Overreacting to Dylan Larkin, the Flyers, the Rangers and the Start of the 2026-27 NHL Season

We're less than one month into the 2026-27 NHL season, and absolute chaos has already ensued.

We've seen an Igor Shesterkin goalie goal followed by the devastating injury that took him out for the season. We've struggled through a terrible Flames team and a somehow arguably worse Flyers team.

We've got the reigning champion Hurricanes picking up right where they left off as they lead the league with a six-game winning streak and the league's best record (6-1-1).

We haven't seen it all yet, but we've seen enough to start forming the opinions that will become the hills we gladly die on all season.

Here are five overreactions to the start of the 2026-27 NHL season.

The Flames Are Going to Be Historically Bad

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Dustin Wolf

Hey, we've gotta hand it to the Flames: They earned their first win of the season during Tuesday's Frozen Frenzy, beating the Ducks 4-2. You gotta start somewhere, and 1-5-0 is at least better than the Flyers' winless start—we'll get to Philly.

The lone win doesn't take away from just how brutal Calgary's start to the season has been, though.

Tuesday's four-goal outing lifted their scoring average to just two goals per game despite generating plenty of shots. Their minus-17 goal differential is the second-worst in the NHL. Worst of all, the typically reliable Dustin Wolf has a 4.56 goals-against average and a .839 save percentage.

Fear not, Calgary fans: Growing pains are part of the rebuild. Still, the Flames have been dreadful, and they're headed for a brutal season if this keeps up.

The Hurricanes Are Going Back-to-Back

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Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho

The reigning Stanley Cup champions lead the league with 13 points and a 6-1-1 record and are riding a six-game winning streak.

Sebastian Aho is off to a strong start, ranking third in the league with 13 points, including six goals, through eight games. No Freddie Andersen, no problem so far: Pyotr Kochetkov is crushing it in net with a 4-0 record, a .911 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average.

The Canes rank fourth in the league in scoring at 3.88 goals per game and fifth in goals allowed at 2.38 per game. They're back to being a jack of all trades—and, yes, a master of them all.

Flyers' Problems Are More Than Just a Coach and Lack of a No. 1 Center

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Trevor Zegras

As terrible as the start to the Flames' season has been, it was completely expected and even embraced as part of their rebuild.

The Flyers, on the other hand, reached the second round of last season's playoffs with their promising young core. But they entered this season with concerns, including a glaring hole at first-line center and goalie Dan Vladar's training camp injury. They also likely overachieved last season, raising questions about whether they could remain a playoff team—let alone take a step forward—without addressing those issues and other weaknesses.

The Flyers have kicked off the NHL season on an eight-game losing streak and a 0-5-3 record. They're the only team in the league yet to win, and they own the league's worst goal differential at minus-21.

Defense hasn't been their strong suit in this era, and it's been even worse this season. Meanwhile, scoring has been scarce: Trevor Zegras and Porter Martone have just one goal apiece through eight games. The young core needs to produce more consistently for the Flyers to start stringing together wins, let alone contend for a playoff spot.

The Rangers Will Still Make The Playoffs Without Shesterkin

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Dylan Garand

Losing Igor Shesterkin for the season would have been devastating under any circumstances, but it stung even more because the New York Rangers were off to an incredible start.

They opened the season by addressing last season's scoring woes, even getting a goal from Shesterkin himself. New additions Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson were fitting in swimmingly, the "kids" looked fantastic, and the team looked poised for a bounce-back year.

The good news? That strong play has continued in Shesterkin's absence. The Rangers sit second behind the Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division with a 6-2-0 record, 12 points and a plus-13 goal differential. Dylan Garand has been outstanding in relief, posting a 3-1-0 record, a 1.15 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage. New York ranks second in the league in goals allowed at just 1.75 per game while averaging a respectable 3.38 goals per game offensively.

Not only will the Rangers be just fine, but they'll also return to the playoffs. In the biggest plot twist of all, they'll do it without Shesterkin.

Red Wings Should Embrace the Tank and Trade Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson Now

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The Flyers and the Flames might own the worst records in the league to start the season, but the Red Wings definitely own the worst vibes.

They're at the bottom of the Atlantic with a 1-3-2 record, four points, and a negative six-goal differential. They're averaging fewer than three goals per game (2.33) and surrendering 3.17 goals per game. That's a recipe for failure.

This team has a shaky foundation right now: no permanent GM, with Shawn Horcoff serving in an interim capacity, and former captain Dylan Larkin's trade request still unresolved. Why not embrace a tank at this point and trade Larkin and Simon Edvinsson, who has also reportedly requested a trade?

The Wings reportedly locked up Alex DeBrincat to a $91 million contract Tuesday, but that's a drop in the bucket for the work that needs to be done to fix this team.