The biggest NHL storylines so far
Photo Courtesy of All-Pro Reels- Wikimedia Commons
The 2026-27 National Hockey League (NHL) season is finally underway, and already some fascinating storylines have defined the first few weeks of hockey. Some franchises’ seasons may already be over, star players are putting up historic numbers, and unfortunately, we have seen numerous significant injuries to some of the game’s biggest stars. We will break down all these developments and more as we simultaneously rejoice at the triumphant return of NHL hockey!
The collapse of the Flyers
In the 2025-26 NHL season, the Philadelphia Flyers were one of the league’s best stories. Heading into the season with minimal expectations, the Flyers won their first playoff series in five seasons before bowing out in the second round. Many expected the organization to build upon that momentum heading into this season; instead, it has been a complete freefall to start the season. As of Oct. 12, Philly is currently 0-5-2, finding themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Not only are they the only winless team in the league, but this is the worst record through seven games in franchise history. This start is not your typical early-season malaise; the Flyers are being completely dominated by their opposition.
Overall, they have been outscored 28-8, and their -20 goal differential is dead last in the entire league. The only silver lining for Philadelphia fans is that we are only seven games into the season, but if the squad continues to slide down this negative slope, it might be time for another rebuild in the city of brotherly love.
A familiar three-headed monster in Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers have always been known for high-powered offensive squads dating back to the 1980s, when the trio of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey won three Stanley Cups together. Fans in Edmonton might be experiencing déjà vu, as the three-headed-monster of forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and defenseman Evan Bouchard, sit first and second in points scored, with 12 and 12 respectively. Draisaitl trails his teammates with nine points, which is still good for eighth in the league. This trio’s historic performance has been the main catalyst behind Edmonton’s hot start (4-0-1, nine points). Many still question whether the Oilers’ defense and goaltending are good enough to lift Lord Stanley, but sometimes offense is your best defense, and the Oilers are proving that to be successful.
NHL injury crisis
Not even two weeks into the season, we have seen some major injuries to some of hockey’s biggest stars. First, on Oct. 1, Panthers star forward Alexander Barkov suffered a devastating knee injury that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. Barkov missed all of last season with a torn ACL and MCL injury, and Florida was looking forward to having their captain healthy this season; hopefully Barkov is able to make a full recovery. Along with Barkov, the Panthers also lost Brad Marchand to a lower-body injury after he collided with the goalpost in a game against the Los Angeles Kings. A truly devastating development for Florida, who had a plethora of injuries last season, but it is way too early to count out a resilient, veteran-laden roster.
Staying in the Eastern Conference, New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin suffered a knee injury of his own and has been ruled out for the season. This is gut-wrenching for a Rangers squad looking to rebound from a dismal season last year and off to a great start this season with Shesterkin leading the way. The Rangers will now turn goaltending duties to rookie Dylan Garand, who has looked impressive in his young career. Hopefully, these major injuries will not continue to be a trend this season, as it is always the worst part of any hockey season.
It has truly been a captivating start to the 2026-27 season; the headlines have been so plentiful that I did not even mention the fact that this season will be legendary winger Alex Ovechkin’s last in the NHL. The 41-year-old Russian is the greatest goal scorer that hockey has ever seen, and his generational ability will surely be missed. Despite the Great Eight hanging up his skates, hockey fans should be treated to an absolutely spectacular season as the sport continues to move in an exciting direction.