The NHL is only a week into its 2026-27 season, which is exactly when the panic starts to sound loudest. Small samples can lie, sure, but they can also reveal a team or player already skating on thin ice. And right now, a handful of names are drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.
Detroit is sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, and that alone would be enough to sour the mood. But the real mess goes beyond the standings. The Dylan Larkin situation has been hanging over the franchise all offseason, and now Simon Edvinsson has added another layer to it by telling the team he would rather be traded than sign an extension.
That is not the kind of headline the “Yzerplan” needed. The whole thing already feels like it could snowball if the Red Wings do not start winning soon. Larkin, meanwhile, was booed during home opener introductions, and that atmosphere is not likely to improve when - if - he actually gets on the ice.
Jason Robertson is dealing with a different kind of early-season pressure in Dallas. The Stars may be fine in the long run, but they have opened with a pair of losses and managed just one goal total, which is hardly the start anyone wanted.
Robertson, coming off a contentious contract summer, has not helped settle things down. Through two games, he has no points, is minus-3, and has only three shots on goal while being on the ice for six against.
He’s averaging 19:15 a night, so the opportunity is there. That’s what makes the sluggish start worth watching. This is the stage where Robertson is supposed to show he deserves the massive deal he has been pushing for, and if he keeps fighting it, the Stars could find themselves in trouble in a Central Division that will not offer much breathing room.
Then there’s the strange pressure surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and Gavin McKenna. The moment McKenna went first overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the expectations shot through the roof for both him and the team.
Early on, though, it has been rough going. Toronto is 1-2-0 and averaging just two goals per game, while McKenna has no points, is minus-3, and is playing a little over 14:30 a night.
He’s 18, and the league is never easy, even for a player with that kind of hype. Still, the Maple Leafs are staring at a tough road in what many view as the league’s toughest division, and starting slowly only makes the climb steeper.
Edmonton’s goaltending remains its own familiar headache. The Oilers keep searching for help, because what they have seen so far has not been good enough.
Tristan Jarry had a rough opener in a loss to the lowly Vancouver Canucks, allowing six goals on 23 shots. Devon Levi replaced him and got shelled for seven goals on 22 shots in a wild 9-7 win over Vancouver, though he bounced back two nights later by stopping 19 of 20 shots in a 3-1 win against the Seattle Kraken.
The Oilers do not need perfection in net. They just need something far better than what they’ve been living with over the last several seasons and in the first three games of this one.
Calgary’s young defense pair of Simon Nemec and Zayne Parekh has also gotten off to a rough start. The Flames put a lot into both players, including trade capital to land Nemec, but the early returns have been ugly.
Nemec is logging nearly 21 minutes per night and has no points, a minus-6 rating, and a 19-7 shot deficit while he’s on the ice. Parekh has one assist, but his minus-6 and 23-7 shot deficit are hard to ignore.
Both players are still very young, and defensemen usually take time. Even so, Calgary has invested heavily in this duo and would like to see signs of growth sooner rather than later.
Of course, it is still far too early to lock in any of these storylines. Two or three games can flip fast, and teams can put together runs before anyone gets comfortable with the standings.
But these are the kinds of starts worth keeping an eye on. The season is young, and there is still plenty of time for some of these problems to get fixed - or get worse.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkins Return Came With A Reality Red Wings Fans Cant Ignore
Dylan Larkins return to the Red Wings lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury gave Detroit a familiar jolt, even if the circumstances around him remain anything but simple. He had already been through a summer trade request, and the noise around that decision has not faded, but he was back on the ice and helped the Red Wings beat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 with the kind of night Detroit needs from one of its most important players.
The return also came with a reminder that the situation is still uncomfortable for everyone involved. Larkin heard boos from fans and took some chirping from opponents, but he said his focus is on playing and helping the team win until a trade happens. For now, the Red Wings are getting production from a player whose future has been a topic all season, and that reality is hard for their fans to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Fans Got A Response That Only Deepened The Frustration
The early-season mood around Little Caesars Arena has already turned sour, and Chris Ilitch tried to meet that frustration head-on with a letter posted on LinkedIn. After a 1-2 start, Red Wings fans have made their displeasure clear with chants to sell the team and boos directed at captain Dylan Larkin, and the organization is now leaning on promotions to help fill the building while the noise around the club keeps growing.
What made the response land so awkwardly is what it left unsaid. Ilitchs note addressed the frustration, but it did not touch on Steve Yzermans removal or the ongoing search for a new general manager, and the questions around the front office are only getting louder as the situation around top defenseman Simon Edvinsson adds another layer of uncertainty for a team already trying to calm its fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin's Return Gave The Red Wings Something They Desperately Needed
Dylan Larkins first game back gave the Red Wings the jolt they had been waiting for. Detroit looked more composed from the start in its home meeting with Ottawa, staying out of early penalty trouble and playing with the kind of urgency that had been missing during a winless stretch that dragged on for nearly six months. Alex DeBrincat led the way offensively with three points, and head coach Todd McLellan had plenty of reason to like the way his team responded around its captains return.
Larkin made the kind of immediate impact Detroit needed, scoring in a game the Red Wings controlled on the way to a 5-2 victory. It was the teams first lead of the season, a small but meaningful marker for a club trying to reset its tone after a frustrating start. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night spark or the beginning of the Red Wings finally finding the steady play they have been searching for. [Read more 🡒]