#NHLPeachy @NHL #NHLStats Pack: Quarter Mark of the 2025-26 Season Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know @GaroNazarianDDS #cosmopolitandental #loveyoursmile
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A snapshot of League trends so far in 2025-26, where players of all ages have shined; comebacks have been a near-daily occurrence; and the game is closer than ever before – both on the ice and in the standings. The campaign will reach the quarter mark Thursday, Nov. 20 (328 GP). Storylines and stats below are through 314 games played; the October Recap includes more storylines from the first quarter.
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Three generations of star players are shining on the same stage in 2025-26, with a 20-year age range within the top 25 scorers. That group is comprised of two players born in the 1980s, 18 in the 1990s and five in the 2000s (including one teenager).
* Half the League has a Gen Z player as its goals leader (15 of 32 teams), while 14 clubs have one as their points leader.
* The NHL leader in goals among defensemen, 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer has already become the youngest defenseman in League history with a point in his debut, to net a game-winning goal and to score in consecutive games; tied an NHL record by starting his career with a six-game point streak; and become the youngest player ever with a regular-season overtime goal (besting Sidney Crosby).
* Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini were born just months before and after, respectively, the first NHL seasons for Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Corey Perry. Now, the childhood friends from North Vancouver are tied for second in the League in goals – after combining for a first-in-80-plus-years feat on Tuesday – and both rank among the top four in points. Celebrini, 19, is the fourth teenager in League history with at least 30 points through 20 games of a campaign, while Bedard will be the youngest player in Chicago’s 99-season history with 29-plus points through 20 contests. Earlier this month, Celebrini joined Connor McDavid (2016-17), Crosby (2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (1979-80) as the only teenagers in League history to pace the NHL in points at least 200 games into a season.
* Nathan MacKinnon has narrow advantages as the NHL leader in goals (14) and points (33), while McDavid paces all players in assists (21) and trails only MacKinnon in points. MacKinnon, in pursuit of his first Art Ross Trophy (following consecutive seasons as runner-up), has been the outright leader in points since Nov. 9 when he broke a tie with Celebrini. McDavid, meanwhile, has surged up the list with a share of the League lead in points so far this month (alongside Jason Robertson).
* Crosby (age 38) and Brad Marchand (age 37) are among a group of 13 players with at least a dozen goals this season – both within two of League leader and fellow Nova Scotian MacKinnon (age 30). For both Crosby (12-9—21) and teammate Evgeni Malkin (age 38; 5-18—23), their point total so far in 2025-26 is as good or better than their 19-game start as a rookie (Crosby: 7-14—21 in 2005-06, age 18; Malkin: 12-10—22 in 2006-07, age 20). Marchand, meanwhile, has his highest goal total ever through 18 games played (previous: 11 in 2019-20 & 2012-13).
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The NHL is closer than ever, both on the ice (81% of games decided by one goal or 2+ goals with ENG) and in the standings (where the ”playoff line” – the difference between the lowest ranked playoff team and first team outside the bracket – has been one point or a tiebreaker in both conferences since the first weekend):
On the ice
* Included in the 76% of playing time that has seen the score either tied or a one-goal margin, is 37% of time in which the teams are deadlocked on the scoreboard – the highest rate at this stage of a season over the past decade (tied).
* 22% of playing time in the third period has been tied or a one-goal margin, the highest rate in the League’s modern era (since 1943-44) at this stage of a season (314 GP).
* 76 games have been tied after 55 minutes of action, the second most ever at this stage of a season (83 in 2002-03; also 76 in 2014-15).
* 90 games have required overtime, the most at this stage in League history (previous: 87 in 2019-20).
* Every team has at least one comeback win, and 23 of 32 clubs have rallied from a multi-goal deficit to win. All but three game days this season have included a comeback win – including 20 straight days since Oct. 30.
In the standings
* Seven non-playoff teams from 2024-25 are inside the bracket (DET, BOS, PIT & NYI in East; ANA, CHI, SEA in West), including division leaders Detroit and Anaheim.
* Three division leaders have a one-point advantage or hold the No. 1 seed via tiebreaker (DET in Atlantic, CAR in Metropolitan & ANA in Pacific).
* In the Eastern Conference: three points separate the top six clubs; 12 teams are divided by four points (Nos. 4-15); and there is a nine-point difference across the full 16-team grouping – the first time ever that an entire conference has been that close from top to bottom at this stage of an 82-game season.
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#NHLStats dives into the trends that have played a part in the League’s 6.2 goals per game approaching the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season:
* Of the 1,915 goals scored in regulation and overtime, 76% have been scored at even-strength – the second straight season at that rate or higher at this stage of a season (a first in 47 years).
* Sixteen players have held the NHL lead in scoring at one point this season, including a six-day stretch from Nov. 3-8 that featured a daily change atop the leaderboard: Nov. 3 (Mark Scheifele), Nov. 4 (Connor McDavid), Nov. 5 (Macklin Celebrini), Nov. 6 (Jack Eichel), Nov. 7 (Celebrini) and Nov. 8 (Nathan MacKinnon).
* Nathan MacKinnon (14 in 19 GP) leads a group of 10 players on pace to score at least 50 goals in 2025-26. Only two seasons in NHL history have concluded with a double-digit total of 50-goal scorers: 1992-93 (14) and 1981-82 (10).
* The NHL features 13 players with at least a dozen goals at this stage of a season for the second time in three seasons (also 13 in 2023-24). Only three campaigns since 1999-00 have more: 2006-07 (17), 2018-19 (14) and 2009-10 (14).
* MacKinnon (14-19—33 in 19 GP), Macklin Celebrini (13-17—30 in 20 GP) and Connor McDavid (9-21—30 in 21 GP) are three of the NHL’s 30-point scorers approaching the quarter mark and three of 13 players on pace to reach the 100-point mark in 2025-26, which would tie the third most in a single season in League history and most since 1992-93 (21; most).
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There are 307 games to play before final rosters are due for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 (Dec. 31, 2025). A look at how some of the players who have already been named to preliminary rosters are faring through the first quarter of the season:
Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche / Team Canada (1st Olympics)
* Makar leads NHL defensemen in assists (19; tied) and points (25) this season (19 GP), including a point in all 10 road games (active streak). Makar hit the 400-game mark Oct. 16 and had the third-most points in League history by a defenseman at that stage of his career.
David Pastrnak, F, Boston Bruins / Team Czechia (1st Olympics)
* Pastrnak has the third-most goals among Czech players in NHL history – and needs only seven to climb into second place on that list – and has ascended the Bruins’ all-time goals list in 2025-26 (needing one more to take sole possession of fifth place). On Nov. 11, he became one of the fastest players born outside North America to reach 400 NHL goals.
Nikolaj Ehlers, F, Carolina Hurricanes / Team Denmark (1st Olympics)
* Ehlers has a team-leading 12 points since Oct. 20 for the first-place Hurricanes and now sits only four from passing Frans Nielsen (306) for the most assists by a Danish player in NHL history. Ehlers (229-303—532) already holds the benchmark for goals and points. Ehlers will return to Winnipeg to face his former team on Friday.
Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars / Team Finland (2nd Olympics)
* Heiskanen ranks fourth in points among defensemen and shares the League lead among blueliners with 13 points so far this month – aided by four consecutive multi-point games from Nov. 6-11. He recently became the third-fastest Finnish defenseman to hit 300 NHL points and is set to also rank third among blueliners from the country for points through 500 career games.
Tim Stützle, F, Ottawa Senators / Team Germany (1st Olympics)
* Stützle, who leads the Senators with 10 goals and 19 points in 2025-26, is one of 46 players averaging a point per game this season (min. 10 GP). Stützle (2022-23) and Leon Draisaitl (7x) are the only German nationals to end a season averaging at least a point per game (min. 25 GP).
William Nylander, F, Toronto Maple Leafs / Team Sweden (1st Olympics)
* Nylander has found the score sheet in all but one game this season and leads the Maple Leafs with 9-18—27 (17 GP) – the highest point total by a non-Canadian so far in 2025-26 (tied with Finland’s Mikko Rantanen: 9-18—27 in 20 GP). He matched the best 17-game start by a Swedish player in 18 years – a benchmark that includes his 2023-24 campaign (12-15—27).
Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks / Team USA (1st Olympics)
* Hughes owns an active stretch of three consecutive appearances with at least three assists – tied for the longest run by a defenseman in NHL history. Despite missing five games, Hughes (1-19—20 in 16 GP) ranks third in points among defensemen (and shares the lead in assists among that cohort) and became the first player in Canucks history with 10 assists during a three-game span.
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Oilers forward Connor McDavid, Bruins forward Morgan Geekie, as well as the Hurricanes and Avalanche are among the NHL EDGE standouts as we reach the quarter mark of the season. An updated NHL EDGE site was launched prior to the 2025-26 season with overall leaders, individual team and player pages. Click here to visit the NHL EDGE site.
* The Hurricanes have finished among the top two teams in their division in each of the previous five seasons and approach the second quarter of the campaign first in the Metropolitan Division standings (13-5-1, 27 points). That consistency can be found in their territorial game, where the Hurricanes rank first in all strength offensive zone time (45.8%) and least time spent in the defensive zone (36%). They also hold the same ranks at even strength: offensive zone time (46.2%) and defensive zone time (34.9%). Carolina has led the League in both categories in every season of NHL EDGE tracking (since 2021-22).
* Geekie scored a career-high 33 goals in 2024-25 and sits tied for ninth in the NHL with 12 goals approaching the second quarter. Geekie is the only forward to record a shot over 100 mph in 2025-26 (103.03 on Nov. 11) and the only player at any position to hit triple digits multiple times this season (also 100.86 on Oct. 27).
* No player has skated faster, or more miles, than McDavid as we hit the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season. A four-time winner of the NHL All-Star Skills Fastest Skater competition, McDavid has staked his claim as the fastest player in the NHL again so far this season. McDavid has the top max speed in 2025-26 (a career-best 24.61 mph on Oct. 8) and a League-leading 166 speed bursts of 20+ mph (including 36 times when he reached 22+ mph – 18 more than the next closest skater).
* McDavid has skated a League-leading distance of 87.15 total miles so far in 2025-26, while averaging 10.64 miles per 60 minutes. McDavid’s distance skated so far this season is comparable to approximately three and a half marathons.
* The NHL’s top team, the Avalanche (13-1-5, 31 points), are also the League’s most explosive skating team according to NHL EDGE tracking. Colorado players have combined for 681 speed bursts over 20 mph, ranking first in the NHL. Two of their star players have had a key role in the speed numbers, with Nathan MacKinnon (122) ranking second to McDavid in 20+ mph speed bursts and Cale Makar (48) ranking fourth among defensemen in the same category. Makar has also recorded the top max skating speed by a blueliner this season (23.68 mph).
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Storylines are aplenty throughout the NHL’s second quarter, including 11 head-to-head divisional matchups upon return from the Christmas break and the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park in Miami – the first-ever NHL outdoor game to be played in the state of Florida, with the Rangers visiting the two-time reigning Stanley Cup Panthers
