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The 2026-27 NHL season hits one month old this week and two Connors have dominated the recent news.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is off to a red-hot start that puts him in Wayne Gretzky territory if he can sustain it.
Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets and New Jersey Devils pulled off a blockbuster trade with award-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck heading to the Metropolitan Division. The move happened on the day that Hellebuyck was eligible to return from his team-imposed suspension for failing to report to training camp amid a trade request.
How did those items affect NHL teams' outlooks? Here are USA TODAY Sports' NHL power rankings:
Number in parentheses is the change from the previous power rankings two weeks ago:
The Canucks are at the bottom of the NHL standings again amid a 10-game losing streak. The latest was to the Wild in former captain Quinn Hughes' return to Vancouver. He got a goal and his 500th career point in the game. The league's worst penalty kill gave up two more goals.
Connor Bedard is back from injury and averaging a point a game, but offseason acquisition Bowen Byram is out with an injury. The defenseman with the $12.5 million cap hit has one point in six games.
The Kings were the last NHL team to pick up their first win of the season. Scoring (2.33 goals per game) and penalty killing (65.5 percent) have both been a problem.
They finally won in their 10th game, ending a team-record worst start, and are now on a 3-1 run. Matvei Michkov has led the way with six goals and two assists in his last five games.
The Flames are turning things around with a 4-1 run after an 0-5 start in which they were often blown out. That includes wins against Anaheim, Carolina and Minnesota.
Coach Rick Bowness called out players again after a 7-3 loss to Florida. "If they're not embarrassed, we don't want them on the team," he said. The Blue Jackets played a couple stronger games afterward before a 6-2 loss to Toronto.
The Ducks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Flyers and end a five-game losing streak. Leo Carlsson, whom the Flyers signed to an offer sheet (the Ducks matched), had a goal and an assist in the game.
With Hellebuyck traded, will fellow U.S. Olympic goal medalist Dylan Larkin be next? The Red Wings center and former captain reportedly has expanded the number of places where he'd accept a trade to 10 teams. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned.
Forward Ben Kindel is on the injured list after he collapsed on an Oct. 22 flight. General manager Kyle Dubas described the incident as a "vasovagal episode." According to the Mayo Clinic, that occurs "when you faint because your body overreacts to certain triggers."
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had been mentioned in trade rumors involving Hellebuyck but is staying. He has given up at least three goals in every game, including two to former Sabre Alex Tuch in a loss to the Capitals.
The Jets received goalie Nico Daws, forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, prospect Alexander Command and two draft picks in the Hellebuyck trade. They lost the Heritage Classic in their first game after the trade. Mercer had two shots and no points in his Jets debut.
Offseason acquisitions Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael are playing on the second line. McTavish is tied for the team lead with six goals and 10 points.
Coach Peter DeBoer's Islanders lost 6-3 in his return to Dallas, where he led the Stars to three consecutive Western Conference finals berths before being fired. Everyone kept focus on the game, not the return. "I think what's important is the way we won the game, not who we were playing," said Stars forward Jason Robertson, who scored two goals.
The Predators scored four power-play goals on Oct. 25 against the Avalanche, their most in a game since 2012. That 4-for-7 performance moved them to the league's third-best power play at 33.3 percent.
No. 2 overall pick Ivar Stenberg is tied for the rookie scoring lead with 12 points. He has a rookie-best seven of those on the power play.
With Vincent Desharnais expected to be out four to six weeks after an emergency appendectomy, the Capitals claimed defenseman Jack St. Ivany off waivers from the Jets.
The Rangers signed veteran goalie James Reimer as they cope with a season-ending injury to Igor Shesterkin. Dylan Garand, handed the No. 1 role, has lost three of his last four games, though one was a 1-0 shootout loss.
The Avalanche dealt away some depth during the offseason and it's showing. They have fallen to a 6-5-1 record after losing three of their last four. Colorado was 7-1-4 last season after 12 games.
The Panthers became the first team in NHL history to record three consecutive natural hat tricks. Brady Tkachuk had the first two and Carter Verhaeghe had the third. But they have been dealt another injury blow when goalie Jacob Markstrom was hurt in practice.
Playoff hero goalie Jakub Dobes continues to struggle while Jacob Fowler continues to shine. That includes the Heritage Classic, where Fowler made 33 saves for a 2-1 win against the Jets.
The Kraken's depth will be tested after Jared McCann suffered a lower-body injury. He will miss 10 weeks and has been placed on the injured list.
Auston Matthews has rebounded nicely from his injury-filled 2025-26 season. He's among the league leaders with 19 points in 13 games.
The Devils get a bump because they won the Hellebuyck trade sweepstakes. They were off to a solid start even before acquiring the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Senators fans booed Brady Tkachuk on his return to Ottawa and got the win. However, goalie Linus Ullmark left the game with an injury and was placed on injured reserve.
The Stars have signed veteran forward David Perron as insurance after injuries to Matt Duchene and Oskar Back. He'll be playing in his 20th NHL season once he suits up.
Nikita Kucherov became the Lightning's all-time scorer, passing Steven Stamkos with an assist on Oct. 24. The 2025-26 MVP has 1,138 career points.
The Mammoth lead the league in power play percentage at 38.1 percent, slightly above the Oilers. Clayton Keller leads the way with 10 power play points. The team also had been linked to Hellebuyck rumors.
Despite trading 37-goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev, the Golden Knights are scoring at a higher pace this season. Jack Eichel has 19 points in 13 games.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes gave an update on his mindset as he's eligible for an extension. "My two feet are planted in Minnesota and, you know, something could happen soon. I'm not really too sure," he told reporters on Oct. 24. "I'm really enjoying playing here."
Rookie James Hagens has had a strong start with nine points in 12 games despite playing a little less than 13 minutes a game.
Connor McDavid is having an otherworldly start, averaging three points a game during his season-opening 11-game point streak. The Oilers have the top three scorers in the league in McDavid (33), Leon Draisaitl (23) and Evan Bouchard (tied for third at 21).
They lead the league in points and that's without defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract on Oct. 25. Stanley Cup-clinching goalie Brandon Bussi still hasn't reclaimed his form (yielding a five-point game to McDavid) but Pyotr Kochetkov is 6-0 with a 1.70 goals-against average.
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