Having reached the quarter mark of the 2017-18 season, it's time to review our preseason expectations of each team, see how they match up with reality and project what to expect the rest of the way.
Anaheim Ducks
Expectation: In the hunt for a sixth consecutive Pacific division crown
Reality: Tied for fourth-last in the Western Conference
Injuries have hit the Ducks hard, especially on the blue line and to the team's top two centers, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, who have been replaced with journeymen Chris Wagner and Derek Grant. Consequently, the Ducks rank 29th with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 45.11, according to Puck On Net.
Looking ahead: The Ducks will struggle to stay within striking distance of the playoffs even after Getzlaf and Kesler return in the new year.
Arizona Coyotes
Expectation: A noticeable improvement but still outside the playoff picture
Reality: Tied for last in the NHL
New coach Rick Tocchet struggled early, the new and improved top four took time to jell, new goalie Antti Raanta has struggled with injuries, and too few of the team's abundance of young talent took a meaningful development stride forward. Arizona ranks last in most statistical categories.
Looking ahead: The Coyotes are 4-2-1 in their past seven, but this might already be another lost season.
Boston Bruins
Expectation: Fighting for the last wild-card spot
Reality: Fighting for the third Atlantic division spot
The Bruins were hit hard by injuries to several top forwards, and Tuukka Rask has struggled in goal, but they have been saved by backup Anton Khudobin and the team's depth of young talent.
Looking ahead: The Bruins will continue to battle for the last playoff spot.
Buffalo Sabres
Expectation: Competitive but outside the playoff picture
Reality: Tied for last in the NHL, with one win in their past 10 games
Devastating injuries to an already questionable blue line have left first-time NHL coach Phil Housley in an almost impossible situation. The Sabres are competing with Arizona for last in most statistical categories.
Looking ahead: Buffalo could become the NHL's first team to finish 31st.
Calgary Flames
Expectation: A legitimate playoff team but not a home seed
Reality: Tied for the final wild-card position
Calgary is an average team boosted by a single player, Johnny Gaudreau, who has scored or assisted on almost half of the team's goals and has twice as many points as any other Flame except linemate Sean Monahan.
Looking ahead: Thanks to Johnny Hockey, Calgary should maintain a better-than-even chance of making the playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes
Expectation: Fighting for the last wild-card spot
Reality: Four points back of the last wild-card spot
The Hurricanes rank fourth in the NHL with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 53.46, but their 15.6 power-play percentage ranks 28th, their 77.8 penalty-killing percentage ranks 22nd, and their .899 save percentage ranks 25th.
Looking ahead: It will be an uphill struggle, but the playoffs are within reach if their percentages improve.
Chicago Blackhawks
Expectation: Ranged from Stanley Cup contender to simply a solid playoff team
Reality: Barely hanging on to the last wild-card spot
After opening the season by crushing Pittsburgh and Columbus by a combined score of 15-2, the Blackhawks have been a fairly average team, with an even goal differential in the time since. Corey Crawford has been outstanding in goal, and Chicago ranks fifth with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 53.41.
Looking ahead: Although no longer Stanley Cup favorites, the Blackhawks should remain a solid playoff team.
Colorado Avalanche
Expectation: Draft lottery team
Reality: One point back of a wild-card slot in the West
Colorado has a thin blue line, under-performing goaltending and an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 47.08 that ranks 27th. Trading Matt Duchene for picks and prospects early this season could be an indication that they are planning to rebuild anew.
Looking ahead: Colorado should start to fade into a draft lottery position.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Expectation: A solid playoff team
Reality: First in the Metropolitan and 7-1-0 in their past eight games
Columbus ranks third in the NHL with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 53.74 and third with 2.36 goals allowed per game, thanks to another Vezina Trophy-caliber season from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
Looking ahead: Columbus could be a Stanley Cup contender, if it can find some more scoring.
Dallas Stars
Expectation: Opinions were mixed, but the Stars were generally seen as a playoff team once again and even a Stanley Cup dark horse.
Reality: Currently in a wild-card position
The Stars are a top-heavy team. Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, Jamie Benn and defenseman John Klingberg have combined for 87 points, almost as many as the rest of the team, which has 95. They'll need more of a secondary scoring threat to remain in the playoff mix.
Looking ahead: Dallas is a wild-card team but with potential for far more.
Detroit Red Wings
Expectation: Conventional wisdom had them last in the Eastern Conference, but some statistical models had them in the wild-card mix.
Reality: Fourth in the Atlantic division
Detroit is an otherwise average team boosted by special teams success. Their power-play percentage of 21.8 ranks eighth, and their penalty-killing percentage of 84.1 ranks fourth.
Looking ahead: The pessimists were wrong about Detroit, which is a legitimate wild-card contender.
Edmonton Oilers
Expectation: Conventional wisdom had them as Pacific division champions and Stanley Cup contenders, but statistical models had them fighting for a wild-card spot.
Reality: The Oilers are tied for 29th overall
Lack of scoring depth is often cited as the cause of Edmonton's disappointing season so far, but the Oilers are also without their top defenseman, Andrej Sekera, who is recovering from knee surgery, and they rank 27th with a team save percentage of .897.
Looking ahead: To make the playoffs, the Oilers will have to play at an even greater pace than they did last season the rest of the way.
Florida Panthers
Expectation: Competitive but outside the playoff picture
Reality: Tied for 29th overall
The Panthers will need every break to get into the wild-card race, but first-time NHL head coach Bob Boughner is struggling to get the special teams working. Florida has a power-play percentage of 15.9, 26th in the NHL, and a penalty-killing percentage of 75.6, 28th in the NHL.
Looking ahead: The Panthers will remain outside the playoff picture.
Los Angeles Kings
Expectation: Just outside the wild-card race
Reality: Tied for first in the Pacific division
Everything has been going right for Los Angeles, including a bounce-back season from Anze Kopitar, great goaltending, a league-best 89.3 penalty-killing percentage and a surprising comeback season from Dustin Brown. However, the Kings are 3-6-1 in their past 10 games.
Looking ahead: The Kings might not hang on to the top spot, but they should make the playoffs.
Minnesota Wild
Expectation: In the mix for the Central division title
Reality: Two points out of the last wild-card spot
Statistically, the Minnesota Wild are a pretty average team in most regards, without any standout area or individual players. The exception to that is a top pair of Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon upon whom the Wild heavily rely to play the tough minutes.
Looking ahead: The Wild should remain a factor in the Western Conference wild-card race.
Montreal Canadiens
Expectation: A solid playoff team
Reality: Tied for 12th in the Eastern Conference
Not much has gone right for Montreal this season. Most notably, Carey Price has struggled in goal, which isn't ideal for a team that ranks second-to-last with 2.36 goals per game. However, it's quite remarkable that a team with the third-worst goal differential of minus-20 is still within two points of a playoff spot.
Looking ahead: Montreal has the talent to perform far better than this.
Nashville Predators
Expectation: Mainstream opinion had them winning the Central division title, but statistical models had them fighting for a wild-card spot.
Reality: Second place in the Central division
With a 10-1-1 record in their past 12 games, the Predators have lifted themselves from a tie for 19th overall to a tie for third. They rank third in both the power play, at 25.8 percent, and killing penalties, at 84.3 percent. Pekka Rinne's .928 save percentage is just shy of his career high of .930, set in 2010-11.
Looking ahead: The more optimistic views appear to be correct.
New Jersey Devils
Expectation: Competitive but last in the Metropolitan division
Reality: One point back of first in the Metropolitan division
It's always hard to set expectations for a team on which half the lineup has less than one full season of NHL experience, but the Devils have outperformed even the most optimistic projections. However, their modest goal differential of plus-4 and their significant out-performance of their shot-based metrics both suggest that their results have been boosted by a few good bounces.
Looking ahead: The Devils will fade, possibly out of the playoff race, as the season progresses.
New York Islanders
Expectation: Just outside the wild-card race
Reality: One point back of first in the Metropolitan division
With a 7-1-0 record in their past eight games, the Islanders have lifted themselves into legitimate playoff contention. Their league-leading 11.8 shooting percentage has helped them average 3.67 goals per game, which also ranks first.
Looking ahead: Given that just four points separate first place in the Metropolitan from the last wild-card spot, the Islanders will have to stay hot to make the playoffs.
New York Rangers
Expectation: An Eastern Conference wild-card playoff team
Reality: One point out of a wild card spot
Statistically, the Rangers are an average team in almost every regard. However, that might not be good enough for a playoff spot in the tough Metropolitan division.
Looking ahead: It could be a nail-biting season for the Rangers, who have missed the playoffs only once since the 2005 lockout.
Ottawa Senators
Expectation: On the losing end of the playoff wild-card race
Reality: Tied for third-to-last overall
A puzzling six-game skid in which they were outscored 21-8 has dropped Ottawa from sixth overall to a tie for 29th. The Senators now have an .892 save percentage, which ranks 28th.
Looking ahead: There's no need to panic -- yet.
Philadelphia Flyers
Expectation: A small step out of the wild-card race
Reality: Last in the Metropolitan division
Winless in nine games, the Flyers have knocked themselves well out of a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan division. Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere have combined for 103 points -- 10 more than the rest of the team combined. They need to build a secondary scoring threat.
Looking ahead: The Flyers could miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1993-94.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Expectation: First overall and a third consecutive Stanley Cup
Reality: Hanging on to the last wild-card spot
Sidney Crosby got off to a slow start, with just 13 points in the first 19 games, and a league-worst minus-14. Crosby is tied for the league lead with 12 points in seven games since then, but the Penguins are still struggling to put up points.
Looking ahead: Despite their perceived vulnerability right now, the Penguins should not be taken lightly.
San Jose Sharks
Expectation: Conventional wisdom had them fighting for a Western Conference wild-card spot, but they were beloved by statistical models.
Reality: Third in the Pacific division
San Jose's games are very low-scoring, averaging the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.61) and the fewest goals against (2.17). If defense wins championships, then watch out for the Sharks, who rank second to the divisional rival Kings in save percentage, .924, and in penalty-killing percentage, 88.3.
Looking ahead: With a little more scoring, the Sharks could win the division.
St. Louis Blues
Expectation: One of the Western Conference wild-card playoff teams by mainstream opinion but a possible division champion in statistical models
Reality: Second overall in the NHL
By any measure, the Blues are one of the top two teams in hockey right now. In terms of shot-based metrics, they rank first with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 55.05.
Looking ahead: The Blues could contend for the President's Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Expectation: First in the Atlantic division by mainstream opinion but more middle-of-the-pack in statistical models
Reality: First overall in the NHL
Fueled by top-line duo Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, who have combined for 71 points in 24 games, lights-out goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy and the second-best adjusted Corsi for percentage in the league, 54.31, the Lightning have positioned themselves as the team to beat.
Looking ahead: Tampa Bay is the favorite for the President's Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Expectation: A playoff home seed and a dark horse Stanley Cup contender
Reality: Second place in the Atlantic division
The Maple Leafs rank fourth with 3.50 goals per game and sixth with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 52.58. In any other division, they might have a shot at the crown.
Looking ahead: The team's preseason assessment remains correct.
Vancouver Canucks
Expectation: Fighting Vegas for last in the Pacific division
Reality: One point out of a wild-card spot
First-time NHL coach Travis Green's youth movement got the Canucks out of the gate with a 6-3-1 start, but they have fallen to 5-7-3 since then.
Looking ahead: Although improved, Vancouver might simply lack the talent to remain in the wild-card mix much longer.
Vegas Golden Knights
Expectation: Not horrible but certainly near the bottom of the league
Reality: Tied for first place in the Pacific
Almost unbeatable at home, Vegas has weathered constant goaltending injuries to climb its way to the top spot in the division. It's remarkable that James Neal has 19 points in 23 games, but it's even more remarkable that four of his teammates can match or exceed that total.
Looking ahead: This won't last forever. The questions are when and how far the Knights will fall.
Washington Capitals
Expectation: In the mix for the Metropolitan division title once again
Reality: In a wild-card position
Up against the cap ceiling, the Capitals had some tough decisions to make about whom to keep and whom to let go. Now merely an average team, Washington has fallen from a plus-84 goal differential in 2016-17 to minus-3 so far this season.
Looking ahead: The Capitals might be playing the first round of the playoffs on the road for a change.
Winnipeg Jets
Expectation: Conventional wisdom had them just short of the Western Conference wild-card race, but some statistical models had them as a solid playoff team.
Reality: Tied for third overall
After years of waiting, all of the team's young talent is finally coming together. However, great goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck is partly covering up the fact that the Jets' shot-based metrics are merely average. They rank 15th with an adjusted Corsi for percentage of 50.17.
Looking ahead: The Jets should remain in the playoff picture.