We’re roughly three weeks into the 2024-25 NHL season and most groups have both performed, or are approaching 10 video games within the books. From the skin trying in there’s a whole lot of similarity to final season, however there’s some essential developments occurring across the league which can be price as we transfer ahead.
It may be harmful to attract any massive conclusions this early within the season, however right here’s what we assume we all know from the NHL based mostly on what we’ve seen to date.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are astonishingly good
On paper the Lightning have been all the time going to be improved this season with the extra Jake Guentzel by way of free company, however by means of 9 video games the crew is trending to be a power.
A case the place their 6-3 file hides simply how good they’re, the Lightning have performed the No. 2 ranked hardest schedule of their opening a part of the 12 months — and are available out of it smelling like roses. Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel all have double-digit factors to date, with a handful of men simply behind them.
Defensively the Lightning are stable, their goalies have been above-average contemplating the competitors they’ve performed, and Tampa already has some notable wins towards elite opponents just like the Hurricanes, Golden Knights, and Canucks.
There are some issues to tighten up like their PK and general self-discipline in the case of permitting Energy Performs, however in complete coach Jon Cooper has the Lightning already trying like a crew who can contend within the east.
Connor Bedard is turning into the participant we thought he would
Make no mistake: The Blackhawks are nonetheless completely trash and will probably be trash this season, however my goodness has Connor Bedard taken a step ahead this 12 months already.
With three targets and 6 assists in 10 video games he’s nicely on tempo to finest his spectacular rookie totals, however the actual story behind Bedard’s play comes from his superior stats — in addition to his perspective off the ice.
Bedard has lifted his Corsi and Fenwick considerably this season on either side of the puck, however notably on protection the place he’s reworked right into a extra dependable forechecker and prepared to combat for the puck within the the powerful elements of the ice extra. Most-impressively, Bedard’s stats have gone by means of the moon in 5v5 conditions in shut video games, the place he’s lifted his Corsi For from a -10.0 to a +1.2 throughout his video games to date.
What Chicago actually wished from Bedard isn’t only a stellar on-ice participant, however somebody who may anchor this franchise and reform the tradition for the subsequent 10-15 years. Already this season he’s been a vocal chief, who’s already advocating that the crew makes strikes within the commerce market to get him some assist.
It is smart contemplating the Blackhawks’ abysmal offense exterior of the 19-year-old, and if the entrance workplace will get the assistance Bedard wants then this crew may begin to flip issues round shortly — particularly contemplating how simply he makes a scorer’s life together with his prolific passing.
Rumors of the Hurricanes’ demise have been significantly exaggerated
No crew was pressured to endure extra of an overhaul than the Hurricanes this offseason, who not solely whiffed on re-signing Jake Guentzel who was their No. 1 goal, however have been pressured to let Brady Skjei, Brent Pesce, Teuvo Teräväinen, Stefan Noesen, and Michael Bunting to depart by way of free company — with Evgeny Kuznetsov selecting to depart the NHL all collectively and head again to Russia.
At the least on paper the stage was set for a large regression, or no less than some very severe retooling by Carolina, however one way or the other the crew seems to be even higher this season regardless of the roster overhaul. The Canes are 6-2 amid their brutal opening highway journey to start out the season, and gamers everywhere in the roster are stepping as much as fill the void.
Martin Necas is again to his previous self, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are taking part in at a excessive degree — and maybe the most important shock has been 21-year-old Jackson Blake, who has 4 level in his first full season of being known as as much as the primary roster.
The Hurricanes’ heralded protection continues to be sturdy regardless of the lack of Skjei and Pesce, whereas their forwards are acting at the next degree than at this level final season. It’s mixed to make Carolina appear to be a really actual risk within the Metropolitan this 12 months, similar to final — and most figured they’d be preventing in 2024-25 to remain related.
The Oilers must hit the panic button
Regardless of making the Stanley Cup in 2023-24 and seemingly having the desk set for one more run, the whole lot goes fallacious in Edmonton.
The Oilers are off to a horrible 4-5-1 begin, and now Connor McDavid is injured. Final 12 months they have been the NHL’s most dominant offensive crew, however now they’re thirtieth in targets scored, regardless of taking part in a comparatively simple schedule that ranks sixteenth in hockey this 12 months.
Defensively the crew is a large number. The goalies are underperforming. Once you couple these elements with an offense that may’t rating exterior of a now-hurt McDavid and Leon Draisaitl it makes for an unpleasant combo. There’s some severe soul-searching that must be accomplished, as a result of because it stands it appears the Oilers are nearer to having a Prime 5 choose than contending for a cup this 12 months, and their early-season regression has been merely astonishing.
The Rangers are actually, actually good — however we have to see extra
Not a lot a shock right here, however New York is nice this season. The issue is that this may be constructed on a home of playing cards.
Make no mistake: The Rangers are going to be a top-tier crew within the East regardless, however there are a number of elements which may point out the new begin is idiot’s gold.
- The Rangers are thirty first in energy of schedule to date
- Artemi Panarin seemingly can’t sustain his astonishing tempo
- Their schedule has allowed the Rangers to learn from taking part in low-scoring groups
There’s completely the potential that every one of this holds and the Rangers show themselves to be the most effective crew within the Nationwide Hockey League, however their 3-1 loss to the Panther at house (the one actual check they’ve confronted) may point out that extra gamers past their established stars must step up.
