NHL: Quarter-Mark Grades for Every Team

Hard to believe it, but the NHL season is already through its first quarter of action.

We’ve seen the early-October league-wide offensive explosion, but as the calendar flipped to November we started to see some goaltending and defense stand more prominently to put an end to the offensive surge, for the most part.

We’re now at the point where contenders will begin to separate from the pretenders while teams who came out slow should really start thinking about finding that next gear soon before it gets too late.

The term “it’s early” doesn’t apply anymore at this juncture in the season. Now it’s time to start accumulating those valuable points as we near the month of December.

The first quarter of the NHL has shown us a lot. Plenty of teams have surprised to the upside, many have disappointed to the downside and some are simply status quo.

With that in mind, some grades are in order. Of course, with 75% of the season left to play, things will change. But in terms of the first 25%, we need to see where we stand and see how each team has performed relative to their preseason expectations. We will break these grades down by division and in order of the current standings.

Let’s go!

*Grades are as of before play on 11/20/18.

Atlantic Division

Toronto Maple Leafs (15-6-0)

Grade: A+

First place doesn’t guarantee the A+ grade, but you have to like how this club has performed with the loftiest preseason expectations considering they were, and are, Stanley Cup favorites at many Las Vegas sportsbooks.

The Maple Leafs have won four in a row and are 9-1-0 on the road this season. They have even played their last 10 games without Auston Matthews and still own the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Their much-maligned defense checks in at fourth in the league and Frederik Andersen is the early front-runner for the Vezina Trophy.

Tampa Bay Lightning (14-6-1)

Grade: A

The Lightning hasn’t missed a beat since dominating the regular season last year but falling shy in their quest to reach the Stanley Cup final.

Once again Tampa Bay sports a deep lineup both up front and on the back end as they are tied for first in league offense while they could possibly use some tightening up on their 13th-ranked defense. They are going to be without goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for the next few weeks due to a broken foot which should show some of their resilience moving forward.

Buffalo Sabres (13-6-2)

Grade: A+

The Sabres are finally making their move in the Atlantic Division and look every bit like contenders this season.

They drafted Rasmus Dahlin first overall and acquired Jeff Skinner from the Hurricanes and he’s provided big early dividends with 14 goals in 21 games. A busy offseason also saw Tage Thompson, Vladimir Sobotka, Conor Sheary and Patrik Berglund come aboard which has given Buffalo much-needed depth up front. Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark have helped the Sabres rank ninth in league defense at this point in the season.

Montreal Canadiens (11-6-4)

Grade: A+

You could say three A+ marks in three of four teams is generous, however, did anyone really see the Sabres and Canadiens representing two of the top five teams in the conference at the quarter mark of the season?

Montreal has actually been winning despite just a .900 Sv% from Carey Price on the season. Rather it’s been their offense doing the heavy lifting with 3.24 goals per game (T-11th). Shea Weber is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery from offseason knee surgery, giving the Habs a huge boost on the back end. They continue to surprise to the upside in a season many expected to be down the tubes already at the quarter mark.

Boston Bruins (11-6-3)

Grade: B

This grade could be lower given the Bruins sit fifth in a difficult Atlantic, however, they have been absolutely decimated by injuries, especially to their blueline where four regulars are currently sidelined.

The injury news got worse with the news Patrice Bergeron is out for at least a month. If I was giving a grade to their top line, it’s an A+. The problem is Boston has received very little scoring, especially from their bottom-six forwards. They haven’t played to their potential when healthy, and it is going to be tough sledding in this division with the recent rash of injuries.

Ottawa Senators (9-9-3)

Grade: B

Some might say that the Sens need a higher grade given the fact they are just four points out of a playoff spot and are tied with the Lightning for the best offense in the league at a shocking 3.57 goals per game.

I would say sure, but we also have to look at the back end where Ottawa ranks dead-last with 4.19 goals against per game. It’s actually not even close as the Canucks are the second-worst defense with 3.57 goals against per game. Winning is not sustainable with a defense that bad and my expectation is the Sens will begin to fade after a solid start to the season.

Detroit Red Wings (9-9-2)

Grade: C-

The Red Wings weren’t expected to contend, but boy were they bad coming out of the gate this season when they went 0-5-2 over their first seven games. Injuries on defense had something to do with that, but nothing worked for Detroit early on.

They have rebounded to go 8-2-0 over their last 10 games, so the mark gets some improvement from what would have been an F at the end of October. The defense has improved with health, but the offense still isn’t producing, ranked 25th with just 2.75 goals per game. It feels the Red Wings are still many years away from seriously competing.

Florida Panthers (8-7-3)

Grade: D

The Panthers are actually just one point behind Detroit with two games in hand, however, when we compare their performance so far to their preseason expectations, we can see there is a problem.

I expected the Panthers to be a serious playoff threat with an outside shot at a top three spot in the Atlantic, but they already have a hill to climb in that area thanks to a 1-3-3 start to their season. Roberto Luongo is back healthy, but who knows for how long? They were awful without their netminder, however, they have gone 6-2-0 since his return. Still, I’m going to need to see more consistency for an improved report card at the halfway point.

Metropolitan Division

Columbus Blue Jackets (12-7-2)

Grade: B+

You can’t argue with their record at this point in the season, especially since it’s the best mark in a struggling Metropolitan Division at this point.

There still feels to be plenty of room for improvement here with just a +4 goal differential while they rank 20th with 3.14 goals against per game on the season. Sergei Bobrovsky has turned things around with a .945 Sv% in November after a disastrous .880 mark in October and the offense ranks fifth in the league, so even better times might lay ahead for the top club in the Metro.

New York Rangers (11-8-2)

Grade: A

The factors keeping the Rangers from notching an A+ is their play on the road and their brutal start to the season. They have lost just once in regulation over their last 10 games and they are 8-3-0 at home and are the league’s second-ranked home defense with just 2.09 goals against per game at MSG.

They are just 3-5-2 on the road for the season and began the season 2-5-1 over their first eight games. Clearly, they have addressed their slow start and have at least one point in four of their last five on the road, so keep an eye on this Rangers team as they look to make a surprising run in a division that is ripe for the taking.

Washington Capitals (10-7-3)

Grade: B-

It’s been a pretty bland start to the season for the defending champs as they have technically lost as many games as they’ve won, although they were able to rescue three points in extra time.

The Caps have been one of the league’s better offenses for much of the season, however, they are tied for 25th in team defense with 3.30 goals against per game. Braden Holtby has scuffled to the tune of a .307 GAA and a .906 Sv% in 13 starts and will need to be much better if the Capitals want to avoid missing the dance just one season after hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.

New York Islanders (10-7-2)

Grade: B+

The Islanders are hanging around in the weak Metropolitan Division, but it’s how they are hanging around that has been most surprising.

After sporting the league’s worst defense last season, the Islanders rank eighth with just 2.84 goals against on the season. With much of the same cast of characters, that’s a testament to new head coach Barry Trotz and his staff. That said, they have been outshot by an average of 5.4 shots per game and rank 29th with a 44.9% Corsi For% at even strength. We’ll see if the poor possession numbers catch up to them.

Carolina Hurricanes (9-8-3)

Grade: B

After a white-hot start to the season, the Hurricanes have been cooled off significantly and pretty much reside where I thought they would be, in the middle of the Metro Division pack.

Contrary to the Islanders, the Hurricanes are actually dominating the possession game with a league-leading 59.7% Corsi For% at even strength this season. They still can’t get any goaltending with their team .890 Sv% tied for 26th despite outshooting their opponents by an enormous 14 shots per game.

Philadelphia Flyers (9-9-2)

Grade: C-

I’m disappointed in the Flyers given they seem to have all the right pieces, aside from goaltending, to make a run for top spot in this wide-open Metropolitan Division.

They are just way too inconsistent. After a perfect 4-0 road trip through the western United States followed by two home wins, the Flyers have dropped three in a row. All on home ice. That’s a 4-0 road trip followed by a 2-2-1 homestand. That’s not going to cut it and neither is their 4-6-1 record at the Well Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

New Jersey Devils (8-9-2)

Grade: D

The Devils couldn’t have asked for a better start to their season with a 4-0-0 start to the season, but it’s been mostly downhill from that point.

They’ve been good at home, but god awful on the road. Their 6-1-2 record on home ice has been ruined by a terrible 2-8-0 record on the road where they have surrendered 4.10 goals per game, good for 29th league-wide. They’ve also scored just 2.30 goals per game on the road, good for a 26th-place tie.

Pittsburgh Penguins (7-8-4)

Grade: D-

Relative to their preseason expectations, the Penguins have been the most disappointing team in the Eastern Conference to this point in the season.

They are 1-7-2 over their last 10 games and their defense and goaltending have both been horrendous. Pittsburgh’s 3.37 goals against per game ranks 28th in the league, but they have been blasted at home to the tune of 4.10 goals against per game, easily the worst mark in the league. Matt Murray has struggled to a ghastly 4.08 GAA and .877 Sv% in 11 starts and has lost the starting job to Casey DeSmith in the process.

Central Division

Nashville Predators (15-5-1)

Grade: A+

The Predators own the best record in the NHL and their +21 goal differential is tied with the Maple Leafs for the top mark in the league, so there’s really only one way to go with this one.

They are the top defense in the league with just 2.29 goals against per game and that includes missing last year’s Vezina-winner Pekka Rinne for a handful of starts in late October. They can also put the puck in the back of the net with their 3.33 goals per game-tying them for eighth league-wide. Nothing to dislike about this Preds club to this point.

Winnipeg Jets (12-5-2)

Grade: A

Boy it just seems the Jets have been quiet this season, however, a quick peek of the standings has them in second place in this division in between the Preds and Wild who the Jets have two games in hand on each.

Patrik Laine now has two hat tricks on the season and eight goals in seven November games while Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler are doing major damage together on the top line. Connor Hellebuyck hasn’t been quite as sharp this season with a 2.74 GAA and a .913 Sv%, numbers that fall under his 2.36 GAA and .924 Sv% in his breakout season a year ago. At the end of the day, the Jets are right where we thought they would be.

Minnesota Wild (12-7-2)

Grade: A

They scuffled a little bit to start the season as they didn’t record their first regulation win until their sixth game of the year.

That said, that win on October 16th over the Coyotes began a stretch where the Wild would go 11-3-0 over their next 14 games. They have now lost each of their last two. That excellent stretch is fantastic and one that can thrust you into postseason contention for the remainder of the season, but they can’t afford to stumble, not in this division. Given their weak start and current two-game losing streak I don’t think an A+ is warranted, but they have sure been better than expected to this point in the season.

Colorado Avalanche (10-6-4)

Grade: A-

You just can’t ignore this Avalanche team as the trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog have their names littered all over the NHL leaderboards.

That said, few teams across the league get less scoring from their bottom nine forwards than this Avalanche. Their bottom nine are giving them next to no production. While the points at the top are awfully impressive as Rantanen and MacKinnon are both early Hart Trophy candidates, it’s hard seeing this team unseat anyone above them with mostly getting contributions from just one line. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov has also come back down to earth with a .881 Sv% in November after posting a huge .950 mark in October.

Dallas Stars (11-8-2)

Grade: B

They’re actually very similar to the Avalanche in the sense that the Stars don’t get much scoring from their bottom nine forwards.

Valeri Nichushkin has not yet scored in 16 games since returning from the KHL while players such as Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick are struggling to produce despite receiving solid minutes. The Stars are one of the better defensive clubs in the league with just 2.57 goals against per game, but a move for some scoring punch should be on the mind of Jim Nill in order to get back into the playoffs this season.

Chicago Blackhawks (8-8-5)

Grade: C

I feel this is an appropriate grade for the Blackhawks relative to my preseason expectations for the club.

They’re just three points out of a playoff spot, but they also own a -14 goal differential on the season. A brutal stretch that started in late October cost 10-year head coach Joel Quenneville his job, and the Blackhawks have responded by notching points in three straight games since Quenneville’s dismissal. They have been pretty mediocre this season but still, hang around a postseason spot in a crowded Central Division.

St. Louis Blues (7-9-3)

Grade: F

The harshest possible grade goes to the Blues who have made me look completely silly due to my lofty hopes for the club entering this season after an offensive overhaul.

You can’t blame GM Doug Armstrong. He saw his club struggle on offense last season, so made some trades and signed some free agents to improve that group, and it’s worked despite being shutout in three of their last four. His defense has let him down more than anything as the Blues rank 19th in team defense after finishing last year tied for sixth. The Blues’ poor start has also cost their coach his job as Mike Yeo is out and Craig Berube is in.

Pacific Division

Calgary Flames (12-8-1)

Grade: B+

The Flames sit atop the Pacific Division and I did see improvement for this club prior to the season, but this team has not been a complete package.

They’ve improved at home this season with a 6-3-1 record at the Saddledome in Calgary, but it hasn’t exactly been pretty. The Flames lead the NHL with 4.30 goals per game at home, however, they also rank 30th with 3.80 goals against per game at home, thanks in large part to the hideous .845 Sv% they’ve received from Mike Smith and David Rittich on home ice. The first place spot is nice and Calgary certainly has a chance to win this division, but I want to see a more complete team at both ends of the ice.

San Jose Sharks (11-7-3)

Grade: B-

After San Jose acquired Erik Karlsson, what if I told you that the Kings, Golden Knights, and Ducks would all struggle badly through the first quarter of the season? Wouldn’t you expect the Sharks to be running away with this thing?

I mean, they’re fully healthy at this point and have one of the league’s very best teams on paper. Their defense should be among the league’s best with that group. Although they’re in second in a weak Pacific, the Sharks have only a +4 goal differential and are only 4-4-2 on the road. Martin Jones has struggled. They do have excellent possession numbers, but I personally expected much more from a team I thought would compete for the Stanley Cup this season.

Vancouver Canucks (10-11-2)

Grade: A

Give the Canucks credit. They are taking advantage of a weak Pacific Division and keeping themselves in the hunt for now despite missing Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson for multi-game stretches this season. Sven Baertschi, Brandon Sutter and their top defenseman Alex Edler are all currently on the shelf.

They are still a stop three Pacific team despite the injuries and with their starting goaltender sporting a 3.38 GAA and a .897 Sv%. To put a damper on things, they own a -14 goal differential, rank only 17th on offense, rank 30th on defense and 27th in Corsi For%. They have been fortunate to have a decent record, and they will likely fall, but for now, they’ve done well to at least compete in this division regardless of how weak it’s been.

Anaheim Ducks (8-9-5)

Grade: C-

The Ducks are once again playing through a plethora of injuries this season, but it hasn’t been pretty in Orange County, at least inside the Honda Center, for the most part, this season.

The Ducks are being outshot by an average of 9.8 shots per game, own a goal differential of -17 on the year and rank 30th with a 44.2% Corsi For% at even strength this season. They also check in at 30th with a measly 2.09 goals per game. The saving grace has been John Gibson who owns a stout 2.55 GAA and .928 Sv%. Without Gibson, the Ducks would be in the league basement alongside the Kings.

Arizona Coyotes (9-9-1)

Grade: B+

They aren’t in a playoff spot at this point and have still scuffled on offense, for the most part, this season, but the Coyotes are improving.

They are also one of the best defenses in the show as their 2.53 goals against per game ranks fifth in the league, helping them win games despite their 29th-ranked offense. In the end, this is pretty much where I thought Arizona would finish the year. With notable improvement, but not quite playoff-caliber. They have been good, but more so on the back end with a young stable of forwards while another year of development certainly helps this group.

Edmonton Oilers (9-10-1)

Grade: C-

The Oilers were one of the best teams in the west two years ago and one of the worst last season. Maybe their true identity is somewhere in the middle, but unfortunately, they are trending towards the bottom again.

Edmonton has lost six of their last seven games, a stretch that sealed the fate of head coach Todd McLellan who becomes the third head coach fired this season. As per usual, the Oilers aren’t getting much from anyone not named McDavid or Draisaitl while they haven’t received much goaltending either as their .891 Sv% checks in at 25th. There is still time, but the wins need to come now.

Vegas Golden Knights (9-12-1)

Grade: D

As silly as my Blues preseason expectations look, I get a little redemption here with the Golden Knights who I predicted a big drop from this season.

Vegas owns the league’s second-best possession numbers in the league as their 56% Corsi For% at even strength is behind only the Hurricanes and they are outshooting opponents by an average of 6.3 shots per game. Still, they aren’t finding the back of the net as their 2.59 goals per game ranks 28th while Marc-Andre Fleury has come down to earth with a .901 Sv% on the season. The stars are not aligning for Vegas this time around.

Los Angeles Kings (7-12-1)

Grade: F

The Kings have been the sole biggest disappointment in the NHL this season given they are dead-last in league standings as well as league offense with just two goals per game on average.

While their offense has disappointed and made it very hard to win games, their usually stout defense isn’t helping causes either. It has not been vintage Kings on the back end as L.A. ranks 17th with 3.05 goals against per game on the season while their penalty kill has fallen to 20th. I would like to say Jonathan’s Quick absence is why, but Quick put together a 4.55 GAA and a .845 Sv% in four starts this season. They are going to have to go on some kind of run to give themselves any chance at a playoff spot.