Five biggest surprises from first month of NHL season

The first month of the 2025-26 NHL season is in the books as of Friday, so let's take a look at the biggest surprises through October. A couple of teams have stood out, while some individual players have also started to unexpectedly shine. 

Pittsburgh Penguins have NHL's best record

This was supposed to be a long rebuilding year for the Penguins, while almost everybody expected them to be in the running for top NHL Draft lottery odds and a good chance at phenom prospect Gavin McKenna.

Instead, through their first 12 games, they have put together an 8-2-2 record under first-year head coach Dan Muse and enter the weekend tied for most points in the league (18).

It has been a perfect combination of a new voice behind the bench, their stars (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson) still playing great, outstanding goaltending and an influx of young talent that has made an immediate impact. There are several individual surprises on this team including 18-year-old rookie forward Ben Kindel, as well as under-the-radar free-agent additions Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha helping to form an outstanding second line around Malkin.

Will all of this continue throughout the season? Obviously it is too early to tell, but nobody expected this team to be this good through the first month. 

Kiefer Sherwood tied for NHL's goal lead

Entering this season, Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood had played 265 games in his NHL career and scored only 43 goals with a career-high of 19 (set a year ago).

Through the end of October, he has already scored nine goals and enters the weekend tied for the NHL's league lead. 

That goal production will almost certainly slow down at some point given that he is scoring on 37.5% of his shots on goal so far (a number that no player will ever maintain over a full season), but you cannot take away the goals he has already scored. It might be enough to help him set a new career-high. 

Jakub Dobes' great start for Montreal Canadiens

Expectations are high for the Canadiens this season after making the playoffs a year ago and having a big offseason. So it is not a surprise they are off to a great start with their promising young core. 

What is a surprise is that the goalie driving that hot start is rookie Jakub Dobes.

Entering play on Friday, he owned a perfect 6-0-0 record with a .930 save percentage that is fourth in the NHL among goalies that have made at least three starts this season. 

Dobes only played briefly in the NHL a year ago, but he did not come close to numbers like this. The Canadiens will be an extremely difficult team to beat if he gives them this level of goaltending. 

Dan Vladar gives Philadelphia Flyers great goaltending

Goaltending has been a decades-long problem for the Philadelphia Flyers, and it was their biggest issue the past couple of years.

Their decision to sign Dan Vladar this past offseason to a multiyear contract did not seem like the type of move that would fix it given his recent track record.

But so far this season, he owns a .939 save percentage that is second in the NHL among goalies with at least three starts, while he has been one of the biggest factors in the Flyers' promising start. 

Utah Mammoth look like playoff team

The Mammoth have an outstanding young core led by Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, and they are also getting a fantastic year from veteran forward Nick Schmaltz. Those developments, as well as the offseason acquisition of JJ Peterka, have given the Mammoth a sensational offense and made them one of the most exciting teams in the league through the first month. The playoffs look to be within reach.