The 2023–24 NHL season has officially begun with play through the first quarter. In light of this, we have a sizable sample size to work with when analyzing the appearance of teams throughout the league this season.
There have been some unexpected performances from a number of teams. In the end, most probably didn’t anticipate the Edmonton Oilers finishing sixth in the Pacific Division.
In light of this, we made the decision to examine some of the league’s surprise clubs in further detail, both favorably and unfavorably.
Boston Hockey Club
The Boston Bruins’ success this season may not have come as much of a surprise to some. But it was difficult to anticipate the Bruins’ utter dominance in winning games throughout the first three months of the 2023–24 campaign.
The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022–23 after scoring an NHL record 135 points in the regular season. The Bruins’ postseason success was short-lived, as they were defeated by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.
After the offseason concluded, defenseman Dmitry Orlov departed to join the Carolina Hurricanes, winger Tyler Bertuzzi signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and captain Patrice Bergeron retired. Furthermore, following their poor conclusion to the previous season, the Bruins did not really make any changes to their squad, with the exception of adding veteran forward James van Riemsdyk in free agency.
Boston put its trust in its existing roster, and as a result, it is currently tied for the second-most points (31) in the NHL. Star winger David Pastrnak is having another incredible season, scoring 31 points (13 goals and 18 assists), which is not surprising. While losing Bergeron was difficult, Pavel Zacha has performed admirably in his role as the team’s starting center. Having a strong goaltender duo like Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark to fall back on doesn’t hurt either.
With their hair on fire, the Canucks entered the season and had already amassed 31 points and 15 victories in 23 games. The players that lead Vancouver to its current second-place standing in the Pacific Division are the main contributors to this accomplishment.
Since his debut season in 2019–20, Quinn Hughes has been among the best defensemen in the NHL, but under head coach Rick Tocchet, he has reached new heights. With eight goals already, Hughes has matched his career high. He has never been more active and forceful in the offensive zone. With 33 points, he is third in the league behind only Nikita Kucherov and J.T. Miller of the Canucks.
