It feels great to have hockey back. Week one is in the books and while we still have a long ways to go, it’s still nice to reflect and see how each team has been performing so far. There’s been a couple of surprises and some pretty predictable things and so far it seems like it’s shaping up to be a pretty good season. That being said, it’s time to tear the teams apart. Here’s every NHL team’s grade after week one.
Anaheim Ducks: F (Last week B+)
I had a feeling that upsetting Carolina would be the best thing they did all year, and it’s not even aging that well.
Arizona Coyotes: B (Last Week A-)
I predicted the Coyotes to be the worst team in the league this year. So far, they’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding that title.
Boston Bruins: A+ (Last Week A+)
One of the three undefeated teams left in the league, Boston is on fire. If you think their penalty taking is a weakness, I’ll remind you that they have yet to give up a power play goal.
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Buffalo Sabres: D- (Last Week F)
The only thing saving you from an F Buffalo is your talent. You guys got to pull yourselves together.
Calgary Flames: D+ (Last Week D+)
The only thing saving you from an F Buffalo is your talent. You guys got to pull yourselves together.
Carolina Hurricanes: C- (Last Week: B-)
The Hurricanes are at .500 but man do they look far from the team they were predicted to be.
Chicago Blackhawks: D (Last Week: C+)
Connor Bedard has given this team a boost, but it’s a superficial boost at most. Yes, they’re popular again and have cool highlight reels. But they’re still not winning games.
Colorado Avalanche: A+ (Last Week: A+)
The second of the three undefeated teams, Colorado is 5-0 with no signs of stopping. They’re healthy and they’re ready.
Columbus Blue Jackets: D+ (Last Week: D-)
To Columbus’ credit they did look slightly better this week, and they’re in the top three of the Metro division. However, that’s also because the rest of the division is either behind in games or playing weakly.
Dallas Stars: A (Last Week: A)
They have yet to lose in regulation and they look to be the team they were promised to be. I expect a second or third round playoff run from this team.
Detroit Red Wings: A (Last Week: B+)
I expected the Red Wings to be mediocre and they’ve been anything but. One loss in six games and the young talent appears to be blossoming.
Edmonton Oilers: F (Last Week: F)
This team could not have gotten off to a worse start. Not only are they miserably failing to meet the extremely high expectations they had, McDavid is now also out with injury.
Florida Panthers: C- (Last Week: D+)
I’m not too worried about Florida yet. I expect them to pull it together. They might want to hurry just a bit though as the Atlantic Division is extremely competitive.
Los Angeles Kings: C+ (Last Week: D+)
The Kings have had a tough schedule early on. However, they’re showing their talent and Cam Talbot has played better than expected. They’re still coming up short against the elites though.
Minnesota Wild: C- (Last Week: B+)
The Wild look like a team going through an identity crisis. There’s not much to do to fix them. They have to shake something up and fast.
Montreal Canadiens: A- (Last Week: C)
I hesitate to call this squad a good team simply because of a fast start. There’s still something about them that has me very, very weary. Maybe they’ll prove me wrong.
Nashville Predators: D (Last Week: D-)
The Preds are quickly losing any hope to salvage the squad they once had. A rebuild is coming and they might have to move some big pieces here shortly.
New Jersey Devils: B+ (Last Week: C-)
The Devils look mortal, but they still look good. I expect them to pick up steam as the season goes along. This team still has all the potential in the world.
New York Islanders: B (Last Week: A)
It’s still really hard to accurately gauge the Islanders in my opinion. They’ve still got a lot to show and haven’t competed against too many elite teams yet.
New York Rangers: B (Last Week: A-)
The Rangers look about what you would expect. They’re fast, young, and extremely talented, but still overly rely on goaltending and offense to get the job done.
Ottawa Senators: B (Last Week: A)
The Sens slowed down a bit, but I never expected them to be blazing from the start. They’re still very much a developing team learning how to play together. Their future is still bright.
Philadelphia Flyers: A (Last Week: B+)
This team is one of the bigger surprises to me this season. I thought they would be bad with a bright future, instead Sean Couturier has come with a point to prove and this team is clicking. They keep this up and they find themselves competing for the Metro title.
Pittsburgh Penguins: C (Last Week: B+)
Mediocre play is not what you used to use to describe the Penguins. However, they’re not the same team anymore and it’s what I would use to describe them now.
San Jose Sharks: F (Last Week: F)
If the season is two weeks in and you’re still the only team that hasn’t gotten a win, then you get an F. I wish I could give a lower grade than that.
Seattle Kraken: F (Last Week: F)
This team had a lot of expectations after dethroning Colorado last season. So far, they’ve done all but meet those expectations.
St. Louis Blues: B (Last Week: C+)
The Blues have been a pleasant surprise. Their defense looks surprisingly good and more importantly they’re finding ways to compete.
Tampa Bay Lightning: C- (Last Week: D-)
This team doesn’t have much left in the tank if any at all. The saddest part about it has to be the decline in Andrei Vasilevsky’s play.
Toronto Maple Leafs: C+ (Last Week: A-)
The Maple Leafs appear to be fluctuating right now and it’s hard to get a proper read on them. Hopefully they figure out which direction they want to go.
Vancouver Canucks: B (Last Week: A-)
They have had a decent start, but it’s hard to rate them super high when they’re 3-2 and two of those three wins were against a struggling Edmonton team.
Vegas Golden Knights: A+ (Last Week: A+)
The champs are the last of the three undefeated teams remaining. They’re 6-0-0 which is officially the best start of a defending champion in NHL history.
Washington Capitals: F (Last Week: C)
Ovechkin can’t carry you anymore guys. It’s time to move on and find your future.
Winnipeg Jets: D (Last Week: D-)
The Jets are in a bad spot. They slip any further and they could find themselves in a hole they can’t escape from. They better figure this out quickly or their time as a playoff team might come crashing to an end.
