Four NHL teams off to slow starts that are showing some red flags

Let’s tackle the elephant within the room. If there’s ever a time to not outright panic over a workforce’s efficiency, it’s within the first few weeks of the season. Each workforce has a tough three- or four-game stretch, and that’s magnified early within the season by the truth that there’s no good stretch to reference simply but. On prime of that, it normally takes some time for brand new gamers to get acclimated to their groups and methods, and even returning gamers want a recreation or two to get again on top of things.

However, there are nonetheless some issues that may be checked out. Simply because it’s early within the 12 months doesn’t imply a workforce isn’t exhibiting indicators that would hinder all of them season if not addressed rapidly sufficient. It ought to nonetheless be taken with a grain of salt, however it’s overreaction season, so so long as that may be acknowledged, there’s nothing fallacious with having some early enjoyable. Simply don’t roast me when every of those ages poorly in per week.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The final workforce to rent their head coach as late into the offseason because the Blue Jackets did was the Colorado Avalanche in 2016 when Patrick Roy surprisingly stepped down from his function in early August and so they weren’t capable of rent a candidate earlier than Aug. 25. The sudden change actually precipitated some points because the workforce needed to regulate their philosophy on the fly, and consequently, the 2016-17 Avs workforce ended up with the second-worst level proportion in a season within the final 10 years. Now, neither that Avalanche workforce or this 12 months’s Blue Jackets workforce had been anticipated to be excellent, however the truth that Mike Babcock’s departure got here in way more controversial vogue actually doesn’t assist Columbus’ case of it creating some early season chaos. Add in that younger gun Cole Sillinger might doubtlessly be the topic of a Tate McRae music video, and already the workforce had extra off-ice issues than most do in a season.

The Blue Jackets are solely 1-2 up to now, however they’ve seemed terrible on the ice with solely six of the 23 gamers which have ice time this season discovering themselves with a 5v5 anticipated aim share above 45%, and the workforce as an entire sits fourth-last within the league at 39.09%. The season is way from over, however it’s a tough search for a workforce that hoped to be a lot better this season. If it’s any comfort, the Avalanche obtained Cale Makar on account of that season, and the pinnacle coach they introduced in to exchange Roy was Jared Bednar, who’s the third-longest tenured coach now and helped the Avs to a Stanley Cup.

Seattle Kraken

It hasn’t been a perfect begin for the Kraken coming off their first playoff look in franchise historical past, as they’re at present one in all two groups with out a win. They’re additionally tied with a San Jose Sharks workforce that everybody anticipated to be unhealthy, and the Sharks have a recreation in hand too. Positive, the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche are powerful outs, however you’d anticipate Seattle to be a bit extra in competition with groups just like the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues.

Nevertheless, the extra alarming factor is that the Kraken’s offense has come to a grinding halt thus far. They’ve but to attain two objectives in a recreation, and solely have three by means of their first 4 video games. They had been anticipated to regress a bit bit this season after main the league in capturing proportion final 12 months, however capturing 2.11% at 5v5 is a drastic change. Contemplating how a lot of their success was tied to their scoring depth, that offense going away would possibly put them again to the lottery contenders that they had been in 2021-22.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning had been all the time anticipated to underperform to start out the season with Andrei Vasilevskiy out, so a 1-2-1 document isn’t precisely a shock to most individuals proper now. The goaltending has been about what might have been anticipated as effectively, with Jonas Johansson rocking an .893 save proportion and Matt Tomkins having an .892. What’s regarding is the remainder of the workforce’s efficiency, because the Lightning at present have the third-worst 5v5 anticipated objectives share with 38.89%. That’s far under what you’d anticipate from the Lightning, particularly whenever you’d suppose that they’d elevate their play to a postseason degree to compensate for his or her goaltending.

To make issues worse, their losses thus far have seen them gifting factors to divisional rivals that they’d have needed to financial institution contemplating how deep the Atlantic Division seems to be this season. They misplaced to the Detroit Purple Wings, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres to start out the 12 months, and have the Toronto Maple Leafs this Saturday. There’s nonetheless loads of time to show this round, however the Lightning most likely need to begin getting out of the opening earlier than they preserve digging deeper into it.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets would be the solely workforce to pretty react to at this level, and it’s not for his or her on-ice efficiency. The truth is, on the ice they appear to be alright thus far. They could solely be 1-2-0 by means of three video games, however they’ve had some strong play with the eighth-best 5v5 anticipated aim share at 55.9%, and eliminating Pierre-Luc Dubois in trade for a extra depth hasn’t backfired on them simply but.

What ought to be a trigger for concern is that this: