Happy American Thanksgiving, everyone. We all have things to be thankful for in our personal lives: friends, family, health. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are seven NHL teams with the most to be thankful for.
Carolina Hurricanes: The production of Martin Necas
Martin Necas signed a bridge deal with the Hurricanes this offseason. But even with just two years on the contract, $6.5 million a year is still an investment in a league with a hard salary cap. Well, that deal isn’t looking too great right now– he’s been playing so well, it’s becoming apparent that Carolina should have tried harder to lock him up long-term. Necas is currently the league leader in points with 37 in 22 games played. He started the season well, but found a new gear this month. In 13 games played this November, Necas has seven goals and 15 assists.
Minnesota Wild: Kirill Kaprizov avoiding serious injury
Kirill Kaprizov might be the current frontrunner for the Hart Trophy. He has 35 points through 21 games played this season, which ties him for second in the league. His 14 goals are tied for the fifth most in the league. So when a knee-on-knee hit caused him to miss Minnesota’s game against Calgary on November 23rd, fans were rightfully concerned. But after an MRI showed that his injury wasn’t serious, he reentered the lineup last night against the Buffalo Sabres, and scored the only goal of the game, which extended his road-game point streak to 12 games.
San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini
Fans of the San Jose Sharks haven’t had much to be excited about in recent years. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2019. They traded away most of their franchise players– Brent Burns, Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson, and most recently, Tomáš Hertl. But things are finally looking up in San Jose. Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, has been an immediate impact player for them. He has 11 points through his first 13 NHL games, and two of his seven goals are game-winners.
St. Louis Blues: Jim Montgomery
The Boston Bruins firing Head Coach Jim Montgomery was a bit of a head scratcher, as he won the Jack Adams Award in 2022-23. Montgomery had a record of 120-41-23 with Boston, and 180-84-33 all time. But the St. Louis Blues certainly weren’t complaining, because they fired their current Head Coach Drew Bannister, and signed Montgomery to a five-year contract just five days after Boston fired him. The Blues are 2-0 in the Montgomery era.
Tampa Bay Lightning: The Jake Guentzel gamble is paying off
Tampa Bay made headlines this summer for all the wrong reasons when they chose not to re-sign Steven Stamkos. Stamkos had been with the organization for 16 years, and had been the captain for nine. They let Stamkos walk in Free Agency, and instead traded for Jake Guentzel’s rights and signed him to a seven-year contract. This decision stunned the hockey world, but this is a business, and so far, this decision is proving to be the right one. Guentzel has nine goals through 21 games with Tampa, and is a point-per-game player.
Washington Capitals: The team isn’t crumbling without Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin suffered a fractured left fibula during a 6-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on November 18th. Since then, the team is 2-2, but both victories were vastly different. The first, a 4-1 win, was a defensive clinic against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. The second came last night in Tampa Bay. The final score was 5-4, and it featured a shorthanded goal, a bottom six goal, and a power play goal. It’s a good sign that the team has been able to get it done offensively without their leading goalscorer.
Winnipeg Jets: Everything, but especially Connor Hellebuyck
What can be said about the Winnipeg Jets at this point that hasn’t been said already? They’re 18-5 on the year. They’ve emerged victorious in all three games that have gone to overtime. They have the best power play in the league, which is firing at a 33.8% success rate. But night in and night out, their best player has been their starting goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck has a .928 SV%. He has a 2.11 GAA in 18 games played, and he leads the league with three shutouts. He won the Vezina last season, and at this rate, he might very well just run it back.
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