Power Rankings: Lightning reign, Golden Knights surge to No. 2 -- plus, each team's secret superstar

The holiday season is all about appreciating what we have right in front of us. The same goes for hockey teams. While guys like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid and Jonathan Toews command most of our attention, there are plenty of unheralded stars who deserve more love. For this week's Power Rankings -- voted on, as always, by ESPN's panel of experts -- we identified a secret superstar on each team. Although the Tampa Bay Lightning reign at No. 1 yet again, we won't be gushing about Nikita Kucherov or Steven Stamkos this week (don't worry, they're still awesome).

How we rank: We use a panel of voters, and these rankings reflect which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams are favored over lower-ranked teams. A run of wins doesn't guarantee a jump, and a couple of losses doesn't guarantee a fall.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 24-7-2
Week 10 Ranking: No. 1 

It's tough to get noticed when your team boasts the best line in hockey, but 21-year-old center Brayden Point warrants your attention. He's third on the team in points (14 goals, 17 assists) and is often tasked with shutting down opponents' top lines. A future Selke Trophy candidate, perhaps?

2. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 22-9-2
Week 10 Ranking: No. 11 

Jonathan Marchessault has to be the best bargain in the league. He leads the surging Golden Knights with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) and will make only $750,000 this season. In case you're wondering, 20 players on Vegas' active roster are earning more.

3. Nashville Predators

Record: 21-8-4
Week 10 Ranking: No. 3 

Since joining the Predators on Nov. 11, Kyle Turris has been on a tear. He has also accelerated the ascent of linemate Kevin Fiala, who is on an eight-game point streak, during which he has scored seven goals and four assists.

4. St. Louis Blues

Record: 22-12-2
Week 10 Ranking: No. 2 

Jaden Schwartz hoarded the headlines early, and Vladimir Tarasenko is the team's top talent, but center Brayden Schenn leads this team in goals (16) and points (38). It appears the 26-year-old has finally made the leap. Sorry, Flyers fans, it just didn't happen in Philly.

5. Winnipeg Jets

Record: 20-10-5
Week 10 Ranking: No. 4 

Let's talk about Nikolaj Ehlers, shall we? He has improved in each of his three seasons in the league -- which says something, considering that he finished 2016-17 with 25 goals and 39 assists. The Danish winger is an ideal complement across from Patrik Laine on the Jets' second line.

6. Washington Capitals

Record: 22-12-1
Week 10 Ranking: No. 8 

After three seasons with the AHL's Hershey Bears, left winger Jakub Vrana made the big club after an impressive performance in training camp. With 10 goals, the Czech is relevant in the rookie scoring race. For the Caps, the most important thing is his budding chemistry with Evgeny Kuznetsov on the second line.

7. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 21-10-4
Week 10 Ranking: No. 6 

Get to know Swedish rookie Adrian Kempe. He's the real deal. The 21-year-old has been a bit streaky -- kind of like the Kings -- but when he's on, you see why the future could be bright even when Los Angeles has to move on from its big contracts.

8. New Jersey Devils

Record: 19-9-5
Week 10 Ranking: No. 9 

We've accepted the Devils as overachievers, but the success of 29-year-old Brian Gibbons is still inexplicable. Gibbons spent all of the past two seasons in the AHL; his last NHL stint was 25 games in 2014-15 with Columbus. Now he leads the Devils in goals with 12.

9. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 21-13-1
Week 10 Ranking: No. 5 

Pierre-Luc Dubois was the third pick of the 2016 NHL draft. The two guys ahead of him (Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine) are prodigies and All-Stars already. It took Dubois a little longer, but now he's centering Columbus' top line. Remember, Dubois is only 19. His star is simply rising on a more typical track.

10. New York Rangers

Record: 19-12-3 
Week 10 Ranking: No. 13 

Mainstream America got to know Brady Skjei when his name was the punchline in an SNL skit starring Chance the Rapper. Rangers fans got to know the swift-skating 23-year-old last season, when he emerged as the promising future face of the Blueshirts' blue line.

11. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 17-11-5
Week 10 Ranking: No. 17 

Notice how Patrick Kane's production hasn't dropped off much since the Artemi Panarin breakup? You can thank Nick Schmaltz for that. Schmaltz -- who has built chemistry with Kane on Chicago's second line -- is fourth on the Blackhawks in points with 20 (six goals, 14 assists), and ranks third in the league in takeaways with 36.

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 21-14-1
Week 10 Ranking: No. 7 

Morgan Rielly is the bridge between the Maple Leafs' youth movement and the veterans who keep them in check. The defenseman, now in his fifth year, is as steady as they come for Toronto -- both on and off the ice.

13. Boston Bruins

Record: 17-10-5
Week 10 Ranking: No. 16 

Let's give some love to Danton Heinen, who has just as many points (22) as Patrice Bergeron. In the season of the youth movement in Boston, this 22-year-old has by far exceeded expectations, even as he moves all around the Bruins' lineup.

14. Dallas Stars

Record: 18-14-3
Week 10 Ranking: No. 15 

Radek Faksa is having a moment. The 24-year-old center was a recent NHL Third Star of the Week after a four-game stretch during which he had seven points (five goals), including his first career hat trick. The most promising stat for the Stars, who are fighting for contention in the Central Division: Faska leads them with three game-winning goals.

15. New York Islanders

Record: 18-13-3
Week 10 Ranking: No. 10 

"He's a 30-goal scorer and nobody talks about him," a Central Division forward told me recently about Anders Lee. Enough said.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins

Record: 17-15-3
Week 10 Ranking: No. 18 

Not much has gone right for the Penguins lately. One constant has been 31-year-old Patric Hornqvist, who shares the team lead with Sidney Crosby in power-play goals with six. Hornqvist agreed to move to left wing -- where he had never played -- so coach Mike Sullivan could promote him to a line with Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin.

17. Minnesota Wild

Record: 18-13-3
Week 10 ranking: No. 12 

There's a reason GM Chuck Fletcher went to great lengths to protect defenseman Matt Dumba in the expansion draft last June. After Dumba racked up 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) through 34 games, coach Bruce Boudreau upped the ante, telling reporters this week that he thinks Dumba can be a 20-goal scorer.

18. San Jose Sharks

Record: 17-11-4
Week 10 Ranking: No. 14 

Secret superstars come in all shapes, sizes -- and roles. Aaron Dell, at 6-3-1 with a .939 save percentage and 1.75 GAA in 12 games, has been the best backup goalie in the NHL.

19. Anaheim Ducks

Record: 14-13-8
Week 10 Ranking: No. 19 

We have to give this nod to the new guy, Adam Henrique, after that sick loft over Sami Vatanen's head and even sicker goal against his former team, the Devils.

20. Calgary Flames

Record: 18-14-3
Week 10 Ranking: No. 20 

Sean Monahan is one of the most underrated players in the league. With a team-high 17 goals, the 23-year-old makes for a scary one-two punch alongside Johnny Gaudreau on Calgary's top line.

21. Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 15-12-7
Week 10 Ranking: No. 21 

We know, we know. Shayne Gostisbehere as an unheralded superstar was so 2017. But sometimes we still need to be reminded about great up-and-comers on mediocre teams. The defenseman is Philadelphia's fourth-leading scorer with 25 points (six goals, 19 assists).

22. Edmonton Oilers

Record: 15-17-2
Week 10 Ranking: No. 26 

Not everything is doom and gloom in Edmonton. Connor McDavid is producing points again, and so is his roommate, Darnell Nurse, who is developing into a fine NHL D-man. With 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) through 34 games, Nurse has already established a career high.

23. Montreal Canadiens

Record: 15-15-4
Week 10 Ranking: No. 24 

Losing Shea Weber is easier to absorb when Jeff Petry steps in so nicely. Petry has also chipped in offensively and already has two power-play goals.

24. Carolina Hurricanes

Record: 14-12-7
Week 10 Ranking: No. 23 

Noah Hanifin is the Canes' top-scoring defenseman (with 16 points). He's maturing into a reliable -- excellent, even -- D-man in his third season.

25. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 13-14-7
Week 10 Ranking: No. 28 

The Red Wings just put their lines into a blender yet again, which resulted in a demotion for Anthony Mantha. But with 13 goals already, this up-and-comer could still help usher in the next wave of stars for Detroit.

26. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 16-15-2
Week 10 Ranking: No. 25 

Mikko Rantanen has 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 33 games; the spark between this 21-year-old Finn and linemate Nathan MacKinnon is the best reason to watch a Colorado game this season.

27. Vancouver Canucks

Record: 15-16-4
Week 10 Ranking: No. 22 

Is it cruel to pick a payer who is currently sidelined? Besides Brock Boeser -- who is getting his due -- the most impressive Canuck this season has been 22-year-old Bo Horvat, who has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) and leads all forwards in ice time ... but is out at least six weeks because of a fractured foot.

28. Ottawa Senators

Record: 11-14-7
Week 10 Ranking: No. 29 

All Mark Stone does is produce. The defensively responsible winger has 16 goals and 30 points already. Plus, he's third among Senators skaters in average ice time (20:58) per game.

29. Florida Panthers

Record: 13-16-5
Week 10 Ranking: No. 27 

A lot of the time, it's the Aleksander Barkov show (understandably so) in South Florida, but 24-year-old centerman Vincent Trocheck leads the Panthers in goals (13) and points (34) -- and is fourth among the team's skaters in average ice time. (OK, Barkov is ahead of him there.)

30. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 8-19-7
Week 10 Ranking: No. 30 

Rasmus Ristolainen is a rising star in Buffalo because of how much the coaching staff trusts him. Do the Sabres rely on him too much? Perhaps, but the 23-year-old Finn is averaging a hefty 26:49 a game.

31. Arizona Coyotes

Record: 7-24-5
Week 10 Ranking: No. 31 

He's not a secret among his peers or in league circles, but defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson could receive a big pay raise if he hits free agency in 2019 -- or the Coyotes could get a nice haul if they move him before then.