Canada’s Best NHL Team: Why the Surprising Canadiens Can’t Dethrone the Jets

0 Sara Smith October 24, 2025

The 2025-26 NHL season is underway, and the battle for Canadian supremacy is already heating up. While powerhouse teams like Edmonton and Toronto grab headlines, the two most impressive clubs north of the border are the high-flying Winnipeg Jets and the shockingly good Montreal Canadiens. The Jets, last year’s President’s Trophy winners, are picking up right where they left off, boasting only one loss. But the real story is in Montreal, where the youngest team in the league sits atop the Atlantic Division.

So, who is really the best team in Canada right now? While the Habs are a fantastic story, my money is firmly on Winnipeg. Let’s break down why the Jets remain the class of the North, and why Montreal’s incredible start makes them a dangerous contender.

The Winnipeg Jets: A President’s Trophy Juggernaut

Let’s be clear: nothing against the Montreal Canadiens, but the Winnipeg Jets are operating on another level. This is a team that knows its identity and knows how to win in the regular season. Their established, all-star veteran core is firing on all cylinders. Connor Hellebuyck is his usual self between the pipes, Mark Scheifele is off to a great start, and Kyle Connor is proving his worth.

What impresses me most is their collective play. This team has faced early injury problems without even blinking. The reason? Their statistical dominance. The Jets rank in the top five in goals, goals against, the power play, AND the penalty kill. That’s not just good; it’s elite. They are a well-oiled machine that is showing early on why they are the class of Canada.

Don’t Sleep on the Montreal Canadiens

Now, let’s talk about the Habs. It’s amazing that the youngest group in the NHL is even part of this conversation, but they’ve earned it. They’ve taken full advantage of teams like the Senators and Maple Leafs stumbling out of the gate.

There is no identity crisis in Montreal. They know they’re fast, they know they’re skilled, and they’re playing a “connected” game. What’s driving their success? Their offense is coming from their defense, which leads the league in point gathering from the blue line. They defend as a five-man unit and are getting tremendous goaltending from unexpected sources like Jakob Dobes. The Canadiens don’t know how good they can be yet, but they’re playing with a poise that no other team in the East has shown.

While the Oilers, with McDavid and Draisaitl, and the Leafs, with Matthews, are always a threat, they haven’t shown the consistency of the Jets or the surprising dominance of the Habs. For now, the Jets are my top pick, but the Canadiens have made the race for the North far more exciting than anyone predicted.