The regular season has finally begun, and that means that we can properly start the power rankings. Predictions are fun, but what everyone really cares about is reacting \u2013 mostly so that we can complain about how bad the reaction is! Even as teams only have a few games under their belts, somebody has to wade through all this disarray to tell everyone what\u2019s truly good and bad (for now), and Hunter Crowther and I are definitely the two people to do that!<\/p>\n
Hunter and I begin to navigate through the results so far this season with another year of our co-op power rankings. I have my same old system in which I aggregate six stats (points %, 5-on-5 goal differential, 5-on-5 xGF\/60, 5-on-5 xGA\/60, power play xGF\/60, and shorthanded xGA\/60, all coming courtesy of Natural Stat Trick) to come up with a list that eliminates my own biases, along with a rule that no team can be above a team that\u2019s more than five points ahead of them in the standings, regardless of where the aggregate places them. On the other hand, Hunter goes off his own intellect and pure vibes, and together we find a way to combine it and meet in the middle.<\/p>\n
And be warned: the chaotic nature of the start of the season will result in some interesting rankings to start the season, particularly in the numbers on my end. While I\u2019d like to think Hunter\u2019s rankings, still based on expectations and mine, based on the scattered reality so far, clash in a way that best sums up the season, people definitely won\u2019t be happy.<\/p>\n
Record: 3-0-0, +6
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 1st
Scott\u2019s Rank: 3rd<\/p>\n
Hunter: Playing a combined 100 games in each of the last three seasons? No big deal. Not having your Selke Trophy-winning top center or your all-world 100-point winger for the foreseeable future? Big whoop. Everyone and their aunt picking your in-state rival to win it all (including yours truly)? OK bud. That\u2019s just life for the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. The Blackhawks and Flyers gave them good fights, but you could see in glimpses of the Cats\u2019 relentless puck retrievals and overwhelming pressure that they\u2019re still the cream of the crop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: I\u2019m not going to dismiss their performance so far because they\u2019ve been as good as expected even with the injuries, but I think we expected this from them. The big difference will be if they can overcome losing Aleksander Barkov in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Side note: if Sam Reinhart wants a Selke Trophy in his cabinet, this year is the year without his teammate overshadowing him. Come on, we need a Selke win for a winger!<\/p>\n
Hunter: By God, that\u2019s Mitch Marner\u2019s music!!!!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 2-0-0, +2
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 3rd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 1st<\/p>\n
Scott: Who would\u2019ve thought after how last season started for the Stars, how low I was on them all season AND entering this season, that I\u2019d be high on them after one week? Don\u2019t get me wrong, their defense is still living up to the (lack of) hype, and their penalty kill has been equally bad, but at the very least, the Stars will be fun to watch this season. Expect a lot of games like that 5-4 win over the Jets from them until they address their blueline depth.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-0-1, +1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 2nd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 4th<\/p>\n
Scott: Stuart Skinner couldn\u2019t wait one whole game before making things interesting this season, huh? The Oilers netminder had a rollercoaster performance in the season opener, resulting in a blown 3-1 lead and a shootout loss to the Flames. Calvin Pickard got the start on Saturday, and the Oilers were less chaotic as a result with a 3-1 win. The Oilers net drama will continue to be an interesting saga, especially with Connor Ingram in the fold, and I can\u2019t wait to see what becomes of it. Connor McDavid may have been extended for two seasons, but the Oilers still have to give him a goalie.<\/p>\n
Hunter: Beyond the analysis and in-depth conversation and long-term planning after McDavid\u2019s extension, it was gut-bustingly hilarious that it was bad goaltending that cost the Oilers their first game of the season. At this point, Edmonton should trade the next 10 first-round picks and promise 10,000 season ticket purchases for the Jets in exchange for Hellebuyck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 2-0-0, +4
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 5th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 2nd<\/p>\n
Scott: I\u2019ve been high on the Hurricanes this season ever since their offseason moves, and through two games, they\u2019ve done nothing to make me think I shouldn\u2019t be. Of course, they\u2019re one of those teams for whom their regular season performance doesn\u2019t matter, it\u2019s how they perform in the playoffs, so I\u2019ll put a pin on any true Cup contender hype until then.<\/p>\n
Record: 2-0-1, +3
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 8th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 10th<\/p>\n
Hunter: I feel the same way this year about the Avalanche that I did last year: they have two of the game\u2019s best players in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and a top-tier power play, but not enough depth to make a genuine run. I still don\u2019t know why Brock Nelson was signed to a $7.5-million cap hit, because no matter what the salary cap is inflated to, he\u2019s not producing like a $7.5-million player. I fully expect Martin Necas, who can see a $13-plus million AAV waiting for him next summer, to hit the 100-point mark and help MacKinnon finish as a Hart Trophy finalist again.<\/p>\n
Record: 2-1-0, +1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 11th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 8th<\/p>\n
Scott: In case anyone thought Alex Ovechkin would already have 900 in the bag by the end of the weekend, think again, he\u2019s going for assists now! I have to admit, the goal chase has lost its luster now that Ovi has surpassed Wayne Gretzky, but maybe the hype can return if he ever gets close to 1,000. Otherwise, the Caps have been as good as advertised. They aren\u2019t setting the world on fire like last year, but they\u2019re still a good team.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-0-2, -1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 4th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 16th<\/p>\n
Hunter: Any Leaf fan who tells you they didn\u2019t enjoy Mitch Marner not scoring in the shootout in the Vegas Golden Knights\u2019 loss to the Los Angeles Kings is a liar. And if you\u2019re reading this as a non-Leaf fan and rolling your eyes, just remember they don\u2019t have many things to celebrate. Still, this Vegas team is very, very good, so don\u2019t let a lackluster opening week fool you. As my Power Rankings partner mentioned last week: expect a Golden Knight Stanley Cup and Marner Conn Smythe at the end of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: Also, Pavel Dorofeyev may have one of the best jobs in the league, and he\u2019s already reaping the reward for it. On a power play where defenders will be focused on Marner and Jack Eichel (and Tomas Hertl and Mark Stone to a lesser extent), Dorofeyev just gets to chill in the right faceoff circle and bury whatever excellent pass comes his way. It\u2019s already got him five goals, with four on the power play, so while this pace will settle down, he\u2019s going to be feasting with that group.<\/p>\n
Record: 2-1-0, +2
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 15th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 6th<\/p>\n
Scott: I\u2019ll admit, I was bearish on the Canadiens to start the season, but so far, I\u2019ve been content with their performance. Sure, their only wins came against teams they should have beat, but it was the loss to the Leafs that impressed me the most. They were skating circles around the Leafs at times, and if not for Anthony Stolarz, they probably would have won that game. Their underlying metrics don\u2019t indicate that they\u2019re a sleeping giant just yet, but at the very least, they aren\u2019t as bad as last year. If they keep playing like this, I will gladly concede and say this is a team I feel more certain about making the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Record: 2-2-0, +5
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 13th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 9th<\/p>\n
Scott: The Rangers have been solid so far through four games, with nothing that\u2019s jumped out to me as either promising or concerning, at least on the ice. Off the ice, losing Vincent Trocheck is going to sting. Not only is he the best defensive forward in that top six, his absence means that Mika Zibanejad goes back to center after finally getting adjusted (and possibly thriving) on the wing. He\u2019s week-to-week for now, but hopefully it\u2019s only a couple weeks instead of several.<\/p>\n
Hunter: J.T. Miller\u2019s addition and him being given the captaincy is either going to be a Mark Messier-in-Vancouver level of trainwreck, or it\u2019s going to be a Mark Messier-winning-in-\u201994 level of success. There\u2019s no in between.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, -1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 16th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 7th<\/p>\n
Scott: The Ducks ranked really well for me largely due to the insane number of chances they\u2019ve created through two games. Their 5v5 expected goals for per 60 minutes is a 4.01. The next closest? Carolina with 3.3. It\u2019s been two games and they\u2019ve only played Seattle and San Jose, so Anaheim obviously won\u2019t sustain this level of play all season. But if they can be one of the better chance generating teams in the league while maintaining solid defensive play (which with a 2.15 5v5 expected goals against per 60 that ranks 10th, they are), this could be a solid team. Or at the very least, they\u2019ll be fun, as Saturday\u2019s 7-6 OT win proved.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, -1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 9th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 17th<\/p>\n
Hunter: With a win and a loss to start the season, there\u2019s enough about the Devils that gives me reason to think they\u2019ll take a step forward in 2025-26 \u2026 most of that being Jack Hughes staying healthy. Those last 20 games last season, the inevitability of them being eliminated in the first round by the Hurricanes, New Jersey felt like a dead team walking into the postseason. While they could still use a few more reliable goal scorers in their bottom-six (who couldn\u2019t?), I\u2019m still confident they\u2019ll compete for a chance at winning the division.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, -3
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 12th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 14th<\/p>\n
Hunter: The Senators were one of the feel-good stories of the 2024-25 season, and a respectable first-round effort against the Maple Leafs \u2013 the Battle of Ontario is back, baby! \u2013 gave them a taste of the playoffs. Shane Pinto started the year with two-goal efforts ($6-7 million AAV extension incoming) and you can be sure Brady Tkachuk will try to get his production back to where it was before last season\u2019s 55-point effort. It feels like Ottawa is one big trade away from taking that next step. But whom do you send the other way?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 3-0-0, +5
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 25th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 5th<\/p>\n
Scott: I\u2019ll be honest here, the Bruins\u2019 high ranking is largely driven by how good their special teams have been under the hood. Their 5v5 play has been meh, and their two of their three wins have been largely due to strong performances from Jeremy Swayman (it\u2019s good to see him back in form though). As our colleague Jeff Marek so eloquently described Boston\u2019s offense on The Sheet on Friday, \u201cthere isn\u2019t enough in the grocery cart to bring home to the family,\u201d but they certainly have the tools to pull off runs like this throughout the season.<\/p>\n
Hunter: These SOBs are going to make the playoffs, aren\u2019t they? We couldn\u2019t even have a legitimate rebuild that saw the Bruins struggle for a few seasons \u2014 no, it\u2019s going to be a miss-once-and-get-back type of situation. Any success they have will be because of David Pastrnak, who already has a goal and three assists in three games. Do you know how good Pastrnak is for Boston? In the last three seasons, he\u2019s recorded 138 more combined points than the second-highest scorer on the Bruins. For nearly a decade, he\u2019s been one of the best players in the league, and it still feels like he\u2019s underrated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 0-2-0, -3
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 6th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 27th<\/p>\n
Hunter: I think something people forget about the Lightning is that, despite losing in five to the Panthers in the first round last spring, they were probably the next best option to be the Eastern Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Final. That\u2019s where I see them ending up next spring, as their depth up front rivals nearly anyone\u2019s in the league, and they still have future Hall of Famers in Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy on the blue line and the crease. Don\u2019t let the 0-2 start fool you: there\u2019s more than one monster in the Sunshine State.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: As someone who was all in on the Lightning this season as a top contender (and thought the same as thing last season), I\u2019m going to bring a bit of pessimism to the table. There was one factor I forgot about with this team, and it\u2019s why they both lost to the Panthers so easily and are 0-2 right now: their blueline is incredibly slow. Don\u2019t get me wrong, the defenders themselves are excellent players, but the second the opposing team speeds up the game, it\u2019s game over. It bit them hard against Ottawa and New Jersey, and may be something they need to address this season on an otherwise excellent team.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, +2
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 23rd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 12th<\/p>\n
Scott: I\u2019d say the Blue Jackets have pretty much picked up where they left off last season. They\u2019re creating chances, struggling to prevent them, getting great goaltending from Jet Greaves and even Elvis Merzlikins was solid (at even strength). That sounds about right for a team that didn\u2019t exactly make any drastic changes from their team last season. As long as they get better goaltending and improve on their defense, they\u2019ll be in a good spot to sneak into the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, 0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 7th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 28th<\/p>\n
Hunter: If you go through the Power Rankings from October 2024 to April 2025, you won\u2019t see a bigger cheerleader for the Jets than yours truly. But as the season winded down, it felt more and more like any success Winnipeg would have would depend on Connor Hellebuyck in the playoffs. Lo and behold, despite winning another Vezina Trophy and becoming just the third goalie of the 21st century to win the Hart Trophy, his struggles left Winnipeg with another second-round elimination. But hey, at least they beat the Kings on Saturday!<\/p>\n
Scott: That bottom pair of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn has been horrendous so far with an 18.48% 5v5 expected goal share, and they both feel way out of their depth with their foot speed. The Neal Pionk and Haydn Fleury pair has been just as bad at 13.61%. This blueline needs Dylan Samberg back ASAP.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, +2
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 14th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 22nd<\/p>\n
Scott: Even amidst the chaos of the first few weeks of the regular season, the Wild cannot escape perpetuity in the murky middle. Let me list off their league ranking in the six stats I use for these rankings: 13th, 18th, 15th, 16th, 12th, 32nd (their penalty expected goals against per 60). That is almost impressive consistency at being middling, so a rank of 17th fits perfectly for them. At least Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are already locked in with six points apiece in two games. The Wild still need those two healthy and in form if they want to make noise in a tough Central Division.<\/p>\n
Hunter: We\u2019re two games in and you\u2019re talking about stats?! Still, if the Wild are going to make the playoffs again, Kaprizov and Boldy will need to be at their best. The one I\u2019m hoping to see take a step forward in 2025-26 is Brock Faber, whose production last season took a dip after his strong rookie campaign. Now 23 and entering the first season of an eight-year contract with an $8.5-million AAV, Faber will need to leave no doubt that he\u2019s an elite defender.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: To draw an easy comparison between Team USA teammates, Brock Faber was what everyone thought Adam Fox was last season.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, 0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 10th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 26th<\/p>\n
Scott: I begin this by once again tapping the \u201cit\u2019s early\u201d sign, but I have to say that my concerns about the Leafs going into the season have not gone away so far. This team looked slower and struggled to break the puck out throughout last season, and they have once again looked that way against Montreal and Detroit, two teams they should be beating. If not for a stellar Anthony Stolarz performance on Wednesday, they might be 0-2 to start the year. We\u2019ll see how they continue to adjust to life without Mitch Marner, but this start really screams \u201ctransition year\u201d for me.<\/p>\n
Hunter: Marner this, Marner that, it feels like his departure will be a main topic through this year and beyond, especially when the team struggles to score or the forwards struggle in their own end. Credit to Max Domi for getting his first goal in October and not December or January like years past, and Nicolas Roy is already making contributions. Still, the lack of Joseph Woll \u2014 or the lack of knowing what\u2019s keeping him away from the rink \u2014 leaves fans on eggshells, as they\u2019re one Stolarz pulled groin away from total disaster.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott: Another positive note: Calle Jarnkrok has looked as solid as he usually is, despite the fact that every Leafs fan will tell you he\u2019s bad. It feels like with his contract, he\u2019s been the Alex Kerfoot of this team for the past few seasons.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-0-1, 0
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 24th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 13th<\/p>\n
Hunter: I don\u2019t really know what the Predators are, but I\u2019m confident they won\u2019t be as bad as they were last season. However, it feels like they\u2019re a four- or five-game losing streak away from throwing up a \u201cFor Sale\u201d sign and offering any one of Ryan O\u2019Reilly or Michael Bunting or *dun dun dunnnnn* Steven Stamkos. As for this week, I really liked their possession game against the Mammoth, as it felt like they were getting shots towards the net, but Utah was playing a cover-four defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, -3
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 19th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 19th<\/p>\n
Hunter: The Blues were one of the more fun teams to watch in the second half of the season and were a Cole Perfetti-goal-with-three-seconds-left-in-Game-7 away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Then they started the 2025-26 season with a 5-0 loss at home to the Wild, followed by a win over the Flames that the Blues were outplayed in for large chunks of the game. What\u2019s most important is that their new sweaters are elite, so take your wins where you can find them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Record: 2-1-0, -1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 28th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 11th<\/p>\n
Hunter: It\u2019s a treat seeing Evgeni Malkin drink from the fountain of youth, and despite the non-stop trade rumours regarding Sidney Crosby, there is something special about seeing them, along with Kris Letang, win games. They came back to Earth with Saturday\u2019s 6-1 loss at home to the Rangers, but I\u2019m OK with seeing three of the best players in franchise history put up a few more points before their eventual depatures via trade or free agency.<\/p>\n
Record: 1-1-0, -1
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 21st
Scott\u2019s Rank: 18th<\/p>\n
Hunter: I can\u2019t quite put my finger on the Red Wings. They haven\u2019t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in nine seasons (read in Mr. Rooney\u2019s voice from Ferris Bueller\u2019s Day Off<\/a>), and there wasn\u2019t anything from the offseason to make you think it will be any different. Cam Talbot and John Gibson aren\u2019t going to steal you wins at this stage of their careers, nor will the underwhelming defensive corps that\u2019s currently employed. General manager Steve Yzerman said before the season<\/a> he wasn\u2019t prepared to trade high picks for what some may call \u201crental players.\u201d If you\u2019re not in a position now to try and get better players \u2026 when will you be?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: I will say, I don\u2019t hate how they\u2019ve played so far this season, at least when Travis Hamonic isn\u2019t on the ice (seriously Stevie, you\u2019ve already proven to us you can\u2019t evaluate defensemen, you don\u2019t have to dig the hole any deeper). But I need to see more before I\u2019m sold.<\/p>\n Record: 1-2-0, -3 Scott: The Kings may be the biggest disparity between the eye test and the numbers that I\u2019ve ever seen. They look like a team that struggles to defend and move the puck but generates a ton of offense, and instead they\u2019re 26th in 5v5 expected goals for and eighth in expected goals against. At the very least, that Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin pair has lived up (or lived down in this instance) to expectations with a brutal 20.68% 5v5 expected goal share. It\u2019s a tragedy how that blueline was decimated.<\/p>\n Record: 1-1-0, 0 Scott: It\u2019s hard to make a statement that you\u2019re turning things around in two games, so I\u2019m not all that concerned that the Mammoth are merely fine. The usual suspects offensively are doing well, and Karel Vejmelka has been solid in two games. Nothing to complain about, nothing to praise just yet. I will certainly not be pulling the brakes on the Mammoth hype train just yet.<\/p>\n Record: 2-0-0, +3 Hunter: What\u2019s frustrating about the Kraken is that they have a lot of players that I really like: Shane Wright feels like he\u2019s due for an All-Star-level breakout, Jared McCann feels like he\u2019d be \u201dthat guy\u201d during a Stanley Cup run and, in this house, we respect Vince Dunn. But right now, there is no clear direction which way this franchise is going. Ron Francis\u2019 tenure as general manager was forgettable at best, and not only was he retained and promoted to president of hockey operations, but they promoted Jason Botterill to GM, someone whose time as the lead executive with the Sabres was also forgettable at best. What a waste of beautiful, beautiful sweaters.<\/p>\n Scott: Okay, this is all very true, but it\u2019s also really funny that you\u2019re digging into the Kraken this much after they *checks notes* started their season 2-0-0 for the first time in franchise history.<\/p>\n Hunter: Hey now, I didn\u2019t get the chance to rip them last week, so I\u2019m spilling all the digital ink now.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 1-1-0, +2 Scott: Thatcher Demko is back. Funny enough, I was more impressed with his performance in the loss to the Oilers than I was in his win over the Flames, as the chances he faced in the former game were significantly tougher, and it kept Vancouver in that game when they should have lost badly. But I can\u2019t say there\u2019s anything else about the Canucks that has got my attention so far. I especially need to see more from Elias Pettersson; he needs a big game soon to start showing us that he is also back.<\/p>\n Record: 1-2-0, -5 Hunter: Credit to the Flames for coming back from a 3-0 deficit and beating the Oilers in the opener, because they completely let the Canucks manhandle them the following night. I wasn\u2019t sure if Calgary would make the playoffs this year, but I had them in the fight until at least late March. Not having Jonathan Huberdeau to start the year puts a real dent in the production they need to be competitive, massive contract be damned. While they still need more depth to even be considered a contender, Dustin Wolf makes things much more interesting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Record: 0-1-1, -2 Hunter: The Flyers won\u2019t make the playoffs this season. OK, now that we\u2019ve covered that, I\u2019m surprised to see fan blogs and online discourse point criticism towards new head coach Rick Tocchet after two regular-season games. Before Saturday\u2019s game, Tocchet said Matvei Michkov<\/a> has some elements he needs to work on his game. People took that as if he said he wants to turn him into a fourth-line grinder. But did Tocchet do that to the stars in Vancouver? Does his reputation as a tough player make him a meat head? Folks, we\u2019re one week into the regular season. Frankie says relax.<\/p>\n Scott: If there\u2019s one thing I can compliment the Flyers on thus far, it\u2019s that they\u2019ve played decently well against two of the best teams in the East in Florida and Carolina. I\u2019m still not expecting much from them this season, but that\u2019s certainly something to hang their hats on.<\/p>\n Record: 0-0-2, -2 Hunter: It feels like the 2025-26 edition of the Sharks will prove one theory right: You can be both bad and entertaining at the same time. With nine goals in their first two games \u2013 both losses \u2013 there\u2019s no lack of offense in San Jose. Hell, even Ryan Reaves is getting in on the action. If Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic can provide even close to league-average goaltending, maybe the Sharks won\u2019t finish in the bottom three \u2026 they could finish in the bottom five!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: I thought the 2024-25 Sharks already proved that a team can be bad and entertaining?<\/p>\n Hunter: Science can always evolve, Scott!\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: Oh now you\u2019re a believer in science!<\/p>\n Record: 0-2-0, -6 Scott: Haven\u2019t the people of Buffalo suffered enough?! One goal in two games?! Their defense has been about as good as I expected it to be, even without Michael Kesselring, but the offense and penalty kill need to figure things out fast before it\u2019s already too late for the Sabres. I will say though, I\u2019m not as worried about Josh Norris\u2019s absence as others are. As solid of a goal scorer as he is, his defense is so bad that it cancels it out, and he may be the one player in the league I recommend be deployed specifically as a power play specialist. The offense will be missed, but I think Buffalo\u2019s forward depth is good enough this year that they can replace him more adequately than most people realize.<\/p>\n Record: 0-2-0, -3 Scott: While one of the biggest running gags of these power rankings has been that, well, this is the Islanders, who cares? But Matthew Schaefer may already be putting an end to that bit. He\u2019s already got two points, including a goal, and he\u2019s already earned the trust of Patrick Roy with a 26:04 ice time in the second game, so his transition to the NHL has been as smooth as it can get for an 18-year-old defenseman who only played 26 games last season. There isn\u2019t a lot else to get excited about with this team, and they are very deserving of going winless, but Schaefer will certainly make their games more interesting.<\/p>\n Record: 0-2-1, -3 Hunter: I\u2019m keeping my expectations for the Blackhawks relatively low, even though the hockey fan in me wants to see them stay competitive beyond U.S. Thanksgiving. Connor Bedard looks like he\u2019s found an extra gear, and Frank Nazar already looks like a veteran top-six forward. Everything\u2019s coming up Milhouse<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott: In my keeper fantasy league, I was super excited to finally have an open spot in my lineup for streamers because I used my last pick on Barkov. Of course, my first streamer was Nazar, and now I\u2019m in the exact same pickle because he already feels too good to drop! His contract may have had some sticker shock, but he\u2019s showing glimpses of his worth already.<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED BY bet365<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n Recently by Scott Maxwell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The regular season has finally begun, and that means that we can properly start the power rankings. Predictions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":211949,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-211948","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 18th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 21st<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 20th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 20th<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 26th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 15th<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 22nd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 24th<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 17th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 29th<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 27th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 25th<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 31st
Scott\u2019s Rank: 23rd<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 29th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 30th<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 30th
Scott\u2019s Rank: 31st<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s Rank: 32nd
Scott\u2019s Rank: 32nd<\/p>\n