3 NHL teams that have exceeded expectations so far in 2023 ft. Vancouver Canucks 

A month has passed in this NHL season, and teams are starting to figure out if they are a playoff contender.

Entering this season, many fans thought they had a good idea of how teams would fare. But, throughout the month, some teams have surprised most with their starts.

Let's take a look at three NHL teams that have exceeded expectations:

3 NHL teams that have exceeded expectations

#1, Vancouver Canucks

No team has surprised more in the beginning of this season than the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks missed the playoffs last year and were expected to miss them once again. However, to begin the year, Vancouver is firmly in second place in the Pacific Division with 12-4-1.

Vancouver has been led by Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and JT Miller, who all have 27 points and are tied with each other for the NHL lead in points.

The Canucks have an 83.3% chance of making the playoffs, according to their current odds.

#2, Boston Bruins

Boston is first in the Atlantic.

Boston was a surprise team last year, as the Bruins finished with the best record in the NHL. The team then lost Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement, and many expected Boston to take a step back and potentially miss the playoffs altogether.

However, that is far from the case, as the Bruins are 12-1-2 and in first place in the Atlantic and the Eastern Conference and second in the entire NHL.

According to the current odds, Boston has a 96.2% chance of making the playoffs.

#3, Washington Capitals

Washington is second in the Metro.

With many expecting them to miss the playoffs again, the Washington Capitals entered this season.

The Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018 but are a much older team now and will likely be entering a rebuild very soon. However, Washington is off to an 8-4-2 start and is in second place in the Metro Division.

But, despite the hot start, the Capitals have just a 38.5% chance of making the playoffs, according to the odds.