Which early-season NHL success story is the most legit?
The NHL season remains young, with most teams having played 10 or 11 games, give or take. Sample sizes are thus not to be trusted yet, especially when it comes to teams or players who are off to unexpectedly outstanding starts.
Of the surprise success stories so far in 2022-23, which do you think won’t go down as a fluke? What early breakout team – or player – has made you a believer already?
Over to you, Daily Faceoff Roundtable.
MATT LARKIN: For me, it’s the New Jersey Devils. It’s not so much the strong record so far this season, as any team can get hot over an 11-game stretch. It’s the way this team is winning. The Devils are absolutely clowning their opponents. They have outshot their competition 360-190 at 5-on-5. That’s not a misprint. Are you kidding me? The goaltending from Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek remains a work in progress, especially given Blackwood’s injury sustained Thursday, but if the Devils keep playing like this, their goalies only need to be league-average for them to be an easy playoff team.
NICK ALBERGA: For me, it’s Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres. I’ll be honest, I ragged on the Sabres for signing him to that monster extension after one strong season, but my goodness, he’s been tremendous thus far. In his past four outings alone, all the 25-year-old’s done is notch six goals and 11 points. I mean, even the great Connor McDavid has to be impressed with that. Furthermore, dating back to January 1, Thompson has tallied 33 goals and 62 points in 57 games — that’s sniffing around a 50-goal pace. Only time will tell if this is sustainable, but for now, I’m going to sit back and enjoy the ride. Suffice it is to say, all things considered, Buffalo did pretty well in the Ryan O’Reilly trade.
MIKE MCKENNA: Oh it’s got to be the Boston Bruins. I had them slotted into a wildcard slot before the season began. I thought the Bruins would be the fifth team out of the Atlantic to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. But here they are leading the NHL with a 10-1-0 record. There were so many question marks going into the 2022-23 season. Can the team get past injuries to Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy? Will David Krejci be the same player he was before taking a year sabbatical to play at home in the Czech Republic? Will Jeremy Swayman or Linus Ullmark grab the net? How will Jim Montgomery fare in his second go-round as an NHL head coach? So far, all those questions have been answered favorably. Ullmark has taken the lead. Krejci is Krejci. Marchand is back early. And Hampus Lindholm has been fantastic taking up the airspace usually reserved for McAvoy. The advanced metrics are all solid for Boston. And the eye test confirms the statistics. The Bruins are a serious contender.
STEVEN ELLIS: I know he’s missed a few games, but it’s Valeri Nichushkin. Obviously, he had a fantastic season last year, and a lot was due to linemates, but I wasn’t convinced he was worth the long-term extension. But after challenging for the league lead in points before the injury, especially with the confidence he seems to have this year, it’s looking like last year wasn’t a fluke. What a turnaround of a career he’s had.
FRANK SERAVALLI: I’m going to say the Dallas Stars. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to make of Dallas heading into the season, mostly because what they are trying to accomplish – retooling on the fly and turning the roster over from one generation to the next – is so rarely seamless. They made the playoffs last spring, of course, but that didn’t guarantee anything about success this year. Well, they’ve been consistent, they’re hard working, and they defend well. Their goal differential is second-best in the league so far. Jake Oettinger’s injury status is certainly something to watch. But with Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz and now Wyatt Johnston all leading the way, the cool part about what we’re seeing from the Stars is that they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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