NHL Odds: Three takeaways from the first week of the NHL season
We’re a week into the 2025-26 NHL season and as usual, I have thoughts.
Here’s my three biggest takeaways, which include a dominating duo in Denver, a rookie looking to get his feet wet in the NHL and a veteran playing at an elite pace in the desert.
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Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas are a scary duo
Sorry Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but no duo was hotter in the first week of the regular season than Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (4G, 4A) and Martin Necas (3G, 5A). They lead the NHL with eight points apiece and they’re the biggest reason the Avalanche have picked up seven of a possible eight points.
The two have proven to be a seamless fit. MacKinnon has never had a player who is as capable of matching his speed as Necas is and Necas has never played with someone as creative and talented as MacKinnon.
The only question remaining for this duo is how much of a discount the pending UFA Necas is willing to take to continue playing with MacKinnon.
The jury’s still out on Ivan Demidov
There was understandably a lot of hype surrounding Montreal Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov heading into the season. Drafted fifth overall by the Habs in the 2024, the 19-year-old showed flashes of brilliance after joining the club at the end of last season.
The first week of the season has been a bit up and down for Demidov, who has one assist in three games. He’s shown his usual elite puckhandling and skill, but he’s struggled to get consistent ice time, averaging just over 13 minutes a night.
It’s fair to wonder if head coach Martin St. Louis trusts Demidov on the defensive side of the puck. Demidov might be talented, but it takes a lot of offensive production to outweigh any defensive liabilities.
Time will tell if Demidov is used more as he adjust to the NHL game.
Jack Eichel is on the verge of a career-year
It’s been a great start to the year for Jack Eichel. Fresh off signing an eight-year, $108 million contract extension, Eichel has seven points (2G, 5A) through the first three games of the season, putting him on an early pace to beat the career-best 94 points (28G, 66A) he had last year.
An elite playmaker, the underlying stats show Eichel is one of the most dangerous even strength players in the NHL. That threat level only rises with the addition of playmaker Mitch Marner on Eichel’s wing, while the team is well insulated with veterans like Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev.
The Golden Knights have been a Stanley Cup contender essentially every year of the franchise’s existence, and that won’t change this year with Eichel playing the best hockey of his career.
