CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The current NHL season is nearly a month old, but several teams and players are having difficulties in the early going. With Halloween just around the corner, here's a look at those that are enduring scary starts.
Mediocre Maple Leafs
With just six victories in their first 13 games, the Leafs aren't exactly tearing up the league. Mike Babcock's future as head coach remains a hot topic of discussion among Toronto fans and pundits. Captain John Tavares is sidelined with a broken finger while young stars Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have been inconsistent.
Dreadful Devils
Having acquired P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds, Nikita Gusev and top prospect Jack Hughes during the summer, the New Jersey Devils were expected to be serious playoff contenders. Instead, they've dropped seven of their first nine games. If this slump continues, it could hurt their playoff hopes and their chances of re-signing leading scorer Taylor Hall.
Brutal Blackhawks
Their championship years a fading memory, the Chicago Blackhawks lurched from the gate with just three victories in their first 10 games. Defence is an ongoing issue, but they're also having trouble scoring. Captain Jonathan Toews and young guns Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome are well below last season's pace.
Ragged Rangers
Following two seasons of rebuilding, the New York Rangers seemed poised for a big leap forward entering 2019-20. They signed high-scoring winger Artemi Panarin, acquired top-pairing defenceman Jacob Trouba and drafted promising winger Kaapo Kakko. Nevertheless, the Blueshirts won just three of their first nine games. Looks like there's more work to be done before they take that next big step.
Grounded Jets
A depleted defence corps has hampered the Winnipeg Jets thus far. Over the summer, they traded Jacob Trouba to New York and lost Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot to free agency. Dustin Byfuglien's ongoing leave of absence as he ponders his future only made matters worse. Meanwhile, their once high-flying offence managed two goals or less in each of their last six games.
Toothless Sharks
After reaching the Western Conference final last spring, the San Jose Sharks seemed poised to remain a serious Stanley Cup contender this season. A season-opening four-game losing skid, however, raised eyebrows around the league. After dropping four of their last five games, questions abound over their goaltending and even-strength offence.
Falling Stars
The Dallas Stars were dreadful through most of October, losing nine of their first 13 contests. Veteran scorers Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov and off-season acquisition Joe Pavelski are having trouble finding the back of the net. GM Jim Nill could shake things up if they don't improve soon.
Mild Wild
Changing general managers did nothing to improve the Minnesota Wild's aging roster. With only four wins in 11 games, they're not scoring enough and can't keep the puck out of their own net. GM Bill Guerin remains patient, but could be forced into a long-overdue rebuild if the Wild fail to gain ground in the standings.
Lyle Richardson is a freelance writer with the Sporting News and runs the website Spector’s Hockey. His column will appear in The Guardian throughout the NHL hockey season.