Read Btwn Recap: Last Week in the NHL, Oct. 7-12
The 2025-26 NHL season officially started on October 7 and it’s been nothing but exciting action since then. Some teams have picked off right where they started at the end of the last season (cough, cough Panthers) while others are still finding their footing or off to surprising starts. Here’s everything you need to know about all the NHL teams through the first week of play.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Mackenzie’s Eastern Conference Stars of the Week: Jeremy Swayman (BOS; 1.00 GAA; .966 SV%); Shane Pinto (OTT; 4 G, 1 A, 5 P, +3); Igor Shesterkin (NYR; 1 SO; 0.67 GAA; .976 SV%)
Metropolitan Division
Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-0)
The Pens are off to a solid start to a season where the expectations were low. The team boasts the longest-tenured trio in sports with Sidney Crosby, Krist Letang, and Evgeni Malkin, which is super cool! Wins in dominant fashion against the Rangers and Islanders to start their season boosted the energy for the Western Pennsylvania team. The team also debuted new third jerseys in their home opener against the Islanders. A 6-1 loss to the Rangers on Saturday raised some concerns, primarily regarding special teams. The Penguins also struggled with giveaways throughout the first week, but that is to be expected in the first week with new lines and faces. The Penguins are headed West for week two and should earn at least a few more points. Kris Letang (LBI) is day-to-day.
Carolina Hurricanes (2-0-0)
The Canes are currently shaping up to be the team we know them as: strong regular season contenders. A 6-3 win over the Devils in their season opener should instill confidence in the Carolina fanbase. The 4-3 overtime win against the Flyers created more cause for concern, but the Canes played a tough, physical game. While the overtime win may be a sore spot for the other team, the play leading to Seth Jarvis’ winner was a beauty to behold. K’Andre Miller (traded from NYR) was a key component of an aggressive start to the season for the Canes, scoring two goals against the Devils. Carolina’s first real test likely won’t come until the third week of the season, but fans should be optimistic. Jaccob Slavin (LBI) is day-to-day and may not join the team for their upcoming road trip.
New York Rangers (2-2-0)
The Rangers have been in an interesting place to start the season. In their centennial home opener, the team looked dead in the water, getting shut out by the Penguins. It was obvious something wasn’t clicking. Then, magically, the team pulled out two blowout wins against the Sabres and in a rematch against the Penguins. On Sunday night, the team lost 1-0 to the Capitals, but overall showed a good on-ice product. The future is unclear, but fans shouldn’t abandon all hope yet. Forward Vincent Trocheck is out week-to-week (UBI) but the team seems to be okay for now without him.
New York Islanders (0-2-0)
The Islanders haven’t earned points yet this season: the only team in the Metro to fail to do so. Overall, the team still looks like they’re finding their footing. In comparison to previous seasons, the Islanders look more aggressive and a bit speedier but are struggling with communication, it seems. A highlight, though, is first overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, has had an excellent first week in the league. He tallied his first point and first goal in his first and second games, respectively. Even if the team can’t find a win this week, fans should be delighted with the future potential for this team. Pierre Engvall (LBI) and Semyon Varlamov (LBI) are still sidelined, as expected.
Columbus Blue Jackets (1-1-0)
The Blue Jackets split their first two matchups to start the season. Their loss against the Nashville Predators in their season opener was disappointing but not concerning. The team tallied 39 shots on goal. The team’s penalties were a bit of a concern, but they held strong, only allowing one goal on the kill. Their Saturday night game against the Minnesota wild was certainly entertaining. The Wild had 52 shots on goal—Elvis Merzlikins only allowing four shots past him. The Blue Jackets scored seven goals on 32 shots and were strong in the face-off circle. It’s an unexpectedly exciting start for the team. Erik Gudbranson (UBI) was injured on Saturday and remains out of the lineup.
Philadelphia Flyers (0-1-1)
The Flyers are off to an unfortunate start. The team was faced with two extremely strong opponents to begin their season. A close loss to the Panthers should not cause any concern for Philadelphia fans. The team, however, should proceed with caution, as they earned 20 penalty minutes in their first two games. The game against Carolina was an unfortunate loss due to an overturned overtime goal. The Pennsylvania teams both suffered from poor giveaways in their first week. The Flyers looked strong in hits and takeaways though. Cam York (LBI) is day-to-day, but is expected to make his season debut this week.
Washington Capitals (2-1-0)
The Capitals had a shaky first game against the Bruins. Despite having a higher shot total, the Capitals were just beaten by the Bruins in that one. The team had no problem bouncing back though, displaying a united front against the Islanders on Saturday. The 4-2 win was a team effort, with every skater looking sharp. The win against the Rangers on Sunday was solid, but the Capitals may not have earned the win if it wasn’t for Charlie Lindgren in net. Pierre-Luc Dubois (undisclosed) is day-to-day following a departure in the third period of Sunday’s game.
Watch Lindgren’s stellar shutout performance.
New Jersey Devils (1-1-0)
The Devils’ first game against the Hurricanes was not their best showing. A few too many giveaways and a few too little shots left the team in a bad spot. Not to be deterred though, the Devils had a solid 5-3 win against the Lightning on Saturday. The team was better in almost every aspect: shots, face-offs, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, and takeaways were all improved from their first game. Luke Hughes also looked strong following his recent contract extension, which fans should be happy about. The Devils have a slew of injuries. Zack MacEwen (undisclosed) will be out for an extended period of time.
Atlantic Division
Florida Panthers (3-0-0)
The reigning Stanley Cup Champions are off to a dominant start. Three straight wins to start the season—even without two star players—should have fans excited for what’s to come. The team’s stats looked great in their first week. The face-off dot might be a place for improvement for the Panthers, but the team looks confident and ready to dominate. Dmitry Kulikov (UBI) will not join the team on their five-game road trip.
Boston Bruins (3-0-0)
The Bruins are having an excellent start to the season after last season’s poor showing. With three wins under their belt, they sit only below the Panthers in the league standings. The Bruins appear to be building a more physical game this season, emphasizing blocks and hits. Jeremy Swayman seems to have bounced back from last season, earning first star of the game in two of the three games and holding a .966 save percentage heading into the second week of the season. Hampus Lindholm (LBI) skated on Sunday but remains day-to-day.
Watch one of Sway’s fantastic saves against the Sabres.
Toronto Maple Leafs (1-1-0)
The Maple Leafs traded away Mitch Marner during the offseason, arguably one of the best players on their roster. The team seemed undeterred by the loss though, dominating the Canadiens in a 5-2 win for their season opener. The team overall looked solid, with a strong face-off win percentage. Their second game against the Red Wings was not so hot, losing 6-3. The team was outshot in both games, but it looked like Stolarz was struggling on Saturday. Steven Lorentz (LBI) does not currently have a timeline for his return.
Ottawa Senators (1-1-0)
The Senators are in a decent spot to start the season. A win against a formidable Lightning team and a loss against a scary Panthers team combine for a net neutral feeling. The game against the Lightning was certainly eventful, with 42 penalty minutes amassed between the teams. The Senators would certainly hope not to make that a regular occurrence. The loss against the Panthers was also highly penalized for Ottawa and further exposed the need for an improvement on the penalty kill. Shane Pinto was a highlight in both games, scoring two against the Lightning and the only two against Florida. Drake Batherson (UBI) is still out of the lineup, but is looking to make his season debut this week.
Montreal Canadiens (2-1-0)
The Canadiens are off to a solid start coming off a first-round playoff loss last season. Despite losing 5-2 in their season opener, the team quickly bounced back for a 5-1 win the following night against the Red Wings and a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The win against Detroit was a full team effort, featuring five separate goal scorers. Even though the team scored five goals, they will likely want more shots moving forward, having only totaled 17. The star of the show on Saturday was Kaiden Guhle, scoring the game winning goal with 15 seconds remaining. The game against the Blackhawks saw a whopping 56 penalty minutes: the Canadiens will have to clean up their act to avoid the box moving forward.
Tampa Bay Lightning (0-2-0)
The Lightning’s season has not gone well. Two games against teams fans would expect them to beat ended in two regulation losses. A 5-4 loss to Ottawa featured an obscene amount of penalties for both teams. However, the Lightning did manage to score two power play goals from their three chances. The Lightning also took a few penalties on Saturday night against the Devils, but were able to keep the Devils off the scoreboard in special teams situations. The Lightning only had 17 shots on goal against the Devils and will likely look to clean up their act in week two.
Detroit Red Wings (1-1-0)
The Red Wings split their first two games with a win and a loss to open the season. A brutal 5-1 loss in their home opener against the Canadiens likely frustrated the team. The Red Wings had more shots, cleaner face-offs, less penalty minutes, and a more physical game. The team brought that energy to their game against the Maple Leafs though, earning a 6-3 win. Even against a more physical team, the Red Wings stood their ground and found the two points they would need to kickstart the rest of the season.
Buffalo Sabres (0-2-0)
The Sabres, as expected, are having a tough start to the season. A shutout loss to the Rangers in their home opener was not the team’s finest moment. The team struggled to convert on the power play and was unable to get any of their 37 shots by Igor Shesterkin. The shot production was a highlight for the team, although they struggled to match it in their game against Boston on Saturday. The team also struggled a bit with puck possession in both games. And, while new goaltender, Alex Lyon, may not have had the best showing in his first two games, he is certainly entertaining in his off-ice social media interviews. Ukka-Pekka Luukonen (LBI) will stay out of the lineup for the time being. Josh Norris (UBI) and Zach Benson (UBI) also remain sidelined.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Breanna’s Western Conference Stars of the Week: Joey Daccord (SEA; 0.96 GAA, .968 SV%), Martin Necas (COL; 3G, 3A, 6 PTS, +4), Frank Nazar (CHI; 1G, 4A, 5 PTS, +2)
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche (2-0-1)
The Avs have come into this season feeling that this is the best team they’ve had since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 and it’s still early, but that looks to be true. Colorado is 2-0-1 through their first three games of the season and have outscored opponents 10-6. The power play has struck in each of those games (3-for-15) although fans are unhappy with the man advantage as a whole considering they boo’ed the Avs during the game against the Stars on Oct. 11. Gavin Brindley scored his first NHL goal in that same contest against Dallas and the only injuries the team are dealing with is Sam Girard (week-to-week, UBI) and Mackenzie Blackwood (LBI, day-to-day). Logan O’Connor (hip surgery) is still expected to make his return sometime in November.
Watch Brindley’s first career goal.
Minnesota Wild (1-1-0)
The Wild have only played two games so far this season and have split them in terms of results. Minnesota won the season opener by an impressive 5-0 score of the St. Louis Blues but then fell 7-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets just days later. Although it is a very small sample size, the Wild currently own the best power play in the league having gone 5-for-11 (45.5%) on the man advantage. Kirill Kaprizov has looked the part after signing the largest contract in NHL history, putting up two goals and four assists to put himself in a tie with teammate Matt Boldy (2G, 4A) for the second most points in the NHL.
Dallas Stars (2-0-0)
Dallas remains one of the few undefeated teams and look like the perennial Cup contender that they always do. The Stars won the season opener with 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets despite the attempted comeback and then took down the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 in the shootout on Oct. 11. To no one’s surprise, Mikko Rantanen (who is beginning his first full season with Dallas after being traded there last season) leads the team in points (1G, 3A) along with defenseman Thomas Harley. Jason Robertson, despite all the talk around his contract being up after this season, has already scored two goals and collected an assist. The Stars face opponents in the next week that they should get wins over so we’ll see how long they remain undefeated.
Nashville Predators (1-0-1)
The Predators are desperately looking for a bounce back season after last went horribly wrong. So far, they’re off to a much better start. Nashville is 1-0-1 through two games this season and although they’ve both been close contests, there’s a lot to like. The Preds opened the 2025-26 campaign with a 2-1 win over the Blue Jackets but fell 3-2 in overtime to the Mammoth two nights later. 2025 5th overall pick Brady Martin made his NHL debut in the season opener and picked up his first career point in his second game thanks to an assist on Filip Forsberg’s first period goal. Luke Evangelista made his season debut in the contest against the Mammoth after missing all of training camp and preseason due to contract negotiation issues. While the big stars have to get going a bit more, the Preds have started the season on a positive note.
Winnipeg Jets (1-1-0)
The Jets have split their first two games of the season. Despite an attempted comeback against the Stars in the season opener on the back of Kyle Connor’s hat trick, the Jets lost 5-4 in regulation but picked up a 3-2 win against the Kings days later. It’s the usual suspects driving the offense here too with Connor, who just signed a huge 8-year, $96M contract extension, collecting four points, Mark Scheifele leading the way with five points (2G, 3A) and Gabriel Vilardi chipping in three assists. Connor Hellebuyck has allowed seven goals in just two games, but there’s no doubt he’ll be back in Vezina form in no time. The Jets are currently missing Dylan Samberg (wrist, week-to-week) and Hadyn Fleury (kneecap) due to injuries so it’ll be interesting to see how they adjust with a few key players out.
Chicago Blackhawks (0-2-1)
The Blackhawks are one of two teams in the West who are still looking for their first win of the season. Chicago has lost all three games played but to their credit, each loss has been by only one goal. The positive side for the Hawks is that their youth movement seems to already be paying off. After signing a 7-year, $46.2M contract extension in the offseason, Frank Nazar leads the team with five points (1G, 4A) and 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard has three points (1G, 2A) through the first three games. Sam Rinzel has been spectacular and scored his first NHL goal in the contest against the Canadiens. The only injuries the team is currently dealing with are Jason Dickinson (UBI, week-to-week) and Landon Slaggert (LBI, week-to-week).
Utah Mammoth (1-1-0)
The Mammoth have begun their first season with official branding and the new name after completing the 2024-25 campaign as the Utah Hockey Club. Through two games, Utah is just 1-0-1 as they dropped the season opener to the Avalanche 2-1 but got the win in overtime over the Predators with a score of 3-2. Because of the low scoring games, only two players have multiple points so far and they are Dylan Guenther (2G, 1A) and Nick Schmaltz (2A). The next few games for the Mammoth are all against teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year so more wins should be within reach.
St. Louis Blues (1-1-0)
St. Louis has started the 2025-26 season in a very black and white way. They were shutout 5-0 in the season opener against the Wild, but then won 4-2 against the Flames in Calgary. Jake Neighbours has found the back of the net twice through two games and Robert Thomas has two points (1G, 1A) as well. The Blues are dealing with several injuries which may affect the team in the near future. Oskar Sundqvist is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury and Alexey Toropchenko is dealing with an upper-body injury so he missed the last game against the Flames. The Central will be the toughest division this season so the Blues need to get a few wins under their belt early on because it’ll be important in April.
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-2)
Vegas has had quite the start to the season. Through three games, the Golden Knights are 1-0-2 and have earned four of the possible six points. Interestingly enough, all three games so far have required extra time to determine a winner. The Golden Knights fell to the Kings in their season opener on October 8 in a shootout, grabbed a win in overtime in San Jose and then dropped their most recent game in overtime to the Kraken. It’s the usual suspects doing all the damage in Vegas as Jack Eichel has racked up seven points (2G, 5A), Pavel Dorofeyev leads the league with five goals and Mark Stone has collected five assists. Surprisingly, newcomer Mitch Marner has just a goal and an assist through the first three games but leads all VGK forwards in time on ice and leads the team with a +3 rating. Without Alex Pietrangelo on the blueline this season, it’ll be interesting to see how the Golden Knights adjust on the defensive front as they have already allowed 10 goals in just three games.
Vancouver Canucks (1-1-0)
Now that the drama of last season is over, the Canucks are ready to get back to the winning ways they had back in the 2023-24 season. So far, Vancouver is 1-1-0 as they got a big 5-1 win in the season opener against the Flames but fell 3-1 to the Oilers two nights later. There is a sense of hope though because in that 5-1 win, captain and star defenseman Quinn Hughes didn’t record a single point. Last season, Hughes drove the offense from the blueline as the forwards struggled throughout the 82 games. In the second game of the season, Hughes made history as he recorded his 410th career point and passed Alexander Edler for the most points by a defenseman in Canucks franchise history. Brock Boeser, Filip Chytil and Jake DeBrusk have all recorded multiple points so far but fans are still looking for more from Elias Pettersson who got to stay in Vancouver last season after J.T. Miller was traded to the New York Rangers.
Seattle Kraken (2-0-0)
The Kraken have started their season with two straight wins for the first time in the franchise’s five year history! They are still one of the last remaining teams that are undefeated and probably the biggest surprise. Seattle has gotten scoring from up and down the lineup with Vince Dunn (1G, 2A) and Matty Beniers (1G, 2A) leading the way. Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle have also done their part on the scoresheet but the real star has been goaltender Joey Daccord. In two games, Daccord has stopped 63 of 65 shots faced and owns an impressive .968 SV% which is behind only Igor Shesterkin for the best among all goaltenders who have played multiple games this season. The Kraken now head out on a season long six-game road trip so let’s see how long they stay undefeated for.
Calgary Flames (1-2-0)
It hasn’t been an easy start for the Flames as they’ve dropped two of the first three games and have been outscored 12-6 in that span. Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil were both played on IR before the season opener, but the loss of those two players has seemingly already had an effect on the team. Matt Coronato has been a pleasant surprise right out of the gate with two goals and a helper but the Flames need to tighten up on defense and are hoping Dustin Wolf gets back into the groove he was in last season to start securing some more wins.
Los Angeles Kings (1-2-0)
It’s a slightly disappointing start to Anze Kopitar’s last NHL as the Kings have just one win in their first three games and it came in a shootout against the Golden Knights. The offense has been most quiet for Los Angeles so far despite Adrian Kempe (1G, 2A), Andrei Kuzmenko (1G, 2A) and Kopitar (3A) all having three points. The loss of Vladislav Gavrikov (went to NYR in free agency) is already being felt as the Kings have been outscored 12-8 in three games and the players who were brought in over the offseason have not filled the gaping Gavrikov shaped hole. The second pair of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci has particularly been under fire as the Kings have been outscored 5-0 when that pair is on the ice.
Edmonton Oilers (1-0-1)
New season, same old Oilers. Edmonton lost 4-3 in the shootout to the Flames in their season opener, but bounced back three nights later to get a 3-1 win over the Canucks. That first loss is a perfect example of every struggle the team is going to experience this season. The Oilers had a 3-0 lead midway through the second period and the Flames charged back to tie the game and then secured the win in the shootout. Connor McDavid (3A), Leon Drasaitl (2G, 1A) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1G, 2A) are driving the offense once again, but without Zach Hyman until November and a shaky goaltending tandem, it’s going to be a tricky season for the Oilers.
San Jose Sharks (0-0-2)
The Sharks have lost both games to start the 2025-26 season, but it isn’t due to a lack of scoring. Both contests required overtime to determine a winner and eight different players have recorded multiple points already. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith lead the pack with three assists each and Dmitry Orlov has also racked up three points, but it’s been a problem of holding onto leads. San Jose had a three two lead at the beginning of the third period against Vegas but allowed a late game-tying goal and then the game winner in overtime. Then the Sharks held a 5-3 lead in the second period against the Ducks but once again allowed two goals and then the game winner in overtime. Both Alex Nedjkovic and Yaroslav Askarov have below .900 save percentages and that is another thing that needs to improve if the Sharks want to improve even a little bit compared to last season.
Anaheim Ducks (1-1-0)
From one young team to another, the Ducks have started off on a slightly better foot but are also having issues keeping the puck out of their own net. They staged an amazing comeback to get their first win of the season against the Sharks on October 11, but have allowed nine goals in just two games this season. A positive note for Anaheim is the young players are showing up. 2024 third overall pick Beckett Sennecke made his NHL debut and has scored in both games he’s played so far. Mason McTavish, fresh off signing a 6-year, $7M AAV contract, leads the team with four points (all assists) and both Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier have posted multiple points as well.