The 2024-25 NHL season is finally off and running as 32 teams begin their nine month journey to compete for the Stanley Cup. After one week of play, there are already some interesting storylines, surprising standout players, and trends to keep an eye on going forward.
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10 surprising takeaways from start of 2024-25 NHL season
Here are 10 surprising takeaways from week one of the NHL season.
10. Evgeni Malkin racks up 7 points in week one
If there was any doubt of Evgeni Malkin’s ability to produce at 38 years old, forget about it. Malkin got off to a blazing start with one goal and six assists in his first four games. Consider it three games, since the Penguins were shut out in their first contest against the New York Rangers. Since then, Malkin has registered two assists in three straight games, and added a goal in Pittsburgh’s 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
9. Paul Cotter scores 4 goals in 6 games
After scoring seven goals in 76 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season, Paul Cotter is already closing in on that total with four goals in his first six games with the New Jersey Devils. The 24-year-old is off to a great start with his new team, and is quickly on his way to breaking his NHL career high of 13 goals set in 2022-23.
8. Jacob Trouba earns 4 points in 3 games
After a summer full of trade rumors and drama, Jacob Trouba has quietly impressed for the Rangers with four assists and solid defensive play in his first three games. New York’s captain had a significant regress last season, scoring just three goals and 22 points in 69 games. So far, he’s on track to prove that hanging on to him was the right decision — albeit with an $8 million price tag — for the Rangers.
7. Alex Ovechkin switches to right wing seeking spark
For the first time in over a decade, Alex Ovechkin is playing right wing in an attempt to jumpstart his game, as well as the Washington Capitals offense. A right-shot left wing for most of his 20 NHL seasons, Ovechkin scored 32 goals in 48 games during the 2012-13 lockout year playing right wing, and 51 goals in 78 games in 2013-14 there. He had two assists in his first game at right wing this season, a 4-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights, after failing to record a shot on goal on the left side in Washington’s season opener. The Great Eight needs 42 more goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894.
6. Lane Hutson has 4 assists in 4 games
Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson is off to a great start with the Montreal Canadiens. He has two multi-point games, earning four assists in Montreal’s first four games. The 20-year-old’s minus-four rating in a 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh is the lone blemish of his rookie campaign to this point.
5. Utah Hockey Club is off to fast start
The League’s newest franchise, the Utah Hockey Club, has been a big suprise out of the gate in its inaugural season The former Arizona Coyotes upgraded the roster with some key additions like Mikhail Sergachev and I an cole, and are 3-1-0. They defeated the Chicago Blackhawks at home, and the New York Islanders and New York Rangers on the road to start a perfect 3-0-0 before losing to the New Jersey Devils on Monday.
4. Colorado Avalanche begin season 0-3-0
The Colorado Avalanche are off to a concerning 0-3-0 start. Even more troubling is the 20 goals they’ve allowed in just three games, losing 8-4 to the Golden Knights, 6-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and 6-2 to the Islanders. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is sporting a .790 save percentage and a 6.58 goals against average, certainly a situation to monitor going forward.
3. Connor McDavid without a goal in 4 games
No one would have guessed that last season’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be held without a goal in four games to start the season. Though he has four assists, Connor McDavid and the Oilers need to get something going. McDavid scored 32 goals last season, and 64 the season prior. He needs to find the back of the net and help get Edmonton back on the right track.
2. Dylan Guenther scores 5 goals in 4 games
Dylan Guenther has been on fire for the Utah Hockey Club in week one of the NHL season. The 21-year-old has five goals in four games, including two-goal outings against the Blackhawks and Islanders. Guenther scored 18 goals and added 17 assists last season, both career-highs, and appears to be in the beginning stages of an outstanding NHL career.
1. Edmonton Oilers start 1-3-0
Who had this one on their bingo card? The resounding Stanley Cup favorite Edmonton Oilers started the season 1-3-0 just months after being eliminated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Losing 6-0 to the Winnipeg Jets, 5-2 to the Blackhawks, and 4-1 to the Calgary Flames is about as ugly as it could get in Edmonton. Thankfully, they narrowly edged the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime for their first win of the season on Tuesday. The Oilers have been outscored 18-7 so far, so McDavid and Co. will have to get things sorted out quickly before this becomes a major storyline.