4 most stunning NHL groups of the season to this point

Now that we’re 1 / 4 of the best way via the 2024-25 NHL season it’s time to test in on a number of the groups which have exceeded expectations.

All data and statistics are via Monday’s video games. 

Winnipeg Jets (18-4-0)

The shock right here shouldn’t be that the Jets are an excellent crew. They’ve been a playoff crew in six of the previous seven seasons and received 52 video games a yr in the past. The shock is that the Jets are the very best crew in hockey and managed to get off to the very best 16-game begin in NHL historical past, rolling out to a 15-1-0 begin. 

No one noticed that coming. 

The driving pressure behind that begin has been one other dominant season from beginning goalie Connor Hellebuyck. He’s main the league with a .929 save share, has a league-best three shutouts and isn’t solely making an argument for his third Vezina Trophy because the league’s greatest goalie, he ought to in all probability be within the MVP dialogue. 

Minnesota Wild (13-4-4)

The Wild have been in a troublesome spot the previous few years as a result of their wage cap scenario has been ruined by the buyouts to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, creating greater than $14M in lifeless cap house. That is the final yr they should take care of that a lot lifeless house, and it has definitely put some limitations on to their roster-building. It performed an enormous function in final yr’s non-playoff season.

The Wild have bounced again in an enormous manner to this point this season and getting into play on Tuesday have one of many league’s greatest data at 13-4-4 via their first 21 video games. Ahead Kirill Kaprizov is on observe to have top-of-the-line offensive seasons in Wild historical past (already as much as 34 factors in 20 video games) whereas the goaltending duo of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury has produced the third-best save share within the NHL.

An elite, MVP-caliber ahead and dominant goaltending can masks numerous flaws. 

Calgary Flames (12-7-3)

This was purported to be a significant rebuilding yr for the Flames after dealing away a number of veterans over the previous two years. Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev and Andrew Mangiapane have been all dealt over the previous six months for future prospects and draft picks, leaving the crew in a transition interval. The report has not mirrored that as they enter play on Tuesday with a 12-7-3 report. 

The offense nonetheless shouldn’t be nice, however the defensive play and goaltending have greater than made up for it. Rookie goalie Dustin Wolf has been one of many largest optimistic developments with a .921 save share. That mark ranks seventh out of 38 goalies with a minimum of 10 appearances this season. 

Washington Capitals (14-6-1)

The Capitals have been a playoff crew a yr in the past, however they have been one of many worst playoff groups of the fashionable period with a minus-37 aim differential and had under common rankings in targets, targets towards and just about each defensive metric throughout the board. 

They went out of their option to guarantee that was not going to occur once more by utterly revamping their roster within the offseason, including goalie Logan Thompson, heart Pierre-Luc Dubois, ahead Andrew Mangiapane and defensemen Matt Roy and Jakob Chychrun. It has paid off in an enormous manner because the Capitals have the fourth-best factors share (.690) within the league. 

The Capitals have re-tooled their roster through the years as core gamers have gotten older, and so they not solely appear like a playoff crew this season they appear like one which may have an opportunity to truly do one thing after they get there.