This NHL preseason has been an interesting one so far. Surprisingly, a lot of the games have had close intensity to regular season games. Although many may argue that it is just preseason and, therefore, doesn’t matter, these games are a nice guide to see how players are performing and give young players a chance to show their skill or attempt to make a roster spot on the team. Based mainly on the preseason, here are five teams heading strong into the regular NHL season.
5. Dallas Stars
As of Friday, October 6th, the Dallas Stars are at the top of the Central Division Preseason standings. Dallas has a record of 4-1-1 for a total of nine points in six games. Currently, the Stars have 23 goals for and only 13 goals allowed, with just one game left in the preseason.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto has been an arguably solid team in the preseason. They’ve had a couple of overtime losses, which were against the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, but they are still above the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Boston Bruins. Many of the Maple Leafs’ better players are scoring, as well as some young guys getting points, such as Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, and Mikko Kokkonen. I believe Toronto has the talent and ability to have a successful 2023-24 NHL season.
3. Los Angeles Kings
The L.A. Kings have been an impressive team in the preseason, as they have a record of 6-1-1. They have some young players, a mix of veteran players, and recent additions to the team that could potentially help them to have a solid year. Los Angeles has a winning streak of five games, the second-highest in the NHL preseason.
2. Ottawa Senators
Ottawa, the team that I’m personally the most excited for out of this list, is a group of young talent and experienced players that have the potential of creating a winning chemistry in the National Hockey League. With the acquisitions of Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik over the offseason and the addition of Claude Giroux last season, the Senators have been taking the right steps closer to success. As of Friday, October 6th, they have a record of 6-1-0 with 23 goals for and just 12 goals allowed. The Ottawa Senators currently have a winning streak of four games, the third highest in the league during preseason.
1. New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have been very surprising to me as they finish the preseason with a perfect record of 7-0-0. The Devils had a whopping 30 goals for and only 13 goals allowed. This is great for the team in all aspects. New Jersey is a young team with lots of talent, and with the additions of Tyler Toffoli and Tomas Nosek, they have a good chance at a successful upcoming season. There’s no doubt it’s going to be an entertaining 2023-24 NHL season.
