Each NHL Team's Biggest Red Flag so Far
Don't let anyone tell you that a little negativity can't be just as fun as positivity every once in a while. You shouldn't overdo it, but let's be real: Life isn't a constant stream of puppies, sunshine, and roses.
The NHL isn't either, and now that we're well into the 2023-24 season a week after American Thanksgiving, we're getting a clear picture of what might end up the Achilles' heel of each NHL team come postseason (or tanking) time.
Let's kick off a December full of holiday cheer and jolly spirits by identifying one red flag for each NHL team.
Atlantic Division
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Boston Bruins: Taylor Swift voice: "I think I've seen this film before...and I didn't like the ending."
One of the most popular theories behind the Bruins' first-round exit last playoffs was the lack of adversity the team seemed to face as it cruised through its historic regular season. It especially checks out when you consider the nature of series, and how the No. 8-seed Panthers had to grind for more than a month to even make it into the playoffs, and then made it all the way to the Final.
Don't look now, but the Bruins are once again having a ridiculous regular season, atop the Atlantic Division with their 15-4-3 record. Perhaps their recent road trip, including an abysmal loss to the Metro-leading Rangers, was a taste of the adversity needed for a different ending this year?
Florida Panthers: Is the team deep enough on defense?
Look, the Panthers are one of the deepest teams in the league when it comes to scoring, and that's usually good enough. But their early-season struggles coincided with their biggest red flag: When the injury bug hits, the reinforcements don't always pull through.
Toronto Maple Leafs: The "good problem" turned "actual problem" in net
Remember the good old days, when we thought the Leafs having an early-season goalie controversy meant there were two above-average options to start in Toronto's net? As the season has unfolded, there have been some struggles for both Joseph Woll and Ilya Samsonov that make you wonder if the controversy is really about picking the least bad option. For whatever it's worth, that's been Woll.
Detroit Red Wings: How much is Detroit depending on Patrick Kane?
Last week, the Red Wings added Patrick Kane on a prorated $2.75 million contract. The Yzerplan is already right on schedule despite its recent rough patch, and the strong start was enough to keep Detroit in the playoff conversation regardless.
Kane, who said on TNT this week that he's feeling extremely confident about a bounce-back season post-hip surgery, will enhance the good vibes—if deployed correctly. Let him rip on the power play, don't expect the overwhelmingly talented player he was in his prime and put him in positions to succeed that don't take away from the rest of the plan's development.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Is the dynasty ending?
Nothing lasts forever, and the writing was on the wall with Steven Stamkos' contract negotiation frustrations to start the season. But it's still sad to see one of the most dominant cores of the 2010s start to decline in real time. Thanks for the memories.
Buffalo Sabres: Consistent inconsistency
There it is. There's that Sabres team we all know and love. The one that somehow convinces you that every year is going to be the year but then falls susceptible to inconsistencies like no other team in the NHL possibly could. The Sabres are officially back under .500 with their loss to the Blues on Thursday, and I'm officially over them.
Montreal Canadiens: Too good
You might've thought the Habs were toast when Kirby Dach was done for the season with a torn ACL and MCL, but they're only sort of toast. They're 10-11-2, tied with the Sabres for second-fewest points in the Atlantic Division, but they should be aiming even lower. Do you guys see what Macklin Celebrini is doing in the NCAA? Act accordingly.
Ottawa Senators: What's the green flag?
For all the talk of how this was going to be the year the Senators returned to the playoffs, with a healthy roster and enticing acquisitions galore, they're at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with an 8-9-0 record.
In particular, the gamble in net on Anton Forsberg is not paying off, and he's tied for fifth in worst goals saved above expected with minus-6.6. Every position is "meh" at best, and seriously underperforming at worst. Doesn't feel like they're going to turn this one around.
Metropolitan Division
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New York Rangers: Is Alexis Lafreniere's breakout sustainable?
Folks, Alexis Lafreniere has officially entered the chat, with eight goals and 14 points in 21 games, and a significantly larger presence on the ice than in previous years. Most Rangers are doing their jobs under new head coach Peter Laviolette, but Lafreniere's scoring flair has certainly eased the overall workload as the Rangers lead the East with their 16-4-1 record.
Every time I start to doubt Chris Kreider's sustainability on the power play, he just pops right up at the front of the net and proves me wrong again. So next I'll ask, will Lafreniere be able to chip in with some big-moment goals during the playoffs?
Carolina Hurricanes: Will the current goaltending tandem cut it?
The goaltending situation in Carolina is looking bleak, with Freddie Andersen out indefinitely, Antti Raanta off to one of his worst career starts and Pyotr Kochetkov once again thrust into an NHL net with little warning. Raanta's got an .854 save percentage in 10 starts, and Kochetkov's not much better off with a .878 in nine starts.
You don't want to panic, and the team's second in the Metro with a 13-8-1 record, but the Hurricanes aren't playing to have a respectable regular season at this point. Will they get the proper help in net at the trade deadline?
Washington Capitals: Old-man strength
These Washington Capitals can open a particularly tough jar of pickles for you. They can reach the top shelf. Tom Wilson somehow just scored his first career hat trick Thursday. After an abysmal start to the season featuring uncharacteristically low scoring from Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals seem to be getting it together. But is it just a death rattle, or should Washington hold on to playoff hopes with what's left of this core just one more time?
New York Islanders: The loser point
Don't let the Islanders' decent position in the middle of the Metropolitan Division pack fool you: They've been bad. Their 9-7-6 record is a pretty egregious reminder that the NHL points system isn't perfect, and that we should seriously consider if the loser point, awarded to any team for making it to overtime, really is the best option we've got. Perhaps the league can at least revisit the topic at the next big meeting.
Flyers: Torts being Torts
I'm a closet John Tortorella fan, actually, and I think he resides right on the line of being tough without too much toxicity (not that I've ever played for him). But you wonder how well his tactics work on such a young team. Everything appears to be going even better than expected, and he's made some comments recently about preparing for young talents to enter the lineup years in advance.
At this stage in the rebuild, you just wonder when is the time to get up in arms about the on-ice product—perhaps he believes in the roster enough already to justify pulling out the stops?
New Jersey Devils: What happened to the depth?
At the start of the season, many of us expected the Devils were going to be one of the few teams that made sense. We expected them to be a somewhat resilient bunch, led by breakout star Jack Hughes and an enticing-if-uncertain goaltending situation.
It turns out the Devils are not commanding the Metro whatsoever, and yes, Hughes was hurt for the majority of the beginning of the season, but I thought there was more to this team. Perhaps that period of time will serve as a wake-up call for a team that desperately needed one, as it crawls up from its 11-9-1 record.
Pittsburgh Penguins: The supporting cast
Speaking of depth, the Penguins, too, could use some. You've got Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still playing at an elite level, Erik Karlsson is fitting in fine if a tad underwhelming for his standards, and Jake Guentzel is still Jake Guentzel.
There's a considerable fall-off in talent and ability that is happening about halfway through the lineup, though, that just isn't conducive to an Atlantic Division playoff spot. The supporting cast is going to have to step up.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Accountability
Things are getting weird in Columbus again. You thought they might build something after handing the Bruins a concerning loss, but flukes happen in an 82-game season. Longtime Jacket Zach Werenski voiced his frustration after their most recent loss to Montreal.
“It's a 2-2 hockey game going into the third period, and I just didn’t think we pushed hard enough,” Werenski told reporters postgame. “We’re in no position to let points like that slip. I just think we had a lot more to give in here and we didn’t give it. And it’s frustrating coming off a big win against Boston, having a day off yesterday. The mood was good this morning and I just thought we had good moments in the game. But I thought for the most part, it just wasn’t acceptable to our standards and it’s a frustrating one.”
Central Division
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Colorado Avalanche: Are the kids alright?
Well, well, well, the Colorado Avalanche are once again sitting at the top of the Central Division with a respectable 15-6-1 record. Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton have filled in fine down the middle in lieu of Gabriel Landeskog. Cale Makar hasn't even hit his peak yet, Devon Toews remains one of the most underrated defensemen in the league, and this pairing can eat half a game's worth of minutes.
But I'm starting to worry about the defensive depth beyond the greatness, most notably a bit of a sophomore slump from young Bowen Byram. He'll probably figure it out, but right now it's raising an eyebrow on the second pairing next to Josh Manson.
Dallas Stars: Will they get tired?
Please don't come for me, Stars fans, I don't actually think your team is too tired to give it another go. But Dallas is about as well-rounded as an NHL team under the current salary cap could ever be, so I'm struggling to nitpick a problem.
You've got 39-year-old Joe Pavelski leading the team with 10 goals and 21 points in 21 games, and then no other player has hit the 10-goal mark. Considering last year's grueling playoff run, and how spent the Stars looked at the end of it, you'd hope some of the youngins will start picking up the scoring slack. Bah God, that sounds like Wyatt Johnston's music.
Winnipeg Jets: This, again?
Folks, gather 'round: The Winnipeg Jets find themselves yet again the worst of the best in the Central Division. Too good to fully count out of the playoff conversation, too inconsistent to take them too seriously. Kyle Connor is cooking, though, and maybe we've got a Last Dance-type situation with Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele still around. I doubt it.
St. Louis Blues: That, again?
Sometimes it feels like you can copy and paste the vibe when it comes to the Jets and the Blues, so it's fitting they are back to back in the Central right now.
Arizona Coyotes: Uncertainty
If you expected this team to fall apart and completely submit to relocation rumors while it shares Mullett Arena with Arizona State, you were wrong. The on-ice product is doing relatively fine with an 11-9-2 record, but the impermanence of the situation could eventually wear on them.
Nashville Predators: Lack of depth
The Predators are putting up more of a fight than many of us suspected they would this season, and it checks out with talent like Juuse Saros in net and Luke Evangelista coming up. Both Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly are chipping in on the veteran side of things. You just wonder if this team was fully prepared to go on a playoff run when folks were speculating the start of a rebuild.
Minnesota Wild: Lack of heart
Frustrations are boiling over in Minnesota as the Wild went on one of the worst losing streaks in the league this season, and now fan-favorite head coach Dean Evason has been fired and replaced by John Hynes.
Will this make much of a difference? Probably not. The roster has to believe it can win and want to win, but that's a tall task for a team that's been middling for decades. Gotta get the younger players into a new mindset.
Chicago Blackhawks: How do you replace Taylor Hall and Corey Perry?
Do you even? Or do you just circle the wagons in hopes of another enticing No. 1 overall pick in Macklin Celebrini?
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Pacific Division
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Vegas Golden Knights: The Winter Classic jerseys
Goodness, they are awful.
Vancouver Canucks: Will they invent a new, exciting way to let us down?
I'm really enjoying Vancouver's early success. It's like a light switch turned on and all of the pieces we've spent years trying to force together decided they were part of the same puzzle.
This is how they get you. The Vancouver Canucks' biggest red flag is simply being the Vancouver Canucks. If you're tired of hearing these jokes, imagine how tired I am of telling them. Maybe the Canucks will actually prove us wrong and force us to trust them this time.
Los Angeles Kings: Wait, not Cam Talbot?
If the Kings drop off from their 13-4-3 record anytime soon, it's not because of veteran goalie Cam Talbot. He's showing us all via eye test that he's still got it, and according to MoneyPuck, he ranks fifth in the league for goals saved above expected with 8.5. The Kings goalies as a whole are leading the league with their combined goals-against average of 2.35. The offense isn't looking too shabby either, also leading the league in goals per game with 3.85.
The biggest red flag is the team's 20 percent power-play conversion rate, right in the middle at 16th in the league. But wait, if they're leading the league in goals and not having ridiculous success on the power play, isn't that a good sign for sustainability? The Kings are looking like a dark horse for a deep playoff run, especially with Quinton Byfield finally cooking.
Calgary Flames: The Jonathan Huberdeau contract
I can't think of one person who would've wanted things to play out this way when it came to the Jonathan Huberdeau-Matthew Tkachuk trade. It feels like everyone—from former teammates, to Panthers fans, to Flames fans, to unbiased onlookers—wanted the best for both parties with the blockbuster trade.
There's still plenty of time (that's part of the problem) for Huberdeau to turn it around, but it's hard to look at the term and price of his contract ($10.5 million AAV through 2030-31) and not place at least some of the blame on him for the team's scoring woes. Things are looking up in Calgary, but it will be hard to dig out of the early-season hole and a fourth-place spot in the Pacific.
Seattle Kraken: Regression
It's not shocking that a young team with some obvious blemishes has regressed from last year's Cinderella-ish run. The nature of the regression, though—lack of scoring—has been slightly surprising. With young teams, anything can happen, and all it takes is one strong run to get back on track. Curious how this one plays out.
Edmonton Oilers: Just guess
If you told me three years ago that the Oilers would be struggling because of goaltending and defensive blunders, I would've...totally believed you.
Anaheim Ducks: Comeback kids
It's been surprisingly electric watching the Ducks this season, and they've been in and out of a playoff spot. But anyone enjoying the fun of these games also generally knows this type of fun—come-from-behind, multi-goal third periods, comeback after comeback—is usually unsustainable. The good news? No one was expecting greatness out of the Ducks this year, but they look completely different than last year's mess, and the future is bright with at least four potential young stars rising and learning the NHL ropes in Anaheim.
San Jose Sharks: Lack of commitment to the bit
C'mon, with the historically awful start the Sharks had to the season, they might as well have tried to lose literally every single game.
Advanced statistics via MoneyPuck unless otherwise noted.
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