Das 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season Thread: If Connor McDavid were a real team player, he’d sign for the league minimum

[neuartillery]

Shane Pinto gets 7.5 x 4

[sutterfamily]

Good deal, probably

[sutterfamily]

I genuinely don't understand how Ottawa is 3rd in the division. Everyone below them should be embarrassed.

The one thing they have going is not losing in regulation? Loser points make such a difference.

[sutterfamily]

Oh christ I forgot about Korpisalo

[neuartillery]

Stars putting a TD up on the Habs

[sutterfamily]

Enjoyable

[sutterfamily]

Stars only had 19 shots

[neuartillery]

Lane Hutson -4, you love to see it

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Do you think this could be the end of the Leaves window? They look cooked.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Lane Hutson -4, you love to see it

[sutterfamily]

Do you think this could be the end of the Leaves window? They look cooked.

I meean... I would love this! But I don't think so.

Their main guys, Matthews, Nylander, Knies, I guess Tanev, are good enough be able to retool.

[neuartillery]

Here's what'll actually happen: Matthews misses a lot of the season, Stolarz is hurt on and off and the goaltending is nowhere near as good as it was, the bottom six continues to struggle -- they finish seventh in the Atlantic, only ahead of Buffalo. Despite having only the eighth-best odds at the top pick, they win the Gavin McKenna lottery. (I double-checked to make sure it's top-five protected.)

With the PNES and Blackhawks doing well, that may be the worst-case lottery scenario.

[neuartillery]

Is it possible that they need a defenseman like Keaton Verhoeff more than McKenna? Sure.

[neuartillery]

Today's "The Atlantic division is stupid" statistic: In addition to the top seven teams being within four points of each other, the goal differential only ranges from +1 to -4.

Additionally, no team in the Metro has a negative goal differential.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Just going to leave this here

[sutterfamily]

Lane Hutson -4, you love to see it

[neuartillery]

Do they miss Guhle a lot?

[sutterfamily]

Today's "The Atlantic division is stupid" statistic: In addition to the top seven teams being within four points of each other, the goal differential only ranges from +1 to -4.

Additionally, no team in the Metro has a negative goal differential.

A true clusterfuck

SNES were -11 goal diff after 7 games, so at least they are +11 in the 11 games since?

[neuartillery]

I tried not to look at the standings during the Wings' three-game losing streak, because things were so close that it felt like they could fall completely out. The Broons went 8-2 in their last ten! But Detroit's only two points back of the three teams ahead of them (with games in hand on Ottawa and Boston). It's so hard to tell if 1. every game matters because the division is so close and you could fall back very quickly 2. no game really matters because no one in the division seems capable of pulling away.

[sutterfamily]

At this point I think the latter - kinda feels like anybody's division (except Buffalo)