Bob Frid-Imagn Images
It’s not rare to see good NHL teams struggle less than two weeks into the season, but it is surprising to see how some of these squads are doing.
Already this year, we’re seeing teams at or near the bottom of their respective divisions who few, if any, observers believed would be there at any point. In alphabetical order, let’s take a look at five of those NHL teams:
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche quietly lost much of their depth from their 2021-22 Stanley Cup-winning squad, even if they’ve attempted to get it back. This year, with captain Gabriel Landeskog and sniper Valeri Nichushkin both sidelined for different reasons – and with goaltending proving to be an immediate problem – the Avs have lost all of their first four games.
The Avalanche’s offense is average at 3.25 goals-for per game, but their defense and netminding have been ugly. They currently have the NHL’s worst goals-against average at a shocking 6.25. Considering the Avalanche have what, on paper, are solid top four blueliners, it’s quite surprising the team as a whole is this brutal in its own end.
Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has already dipped into the waiver wire to bring in goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, who will join the team once the immigration process is settled, coach Jared Bednar told reporters. Time will tell whether he’ll be ready on Friday against the Anaheim Ducks or Sunday against the San Jose Sharks, but if the Avalanche are still winless after then, it’s definitely time to press the panic button. While some suspected the Avs would be more challenged to win this year, nobody saw this start coming for them.
Related: NHL Power Rankings: New No. 1 – Stars, Jets And Flames Rise While Oilers And Avalanche Fall
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are expected to make some advances this season and end the playoff drought after almost making it last year. But so far, it has not been smooth sailings in Motown, with the Red Wings posting a 1-2-0 record out of the gate.
The Wings’ defense hasn’t been too bad, allowing 3.33 goals against per game, but the offense is another story. Detroit’s 2.33 goals-for per game is the NHL’s fifth-worst.
Only four Red Wings players have two to three points in the team’s first three games. That’s not going to cut it in the competitive Atlantic Division.
After the Wings play the New York Rangers in the second game of a home-and-home, they face the Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres (twice), Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. All those teams are either above-average or desperate to win games – in other words, there’s no ‘gimme’ games for them anytime soon.
By the end of that stretch, the Red Wings could find themselves near the top of the division or buried in the Atlantic standings. The latter would be a massive letdown for a team that aimed to be challenging for a playoff spot this year. The 2024-25 campaign is a massive opportunity to see what the future looks like for the Red Wings, and having a setback would hurt.
Edmonton Oilers
Matching their abysmal start to the 2023-24 campaign, the Oilers stumbled out of the gate this year, losing their first three games by a combined score of 15-3 and sinking to the basement of the improving Pacific Division.
The biggest surprise of anything this season is that the high-octane Oilers – which made many good additions this summer – averaged just 1.75 goals-for per game in their first four matches.
Related: Comparing The Oilers’ Start: A Year-Over-Year Look At Their First Three Games
Edmonton’s defense has also struggled so far with a 4.50 goals-against average. Many, if not most, pundits picked the Oilers to win this year’s Stanley Cup – and while there’s still time to turn things around the way Edmonton did last season, the Oilers are playing with fire and could wind up losing home-ice advantage in the 2025 post-season.
Edmonton needs an all-around better effort from its entire roster. If the Oilers don’t get it, their fans will be rightfully incensed with the product they’re consuming.
Nashville Predators
As one of the most beefed-up teams in the NHL after the off-season, the Predators were supposed to be vying for the top spot in the Central Division. Instead, they got a Preds team that’s gone 0-3-0 and been outscored 14-6 in losses to the Dallas Stars, Red Wings and Seattle Kraken.
Nashville’s offense is not performing as it should be after getting Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, with the NHL’s second-fewest goals-for per game (two). Their defense has been just as unimpressive, allowing 4.67 goals against per game. Already, we’re seeing Predators coach Andrew Brunette calling out his players, saying they deserved this start for playing “firewagon hockey.”
Nashville needs immediate improvement, as their next stretch of the schedule pits them against the Oilers, Red Wings, Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators need to win at least three of those games or sink further behind the rest of their division rivals.
With their new-look lineup setting a high bar for them this season, Nashville can’t afford to struggle for much longer. If they can’t pull out of the tailspin, it will be highly intriguing to see how GM Barry Trotz reacts, because missing the playoffs this year will be completely unacceptable.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks did surprise people with their tremendous 2023-24 season. However, this season is surprising in the opposite fashion, with three losses out of the gate to teams that, on paper, are worse than them – the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Vancouver averaged four goals against per game in their first three outings, and their offense is the eighth-worst in the NHL at 2.67 goals-for per game. Star Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes and center Elias Pettersson have combined for only three assists in as many games, and only two Canucks have three points this season. That puts all kinds of pressure on Vancouver’s defense and goaltending. So far, they haven’t been up to the challenge.
The Canucks’ schedule has a couple of softer touches coming up in the Flyers and Blackhawks, but they also have showdowns against the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Devils. Vancouver needs a rapid turnaround, or they’ll have dug a hole that will be difficult to climb.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.
Related: The Wraparound: Where Do Crosby And Malkin Rank Among NHL’s All-Time Duos?
