2. Utah Mammoth, 8-3-0<\/p>\n
Last week: 5
Sean: 2
Dom: 4<\/p>\n
Logan Cooley\u2019s costume: A member of the 2026 edition of the NHL\u2019s 10 best contracts list<\/p>\n
Every year, Dom puts together a top 10 list of the best contracts in hockey, and you\u2019d better believe that Cooley\u2019s will make the cut next season. He\u2019s been sensational to start the year, ranking 16th in Net Rating thanks to his eight goals in 11 games. Cooley is a superstar in the making.<\/p>\n
Also considered: Nick Schmaltz and his 127-point pace as Nick-ita Kucherov.<\/p>\n
3. Colorado Avalanche, 6-1-4<\/p>\n
Last week: 2
Sean: 3
Dom: 3<\/p>\n
Cale Makar\u2019s costume: Bobby Orr<\/p>\n
The brief moment in which people genuinely debated the best defenseman in the world was fun, but let\u2019s be serious: It\u2019s Makar.<\/p>\n
He looks like he\u2019s in peak form to start the season and currently leads the league in Net Rating at plus-6.0 \u2014 1.5 more than the next best player. He has 15 points in 11 games, a 62 percent xG and the Avalanche are up 15-5 in his minutes. This is generational domination from Makar, and our hope is that he keeps it up. It\u2019s been far too long since a defenseman was even a Hart Trophy finalist and Makar looks ready to change that.<\/p>\n
4. Carolina Hurricanes, 7-3-0<\/p>\n
Last week: 1
Sean: 5
Dom: 2<\/p>\n
Carolina\u2019s costume: A #RealGoals team instead of an #ExpectedByWhom team<\/p>\n
We\u2019re all used to seeing the Hurricanes near the top of the league in expected five-on-five goals; through nine games, their 3.21 per 60 was third overall. What\u2019s new, though, is that even more than their share of pucks is finding the net \u2014 they\u2019re leading the league with nearly 3.8 actual goals per 60.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a pretty serious gap, and it feels even larger when you account for the \u201cCorsi Canes\u201d reputation. We\u2019ve never seen anything like it under Rod Brind\u2019Amour; in 2024-25, the gap was nearly a half-goal in the other direction. If that sort of finishing talent is part of Carolina\u2019s mix for good, look out.<\/p>\n
5. New Jersey Devils, 8-3-0<\/p>\n
Last week: 3
Sean: 4
Dom: 5<\/p>\n
Dawson Mercer\u2019s costume: A core piece<\/p>\n
Mercer took plenty of deserved heat for his play last season, but he\u2019s gotten the train back on the tracks so far in 2025-26. He leads the Devils in average Game Score \u2014 remember for a second some of the names on that roster \u2014 and has clicked playing right wing on a line with Nico Hischier. Through 10 games, New Jersey outscored opponents 5-1 with them on the ice and controlled more than 66 percent of the expected goal share.<\/p>\n
6. Montreal Canadiens, 8-3-0<\/p>\n
Last week: 9
Sean: 6
Dom: 6<\/p>\n
Nick Suzuki\u2019s costume: A franchise center<\/p>\n
When we were putting together this year\u2019s Player Tiers<\/a>, we had a large group of players in 3A \u2014 right on the cusp of franchise status. Our question: Which one of these players will prove their worth?<\/p>\n It\u2019s early, but within that group of 13, it\u2019s Suzuki that has made the strongest case for himself. Suzuki is currently fifth in the league with a plus-3.9 Net Rating thanks to his 16 points in 11 games and sensational 60 percent xG. He looks worthy.<\/p>\n 7. Winnipeg Jets, 8-3-0<\/p>\n Last week: 8 Connor Hellebuyck\u2019s costume: A brick wall<\/p>\n In 2023-24, Hellebuyck saved 0.65 goals above expected per game and won the Vezina Trophy. In 2024-25, he saved 0.79 goals above expected per game and won the Vezina Trophy. Somehow, Hellebuyck looks even better this year, saving 1.36 goals above expected per game. It\u2019s enough to hide that the Jets are dead last in xG percentage to start the year. Without Hellebuyck, Winnipeg has looked lottery-like.<\/p>\n 8. Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-4-2<\/p>\n Last week: 32 Tampa Bay\u2019s costume: John Wick<\/p>\n Never doubt our power. Rankings HQ sources could not confirm that Tampa Bay\u2019s ranking last week was given prime real estate on the locker room bulletin board \u2014 but either way, the Lightning responded accordingly with three straight dominant wins. You\u2019re welcome, Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n On Saturday, they forechecked the Ducks so hard for the last three minutes that Anaheim couldn\u2019t even pull their goalie. On Sunday, they outplayed Vegas. On Tuesday, the Lightning put up a 94 percent xG rate at five-on-five (not a typo) against the Predators. And on Thursday, Jake Oettinger was the only reason they didn\u2019t blow out the Stars.<\/p>\n 9. Edmonton Oilers, 5-4-3<\/p>\n Last week: 7 Connor McDavid\u2019s costume: A marathon runner<\/p>\n Ahead of Thursday night\u2019s games, the best player on the planet was averaging 4.8 miles per game in skating distance, which leads the league and is up a full mile year-over-year. Add that to the list of ways he gives the Oilers more for their money. He scored twice against Utah earlier this week, by the way, in case you thought that \u201cslow start\u201d stuff could stick.<\/p>\n 10. Pittsburgh Penguins, 8-2-0<\/p>\n Last week: 15 Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin\u2019s costumes: Themselves from 2009<\/p>\n Crosby has 15 points in 12 games. Malkin has 17. The Penguins woke up on Friday with the most points in the league. Their coach\u2019s first name is Dan. What year is this?<\/p>\n 11. Dallas Stars, 6-3-2<\/p>\n Last week: 10 Mikko Rantanen\u2019s costume: Martin Ne\u010das with a slightly thicker wallet<\/p>\n And we do mean \u201cslightly.\u201d Ne\u010das on Thursday signed an extension worth $11.5 million annually, just $500,000 less than the one Rantanen signed over the summer. The two, of course, were traded for each other last season, with Ne\u010das heading back to Colorado as the centerpiece of the deal that put Rantanen in Carolina for a pre-Dallas pit stop. What was the point of all that? The world may never know.<\/p>\n 12. Washington Capitals, 6-4-0<\/p>\n Last week: 6 Logan Thompson\u2019s costume: Team Canada\u2019s starting goalie<\/p>\n Once again, Thompson has started like a house on fire; he\u2019s top five in save percentage (.938) and goals saved above expected (8.5), and the Caps have had a chance in all seven of his starts, winning five of them. For Washington, it\u2019s a welcome replay of 2024-25.<\/p>\n Maybe the follow-up will be enough for Team Canada to correct its 4 Nations mistake and bring Thompson to Milan. He\u2019s been significantly better than Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault, each of whom is lugging around a negative GSAx.<\/p>\n 13. Detroit Red Wings, 8-3-0<\/p>\n Last week: 12 Axel Sandin-Pellikka\u2019s costume: A 20-year-old who\u2019s played a dozen games in North America<\/p>\n Sometimes a rookie defenseman steps in and dominates from the get-go, like Moritz Seider. More often than not, though, there\u2019s a steep learning curve. Sandin-Pellikka is feeling that through his first 10 games of NHL action, with a 35 percent xG rate while getting outscored 10-2. He doesn\u2019t look NHL-ready. Emmitt Finnie, on the other hand<\/a> \u2026<\/p>\n 14. Anaheim Ducks, 5-3-1<\/p>\n Last week: 11 Jacob Trouba\u2019s costume: An $8 million defenseman<\/p>\n The Ducks are off to a fast start and Trouba\u2019s shockingly strong contributions have been a massive part of that. Anaheim is up 11-4 in his minutes and his 51 percent xG leads all defenders. Add five points in nine games and Trouba actually looks worth the money. For Ducks\u2019 fans sake, we\u2019re hoping this one isn\u2019t a costume and he can keep it up all season.<\/p>\n Also considered: Cutter Gauthier and his 16.6 shots per 60 as 2008-09 Alex Ovechkin.<\/p>\n 15. Philadelphia Flyers, 6-3-1<\/p>\n Last week: 22 Rick Tocchet\u2019s costume: Jacques Lemaire<\/p>\n The Flyers were already a decent defensive outfit under John Tortorella with a top five expected goals against rate, but they\u2019ve upped the ante further under Tocchet. The Flyers\u2019 five-on-five xGA\/60 has improved from 2.31 last year to a league-leading 2.11 to start the season. And they\u2019re getting the results to match with just 2.15 GA\/60. Couple that with the Canucks sitting in the bottom five in xGA\/60 without him and Tocchet sure looks like the second-coming of Lemaire: A defensive savant.<\/p>\n 16. Los Angeles Kings, 5-3-4<\/p>\n Last week: 20 Adrian Kempe\u2019s costume: The \u201cMonopoly\u201d man.<\/p>\n Already a productive, increasingly well-balanced first-liner, Kempe has put up 15 points in 12 games. He won\u2019t need to keep up a 103-point pace to become a very, very rich man. The better question \u2014 after the last batch of new contracts \u2014 might be whether his AAV is closer to $15 million than $10 million.<\/p>\n 17. Florida Panthers, 5-5-1<\/p>\n Last week: 14 Sam Bennett\u2019s costume: A bank robber<\/p>\n Take the money and run, Sam! If you were wondering whether Bennett could be a true No. 1 center, the answer is starting to look like an emphatic \u201cno.\u201d In 11 games, Bennett has just one goal, no assists and is getting badly outscored at five-on-five. For $8 million per year and with a spot on Team Canada on the line, it might be time for Bennett to step up.<\/p>\n 18. Seattle Kraken, 5-2-3<\/p>\n Last week: 23 Jaden Schwartz\u2019s costume: A major trade-deadline prize<\/p>\n If the Kraken fall off from their early-season pace, Schwartz could easily end up being one of the best players available at the March 6 deadline. Does that bode well for buyers? Not really! Still, he\u2019s a pending UFA with a reasonable $5.5 million cap hit, he\u2019s coming off a 26-goal season and he\u2019s producing enough (4G, 5A in nine games) to offset some iffy five-on-five numbers.<\/p>\n 19. Ottawa Senators, 6-5-1<\/p>\n Last week: 28 Linus Ullmark\u2019s costume: The ghost of goaltenders\u2019 past<\/p>\n The Senators have a long lineage of weak starts and goaltending issues. Since 2007-08, only two goalies have saved over 10 goals above expected with the team: Andrew Hammond and Anton Forsberg. In that same span, the Senators have had 11 goalies below minus-10. Ouch.<\/p>\n Ullmark may not be the next Alex Auld, Mike Condon, Brian Elliott or Pascal Leclaire \u2014 but he sure looks the part to start. If he can\u2019t get back to his usual elite level, the Senators will have a tough time getting back to the playoffs.<\/p>\n 20. Columbus Blue Jackets, 6-4-0<\/p>\n Last week: 25 Columbus\u2019 costume: A sleeping giant<\/p>\n Since 2007-08, six teams have played a full season with a goal share above 60 percent, most recently the Presidents\u2019 Trophy-winning Bruins in 2022-23. All six ended up winning the Presidents\u2019 Trophy.<\/p>\n The Blue Jackets have managed to clear that mark despite playing one of the five hardest early schedules. Regression may be likely and there have been issues \u2014 the penalty kill has been rough, and the power play has been unlucky \u2014 but they\u2019re showing the look of a team that deserves to be taken seriously.<\/p>\n 21. New York Rangers, 5-5-2<\/p>\n Last week: 18 The Rangers\u2019 costume: The Undertaker.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t all bad through Mike Sullivan\u2019s first 10 games, but the locals were getting restless. Two straight wins \u2014 including a comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Oilers \u2014 goes a long way. They\u2019re not back from the dead, but it\u2019s close enough.<\/p>\n 22. Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-5-1<\/p>\n Last week: 13 Craig Berube\u2019s costume: Randy Carlyle<\/p>\n Toronto\u2019s five-on-five xG in 2012-13: 45.4 percent. Toronto\u2019s five-on-five xG in 2025-26 heading into a game against Columbus where they got blown out: 46.3 percent. Not great! The Leafs are up to 49.4 percent after that game, somehow, which is on par with last year\u2019s mark, but considering the team\u2019s soft schedule, that\u2019s not a good thing.<\/p>\n Also considered: Auston Matthews and his 45 percent xG, as Tyler Bozak.<\/p>\n 23. Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4-2<\/p>\n Last week: 24 Connor Bedard\u2019s costume: An eye test<\/p>\n Bedard, even after his incredible performance on Tuesday night, was still rocking a 37-percent expected goal share \u2014 last among the team\u2019s forwards. Now, Chicago has out-scored opponents 10-7 with Bedard on the ice, and his effort and engagement have been solid, according to the fellas who watch the team every night<\/a>. That\u2019s good enough for us.<\/p>\n 24. Vancouver Canucks, 6-6-0<\/p>\n Last week: 16 Adam Foote\u2019s costume: An E.R. doc<\/p>\n When Brock Boeser left Vancouver\u2019s game against the Blues, he departed a lineup that was already missing Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, Nils Hoglander, Filip Chytil and five other players. The Canucks might not be playoff-caliber on their best night. The fact that they beat Edmonton and St. Louis in their current state is legitimately amazing.<\/p>\n #Canucks<\/a> have no extra healthy forwards on this trip. If Boeser is out, may have to call someone up from Abbotsford. And it\u2019s getting to the point that I mean just some random guy off the streets of Abbotsford, no one left down on the farm team<\/p>\n \u2014 Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) October 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 25. Buffalo Sabres, 4-4-3<\/p>\n Last week: 26 Alex Lyon\u2019s costume: The starting goalie<\/p>\n Ahead of his start against the Bruins on Thursday night, Lyon was one of nine goalies with an above average GSAx in each of the last four seasons. The others: Connor Hellebuyck, Igor Shesterkin, Jake Oettinger, Sergei Bobrovsky, Frederik Andersen, Lukas Dostal, Anthony Stolarz and Stuart Skinner. All are starters.<\/p>\n In 97 games in that span, Lyon is plus-25 in GSAx. Backup Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, on the other hand, is at 1.3 in 143 games. The net should be Lyon\u2019s, rough night against the Bruins aside.<\/p>\n 26. Boston Bruins, 6-7-0<\/p>\n Last week: 29 Morgan Geekie\u2019s costume: David Pastrnak<\/p>\n Geekie\u2019s goal against the Sabres on Thursday was his ninth in 12 games and 32nd since Jan. 12 \u2014 two more than Pastrnak and everyone else in the league. For good measure, he also registered the second hardest shot of the season, according to NHL Edge.<\/p>\n David Pastrnak on Morgan Geekie:<\/p>\n \u201cHe has everything to score 50 [goals] in this league. I keep telling him, keep reminding him. He has a heck of a shot.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he has the goal-scoring instinct. He\u2019s gonna get it one day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) October 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 27. New York Islanders, 4-5-1<\/p>\n Last week: 19 The Islanders\u2019 costume: Whatever the exact opposite of the last decade of Islanders hockey has been<\/p>\n After years and years of boring Islanders hockey, the new era is one very important thing: Fun. Chances in both directions, electric pace, blistering speed \u2014 it\u2019s track-meet hockey on Long Island, baby! Who knew that the Islanders would start the season with the league\u2019s highest scoring chance pace? It\u2019s non-stop action.<\/p>\n 28. St. Louis Blues, 3-6-2<\/p>\n Last week: 17 Jake Neighbours\u2019 costume: Jimmy Butler<\/p>\n With six goals this year on his first 12 shots, Neighbours was shooting 50 percent from the field. That\u2019s roughly the same as Butler\u2019s field goal percentage last year. Since 2023-24, Neighbours has a 19.7 percent shooting percentage, good for sixth best in the league. Keep sniping, Jake!<\/p>\n Also considered: Joel Hofer and his .794 save percentage (!) as a shooter tutor.<\/p>\n 29. Minnesota Wild, 3-6-3<\/p>\n Last week: 21 The Wild\u2019s costume: A sinking ship<\/p>\n Minnesota is 3-6-3, they\u2019ve won one of their last nine, they\u2019ve lost five straight, they\u2019re getting booed off the ice at home and they\u2019re one of the worst five-on-five teams in the league. Other than that, everything is fine.<\/p>\n 30. San Jose Sharks, 3-6-2<\/p>\n Last week: 30 Macklin Celebrini\u2019s costume: A sophomore scoring champion<\/p>\n In Sidney Crosby\u2019s second season, he won the Art Ross Trophy. In Connor McDavid\u2019s second season, he also won the Art Ross Trophy. Can Celebrini do the same? It felt like a far-fetched thought at the start of the season, but he\u2019s keeping pace after a hot week.<\/p>\n 31. Nashville Predators, 4-6-2<\/p>\n Last week: 27 Steven Stamkos\u2019 costume: Steven Stamkos (Barry\u2019s Version)<\/p>\n \u201cSeen Stamkos?\u201d That was the first-year marketing that ironically preceded a small amount of Stamkos sightings to start his rookie year under coach Barry Melrose. We\u2019re getting a glimpse of that again this season with just one goal and two points in 12 games for Stamkos while he once again gets dominated at five-on-five.<\/p>\n 32. Calgary Flames, 2-8-2<\/p>\n Last week: 31 Nazem Kadri\u2019s costume: A wrapped present<\/p>\n The sooner the Flames accept that they\u2019re going nowhere, the better. It\u2019s time to let Kadri play his NHL 1,000th game, open the bidding and do the sensible thing.<\/p>\n KADRI MAKES NO MISTAKE<\/p>\n A beautiful passing play from the Flames makes it a 3-2 lead! pic.twitter.com\/P0Ak86R1m0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n
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