About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A shortened training camp had an impact early in the season with some high-scoring games and inconsistent play.
But now that the 2026-27 NHL season has hit Nov. 1, it's time to hand out team grades, as a few stories have dominated the early part of the season.
First are prominent trade requests. Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was traded to New Jersey Devils on Oct. 23 after sitting out the early part of the season. Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin, who had been playing through his trade request, announced on Oct. 29 that he wouldn't suit for the team again.
But it isn't just U.S. Olympians who are trying to force their teams' hands. Russian Nikita Kucherov, the reigning MVP, told the Tampa Bay Lightning he won't re-sign and wants to be traded . LIke Larkin, he has a 10-team trade list , but his is unknown.
The other trend is struggling goalies. Kevin Lankinen (.812), Jordan Binnington (.846), Dustin Wolf (.847), Jakub Dobes (.853), Brandon Bussi (.865), Andrei Vasilevkiy (.877), Darcy Kuemper (.878) and Sergei Bobrovsky (.885) are among goalies with substandard save percentages.
Here are early grades for all 32 NHL teams:
Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) fights with Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 13: Boston Bruins' Nikita Zadorov fights with the San Jose Sharks' Darnell Nurse (25) during the third period at SAP Center. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) Oct. 13: Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) celebrates his natural hat trick goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 13: New York Rangers' Matt Rempe (73) fights Tampa Bay Lightning's Jeffrey Viel. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) Oct. 13: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) celebrates with goalie Spencer Knight (30) after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bedard made his season debut after offseason shoulder surgery. (Michael Reaves, Getty Images) Oct 13: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct 12: Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm (78) is helped off the ice after he was hit in the head by a puck. (Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct 11: Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) reacts after scoring a goal against the Seattle Kraken during the first period at Capital One Arena. It was the 930th of his career. (Brad Mills, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 9: New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) is helped off the ice after being injured against the Washington Capitals. He was ruled out for the season. (Geoff Burke, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 9: Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) falls to the ice after a check from Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Carson Soucy (7) during the second period at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 6: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Gavin McKenna (92) celebrates scoring his first NHL goal against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct 6: Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) and Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (62) fight during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena. (Steven Bisig, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 7: NHL stars Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby chat with each other in the final season of their rivalry. Ovechkin announced he'll retire from the NHL after this season. (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) Oct. 8: San Jose Sharks left wing Mason Marchment (27) checks St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Barron (72) during the third period at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 1 New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) celebrates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's the first Rangers player with a goalie goal. (Brad Penner, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Oct. 1: The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal by defenseman Evan Bouchard (2) in the first period. Bouchard had eight points over his first two games. (Bob Frid, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) Sept. 29: The Carolina Hurricanes raise the 2026 Stanley Cup banner before a game against the Florida Panthers at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 1 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) fights with Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 1 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 13: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) fights with Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 2 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 13: Boston Bruins' Nikita Zadorov fights with the San Jose Sharks' Darnell Nurse (25) during the third period at SAP Center. (Ezra Shaw, Getty Images) 3 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 13: Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) celebrates his natural hat trick goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 4 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 13: New York Rangers' Matt Rempe (73) fights Tampa Bay Lightning's Jeffrey Viel. (Sarah Stier, Getty Images) 5 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 13: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) celebrates with goalie Spencer Knight (30) after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bedard made his season debut after offseason shoulder surgery. (Michael Reaves, Getty Images) 6 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct 13: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 7 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct 12: Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm (78) is helped off the ice after he was hit in the head by a puck. (Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 8 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct 11: Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) reacts after scoring a goal against the Seattle Kraken during the first period at Capital One Arena. It was the 930th of his career. (Brad Mills, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 9 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 9: New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) is helped off the ice after being injured against the Washington Capitals. He was ruled out for the season. (Geoff Burke, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 10 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 9: Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) falls to the ice after a check from Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Carson Soucy (7) during the second period at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 11 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 6: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Gavin McKenna (92) celebrates scoring his first NHL goal against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 12 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct 6: Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) and Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (62) fight during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena. (Steven Bisig, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 13 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 7: NHL stars Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby chat with each other in the final season of their rivalry. Ovechkin announced he'll retire from the NHL after this season. (Patrick Smith, Getty Images) 14 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 8: San Jose Sharks left wing Mason Marchment (27) checks St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Barron (72) during the third period at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 15 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 1 New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) celebrates after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's the first Rangers player with a goalie goal. (Brad Penner, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 16 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 1: The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal by defenseman Evan Bouchard (2) in the first period. Bouchard had eight points over his first two games. (Bob Frid, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) 17 / 17 Fights, checks and big plays from the 2026-27 NHL season Sept. 29: The Carolina Hurricanes raise the 2026 Stanley Cup banner before a game against the Florida Panthers at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect) NHL team grades through October Anaheim Ducks grade – C- The Ducks have been defensively leaky, allowing four or more goals eight times and 13 goals over their last two losses.
The Bruins were staring at a three-game losing streak before Morgan Geekie helped them rally to beat the Blackhawks on Oct. 31. That win kept them atop the Atlantic Division despite only two goals from Geekie, who totaled 72 the past two seasons.
Tage Thompson has willed the Sabres to a three-game winning streak with five goals and three assists.
Goalie Devin Cooley has outplayed Dustin Wolf and has had great interviews . But Wolf is back in net after Cooley was hurt during a collision in the crease.
The defending champions are getting balanced scoring, and goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is 9-0 while Brandon Bussi is off to a slow start.
They're heading toward another lottery pick. Connor Bedard and defenseman Bowen Byram have played only one game together because of injuries.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are dominating as usual. Add Artturi Lehkonen (12 goals) to that list.
The Blue Jackets have been wildly inconsistent. Newcomer Matthew Knies has only one point in his last nine games after getting four points in his first two.
The Stars have the league's best penalty kill at 93.6 percent. They have allowed only three goals while a man down and have scored a short-handed goal.
The Red Wings get a poor grade over the Dylan Larkin trade request saga and Simon Edvinsson contract dispute. But the players bump that up by putting aside the distractions with a decent start.
Connor McDavid has 37 points in a season-opening 14-game point streak and coach Mike Babcock has straightened out the defensive play after some early wild games. He benched defenseman Jake Walman.
Brady Tkachuk's surge alongside brother Matthew has drawn the attention, but Seth Jones is on fire with 18 points. That was helped the Panthers survive injuries to Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and Jacob Markstrom.
The Kings were the last team to pick up its first win. A 1-4 record at home and a league-worst penalty kill have hurt them.
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) checks Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) during the second period of the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) celebrates a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in the second period during the 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (James Carey Lauder, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Viggo Björck of the Winnipeg Jets skates against Montreal Canadiens during the first period of the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic. (Cameron Bartlett, Getty Images) Winnipeg Jets center Dawson Mercer (19) skates towards Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) in the first period during the 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (James Carey Lauder, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Game action during the first period at the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) The Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets play during the first period of the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic. (Cameron Bartlett, Getty Images) Game action during the first period at the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Game action during the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Opening ceremonies at the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) checks Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) during the second period of the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) checks Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) during the second period of the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 2 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) celebrates a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in the second period during the 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (James Carey Lauder, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 3 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Viggo Björck of the Winnipeg Jets skates against Montreal Canadiens during the first period of the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic. (Cameron Bartlett, Getty Images) 4 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Winnipeg Jets center Dawson Mercer (19) skates towards Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) in the first period during the 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium. (James Carey Lauder, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 5 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Game action during the first period at the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 6 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic The Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets play during the first period of the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic. (Cameron Bartlett, Getty Images) 7 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Game action during the first period at the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 8 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Game action during the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 9 / 9 Outdoor battle as Jets and Canadiens hit the ice in NHL Heritage Classic Opening ceremonies at the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens 2026 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25, 2026. (Terrence Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Minnesota Wild grade – A- The Wild are on top of the Central Divison as Kirill Kaprizov leads the league with 14 goals. Quinn Hughes is dominating, too, as everyone parses words to determine whether and when he'll sign a contract extension .
The Canadiens have won five in a row without injured captain Nick Suzuki, and goalie Jacob Fowler is generating Calder Trophy buzz . They've been mentioned in Larkin and Kucherov rumors, though they're not on Larkin's trade list.
Could coach Andrew Brunette be on the hot seat after a middling start? "I think we've had this conversation the last three years," he told The Tennessean , part of the USA TODAY Network. "I understand what the game is and where the game's at. I'm just focused on being the best coach I can every day."
Goaltending was considered an issue heading into the season. No longer after their blockbuster trade for Connor Hellebuyck. Throw in scoring up and down the deeper forward group and the Devils seem likely to return to the playoffs after missing last season.
Rookie of the year defenseman Matthew Schaefer is off to another strong season. They're still waiting for injured Mathew Barzal to make his season debut.
Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury disrupted a solid start and the Rangers are still trying to figure out a good fit for offseason acquisition Pavel Dorofeyev.
No Brady Tkachuk. No problem. Tim Stutzle's strong start has helped drive the Senators into third place in the Atlantic.
The Flyers' playoff hopes took a massive hit with an 0-6-3 start. A bright spot has been Matvei Michkov, who ended the month with seven goals in his last seven games.
Sidney Crosby is below his usual point-per-game pace, but he had his best game on Oct. 31. He set an NHL record for most career assists with one franchise (1,113), passing Ray Bourque. He also tied Marcel Dionne (1,771) for sixth in all-time points.
Goalie Jordan Binnington has a 4.11 goals-against average in the final year of his contract. Joel Hofer has received 10 of the 14 starts and sports a 2.42 GAA.
GM Mike Grier beefed up the defense but it has still been a problem this season. They've allowed 31 shots per game, second worst in the league.
The Kraken came up short in recent bids for Artemi Panarin and Jason Robertson. They've been boosted internally by second-year forward Berkly Catton, whose 11 points are six shy of his rookie total.
Nikita Kucherov is playing through his trade request and had three assists in his first game after it become public. GM Julien BriseBois says he won't trade Kucherov.
The Maple Leafs took a while to gel after all of their offseason moves. One of their newcomers, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, remains off to a slow start.
More: Lightning teammates address Nikita Kucherov trade request: 'Tough day'
The Mammoth are second in the Central Division, boosted by the league-best power play (34 percent). Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is on pace for a career best with 16 points in 14 games.
The Canucks are getting scoring, led by rejuvenated forward Elias Pettersson, but they have allowed a league-worst 4.5 goals per game.
The Golden Knights mixed up their top power play unit, giving rookie Trevor Connelly a shot there and bumping Ivan Barbashev to the second unit.
Hot starts by Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou show the Capitals are in good shape for the post-Alex Ovechkin era . It's also helping them now with Ovechkin off to a slow start .
The Hellebuyck-less Jets were surviving early, but an injury to Josh Morrissey proved costly. They ended the month on a 1-7-2 slide.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who's acing the NHL season so far? Grades for all 32 teams
Source: Sports
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