Similar to everybody predicted on the finish of the primary week of the season, Pavel Dorofeyev and Shane Pinto are main the league in objectives, whereas the Boston Bruins are undefeated and the Tampa Bay Lightning are winless.
OK, so quite a bit goes to alter because the 12 months goes alongside, but it surely’s by no means too early for some overreactions. Let’s have a look at a couple of issues occurring within the NHL to date and see if they’ve endurance.
Bedard is headed for a 90-point season
He’s on tempo for under 82 factors proper now, however you’ll be able to really feel the dam about to burst for Connor Bedard. The 20-year-old Chicago Blackhawks star got here out of the gates flying this season and if it seemed like Bedard discovered one other gear, he did. In his first recreation in opposition to the Florida Panthers, Bedard hit a max pace of twenty-two.36 m.p.h., which was almost a full m.p.h. sooner than his highest pace from final season. Bedard didn’t find yourself discovering the scoresheet, however he was harmful all evening and produced a handful of high quality scoring probabilities in addition to ringing one off the crossbar.
The factors got here a few nights later, when Bedard unleashed a deadly shot for his first of the season and added an help in opposition to the Bruins. Once more, Bedard was all around the ice and creating offence steadily, together with in time beyond regulation, and the Blackhawks most likely deserved a greater destiny than their second lack of the season. He adopted that up by tallying a power-play aim on Saturday evening in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens. Bedard seems to be like a distinct participant this 12 months and if he retains it going, the 90-point mark doesn’t appear to be an unrealistic aim.
Going from 67 factors a 12 months in the past to 90 is a tall order, but when anybody has the expertise to do it, it’s Bedard. He’s passing the attention check with flying colors proper now and this Blackhawks lineup seems to be extra able to serving to him out than it has up to now. New linemate Andre Burakovsky arrange Bedard for that lovely one-timer in opposition to the Bruins and they’re beginning to construct some chemistry, whereas Frank Nazar is already as much as 5 factors on the 12 months. Nazar offers them a stable risk on the second-line centre spot and that ought to assist alleviate a number of the opposition’s deal with Bedard this season.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato additionally ought to be capable to construct on stable seasons in 2024-25 and kids Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov ought to make the Blackhawks blue line extra gifted. Plus, regardless of a season to overlook final 12 months, Chicago nonetheless completed with the seventh-best energy play within the NHL. If they’ll proceed to have a top-10 man benefit, it’s solely going to assist Bedard fill the scoresheet.
The opposite factor that could possibly be driving Bedard is motivation to earn a spot on Workforce Canada on the Olympics. It by no means really felt like he was within the combine to crack the roster on the 4 Nations Face-Off, so Bedard ought to be taking part in with a chip on his shoulder to get again into the dialog. Even when the Blackhawks don’t win many video games once more this 12 months, it doesn’t imply Bedard can’t rack up the factors.
Sabres might be choosing Gavin McKenna first general
If Buffalo Sabres followers have been hoping this was going to be the 12 months that their crew ended its prolonged playoff drought, they’ll’t be crammed with confidence after the primary two video games. It took the Sabres five-and-a-half intervals to attain their first aim of the season and there are nonetheless on the lookout for their first win.
They’ve additionally been decimated by accidents, as key gamers like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Michael Kesselring and now Josh Norris are slated to overlook substantial time. They’re at present working with a tandem of Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis between the pipes, so if expectations have been low coming into the season, they’ve rapidly plummeted into additional depths. If Buffalo isn’t cautious, it may discover itself in a race for the league’s worst document.
I nonetheless suppose the Sabres have an excessive amount of expertise to complete within the league’s basement. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin and Co. make Buffalo extra gifted on paper than at the least a handful of different groups. The Sabres are additionally not going to be sellers and coach Lindy Ruff and GM Kevyn Adams could very effectively be preventing for his or her jobs. The Pittsburgh Penguins, alternatively, are anticipated to unload items and are clearly beginning a rebuild, so they might be a bit extra lively of their pursuit of McKenna. I’m not going to exit on a limb and say the Sabres are going to make the playoffs, however I don’t suppose they’re a bottom-three crew.
It’s solely been two video games, however Schaefer certain seems to be the a part of a legit NHL defenceman, doesn’t he? The 2025 No. 1-overall choose has two factors in two video games, is a plus-1 regardless of the New York Islanders giving up eight objectives on the season, and notched his first profession aim Saturday evening. That recreation in opposition to the Washington Capitals noticed Schaefer play greater than 26 minutes and put up eight photographs on aim. You wouldn’t suppose Schaefer is a rookie defenceman that simply turned 18 years outdated based mostly on that stat line.
The Calder Trophy gained’t be handed out for an additional eight months and Schaefer goes to have rising pains sooner or later, however the truth that he doesn’t look misplaced this early is spectacular. If he retains this up, the remainder of the rookie class goes to have a troublesome time wrestling the Calder away from Schaefer.
Being the highest choose offers Schaefer the within observe on the award and his robust begin is simply going to assist construct his case. The truth that Montreal’s Ivan Demidov has had an underwhelming begin additionally helps Schaefer’s trigger. Demidov has only a single help and one shot on aim in three video games. There’ll clearly be different rookies which can be going to shine all through the season and it might be silly to anoint somebody after one week, however Schaefer leads the way in which for now.
Maple Leafs energy play is in massive bother with Mitch Marner gone
For those who flipped over to the Toronto Maple Leafs house opener throughout a Sport 4 clinching victory by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday evening and caught a little bit of their energy play, you most likely didn’t stick round. The Leafs gained the sport, however the energy play was abysmal. Toronto struggled to get out of its personal finish and into the opposition’s through the man benefit and even gave up a short-handed aim to the Canadiens, plus a couple of different high quality probabilities. It seemed a bit higher Saturday evening, however the Leafs went 0-for-2 once more in a loss to the Detroit Purple Wings.
You could have heard, however Mitch Marner, who quarterbacked the facility play final season, has departed for Vegas, forcing Morgan Rielly again into the duties of working the unit up high. Rielly had an excellent opening evening, however the energy play struggled mightily and couldn’t generate a lot of something. The group was efficient with Marner on the helm, as he was very decisive with the puck and was nice at profiting from the net-front presence of gamers like Matthew Knies and John Tavares. Marner didn’t all the time shoot to attain, however he was environment friendly at getting pucks by means of for suggestions and rebound alternatives. Rielly appears only a tad extra hesitant than Marner and to date, the highest energy play seems to be out of kinds. The largest space the place the Leafs could miss Marner could possibly be on the person benefit.
Let’s give Rielly a while right here. Possibly he’s not probably the most best power-play quarterback as a result of he doesn’t have a booming shot, however don’t overlook, Rielly has accomplished a stable job within the function earlier than. Toronto’s energy play ranked first in 2021-22 (27.3 per cent), second in 2022-23 (26 per cent) and seventh in 2023-24 (24 per cent), all with Rielly working issues.
Marner could also be gone, however the unit nonetheless boasts Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Tavares and Knies, so there’s loads of expertise left to provide. Knies could possibly be the important thing piece right here, as Rielly by no means had him on the highest group when he ran the facility play earlier than. Toronto moved Knies there final season to wreak havoc in entrance of the online and Rielly ought to be capable to reap the benefits of his skillset. With Knies offering screens and taking on area close to the blue paint, Rielly has the flexibility to sift pucks by means of and simplify his method. If he does this sufficient, it must also create lanes to arrange Matthews and Nylander for photographs, too.
This isn’t all on Rielly’s shoulders, both. It is also an adjustment for everybody going again to Rielly main the puck up ice as an alternative of Marner and ensuring everyone seems to be working in unison in the case of zone entries. It’s solely been two video games. If the facility play remains to be floundering when the calendar flips to November, perhaps it’s time to inch nearer to the panic button.
Panthers might be fantastic with out Barkov, Tkachuk
Many have been fast to put in writing the Florida Panthers off when Aleksander Barkov tore his ACL throughout coaching camp, with Matthew Tkachuk already slated to overlook a couple of months recovering from low season surgical procedure. The Panthers captain was given a return timeline of seven to 9 months, making it unlikely he returns within the common season and placing the playoffs in jeopardy, too.
To date, the lack of both participant hasn’t impacted the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, as Florida is off to a 3-0-0 begin. Granted, two of these have been one-goal victories in opposition to Chicago and Philadelphia, two groups that determine to be close to the underside of the standings this 12 months, however they capped the week by dominating the Ottawa Senators. Florida appears deep and skilled sufficient to resist the lack of Barkov and Tkachuk.
In fact, this isn’t an overreaction. Did anybody actually count on this crew collapse after making three straight Stanley Cup Finals? The Panthers have an excessive amount of depth to not maintain the down the fort and we’re already seeing different gamers step up. They’ve picked up massive objectives from A.J. Greer and Jesper Boqvist, whereas Mackie Samoskevich has three factors. Anton Lundell has scored twice as effectively and he’s taking up extra minutes now that he’s been promoted to the highest six after Barkov’s harm. Plus, when you keep in mind late final season, the Panthers weren’t overly involved about profitable the division, opting as an alternative to relaxation key gamers down the stretch to prepare for the playoffs. Anticipate the same method this 12 months to allow them to be at most energy for the spring. They’ll be fantastic.
