Week one of the NHL season certainly blew past quickly, and it was such an exciting week.
From fast-paced games to unexpected starts, week one was a great way to kick off what will surely be an action-packed season of hockey.
As usual, some teams did better than others, and today, we’ll grade each team’s performance from last week.
Who are the top NHL teams after week one of games?
Anaheim Ducks (Grade: B)
The Ducks played two games last week and went 1-1-0. Their one win was against the Sharks, and their loss was a 3-1 defeat against the Golden Knights. The reason for their high grade is not only did they beat the Sharks like they hopefully should, but they actually gave Vegas a fairly hard game. They didn’t make that win come easy.
Boston Bruins (Grade: B+)
The Bruins got off to a rocky start, once again losing to the Panthers. I just know that has to sting at this point. They fought out a tough, high-scoring game against Montreal, winning 6-4 to get their first win of the NHL season, then seemed to find their defensive footing in a 2-1 overtime win against LA.
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Buffalo Sabres (Grade: D)
The Sabres did finally manage to get their first win of the NHL season in a 5-2 effort over Florida, but that doesn’t erase their 1-3-0 start. Their loss against the Kings saw them give up three unanswered goals in the third period to lose 3-1, despite outshooting and outplaying LA for the vast majority of the game. They also dropped two straight games against the Devils.
Calgary Flames (Grade: A+)
The Flames are a perfect 3-0-0 to start the year, and I don’t think anyone saw that coming. They’ve taken down the Oilers, Flyers, and Canucks so far this year and have looked like an offensive powerhouse in the process. Who knows how long they can keep this up? For now, I guess just try to enjoy it while you can.
Carolina Hurricanes (Grade: C)
The Canes only played one game this week, having another game postponed due to Hurricane Milton. Their one game against the Bolts was a 4-1 defeat, but the game was much closer than the scoreline suggests. They will hopefully have a chance to strut their stuff more this week.
Also Read: All 32 NHL Teams Win-Loss Predictions For The 2024 Season
Chicago Blackhawks (Grade: D)
A 5-2 win over the Oilers softens the blow of what was a fairly awful week for Chicago. They’ve started the year 1-1-1 so far, and to be honest, they don’t look that much better than they did last year if they look better at all. They already find themselves with ground to make up in a fairly stacked Central division, and it’s hard seeing them being able to compete.
Colorado Avalanche (Grade: F)
It’s been a poor start for the Avs, to say the least. They’re 0-2-0 and have given up 14 goals in just those two games. To make matters worse, one of those losses was to Columbus, a team that should be well below Colorado on paper. It’s most likely time for Colorado to take a good long look at their blue line and goaltending situation.
Columbus Blue Jackets (Grade: B-)
The Jackets didn’t look great this week, but they didn’t look terrible either. They started off their year with a 3-2 loss to the Wild, then bounced back with a 6-4 win over the Avs. That’s a pretty good win on paper, but the Avs haven’t looked at themselves so far, so it’s hard to judge where Columbus is right now accurately.
Dallas Stars (Grade: A+)
Dallas is undefeated to start the year at 3-0-0. Their victims include the Kraken, the Predators, and the Islanders. They’ve also only given up three goals so far this year, and all three of those came against Nashville, as they shut out New York and Seattle back to back. That’s a pretty good start through one week.
Detroit Red Wings (Grade: D+)
Detroit did manage to bounce back from their 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh with a 3-0 win over Nashville. However, Nashville themselves haven’t looked great so far this year, and Detroit isn’t too far behind them from what we’ve seen. Ville Husso has already been placed on waivers as well.
Edmonton Oilers (Grade: F)
I wonder if Edmonton is trying to do a sequel to the comeback story they did last year because, man, they look awful again this year. They were absolutely decimated by the Jets to start the year, and then they were followed up with two brutal losses to the Blackhawks and Flames. So they’re 0-3-0 so far, and they’ve given up a total of 15 goals in the process.
Florida Panthers (Grade: D)
The Panthers started solidly enough, managing to hold off a Boston comeback and win 6-4 in their NHL season opener. They then dropped two in a row to the Senators and Sabres and didn’t look all that great doing it. The defense looks relatively sluggish to start the year. This could just be a Stanley Cup hangover, though.
Los Angeles Kings (Grade C+)
Darcy Kuemper was spectacular this week as the Kings held off a Sabres onslaught to win 3-1 in their opener, then dropped a hard-fought OT loss to the Bruins. So far, we are seeing a much more aggressive Kings team that’s looking to make their own chances rather than wait for their opponents to give them to them.
Minnesota Wild (Grade: C-)
The Wild started off with a 3-2 win over Columbus, then dropped their next two against Seattle and Winnipeg. Both of those games went beyond regulation, though, so they’ve gotten at least a point in all three games. Plus, given how Winnipeg has started the year, there’s really no shame in losing to them right now.
Montreal Canadiens (Grade: A)
Sam Montembault looks great so far, and that’s a really good sign for Montreal. After starting their NHL season with a 1-0 win over Toronto, where the aforementioned Montembault looked outstanding, they lost 6-4 to the Bruins. They then immediately rebounded with a 4-1 win over the Senators. That’s a 2-1-0 start for the Habs, and they’ve looked relatively solid through three games.
Nashville Predators (Grade: F)
The Preds dropped both their games this week to the Stars and Red Wings. They’re 0-2-0 to start, and they’ve looked rather slow and timid. There’s plenty of time to turn things around, though. It’s only two games, and we know how poorly they started last year.
New Jersey Devils (Grade: A)
The Devils won two straight against the Sabres in a fun little excursion to Europe. Then, this week, they lost to the Maple Leafs and beat the Capitals. That’s a 3-1-0 start for New Jersey, albeit not against the highest quality of competition outside of Toronto, which they lost to. Still, it’s a much better start than they had last year.
New York Islanders (Grade: D-)
They took Utah to OT, which is the only reason they’ve staved off an F grade this week. New York has started the year with a 0-1-1 record and with an injured Ilya Sorokin. Their offense hasn’t looked super inspired to start off the year either, and I swear they start to look slower every year.
New York Rangers (Grade: B)
The Rangers absolutely decimated the Penguins in their season opener 6-0. Shesterkin was solid in that game, too. They followed that up by losing in OT to the Utah Hockey Club. They didn’t look bad that game, but they certainly didn’t look as dominant as they did against Pittsburgh. However, a 1-0-1 start isn’t bad and gives them plenty to build on this week.
Ottawa Senators (Grade: B-)
It’s a 1-1-0 start for the Sens, losing to Montreal but beating Florida. That being said, they’ve looked relatively decent in both games. I don’t want to get my hopes up again for this team, though, just for them to let me down. So, I’ll keep my mouth shut and keep watching to see what they do.
Philadelphia Flyers (Grade: C+)
The Flyers held their own in a shootout win against Vancouver, then lost 6-3 to Calgary in their next game. Calgary was red hot this week, so it’s not the worst loss in the world. I still don’t know if Samuel Ersson is going to be a good replacement for Carter Hart, but at the very least, he doesn’t look bad. If Philly proves us all wrong again this year, I won’t even know what to say.
Pittsburgh Penguins (Grade: D+)
A 6-3 win against the Red Wings isn’t going to save Pittsburgh from a bad grade. They still got decimated by New York and then thoroughly outplayed by Toronto. That’s a 1-2-0 start this year, and they’ve given up 13 goals in the process. Not a great look for this NHL team. They’re struggling on the power play again this year, too.
San Jose Sharks (Grade: F)
If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s the Sharks being terrible. To their credit, they did give St Louis a heck of a fight in a 5-4 overtime loss. That was washed away when Anaheim thoroughly outplayed and shut out them. Despite getting a point in a 0-1-1 start, it’s probably safe to say San Jose won’t be doing much better in the coming weeks.
Seattle Kraken (Grade: D+)
Seattle started the year blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to the Blues. They then bounced back with a 5-4 OT win against Minnesota, only to lose again, getting shut out by the Stars. Now, obviously, there’s no shame in losing to Dallas, but the St Louis game, in particular, was disappointing as they controlled most of the game. We’ll see if Seattle can find their footing at all.
St. Louis Blues (Grade: B)
The Blues won their first two games of the NHL season against the Kraken and Sharks, although they would need OT to beat the Sharks. They then lost 4-3 against the Golden Knights. While a 2-1-0 start isn’t bad, and there’s certainly no shame in losing to Vegas, there are still a lot of questions that need answering from the Blues before we can put our confidence in them.
Tampa Bay Lightning (Grade: A)
Much like Carolina, Tampa only had one game this week and had the other one postponed due to Hurricane Milton. That being said, Tampa looked absolutely solid in their 4-1 win over Carolina. They were able to match the pace and play a stellar defensive game, outlasting Carolina to eventually break through and get the win. I wonder if it’ll be a sign of more to come.
Toronto Maple Leafs (Grade: A-)
While a 1-0 loss to Montreal certainly wasn’t the best way to start the year, Toronto wasted no time showing everyone that they still are an elite team, winning their next two games in fairly convincing fashion. The offense is still very much a force to be reckoned with, but there are still some questions to be had on defense and in the net. We shouldn’t have to wait too long for those to be answered.
Utah Hockey Club (Grade: A+)
I certainly didn’t expect this start from Utah, but they’re an undefeated 3-0-0 through the first week of hockey. They’re playing with the fire of a team that has a chip on their shoulder and wants the rest of the world to know they mean business. Maybe it helps to have a hockey market that actually cares about them, too.
Vancouver Canucks (Grade: D)
Vancouver got a point in both of their losses this week, which staves them off from getting an F. That being said, a 0-0-2 start is still not what you wanted to see from last year’s surprise NHL team. They had the expectations of proving they weren’t just a flash in the pan, and so far, they’re giving the critics a lot of ammunition.
Vegas Golden Knights (Grade: A+)
Vegas certainly knows how to start years off, right? They’re an undefeated 3-0-0 to start this year off, and while the defense hasn’t exactly looked rock solid, the team is still finding ways to win. They did fizzle out late last year, so that should be kept in mind no matter how hot they start this year. As of right now, though, they absolutely deserve their solid grade.
Washington Capitals (Grade: C-)
The Caps only played one game last week, and it was a 5-3 loss to the Devils. Despite losing, there wasn’t a huge sample size to go off, so it seemed cruel to give them a grade that was too low. It’s not like New Jersey blew them out, either. It was a decently competitive game.
Winnipeg Jets (Grade: A+)
Winnipeg is playing like a team that wants to prove the critics wrong. After decimating the Oilers 6-0 to start the NHL season, they went on to stifle the Blackhawks and Wild. That being said, the offense has looked kinda eh to start the year, outside of scoring six goals on Edmonton. They needed OT to beat both Chicago and Minnesota, but they only scored two goals in each of those games. The defense is a nightmare to play against, though.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NHL Teams (Season Opener)
