Hot starts and early struggles: The NHL’s biggest surprises so far

Writing for OilersNation, Matt Kuny breaks down the early surprises of the 2026-27 NHL season roughly one month into the campaign. The Boston Bruins have surged to a 9-2-1 record behind stellar goaltending from Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers have struggled mightily with a 0-5-3 start, though forward Matvei Michkov has emerged as a rare bright spot by scoring eight goals in the opening stretch.

Other notable developments include a strong revival from the New York Rangers, spearheaded by Alexis Lafrenière and Dylan Garand following Igor Shesterkin's season-ending knee injury. The Seattle Kraken have mounted a balanced scoring attack to sit third in the Pacific Division, while Elias Pettersson has regained productive form with the Vancouver Canucks. Kuny also notes significant early-season injury setbacks across the league.