2023-24 NHL season: Early winners and losers

Winner: Jack Hughes

New Jersey’s star, Jack Hughes, is cementing himself as one of the top players in the NHL. His start to the season has been insane. He has 17 points in the New Jersey Devils’ first six games, with 4 goals and 13 assists. He's the first NHL player to tally 17 points in the first six games of a season since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. Last season, Hughes racked up 99 points, a franchise record. It’s clear that he’s capable of reaching 100 points, and at the rate he’s going, he might shatter that number. The prediction that he’ll score 50 goals for the Devils this season doesn’t seem so bold anymore.

Hughes was already in the conversation for the Hart Trophy prior to the season, and he’s now become an early frontrunner. Hi stiffest competition is Connor McDavid, of course. Hughes has been unstoppable, and if he keeps up this level of play, the Hart Trophy votes will come pouring in.

Loser: Ilya Samsonov

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov has had a far worse start to the regular season than his 2-1 record shows. He has a 4.34 GAA and an .831 SV%. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but it’s concerning. Through four appearances, Samsonov has looked shaky. It’s not the start the Leafs hoped for from a player coming off a career-high in wins and career-best SV%.

Samsonov was pulled 13 minutes into last Saturday’s game after giving up three goals on four shots. The good news for the Leafs is that Joseph Woll came in to relieve Samsonov and was a brick wall. He will see more time in goal, as he should. Right now, Woll is clearly playing better than Samsonov.