst expected goals-for percentage at 42.14, according to Corsica. Relying on this team to continue scoring so efficiently doesn't seem like a very safe bet.

That's without even mentioning that three of the Golden Knights' wins have come in overtime, and they've only outshot their opponents in two of eight contests.

The (long) road ahead

No matter which way you slice it, six wins in eight games is six wins in eight games. However, Vegas benefited from a favorable early schedule that featured two games versus the lowly Coyotes, and one game each against the Red Wings and Sabres.

Up next, though, Vegas plays two games at home before an eight-of-nine stretch on the road that includes stops in Boston, Ottawa, and Toronto. It's not going to be easy.

The Golden Knights have certainly done better than many expected early on, and they want it to be recognized:

But given the unfavorable underlying numbers and two long-term injuries at the most integral position on the ice, it appears the clock may have struck midnight on the franchise's historic debut.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights' goaltending situation has been dealt another critical blow, as current starter Malcolm Subban has been sent to injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and is expected to miss approximately four weeks, general manager George McPhee announced Sunday.

Subban was injured in the third period of Saturday's win over St. Louis after he lunged for a shot on his blocker side. He was helped off the ice and subsequently replaced by Oscar Dansk, who helped the Golden Knights secure the victory in overtime.

The club's primary option in goal, veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, was diagnosed with a concussion Oct. 15, and his timetable to return is still unclear.

In three starts as Vegas' No. 1 option, Subban earned two wins, while owning a .936 save percentage and 2.06 goals against average.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Roman Polak to a one-year, $1.1 million contract, the team announced Sunday.

The 31-year-old blue liner had been practicing with the club, but hadn't earned a contract since a gruesome leg injury ended his season in Game 2 of Toronto's first-round playoff series versus the Washington Capitals.

Although the Maple Leafs have jumped out of the gate to a 6-2 start, the club has allowed 28 goals - the seventh most in the NHL. Polak, already familiar with what head coach Mike Babcock expects of him, will be counted on to help stabilize the back end.

In 75 games with Toronto last season, Polak netted 11 points, averaging 17:55 of ice-time.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Roman Polak to a one-year, $1.1 million contract, the team announced Sunday.

The 31-year-old blue liner had been practicing with the club, but hadn't earned a contract since a gruesome leg injury ended his season in Game 2 of Toronto's first-round playoff series versus the Washington Capitals.

Although the Maple Leafs have jumped out of the gate to a 6-2 start, the club has allowed 28 goals - the seventh most in the NHL. Polak, already familiar with what head coach Mike Babcock expects of him, will be counted on to help stabilize the back end.

In 75 games with Toronto last season, Polak netted 11 points, averaging 17:55 of ice-time.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.