\u2014 NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Boston Bruins<\/p>\n Excellent coaching<\/p>\n The Bruins are not the most skilled team. However, they have accepted new coach Marco Sturm\u2019s principles of stout defense, rapid puck movement, aggressive forechecking and team spirit. \u2014 Fluto Shinzawa<\/p>\n Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n Best players starting slow<\/p>\n The Sabres started the season 0-3 before getting a much-needed 8-4 win against the Ottawa Senators. If they\u2019re going to start to climb out of the 0-3 hole, they\u2019ll need more from Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, their two best players. Thompson has three points in four games, but the team has been outscored 4-1 when he\u2019s on the ice at five-on-five. Buffalo has been outscored 6-2 when Dahlin is on the ice at five-on-five. \u2014 Matthew Fairburn<\/p>\n Calgary Flames<\/p>\n The Flames don\u2019t look like they\u2019ve improved much in terms of scoring <\/p>\n Following Thursday night\u2019s games, only one team has scored fewer goals than the Flames: the Utah Mammoth, who beat the Flames earlier this week. Their offense was a sore point last year, notably at five-on-five, where they were third-last in goals. It\u2019s early, but it hasn\u2019t shown too many signs of improvement. Some fans, hopeful for Gavin McKenna, might prefer this reality, though. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n Deep forward lines<\/p>\n It\u2019s only been a couple of games, but the Hurricanes look profoundly deep at forward. While the top line of Sebastian Aho centering Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis finds its footing, Carolina\u2019s other three lines look dominant. The goals haven\u2019t come yet for Andrei Svechnikov, and Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake have one each, but the underlying numbers are very impressive. The Hurricanes\u2019 shutdown line, anchored by Jordan Staal, is still a handful for the opposition\u2019s top players, and the fourth line of Jesperi Kotkaniemi centering Taylor Hall and Eric Robinson has overmatched other teams\u2019 depth players so far. \u2014 Cory Lavalette<\/p>\n Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n The Blackhawks resemble a competent NHL team<\/p>\n The Blackhawks are passing the eye test right now. They look more structured. They look like they\u2019re competing more. They\u2019ve been in every game. Not all of the underlying numbers are as shiny right now, but first-year coach Jeff Blashill has the Blackhawks pointed in the right direction and has a young team buying into his process. \u2014 Scott Powers<\/p>\n Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n The top line is cooking<\/p>\n Through the first week-plus of the NHL season, the Avalanche\u2019s top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Ne\u010das and Artturi Lehkonen has been red-hot magma. The trio has scored more goals at even strength than any line in hockey (six), without allowing a single goal against. The line is just so difficult to defend, with its speed through the neutral zone and strength to hang onto pucks low in the offensive zone. MacKinnon and Ne\u010das have passed the puck incredibly, and Lehkonen has done a great job in front of the net, bouncing between screening the goalie and making himself available on the backdoor. \u2014 Jesse Granger<\/p>\n Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n Improved goaltending<\/p>\n There\u2019s a chance young Jet Greaves upends the Blue Jackets\u2019 goaltending position by wresting the No. 1 job away from Elvis Merz\u013cikins. However, the bigger story in the first week of the season is that both have looked really strong, and Columbus\u2019 netminding may be something other than a weakness this season. Greaves has stopped 55 of 59 shots (.932), while Merz\u013cikins has stopped 80 of 87 (.920), including a 48-save outing in a 7-4 win over Minnesota. Together, they have a .925 save percentage through four games. \u2014 Aaron Portzline<\/p>\n Dallas Stars<\/p>\n They\u2019re not playing as well as their record suggests <\/p>\n With the obvious caveat that it\u2019s too early to be drawing any real conclusions (October hockey is notoriously janky), the Stars\u2019 3-1-0 start is a little shakier than it looks. Dallas is being heavily out-attempted and mildly outchanced at five-on-five, and the penalty kill hasn\u2019t exactly been dominating. They\u2019ve outperformed the metrics with one of the league\u2019s best shooting percentages, but that\u2019s not a long-term recipe for success. There\u2019s work to be done for Glen Gulutzan. \u2014 Mark Lazerus<\/p>\n Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n Rookies stepping up<\/p>\n It feels strange to say about a team that\u2019s been rebuilding as long as the Red Wings, but this is a younger Detroit team than we\u2019ve seen in past seasons, with three rookies making the team out of camp. Importantly, though, they\u2019ve already contributed. Forward Emmitt Finnie has a pair of assists through the first five games and has been a key forechecker on the top line. Defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka has been playing north of 20 minutes a night in the top four. And winger Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd has brought needed physicality to the lineup. They\u2019ve played a role in Detroit\u2019s hot start. \u2014 Max Bultman<\/p>\n Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n Difficulty scoring at five-on-five<\/p>\n The Oilers are missing top-line winger Zach Hyman and have turned over half their forward group. They\u2019ve lost significant talent on the wings. They\u2019re integrating four players up front with little or no NHL experience. Line combinations are very much a work in progress. The Oilers know finding the right mix will take time. Still, scouting for potential upgrades, other than just Jack Roslovic, has commenced. \u2014 Daniel Nugent-Bowman<\/p>\n Florida Panthers<\/p>\n Offense might be a challenge<\/p>\n The defending champs have had a pretty soft schedule, and their 3-3-0 record is fairly pedestrian all things considered. Other than one big offensive outburst against Ottawa, the Panthers have scored only nine goals in their other five games. The power play has been red hot, but finding the back of the net at five-on-five has, understandably, been a challenge so far without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. It\u2019s been a slow start, in particular, for Sam Bennett, who has just one point. \u2014 James Mirtle<\/p>\n Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n Too many whistles, penalty killing suffers<\/p>\n The revamped defense remains a work in progress, but the Kings are increasing Brandt Clarke\u2019s ice time ever so slightly and were wise to split up the eyesore pairing that was Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci. However, it\u2019s uncharacteristic, undisciplined play that\u2019s been hurtful. Just two minors were taken in Thursday\u2019s loss to Pittsburgh, so that\u2019s an improvement from 22 others in their first four games. They\u2019ve been short-handed 24 times in all and eight power-play goals allowed means they\u2019re not getting enough saves on the penalty kill early on. \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n Power play is electric <\/p>\n While the Wild have only scored five even-strength goals, nobody\u2019s power play is better. They\u2019ve scored a league-high 10 power-play goals. All four of Kirill Kaprizov\u2019s goals have come on the power play, and Matt Boldy has three. Kaprizov leads the league with seven power-play points, Boldy is second with six and teenage rookie Zeev Buium leads all defensemen with five. \u2014 Michael Russo<\/p>\n Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n Improved defensive play<\/p>\n The Canadiens began last season as the league\u2019s worst defensive team. It led to coach Martin St. Louis being publicly questioned and challenged for the first time in his tenure. He made adjustments and righted the ship. This season, St. Louis devoted training camp to their defensive play, and it is paying early dividends. They have not beaten anyone of note yet, but the way this club defends gives you the sense they are a changed team. \u2014 Arpon Basu<\/p>\n \n Juuse Saros is in the first season of an eight-year, $61.92 million deal signed in July 2024. (David Kirouac \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Nashville Predators<\/p>\n Juuse Saros is playing well<\/p>\n Saros has been close to top form early. And yeah, it\u2019s early, but that\u2019s traditionally when he struggles. And he\u2019s coming off a hugely disappointing season. And he\u2019s just starting his eight-year, $61.92 million deal. So this is not nothing. \u2014 Joe Rexrode<\/p>\n New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n Arseny Gritsyuk belongs in the NHL<\/p>\n Gritsyuk, in his first season over from Russia, has three assists in his first four games and looks like someone who could appear on Calder Trophy ballots, as I predicted in our last All-32. Picked in the fifth round in 2019, he has the chance to be a huge draft win for New Jersey. \u2014 Peter Baugh<\/p>\n New York Islanders<\/p>\n Matthew Schaefer is a rising star<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for Schaefer\u2019s speed and finesse to shine on Long Island; his up-tempo offensive style has been a real highlight in the early goings of the season. That has quickly earned the coaches\u2019 trust, since he is averaging over 21 minutes a game. That usage and overall impact have shown two things: 1) Schaefer could be a cornerstone in this next wave of Islanders hockey as the team retools, and 2) the rest of this blue line seriously falls short of him in terms of raw talent and upside. \u2014 Shayna Goldman<\/p>\n New York Rangers<\/p>\n The defense is much improved<\/p>\n Mike Sullivan, hired ahead of the season, has brought a strong structure to the Rangers, and they\u2019re giving up far less to start the season than they were last year. They were stingy against an offensively potent Oilers team earlier this week, allowing only 22 shots, and have given up only five non-empty net goals. It\u2019s a small sample size, but the team defense is trending in the right direction. \u2014 Peter Baugh<\/p>\n Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n The penalty kill could use some work<\/p>\n Through their first five games, the Senators have allowed nine power-play goals. The penalty kill looked at its worst against Buffalo, when it allowed three goals on three opportunities. Ottawa has found ways to generate offense and possession at five-on-five. However, its special teams risks being its downfall unless it makes adjustments, particularly encouraging aggression and limiting space. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n \n Matvei Michkov, the Flyers\u2019 most important player, is off to a difficult start this season. (Eric Hartline \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n Matvei Michkov is struggling<\/p>\n The Flyers\u2019 most important player, 20-year-old winger Michkov, is off to a difficult start. He went scoreless in his first three games, has taken some careless penalties and has just generally looked out of sorts. He did get one goal Thursday, but the overall result has been, at times, some long stretches on new coach Rick Tocchet\u2019s bench. Tocchet recently said that a summer ankle injury affected Michkov\u2019s offseason training, putting him \u201cbehind the eight ball.\u201d The Flyers had better hope he improves, and soon. \u2014 Kevin Kurz<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n Tenacity <\/p>\n The Penguins might not be very good this season \u2014 on paper, they\u2019re badly flawed defensively \u2014 but the work rate under new coach Dan Muse is quite clear. This is partly due to an infusion of young players in the lineup. It\u2019s also related to older players looking over their shoulders, knowing full well that a new regime is in charge and seemingly unafraid to make lineup changes. It\u2019s night and day from last season. \u2014 Josh Yohe<\/p>\n San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n Too many goals allowed<\/p>\n There is still the grander plan for the Sharks, and that\u2019s seeing their young stars progress while getting mileage out of veterans on short-term contracts and potentially flipping them for future assets. However, upping the win total instills belief that this stretch of losing seasons won\u2019t last forever. It\u2019s not happening yet, as they continue to struggle defensively and not get enough goaltending, with 22 goals given up in their four losses to open the season. They\u2019ve had 326 and 310 goals scored against the last two years, respectively. The poor start isn\u2019t a good way to break that trend. \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n Seattle Kraken<\/p>\n Matty Beniers\u2019 offense is on the rise<\/p>\n Beniers\u2019 ability to retrieve pucks and break out of his own zone is promising. It\u2019s a skill that the best two-way forwards and Selke Trophy candidates possess. However, those breakouts haven\u2019t turned into offensive chances often enough; it\u2019s an area that stalled over the last couple of seasons. So starting this season with three points in four games is promising, and so is the fact that he is shooting the puck more and driving to the quality areas of the ice. That has already helped the Kraken generate more quality five-on-five offense and improve on the power play, which was a real weakness last season. \u2014 Shayna Goldman<\/p>\n St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n Defense is giving up way too many Grade-A chances<\/p>\n The Blues have three veteran defensemen in Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler and Justin Faulk and a potential rising star in Philip Broberg. They have one of the best goalie tandems in the league in Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. And yet they\u2019re leaking goals like a garden hose, especially at home. After Wednesday\u2019s 8-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, they\u2019ve been outscored 13-3 at home. It\u2019ll take a team-wide effort to fix the issues, but rookie Logan Mailloux in particular is struggling to find his footing. Mailloux, 22, has played just 12 games in his NHL career, but through four games with St. Louis, he\u2019s already a minus-7 and is expected to be scratched Saturday against Dallas. \u2014 Jeremy Rutherford<\/p>\n Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n A slow defensive group<\/p>\n The Lightning\u2019s biggest battle was always going to be fighting off Father Time. That\u2019s a consequence of leaning on an aging core. The defensive group is slowing down, and that was clear last spring when Tampa Bay was eliminated in Round 1. Now the Lightning are getting exposed for that again in the early goings of the season. It started in Game 1, when the Lightning blew a 3-1 lead to the Senators and lost 5-4. And it\u2019s only started to develop into a trend since, with this blue line getting beat in transition on a nightly basis. \u2014 Shayna Goldman<\/p>\n Toronto Maple Leafs<\/p>\n Easton Cowan might be ready to play in the NHL<\/p>\n It\u2019s still so early that it\u2019s hard to be sure, especially since Cowan is only 20 and is making the jump straight from junior. However, every indication so far is that Cowan is going to be a contributor to the Leafs this season. He hasn\u2019t been overmatched physically \u2014 quite the opposite, even, as Cowan goes at foes with his body. He\u2019s been a force on the forecheck and has quickly made a lot of positive plays with the puck, particularly in tandem with Auston Matthews. There were hints of this at camp, but right now, Cowan is exceeding expectations. \u2014 Jonas Siegel<\/p>\n Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n Mammoth haven\u2019t consistently found a top offensive gear yet<\/p>\n Utah has a ton of high-end skill in its top-six forward group, but the offense hasn\u2019t clicked consistently just yet. The Mammoth have been very stout defensively, but they had scored just eight goals through four games before exploding for six goals Friday. Utah\u2019s probably too skilled not to jell offensively at some point \u2014 Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley especially will produce more regularly \u2014 but it\u2019s still worth watching considering the team\u2019s scoring struggles last year. \u2014 Harman Dayal<\/p>\n Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n Thatcher Demko looks elite again<\/p>\n Demko had a nightmare, injury-riddled campaign last year, appearing in just 23 games and posting an uncharacteristically low .889 save percentage. However, with a healthy summer and training camp, he\u2019s back to looking like one of the top goaltenders in the league in the early going. Demko has been sensational in all three of his starts, notching a .929 save percentage. He\u2019s been the Canucks\u2019 best player so far. \u2014 Harman Dayal<\/p>\n Vegas Golden Knights<\/p>\n The Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner experiment is ongoing<\/p>\n Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy is still working out how to best deploy his newest star winger. He started the season with Marner on Eichel\u2019s wing, but has since moved him to a line with Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev. Eichel\u2019s new line \u2014 with Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone \u2014 was actually benched for the last seven minutes of the first period Tuesday in Calgary. Eichel responded with two spectacular goals to fuel a comeback win. In short, Vegas is still trying to figure things out with its deep, talented forward group. There\u2019s still plenty of room for growth out of the unit. \u2014 Jesse Granger<\/p>\n Washington Capitals<\/p>\n Aliaksei Protas is following up on his breakout<\/p>\n It\u2019s not surprising to see Protas provide some of the Capitals\u2019 most substantive five-on-five play, and it\u2019s not surprising to see him score goals. He gave them a whole lot of both last season. Still, expecting some sort of dip in production would\u2019ve been reasonable \u2014 he shot well over 20 percent. It hasn\u2019t happened yet; the Caps have 14 goals in five games, and Protas has scored four of them. \u2014 Sean Gentille<\/p>\n He’s a Pro at everything, even puck luck pic.twitter.com\/iJeMpsalQM<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27340209-scaled.jpg\")
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