Winners and Losers from First 2 Months of NHL Season
Two months into the 2023-24 NHL season, and whew, boy, things are happening. Death, taxes and the Bruins being a good regular-season team (No. 1 in the Atlantic at 17-4-3) are all we can count on.
The Rangers have emerged as the leaders of the ever-tough Metropolitan Division thanks to their reliable roster and new-old head coach Peter Laviolette. The Oilers are disappointing us all in new, exciting ways. The Avalanche are back atop the Central, and the story of this core doesn't seem even close to ending yet.
We've got so much to unpack as we head into December. Let's get a vibe check on the whole league with winners and losers from the first two months of the NHL season.
Winner: the Hughes Family
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Don't let their faces in the photo above fool you: The first of many Hughes bowls Tuesday featuring all three brothers was electric, and it reminded us all how lucky we are to watch these three cook at the same time for years to come.
Each brother made it on the score sheet, with Jack's 1-2-3 stat line, Luke's power-play goal (assisted by Jack!), and Big Brother Quinn's two third-period assists as he led the charge in Vancouver's valiant—but ultimately unsuccessful—comeback effort, as it fell 6-5.
It was the ninth time in NHL history three brothers played in the same game. Although they fell one goal short of becoming the first set of three brothers to score a goal in the same game, that fun stat obviously doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of the actual season as both teams hover around a playoff spot.
What does matter is the fact that Jack was at the top of the Hart Trophy conversation before injury (and is sneaking back in) with 10 goals and 33 points in 18 games, Quinn is at the top of the Norris conversation with nine goals and 36 points in 26 games, and Luke is in Calder talks with four goals and 15 points in 23 games.
Loser: We Fools Who Believed in Buffalo
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If you're anything like me, you truly believed the Buffalo Sabres were going to do it this time. But if you're anything like me, you truly believed that the season before this, too, and maybe even the season before that.
This season actually felt primed for success, though, with touted rookie Devon Levi bringing some hope in between the pipes, Tage Thompson's stardom breakout last season, Rasmus Dahlin finally living up to our high expectations and a seemingly well-rounded group.
At least they had mercy on us this time and showed us they aren't the team we hoped they'd be early on, and now they boast the second-worst record in the Atlantic Division at 10-14-2.
What happened? Did we place too much hope and pressure on a rookie goaltender, who deserves more time, space and grace to adjust from the NCAA to the NHL? Is the team less complete than it appeared, basically falling apart with Thompson's early-season injury? Yeah, let's go mostly with the lack of forward depth and the youth of the blueline—however promising that blue line still may be.
I'll see you at this time again next year, Buffalo faithful.
Winner: The Yzerplan
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Well, well, well. A strong start to the season, a survived rough patch—maybe one we look back on and realize necessary resolve was formed, a bounce-back and a Patrick Kane signing later, and I hereby declare the Red Wings a playoff team.
Perhaps it really was the handling of adversity and pushing forward that sold me on the team. I've also asked many NHL veterans who've won a Cup: "When did you realize this team was legit?" More often than not, the answer's been "When management believed in us enough to go out and get another big piece."
Look, we all know of Kane's flaws, and I'm not expecting him to come onto the team, do it all, and drag the Red Wings into the playoffs—he doesn't have to. That Steve Yzerman went out and got him is as big a statement as we're going to get from the Yzerplan's quiet spokesperson. It says: "This team is ready to compete."
And with the immediate success of the Alex DeBrincat edition, the promising, young players taking next steps, and Dylan Larkin having a great season, the Red Wings find themselves sitting at No. 2 in the Atlantic Division with their 14-7-3 record.
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Loser: Toronto's Defensive Depth
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When Brad Treliving took over as the Toronto Maple Leafs' GM this summer, he made it abundantly clear that his vision was a team with more playoff sandpaper, opting to sign the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves. That's all well and good (hold up: Is it? Bertuzzi and Domi are underperforming, meanwhile Ryan Reaves continues to be Ryan Reaves), but the team actually needed more defensive structure.
We're seeing the direct consequences of Treliving failing to address that now, as the Leafs hover around a wild-card spot with their 12-6-4 record. He did "win" the John Klingberg sweepstakes, but the 31-year-old's underlying numbers struggled in his prior season with the Ducks, and regardless, now he's out for an unclear period of time with an injury.
Considering lack of defensive depth and that the Joseph Woll and Ilya Samsonov tandem has been decent but far from perfect (although Woll is heating up), it's time for Treliving to seriously address the defense ahead of the playoffs.
Winner: Coyotes Fans
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We have all seen the stat and its accompanying "hang the banner" memes at this point: The Arizona Coyotes are undefeated in five straight games against recent Stanley Cup champions.
Look, does it mean anything that the Coyotes beat the Blues in a late-November regular-season game? No. Does it mean something that they've put together a hefty win streak, and is the nature of the win streak representative of a really solid team in the playoff conversation? Absolutely.
Don't look now, but the Coyotes are in a playoff spot at 13-9-2, playing well against tough opponents and appear to be gaining steam as the season rolls on.
Logan Cooley is crushing it in the Calder Trophy conversation and making hockey look fun. Clayton Keller is once again "underrated" in the sense that anyone who actually watches him knows he's always been this good, but now the spotlight is slowly directing toward the Coyotes. Perhaps the most convincing element of all is Connor Ingram in net, with his 11-3-0 record, .930 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average.
To top it all off, the Coyotes are "finalizing the purchase" of a piece of land in Phoenix for an arena build, according to Darren Dreger. Maybe the dark days and the endless jokes are behind us when it comes to the 'Yotes.
Loser: Alex Ovechkin's Gretzky Chase
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Do I still think Alex Ovechkin is going to eclipse Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals scored record? Yes. Is it looking a heck of a lot harder than anticipated? Also yes.
We've seen a huge drop-off from the Washington Capitals as a whole this season, and that has also meant a drop-off in Ovechkin's production, ergo a lag in his quest to catch Gretzky's record of 894 goals.
Ovechkin, 38, sits at 827 goals, which would be fine assuming he plays a few more seasons—if he was nearing his usual totals. He's on pace for a career-worst goal-scoring season by far, with only five goals in 22 games. If all goes as it's been going, he's projected to end the season with 19 goals in 82 games. It would be the first time he'd dip below the 20-goal line in his 19-season career, and the only time he even scored fewer than 30 was the shortened 2020-21 season with 24 goals in 45 games.
This could be a product of the team around him declining, especially career mainstay Nicklas Backstrom stepping away from the team. It could be the start of a natural decline with Ovechkin's age. It could be a fluke.
Whatever it is, it's making surpassing Gretzky's record much harder than we initially thought.
Winner: Peter Laviolette
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Something about the New York Rangers' Peter Laviolette hire didn't feel too exciting initially. Maybe it was the Rangers' lack of success with their recent coaching hires, paired with their willingness to part ways with coaches pretty early. Maybe it was the fact that Laviolette is an extremely familiar face in the NHL, and forgive some of us for being a bit sick of head coach recycling.
But maybe these things clouded our judgement and made us forget about the tangible success Laviolette has had in the past—and how much players at every step of the way have loved playing for him.
Laviolette has the knack for bringing the correct vibes to an already good team, and that was exactly the situation he arrived to in New York. Between him, the depth acquisitions doing everything asked of them and more, the kids stepping up, Chris Kreider's net-front presence, and plenty more, this Rangers team is a problem.
Loser: Taking the Devils' Under
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This New Jersey Devils team isn't awful; it isn't even as bad as its 12-10-1 record and third-worst Metropolitan placement suggests. Untimely injuries to Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton have taken their tolls.
But they aren't the shining stars of the Metro many of us thought they'd be after a stellar offseason, and you feel a certain distrust watching them with a league that doesn't inspire confidence.
The No. 1 problem creating a phenomenon like that is almost always goaltending, and this is the most concerning aspect of the Devils' game. Akira Schmid is still young, and he could still end up a solid NHL goaltender for years to come. But his follow-up to the promising moments we saw in the playoffs hasn't been as sturdy as New Jersey has hoped, with a 3.27 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage.
The tandem as a whole can't save the Devils, as Vitek Vanecek is playing similarly if slightly worse, with a 3.60 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. You need at least one of them to pull through if the Devils are to have sustainable success, and this hasn't been the case.
Loser: Pierre Dorion's Employment Status
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It felt like a very "I told you so" summer in the life of Ottawa Senators fans. New, exciting owner, fun acquisitions like Jakob Chychrun, the roster as a whole seemingly back to full health and brimming with youthful talent ready to prove a point.
Two months into the season, and time is running out to fulfill that positive narrative, as the Senators sit at the bottom of the Atlantic with a 10-10-0 record. Is the loser point doing a bit of the work, as the second-worst Atlantic team Sabres have dropped 14 in regulation, but have won two in overtime? I guess. Have the Senators played fewer games than every team in the league? Sure.
The patterns and nature of their losses are not convincing regardless. The gamble in net on Anton Forsberg is not looking spectacular with his .891 save percentage, and Joonas Korpisalo isn't doing much better, with a .897. It's hard to pin the Senators' situation on any one thing except lack of depth at all positions, though, and this is where now-ex GM Pierre Dorion greatly messed up.
Winner: The Future of the NHL
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We've been spoiled with the 2023-24 NHL rookie class, and while Connor Bedard is leading the Calder Trophy charge, the potential pool is delightfully deep.
You've got Bedard, leading all rookies with 11 goals and 20 points in 24 games, logging monster minutes every night and fine-tuning his game to become the league's next big star as the Blackhawks' first-line center. You've got the future of the Ducks roster, with Leo Carlsson (8-5-13 in 17 G) at center and Pavel Mintyukov showing flashes of brilliance at defense. You've got the aforementioned youngest Hughes brother, Logan Cooley greatly contributing to the Coyotes' overall success, Matthew Poitras unexpectedly breaking out in Boston and Adam Fantilli knocking on the door if the Blue Jackets could function for 35 seconds.
It'll be so fun to see all of the above and plenty more emerge in the next few years. That Ducks team is going to be a sight to behold between those two, Mason McTavish and Trevor Zegras all with their best years ahead of them.
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