"Been too long" - Paul Bissonnette names his two biggest surprise performers of 2023/24 NHL season so far

The NHL season of 2023-24 has been full of surprises and the performances of the Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets have been particularly impressive.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Paul Bissonnette expressed his excitement over the success of these Canadian teams, stating:

“Canucks & Jets two biggest surprises so far this season. Awesome to see more Canadian teams having success.”

The Vancouver Canucks have been performing well, with a record of 22-9-3 and they have won seven out of their ten games. Their offensive strength is evident from their average of 3.76 goals per game, while their solid defensive efforts have limited opponents to 2.47 goals against them.

The Canucks power play success rate of 24.2% and penalty kill rate of 77.1% have also played roles in their success.

Likewise, the Winnipeg Jets have been catching everyone’s attention with their record of 20-9-3, including five wins in their last seven games.

The Jets have been scoring an average of 3.41 goals per game and have also been strong defensively, allowing 2.53 goals per game. While their power play could use some improvement at 18.2%, their penalty kill has been reliable at 75.0%.

"It would be awesome to see the cup come north of the border. Been too long,” Bissonnette added.

Bissonnette’s comments resonate with hockey fans eagerly anticipating the Stanley Cup’s return to Canada.

It has been some time since a Canadian team last won the cup and the performances of both the Canucks and Jets this season have sparked renewed optimism that the drought may finally come to an end.

The 2023-2024 NHL season so far

As we approach the halfway mark of this NHL season, the Boston Bruins have firmly established themselves as a dominant force in the Atlantic Division, holding a record of 19-6-6. Over in the Metropolitan Division, the New York Rangers have taken charge with a record of 22-8-1.

Meanwhile, leading the way in the Central Division are the Winnipeg Jets. In the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights lead with a record of 21-8-5.

Aside from team accomplishments, individual performances have also shined this season. Nathan MacKinnon has the highest number of assists in the league, with 35.

Nikita Kucherov sits atop the points leaderboard with a total of 57 points. When it comes to goal-scoring prowess, Auston Matthews is in the lead with netting 26 goals so far this season.