9 NHL players already dominating with their new teams

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The NHL off-season is one of the craziest times for the NHL calendar. Many players change teams in hopes of winning the Stanley Cup.

This is a busy time for organizations and general managers as well, looking for the right piece as part of a rebuild, a playoff berth, or to dominate the conference with a high-priced acquisition.

With the 2023-24 NHL season now a month old, we look at some of those acquisitions who are doing well with their new teams:

There are a lot of NHL players dominating with their new teams so far this year.

Forwards

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat set the league on fire over the first few weeks of the season. Dominating the score sheet as the upstart Red Wings found new life.

Detroit had taken the league by storm but has come back to reality a bit. He has continued to offensively produce to the pace of a point-per-game. In his first season with the Detroit Red Wings, DeBrincat had nine goals and five assists for 14 points, and is a +4, in 12 games.

New Jersey Devils forward Tyler Toffoli has continued to be a force inside the offensive zone. Having previously played for the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadians, and Vancouver Canucks, Toffoli has kept producing in an already offensive club.

Playing between the first and second line, Toffoli has seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 11 games.

Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko has found a new energy with the Senators after many years with the St. Louis Blues.

He fits into the Ottawa lineup quite well, scoring three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 10 games, and is a +7. He gives the young Senators an experienced player and secondary scoring in their push for a playoff spot this season.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

There are a lot of good new defensemen around the NHL these days.

Defensemen

Speaking of the Detroit Red Wings, one of their many off-season acquisitions was defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Looking to solidify the blue line for Detroit, General Manager Steve Yzerman signed Gostisbehere to a nice deal and it is paying off in a big way.

Gostisbehere has three goals and six assists for nine points in 13 games. He is 15th in scoring among defensemen and is tied for second in power play points with six. He has been amazing on the power play and used his speed and experience on a regular shift. Underrated signing by the Detroit Red Wings.

One of the bigger questions this off-season was where defenseman Erik Karlsson would end up. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the lottery by acquiring his services as he has found a new home in Pittsburgh.

While the Penguins have Kris Letang, Karlsson gives them another offensive weapon from the back end. Known primarily as an offensive threat, the former Norris Trophy winner is living up to expectations while playing solid defensively. He has two goals and six assists for eight points in 10 games and is a +4.

Longtime Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov now has a new home with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Like Karlsson, he is an offensive defenseman who can help the upstart Blue Jackets turn around their transition game in competing for a playoff spot.

He has played a sound, all-around game since he arrived in Columbus and has eight assists in 11 games in an average of 23 minutes a night. He brings experience and is the technically sound, yet offensive, blue liner that the Blue Jackets needed.

The NHL has some good goalies playing well with some different teams.

Goaltenders

The Tampa Bay Lightning were dealt a big blow when starter Andrei Vasilevskiy was ruled out for two months early in the season after suffering an injury. Many thought the Lightning would struggle but goaltender Jonas Johansson has stood tall between the pipes.

The 6-foot-5 and 220-pound free agent signee has played above expectations and is single-handedly keeping Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division race. Not only has he been good, he has been one of the best goaltenders in the league.

He has posted a record of 5-1-3 with a goals-against-average of 2.87 and a save percentage of .916. He is first in saves with 284 and is tied for first among goaltenders in shutouts with 2.

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick has been on a roller coaster ride for the past two seasons. After a lengthy career with the Los Angeles Kings, he was traded to the Blue Jackets, who then turned around and traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights.

He signed with the Rangers this off-season and is playing well. Despite his age, he is playing like the old 2011-12 Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

He has a record of 2-0 with a GAA of 1.42 and a save percentage of .948. He is fourth in GAA and his save percentage is fourth. Not too bad for a goaltender that most people had retired before the season started.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Cam Talbot was in the same boat entering the 2023-24 season as Quick. Most, including myself, questioned the signing and wondered if he had anything left in the tank. He answered that question with his play on the ice and silenced the doubters.

Talbot is 6-2-1 with a 2.14 GAA, a .923 save percentage, and one shutout as the Kings have a 7-2-2 record, good for 16 points and third in the Pacific Division standings.

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