Debate about the best team from Canada until the end of the season

The Winnipeg Jets have had a spectacular start to the 2024-25 season. They are 8-0-0 heading into their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canada Life Center on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; Prime), shown exclusively in Canada on “Prime Monday Night Hockey.”

The Jets did it on both ends of the ice. They average 4.50 goals per game, second in the NHL behind the Vegas Golden Knights (4.67). With 2.00 goals per game, they are tied with the New York Rangers behind the Dallas Stars (1.89).

Forwards Kyle Connor (six goals, four assists), Mark Scheifele (five goals, five assists) and Nikolaj Ehlers (four goals, six assists) each have 10 points and 14 players have scored at least one goal. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck picked up where he left off last season: 6-0-0 with a 1.66 goals-against average, .940 save percentage and one shutout. The Jets were the class of the NHL through the first two weeks of the season and also the best of the seven Canada-based NHL teams.

The team from Canada with the second-best record to start the season is the Calgary Flames, who are 5-2-1 after a 5-3 loss to the Jets on Saturday. The Vancouver Canucks are 4-1-2, the Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers are each 4-4-1 and the Ottawa Senators are 4-4-0.

But it doesn't matter how you start. This is how you finish. The Oilers were a perfect example last season, starting 2-9-1 before turning their season around and reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

While it's hard to argue against the Jets being the best Canadian team at the start of the season, we asked seven NHL.com writers and editors which one will end up being the best.

Here are their answers (in alphabetical order by team):

Edmonton Oilers

Best when the season is over? The Edmonton Oilers. Yes, it's a recency error, but this team came within a whisker of winning the Stanley Cup after a terrible start last season. It boasts two of the best players in the world, forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and the superstars have enough complementary strength to lead Edmonton to another run. But watch out for the Maple Leafs. Expect an adjustment period with Craig Berube, a new coach with a new approach, and they have strengthened their defense with Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. If they can pull it off and play Stanley Cup playoff-style hockey with Auston Matthews and Co., how about an Edmonton-Toronto Stanley Cup Final to settle that question? — Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Granted, the Oilers haven't had the great success this season that you might have expected, but keep in mind that they started 2-9-1 last season and were still playing on June 24, the final day of the postseason. When you're one win away from winning the Stanley Cup and ending Canada's 31-year championship drought, expectations are high for an encore. I still believe the Oilers are playing very well this season. McDavid is the tallest player in the world and a five-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy. McDavid, Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins give the Oilers a strong 1-2-3-4 offensive punch. When played to their potential, Edmonton's special teams are special indeed. Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm and Brett Kulak are beasts in defense and goalkeepers Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard can be used in a healthy balance by coach Kris Knoblauch. Yes, 2023-24 was then and 2024-25 is now, but the Oilers' flirtation with a championship last season showed this group a lot, and there's no better teacher than unfinished business. — Dave Stubbs, columnist