Blue Line Buzz: A Matter of Time

It's funny how that works. Just as fantasy owners began to lose patience with the two-time 40-point scorer, Krug managed to get on the board. He's not the only one to start the season on a cold streak, though.

The following list of top defensemen who have yet to score a goal reads like an all-star team, and like Krug, it'll only be a matter of time until they score:

Right through the wickets to force OT. @troystecher picked the perfect time for his first NHL goal. pic.twitter.com/BH8SmBlG8l

— #HockeyFightsCancer (@NHL) November 14, 2016

Through his first seven NHL games, Stecher is averaging close to 20 minutes of ice time. With Chris Tanev out of the lineup and the team in search of an offensive spark, Stecher has answered the bell, providing dynamic offensive play from the back end and solidifying the team's right-side defense. The undrafted 5-foot-10 Stecher and 6-foot-8 Russian import Nikita Tryamkin are quickly transforming Vancouver's blue line with their youthful presence:

6'8 Nikita Tryamkin headpats 5'10 Troy Stecher on his first NHL goal https://t.co/mbmWuxKmWG#canucks#rocketandgroot#somuchwin

— Jason Chen (@jasonchen16) November 14, 2016

Don't forget about Arizona's Anthony DeAngelo, who scored his first career NHL goal earlier this past week on a broken play against Colorado. Acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay in a draft-day deal, the 2014 first-round pick scored 89 points in just 55 games in his final season in the OHL, and his offensive potential could even exceed Oliver Ekman-Larsson's with his explosiveness and elite skating ability. What DeAngelo and Stecher both have in common is their willingness to take risks and make plays, and while there will certainly be some mistakes, their gambits have been a net positive for their respective teams. You'll be hearing about them a lot more in the future.

The NHL is in a fantastic position because the league has never featured more talent and there's more coming from the AHL, including another Canucks prospect, Jordan Subban, who currently sits third in scoring among defenseman with 11 points in 11 games, although his defensive play has been very suspect. Just ahead of him is 22-year-old Brandon Montour, who has scored 12 points in 10 games for Anaheim's AHL affiliate, and 69 points in his past 69 AHL games. There's also Dallas' Julius Honka (10 points), Washington's Madison Bowey (9), Minnesota's Gustav Olofsson (9) and Mike Reilly (7), and Detroit's Robbie Russo (6) who are making strong cases for an audition in the show, hopefully in the near future.

Top Five Studs of the Week:

Kevin Shattenkirk, Blues – The team didn't fare so well, but Shattenkirk was the exception, posting an even rating despite allowing 13 goals this past week, and even managed to add a goal and four assists in his past four games.

Shea Weber, Canadiens – He continues to be a force with the man advantage, scoring three power-play goals in his past four games. He's now accounted for six of the Habs' 11 power-play goals, which would surely rank near the league's bottom without him.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Sharks – His fantasy upside isn't very high because he's not an elite scorer, but he's capable and dependable and help snapped the Sharks' 0-for-14 power-play drought Saturday against the Lightning. The Sharks have won three straight to start their six-game road trip, and that includes impressive wins against Tampa Bay and Washington.

Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs – He scored four points in a 6-3 win against Philadelphia, making a big statement after a 7-0 trouncing by the Kings. He followed that up with a minus-3 dud against Pittsburgh, but the Leafs were no match for the reigning champs and were playing the second half of a back-to-back. Being a 22-year-old franchise defenseman for one of the most scrutinized teams in the league isn't easy, but he seems to be managing quite well.

P.K. Subban, Predators – He's back! Subban's goal and assist has sparked a three-game winning streak for the Predators, and now with James Neal and Filip Forsberg finding their groove the points should start piling up. After a tough start, the Predators now sit just three points back of second place in the division.

Top Five Duds of the Week:

Dougie Hamilton, Flames – Oh, Dougie. Hamilton's horrendous two weeks — four losses, minus-10 rating, zero points — caused him to fall off The Big Board. The Flames have been uncharacteristically awful, and Hamilton has played less than 16 minutes in each of his past two games, a major drop after he averaged over 19 in his previous five games. Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie are in a similar boat, and Dennis Wideman's already been a healthy scratch for nearly half the season, making the Flames one of the most disappointing teams in the league to date.

Rasmus Ristolainen, Sabres – This wasn't the giant leap forward the Sabres were expecting this season. Mired in a four-game losing streak, Ristolainen finished the week with a minus-3 rating and zero points, despite playing 29:57 against Ottawa and 27:15 against New Jersey in the second half of a back-to-back. Due to various injuries, the Sabres are once again leaning heavily on Ristolainen, but right now he's not producing like he was last year.

John Carlson, Capitals – Just when things were picking up offensively for Carlson, the Caps were beat by the Sharks and Hurricanes by a combined score of 8-1. One was a potential Stanley Cup opponent, and the other was clearly inferior. He has just six assists this season, which is hard to fathom given the firepower on the Caps' top six and power play.

Dustin Byfuglien, Jets – He's not worried about the lack of goals, as long as the Jets are playing well. He's right — he shouldn't be, and they've won four of their past six — but his 0-0-0 stat line for the week is making fantasy owners search for tables to bang their heads on. Furthermore, Big Buff was the only top-10 defenseman that failed to register a single point this past week.

Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo, Blues – Last week it was Ben Hutton and Erik Gudbranson, and this week it's the Blues' top pair that's been beaten up. The two combined for a minus-14 rating as the Blues find themselves in the midst of a three-game losing streak, most recently at the hands of the Blue Jackets in an 8-4 butt-kicking. It can't get any worse than this.

Recommended Pickup:

Damon Severson, Devils – He's back on track with a two-assist effort against Buffalo on Saturday, snapping a three-game drought. Severson now has 11 points in 14 games this season but doesn't draw much attention because he plays in the swamp (see: Taylor Hall). That said, it truly looks like the Saskatchewan native is on the verge of a breakout in his third NHL season.

The Big Board:

^ = stock rising
˅ = stock dropping