Following an exciting opening week, the NHL season is now in full swing and the season is starting to develop a normal flow.
Just because the season started does not mean that teams stop making transactions. In what appears to be a great deal for both sides, the New York Rangers and forward Alexis Lafreniere agreed to terms on a seven-year contract worth $52.15 million. After a spectacular showing last season, especially in the playoffs, Lafreniere rightfully earned his payday and will be a key piece of the Rangers core group for years to come.
On the ice, the Winnipeg Jets continue to lead the league and have been extremely impressive in all aspects of their game. After a disappointing exit in last year’s playoffs, many throughout the offseason were questioning how they would respond come the start of the new season, and, well, the response has been extremely positive. It will be interesting to see whether the Jets remain atop the Western Conference or if another team heats up and catches them.
Amid such high expectations, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on the other hand, have had a pretty disappointing start to the season. It seems as if Toronto lacks urgency in their game and that something is not clicking. Of course, so early into the season, the club has time to correct whatever is going wrong, but if these performances continue for too long, they could fall in the standings. The Maple Leafs currently sit in the middle of the pack of the standings, but for the high expectations the team has, they need to perform better.
A player who has had a rough start to the season is the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. After a very poor start to the season, the Penguins sent him to the American Hockey League, which is the minor league system for the NHL. The club hopes that his stay at the AHL level will only have to be a short one and that he’ll find his game again. However, after being the Penguins’ starting goalie for many years, if he does not find his game at the AHL level, he could have a hard time making it back to having a significant role in the big leagues.
Now, for the team and player of the week.
Team of the week: Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have gone on an absolute tear to the start of this season and look like strong Stanley Cup contenders.
Player of the week: Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
Stone picked up 10 points over the past week, all while receiving less ice time than most top players.
