The biggest surprises of the NHL season so far

The Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres and Chicago Blackhawks are defying preseason expectations with their winning records to start the 2022-23 NHL.

Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: There are three teams that I have in front of me who are off to some pretty surprising starts. And I just wanted to know, which of these three teams do you think is off to the big-- is the biggest surprise to this point? Philadelphia, they have four wins to their tally. I think they came back and won the other night.

The Sabres, they swept through Western Canada. They're doing pretty well. Chicago does not have a losing record, as of this recording. And I believe as of this recording as well, they've won three in a row. Which of these three teams is the biggest surprise?

ARUN SRINIVASAN: For me, it's Philadelphia.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: [INAUDIBLE]

ARUN SRINIVASAN: oh sorry.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: OK, go ahead, Arun.

ARUN SRINIVASAN: No, no, no. I mean, I just have to jump on this one, man.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Go ahead.

ARUN SRINIVASAN: In staff predictions, like, I said Philadelphia would be the worst team in the league by some distance. I know the consensus pick would have been Arizona or Chicago. But I thought Tortorella coming back with just, like, a horrific right side of their defense would have sort of sealed the Flyers' fate. So no, they've been better.

I mean, and they beat the Lightning in one of their wins too. Like, I was trying to assess quality of opponent. I don't think either of these three teams have really beat any world beaters, so to speak. But I have to say Philadelphia. I thought they were going to be horrific in a year where there are a few teams that are trying to bottom out.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Sam, do you want to take it before Omar goes in?

SAM CHANG: It's a tough call between Philadelphia and Chicago.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I thought there'd be more love for Buffalo.

SAM CHANG: No, because I think Buffalo-- Buffalo is actually a team that has rebuilt on the fly well. I wasn't expecting them to be atrocious. I actually did expect Chicago to be atrocious. Yeah, I think Philly. I'm with Arun. I think Philly because I think if Chicago really wanted to tank, they would have traded Patrick Kane.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: OK, that's very true. I'm going to give-- I'm going to mention Buffalo here, just because I know-- we got to remember here with rebuilding. Rebuilding doesn't always work as fast as you want to. And Buffalo is the prime example of that. They're rebuilding their rebuild, or some people might say, they're rebuilding the rebuild of the rebuild.

Like, it has been a long time for the Buffalo Sabres have been relevant. And for them to cut through Western Canada, beat Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Look, Vancouver is in the shit, but like, they have the players that they have.

And I don't think anyone expected them to roll through Western Canada and win all those games. That's a very big deal for this Buffalo Sabres team. And Rasmus Dahlin is on god-mode with that goal scoring streak to start the year.

OMAR: That's [INAUDIBLE]

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I know they're going to-- yeah.

OMAR: Yeah, I don't think it's ever been done before.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: It's the longest streak, goal scoring streak, to start a season by a defenseman ever. Look, I know the Buffalo Sabres at some point, they had to-- their ascension has to start at some point. I think it's still worth giving them some love for the start that they have.