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Looking at the points race one month into the season gave us a glimpse into the future -- even if for one fleeting moment.
Upon gazing at the very mountaintop of goals and assists prior to Saturday night's games, one wouldn't see the familiar names of Connor McDavid (21 points, tied for third), Jack Eichel (also 21, after leading for much of the season), Nathan MacKinnon (20 points, tied for eighth) or even Leon Draisaitl (17 points).
It was Macklin Celebrini's 23 points in first, and Connor Bedard in second with 22. According to ESPN Research, Celebrini and Bedard are the only players both 20 or younger to rank top two in points (tied or outright) through that stage of season or later (230 GP) in NHL history.
I found it poetic that in a week where hockey fans celebrated what could be one of the last meetings between two of the greatest rivals in NHL history -- Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin -- we see perhaps the next big hockey rivalry emerging atop the leaderboard in the 20-year-old Bedard and the 19-year-old Celebrini. Like Crosby and Ovechkin, who were selected first overall a year apart (2005 and 2004), Bedard (2023) and Celebrini (2024) are also sequential first overall picks.
Bedard had Crosby-like hype entering the league. Unlike Crosby, Bedard won the Calder Trophy his rookie season. But entering the 2025-26 season, there was already some chatter about whether Celebrini is better than Bedard right now.
That chatter is thawing in favor of the excitement that is surely growing in seeing future NHL superstars cement their status right before our eyes. Even if the "rivalry" might not be as intense as the heyday of Ovi vs. Sid -- until the two meet in the playoffs once or twice -- Bedard vs. Celebrini can at the very least be a battle of skill and flash that both clearly possess.
Will they remain atop the points race for the entire season? Maybe not. McDavid (still the best player in the NHL), MacKinnon and the rest of the usual suspects will certainly have a lot to say about that. But, even if it's for this one fleeting weekend, it's fun to have a taste of the NHL's long-term future.
Jump ahead:
Games of the week
What I loved this weekend
Hart Trophy candidates
Social post of the week
Stick taps
I'm going to keep an eye on the New York Rangers this week. So far, they have this wild "Amazon on the road, Temu at home" record to start the season: 7-1-1 away from Madison Square Garden ... and 0-6-1 at the "World's Most Famous Arena," with five of those losses being shutouts. That home shutout mark ties their single-season record ... in the first seven games!
The Rangers host the Nashville Predators on Monday and Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, with two road games -- Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets -- sandwiched in between.
This week could either be more of the same or a change of pace for the Broadway Blueshirts. And it's fascinating to watch unfold.
Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET | TNT
The Ducks are 10-3-1 and lead the Pacific Division. They are 8-1-1 in their past 10 games and have the No. 2 goal differential in the Western Conference at +14.
Their first meeting of the season with a stacked Avalanche team -- first in the Central, with the West's best goal differential at +21 -- will be a solid test.
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
I'm curious about this game, which is also a 2006 Stanley Cup Final rematch -- with Rod Brind'Amour, the captain of the champion Hurricanes, now behind the bench.
Brind'Amour's style of hockey typically results in few goals for the opposition; the Canes are allowing the eighth-fewest goals per game this season. How will that fare in this tough test against McDavid, Draisaitl & Co.?
Thursday, 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Thursday, 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Thursday, 10 p.m. | ESPN+
Saturday, 5 p.m. | ESPN+
As an avid puck collector, I want to throw some flowers to the Philadelphia Flyers and their assortment in the team store. While attending their Star Wars Day on Saturday, I ventured into the shop and saw a cornucopia of landmarks, legends and game pucks.
The mark of a good collectors' puck is uniqueness and quality. The 3D printing on pretty much all of the pucks was a value add, and the different materials (metal vs. rhinestone, for example) offered great variety.
Gritty even had his own puck, complete with googly eyes and an orange beard. Creative.
If you're a Flyers fan and you walk past this, you're probably picking up a puck or two.
It might be the only week I can do this ...
Congratulations Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, you are Hart Trophy finalists if the award was handed out on Nov. 10, 2025!
If the Capitals were in a playoff position, I would easily give the third spot to Logan Thompson (.930 save percentage, only 16 goals allowed in 10 games despite a 6-4-0 record). William Nylander has 21 points -- including a league-leading 18 at even strength -- and is a plus-8. Alas, he also falls prey to the "your team is not in the postseason right now" fate.
You know which team is firmly in that playoff position as we head to the all-important American Thanksgiving cutoff? The Avs. And they just dismantled the Oilers over the weekend 9-1. Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists in that game alone and took over the league lead in points -- which is very rude after I made the whole point about Celebrini and Bedard above. He gets the nod as my third pick.
Honorable mention: Leo Carlsson. Uncle Leo is on an absolute tear so far this season. He had 45 points last season and already has more than half of that (23) through 14 games; he's riding a nine-game point streak, I believe we call that a heater! He's going to be a finalist on this list a few times coming up, I'd bet.�
NJ Devil is one of the best mascots in sports, full stop. Speaking with Devils fans, they would point to his tireless work in the community, creating core memories for kids at Devils home games and keeping the vibes high during those games as the main reasons for the honor.
But I will add the fact that his social media game is tight; he's routinely collaborating with influencers such as Kickball Dad and Frank the Tank. On Saturday, NJ got help from current AEW wrestler Claudio Castagnoli to put a Penguins fan through a table:
Castagnoli, a native of Switzerland, caught up with his fellow countrymen Timo Meier, Jonas Siegenthaler and Devils captain Nico Hischier, who presented him with a Jersey jersey:
You might know the story of Logan Coyle, a 9-year-old boy who is battling cancer and put out a call earlier this year for mascots to send him videos of encouragement.
Hundreds of mascots from across all sports, including hockey, flooded Logan with videos, gifts and visits.
The New York Islanders were among the first to do so, with Sparky visiting Logan in his hospital room.
Logan battled through another setback this week but fought hard and is now back home. Mascots continue to send him all the good vibes, and in recent weeks, Logan has been strong enough to attend games and meet some of them in person! I know that one of his favorites, NJ Devil, is waiting to roll out the red carpet at The Rock when he's ready.
