7 Gifts the NHL Is Giving Us This Season
This first bit of the NHL season has given us a little bit of everything.
We've seen the rise of the New York Rangers, as they sit at the top of the Metro Division with their 21-7-1 record and good vibes, and we've seen the New Jersey Devils disappoint as they struggle to develop the consistency we expected them to bring.
In the Western Conference, we've been treated to a follow-up from the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup that's been just as dominant as that postseason run, and we have questions about the Oilers that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl just can't answer.
As we slow down and gear up for the holidays over the next few weeks, why don't we reflect on some of the many gifts the NHL has given us so far this season?
The Hughes Bowl
1 of 7
Not only did we get the treat of watching Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes face off against each other for the first time this season, but the game itself was an absolute blast.
Each brother had a significant impact in the back-and-forth nail-biter, whether it was Jack's goal and two assists, Luke's power-play goal (set up by one of Jack's assists!) or Quinn's two third-period assists that helped tie the game for the Canucks.
There's nothing like a wholesome reminder that three of the most exciting, young players in the NHL are brothers, and it was a nice preview of the years to come watching the Hughes family tear it up.
A Rookie Class for the Ages
2 of 7
Speaking of young players tearing it up, one of the most exciting gifts the NHL has given us this season is the best rookie class in recent memory.
You've got No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard living up to his lofty expectations with 12 goals and 26 points in 30 games while averaging 19:30 TOI. The Blackhawks threw him right in at first-line center on a very bad team. While it must be frustrating at times, it's been cool to watch him fine-tune his game to adjust to the NHL level in real time. Imagine what it will look like when he masters the faceoff dot and gets a few...uhh...better players to work with.
Then you've got Marco Rossi killing it on the Wild. He's finally established himself as an NHL player this season with 10 goals and seven assists in 29 games.
Perhaps the most exciting development of all is in Anaheim, which has multiple young players emerging and giving us a glimpse into the future. Rookies Pavel Mintyukov (D) and Leo Carlsson (C) are both top-10 among all first-year players in scoring. Add Mason McTavish into the mix, and despite the Ducks' bad record and inconsistent results, the games are fun to watch almost every night.
The Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli is starting to go off now that he's getting some more room to breathe, the aforementioned Luke Hughes is finding his place in New Jersey, Matthew Poitras provided the Bruins with the center they didn't know they would find early on, Brock Faber has been a revelation in Minnesota and Luke Evangelista has been key to making the Nashville predators watchable this season.
I could go on, but I hope you're appreciating all the rookie (and young player) greatness so far this season.
A Decent Salary-Cap IOU
3 of 7
So, the NHL didn't raise its salary cap much this year—just the expected $1 million. But much like when I was in middle school and gave my mom handmade coupon books because I couldn't afford a gift that year, the NHL is making big promises for the future.
The league informed its executives and owners during its board of governors meeting in early December that it is projecting it will raise next year's salary cap to $87.7 million. This would be an increase of $4.2 million from the current figure of $83.5 million and a decent jump from the yearly $1 million raises of late. This would be the biggest single-year increase since the 2019-20 season.
Look, I'm not going to be jumping for joy until the cap raises to at least $100 million, but it finally feels like we're on track to get there.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
Players Standing Up for What They Believe In
4 of 7
It's been awesome to see players like Travis Dermott and Marc-Andre Fleury stand up for what they believe in as the league has reconsidered punishment for displays of support for certain causes.
Dermott, an outspoken ally of the LGBTQ+ community, played with Pride tape on his stick earlier this season after the NHL attempted to implement a rule prohibiting players from displaying "cause messaging" on their equipment.
He received no punishment, and the league reversed course shortly after, deciding that players "will now have the option to voluntarily represent social causes with their stick tape throughout the season" after consulting with the NHL players' union and the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition.
A few weeks later, Fleury raised thousands of dollars with his custom mask during the Wild's Native American Heritage night after being told by the NHL that it was not allowed. The league ended up reversing course again after threatening a fine to both Fleury and the Wild.
What have we learned here? The players have power, and despite some bizarre and disappointing rule changes like these this season, the league is also willing to reconsider if pressured. You have to hand it to these players for making these pushes.
A Good Canucks Team (and Peace and Quiet for the Rest of Us)
5 of 7
Great news, y'all: The Vancouver Canucks are legit this year, highly entertaining, and No. 2 in the Pacific Division with a 21-9-2 record.
It's obviously great news if you're a Canucks fan, because with the nature of the wins, the consistency from the stars and the structure of the team, you can finally exhale and enjoy an actually promising ride. J.T. Miller is No. 3 in the league with 45 points in 32 games, Quinn Hughes is leading the league with his plus-23 rating and Thatcher Demko is leading all goalies with 16 wins and three shutouts—meanwhile his 2.34 goals-against average is fifth, and his .921 save percentage ranks eighth.
Why is this great news for the rest of us? Because Canucks fans are finally chill and this is the closest we might ever get to collective peace on Earth.
The Bruins' Tik Tok Account
6 of 7
Just do yourself a favor and scroll through.
Torts and the Kids
7 of 7
Well, folks, the Philadelphia Flyers are No. 2 in the Metropolitan Division with a 17-10-3 record, just like we all drew it up.
Bobby Brink is leading the charge of young talent with five goals (good for ninth among all NHL rookies), 14 points and a plus-five rating in 25 games, all while averaging a modest 14:51 per game. Travis Konecny's got 16 goals and 25 points in 31 games. Sean Couturier is having an enticing season that should generate some Selke Trophy hype. Carter Hart's been solid in net with a .919 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average.
Welcome to the John Tortorella era of Philadelphia Flyers hockey.
It's been great to see the belief Torts has had in this group from the start go rewarded, and to hear comments like the one from Rasmus Ristolainen wishing he had always been coached by the notoriously-tough-but-kinda-endearing Tortorella.
Let this be a lesson in boldness, and it all started when new GM Danny Briere came in and immediately made moves toward a rebuild after the flailing end of the Chuck Fletcher era.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
