NHL Power Rankings; Calvin de Haan Out 4-6 Weeks; Ullstrom Off IR

First, your bad news: Per Michael Fornabaio, the Islanders say Calvin de Haan is expected to be out 4-6 weeks with his shoulder injury. Also: David Ullstrom is off IR, but he's been assigned to Bridgeport.

De Haan was headed to the AHL All-Star game, which seems to be a kiss of death for Isles defensemen, as AHL All-Star Mark Katic (out all year with his own variation of Islanders Shoulder) has found.

For some fun not in the a.m. links:

• XM Home Ice interview with Kevin Poulin
• Jack Capuano will be on HNIC radio today at 3:30 p.m.,
• You can send in questions for a Matt Martin "on the spot" treatment
• Truly off the beaten path, here's a documentary on a Sacred Heart floor hockey team. For real.

Earlier this week, Mike gave a look at Power Rankings specifically for December, which ranked the Isles up in what I would call their more expected territory (about 20th overall). To me that's the capability of this team, but it has not been their performance, their luck, and certainly not their blueline. Our regular weekly power rankings and media survey follows:

Media Power Rankings

Here is our media power rankings survey, which hasn't changed much as the Isles are in a win a couple, lose a couple kind of streak that won't help you climb up any standings.

For reference, here is last week's power rankings post, which included mikb's amazing Time Machine Scouting scenario in comments.

Real Power Rankings

And now on to our weekly "real" power rankings courtesy of Mike, or ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles (who is the one you'll find tirelessly compiling FIG picks in the game thread), who conceived and delivers these week after week. They are calculated in true "power ranking" fashion -- i.e. how well teams fare based on their opponents' records.

While some feared the loss to Anaheim would really damage things, Mike explains the quality of opponents who beat you does not really factor in -- only the quality of opponents you beat. Or in other words, the rest of that's already factored in because every loss is someone else's win, and the "power" in question is based on, well, victories.

Once again, these (as well as most of the media rankings above) reflect games through Sunday, so there is no love nor credit for last night's defeat of the putrid Red Wings. Big movers include Montreal, who must've feared the Islanders in their rearview mirror, and instead it is Edmonton and Tampa Bay who are trying

May the power be with you.