The NHL Frozen Frenzy on Tuesday is that rare and joyous occasion when all 32 teams are in action on the same day.

It begins with the Washington Capitals at the Philadelphia Flyers (6 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+) and rolls all the way through the Los Angeles Kings at the Vegas Golden Knights (11 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+). Games start at 15-minute staggered start times to maximize puck consumption on NHL Power Play on ESPN+ (available to all ESPN+ subscribers), and there's a whip-around show bringing you action from all 16 matchups.

That's a lot of hockey.

Which teams are worth your time and attention, not only during the Frozen Frenzy but during the 2024-25 season?

It turns out, all of them -- for various factors. Here are reasons to watch all 32 teams this season, from superstar players to teams with championship aspirations to controversial storylines to one historic record chase playing out in Washington, D.C.

Here we go, and enjoy the Frenzy.

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Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins

The hulking defense

The Bruins swear that size didn't matter when building their blue line, that they were just targeting the best players that fit their needs. It just so happens that the defense they've built could be the Boston skyline: They signed 6-foot-6 defenseman Nikita Zadorov this offseason to join Brandon Carlo (6-5), Hampus Lindholm (6-4), Mason Lohrei (6-5) and Andrew Peeke (6-3) in the depth chart. Charlie McAvoy, their No. 1 defenseman, finds himself looking up to his teammates at a mere 6-1.

Zdeno Chara is gone, but apparently his spirit lives on with the Bruins.

Buffalo Sabres

Can they end the playoff drought?

There's only one team in the "big four" sports leagues that has experienced the kind of postseason drought the Sabres are experiencing: The hapless New York Jets, who last made the playoffs in 2010. The Sabres' last appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs was in 2011, making this the longest postseason dearth in NHL history.

Optimism was high before the season, with burgeoning stars such as Tage Thompson and the return of long-time head coach Lindy Ruff -- incidentally, the last man to coach Buffalo to the playoffs. The results aren't there yet, but there's a lot of talent on this roster. They've got to be a playoff team at some point, right? Right?

Detroit Red Wings

It's still "Showtime"

Some believed Patrick Kane's career might have been over after hip resurfacing surgery in 2023, a procedure that other NHL players had undergone only to return as a shell of themselves. But the former league MVP had a resurgent season for the Red Wings in 2023-24, with 27 points in 50 games.

The 35-year-old Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, signed a one-year deal with Detroit to bring "Showtime" back to the Motor City again. He's the third highest-scoring American player in NHL history (1,286 points) behind Brett Hull (1,391) and Mike Modano (1,374).

Florida Panthers

Seeking a repeat performance

The Panthers won their first Stanley Cup championship last season with a team that had scoring talent, aggressive physicality and more than a little attitude courtesy of stars such as Matthew Tkachuk. Florida returns the majority of that roster this season in search of a second straight championship, and why not?

Both the Penguins and the Lightning have won back-to-back championships since 2016. The Lightning also made the Stanley Cup Final in three straight seasons from 2020 to 2022, an Eastern Conference three-peat that the Panthers are trying to match this season.

They're out of the gate strong so far, despite missing star center Aleksander Barkov for most of it.

Montreal Canadiens

The thrill of Lane Hutson

Sometimes you just have to listen to the crowd when a player touches the puck. When Hutson has it on this stick at Bell Centre, you can hear the buzz and see people straighten up in their seats as the rookie defenseman starts smoothly skating through each zone. His offensive creativity is like a personal highlights studio. His defense ... well, he's a rookie defenseman, so that can sometimes add its own form of excitement.

The bottom line: Few first-year players will make you tune in this season the way Lane Hutson will.

Ottawa Senators

Linus Ullmark, franchise goalie

For years, the Bruins had the best goaltending tandem in the NHL with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. But nothing lasts forever ... especially when both goalies wanted to play upwards of 55 games and the Bruins had roster needs under the constraints of the salary cap.

So Ullmark was traded to the Senators, clearing the way for Boston to sign Swayman to an eight-year contract extension and a $8.25 million annual cap hit. Three days later, Ullmark signed an extension of his own: four years and the same $8.25 million cap hit. The Senators had the league's worst goaltending last season. Can Ullmark turn that around and turn the Senators into a playoff team?

Tampa Bay Lightning

The best line in hockey?

One of the offseason's biggest stories was when the Lightning let longtime captain Steven Stamkos leave as a free agent in favor of signing former Penguins star Jake Guentzel, who is four years his junior. Guentzel slid into Stamkos's old spot on Tampa Bay's top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, an MVP finalist last season.

He might have made a great thing even better: Through four games, the trio was averaging 6.8 goals per 60 minutes and surrendering just 1.2 goals per 60 defensively.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Mitch Marner and the murky future

Marner, 27, has been a member of the Leafs' core of star players since entering the league nine seasons ago. He's a dazzling offensive player, a Selke Trophy-nominated defensive player and a play-driving winger ... in the regular season. As Toronto has experienced a lack of playoff success, much of the fans' frustrations has been focused on Marner's lack of postseason impact.

He's in the last year of his contract. Will the Leafs re-sign him? Will they trade him? Does he walk away as a free agent? As usual with the Maple Leafs, there's no shortage of drama.

Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes

The Brind'Amour aesthetic

During Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour's 20-season NHL career, he was good at pretty much everything: Tallying points, excelling defensively to the tune of two Selke Trophies and making an impact on special teams. It's said that some teams take on the personalities of their coaches, and that's true here: last season, Carolina was eighth in offense, fourth in defense, first on the penalty kill and second on the power play.

Even with some downgrades in their lineup during the offseason, to watch the Canes is to watch a team that's pretty great in all facets of the game. And like their coach when he was a player, one of those facets is how hard Carolina is to play against, a hallmark of Rob the Bod's six season behind the bench.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Playing through the grief

The answer here should have been Johnny Gaudreau. It's still hard to process that this remarkable athlete was taken from us way too soon, as the 31-year-old Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles on Aug. 29 in New Jersey. The Blue Jackets have memorialized Johnny Hockey in a dozen ways this season, from helmet stickers to keeping his locker room stall unoccupied to making their player of the game award a "donkey head hat," as Gaudreau loved calling people "a donkey."

Young standouts like Adam Fantilli, Yegor Chinakhov, Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson should all get their player of the game moments this season, reminding us that the future in Columbus is bright while honor the legacy of Johnny Gaudreau.

New Jersey Devils

Torrid expectations

Two years ago, the Devils looked poised to challenge for the Stanley Cup. Last season, that poise morphed into volatility, as New Jersey dropped 31 points in the standings and finished seventh in the Metro Division in a season filled with injuries, underperformance and dashed expectations.

No team was more aggressive in trying to fix its flaws than the Devils after last season: Rebuilding their goaltending with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen; adding veteran defensemen like Brett Pesce; building out their forward depth; and hiring former Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe. After last season's low, expectations are sky-high again. Will the Devils deliver?

New York Islanders

The Bo and Barzal Show

The Islanders' two most accomplished offensive players are forwards Bo Horvat (33 goals last season) and Mathew Barzal (80 points in 80 games). They played the majority of the time on the same line last season, and coach Patrick Roy has them together again this season.

New York isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut (22nd in the NHL in goals per game last season) so Horvat and Barzal will have to shoulder a good chunk of the scoring load on a team that's expected to be around the playoff bubble.

New York Rangers

Time for Shesterkin to break the bank?

The Rangers have one of the best goaltenders on the planet in 28-year-old Igor Shesterkin. They know it. Igor knows it. His agents know it, too. As a slew of star goaltenders signed contract extensions recently, the Rangers and Shesterkin couldn't come to terms on one before the season ahead of unrestricted free agency next summer.

Reports claim he rejected an $88 million contract offer from the Rangers, which would have made him the highest paid NHL goalie of all time. Watching Shesterkin continue to raise his price with all-star level play -- or potentially lower it if he unexpectedly struggles this season -- is part of the intrigue on a very talented Rangers team this season.

Philadelphia Flyers

Michkov Mania

The Flyers haven't had an offensive rookie as talented as forward Matvei Michkov since Claude Giroux arrived on the scene in 2008-09. It could be argued that the Flyers haven't had an offensive rookie this hyped since Eric Lindros arrived in 1992-23. Michkov has already shown flashes of the dynamic offensive game that had fans buying his jersey before he even played a preseason game for the Flyers.

There will be a learning curve for the 19-year-old phenom, but curmudgeonly coach John Tortorella has said he doesn't plan on crushing that creativity.

"I'm not interesting in turning him into a checker," the coach said. "We are starving for the types of instinctive plays that he can make."

Pittsburgh Penguins

The band plays on

Sidney Crosby (37), Evgeni Malkin (38), Kris Letang (37) and Erik Karlsson (34) are all still trying to pry the Penguins' contention window open in their NHL sunset years. Although try telling that to Malkin, who started the season with 11 points in seven games; or Crosby, who remains one of the top centers in the NHL.

If Pittsburgh makes the playoffs, it would be on the backs of this fab four. Let's enjoy them while we can.

Washington Capitals

The Gretzky chase

Heading into Tuesday, Alex Ovechkin was just 41 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time career goals mark, and officially becoming the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history. Every goal he scores this season is one critical step closer to a moment that will transcend hockey.

The Capitals are fully embracing the chase, to the point where they've secured a "presenting partner of Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of all-time NHL goal scoring record," who will sponsor an in-arena goal tracker that'll update the margin between the Great One and the Great 8.

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks

The Connor Bedard Show, Year 2

Bedard is the franchise savior for the Blackhawks, whose dynasty crumbled in the 10 seasons since their last Stanley Cup win. As an 18-year-old rookie, Bedard captured the Calder Trophy with 61 points in 68 games, including 22 goals, hitting the highlight reel with frequency.

In Year 2, Bedard has more offensive talent around him like Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi. Expect Bedard to put on a heck of an encore performance, en route to superstardom -- if he's not there already.

Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar goes for 100 points

Makar has accomplished plenty in his six-year NHL career: Rookie of the year, the Norris Trophy as top defenseman, a Stanley Cup championship and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Thanks to injuries and truncated seasons, one milestone has eluded him: Scoring 100 points in the regular season. It's a feat accomplished by just six defensemen in NHL history, most recently Erik Karlsson in 2022-23.

With 12 points in his first six games, Makar is making an early offensive statement for the Avs.

Dallas Stars

Is this the year?

The last two Western Conference finals matchups included the Dallas Stars. The last two Stanley Cup finals did not feature the Dallas Stars. Hence, this team is determined to get over the playoff hump to the Cup Final.

Despite two subsequent trips in 2000 and 2020, the Stars have only won the Stanley Cup once, in 1999. With a team stacked with established stars (Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin), players in their prime (Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen) and young reinforcements (Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven) in front of franchise goalie Jake Oettinger, the mix might be right for the Stars to finally shine the brightest this season.

Minnesota Wild

Flower's farewell tour

One NHL veteran that's skating off into the sunset is goalie Marc-Andre Fleury of the Wild, who signed a one-year contract extension in April and declared that his 21st season would be his final trip around the league.

He's no longer the Vezina Trophy-caliber goalie he was five seasons ago, but he remains one of the NHL's most charismatic stars -- as will be evidenced by the farewell fanfare he receives away from Minnesota this season.

Nashville Predators

Stamkos, Marchessault in their Nashville era

The Lightning walked away from Steven Stamkos. The Golden Knights didn't offer Jonathan Marchessault the contract he was seeking. So both franchise icons became free agents and found the same new hockey home: Nashville, which saw an infusion of star power, scoring pop and championship pedigree as a way to level up in the Western Conference.

Will it work? The early returns haven't been great for the Preds, who didn't win once in their first five games, but everyone probably needs some time to get acclimated.

St. Louis Blues

Thomas, Kyrou try to recapture the magic

Throughout their NHL careers with the Blues, forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have been linemates or have been dispersed through the lineup to balance the team's offense. Coach Drew Bannister has made it clear early in the season that he'd like to see them more together than apart.

When they're both clicking, there only a handful of duos more dynamic than Thomas and Kyrou in the West.

Utah Hockey Club

New NHL city, reenergized NHL players

When the Arizona Coyotes ceased to exist, and the franchise was relocated to Salt Lake City, they left all of their history and stats back in Tempe. Ryan and Ashley Smith essentially own a new NHL team ... albeit one with a roster of players who were Coyotes last season.

It's been exhilarating to watch the Utah Hockey Club -- a placeholder name for this season before an official moniker arrives in Year 2 -- as offensive talents like Dylan Guenther, Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley are energized by big crowds, enthusiastic fans and not having to worry about where the team will play next season. They want to put on a show for fans just getting into the NHL, and the early returns have been promising.

Winnipeg Jets

Are the Jets for real?

The Jets have begun the 2024-25 season as the best team in the NHL. They were tied for the league lead in scoring (4.80 goals per game) and were second in team defense (1.60) thanks in part to their goaltending tandem of Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie. This was a 110-point team last season, and they want to show that was no fluke. New head coach Scott Arniel has built on the consistency of their defense by unlocking something in their offense.

It's early, and their schedule has been friendly, but Winnipeg has looked impressive. It's very refreshing to see at least one pro sports team named the Jets find their game this season.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks

Leo Carlsson

He's 19 years old, 6-foot-3 and a total delight. The No. 2 overall pick in 2023 had his time limited through load management as a rookie, but he's being unleashed upon an unsuspecting NHL this season. Look no further than his overtime game-winner against Utah earlier this season, when Carlsson collected a loose puck, outraced his opponents and undressed Connor Ingram for the goal:

He's got size, skill, a high hockey IQ and has compared his game to that of Evgeni Malkin and Aleksander Barkov. Time will tell if he ever gets to that lofty status, but he's a key to the next wave for the Ducks and the NHL as a whole.

Calgary Flames

Take the keys out of the tank's ignition?

While some believe tanking doesn't exist in the NHL, there have certainly been front offices that constructed their rosters in a way to maximize their draft lottery odds. The Flames would appear to be in such a position, what with the exodus of talent over the last three seasons.

But GM Craig Conroy has rejected the T word, saying that the Flames are a "retool on the fly." That means, in theory, keeping veteran players like Nazem Kadri around rather than trading them for future assets. Again, in theory -- but the early returns suggest he's on to something: the Flames are 4-0-1 entering Tuesday, atop the Pacific.

Edmonton Oilers

Scaling the mountain again

Many expect the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup this season because their hunger to win one became even more insatiable after losing to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Final last season. That loss came after a rally from a 3-0 deficit in the Final; after they rallied to eliminate Vancouver in the second round after seven games; and after they turned their regular-season around from an early-season disaster to a conference championship.

But last season showed what a perilous, arduous climb it is to reach the championship summit -- star center Connor McDavid's emotional breakdown in the dressing room after Game 7 was evidence of that emotional investment. Can Edmonton scale that mountain again on an expedition led my generational talents like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? Or will the climb prove to be too steep this season?

Los Angeles Kings

Kopitar's still got it

It's hard to own the corner of "37-year-old star center still playing at an MVP level within the context of his team" when Sidney Crosby is still in the NHL. But Anze Kopitar is once again making his case.

The two-time Selke Trophy winner crested over 70 points in each of his last two seasons and has started strong for L.A. this season -- right when they needed him most, with fellow long-time Kings star Drew Doughty out of the lineup for months with a fractured ankle. The Kings have some significant offensive talent on the roster. Kopitar is still showing them how it's done.

San Jose Sharks

Macklin Celebrini, rookie sensation

Celebrini, 18, was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Boston University. He arrives in the NHL as the centerpiece of a multi-year rebuild in San Jose, a franchise that's now seven seasons removed from championship contention.

He's been out since their season opener with a hip injury, and is considered week to week. But he is skating again, which is great news for Sharks, who have already seen flashes of his offensive wizardry.

Seattle Kraken

Joey Daccord, the People's Goalie

OK, so he's not the best overtime celebration hugger. That only makes Daccord more endearing to Kraken fans, who have embraced the former Arizona State University goaltender as their guy.

Of course, it helps when Daccord rewards that affection on the ice, like when he had a .916 save percentage last season to earn a new five-year contract. Daccord has started strong in his encore campaign for Seattle, a franchise now in its fourth NHL season.

Vancouver Canucks

The Petey panic

"Let's talk about Elias Pettersson." "What's the deal with Canucks' Elias Pettersson?" "How concerned should the Canucks be about Elias Pettersson?"

That's just sampling of the headlines in the last week regarding Vancouver's star center. A slow start (two assists in five games) coupled with a 13-point decline offensively last season and one goal in 13 playoff games have made the 25-year-old star the subject of much conjecture. He's in the first year of a massive eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension. Will Pettersson calm fears with another dominant offensive season or are they warranted?

Vegas Golden Knights

Jack Eichel, All-American

Ever since he arrived in Las Vegas in 2021 -- and had the surgery that the Buffalo Sabres refused to allow him to have -- Eichel has been one of the best two-way centers in the NHL. He's 11th in the league over the last three seasons in points per game (1.06) among centers. His defensive game was at the forefront when Vegas won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2023.

Now in his 10th season, Eichel is the Golden Knights' key offensive player -- and could serve the same role for Team USA in this season's 4 Nations Faceoff and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Toni Kroos has said he wasn't tempted to delay his retirement to link up with Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid, admitting it "wasn't easy" to tell coach Carlo Ancelotti he'd decided to leave the club.

Midfielder Kroos won 23 trophies in a decade at Madrid -- including five Champions Leagues -- before retiring last summer, after competing with Germany at Euro 2024.

The 2014 World Cup winner was able to end his career on a high, aged 34, after winning a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.

"The decision didn't depend on if a player was arriving or leaving," Kroos told Marca when asked if he'd considered staying at Madrid to play with Mbappé, who agreed a five-year contract in June.

"It was my decision. I knew Mbappé was coming, and I'm glad he did, because he's going to help the team. He could have come two years ago, but now he's finally here. But Mbappé didn't affect my decision."

Kroos described how he broke the news to Ancelotti, who coached the midfielder in both of his two spells in charge of Madrid.

"It was really hard for me to tell Carlo," Kroos said. "He was hoping that I would continue, and we had, and have, a really good relationship. He was my first coach here, and it wasn't easy to tell him, but everything in life comes to an end.

"I knew he wouldn't get angry, but that he'd be a bit sad. It wasn't easy for me either, because something that had been very special was ending. I tried to choose a good moment ... And I was lucky that we won LaLiga by a distance, and I said: 'Now!' Because there was the perfect time, between LaLiga and the Champions League final."

"After 10 years, everyone knows me very well," Kroos added. "And they know that if I've taken a decision and thought it through, there's no turning back. The boss [Ancelotti] said to me: 'You're German, there's nothing to be done, right?'"

Kroos' No. 8 shirt has been passed on to Federico Valverde, who now has the task of replacing his influence in midfield.

"I love [Valverde] as a person and as a player," Kroos said. "I believe in him and that's why I gave him the No. 8, I think it could be good for him. Now he has to take the responsibility of playing and taking the risks I took on the pitch. It's his turn, and I think he can do it."

Former Manchester United forward Diego Forlán is set to make his ATP Challenger tennis debut in the doubles competition at the Uruguay Open next month.

The former Uruguay international will play alongside Argentinian Federico Coria, ranked 101 in the ATP singles.

The tournament, which is part of the ATP Challenger Tour, the second-highest tier of tennis competition, will take place from Nov. 11 until Nov. 17 in the country's capital, Montevideo.

Uruguay Open tournament director Diego López confirmed that Forlán has accepted an invitation to play in the tournament.

"I have his confirmation that he wants to play, he has been preparing for some time, training a lot in tennis," he said. I think he deserves this opportunity and give him this mutual satisfaction. Of course I'm talking about our beloved Diego Forlán."

Forlán, 45, retired from football in August 2019 having played also played for Villarreal, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan.

He won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2010 World Cup, where Uruguay reached the semifinals.

Forlán picked up tennis again in 2023 having played the sport as a child.

"My father played football and after retiring at the age of 41 he started playing tennis," Forlán said. I started [playing tennis] when I was two.

"Then it is known that I dedicated myself to football before dedicating myself to this sport as often as I do now."

Roma legend Francesco Totti has claimed that Serie A teams are still calling him to see if he would return to professional football, adding that he thinks it would take two to three months of training to return to playing fitness.

Totti, 48, retired from football in 2017 having spent his entire career with Roma, playing 786 times and scoring 307 goals for the Giallorossi.

"There were Serie A teams that called me. I admit that they made me think a little, a little crazy," Totti said. "It would be difficult, but in life you never say never.

"There are players who have played many years after the end of their career. It also depends on where you play, with all due respect, but if I were to return to Serie A I would have to train really well."

The 2006 World Cup-winner said he would refuse to play for Roma's bitter rivals Lazio were they to stake a claim for his services.

"Lazio? I wouldn't even consider it," he said. "I'd be ready in two to three months -- I'm still playing at 48. If I had to do something crazy, I'd do it in Italy, not abroad, but it is crazy."

Totti, who earned 58 caps for Italy, also said that retirement was not his choice.

"When you turn the page you never know what awaits you. It wasn't my choice, but in that moment it has to be experienced differently from the context," he said.

"Maybe that's also why I've had that thing inside me. It's true that there's a beginning and an end to everything. I didn't want it and so that window remained open."

Roma have endured a difficult start to the 2023-24 campaign, sacking fellow club stalwart Daniele De Rossi after failing to win any of their first four league games.

They are 10th in the standings, with Ivan Jurić having won two of his four domestic games since taking the helm.

We are still only two gameweeks into the new 36-team, one-group UEFA Champions League format, but it has already caused quite a stir.

Change can be difficult to process for soccer fans, especially to longstanding mechanisms in the game, and this latest one has been seismic. In fact, it has ripped up the very fabric of the competition. Whether you like or hate the changes at this early stage, everyone can agree that it still feels a bit weird. But the key question is whether the pushback we're seeing from fans is a product of typical, initial resistance that will eventually soften, or something deeper.

Here, we'll take each of the major criticisms that we've seen levelled at the new tournament format (which you can see explained here) and try to assess whether they are truly valid, or just a signal of unfamiliarity that will eventually become accepted as time wears on.

1. "It's uncompetitive."

There were some incredible games across the first two gameweeks. To namecheck a handful of them: Aston Villa and Lille stunned Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively; 10-man Juventus roared back to beat RB Leipzig 3-2; and Arsenal dispatched Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 with unerring confidence.

There were also some outright drubbings. Dinamo Zagreb were thrashed 9-2 by Bayern; Slovan Bratislava lost 5-1 to Celtic, then followed it up with a 4-0 loss to Manchester City; Celtic went on to lose 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund; while Swiss minnows Young Boys have lost 3-0 to Villa and 5-0 to Barcelona.

For some teams, it has been a brutal start. In the first 36 games, there have been nine wins by a margin of 4+ goals (and there were eight in the first 27 games), which dwarves the numbers we've seen in the last five editions of the Champions League across the first two matchdays (two, four, four, five, three). This has led to suggestions that the new format has become less competitive, but there's a couple of things worth bearing in mind here.

First, two gameweeks is a very small sample size. You can get hints from them, but rarely is it advisable to draw conclusions -- anyone who works with data would call you mad for doing so. Second, the teams we've namechecked on the wrong end of these scorelines are no strangers to this sort of thing.

Take Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. They finished last in their group in 2022-23, and last in 2019-20. They qualified for the 2016-17 edition and didn't score a single goal, while conceding 15 to Lyon, Juventus and Sevilla. The year before that, they beat Arsenal 2-1, but lost 3-0, 2-0, 5-0, 1-0 and 2-1 in the other games.

Young Boys have also perfected the art of finishing bottom of a Champions League group, doing so the last two times they qualified in 2021-22 and 2018-19. While Serbia's Crvena Zvezda, who were beaten 10-2 over two games against PSG in 2018-19, lost their group games by an aggregate score of 9-0 to Bayern and Tottenham in 2019-20. Even Celtic, an iconic European name, finished bottom of their group the last three times they've qualified before this season, twice conceding 15 times across their six games and losing 9-0 on aggregate in both games against Barcelona.

All of this is to show, in the context of the scale of European football, that the good teams are still good, and the bad teams are still bad. And bad teams have always been present in the Champions League.

Yes, scorelines have flared up earlier than usual this season, and it will be interesting to see if that's simply a small sample size or indicative of the fact the tournament has grown from 32 to 36 teams this year, widening the depth of talent from top to bottom. But in the entirety of the group stage in 2022-23, there were 16 thrashings by 4+ goals, and 14 the year before that, -- so we'll have to see if the trend continues.

As with any dataset, there have also been some anomalies. Young Boys, who are 36th in the UCL table with a -8 goal difference, won the Swiss Super League in 2024 and beat Galatasaray over two legs in qualifying, but are bizarrely bottom of their domestic league this year with just six points from nine games. So you would expect their form to turn around at some point. Meanwhile, included in the list of nine 4+ winning margins so far is Benfica's 4-0 destruction of Spain's third-best team Atlético Madrid. Nobody would have predicted that result before the game. So this might be the biggest clue of all that we'd be wise to wait and see what unfolds before rushing to judgement.

VERDICT: Wait and see

2. "Losses don't matter."

Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atlético Madrid have all lost one of their opening two games. Meanwhile, AC Milan and RB Leipzig have lost both of their games so far and are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Crvena Zvezda in the bottom third.

This is bad. Yet the reaction from fans hasn't been, which suggests many aren't convinced the losses are that costly at this stage. Given the increased number of games and early feel to the table, no single result feels terminal right now. But fortunately, video games can give us a reference point of what will be required to make the top eight automatic spots.

"Football Manager" baked the new Champions League format into their game two years ago, giving us thousands of simulations to draw upon, and it showed that teams are highly likely to require a minimum of 15 points. There's a chance that figure could even creep to 16 or 17, too. So if we take 16 as the middle target, that means you need to tick along at an average of two points per game to make it.

Now reconsider the fact that Bayern have already lost to a Pot 4 side (Villa), and face Barcelona, Benfica and PSG in the months to come. Add to that the fact Real Madrid have lost to a Pot 3 side (Lille) and have Dortmund, AC Milan, Liverpool and Atalanta on the horizon. That means there is already very little margin for error for these two titans, as they've already dropped three points and are still due to play two Pot 1 fixtures and two Pot 2 fixtures.

Consider the points target, the fixture list and the ground already lost ... and these early losses take on a different complexion.

For Europe's established juggernauts, the old Champions League group stage was often about getting to 10 points and then assessing what was needed to finish top and secure a (theoretically) easier knockout draw. Now, it's a war of attrition against 10+ foes; if you can't churn out the wins now, you might pay for it in February.

VERDICT: Unfair

3. "It's a goals-scored competition."

There's no escaping that a single 36-team table looks bizarre. However, splitting it horizontally into four sections helps massively when it comes to outlining the different qualification zones and where teams stand.

But one curious complaint from fans is the accusation that the Champions League has turned into a competition that rewards the number of goals scored. That's likely because the top seven in the table are all on six points and are separated by goal difference and goals scored right now.

This is clearly another quirk of the fact we're only two gameweeks into the campaign; it is highly unlikely that even one team wins all eight games -- let alone seven of them.

In the old format, with eight different groups of four, no-one would have batted an eyelid if seven teams won their opening two fixtures because they weren't being directly compared together. As ever, points gained will be the real separator, with goal difference kicking in to divide a handful of clubs if needed.

It's also worth highlighting that an incentive to score as many goals as possible is actually good for the game. Fans love seeing goals and, as illustrated earlier, we are seeing plenty right now.

While the table may not make pleasant reading for those whose clubs find themselves in a difficult position, neutrals should be encouraged by the fact that three of the seven perfect teams (Brest, Villa, Bayer Leverkusen) weren't even in the Champions League last season. It's fresh, it's different, and it piles pressure on those who have not started well.

VERDICT: Unfair

4. "There are too many games."

The most disappointing aspect of this new format for some fans is how it has added more games to an already stacked calendar.

There are now eight matches instead of six in the group stage, and any team placing 9th to 24th will have to play twice more in a playoff to reach the Round of 16. Ultimately, those teams will have played 10 games to get there -- whereas in the old format, it would have been just six. And, in the event a playoff team go on to win the Champions League, they'll have played 17 games in total -- which would have been just 13 last year.

Furthermore, every team will play twice during the transfer window in January. And that is just weird.

It's a lot. And it comes at a time where some players have openly spoken about the possibility of going on strike due to the number of games. Indeed, Manchester City's Rodri and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois have confirmed that the players' union, FIFPRO, have filed a legal claim against FIFA on this matter.

Perhaps the true driving force for this was the unveiling of the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, set to take place in summer 2025, alongside regulations designed to stop clubs leaving their best players at home. But UEFA sneaking extra games into the new Champions League format will have been a factor too.

This one is pretty much indefensible.

VERDICT: Fair

5. "Playing eight different opponents is too much."

The old group-stage format gave teams just three opponents to play twice, home and away. Now it's eight opponents and they're all different; there's no return fixture to consider, a much longer list of fixtures to remember, and more of a carbon footprint involved in getting to them all.

The positive is that it adds great variety to the fixture list. If UEFA's goal was to remove early elements of repetition in games and create a more overarching continental feel to teams' experiences in the tournament, they've certainly hit that brief.

The negative is that it leaves fans unable to benchmark their team's potential progress to the knockout stages early on, as it's very difficult for anyone to figure out who they're supposed to be competing with in the table. There's also something odd about a league of teams whose points tallies compete against each other, but who don't all play against each other. Perhaps some fans also miss the "grudge match" element of a return fixture in a group too, which is forever gone now.

VERDICT: Wait and see

6. "The draw was terrible."

For those who were sceptical of the new format, watching an abomination of a draw process won't have helped one bit. Clearly, the new format is more technical to draw out and far less suited to UEFA's traditional method of broadcasting.

But what we witnessed was a mess that was so tough to follow, even Cristiano Ronaldo consistently slamming a giant button over and over again couldn't save it.

UEFA can't conduct the draw privately and relay the results later, as there would inevitably be accusations of fixing, but they have a year to figure out a different way to make the draw broadcastable. The first effort was shocking.

VERDICT: Fair