Top 3 Surprise Teams of the 2020-21 NHL season
It seems in every NHL season, there is at least one team that does much better than all the analysts predict.
This is what makes it such a fun league to watch, as any team can win on any given night. A perfect example are the Vegas Golden Knights. Almost everyone expected them to be the worst team in the league during their inaugural 2017-18 season. Instead, they finished the regular season with 109 points and advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
While no one this season will shock like the Golden Knights did that year, there are still a few teams who are easily exceeding preseason predictions early on. Here are the top three…
Top 3 surprise teams in the NHL in 2020-21
3. Los Angeles Kings
Look, the L.A. Kings aren’t tearing up the league by any means. Their record of 9-6-3 sounds quite average. However, given how last year’s season went, along with their aging core, they seemed like a lock to be a bottom three team in the league this season. Instead, they have played quite well in the Western Division, especially as of late as they are currently riding a six-game win streak.
Reasons for Success: Leading the charge for the Kings this year, as he has in many seasons, is Anze Kopitar. At 33-years-old, the Slovenian forward continues to get results, and is currently sitting with 21 points in 18 contests this season. He has only scored four goals however, but has had Dustin Brown able to carry the weight in that department. Brown looks as good as ever at 36-years-old with 11 goals and 17 points thus far.
On the blueline, Drew Doughty looks like his old self with 15 points. Prior to the season he said he wanted to prove to everyone he was still one of the best in the NHL, and he has certainly done that early on. The main other piece getting things done for the Kings is goaltender Cal Petersen. While he has split starts with Jonathan Quick this season, he has been the far superior of the two thus far. In 10 games played, he has a 2.28 Goals Against Average (GAA) and a .931 Save Percentage (SV%).
2. Chicago Blackhawks
Like the Kings, many expected the Chicago Blackhawks to be one of if not the worst teams in the entire league this season. After electing to let Corey Crawford leave via Free Agency, the top two goaltenders on their depth chart were Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia, which didn’t inspire a ton of confidence. On top of that, it was also announced that Jonathan Toews would miss an unspecified amount of time, potentially the whole season, which seemed like the final blow to an aging core. However, through 21 games this season, the Blackhawks sit third in the Central Division with a record of 11-6-4, and are 8-2-0 in their last 10.
Reasons for Success: As it was for the Kings, it comes as no surprise that Patrick Kane is leading the way for the Blackhawks early on. A lack of talent to play with hasn’t hurt the 32-year-old in the slightest, as he is on fire with 10 goals and 31 points. Another player who has helped in a big way is Alex DeBrincat, who is back to looking like the 41 goal, 76-point player we saw during the 2018-19 season. Despite being limited to 17 games so far, he has nine goals and 20 points.
While those two have certainly been great, perhaps the biggest reason for the Blackhawks’ impressive start is the play of Kevin Lankinen. As mentioned above, the top two goaltenders on the depth chart heading into the season were Subban and Delia, however Lankinen has quickly surpassed them. The 25-year-old has gotten off to a tremendous start despite having zero previous NHL experience, as through 14 games he has a 2.59 GAA along with a .921 SV% and a 8-3-3 record. If he keeps this up, he has a great chance to win this year’s Calder Trophy.
1. Florida Panthers
Heading into the 2019-20 season, many expected the Florida Panthers to be a very good team in the Eastern Conference. They brought in not only two-time Vezina Winner Sergei Bobrovsky, but also three-time Stanley Cup winning head coach Joel Quenneville. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter, as their defensive play left plenty to be desired and Bobrovsky’s play was very inconsistent. This season didn’t seem overly promising coming in, as they still had many questions on the back end and had also lost both Mike Hoffman and Evgeny Dadonov to free agency. Despite this, they are off to a fantastic 13-4-2 start which leads the Central Division.
Reasons for Success: Again, the top of the list isn’t surprising, as Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov have combined for 43 points and continue to be two of the most underrated players in the entire NHL. One move that is paying off huge for the Panthers right now is a trade they made in September with the Pittsburgh Penguins which saw them acquire Patric Hornqvist for Mike Matheson. The 34-year-old has looked incredible early on in Florida, as he has eight goals and 16 points thus far.
Another huge reason for the Panthers’ hot start is the play of blueliners Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad, who have a combined 24 points on the season. In net, Bobrovsky has still failed to recapture his elite level play that he had in Columbus, but Chris Driedger has more than made up for that, as he has a 2.18 GAA along with a .928 SV% and a sparkling 7-2-1 record.
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To this point, these three teams have been very surprising, though it is still early. With still three quarters of the season remaining, we could see any if not all three of these teams drop off, and perhaps other unexpected teams begin to go on a run. The one thing for sure is, we still have plenty of exciting hockey left to be played in the 2020-21 NHL season.