Two teams have already forced their way into the NHL conversation early in the 2026-27 season, and both have made the league take notice for very different reasons. The Utah Mammoth and the revamped Rangers have each opened strong, and neither start looks like a fluke.
Utah is sitting at 5-2-0 with 10 points, and the reasons are easy to see. This is a team loaded with young talent, but it also has the kind of veteran presence that can steady things when the game gets messy.
Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley are part of the young core driving the attack, while Clayton Keller and Anders Lee have supplied important leadership. The result is a group that blends speed, experience, and upside in a way that makes it tough to ignore.
That mix has helped Utah land near the top of its division, and the offensive numbers back up what the eye test says. The Mammoth are 3rd in goals % and 3rd in expected goals for, which tells the same story: they’re creating chances, and plenty of them.
The next step is finishing more of those looks. If the goaltending rises above average, this is the kind of roster that can become a real problem in the West.
On the back end, Mikail Sergachev adds another layer as a puck-moving defenseman who can chip in offensively. The main question is how long this level of play can hold.
The Rangers have taken a different path to early-season surprise, but the impact has been just as loud. Credit goes to Chris Drury for reshaping the roster, because this group has come out looking organized and hard to score on. Through its first 8 games, New York has given up just 9 goals, and the penalty kill has been both aggressive and effective.
Dylan Garand has stepped into a big spot with Igor Shesterkin injured, and he has looked very comfortable. That stability in net has helped fuel a start that has plenty of people looking twice.
Alexis Lafreniere is a big part of that story, too. The former No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft is off to the best start of his NHL career, a reminder that young players sometimes need time before everything clicks.
Right now, it looks like his game is finally coming together.
Pavel Dorofeyeve hasn’t gotten off to a strong start, but he remains the kind of streaky scorer who can swing things quickly. Even with that, the Rangers are firmly in the fight for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, and their opening run has turned plenty of heads.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Have A Pavel Dorofeyev Problem Mike Sullivan Can't Ignore
The Rangers have managed to keep rolling even without Igor Shesterkin and Pavel Dorofeyev in the mix, but Dorofeyevs situation has become one of the quieter concerns hanging over the early part of the season. After a rough start, he was pushed onto the top line in an effort to spark his offense, a sign that Mike Sullivan is still trying to find the right fit while the team keeps collecting points and papering over some absences.
Sullivan is not out of options, either, and the next move could say plenty about how far the staff is willing to go to shake Dorofeyev loose from his slump. If the production does not turn soon, the Rangers may keep reshuffling his place in the lineup and start looking at where he fits on the power play, too, which would only add to the pressure on a player who already needs a strong response. [Read more 🡒]
Wolf Pack Let Another Tight Home Game Slip Away Late
The Hartford Wolf Pack had another tight home game within reach at PeoplesBank Arena, only to see it unravel late in a 4-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It was 1-1 heading into the third period, and for most of the night the game felt like the kind of one-goal battle that can turn on a bounce, a mistake or one timely save.
Instead, the finish belonged to Lehigh Valley, which pulled away in the final period and put the game out of reach late. Even in defeat, Wolf Pack head coach Jay Leach had reason to point to Callum Tung, whose work in net kept Hartford competitive for much of the night and gave the home side a chance before the game slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Will Want To See Chytils Next Step In Vancouver
Filip Chytil is on the verge of getting back into the lineup for the Vancouver Canucks after a shoulder injury kept him out for the first eight games of the season. He took part in the teams morning skate ahead of their game against the Florida Panthers, a clear sign that his return is close and that Vancouver is ready to see what he can add once hes cleared to play.
The roster move to make it happen came with a cost, as the Canucks waived center Aatu Raty to open a spot. For Rangers fans still tracking Chytils path, this is the next checkpoint to watch: how he looks coming off the injury, and how quickly he can settle back into a lineup that has been waiting for his arrival. [Read more 🡒]