We’re roughly three weeks into the 2024-25 NHL season and most groups have both performed, or are approaching 10 video games within the books. From the surface trying in there’s a variety of similarity to final season, however there’s some essential tendencies taking place across the league which might be value taking a look at as we transfer ahead.
It may be harmful to attract any massive conclusions this early within the season, however right here’s what we suppose we all know from the NHL primarily based on what we’ve seen to date.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are astonishingly good
On paper the Lightning had been all the time going to be improved this season with the extra Jake Guentzel through free company, however by 9 video games the staff is trending to be a pressure.
A case the place their 6-3 report hides simply how good they’re, the Lightning have performed the No. 2 ranked hardest schedule of their opening a part of the 12 months — and are available out of it smelling like roses. Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel all have double-digit factors to date, with a handful of fellows simply behind them.
Defensively the Lightning are stable, their goalies have been above-average contemplating the competitors they’ve performed, and Tampa already has some notable wins towards elite opponents just like the Hurricanes, Golden Knights, and Canucks.
There are some issues to tighten up like their PK and total self-discipline in terms of permitting Energy Performs, however in whole coach Jon Cooper has the Lightning already trying like a staff who can contend within the east.
Connor Bedard is changing into the participant we thought he would
Make no mistake: The Blackhawks are nonetheless totally trash and will likely be trash this season, however my goodness has Connor Bedard taken a step ahead this 12 months already.
With three targets and 6 assists in 10 video games he’s effectively on tempo to finest his spectacular rookie totals, however the true story behind Bedard’s play comes from his superior stats — in addition to his angle off the ice.
Bedard has lifted his Corsi and Fenwick considerably this season on each side of the puck, however significantly on protection the place he’s remodeled right into a extra dependable forechecker and keen to combat for the puck within the the robust elements of the ice extra. Most-impressively, Bedard’s stats have gone by the moon in 5v5 conditions in shut video games, the place he’s lifted his Corsi For from a -10.0 to a +1.2 throughout his video games to date.
What Chicago actually wished from Bedard isn’t only a stellar on-ice participant, however somebody who might anchor this franchise and reform the tradition for the following 10-15 years. Already this season he’s been a vocal chief, who’s already advocating that the staff makes strikes within the commerce market to get him some assist.
It is smart contemplating the Blackhawks’ abysmal offense outdoors of the 19-year-old, and if the entrance workplace will get the assistance Bedard wants then this staff might begin to flip issues round rapidly — particularly contemplating how simply he makes a scorer’s life along with his prolific passing.
Rumors of the Hurricanes’ demise had been drastically exaggerated
No staff was compelled to endure extra of an overhaul than the Hurricanes this offseason, who not solely whiffed on re-signing Jake Guentzel who was their No. 1 goal, however had been compelled to let Brady Skjei, Brent Pesce, Teuvo Teräväinen, Stefan Noesen, and Michael Bunting to go away through free company — with Evgeny Kuznetsov selecting to go away the NHL all collectively and head again to Russia.
At the very least on paper the stage was set for an enormous regression, or at the very least some very severe retooling by Carolina, however someway the staff appears even higher this season regardless of the roster overhaul. The Canes are 6-2 amid their brutal opening highway journey to begin the season, and gamers everywhere in the roster are stepping as much as fill the void.
Martin Necas is again to his outdated self, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are taking part in at a excessive stage — and maybe the most important shock has been 21-year-old Jackson Blake, who has 4 level in his first full season of being referred to as as much as the principle roster.
The Hurricanes’ heralded protection remains to be robust regardless of the lack of Skjei and Pesce, whereas their forwards are acting at the next stage than at this level final season. It’s mixed to make Carolina appear to be a really actual menace within the Metropolitan this 12 months, identical to final — and most figured they’d be preventing in 2024-25 to remain related.
The Oilers have to hit the panic button
Regardless of making the Stanley Cup in 2023-24 and seemingly having the desk set for one more run, every part goes incorrect in Edmonton.
The Oilers are off to a horrible 4-5-1 begin, and now Connor McDavid is injured. Final 12 months they had been the NHL’s most dominant offensive staff, however now they’re thirtieth in targets scored, regardless of taking part in a comparatively simple schedule that ranks sixteenth in hockey this 12 months.
Defensively the staff is a large number. The goalies are underperforming. Whenever you couple these elements with an offense that may’t rating outdoors of a now-hurt McDavid and Leon Draisaitl it makes for an unsightly combo. There’s some severe soul-searching that must be performed, as a result of because it stands it appears the Oilers are nearer to having a High 5 choose than contending for a cup this 12 months, and their early-season regression has been merely astonishing.
The Rangers are actually, actually good — however we have to see extra
Not a lot a shock right here, however New York is nice this season. The issue is that this might be constructed on a home of playing cards.
Make no mistake: The Rangers are going to be a top-tier staff within the East regardless, however there are a couple of elements which might point out the new begin is idiot’s gold.
- The Rangers are thirty first in power of schedule to date
- Artemi Panarin possible can’t sustain his astonishing tempo
- Their schedule has allowed the Rangers to profit from taking part in low-scoring groups
There’s completely the potential that each one of this holds and the Rangers show themselves to be one of the best staff within the Nationwide Hockey League, however their 3-1 loss to the Panther at house (the one actual check they’ve confronted) might point out that extra gamers past their established stars have to step up.
