This article is part of our Neutral Zone Wrap series.
We're a month in, which means it's still too early to project yearlong trends. But predicting short-term production is a must for those who want to get ahead of the crowd.
There are many ways to analyze the future, but most of them involve looking back. Point totals, ice time, and line situations qualify as obvious indicators, but those only comprise part of the story. To complete the outlook, one must delve deeper. Advanced analytics like Corsi and Fenwick can help, as long as you understand them and put them to proper use. And sometimes, a minimalist approach works; a good way to find out about a player is to peruse a team blog site or even searching Twitter (while keeping RotoWire as your primary fantasy reference point, naturally).
Now that you know what's needed to succeed, let's look at another five clubs whose synopses are packed with important information. Any extraneous details shall only be used as filler, so your task – should you choose not to cry boredom – will be to focus on the relevant details.
(Stats as of Monday, Nov. 9)
Remember that scary opening week when everyone thought the Kings were dead? They now lead the Pacific and, more importantly, own SoCal bragging rights. What a talent Tyler Toffoli (13 points, plus-9) has become. Another first rounder, Tanner Pearson (six), is slowly getting more minutes (averaging 15-plus over the last week) to match his effort. It's not as though Anze Kopitar (only six points, but
We're a month in, which means it's still too early to project yearlong trends. But predicting short-term production is a must for those who want to get ahead of the crowd.
There are many ways to analyze the future, but most of them involve looking back. Point totals, ice time, and line situations qualify as obvious indicators, but those only comprise part of the story. To complete the outlook, one must delve deeper. Advanced analytics like Corsi and Fenwick can help, as long as you understand them and put them to proper use. And sometimes, a minimalist approach works; a good way to find out about a player is to peruse a team blog site or even searching Twitter (while keeping RotoWire as your primary fantasy reference point, naturally).
Now that you know what's needed to succeed, let's look at another five clubs whose synopses are packed with important information. Any extraneous details shall only be used as filler, so your task – should you choose not to cry boredom – will be to focus on the relevant details.
(Stats as of Monday, Nov. 9)
Remember that scary opening week when everyone thought the Kings were dead? They now lead the Pacific and, more importantly, own SoCal bragging rights. What a talent Tyler Toffoli (13 points, plus-9) has become. Another first rounder, Tanner Pearson (six), is slowly getting more minutes (averaging 15-plus over the last week) to match his effort. It's not as though Anze Kopitar (only six points, but four goals in the last eight) is shedding shifts, but he's not centering the premier scoring line anymore. And it's strange how quiet Marian Gaborik (two in 14, minus-6) has been lately. Just like his team, Jake Muzzin (seven in seven) broke out after a slow start. Offseason bargain Christian Ehrhoff knows his role and does it pretty well (all four on the power play).
The Rangers continue to operate at a high level, even if a couple components have been sputtering. If Oscar Lindberg (seven goals, four assists) is excelling in a third-line role, just think how good he'll be with the addition of special teams. It's nice to see Mats Zuccarello (same as Lindberg) has not only recovered from a scary injury last postseason, but is upping his game. Give Derek Stepan (two in six) time and he'll bounce back. Rick Nash (only one goal) is well rested after a short layoff and poised to jumpstart his resurgence. Ryan McDonagh (three assists in 14) has been blessed with opportunity, so it's a shame he can't capitalize on it. At 39, Dan Boyle is settling into pre-retirement as a niche performer (two of three assists on PP).
Put the Predators in any other division and they wouldn't need to fight as hard for a playoff position. Unfortunately, certain forwards have interpreted this as an excuse to ease up. Colin Wilson (one point in the last six, minus-4) has been knocked down a peg. For someone who's the center of the top unit, it's baffling to see Mike Fisher (two in seven, four overall) struggling. High hopes early for Craig Smith (three goals in the first five games), but he's has apparently fallen off the planet, with an eight-game scoreless slump. Maybe it's time to give Cody Hodgson (points in two of last three with minimal minutes) additional responsibility and see what he can do with it. With all the (deserved) hype for Seth Jones (five assists, 25 shots), it's easy to forget about his compact Canadian counterpart Ryan Ellis (two goals, three assists, 31 shots).
No other NHL collective mixes the old and the new quite like Carolina. Let's just get this out of the way to start: Kris Versteeg (10 points) will never lead any lineup in scoring. For all the criticism of Jordan Staal (six points and a team-leading 28 hits), he's a solid overall player. What has become of Elias Lindholm (one in 14)? At 22, Ryan Murphy (four assists) is one of the Canes' "veterans" on the back line, but is still learning the ropes. A couple scratches won't hurt Noah Hanifin (two assists, minus-5) in his development. It was assumed Eddie Lack (3.46 GAA, .865 save percentage in four) would take the throne in net, but the Swede is lagging well behind Cam Ward (2.40 GAA, .907 save mark in 11).
Their record (2-8-4) may be awful, but the Leafs' prospects aren't as gloomy as the standings show. It may be troubling to find Morgan Rielly (10) and Dion Phaneuf (nine) as peak point producers, but they're the major minute men. Leo Komarov (five goals, third in league with 60 hits) earns high marks for contributing in multiple areas. Tyler Bozak (five in 10) is trying his darnedest to shake the perception he's reliant on an elite goal scorer to survive. A veteran like P.A. Parenteau (two goals, two assists) can only help the younger crowd. Toronto fans should be proud a hard worker such as James Reimer (2.57 GAA, .913 save mark in eight) has overtaken a slumping (and now hurt) Jonathan Bernier (3.02, .899, winless in seven).
