The National Hockey League has put the first month of its 2023-24 campaign in the rearview, and just like that, it's November. Through the first nearly four weeks of the new season, there have been a ton of surprises — some good, some bad — which we discussed in separate posts. But for this exercise, let's focus on NHL players rather than teams, and the ones who have been the most impactful in the early going.
It was tough to narrow the list down to just seven players, which is why the honorable mentions list got longer and longer throughout the writing process. But each of these seven have made significant contributions to their respective teams, and will remain crucial for their playoff hopes. Whether or not we expected the kind of play we are seeing from each player is irrelevant; here are the most impressive NHL players from the month of October.
Honorable mentions: David Pastrnak, Mikko Rantanen, Artemi Panarin, Alexandar Georgiev, Jesper Bratt, JT Miller, Quinn Hughes, William Nylander, Kevin Fiala, Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman
Jack Hughes
We all knew the breakout was coming after Jack Hughes posted 99 points in 78 games for the New Jersey Devils last year. And it did in the first month of the new season. Ranked the NHL's No. 1 Star of the Month, Hughes has played eight games in 2023-24, scored five goals, and racked up 18 points to lead the league.
Along with Jesper Bratt, the two are forming an unstoppable powerplay connection, which is also devastating to opposing defenses at 5-on-5. Hughes is the real deal, and has legitimate Hart Trophy aspirations the way he's playing in the early going. At 22-years-old, the superstar American is starting to show Patrick Kane levels of brilliance with the puck. Expect 100 points to be the baseline for one of the game's best players.
Elias Pettersson
Is Elias Pettersson making both a Hart and Selke Trophy case? The Vancouver Canucks are fourth in the Western Conference with an excellent 6-2-1 record, and Pete has been a huge reason why. After breaking out to the tune of 102 points in 80 games in 2022-23, the superstar Swede picked up right where he left off. Pettersson is just two points back of Hughes for the league lead, with five goals and 16 points of his own in nine NHL games.
And besides his prolific offensive ability, Pettersson works hard, blocks shots, and even penalty kills for the Canucks. He's been doing it all for the team this year, truly emerging into a top-10 center in the league. Based on the team's early success and the dumpster fire that is the Pacific Division, fans in BC could be treated to playoff hockey for the first time since 2020 next April.
The Alex DeBrincat & Dylan Larkin stack
Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin have been absolutely lethal in the early going, leading an impressive 2023-24 Detroit Red Wings team to a 6-3-1 record, good enough for second in the Atlantic Division. Larkin is tied for third in league scoring with 15 points in 10 games, while DeBrincat is leading the league in goals with nine, adding four assists for 13 points of his own in the same span.
DeBrincat and Patrick Kane were once linemates, and the early surge of this team has made one of the greatest American players of all time start to seriously consider signing in Michigan. Whether or not this club can continue its success will only be revealed with time, but Larkin and DeBrincat are leading the charge for a team that badly wants a playoff spot in 2024.
Sam Reinhart
With his name swirling in trade rumors all summer, Sam Reinhart quietly followed up a brilliant postseason with the Florida Panthers into a phenomenal start to 2023-24. The Canadian forward is tied for second in the league in goals with eight, and has posted 11 points in eight games in South Beach.
If he does end up getting traded, Reinhart is doing Florida one last favor by upping his value exponentially. The 27-year-old remains a go-to option, and he's now getting looks on the first line with Sasha Barkov and Evan Rodrigues. That's as well as the first powerplay unit, a place he has remained a staple on. Florida is off to a decent start, but Sam Reinhart is off to a fantastic one.
Mason McTavish
Out of nowhere, the Anaheim Ducks have won five games in a row and are fourth in the Pacific with a 6-4 record. And no, it isn't Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry leading the charge (although the latter scored a hat trick in Anaheim's win over Arizona on Wednesday). Instead, it's been the line of Mason McTavish, Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome that have been excellent early.
All three players are scoring at above a point-per-game clip, and Vatrano can't stop scoring goals. But McTavish has looked possessed in the early going, kind of like he did with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the 2022 Ontario Hockey League playoffs. He's up to five goals and 12 points in 10 games to lead the Ducks in scoring. It was a slow start, but there's serious potential for this iteration of the Ducks to hang around a playoff spot all season.
Cole Caufield
It was absolutely devastating for Montreal Canadiens fans — and people who like watching goals be scored — when Cole Caufield went down last NHL season with a campaign-ending shoulder surgery.
But the 22-year-old doesn't seem hindered by the ailment whatsoever this season, and he's led the Habs to a seriously impressive 5-2-2 record. Even more impressive is him scoring at over a point-per-game pace; 2023-24 Caufield has accounted for four goals and 10 points through nine games.
Besides filling the net, the young American is electric, and has the Bell Centre buzzing what feels like every other shift. Watching Caufield play, you would have a tough time making the argument that he won't be good for at least 40 goals this year.
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