THW Daily - Maple Leafs Could Trade Defenseman & Overreactions to Week 1 of 2023-24 Season
Also, power rankings for week two, Penguins working to stay consistent, Oilers hitting panic button & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have how the Penguins are working to stay consistent, power rankings for week two of the season, overreactions to the first week of the season, and much more.
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Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Penguins Are Working Towards Staying Consistent
October 16, 2023 by Sylvie McCarthy
The Pittsburgh Penguins began their regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 10 against the Chicago Blackhawks. This was probably one of the most anticipated season openers for both fan bases with the Blackhawks debuting Connor Bedard, the number one pick in the draft this year, and the Penguins’ new and improved roster on display.
However, the game left Pittsburgh fans with a familiar taste of disappointment in their mouths. A blown lead coupled with poor defense and a lack of bottom-six involvement makes it hard not to wonder if history will repeat itself this season.
NHL 2023-24 Power Rankings: Week 2
October 16, 2023 by Eugene Helfrick
In THW’s Week 2 Power Rankings, we search for one thing from the NHL… Clarity. With a week’s worth of hockey in the books (mostly), the start of the 2023-24 season has been an exciting one, but also complete nonsense as well. So far we have seen bad teams dominate, good teams struggle, highlight-reel goals, lots of scoring, and a rookie doing his best to live up to impossible expectations.
A major issue for a weekly Rankings article like this is the NHL’s scheduling. At the time of this writing, every team has hit the ice at least once, but the sample size is roughly two games played across the league, which isn’t much to work with. It’s easy to look good or bad for one night, after all, which makes it hard to not overreact when a team got shut out in their only game played, for example. With that in mind, I’m going to try and stay level-headed, but I also think part of the fun of something like this is reacting to the weirdness that is the NHL season. So, with that preamble out of the way, let’s have some fun.
Oilers Press Panic Button Early as Roster Changes at Practice
October 16, 2023 by Jim Parsons
In a surprising move aimed at injecting life into their offense, the Edmonton Oilers made bold adjustments to their forward lines during Monday’s intense practice session. The surprise isn’t so much that the move was made, but that it was made after two games, the last of which saw the Oilers play much better as a forward group.
The team’s decision to shake up their top line, previously composed of Connor McDavid, Connor Brown, and Evander Kane, demonstrated their eagerness to find a winning formula early in the season. It also demonstrates the feeling among the coaching staff that getting too far down early is problematic, so the best thing might be to go with what you know — the duo of McDavid and Draisaitl.
Maple Leafs Could Look To Trade Brodie to Strengthen Blue Line
October 16, 2023 by Spencer Lazary
The Toronto Maple Leafs have kicked off their 2023–24 season with two straight wins that have brought hockey fans back to the late 1980s with the number of goals scored in the games. The team offensively appears to be running like a well-oiled machine. Auston Matthews and William Nylander have scored eight goals in six periods for the Maple Leafs, and the whole forward group is firing. However, defensively, this team needs work.
Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Brad Treliving knew it needed work when he was hired, and after addressing the forward group in the offseason, he knows it still needs work. When you look at the back end, there aren’t many options for the team to work with. But one name stands out, and that is T.J. Brodie. He is on an expiring contract and, based on early eye tests, seems to have lost his game. This could mean that the Maple Leafs could look to move on from Brodie later this season to improve their blue line for the playoffs.
Overreactions to Week 1 of the 2023-24 NHL Season
October 16, 2023 by Rob Couch
The first week of the 2023-24 NHL season has wrapped up and there is a lot to talk about. Some teams have played three games already, while others have only gotten to play once. There are surprises in regards to how teams started and shocking starts to some players’ seasons.
All of the most unexpected things from Week 1 of the 2023-24 NHL season will be looked at below. We’ll look at each and overreact before using logic and predicting how the rest of the season will play out.
Avalanche’s 3 Stars Through First Week of 2023-24 NHL Season
October 16, 2023 by Marko Zlomislic
The first two games of a given season are hardly indicative of the entire year to come, but a revamped Colorado Avalanche squad could not have asked for a more ideal start to the 2023-24 campaign.
As with any result in a team-based sport, a whole host of characters can lay claim to some of the Avalanche’s early success this season. Devon Toews – fresh off the heels of a lucrative contract extension – as well as superstar center Nathan MacKinnon (three points in two games) have both played significant roles in the team’s first two wins. Yet, the three following players have stood out among the crowd. Let’s dive in.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Boston Bruins - Bruins Prospects Report: Bussi, Duran, Gasseau, Jellvik & More
Toronto Maple Leafs - 7 Maple Leafs Who Won’t Be Traded in 2023-24
NHL News & Rumors - Canadiens, Panthers, Canucks, Maple Leafs
From TSN - Matthews, Petterson, Malkin named NHL Three Stars
From Sportsnet - Weekend Takeaways: Familiar stars trigger new hope to start NHL season
From ESPN - Canadiens' Kirby Dach likely to miss 'significant time'
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