Welcome to the second half of this 2021-22 NHL season, where hope springs eternal for all 32 teams.
That's right. Every franchise has at least one Reason For Optimism (RFO), and we're here to highlight it alongside this week's power rankings. From top performers to comeback stories to future considerations, there's bound to be something about which to smile.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors rates teams against one another -- taking into account game results, injuries and upcoming schedule -- and those results are tabulated to produce the list featured here.