NHL offseason acquisitions making an early impact in 2025-26

The first quarter of the 2025-26 season has delivered a plot twist nobody saw coming: the summer’s quieter signings and swap-meet trades are outshining the headline-grabbing blockbusters. While the marquee names still fill building banners, it’s the fresh faces in new sweaters who are tilting divisions, reviving power plays and, in one case, threatening to drag an after-thought roster into the playoff picture. Below, we spotlight the acquisitions already paying off—and what their hot starts signal for the months ahead.

Chris Kreider powering the Pacific-leading Ducks

Anaheim’s gamble on 34-year-old Chris Kreider looked like a nostalgia tour; instead it’s become the engine of a surprise first-place surge. Through 15 games the ex-Rangers winger has 10 goals and 14 points, pacing toward a career-best 54-goal campaign. His 55.2 expected-goals share leads all Ducks skaters, and only sophomore Mason McTavish is generating high-danger chances more often. Even when Kreider’s 29-percent shooting cools, the veteran’s net-front gravity is freeing ice for Trevor Zegras and company—exactly the structure the league’s youngest forward group lacked last spring.

Victor Olofsson: Colorado’s late-August steal

Signed for a bargain $1.5 million after a quiet market, Victor Olofsson has slid seamlessly onto Colorado’s second line and revived a power-play unit that slipped to 18th in 2024-25. The Swedish sniper is producing 2.74 points per 60 at five-on-five—third among all Avalanche forwards—while his 62.7 xG% hints the production is sustainable. With six goals and 15 points in 19 games, he is on a 65-point pace that would shatter his previous career high of 49.

Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller: Carolina’s twin injections

The Hurricanes paid up—six years, $45 million for Ehlers; an eight-year extension for Miller—but both moves already look shrewd. Ehlers shook off an early shooting drought to record 12 points in 19 games, driving play at a 59-percent expected-goals clip and giving Rod Brind’Amour the elite transition winger he coveted. Miller, meanwhile, has eight points in 13 contests and, more importantly, trimmed the reckless puck decisions that plagued him on Broadway. His 51-percent controlled-entry rate leads Canes blue-liners, freeing Brent Burns for heavier offensive usage.

Jonathan Toews: Winnipeg’s feel-good story with teeth

A two-year health battle had many wondering if Jonathan Toews would ever play again; the Jets bet a one-year, $2 million contract that he could still drive match-ups. Ten games in, Captain Serious has five points, a 54-percent face-off mark and, per Natural Stat Trick, a 53-percent expected-goals share against top competition. His comeback reached a crescendo on Oct. 30 when he scored in his first game back in Chicago, earning a 90-second standing ovation and then the game-winning assist in overtime. The Jets are 7-2-1 when Toews dresses; his veteran savvy is accelerating a young room that reached only the fringe of last year’s playoff race.

Mitch Marner: Vegas’ new conductor

Toronto’s decision to sign-and-trade Marner to Vegas on July 1 was the summer’s loudest transaction. Early returns suggest the Golden Knights will happily pay the $10.9 million AAV: Marner has 20 points in his first 18 games, including six multi-point efforts. He is skating 21:17 a night—second among NHL forwards—and his 12 primary assists are already tops in the Pacific. Jack Eichel is shooting 3.5 times more per game with Marner on his right, and the power play has jumped from 19th to 4th league-wide. Regression models project a 94-point pace, but even that would surpass Vegas’ internal projection of 88.

Anthony Mantha and the Penguins’ fountain of youth

Pittsburgh entered the season pegged for a rebuild; instead the club sits third in the Metro at 10-5-4. Kyle Dubas’ one-year, $1 million flyer on Anthony Mantha is a microcosm of the Penguins’ early magic. Returning from an ACL tear, Mantha has five goals and 14 points in 19 games while averaging 2.35 points per 60, second only to Sidney Crosby among Pens forwards. A 23-percent shooting clip will taper, but his 6-foot-5 frame has created space for Evgeni Malkin’s line to breathe, and the secondary scoring has kept the Crosby line from seeing every shutdown pair.

Rookie wall? Not for Matthew Schaefer

Technically an acquisition via the draft, No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer is forcing the Islanders—yes, those Islanders—into the wild-card discussion. The 18-year-old defenseman already has 15 points in 19 games and is logging 22:31 a night. New York owns 50.5 percent of expected goals when he’s on the ice; that number plummets to 44 percent when he sits. If Schaefer keeps up a 65-point pace, he won’t just run away with the Calder—he’ll become the first blueliner to crack 60 points as a teenager since Tyler Myers in 2010.

What it means for the playoff race

The ripple effect is already visible. Anaheim and the NY Islanders—preseason bottom-five picks by oddsmakers—hold playoff seeds on American Thanksgiving, historically a 75-percent indicator of April qualification. Carolina’s additions have the club within striking distance of the Metro lead despite a spate of goalie injuries, while Winnipeg’s resurgence puts Central heavyweights Dallas and Colorado on notice. Even Pittsburgh’s veterans look rejuvenated, proving one shrewd under-the-radar signing can stall a rebuild overnight.

History says some of these shooting percentages will regress, but underlying metrics (xG%, scoring-chance rates, point-per-60 efficiency) suggest most names above are simply finding ideal ecosystems. If the production holds even at 80 percent of current clips, the 2025-26 trade deadline could look radically different: usually-sellers like Anaheim and Utah may pivot into buyers, while preseason contenders feeling pressure (looking at you, Toronto) could be forced into aggressive hockey-ops meetings.

Keep an eye on the next 20 games; the standings set by early January often cement GMs’ risk tolerance. For now, the smartest summer bets are speaking louder than the biggest contracts, proving once again that in the NHL’s salary-cap era, fit beats flash—and timing is everything.