The biggest winners and losers after Week 1 of the NHL 2023/24 hockey season

The first week of the 2023-24 NHL season is in the books.

Although the teams have only played a couple out of an 82-game schedule, the games showed which teams are the real deal while also giving some playoff-contending teams some concerns.

Let's take a look at some winners and losers after Week 1 of the 2023-24 NHL season:

Winners of NHL Week 1

#1, Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and are one of the best NHL teams on paper.

Vegas ended up playing three games in the first week and went 3-0. The Golden Knights outscore opponents 12-3 as Vegas appears to be a Cup favorite again.

#2, Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks started the season with a home-and-home against the Edmonton Oilers. Vancouver was expected to be a borderline playoff team, so if they could split those two games, it would be a success.

However, Vancouver went out and won both them, outscoring Edmonton 12-4 as the Canucks are off to a 2-0 start and sent a message to the Western Conference.

#3, Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins saw Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire, and many thought they would take a step back this season.

However, Boston went out and won both of their games, defeating the Chicago Black Hawks and Nashville Predators. Although neither are playoff teams, it still was two good performances from Boston.

Losers of NHL Week 1

#1, Edmonton Oilers

The biggest loser of Week 1 of the NHL season was the Edmonton Oilers, who lost both games against the Vancouver Canucks.

Edmonton entered this season as a Cup favorite but had question marks in the net. In the first game, the Oilers lost 8-1 as Jack Campbell was pulled, and in the second game at home, Edmonton lost 4-3 to Vancouver. The question of goaltending is still prevalent.

#2, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning dealt a blow, as its starting goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, will be out for the first two months of this season. In the first game, Tampa Bay beat Nashville, and Jonas Johansson looked good.

However, in two games since, the goaltending has struggled as Tampa Bay is now 1-2 to begin the year. If Johansson or Matt Tomkins can't pick it up, it could be two months for the Lightning.

#3, Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres were a trendy pick to make the playoffs, as they have a good young core. However, the Sabres are 0-2 and have been outscored 8-3 in two games.

Devon Levi has been shaky at times, and if he struggles, the Sabres may need to go out and add a goalie.