With every team having played around 20 games, the NHL season is officially approaching the quarter mark. It’s about the time where hot starts turn into more than just potential, and the results thus far might just be the real deal for a few teams. The Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, underestimated Boston Bruins, Wild Card-holding Chicago Blackhawks and renewed Pittsburgh Penguins are among those teams who have surprised just about everyone over their first 20 or so games.
The Ducks have been one of the biggest storylines of the young NHL season, deservedly so. The team has been relying on their young players to make an impact and have been having a lot of success with it so far. A new age is in the works for Anaheim, and the team could be seeing the fruits of their labor sooner than expected.
Headlining the youth movement are Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, who lead the team in all offensive categories at just 20 and 21 years old, respectively. Not only is the team’s 13-6-1 start a huge credit to them as individuals, but it also speaks to just how far they can take this team as they mature with age. It’s become increasingly obviously that each of them bring different qualities to the team and how well they’ve been working together. With that said, the two of them might just be what the Ducks need to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.
Boston’s 12-10-0 record through 22 games is a testament to how they have bounced back after committing to a full rebuild during last season’s trade deadline. With longtime Bruins like Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle making their exits, Boston had no choice but to lean on their locker room to get them through it.
David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie have led their effort so far in 2025-26, resulting in solid play and a winning record. Pastrnak recently became the sixth player in franchise history with 400 or more goals, while Geekie’s 13 goals in 2025-26 are keeping pace with the entire league. Those two are hoping to get Boston back to the promised land and compete for the seventh title in franchise history, which starts with coming out of the gate like they have.
The Blackhawks have been branded as a rebuilding team for the last few years, and it seems to be paying off this season. The team has been headlined by the play of the 2023 first overall draft pick, for good reason. Bedard not only leads the team in all major scoring categories, but his 29 points on the year rank fourth across the NHL entering play Thursday.
The 20-year-old has embraced different roles with Chicago this season as their top scoring option as well as the leadership group after donning an ‘A’ for the first time during his hat trick on Tuesday. The Blackhawks have long committed to him as their future, and the trust the team has in him was on full display during that performance.
Bedard is a young star playing at a rate not seen since Patrick Kane was with Chicago, and that might just be an omen for the United Center faithful. There’s a lot of season left, but playoff experience could prove invaluable for Bedard as he furthers his career in black and red.
Pittsburgh has been out of the playoff picture for the last few seasons, but they might just find themselves playing hockey next summer. Their resurgence as an organization is in large part because of franchise cornerstone Sidney Crosby, which is great for both the Penguins and the NHL.
Crosby’s 12 goals this season have heavily played into the Penguins sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division, and not a single NHL fan should be mad about it. The Nova Scotia native also has some personal milestones he could reach this season, and it might be pretty soon, considering how he’s played so far.
Crosby could pass another franchise icon in Mario Lemieux for eighth place on the NHL’s all-time points list. He needs just 16 to pass the longtime Penguin, which would also give the 37-year-old the most points in franchise history. Being able to further make his mark on history and lead his team back to the playoffs is a dream scenario for Crosby, and he might just see it happen in 2025-26.
There’s a lot to love about the NHL season so far, and it starts with these four teams. Each of them had something to prove coming into this campaign, and they’ve made the most of it with the opportunities they’ve been given.
For Anaheim and Chicago, the season has been about finding their identity as a young group, and both teams have been able to do so early in the season. The more experience the two teams can get will only help them in the long run, and I’d expect both teams to be in the postseason conversation for years to come.
Both teams have been using youth to their advantage throughout the first quarter of the NHL season, and the young guys who have been shouldering that load are better for it. Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson have shown that they have what it takes to lead their respective clubs to hard-earned wins, and they don’t seem to be slowing down.
On the other hand, Boston and Pittsburgh have experience on their side. The two teams have an abundance of postseason experience between them, and they seem content to put it to good use.
It’s been nice to see veterans have the opportunities to showcase why they are as highly regarded as they are, which has been the case for both Crosby and Pastrnak. The two players have been tasked with leading the next generation of their respective teams by example, and they have answered the call tremendously.
With a quarter of the season done and dusted, a handful of teams have put themselves in great spots. It’ll be up to them to continue their pursuit of a championship and build off fast starts, but I have faith that they’ll be able to do just that.
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