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<\/a><\/p>\n\n Jacob Markstrom has yet to post a save percentage higher than .900 this season. (Isaiah J. Downing \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n
Jacob Markstr\u00f6m\u2019s .830 save percentage<\/p>\n
The Devils are off to a great start, so finding a concerning stat is hard without turning to a number impacted by a small sample size. That\u2019s the case with Markstr\u00f6m, who has played only four games and gave up eight goals to the Avalanche on Tuesday. He\u2019s yet to have a game with a save percentage better than .900. New Jersey needs more from him, and he also has a lot riding on this year as a pending unrestricted free agent. \u2014 Peter Baugh<\/p>\n
New York Islanders<\/p>\n
4.11 expected goals against per 60<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not entirely surprising to see a retooling team struggle below the hood. But the Islanders\u2019 defense has been eye-catchingly bad to open the season. The Predators are the only team to allow a higher rate of xG against in all situations. That 4.11 xGA against per 60 is a combination of poor penalty killing and sloppy defending at five-on-five. No matter how the coaches shake up the pairs, the results are still dismal. And unlike last year, Ilya Sorokin hasn\u2019t been as sharp in containing the damage so far. \u2014 Shayna Goldman<\/p>\n
New York Rangers<\/p>\n
2.18 goals-per-game<\/p>\n
The Rangers have probably deserved a better fate given the number of chances they have created, but even so, their lack of scoring is concerning early in the season. Even if some of the goal scoring picks up \u2014 as it should, as the team\u2019s shooting percentage levels out \u2014 New York will have to be a strong defensive team to have success. This roster just does not have the high-end skill and finish ability to regularly compete in high-scoring affairs. \u2014 Peter Baugh<\/p>\n
Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n
Linus Ullmark\u2019s .858 save percentage<\/p>\n
Through the first eighth of the Senators\u2019 season, Ullmark hasn\u2019t played up to par. He\u2019s only had three games this season where he\u2019s allowed two goals or fewer in each of his starts. It\u2019s less than ideal for a goaltender playing out the first season of a four-year, $33 million extension. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n
Matvei Michkov\u2019s one goal<\/p>\n
Michkov has only managed one goal in his first nine games, a concerning lack of production for the Flyers\u2019 young winger, who they are counting on to develop into a future star. Michkov arrived at camp in suboptimal shape, at least partially due to an offseason ankle injury, but he\u2019s been surprisingly ineffective. He does seem to be working his way out of it lately, and has a pair of important conversions in two Flyers shootout wins, but the club will need more from him if they are to compete for a playoff spot. \u2014 Kevin Kurz<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n
Ville Koivunen\u2019s zero points <\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a wonderful start for the Penguins, but one concern is the play of Koivunen, one of their top prospects. He was already sent to the Penguins\u2019 AHL team for a stint and has zero points \u2014 and only two shots on goal \u2014 in four games at the NHL level. It\u2019s early, but he hasn\u2019t been good. \u2014 Josh Yohe<\/p>\n
San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n
Yaroslav Askarov\u2019s .844 save percentage<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old is going through a full NHL schedule for the first time and there\u2019s no denying he has had a rough start. It\u2019s not easy goaltending behind San Jose\u2019s defense, but you can\u2019t be excused for nights when the Sharks dominate play and he lets in four goals on 14 shots. He\u2019s ultra-talented and can make the ridiculous save, but more common stops will help him find consistency. More wins will come then. \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n
Seattle Kraken<\/p>\n
64 percent penalty kill<\/p>\n
The Kraken are the NHL\u2019s most permissive team when one of their player takes a trip to the penalty box (by goals-against rate), and it\u2019s holding back an otherwise impressive first few weeks of their season. Seattle\u2019s penalty-killing woes are punctuated by a sub .700 save percentage when they\u2019re on the kill. How scary is that? At some point the Kraken need to get on a run and begin to kill penalties at a rate that, even if it\u2019s below average, at least falls within the bounds of historical normalcy. Otherwise their sputtering penalty killing could put their entire season at risk. \u2014 Thomas Drance<\/p>\n
St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n
.840 team save percentage<\/p>\n
The Blues believe they have one of the best one-two punches in the NHL when it comes to goalies Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. But the position has been downright scary this season, with a team save percentage of .840 heading into play Thursday. Binnington was carrying an .863 save percentage, while Hofer has been working through the worst slump of his young career with a .793. The defense in front of them hasn\u2019t been good, with too many odd-man rushes and open shots in front of the net. Still, the Blues had given up the second-fewest shots against in the league (254) through Wednesday and had the second-highest goals-against average (.4.40). \u2014 Jeremy Rutherford<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n
5.28 power-play goals per 60<\/p>\n
The Lightning\u2019s power play is generally one of the more dynamic units in the league. The offensive generation is mostly solid, but the raw skill and shooting tend to kick their production up a notch. Last year, Tampa ranked fifth in scoring rate (9.34 per 60), and back in 2023-24 the team led the league (11.3). But so far this season, the power play hasn\u2019t been an advantage, with the team ranking 26th in xG and scoring. With this team starting to show its age and looking slower defensively, taking advantage of power plays is going to be key moving forward to outpace any lapses. \u2014 Shayna Goldman<\/p>\n
Toronto Maple Leafs<\/p>\n
.874 team save percentage<\/p>\n
The Leafs were top-five in the NHL in this department last season behind the very solid tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. So far this season, without Woll and mostly backstopped by Stolarz, the Leafs are bottom-five in team save percentage with a current clip of .874. There was bound to be some regression in goal, but this is more extreme than the Leafs can afford \u2014 even if the burden of blame rests more on the team\u2019s defensive play than the goalies. \u2014 Jonas Siegel<\/p>\n
Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n
One year left on Nick Schmaltz\u2019s contract<\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s off to a dream start, so there isn\u2019t much to be concerned about on the ice. However, contract-wise, Schmaltz is a pending unrestricted free agent currently making $5.85 million against the cap. He\u2019s second in NHL scoring with 17 points in 11 games. The Mammoth have to be thrilled with his amazing start, but it is a double-edged sword because it means the price of his next contract is only increasing by the day. Utah has ample cap space to re-sign Schmaltz, but sometimes teams feel nervous about buying high on a career-best season. \u2014 Harman Dayal<\/p>\n
Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n
103.1 PDO<\/p>\n
PDO, a combination of a team\u2019s shooting and save percentage, is a blunt-instrument stat used roughly as a shorthand measure of luck, or at least a gut check on our perception. The higher a team\u2019s PDO, the luckier a team is. The current league leaders in team-level PDO at five-on-five are a who\u2019s-who of fabulous early-season stories \u2014 the Blackhawks and Penguins \u2014 likely to prove to be mirages in the long run. And the Canucks, who are the only NHL team with a top-10 PDO and a sub-500 point percentage. If this is what Vancouver looks like when it\u2019s getting the bounces, what might it look like down the line? \u2014 Thomas Drance<\/p>\n