This past summer was not a particularly exciting one for NHL fans. But despite that, there were a few players who could get good results with their new teams in the first month-plus of the first season. Let’s see who makes the biggest difference.
Chris Kreider
Reports of Chris Kreider’s murder appear to be far from over. Found the Anaheim Ducks Le Affsoason, he has been concerned in helping the team to enter the first place in the Pathific Division. 15 games, he has 10 goals and 14 points, a pace of 54 goals over 82 games. He’s shooting 29.4 percent, so the goals will eventually slow down, but his bottom line metrics have been pretty low.
Kreider has an expected goals share (xg%) of 55.19 percent, ranking him first among Ducks Skaters. He also scored the second highest number of chances per 60 minutes in the team to Mason Micvish. The Ducks’ young players have led the way to start the season, but Keredier has played a major role and will continue to do so, even as his shooting percentage returns to normal.
Victor Olofsson
Victor Olofsson has been among my under-the-radar Ufa to watch this summer. While he didn’t sign with the Colorado Avalanche until August, he proved they made the right decision. Olofsson has six goals and 15 points in 19 games, putting him on pace to finish with 26 goals and 65 points, the latter of which would set a career high.
There were signs last season with the Vegas Golden Knights that Olofsson responded to his game. His bottom line metrics were pretty good, and far from proving that wasn’t a fluke. He averages 2.74 points per 60 minutes, which ranks third among the Avalanche. For only $1.5 million, the Avalanche certainly get their money’s worth.
Corey Perry
Corey Perry missed some time to start the season, but he had a positive impact on the Los Angeles Kings. He has seven goals and 12 points in 14 games, a pace of 41 goals and 70 points over 82 games. I have no doubt that Perry is close to scoring 40 goals, but the Kings’ recent performance can be attributed to his strong start to the season.
XG’s XG% of 59.34 percent puts it second among the worthy masters. He averages 2.29 points per 60 minutes, leading the team. There is probably some restoration coming down the road, but it doesn’t seem to be showing up.
Nikolaj Ehlers & K’Andre Miller
The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the more aggressive teams in this aggressive lineup, acquiring K’ANDre Miller in a trade with the New York Rangers and signing Nikolaj EHLERS in free agency. Both players helped the Hurricanes get off to a good start, with Ehlers hitting 12 points in his first 19 games and eight homers in his first 13 contests.
It took a while for Ehlers to find the back of the net in his first time with the Hurricanes, but he was just what they needed in the top six. He has an XG% of 59.2.9 percent, which ranks eighth among SKARES storms. He’s also averaging 2.02 points per 60 minutes, an average you’d expect to see from a first-line winger.
Although Milker missed some time due to injury, he played well. The End system lends itself well to an underdog like Miller, who struggled with his puck handling during his tenure with recruits. He has been one of the drivers of the attacking storms from the back end and has never been a serious liability. As long as he can stay healthy, he should be a huge asset to the Hurricanes this season.
JJ Peterka
In the West, the Utah Mammoth were one of the more aggressive teams in this battle. Their marquee addition was JJ Peterka, who they acquired from the Buffalo Sabers in exchange for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan. Peterka is off to a mammoth strong start, scoring six goals and 13 points in 19 games, putting him on pace for 26 goals and 56 points.
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Peterka is well suited to the top mountains, as he reaches 2.91 points per 60 minutes in the fifth hour, placed first in the mammoth and one of the best values ​​in the NHL to continue. Not only is he hitting, but he is improving well from his Sabu days. The mammoth allows only 2.35 goals per 60 when he’s on the ice, so he’s far from the defensive liability he was in Buffalo. If this continues, he should help the team press the playoffs.
Anthony Mantha
There have been quite a few surprises to start this NHL season, but perhaps none more so than the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are 10-5-4 and occupy third place in the metropolitan division. Part of the reason is that general manager Kyle Dubas made some smart moves this summer, one of which was the signing of Anthony Mantha, who has five goals and 14 points in 19 games.
Mantha is coming up on acl, so to see him succeed so quickly is amazing. He became the Penguins’ second-best Five-on-Five-on-Fivel Scorer, as he averaged 2.35 points per 60 minutes. He’s shooting 23.5 percent, so his strong start may cool off at some point. But complementary points like Mantha and Justin Brazeau are part of why the Penguins are in the race for first in the first place.
Matthew Schaefer & Jonathan Drouin
One of the best news stories to start this season has been Matthew Sbaefer, who was the first pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s the best rookie in the league, but he looks like a seasoned veteran. He has 15 points in 19 games, putting him on pace for 65 points, which is almost sensational for an 18-year-old defenseman.
The stats are impressive, but Schaefer doesn’t put up empty points, and more than he does at 5-on-Five. The Islanders have an XG% of 50.5 percent with him on the ice, but that number goes to 44.2 percent when he’s on the bench. It’s early, but the spirited race may not be close if he keeps this pace.
Schaefer isn’t the only Islanders offseason addition to play early, either. Jonathan Drouin has 14 points in 18 games, putting him on pace to finish with 64 points. He’s not a great scorer, but his play has been a welcome addition to a roster in need of an offensive spark.
Drouin averages 1.77 points per 60 minutes, a number you’d expect to see from a second-line winger. Like Schaefer, the Islanders are a much better team when Drouin is on the ice. Their XG% with him on the ice in Five-to-Five is 51 percent, but it drops to 45.5 percent when he is on the bench. The Islanders are in the ballpark as of today, and it’s safe to say Scaefer and Drouin are a key reason.
Some of the aforementioned players may eventually decline, but it’s hard to deny the impact they made early on. They can help teams, like the Ducks and the Isles, make unexpected pushes for playoff spots as time goes on.
Advanced statistics from Natural Trick & MonePuck
