Winners and Losers From the First Month of the NHL Season
It's been just over a month since the 2022-23 NHL season opened in Prague on Oct. 7 between the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks. With the schedule well underway, it's a good opportunity to look back on what's transpired over that period.
The early weeks of a new season always have their share of surprising developments. A handful of teams projected to be postseason contenders can stumble from the gate while some of the rebuilding clubs have better-than-expected starts.
It's also interesting to see how individuals have performed. Offensive stars such as the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid have picked up where they left off last season. Meanwhile, several of last year's top goalies, including the Calgary Flames' Jacob Markström, are struggling through the early going.
Here's our look at the winners and losers from the opening month. If you agree or disagree with our listing or feel we've missed a player, coach or team, feel free to let us know in the comments.
Winners: Rebuilding Teams
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Several rebuilding clubs weren't expected to be competitive for playoff positions entering this season. Some, such as the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets, are near the bottom of the standings. However, other projected non-contenders exceeded expectations through the schedule's opening weeks.
In the Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres (14 points) were just three points out of second place as of Wednesday. Leading the way are rising stars in defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and center Tage Thompson.
After finishing last season with the league's worst record, the Montréal Canadiens are just ahead of the Sabres with 15 points. They've improved at both ends of the rink compared to last season. They also possess a promising scoring line featuring young forwards Nick Suzuki (23), Cole Caufield (21) and Kirby Dach (21).
With 12 points, the Chicago Blackhawks sit just five points out of first place in the Central Division. First-year head coach Luke Richardson has brought a more positive attitude to the dressing room. Long-time franchise players Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are joined by offseason additions Max Domi and Jason Dickinson among their leading scorers.
In just their second season of existence, the Seattle Kraken are sitting second in the Pacific Division with 18 points. Offseason acquisitions André Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand have joined rookie Matty Beniers to boost the Kraken's goals-per-game average (3.57) to sixth.
The most significant improvement belongs to the New Jersey Devils. Led by homegrown stars Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, they possess a potent offense that has them sitting atop the Metropolitan Division with 20 points in their first 13 games.
Losers: Projected Playoff Contenders
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The following clubs have plenty of time to reverse their fortunes but are encountering some early difficulty that could derail their playoff hopes.
The St. Louis Blues won their first three games only to drop the next eight to tumble into the bottom of the Central Division with just six points. Captain Ryan O'Reilly shouldered the blame, but he's not the only one at fault. They've been outscored 38-12 during their losing skid, struggling to put the puck in the opposing net and failing to keep it out of their own.
Sitting just above the Blues in the Central with 11 points are the Nashville Predators. They won their pair of opening games against the San Jose Sharks in Prague on Oct 7 and 8 but went 3-7-1 following their return to North America. Their 2.62 goals per game rank 29th, while their goals-against-per-game average (3.38) is the league's 10th-worst.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-4-2 record through October dominated headlines in the heart of Leafs Nation. They subsequently won three of their first four games in November to move to fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Still, they haven't looked like a dominating team.
The Washington Capitals have played below .500 (6-7-2) to sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division. Injuries to core veterans such as Nicklas Bäckström, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson and John Carlson have taken a toll on their depth, leaving management scrambling to plug the holes in the roster.
After starting with four wins in five games, the Pittsburgh Penguins crashed into seventh place in the Metro following seven straight losses. Franchise players Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have struggled of late, Jake Guentzel missed several contests to an upper-body injury, and their defensive game ranks among the league's worst.
Winners: Goal Scorers
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NHL average scoring was stuck around 2.7 goals from 2010-11 to 2016-17 but has been steadily increasing in recent years. It exceeded 3.00 in 2018-19 (3.01) for the first time since the league implemented rules to improve scoring and speed up the game in 2005-06.
Last season's 3.14 was the highest average scoring in the NHL since the league reached the same figure in 1995-96. That's when Hall of Famers such as Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Ron Francis and Peter Forsberg along with future Hall of Famer Jaromír Jágr dominated the scoresheet.
Thanks to a new generation of creative and talented superstars, the average scoring through the opening month is an impressive 3.18. Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is leading the goal-scoring charge with 14, which is unusual for him as he's renowned more for his playmaking abilities.
Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat sits second with 12 goals, followed by Los Angeles Kings forward Gabriel Vilardi, Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson with 10 each. Four others have nine goals and nine others have eight.
It hasn't been a shooting gallery for some notable superstars. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, the two-time defending Maurice Richard Trophy winner and last year's winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, was held to two goals in his first nine games before netting four in his next three contests.
Some of those early high scorers could see their production tail off as the season progresses and games become more close-checking. Some, however, have the skills to remain where they are and build upon their totals. A handful could even reach the vaunted 50-goal plateau.
Losers: Goaltenders
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While the past several seasons have been good for goal scorers, they haven't been as kind for those tasked as the last line of defense to keep pucks out of the net. As the NHL's scoring average has been rising since 2016-17, it's also led to an increase in the league's goals-against average and a drop in save percentage.
In 2015-16, the average goals-against was 2.51, the lowest it had been since the 2.46 GAA of 2003-04. The average save percentage during that season and 2014-15 was .915, which was the highest since 1963-64 (.916) when it was a six-team league.
Over the past six seasons, the goals-against has steadily increased, reaching 2.92 in 2021-22 while the save percentage dropped to .907. In the opening month of this season, the GAA is 2.98 while the save percentage is .906.
That doesn't mean there hasn't been any stellar goaltending in the opening weeks of this season. Four goaltenders with at least five games played this season have a goals-against average of 1.98 or lower while five others sit with goals-against between 2.05 and 2.18. Eight of them, meanwhile, have save percentages of .930 or higher.
Nevertheless, the increase in the game's speed along with improvement in goal-scoring and playmaking abilities have made life miserable for today's goaltenders. As a result, several notable starting netminders are encountering difficulties through the early going.
The Calgary Flames' Jacob Markström and Nashville Predators' Juuse Saros were Vezina Trophy finalists for 2021-22, but their save percentages are below .900 while their goals-against averages are 2.97 or higher. The same goes for former Vezina winners like Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Minnesota Wild.
Some of those veteran starters should see their stats improve as the season goes on while those with currently stellar numbers could see theirs decline. However, the trend of rising goals-against and declining save percentages among NHL goaltenders shows no sign of abating.
Winner: John Tortorella
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As we noted earlier, several clubs projected to be non-contenders this season have exceeded expectations through the opening month of the schedule.
Their head coaches and their respective staff have played a crucial role in their performance. They include the Montreal Canadiens' Martin St. Louis, Chicago Blackhawks' Luke Richardson, Seattle Kraken's Dave Hakstol, New York Islanders' Lane Lambert, New Jersey Devils' Lindy Ruff and Buffalo Sabres' Don Granato.
However, it's John Tortorella of the Philadelphia Flyers who could emerge as the early favorite for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. It's a trophy he's well acquainted with, having won it in 2004 and 2017.
Expectations were very low for the Flyers entering this season. They were coming off one of the worst performances in franchise history with just 61 points in 2021-22 to finish with the league's fourth-worst record. They'd traded team captain Claude Giroux to Florida last season while nagging injuries sidelined forward Sean Couturier and defenseman Ryan Ellis.
Hiring Tortorella seemed like a desperate gamble by management to return the Flyers to their 2019-20 form when they finished fourth overall in the Eastern Conference. They made only one notable offseason roster addition in defenseman Tony DeAngelo. Meanwhile, Couturier and Ellis remain sidelined with career-threatening back injuries.
Nevertheless, Tortorella had the Flyers off to a 7-3-2 record start entering Thursday to sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. Their 2.42 goals-against per game is the league's fourth-lowest. Players who struggled last season, such as winger Travis Konecny, defenseman Ivan Provorov and goaltender Carter Hart, are thriving under their new coach.
The Flyers still have room for improvement. They're giving up the third-most shots (35.8), their power play needs work and their goals per game (2.75) sits 26th. Still, the fact they're among the top eight in the Eastern Conference through the early going rather than at the bottom of the standings is a testament to Tortorella's coaching.
Loser: Bruce Boudreau, Vancouver Canucks
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We don't consider Bruce Boudreau a loser as a person or as an NHL coach. He won the Jack Adams Award in 2007-08 and is among a handful with over 600 career wins. He also did a fine job pulling the Vancouver Canucks out of an early-season tailspin last fall and guiding them to within five points of reaching the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
However, Boudreau has had trouble finding that winning formula with this season's Canucks. They lurched from the gate with a 4-7-3 record through the opening month and sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
The Canucks dropped seven straight games before picking up their first two wins of the season. They blew leads in each of the first five contests. Their penalty-killing percentage (61.7) is the league's worst, while their 4.07 goals-against per game is the third-worst.
Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford seemed to lay the blame on Boudreau during an Oct. 23 appearance on Hockey Night in Canada. He criticized the club's structure, claiming they picked up bad habits during training camp that carried over into this season. He repeated those concerns on Monday during an appearance on Sportsnet 650.
On Tuesday, the Vancouver Province's Ben Kuzma reported Boudreau defended his team's efforts. Nevertheless, he appears to be on the hot seat. He could end up losing his job if the losses keep mounting.
Boudreau isn't the only head coach enduring a difficult start to this season. The others include the Columbus Blue Jackets' Brad Larsen, Anaheim Ducks' Dallas Eakins, St. Louis Blues' Craig Berube and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Sheldon Keefe.
Winner: Boston Bruins
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Several NHL teams are off to hot starts this season. The Vegas Golden Knights entered Thursday sitting on top of the overall standings with 24 points. The New Jersey Devils appear to be finally emerging from their years of rebuilding as they sit near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Impressive as those early performances are, the Boston Bruins get the nod as the early winner. With 11 wins in 13 games entering Thursday, they sat on top of the Eastern Conference.
The Bruins lead the league in goals-per-game average (4.08) and penalty-killing percentage (93.3), sit second in faceoff win percentage (56.6), and their 2.38 goals-against per game ranks third overall.
What's remarkable is they achieved this with two core players out of the lineup to start the season. First-line winger Brad Marchand didn't return from offseason hip surgery until Oct. 27, and top defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned to the lineup from offseason shoulder surgery on Nov. 10.
During the offseason, the Bruins changed coaches with Jim Montgomery replacing Bruce Cassidy. They re-signed aging captain Patrice Bergeron to a one-year deal and brought back David Krejci. However, it was uncertain how the players would respond to Montgomery's coaching or how much Bergeron and Krejci had left in the tank.
As things unfolded, it was clear the Bruins rose to the challenges facing them. Winger David Pastrnak is among the league's leading scorers, Hampus Lindholm has stepped up on the blue line while Bergeron and Krejci continue to impress. They've also received solid goaltending from starter Linus Ullmark, who leads the league in wins.
Loser: Columbus Blue Jackets
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Several teams are off to lousy starts to this NHL season. The St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks aren't playing up to expectations raised by last season's performances, the San Jose Sharks continue to struggle despite offseason changes in management and coaching, and the Arizona Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks are rebuilding.
As bad as those clubs have been, the Columbus Blue Jackets have been worse. With just three wins in their first 12 games, they find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Blues Jackets' signing of last summer's top free agent in Johnny Gaudreau indicated a team accelerating its retooling program. Their re-signing of winger Patrik Laine and their promising performance last season suggested the Jackets were setting up to become playoff contenders this season.
Instead, the wheels have come pretty quickly and threaten to dash any hope of improvement.
On Nov. 3, the Columbus Dispatch's Brian Hedger listed the reasons for the Blue Jackets' difficulties. In short, their defense is terrible, they lack a reliable center for Laine and Gaudreau, their power play isn't working, the goaltending has struggled, and too often the Jackets are overmatched by opponents.
The stats support Hedger's observations. Their 4.58 goals-against per game is the league's worst as is their 6.1 power-play percentage. They're 31st in goals-per-game average (2.50) while giving up the fourth-most shots per game (35.5). The only stat that's respectable is a penalty-killing percentage (79.0) that ranks 14th overall.
While there's still plenty of time for the Blue Jackets to turn things around, there won't be any quick fixes. Scoring-line centers and top-four defensemen usually aren't available in the trade market this early in the season. Even if they were, the Jackets have just $1.5 million in projected cap space, leaving little room to make significant additions.
Stats and standings (as of Nov. 9, 2022) via NHL.com with additional info via Hockey-Reference. Salary info via Cap Friendly.
