3 Lessons Learned From NHL's First Weekend

After a jam-packed first weekend of the NHL's regular season, what did we learn?

Oct 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) celebrate on the ice after the Stars defeat the New York Islanders at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NHL's 2024-2025 season is off and rolling, and the excitement is already off the charts. The parity in the league is on display already, with some surprising teams remaining undefeated and some even more surprising teams without a victory. With tons of NHL action over their first weekend of the regular season, let's dive into three lessons learned from the slate of games.

The Oilers are being tested early

Not that anyone feels sympathy for the defending Western Conference winners, but the Oilers are being tested early into the season. The Chicago Blackhawks outplayed them start to finish in a 5-2 defeat and then dropped the first iteration of the Battle of Alberta to the Calgary Flames. They're 0-3 so far, and while the panic button doesn't need to be searched for yet, it's a concerning beginning as they try to get their new look lineup gelling.

The good news for the Oilers is that one of their free agent additions, Jeff Skinner, scored his first goal with his new club. If he can get going, the Oilers will have an excellent source of secondary scoring behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Scoring is up from unexpected teams

There were 19 NHL games played over the first official regular season weekend. Of those games, six of them featured a team scoring five goals or more. The scoring itself isn't surprising, especially as teams are forming their defensive identities. What is most surprising though is which teams recorded these monster offensive games. The Buffalo Sabres walloped the defending champions by a score of 5-2. Utah Hockey Club and the New York Rangers competed in a firing contest in a 6-5 game that Utah took in overtime. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames each posted six goals during their weekend games. Scoring is up so far, but it's coming from the unlikeliest of offenses.

Oettinger is early Vezina Trophy candidate

I picked Oettinger as my favorite to win the Vezina Trophy this season alongside New York Rangers' superstar Igor Shesterkin. Through his first two starts, the Dallas Stars' netminder is rolling. Oettinger posted a shutout against the New York Islanders and stopped 33 shots against the Nashville Predators in the season opener. He's 2-0 so far, and he looks elite to begin the 2024 campaign.

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