4. Toronto Maple Leafs
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Will the Leafs make the playoffs this year? Probably not. However, the first half of this season has proved that a rebuild is in progress and might actually pay off. Nineteen-year-old rookie duo Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner constantly light up the ice game after game. Matthews, the latest first overall pick, made NHL history when he scored four goals in his debut game. Meanwhile, Marner, selected fourth overall in 2015, has proven himself NHL-ready after a successful senior season co-captaining the London Knights alongside Christian Dvorak (Arizona Coyotes). He led the Knights to win the 2016 Memorial Cup, going on to win the Gretzky 99 Trophy as OHL playoff MVP, the Stafford Smythe Trophy for Mem Cup tournament MVP, and the Chynoweth Trophy as leading scorer.
Considering this season has generated sixteen goals with nine assists for Matthews and eight goals with eighteen assists for Marner, both boys are on track for Calder Trophy contention come July. Lovingly dubbed "Marnthews" and eerily reminiscent of the Chicago's Kane and Toews power duo, the rookies emulate the potential future of the Maple Leafs organization.
Aside from the Leafs' golden boys, twenty-year-old William Nylander refuses to be left in the dust. Recording seven goals and fifteen assists, he's developed well with the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs' AHL affiliate. Additionally, other staple teammates such as Nazem Kadri, James Van Riemsdyk, and Zach Hyman have recorded beautiful goals throughout the past ten weeks, contributing to the team's overall depth and potential.
The scoring is there and the chemistry is there. The only thing missing is the ability to hang on and actually win games. Give it a couple seasons for all the pieces to fall together and the Maple Leafs might finally be cup contenders.
3. Montreal Canadiens
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Carey Price is arguably the best active goalie in the NHL. After missing out on the majority of last season due to a knee injury, his absence greatly affected the Habs, who finished in twenty-second place and did not make the playoffs. He returned to the ice this season with a fire, winning his first ten games before any other goalie in the league.
The offseason exhibited the most ludicrous trade in the NHL since Gretzky. The Habs organization, who has a reputation of shadiness and awful decisions (see: exacerbating Price's injury), traded elite defenseman PK Subban for the declining Shea Weber, ex-captain of the Nashville Predators. The trade sparked some animosity between the Habs players and its staff, continuing to ripple the overall morale. But despite the tension, Weber has surprisingly proven his spot on the ice, generating eight goals and eleven assists.
Most importantly, the Habs reigned the number one slot in league-wide standings for a substantial streak in the beginning of the season. As we get deeper in the season, the Habs have dropped to sixth place in the league but maintain first place in the Atlantic division. After missing the playoffs this past season, the Habs are fighting to reclaim a spot in a few months.
2. Edmonton Oilers
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Much like the Habs, the Oilers dropped one of the most shocking trades of the offseason, which sent 2010's first overall pick, Taylor Hall, to New Jersey wrapped up with a bow on his head. Going captainless in the 2015-2016 season, many speculated that Hall would be tagged with the C until Connor McDavid was seasoned enough to it. Leave it to the Oilers organization to skip the middle step and hand the C straight to McDavid, who had only played forty-five NHL games prior to his crowning.
Losing one first overall pick did not phase the Oilers as much as it would for any other organization, considering that most of the Oilers' picks in the past few years have been top threes. One of which is, of course, Connor McDavid, heir to the NHL throne.
You've heard of Wayne Gretzky Syndrome and you've heard of the Sidney Crosby Effect so if you're not already acquainted with the Connor McDavid Reaction, start making your introduction.
Runner up for the 2016 Calder Trophy, McDavid dons the Oilers' C with an outstanding twelve goals and a whopping twenty-eight assists. McDavid plays with a youthful, raw flare and a keen eye for creativity on the ice, which was especially highlighted as captain of Team North America in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Aside from their captain, the Oilers are supported by a talented roster of Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and rookie Jesse Puljujarvi. All three forwards are first round picks from their respective drafts and it definitely shows whenever they hit the ice.
The Oilers kicked off the season holding the title of Best in the West until they were knocked down by the Chicago Blackhawks. They currently sit at second place in the Pacific Division, fifth place in the Western Conference, and twelfth in the league.
Don't be surprised if the Oilers manage to snag a spot in the playoffs this year.
1. Columbus Blue Jackets
tfw you're first in the @NHL #CBJ
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I'm a good Chicagoan so I'm going to start off with Chicago's biggest regret: letting go of our golden boy and future captain, Brandon Saad.
Saad has had a phenomenal season so far, recording twelve (beautiful) goals and fifteen assists. Even as a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (both with the Chicago Blackhawks), Saad never got the opportunity to truly shine until he landed in Ohio, where he was given more opportunities than were available in Chicago.
Do we miss him on Chicago captain Jonny Toews' wing? Yes. Does he miss wearing a red sweater? Maybe. Is he lighting it up wherever he goes? Definitely.
Moreover, A team isn't complete without a substantial goalie and CBJ definitely has that spot covered. The Columbus crease is skillfully guarded by Sergei Bobrovsky, who you might recognize from the Russian net in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Many include Bobrovsky in their list of top active goalies and it's hard to argue when he's got a save percentage of .935 and has won twenty-one out of twenty-eight games played.
The roster fills out to include a few more players enjoying a significantly better season, like Sam Gagner, rookie defenseman Zach Werenski, and captain Nick Foligno. While the latter has been criticized as one of the most lacking captains in the league, he has generated twenty-six points this season. Gagner and Werenski also record more than twenty points for the season.
The Jackets concluded last season in fourth-to-last place, severely missing out on the Playoffs and becoming the brunt of jokes all across the league. In a sharp one-eighty, Columbus has managed to hang around the league-wide top ten all season, recently claiming the first place after dominating the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, seven to one.
The Penguins massacre was one of twelve consecutive games that make up CBJ's jaw-dropping twelve-game win streak. The streak is making history in both the franchise and the league overall. It's typically unheard of -- and thus simply astounding -- that a bottom five team was able to get anywhere close to top five, let alone first place.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are doing something right and it might just cost your team a spot in the playoffs. Get your earplugs ready because there will probably be canons in the postseason this year.
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