NHL Off the Post: October 30th

We’re almost a month into the 2025-26 NHL season and we’re already starting to see some separation between the contenders and the pretenders. Here’s a look at the current state of five teams from around the league in this week’s edition of ‘Off the Post’.

A strong gale

It feels as though Carolina saw this season coming, and they’re off to a gallop. With a 6-3 record to start the year, the roster isn’t just showing flashes of potential — it’s delivering with cohesion and depth.  Their early results aren’t merely about scoring big; they’re about doing the little things right and putting opponents under pressure from puck drop. If there’s a knock it’s that sustaining that level is the true test in this league — but for now the Hurricanes look less like a team headed for a dip and more like a serious threat. The Hurricanes are making a statement early. They’re not just contending — they’re a potential front-runner in the Eastern Conference.

Oil change

There’s both comfort and urgency around Edmonton’s start. The comfort: their cornerstone remains intact thanks to a new short‑term extension for their superstar Connor McDavid, signalling the organization isn’t hitting pause.  The urgency: their on‑ice execution still has opportunities for improvement, especially in converting promise into consistency. The narrative here feels like: “We’re still contenders,” but also “We still have work to do.” The coming weeks will show whether they climb steadily or stall in reconciling high expectations with actual results. Edmonton has the pieces — but right now the growth is quiet, and the margin for error remains narrow in a crowded Western Conference.

We stand on guard for thee

Ottawa’s early chapter is all about building rather than boasting. They’re not hitting the ground running as the league’s elite, but that doesn’t mean they’re idle. With steady competitive play and organizational moves laying the groundwork (including off‑ice infrastructure and future planning)  the Senators seem to be transitioning from promise to execution. The caveat: if the “building” phase stretches without tangible results, this could become another year of near‑misses. Ottawa may not dominate the headlines — yet. But they’re quietly setting themselves up for something more meaningful down the road, especially once heart-and-soul captain Brady Tkachuk returns from injury.

Winged wheel keeps on turning

Detroit has settled into a sweet spot: no longer purely hopeful, not quite full‑throttle contender, but definitely worth watching. Their start has carried more weight than many expected, and the shift in tone is clear. The look now is less “someday” and more “why not now?” The challenge is that the schedule, travel, and long‑haul wear‑and‑tear will test whether the Red Wings are ready for next‑level sustained performance. Detroit is transitioning but that seems to be the case on a yearly basis. The hot early season suggests the “next year” narrative may be slowly moving into the present.

Fighter Jets

Winnipeg’s start has been reasonably quiet, but that’s exactly the way they like it. They’re not in midseason form, but they’re quietly carving out respect through measured play and grabbing wins without much fanfare. The dark‑horse tag fits, as always, but this is a team that’s probably deserving of more attention on a broader scale. Depth and resilience will be major factors as the season progresses — if they remain healthy and focused, the Jets could climb into contention while others are still figuring things out. Mark Scheifele has gotten off to a tremendous start but of course he’s not screaming for attention — he’s simply earning it. That speaks to the mindset of the entire organization and that might make them more dangerous than the teams everyone’s talking about.