The NHL season is alive and well, and teams around the league are beginning their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Even the weakest of them are still in the race right now, and fighting to prove that they have gone underrated all summer long.
Improbable starts have happened all around the league, with teams like Chicago and Toronto putting on a goal-scoring clinic in their first few matches, while upstarts like Vegas and Colorado have shown they won’t just lie down this season. It’s early, and nothing is written in stone just yet but there have still been some huge surprises.
Jesper Bratt seemingly has come out of nowhere to steal the early lead in Calder Trophy consideration, while Dustin Brown looks healthy and rejuvinated in Los Angeles after several down years. Alex Ovechkin, the proverbial whipping boy of the Washington Capitals’ playoff failures, is scoring at a ridiculous pace that has him back near the top of the league’s most dangerous list.
All of this is happening while the St. Louis Blues, crushed with preseason injury after injury stand alone at the top of the standings at 4-0.
So what has surprised you the most through the first week of the season? We’ve listed some obvious choices, but make sure to leave your comments down below on any other improbable happenstances!
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It’s my opinion that the standoff between Ken Holland and AA is one of the most surprising stories as it stands up to this point. I really believe that AA is letting his agent into his ear way too much. Yes, he is a “promising ” & very talented young player who hasn’t proven himself for very long. Find another agent( because he has led you in the wrong direction), sign for a year or two & then go after the going rate. Bridges get burned more often than not, during these holdouts& nothing is ever the same. These situations not only affect the organization & the player, but it does affect teammates as well. Look what happened when Drouin & Tampa Bay went through a similar standoff. Who benefited & who didn’t? As soon as Steve Yzerman had the chance, Drouin was ushered right out of Tampa Bay. It is rare that anything positive comes out of a holdout. If he finally signs with the Wings, more than a few teammates will be irritated. You hear it all of the time, that these guys get paid huge amounts of money to play a kids game that they love. Call it greed or anything else, but the reality is, you are losing a whole lot of money & the respect of your teammates that will be very difficult to get back. Ken Holland is also to blame because he is clueless & has been ever since the salary cap took his unlimited amount of money away. The Red Wings are at risk of losing a very promising young forward because of greed & incompetence at the hands of a General Manager that needs to go.
Do you think you wrote enough?
Just kidding I actually agree we everything you said
I can probably write a bit more, if you want! Glad you posted a comment about it anyway. Holland can’t seem to get anything done the right way. I’m glad that at least one person sees this for what it is. Thanks Sox