Today, Oct. 24, for just the second time in league history — the first being last April 8 — 16 games will take place on the NHL calendar, with all 32 teams getting in on the action.
And, unlike the last time the schedule was this busy, the league is staggering its starts, so each game is scheduled for its own puck-drop time.
We’re two weeks into the season, so while it’s still too early to be victory-lapping any predictions, or ruling any team “in” or “out,” we have learned a few things about each team over the first four-to-six games, and what it means for them from here.
So, ahead of an action-packed day during which you can watch every game on Sportsnet+, we go through each of the matchups and share what we’ve learned so far about each of the NHL’s 32 teams.
Toronto (3-2-0) at Washington (1-2-1): 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Maple Leafs: They still play to the level of their opponents. As the Leafs figure out how to deal with the strengths and weaknesses of a changed roster (defence pairs, depth scoring, who’s the starter?, etc.), the one holdover issue head coach Sheldon Keefe still hasn’t resolved is how to get this group to play to its level every night. The great comeback win over Tampa Bay came days after the Leafs struggled to do anything against lowly Chicago. That said, Toronto leads the league in shots per game and its two top stars, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, lead all NHL forwards in average ice time.
Capitals: All pre-season concerns about the aging Caps have been confirmed, and it’s getting late early for the team, even though a 1-2-1 start doesn’t look awful at a glance. The Caps still have not led at any point in a game, haven’t scored on the power play and average the fewest goals per game in the league (1.25). Now the Caps get Toronto on this big night, followed by a road game in tough New Jersey on a back-to-back.
Anaheim (1-4-0) at Columbus (3-2-0): 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT
Ducks: Rookie Leo Carlsson is legit, but unfortunately won’t get an every-game workload for the first half of the season (look out for a late Calder charge). Four of the Ducks’ 11 goals have been scored by Frank Vatrano. And as much as this season is about tuning in to see the young guys, these Ducks have established that they will not be pushed around. Anaheim has taken the most penalties this season and is third in penalty minutes per game.
Blue Jackets: How about Justin Danforth’s three-goal start? The 30-year-old now has 15 goals in 56 NHL games over the past three years. The Patrik Laine-at-centre project has stalled after he was taken out by a targeted Rasmus Andersson hit. Rookie Adam Fantilli has played all over this lineup and is now on the board with a goal. The Blue Jackets have won two games in a row and actually have an early chance to get a hand on first place in the Metro by the time Tuesday’s over.
Buffalo (2-4-0) at Ottawa (3-2-0): 6:45 p.m. ET / 3:45 p.m. PT
Sabres: We really wanted to see Devon Levi in this game after he started each of Buffalo’s first four, but an injury will keep him out for now. Overall, the start has not been as smooth for Buffalo as it has been for other upstarts. The Sabres have scored more than twice in regulation in just two of six games, and Tage Thompson has been one of the more unlucky scorers in the game, with a single goal on 29 shots. Buffalo’s PK has been strong, but a power play under 10 per cent has been an issue. All but one of the Sabres’ games has been on home ice, too, and now they face the disadvantage of travelling to Ottawa Tuesday on a back-to-back against a rested Senators squad.
Senators: Jake Sanderson is tied for the lead in goal scoring among defencemen (three) and is one of four leading Senators who have six points. Vladimir Tarasenko is off to the best start a “new” Senator has ever had, Mathieu Joseph has delivered in the face of trade rumours and Josh Norris finally returned to the lineup with a couple of goals. Ottawa is tied for third in goals per game and though the team save percentage is 22nd, Anton Forsberg has put a couple good starts together and is reminding us that he’s still a factor in this crease.
Carolina (3-3-0) at Tampa Bay (2-2-2): 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Hurricanes: Defensive stalwart Jaccob Slavin has the early lead in scoring among NHL defencemen and the Canes are (surprise, surprise) leading the league in 5-on-5 shot-attempts percentage. All three goalies have got into action, but are off to a slow start with the league’s lowest overall save percentage.
Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy replacement Jonas Johansson has started five of six games, but hasn’t allowed fewer than three goals in a game. Tampa has lost once to each of the three Atlantic teams everyone is looking to rise this season: Detroit, Ottawa, Buffalo. But the offence is still dangerous, with the fourth-ranked power play and five players at a point per game pace or better.
New Jersey (2-1-1) at Montreal (3-1-1): 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT
Devils: Thank goodness for their league-leading 42.9 per cent power play because the Devils, surprisingly, have the fewest number of 5-on-5 goals and a league-low shooting percentage there. However, Jack Hughes has 10 points in four games — including three multi-point games — and leads the league with a 2.50 points per game mark.
Canadiens: Outscoring opponents 11-2 at 5-on-5, the Canadiens have the league’s best goals-for percentage (84.62). That’s because they have the league’s best 5-on-5 save percentage, and come into Tuesday with two wins in a row. Newcomer Alex Newhook is off to a nice start and Cole Caufield has picked up from where he left off in January, scoring three goals.
Dallas (3-0-1) at Pittsburgh (2-3-0): 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Stars: Stars are one of three teams that hasn’t trailed after two periods (with Vegas and Boston), and the only team with a PK still at 100 per cent. The goals have been a little slow coming, but they had a five-goal breakout in their last game, against Philadelphia Saturday night. Miro Heiskanen is top-five in defencemen ice time, and Joe Pavelski leads them in scoring at age 39.
Penguins: Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, on separate pairs, both average over 24 minutes per game — Karlsson’s 25:35 is third among all blue-liners — and both have four points. Evgeni Malkin is on a heater with eight points, but last week’s two-game road trip produced a couple of regulation losses. Tristan Jarry was an X-Factor coming into the season and, outside of a shutout, he’s allowed 11 goals across his other three starts.
San Jose (0-4-1) at Florida (2-3-0): 7:45 p.m. ET / 4:45 p.m. PT
Sharks: The only team in the league that’s bottom-five in both goals for and goals against. Filip Zadina, after being released by Detroit to re-establish his career, is the only Shark who’s scored more than once (he’s got two). Tomas Hertl is a point per game player, though, and the only full-time Shark from last season who’s scored a goal. After reading this, you won’t be surprised to learn that San Jose is the only team that hasn’t won a game.
Panthers: Special teams have been an early issue, with a 10 per cent power play and 65.2 per cent penalty kill. Sam Reinhart leads the way with six goals, but Evan Rodrigues has found a home on the top line with six points in five games. Sergei Bobrovsky has started every game, but has a sub-.900 save percentage, a GAA over 3.00 and a slightly negative goals saved above expected total, per MoneyPuck — 43rd of 63 goalies.
Colorado (5-0-0) at New York Islanders (2-1-1): 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Avalanche: The Avs are one of three teams still with a perfect record (joined by Boston and Vegas). Alexandar Georgiev, out to prove last season wasn’t a fluke, has started all five games and has shining numbers and the league’s best GSAE, per MoneyPuck. The Avs aggressively push the pace at even-strength, where they average the most shots on goal per 60 minutes. All the usual suspects are leading the way on offence — Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin — but Logan O’Connor deserves a nod for his three-game goal streak, two of them game-winners.
Islanders: The Isles have had a tough time producing offence, which is what we’ve come to expect from this team. What’s out of character is that, according to Natural Stat Trick, the Isles offer the most 5-on-5 scoring chances against per 60 minutes. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, are as strong a duo as ever though.
Seattle (1-4-1) at Detroit (5-1-0): 8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT
Kraken: The Kraken have scored more than one goal in just one of their five games — a decisive 7-4 win over Carolina on Thursday — but they do have nine players who’ve scored a goal. Last season’s breakout star, Vince Dunn, leads the team with five points, but the goaltending has been struggling to pull through, and Philipp Grubauer again starts with a sub-.900 save percentage.
Red Wings: With eight goals in six games, Alex DeBrincat is the NHL’s leading sniper and has found a great partner in Dylan Larkin, who leads the NHL with eight primary assists. Detroit also has a league-leading shooting percentage of 16.04, so ride this league-leading offence while it’s strong. Detroit comes into this game with five wins in a row.
Boston (5-0-0) at Chicago (2-4-0): 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT
Bruins: Last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners haven’t allowed more than two goals in a game and have the league’s best all-situations save percentage. The Bruins have 16 goals overall, with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand accounting for nine of them. Who would have thought that 19-year-old second-round pick Matthew Poitras would be the first Bruins centre to get a goal this season?
Blackhawks: Rookie Connor Bedard has met all the early expectations and embraced the “face of the franchise” role he’s stepped into, but … Corey Perry leads this team in scoring. The goaltending has been something of a bright spot, with Petr Mrazek posting a .924 save percentage and Arvid Soderblom with a goals saved above expected that ranks third in the league (per MoneyPuck).
St. Louis (2-1-1) at Winnipeg (2-3-0): 8:45 p.m. ET / 5:45 p.m. PT
Blues: The Blues haven’t scored more than twice in a game, or at all on the power play, but at least goalie Jordan Binnington is off to a great start and has earned them a few points. The worrisome thing about the start, though, is that St. Louis is second-last in shots for per game and has the league’s worst Corsi for percentage.
Jets: Connor Hellebuyck has had an uncharacteristically rocky start, but came up big in Saturday’s 3-2 OT win in Edmonton to snap a two-game losing streak. Mark Scheifele has delivered a team-leading six points after signing his extension, but Nikolaj Ehlers still hasn’t scored a goal.
Edmonton (1-3-1) at Minnesota (2-2-1): 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Oilers: With one win in their first five games, we wouldn’t say it’s time to panic about the Oilers, but they are facing early adversity that we think will be looked back on in reflection some months later. Neither goaltender has made a move in the crease, leads have been squandered and some key players haven’t hit their stride. Evander Kane is goalless and Mattias Ekholm is a minus-3. Now they are without Connor McDavid for the next one or two weeks. But, after today’s game, Edmonton will have a four-game home stand, including Sunday’s Heritage Classic.
Wild: One of just five teams with an expected goals per 60 rate over 3.00, the Wild have a top 10 offence despite the run of play having not been in their favour. And their goalies, for the most part, haven’t elevated the team. Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello lead the team in scoring.
Vancouver (3-2-0) at Nashville (3-3-0): 9:15 p.m. ET / 6:15 p.m. PT
Canucks: Definitely a promising start for the Canucks, who’ve brought some fight to the table and have knocked off the Oilers twice already. Elias Pettersson is delivering in a contract season, with 10 points in five games that puts him among the league leaders. J.T. Miller isn’t far behind him and Brock Boeser has six goals, which is tied for second league-wide. Even Quinn Hughes is thriving and may have found a partner in Filip Hronek. Of course, the Canucks also have a very high 13.9 shooting percentage, so their current fifth-best offence will eventually cool.
Predators: One of the most snakebitten teams in terms of shooting percentage, the Predators have the NHL’s best expected-goals mark at 5-on-5, but are 20th in actual goals. They are playing with a more offensive attack, but do they have the scorers to convert? Juuse Saros, of course, has started every game, being pulled once for Kevin Lankinen, and only Tampa’s Johansson has faced more shots.
New York Rangers (3-2-0) at Calgary (2-3-1): 9:45 p.m. ET / 6:45 p.m. PT
Rangers: Adam Fox has played the most overall minutes in the league without being on the ice for a goal against (113:03), and he’s been on for eight Rangers goals. Igor Shesterkin has yet to settle in, though, and has alternated between great start and weak start in his first four games. One interesting early difference: the Rangers were something of an “anti-analytics” team last season, ranking relatively poorly in things such as Corsi for percentage, shots-for percentage and expected-goals differential. This season, they are near the top in all those measures. No team averages fewer shots against per game.
Flames: Between Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar, the Flames have the league’s worst 5-on-5 save percentage, but the team actually has one of the better shot differentials in the early going. After an opening night win at home, Calgary has been on the road for its past five in a row, where they won only once, and return home to the Saddledome Tuesday.
Arizona (3-2-0) at Los Angeles (2-2-1): 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT
Coyotes: Incredibly, the Coyotes have only four goals at 5-on-5 — second-least in the league — but have still outscored their opponents by one. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram have been great, holding the opposition to one goal or fewer in three of five games. Arizona has played only one home game, too. Logan Cooley has four assists and showing why he was not to be slept on in the Calder Trophy conversation, but vets Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz lead the team with six points.
Kings: At 33 years old, turning 34 in December, Drew Doughty leads the league with an average ice time of 26:14 per game. Scoring has not been an issue for the league’s third-best offence, but the Kings’ leading goal scorer is the unlikely Trevor Moore with four, followed by Carl Grundstrom at three. The Kings have 12 goal scorers. Los Angeles has the sixth-lowest shots against per game mark, but allowed the 10th-most goals against, so goaltending, a pre-season question mark, remains an area to watch.
Philadelphia (3-1-1) at Vegas (6-0-0): 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT
Flyers: The supposedly rebuilding Flyers have won three games and gotten points in four of five. Travis Konecny is scoring a goal per game and, crucially, Sean Couturier is looking like himself after not playing at all last season, as does Cam Atkinson with three goals.
Golden Knights: The Brayden McNabb-Shea Theodore pair has been on the ice for just a single goal against and both blue-liners are among just 14 defencemen who’ve played at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5. No team has more recorded hits than Vegas and its offence is top-five in the league, with five players at a point per game pace or better. This is the best start ever for a defending Stanley Cup champion.
