2023-24 NHL season: Early winners and losers
From slow starts to phenomenal starts to teams that have surprised us, we're taking a look at some early winners and losers in the 2023-24 NHL season.
By Marci Rubin
The 2023-24 NHL season is underway, and there has already been excitement in the first few weeks of the season. The reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are undefeated through seven games. The Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche were each undefeated through their first six games.
There are teams that were considered locks for the bottom of the standings or the middle of the pack that have gotten off to a hot start. There are teams that were expected to be really strong but have had a rotten start. Some players are blowing us away while others are having slow starts.
Let’s take a look at some early winners and losers from the first few weeks of the 2023-24 season, featuring teams and players who have either exceeded or fallen short of expectations.
Winner: Detroit Red Wings
Prior to the 2023-24 season, predictions for the Detroit Red Wings had them among the bottom half of teams in the NHL. Bleacher Report released an early look at Stanley Cup Odds, listing the Detroit Red Wings as 24th under the category of “stuck in mediocrity.” However, they have been anything but mediocre so far. They've truly taken the NHL by storm.
The Red Wings are 5-2-1 in their first eight games, and their eleven points have them second in the Atlantic Division behind the Boston Bruins. Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin are on fire, and Justin Holl and Shayne Gostisbehere have been excellent additions to the blueline. If they keep playing the way they have been, they could find themselves in an exciting race for a Stanley Cup playoffs spot this spring.
Loser: Edmonton Oilers
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Edmonton Oilers were a highly anticipated team, largely considered a Stanley Cup contender. Stacked with talent such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers are expected to be an offensive powerhouse. The way the team has played in October has been shockingly poor and disappointing.
The Oilers are 1-5-1 through their first seven games of the regular season. What’s going wrong? Neither goalie, Jack Campbell or Stuart Skinner, has played well. The power play looks weak, the defense is a mess, Evander Kane is taking penalties left and right, and it doesn’t help that McDavid is injured. There’s time to right the ship, but the Oilers need to regroup soon.