Neutral Zone Wrap: Blackhawks Up

Neutral Zone Wrap
Evan Berofsky, RotoWire.com

There are many rules to follow in fantasy, but one stands out at the beginning of a season: don't jump the gun. Mother Superior may have been successful doing so, but this strategy generally leads to a long cold lonely winter. Whether it be the excitement resulting from immediate success or concern over a slow start, one would be wise to temper early expectations.

At the same time, stay alert. If you're not following the latest player developments and trends, then you may be left with slim pickings on the waiver wire. It is perfectly fine to do your shopping during live NHL games; if you're fortunate to be first on the latest fringe player to pot a hat-trick, then kudos to you. Just don't swap out a better long-term commodity, unless you work in a week-to-week setup or need the help right away.

And these types of overreactions aren't limited to individuals, as initial team returns also get overrated. Going into action Monday, three clubs boast undefeated records in regulation while two remain winless. For our standard team review, we will cover four of these five examples (sorry, Edmonton, we already know why you're terrible) while the quintet is rounded off with a surprisingly sucky squad. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to separate the truth from the hype:

(Stats as of Monday October 20th)

The terms 'Chicago Blackhawks' and 'frontrunners' are synonymous, so it shouldn't be a shock to see them an OT loss to Calgary away from perfection. But not everything is rosy in the Second City, as marquee acquisition Brad Richards (no points) has failed to show any spark centering the third line (although he's averaged 3:31 power-play minutes). Andrew Shaw had already supplanted Richards as the second line pivot in preseason and is cementing his promotion (two goals, assist, team-leading 12 hits). People should stop referring to Brandon Saad (three assists) as a 'sleeper' after his solid 2013-14 (47 points, plus-20 in 78 games). No need to worry about Marian Hossa (one goal), as his place among the top six is all but guaranteed. Continue avoiding marginal contributors like Niklas Hjalmarsson (two assists) and Johnny Oduya (one goal) unless either of the two main D-men (Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook) goes down.

New coach, new philosophy in Washington. Barry Trotz brings his defensive approach to the Capital, but that doesn't mean 1-0 or 2-1 scorelines will become the norm. Troy Brouwer (goal, three assists) continues as the reliable power complement for the main attractions. Andre Burakovsky (no relation) may only be 19 but he's already found himself in a starring role (two goals, three assists). It would be nice if Evgeny Kuznetsov received more ice time (only averaging just over 11 minutes) but you can't argue with the returns (three assists, two of them on the PP). Time will tell if Joel Ward (two goals, assist) can come close to repeating last season (49 in 82) but he can still fit in as a serviceable offensive piece. Even being 'relegated' to the second man-advantage unit has not affected Mike Green (two goals, three assists), pairing up well with ex-Penguin Matt Niskanen (two assists).

After the major summer shakeup, very few expected Nashville to fly out of the gates. And it isn't star offseason acquisition James Neal (one goal) who is leading the way. Betcha didn't think Washington castoff Filip Forsberg (goal, four assists) would be top of the table. Fellow youngsters Craig Smith (goal, two assists) and Colin Wilson (two assists) have chipped in to the cause. Even old timers like Mike Ribeiro and Derek Roy (each with three points) are fantasy-relevant again. Ultimately, the Preds' success relies upon Pekka Rinne, who missed most of the previous campaign after hip surgery. And from what he's shown so far (1.23 GAA, .949 SV% and a shutout in five), prospects are once again pointing in the right direction.

The Hurricanes aren't intimidating, especially when missing key personnel. First, Jordan Staal (done until 2015) broke a leg in exhibition. Then, big bro Eric Staal (out another week) got his bell rung in Long Island. And breakout blueliner Andrej Sekera (may miss one more match) almost had his shoulder separated from his body. In the meantime, Riley Nash (goal, two assists) and Victor Rask (zero in four) are filling in as the lead centers. Thankfully, Jeff Skinner (another concussion) is returning to the lineup. If the 'Canes recover their losses quickly, work their goalie platoon optimally (Anton Khudobin a step ahead of Cam Ward) and can balance out Chris Terry's dashing debut (three goals and an assist) with Elias Lindholm's sophomore setback (one assist, only four SOG), then there may be hope.

One of the many preseason favorites in the West (and for the Cup), Colorado has definitely achieved below expectations. No one on the roster has done anything of note - and that applies at all positions. Up front, there's no bigger absentee than multi-category stud Gabriel Landeskog (one goal, minus-3). Veterans Daniel Briere (GWG, assist) and Alex Tanguay (two goals) may be rejuvenated but they shouldn't have to be counted on for primary scoring. The Avs have been awful on the back end and their main defenders haven't provided much, either (Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie, and Nick Holden have combined for three points and a minus-10). Both Semyon Varlamov and backup Reto Berra carry minor injuries but there's no real threat to the former's stronghold on the #1 job.