One Quick Note - Positive Vibes

This is an idea I have where every couple of weeks I will make a quick note on every NHL team and how their season is going. This week I figured I'd start off with the positivity because everyone always overreacts quite negatively toward their team at the start of the season. So here we go, one positive point for every team through the first 2 weeks of the season.

Anaheim Ducks: I know the start has been bad but look at the amount of players on this roster drafted recently who are big contributors. It's still early times in the rebuild and their are a lot of positive signs in many area's. If John Gibson can come back into form this team could easily make big strides.

Arizona Coyotes: The plan of management is working, you are completely awful and the tank for Connor Bedard is going great, oh and you got to add to the Leafs misery and gave the world another great Steve Dangle meltdown. Good job, you are doing well (and by well I mean you are succeeding in being one of the worst teams we've ever seen).

Boston Bruins: It won't take much for me to find positives out of the Bruins 5-1-0 start to the year but lets go over a couple things quick. Linus Ullmark has looked great, the big boys continue to step up and the Bruins ability to find guys like AJ Greer, who is 25 and Boston is already his 3rd team, is honestly very impressive. Sustainability will be key going forward.

Buffalo Sabres: Holy Ramus Dahlin! He was good last year (really good actually) but he has found the form that made people believe that he could be the best defensive prospect the league has seen in a long time. Cannon shot, great vision and his defensive game has come a long way. He keeps this up the Sabres are a real problem in the Atlantic. Shout out to Eric Comrie as well because it is always cool to see the 27 year old journeyman backup really break through.

Calgary Flames: The Flames are 4-1-0 and it is clear that Huberdeau and Weegar aren't quite at their best yet. Good thing Nazem Kadri is a monster and has really been the driving force. Once Weegar and Huberdeau get really comfortable in Calgary, this team could be scary.

Carolina Hurricanes: 3-1-1 with 4 of your first 5 games coming in a big western road trip is a good record. Raanta and Anderson have looked good and the offense is putting up numbers. I don't need to look for a positive spin here, this is a good team having a good start.

Chicago Blackhawks: Don't lie Blackhawks fans, 2-2-2 is way better than you thought you were going to be. Mrazek and Stalock have been a little up and down but that had to be a expected from a very average looking tandem. Take the wins, hope Kane and Toews play great and get massive hauls for them. This core has been successful for this team and that is great but it's time to hit the reset button.

Colorado Avalanche: Georgiev has been solid all season in the pipes for the Aves. That was the biggest question for this team and although Francouz hasn't found it early seeing one of the tandem playing that well has to be a positive for the defending champs. Did I mention they won the Stanley Cup last season? No complaining allowed until at least November.

Columbus Blue Jackets: I know the 2-4-0 record is a little concerning but Johnny Gaudreau has been as advertised so far. 3G-4A-7P in 6 games is a great stat line. If they can get better Goaltending, the Blue Jackets will bounce back.

Dallas Stars: Jake Oettenger has earned his status has one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL, and we might need to remove the word young from that statement. A sparkling 1.25 GAA and .951 SV% pop off the page at you when you look at Oettenger's stats. 4 wins in 4 starts and the game he didn't start against the Leafs, Scott Wedgewood looked outstanding in an overtime loss. Goaltending and defense are the keys for this Stars team and if they can keep up the early season offensive production, Dallas are legitimate Stanley Cup threats.

Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings have points in all 4 of their games this season. Both Nedeljkovic and Husso have 1 good start and 1 bad start under their belts. Seider and Raymond seem to be having a bit of a sophomore slump but they are too good to stay down for long. The main thing this season was to see improvement from last year and so far, they look better.

Edmonton Oilers: We know Jack Campbell is a bit of an enigma, his rough start will likely be followed by a strong portion of the season. Despite Campbell's struggles, you've been able to score your way to some wins too. Everything will be fine once Campbell finds some form.

Florida Panthers: 3G-5A-8P in 5 games for Matthew Tkachuk and a 3-1-1 team record is all positive. No need to look to deep for this one.

Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Quick has struggled a bit to start the season leading to the 3-4-0 start for the Kings but either Quick will find his game again (like he has his whole career) or you turn to Cal Petersen who (despite his own tough start) is one of the more solid backup goalies in the NHL. One of the two of them will find their game and the Kings will start to bounce back from this start.

Minnesota Wild: You have Kaprizov, Spurgeon, Boldy, Dumba, Zuccarello and more. I know the 1-3-1 start and Fleury and Gustavsson's struggles seem concerning but their is so much talent here that it is going to break through. No need to worry.

Montreal Canadiens: Arber Xhekaj, that's it, that is all you need to say to get Montreal fans hyped up. Dude was working at a Costco during the pandemic, cracks the Canadiens roster, absolutely dusts Zach Kassian in his first career fight and scores his first career goal as well. Dude is the story of the season so far just because of how cool it is.

Nashville Predators: Jusse Saros and Kevin Lankinen is an incredibly strong goaltending tandem, maybe the best in the league. This Predators team is somewhere in between good and bad but Saros will do his best to pull this team to the playoffs and Lankinen is a solid backup for him. Ignore early results (which the goaltending hasn't been bad but it's not world beating either) this team will be close because of how strong their goaltending is.

New Jersey Devils: For a team that was supposed to struggle between the pipes, Mackenzie Blackwell has looked sharp for the most part. All that matters for the standings this year for the Devils is improvements. Sneaking into the playoffs is possible if everything breaks right but this is a young team, keep growing.

New York Islanders: Ilya Sorokin is playing world beater hockey to start the season. 2nd in the league in goals saved above expected behind only Jake Oettenger, Sorokin is really stepping up early. The Islanders are a hard team to predict this year as they have great defense and goaltending and don't seem to have the ability to consistently score at a high cliff. If they can with Sorokin playing like he is, look out for the Islanders this year.

New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin has been kinda shaky to start the season, that may sound like a negative but hear me out. Shesterkin has been shaky and the Rangers are 3-1-1, oh that's very good. This is a team that doesn't need the elite goaltender they have to be elite all the time to win, which is good because everyone is going to have ups and downs. When Shesterkin hits form, look out for the Rangers Eastern Conference, they're looking to go a couple steps further than they did last season.

Ottawa Senators: I shouldn't have to explain the positives of the Senators start to the season, you're 3-2-0. I know you were the winners of the offseason and sexy pick to make the playoffs and you still can be but Tkachuk, Batherson, Brannstrom, Sanderson, Norris, Pinto, Stutzle and even to a point DeBrincat are all still growing as NHL players. This team is going to be dynamite in a few years, for now keep growing.

Philadelphia Flyers: Well this start has been, surprising. 4-1-0 including wins over teams like the Lightning, Devils and Predators who at the start of the season would have been lightyears ahead of you in the predictions. Scoring isn't lighting the world on fire but Carter Hart is back to looking outstanding. Hart is buying the Flyers time to fine tune their defense and figure out consistent scoring and if they can, the Flyers may have a legitimate playoff shot, who would have guessed.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Jason Zucker may be the best line in the NHL to start the season. That is insane when you consider that most of the Penguins fanbase was calling for Zucker to be bought out before the start of the season. Tristan Jarry is locked in and the Penguins are joint best winning percentage in the NHL at 4-0-1, maybe this team does have one more run left in them.

San Jose Sharks: James Reimer is a really good goalie, is that good enough? Listen everyone knew you weren't great coming into the season and I think deep down inside San Jose, you knew you weren't good. Embrace the tank, Connor Bedard is really good, and Matvey Michkov as well, not to mention Adam Fantilli has 15 points in 6 games in the NCAA this year, there is talent abound.

Seattle Kraken: I'm sorry Seattle but this is the truth of being an expansion franchise. Vegas blinded us with glitz and glamour but it was all lies, the truth is you got to suck for a bit before you can get good. The positive, this sucking in the long run will likely make you better than a Vegas team that is already paying for the mistakes they made chasing glory too quickly. Also play Shane Wright more, better to know what you have and make a choice than waste a year of him playing 6 minutes a night.

St Louis Blues: You've only played 3 games but you've won them all so that's great. Binnington looks solid again and Taresenko has 6 points in 3 games, keep that up and the Blues will be scary.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Let's face it Tampa, when you hit the point you're at all that matters is the playoffs. Last year you barely finished 3rd in the division and people were proclaiming you a dead duck and then ... all the way to the Cup finals. The start isn't ideal but it's irrelevant, with the talent you have, you will sneak in and then the fun begins.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Could it possibly be? Could the Leafs have stability in goal?? 4 games is a bit too early to say but Ilya Samsonov certainly seems to have staked a claim to the crease post Murray injury. If anyone asked me about the Leafs before the season started I said that I felt Samsonov would be the starter by the end of the season. This is a 25 year old who before this season had only started 79 career games, it is insane to me that a team would give up on a goalie so quick but that may be the leafs gain. If Samsonov can hold court in goal, this could actually be the year the Leafs win a playoff series or 2.

Vancouver Canucks: 0-4-2, blowing multi-goal leads in every game except the last one where you didn't even score multiple goals. I know this all seems bad but here's a positive, the only way to go is up. Demko will right the ship and sure you were a little overrated coming into the season based on name value that you are way overpaying for but you are also not this bad, it will come right sooner than later.

Vegas Golden Knights: 3G-4A-7P in 6 games is a great start for Jack Eichel and Logan Thompson has been very solid in the net and that is why the Knights are 4-2-0. While you are at it, everyone in the league now hates you, embrace that. Be even more Vegas, you're no longer the loveable loser but being the villain in the story can be fun too.

Washington Capitals: Sure you may be on the decline and among the oldest teams in the NHL but you still have one of the all time greats on your team, cherish his quest for greatness, Gretzky's record isn't out of reach yet.

Winnipeg Jets: Despite being only 2-3-0 the Jets are a very competitive team. Wins over the Rangers and the Aves show that this team can still hang. They feel like a team in flux but you still have Hellebuyck in net which means you have a chance every game. Consistency scoring is where the Jets find their playoff hopes lying, if you can get 3 or 4 a game you will win pretty frequently.