NHL Quarter Mark Shockers: Which Teams Are Surpassing Expectations—and Which Are Crashing Hard?
Nashville Predators: F
To be fair, the Predators aren’t dramatically worse than they were supposed to be. They were supposed to be bad. Still, this is a disaster headed for perhaps the worst record in the league, a fire sale and a prolonged rebuild. General manager Barry Trotz, whose long-term deal for Juuse Saros looks especially problematic now, is a beloved figure in Nashville who is starting to burn through the goodwill. — Joe Rexrode
New Jersey Devils: B
The Devils are off to a solid start with a 16-7-1 record. They’ve dealt with injuries — the Jack Hughes hand injury certainly has cast a bit of a shadow over the start of the season — but none are season-ending. Some of the team’s underlying numbers suggest overperformance, but overall, New Jersey has to be somewhat pleased with its start. — Peter Baugh
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