NHL Season Report Card: 2025-26 First Quarter Review
As the 2025-26 NHL season hits its first quarter, all 32 teams have completed over 20 games, revealing a mix of unexpected success stories and struggles. Among the standout performers are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, while teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, and Vancouver Canucks are grappling with disappointing results. Let’s delve into the report card for each team, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses so far.
Team Evaluations
Colorado Avalanche
- Preseason Over/Under: 103.5
- Current Points Pace: 137.9
- What’s Working? The Avalanche are showcasing an explosive offense, leading the league in scoring while also being astute defensively, allowing the fewest goals per game. Star players Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are in contention for prestigious individual awards, and the team’s overall performance indicates they could break the Bruins’ record for season points.
- Areas for Improvement: Their power-play unit has underperformed, ranking near the bottom of the league, converting just 15.7% of their opportunities.
- Grade: A+
Anaheim Ducks
- Preseason Over/Under: 83.5
- Current Points Pace: 108.1
- What’s Working? Leading in the race for the Pacific Division, the Ducks boast a powerful scoring offense and are seeing notable development in their young talent. Leo Carlsson is projected to achieve over 100 points this season, potentially joining the ranks of franchise legends.
- Concerns: They are overly dependent on Lukas Dostal’s performances in goal, who has logged an unusually high number of games already. Their defensive metrics indicate they need to tighten up.
- Grade: A
Dallas Stars
- Preseason Over/Under: 103.5
- Current Points Pace: 111.8
- What’s Working? Under new coaching leadership, the Stars have found success despite some statistical discrepancies. They maintain one of the strongest power-play units in the league while balancing a decent offense.
- Needs Improvement: There’s inconsistency in their defensive game, especially on the penalty kill, which is struggling.
- Grade: A
Detroit Red Wings
- Preseason Over/Under: 84.5
- Current Points Pace: 100.6
- What’s Working? The Red Wings are showing impressive growth, led by strong defensive efforts and significant contributions from star players like Dylan Larkin. Their defense is notably improved compared to previous seasons, which helps keep goals against low.
- What’s Wrong? Their even-strength scoring is lacking, and reliance on the power play may not be sustainable in the long term.
- Grade: A
New Jersey Devils
- Preseason Over/Under: 84.5
- Current Points Pace: 99.8
- What’s Working? The Devils continue to boast a high-powered offense and have received strong goaltending from Jake Allen.
- Concerns: Recent injuries, including one to star player Jack Hughes, might impact their season negatively by forcing them to rely more on depth players.
- Grade: A-
Toronto Maple Leafs
- Preseason Over/Under: 83.5
- Current Points Pace: 64.9
- What’s Working? John Tavares has defied expectations with a strong half-season start, and the Leafs remain competitive with top-scoring opportunities.
- What’s Wrong? A series of injuries have decimated their lineup, affecting their defensive performance and allowing too many goals against.
- Grade: C-
Los Angeles Kings
- Preseason Over/Under: 94.5
- Current Points Pace: 99.8
- What’s Working? The Kings have significantly improved their defense, allowing just 20 goals in their last four playoff matches.
- Concerns: They struggle offensively, ranking poorly in terms of goals scored per game.
- Grade: B
Conclusion
This analysis highlights the diverse experiences across the NHL as teams approach the quarter pole of the season. With robust competition, reactions to these early trends will be essential for each organization’s adjustments moving forward.
