Top NHL Storylines From Week 1 of 2026-27: Marchenko, Barkov & More

The first week of the 2026-27 NHL season is in the books. From trades to trade rumors to goalie goals, it was an eventful seven days. Let’s look at the top storylines from the week that was.

Marchenko & Knies Trade

Perhaps the biggest news from the NHL’s first week of action was the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets linking up on a trade involving Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies, among other pieces. That trade went through on Sept. 28, a day before the puck dropped on the regular season.

It’s early, but the initial returns have been positive for both teams. Marchenko recorded a goal and an assist in his first three games with the Maple Leafs, while Knies has two goals and four points in his first two games with the Blue Jackets.

It’s rare to see big trades happen right before the regular season begins, but the Blue Jackets seemed to be at a point of no return with Marchenko. It’s clear he did not want to remain in Columbus, and getting Knies was about as good a return as they could have hoped for. It’ll be interesting how these two players impact their new teams as the season progresses.

Barkov Injured Again

Aleksander Barkov has had some rough injury luck the last two seasons. He missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his ACL during the offseason. Unfortunately, he suffered another leg injury in the 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks last week.

The Panthers placed Barkov on long-term injured reserve this weekend, though they seem optimistic that his latest injury won’t be season-ending. But because he’s on LTIR, he’ll be out for at least the next 10 games, and possibly beyond. Head coach Paul Maurice said Barkov will see team doctors today (Oct. 5) and that the team will see what they have to say.

Barkov’s injury last season played a part in the Panthers missing the playoffs. That’s not to say they’ll miss the postseason again, but they will likely feel his loss if his injury keeps him out for an extended period. In an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division, they will need him back sooner rather than later.

Marchand Returns From Offseason Surgery

Even though the Panthers will be without Barkov for at least 10 games, another key player, Brad Marchand, returned from injury. He made his season debut in the team’s game against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 4 and scored the game-tying goal late in the third period to help the Panthers earn an overtime point.

Losing Barkov may sting, but Marchand can help replace some of Barkov’s production, at least offensively. Judging by last night’s game, Marchand showed no signs of rust. He should give the team a boost to begin the season.

Oilers Goaltending

The Edmonton Oilers are off to a good start, going 2-0-1 across their first three games. But their goaltending has already been a storyline. They gave up six goals in an overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks and allowed seven in a 9-7 win over the Canucks a couple of nights later.

The numbers haven’t been pretty, either. Tristan Jarry allowed 4.35 goals above expected in the loss to the Canucks, while Devon Levi allowed 3.32 goals above expected in the 9-7 win.

Levi was much better in the team’s 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday (Oct. 3), but the Oilers’ goaltending became a storyline right out of the gate. Fortunately, they’ll probably be able to outscore their goaltending on most nights. But there will be games when their goaltenders need to make saves to get a win, especially down the stretch.

Shesterkin Goalie Goal

Goalie goals are always fun because how often do we see them? In a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Igor Shesterkin got in on the fun and scored an empty-net goal to ice the game. He corralled a stray puck and launched it the length of the rink:

In addition to the goal, Shesterkin also added an assist in the Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday evening. That assist also came on an empty-net goal, putting him on pace for 28 goals and 56 points. He might lead the Rangers in scoring at this rate, too.

Dylan Larkin Booed

The Detroit Red Wings used to be the gold standard of the NHL, but they’ve fallen on hard times we haven’t seen since the pre-Russian Five days. Those hard times resulted in Dylan Larkin requesting a trade from the Red Wings during the offseason.

But because the Red Wings haven’t hired a new GM, Larkin remains with the club to begin the 2026-27 season. Fans voiced their displeasure with Larkin during team intros of their home opener last week:

Larkin deserved what he got from Red Wings fans, but the team needs to find a resolution sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, that probably won’t come with interim GM Shawn Horcoff. And Larkin’s situation is only the tip of the iceberg in Detroit.

Edvinsson Prefers Trade Out of Detroit

In this season’s first edition of Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman reported that Red Wings restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson prefers a trade out of Detroit. For those who may have missed this storyline, Edvinsson remains unsigned and is currently back in Sweden skating while he awaits a new contract.

That contract could come with another team, but the Red Wings have some leverage since he’s an RFA. They don’t have to trade him, and they obviously prefer to sign him. He looks like a promising top-four defender and played well with Moritz Seider last season.

Edvinsson’s situation is just another example of the dysfunction in Detroit right now. Most pundits project the Red Wings as a lottery team in next year’s draft, and the multiple distractions they’ve begun the season with certainly won’t help. Plus, you never know what other storylines develop if the team slides to the bottom of the standings. These are tough times in Detroit, to say the least, and you feel for their fans the most.

It was a busy first week of the 2026-27 NHL season. It’ll be interesting to see what storylines develop as the action heats up over the coming weeks.

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