It’s been a week and a half since the puck dropped on a new NHL season, and man, how good is it to have hockey back? While that’s certainly the feeling for most teams and fans, some are already dreading what could be a long year.
We’re still far too early in the season to count anybody out from making the playoffs or just staying competitive for that matter. That being said, even this small sample size can be quite telling, and for a few teams we believe it could be a sign of things to come.
Could they change our opinions in due time? Absolutely. But as of this moment there are three teams that not only are we worried about their standing right now, but also where they’ll be down the road.
So, let’s dive into it!
Buffalo Sabres
Oh boy, Buffalo. Where do you even begin? Nobody has gotten off to a worse start in 2025-26 than the Sabres, and if there was any team in the NHL that could not afford for that to happen, it’s them.
The 14-year playoff drought will hang over this team, organization, city, and fanbase until they prove things are different, and unfortunately thus far it looks like more of the same.
Not only has the play on the ice been poor, resulting in a 1-3 start, the Sabres are already ravaged by injuries to Greenway, Kesselring, Luukkonen, Norris, and Samuelsson.
Rumors have also recently questioned Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson’s futures in Buffalo should they have to endure another losing season, adding even more drama to the mess that is.
It’s tough because we actually like a lot of what’s on this Sabres roster; Zach Benson is a blossoming star, Jiri Kulich as well, and Dahlin, Thompson, and Power are all franchise building blocks. Yet for one reason or another they just are never able to put it together.
Let’s finish off by factoring in the very competitive Atlantic Division they find themselves in and check out the upcoming schedule for Buffalo: vs. Florida, @ Montreal, vs. Detroit, vs. Toronto, @ Toronto, vs. Columbus, @ Boston, vs. Washington, vs. Utah, vs. St. Louis, @ Carolina, @ Utah, @ Colorado, @ Detroit, vs. Edmonton… This could get even uglier.
LA Kings
Next up we’ve got the LA Kings, who are normally a shoo-in for a top-three spot in the weak Pacific Division, but that might not come as easy in 2025-26.
We, along with much of the hockey world, didn’t like their offseason, and everyone that felt that way has been proven correct so far. Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin are each -4 in what were two of the more predictable bad free agent signings you’ll see, while 40-year-old Corey Perry is already hurt.
Going from Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence to that on defense is brutal, and it’s going to continue to show for years to come, quite frankly.
The Kings haven’t been awful through five games (1-3-1), but late-game comebacks in Vegas and Minnesota are the only reason they aren’t 0-5-0 right now. A usually sound defensive team is giving up lots of goals, and while they post some talent up front, it’s not enough to make up for it.
Given all of that, what might be most concerning is the goaltending. D’Arcy Kuemper was phenomenal last year, but he’s 35 now and dealing with an injury. Unless he finds a way to maintain his Vezina Trophy finalist 2024-25 form, the Kings could be in danger of missing the playoffs altogether.
A lot is riding on the shoulders of Kuemper and star forwards Kempe, Fiala, and Byfield to carry the load this season, and it feels like that’s asking too much.
Ottawa Senators
We weren’t certain about the Ottawa Senators heading into 2025-26, and their first five games certainly haven’t made us feel any better.
Let’s begin by saying this is a very solid hockey team that we still believe will compete for a playoff spot until the end, but it’s going to be a hard and long road to get there.
As we mentioned regarding Buffalo, the Atlantic Division is a gauntlet. Florida, Tampa Bay, and Toronto are always going to be near the top; Montreal is pushing its way into that tier, and all of a sudden Detroit and Boston look strong and competitive again. The Senators and Sabres are at the bottom right now, and it honestly might stay that way this season.
What really pushed us over the edge to put the Sens on this list was the injury to Brady Tkachuk. The heart and soul, captain, and best player on the team out for 6 to 8 weeks is devastating. Whether or not Ottawa can tread water without Tkachuk will ultimately define their season.
Shane Pinto has had a torrid start, and guys like Dylan Cozens and Claude Giroux are looking good as well. But can you really count on any of these guys to keep producing at this level for 82 games? No.
That’s where Tim Stutzle comes in. This has to be who elevates his game sans Tkachuk; he’s their only other forward with that ability. The problem is, while he often looks dangerous out there, the numbers haven’t reflected that in recent years, and that’s once again been the case in 2025-26 (5 games: 1 goal, 1 assist). That will have to change, especially over these next two months, or else there might not be playoff hockey in Ottawa this spring.
The Sports Outsider 
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