Four NHL Storylines Worth Watching as the Season Reaches the Quarter Mark

Nov 14, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) prepares for a face-off against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images With all of the air traffic chaos across the United States on Friday and the doom and gloom it created, this is a good time to look for some positives in the NHL.With that in mind, as we close in on the one-quarter mark of the season, here are four exciting stories that would be enjoyable to see to the end of the campaign.The Rookie ClassWhen play kicks off on Saturday, the rookie scoring race has eight players separated by only three points. Leading the way is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Gavin McKenna, the top pick at last summer’s draft, with 13 points.The collection of players behind him is all over the map. Roman Kantserov (Chicago Blackhawks), Trevor Connolly (Vegas Golden Knights), James Hagens (Boston Bruins), Ivar Stenberg (San Jose Sharks) and Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) have 12 points, while Victor Eklund (New York Islanders) and Michael Brandsegg-Nygart (Detroit Red Wings) have 10.Add to the mix the impact of freshman goalies, notably Jacob Fowler of the Montreal Canadiens and Dylan Garand of the New York Rangers, and we have the makings of a thrilling Calder Trophy race.McDavid’s MagicOne player in league history has put up a 200-point season, Wayne Gretzky. It is mind-bending to think he did it four times.That note makes the start to the season enjoyed by Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid all the more amazing.McDavid has hit the scoresheet in all 20 games so far this season. Incredibly, he has recorded at least one assist in each of those games, also, which is a league record.With his 49 points (11 goals, 38 assists), McDavid is on a 206-point pace.McDavid’s career high for points in a season is 153.Cutter G-G-G-Gauthier Nov 14, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier (61) prepares for a faceoff during the first period against the New York Islanders at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Seeing that he scored 41 goals last season, Cutter Gauthier lighting the lamp for the Anaheim Ducks is not a surprise. The spree he has been on the past few weeks, however, is one for the ages.Gauthier, in his third season, heads into Saturday's clash with the New York Islanders on a seven-game goal-scoring streak in which he has netted 14 goals.The last players to match that feat were Mario Lemieux and Alexander Mogilny in the 1992-93 season — more than a decade before Gauthier was born.The Ducks are a fun team to watch, with the likes of Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson the basis of a high-scoring club. They also are not very good defensively, so worries of a dull, 0-0 affair are minimal.Predators have biteBefore the season began, there were a few non-playoff clubs from last season to believe could join the Stanley Cup party of 2027.Be honest: Who had the Nashville Predators pegged to be on that list?Thanks to their comeback 3-2 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, the Predators are riding a seven-game winning streak and second to only the Minnesota Wild in the Central Division standings.Imagine that, the Predators are ahead of the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.Going into the season, there was speculation the Predators were due for a selloff, but with Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly and Roman Josi all turning back the clock, and their goaltending much improved from last season, this low-scoring club is gritting out victories.