Poll: Which Pending UFA Is The Most Underrated?
When people break down the upcoming free agent class, most of the attention instantly goes to players like John Tavares, Joe Thornton, John Carlson, Evander Kane and James Neal. After all, these players are perennial offensive weapons that could be moved in-season if their teams fall out of the playoff picture.
But in every free agent class there are some very effective players who are less well known around the league. Players that will be heavily sought after even though they don’t bring the superstar brand or Stanley Cup history.
In this year’s group, that has such high-profile names available as we approach Christmas, there are also some excellent options in that second tier. Some of those may even be more valuable than the splashy names, especially if they come at a reasonable cost. Who do you think is the most underrated pending UFA? Who’s not talked about enough? We’ve listed some options, but make sure to point out who else you think is being overlooked.
Which pending UFA is the most underrated?
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Josh Bailey (NYI) 25% (177)
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Mikael Backlund (CGY) 16% (110)
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Paul Stastny (STL) 16% (109)
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Calvin de Haan (NYI) 12% (85)
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Jack Johnson (CBJ) 12% (83)
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Ian Cole (PIT) 8% (56)
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Davin Perron (VGK) 8% (55)
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Other (leave in comments) 4% (26)
Total votes: 701
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Poll: Which Top Name Would You Rather Spend Free Agent Money On?
John Tavares is still a pending unrestricted free agent. Every team in the NHL is keeping an eye on that situation, eager to know whether free agency will get its biggest star in quite some time (perhaps ever) when the calendar turns to July 1st. Chatter has already begun about the superstar class of 2019, headlined by Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tyler Seguin, Logan Couture, Jeff Skinner and many, many more. Those discussions won’t stop anytime soon, as there are sure to be at least a few names that aren’t re-signed early.
Still, after some of the initial dreaming dies down teams have to start realistically figuring out if they can afford a superstar at the UFA premium. Not every team can pay Connor McDavid $12.5MM per season, even if he’s worth every penny. That question has been asked recently about Ottawa in particular, as the team has historically needed to keep player salaries relatively low. If Karlsson pushes the very limit of his value, Ottawa might not be able to afford him.
So, let’s try a hypothetical. If the trio of Tavares, Doughty and Karlsson all hit the market at the same time and were commanding around the same money/term, which one would you go after? Where would you want your money tied up? Vote for the player you’d most want to sign, but then also explain in the comments below the answer to another question. Would you rather spend big (big) money on forwards or defense in free agency?
Who would you want to sign in free agency?
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John Tavares 41% (369)
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Erik Karlsson 36% (330)
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Drew Doughty 18% (164)
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None of them 5% (44)
Total votes: 907
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Poll: Who Won The Henrique-Vatanen Trade?
Yesterday brought a blockbuster trade to the NHL, when Anaheim sent Sami Vatanen to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi and a third-round pick. Should the Ducks re-sign Henrique, they’ll send a third-round pick back to the Devils down the road.
Opinions are varied on the outcome of the deal, with some believing that Henrique is an underrated piece up front, while others think Vatanen’s addition will make a much bigger impact. The Ducks and Devils are certainly happy at the moment, adding a player (or players) they can immediately insert into their lineup.
What do you think? Who won the trade? Was it completely even? Make sure to leave your comments below.
Who won the Henrique-Vatanen trade?
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New Jersey Devils 56% (596)
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Anaheim Ducks 44% (472)
Total votes: 1,068
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Poll: Who Is The (Second) Best Team In The East?
The 2017-18 NHL season has not gone to plan. Ask any prognosticator from the preseason where their projected standings compare to those today and you’ll get grim looks and uninterested shrugs. The Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens are all far underachieving, while Vegas, Detroit, Winnipeg, Los Angeles and New Jersey are all showing that they shouldn’t be counted out so soon.
Tampa Bay of course, leads the entire league with 32 points and a whopping +28 goal differential through 20 games. Their dominance this year has led to just three regulation losses, and two early favorites for the Hart Trophy (three, if you think Andrei Vasilevskiy has a shot). Right now most would call them the class of the Eastern Conference, and who would disagree? With the best line in hockey, a stud defenseman entering his prime and an up-and-coming Vezina candidate they’re poised to compete for the Stanley Cup for at least the next few years.
But who does that leave in the second slot? Several teams have claims to stake on the silver podium, but each have their warts. Toronto had a struggling goaltender through the first month of the season, while Columbus can’t get their powerplay working properly. The Penguins have been blown out several times while the Devils have won just three of their last nine games.
Vote below on who you think is the second best team in the east, and make sure to leave a comment if you disagree with the original premise of Tampa Bay as the class of the conference. We’ve included all of the teams within 10 points of the Lightning.
Who is the (second) best team in the East?
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Toronto Maple Leafs (14-8-0, 28 pts) 30% (353)
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Pittsburgh Penguins (11-8-3, 25 pts) 18% (212)
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Columbus Blue Jackets (13-7-1, 27 pts) 18% (210)
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New York Islanders (11-7-2, 24 pts) 9% (108)
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New Jersey Devils (12-5-3, 27 pts) 9% (105)
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New York Rangers (10-9-2 22 pts) 7% (79)
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Washinton Capitals (11-10-1, 23 pts) 2% (26)
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Detroit Red Wings (10-8-3, 23 pts) 2% (25)
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Carolina Hurricanes (9-6-4, 22 pts) 2% (18)
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Ottawa Senators (8-5-6, 22 pts) 1% (16)
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Other (leave in comments) 1% (12)
Total votes: 1,164
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Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?
In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.
The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.
Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.
So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?
We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.
Which team needs forward help the most?
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Montreal Canadiens 25% (185)
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Boston Bruins 19% (146)
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Anaheim Ducks 16% (122)
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New York Rangers 12% (87)
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St. Louis Blues 9% (69)
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Edmonton Oilers 7% (51)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 6% (42)
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Florida Panthers 3% (21)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 3% (21)
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Ottawa Senators 1% (8)
Total votes: 752
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Poll: Who Will Be The Next Big Trade Target?
In the immediate fallout from the Matt Duchene–Kyle Turris trade, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious candidate for the head of the rumor mill. Duchene and Turris had each taken their turn there over the last few months, and with the Vadim Shipachyov saga about to end there is little left in terms of trade talk.
Still, Frank Seravalli of TSN has updated his “Trade Bait” board which looks at who he believes is most likely to be moved before the deadline. Duchene had been atop the list, meaning Evander Kane of the Buffalo Sabres now leads the group with James Neal of the Vegas Golden Knights just behind him. Both scoring wingers are unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and could be huge additions to new teams.
In the most recent Insider Trading on TSN, Darren Dreger even went as far as saying people all around the league “believe [Kane] will be traded.” Dreger points out that there is still a chance for an extension in Buffalo.
Who do you think will be moved next from the list? Is there another big name you expect to be pulling on a new sweater in the near future? Leave your vote and explain where you believe he’ll end up down below.
Who is the next big trade target?
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Evander Kane (BUF) 26% (217)
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Alex Galchenyuk (MTL) 18% (151)
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James Neal (VGK) 14% (117)
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James van Riemsdyk (TOR) 13% (107)
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Rick Nash (NYR) 10% (80)
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Mike Green (DET) 9% (71)
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Other 4% (33)
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Josh Bailey (NYI) 2% (13)
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Ryan Murray (CBJ) 1% (12)
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Alec Martinez (LAK) 1% (10)
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Thomas Vanek (VAN) 1% (9)
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David Perron (VGK) 1% (8)
Total votes: 828
Poll: Which Coach Is Feeling The Heat?
The calendar has turned over to November, and with it the frustrations of many fans are bubbling up to the surface. Teams like Montreal, New York and Edmonton aren’t performing like they were expected to, and it has coaches feeling the heat. Just yesterday we looked at one in Detroit, and there was already chatter that another was on his last legs.
So who is under the most pressure, and who will be fired first? That question is hard to answer, given the amount of turnover the NHL saw at the head coaching position just a few months ago. Would any of the teams fire a head coach just a month into his tenure with the team? Or will it be a tenured veteran that gets the ax?
You can vote for as many names as you want, but remember to explain in the comments why you think their seat is getting hot. Also, let us know who you think will be the first to be fired this year. For what it’s worth, Jared Bednar and Paul Maurice led this poll when we last ran it in April. With the Avalanche and Jets both in playoff positions, it doesn’t seem like they’ll win this time around.
Which coach is feeling the heat?
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Alain Vigneault - New York Rangers 26% (262)
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Claude Julien - Montreal Canadiens 15% (144)
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Jeff Blashill - Detroit Red Wings 12% (119)
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Rick Tocchet - Arizona Coyotes 12% (115)
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Todd McLellan - Edmonton Oilers 7% (72)
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Barry Trotz - Washington Capitals 5% (46)
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Joel Quenneville - Chicago Blackhawks 4% (37)
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Paul Maurice - Winnipeg Jets 3% (26)
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Bill Peters - Carolina Hurricanes 2% (21)
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Phil Housley - Buffalo Sabres 2% (17)
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Peter DeBoer - San Jose Sharks 2% (15)
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Bruce Cassidy - Boston Bruins 1% (13)
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Bruce Boudreau - Minnesota Wild 1% (13)
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Dave Hakstol - Philadelphia Flyers 1% (13)
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Mike Sullivan - Pittsburgh Penguins 1% (13)
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Ken Hitchcock - Dallas Stars 1% (12)
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Mike Babcock - Toronto Maple Leafs 1% (11)
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Bob Boughner - Florida Panthers 1% (7)
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Glen Gulutzan - Calgary Flames 1% (6)
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Jared Bednar - Colorado Avalanche 1% (5)
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Peter Laviolette - Nashville Predators 1% (5)
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Mike Yeo - St. Louis Blues 0% (4)
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Travis Green - Vancouver Canucks 0% (4)
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Randy Carlyle - Anaheim Ducks 0% (3)
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John Tortorella - Columbus Blue Jackets 0% (2)
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John Stevens - Los Angeles Kings 0% (2)
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Doug Weight - New York Islanders 0% (2)
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Guy Boucher - Ottawa Senators 0% (2)
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John Hynes - New Jersey Devils 0% (1)
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Gerard Gallant - Vegas Golden Knights 0% (1)
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Jon Cooper - Tampa Bay Lightning 0% (0)
Total votes: 993
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Poll: Which Team’s Position Is Furthest From Where It Will Finish?
On October 31st, several teams around the NHL standings are positioned far from where they were expected to be. Some have outproduced even the most optimistic predictions, while others have lagged far behind their role as “Stanley Cup Contender”. On a day where we each dress up as something fantastical, we ask you who you think is hiding behind a costume and will eventually be given their trick, or treat.
Is it the Vegas Golden Knights, who continue to shock the NHL with an 8-2 record? If the Knights falter few would be surprised (especially given their recent goaltending troubles), but perhaps they’re better than anyone gave them credit for this summer. They certainly look like one of the best teams on the ice. What about the Los Angeles Kings, who were criticized for not doing a ton to address their team but continue to allow the fewest goals in the league? Drew Doughty and company have a +16 goal differential in just 12 games, trailing only Tampa Bay.
Or, at the other end of the spectrum the Edmonton Oilers. Unable to score despite having one of the best players in the world, is there a Superman “S” under that Clark Kent-like start? The Oilers have just a 3-6-1 record, but were expected by many to cruise to the playoffs. The New York Rangers, coming off a 100+ point season aren’t far ahead, and seemed to have sparked the anemic Montreal offense with their poor performance on Saturday night. Is that big apple candy-coated, or does it have a rotten core?
Cast your vote below for whose record you believe is just a costume, and there is either a contender or pretender under the mask.
Which team's position is furthest from where it will finish?
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Vegas Golden Knights (8-2-0) 43% (417)
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Edmonton Oilers (3-6-1) 20% (192)
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New York Rangers (3-7-2) 9% (87)
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Montreal Canadiens (4-7-1) 8% (77)
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New Jersey Devils (8-2-0) 7% (70)
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Other (leave in comments) 3% (28)
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Buffalo Sabres (3-7-2) 3% (25)
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Arizona Coyotes (1-10-1) 3% (25)
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Los Angeles Kings (9-2-1) 2% (23)
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St. Louis Blues (10-2-1) 1% (10)
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Tampa Bay Lightning (10-2-1) 1% (9)
Total votes: 963
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Poll: Which Player Being Kept In The AHL Is The Biggest Surprise?
Sometimes the NHL can be a cruel mistress. Because of roster constraints, cap situations and contract specifications, players are often pushed down to the AHL out of necessity. It’s unfair, unfortunate and sometimes unexpected.
Today, the Vegas Golden Knights sent Vadim Shipachyov back to the AHL even in the face of his $4.5MM contract. Shipachyov is the victim of the expansion roster, as he’s one of just a handful of players in the organization that are waiver-exempt. The Golden Knights are clearly not willing to lose assets for nothing, and continue to carry nine defensemen on the roster.
Let’s exclude Shipachyov for now, since it’s not even clear whether he will report to the AHL (and it would likely be a landslide poll). He’s off the roster, but he didn’t play for the Chicago Wolves the first time around. Instead, tell us which player who is currently in the AHL is the most surprising to you, whether it be because of skill or salary. We’ve included some of the most obvious candidates, but since it’s almost impossible to list all options make sure to leave any other interesting names in the comments.
Which player being kept in the AHL is the most surprising?
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Shea Theodore (VGK) 31% (376)
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Dylan Strome (ARI) 15% (181)
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Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM) 11% (133)
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Thomas Chabot (OTT) 10% (117)
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Kasperi Kapanen (TOR) 8% (93)
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Samuel Morin (PHI) 6% (68)
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Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (BOS) 4% (47)
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Jordan Schmaltz (STL) 4% (47)
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John Quenneville (NJD) 2% (26)
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Alexei Bereglazov (NYR) 2% (21)
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Nikolay Goldobin (VAN) 2% (21)
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Brendan Guhle (BUF) 2% (20)
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Other (explain in comments) 2% (19)
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Jakub Jerabek (MTL) 1% (14)
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Jack Roslovic (WPG) 1% (12)
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Lucas Wallmark (CAR) 1% (7)
Total votes: 1,202
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Poll: What Has Been The Most Surprising Story Early On?
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!
What has surprised you most about the early season?
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Vegas' Emotional Win Streak 45% (278)
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Bratt's Six-Point Start 14% (84)
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Ovechkin's Fountain Of Youth 10% (62)
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Duchene Remains In Denver 10% (59)
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St. Louis' Perfect Record 8% (50)
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Rangers' Slow Start 6% (35)
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Galchenyuk's Fourth-Line Demotion 5% (28)
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Other (explain below) 3% (16)
Total votes: 612
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