From the Press Box: Shrunken Without Duncan

This week in From the Press Box, we take a look at a number of storylines around the league. A couple of serious injuries project to seriously impact the fortunes of the 'Hawks and Sharks. How's the yearlong coaching audition starting out in Toronto? Is Connor McDavid's presence the tipping point in the fortunes of the Edmonton Oilers? Backstrom's back in Washington, but not with Ovie. And finally, we'll look into some surprising names topping the depth charts.

Knee injury knocks out playoff MVP in Chicago

While no fewer than five other teams in the Central Division are already at least two games over the .500 mark, the defending Cup champion Blackhawks are only 3-3 through their first six games. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be considered such a big deal, but they also face the prospect of playing without All-Star defenseman Duncan Keith, who is expected to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks due to a torn right meniscus. That creates a big hole in a roster that has seen its experienced core eroded due to salary-cap limitations.

Even with Keith in the lineup during last year's successful playoff run, there were a number of times when there were concerns about the Hawks' blue line depth, which had already taken a step back from the almost unparalleled depth they once enjoyed.

Looking ahead, Chicago will now continue to lean heavily on Brent Seabrook, Keith's longtime running mate, but Niklas Hjalmarsson, who had his coming out party in the last postseason, is going to have to reprise that high level of play. The third veteran on this depth chart is newcomer Trevor Daley, who came over in the Patrick Sharp trade. It's most likely that he will take over as a power-play quarterback until Keith returns to the lineup. Third-pairing defenders Trevor van Riemsdyk and David Rundblad will also see their minutes increase. All this movement in the lineup accentuates the impact of such a key injury.

None of these names can fully replace Keith's impact, and that could put the Blackhawks in a significant hole, given the competitive nature of this division.

Sharks' new-minted captain lost to broken foot

The San Jose Sharks had to make some tough decisions over the summer, altering the club's leadership core, and a big part of that plan was to install Logan Couture as the new captain. The early on-ice returns were all positive in rolling to four wins in six starts and climbing to the top rung of the Pacific Division. All of the veteran big guns have contributed, but Couture has only been a part of three of those games, tallying one assist.

Looking ahead, Joe Thornton will surely continue holding down one of the top two center roles. The intrigue over the next 4-to-6 weeks will center on whoever holds down that spot as the second-line center. At the moment, Tomas Hertl has moved into that spot, as opposed to his normal left wing position. Hertl has generated two goals and an assist while putting 16 shots on goal over his six games played. This move could guarantee a top-six role for Hertl, giving him a great opportunity to rediscover his form from his rookie campaign, as opposed to the subpar totals he produced last season. He will be partnered with high-end skill players, and that should translate well for this talented native of the Czech Republic.

What can a good coach do for a bad team?

Many eyes are on the early stages of the makeover of the Toronto Maple Leafs, looking for ways to measure the impact of their highly regarded new coach, Mike Babcock.

It's only a five-game sample for the Leafs, but in accordance with Babcock's mantra, specifically aimed at the club's defensemen, less is turning into more for a couple of the club's top blueliners. Babcock has focused some of his energies on getting Dion Phaneuf and Jake Gardiner to play fewer minutes and take fewer chances. So far, so good –Phaneuf leads the club with four points, and more importantly, has skated to a plus-4 rating while playing 21:43 per game. Similarly, Gardiner, a gifted skater who's prone to glaring giveaways, has collected two points along with a plus-2 while averaging 20 minutes per game.

Another indication that the entire landscape may be changing in Toronto is a look at the fact that the Leafs have actually outshot their foes by a cumulative 149-128 margin. These numbers are all in stark contrast to what we saw last season from the Leafs, and they may be an early indication of the commitment Babcock is expecting to elicit from his new roster.

McDavid's impact in Edmonton

We all know that Oilers drafted a slew of high-end offensive-minded players in recent drafts, but the returns have not yet been too impressive. The debut of Connor McDavid was expected to change all that. Through six games, he has a team-leading five points, with two of them coming on the power play. This output is not much of a surprise. However, he has managed to forge an excellent partnership with Nail Yakupov, who has four points as well.

That has elevated Yakupov into consideration as a must-add in most fantasy leagues – a far cry from the player who tallied an uninspiring 42 goals in three years, which were more than offset by a cumulative minus-72 rating over that span.

At the same time, the addition of veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera (three assists) and the early returns from young defender Oscar Klefbom (two points) offer evidence that the club may have a couple of credible offensive talents on this blue line, filling a longtime need.

Finally, Cam Talbot and Anders Nilsson have combined for a very respectable 2.65 GAA, just another sign that better days could be just around the corner in Edmonton.

Caps welcome Backstrom, but not with Ovie

An injury doesn't always mean that a player will return to his usual spot. In Washington, Nicklas Backstrom began the season on injured reserve with a hip injury, giving Evgeny Kuznetsov a rare opportunity to play on the first line with Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie.

Well, the dynamic young Russian pivot has proven to be a solid replacement, to the point that he's retained the plum assignment even after the return of the Swedish veteran. He has five assists through the Caps' first five games played. Meanwhile, Backstrom has three goals and two assists in two games while playing on the second line with Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson. Ultimately, this development may give the Caps a more balanced look.

Unexpected names heading up depth charts

It's important to monitor movement in lineups around the league, and we've already seen some big surprises as some unheralded players have moved into busier roles.

Carl Hagelin, Ducks – The fleet-footed winger is a nice complement to the productive pairing of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, who are two of the premier power forwards in the league.

Kevan Miller, Bruins – In the absence of injured blueliner Dennis Seidenberg, Miller has landed on the top defense pairing next to captain Zdeno Chara. That has meant more than 20 minutes of average ice time, and he's responded with a goal and two assists in five games.

Michal Frolik, Flames – A free-agent signing in the offseason, Frolik has been added to Calgary's top line in the place of of Jiri Hudler, who enjoyed that role to the tune of a 76-point season last year. Frolik has four assists in six games to date.

Dylan Larkin, Wings – Throughout the history of the Wings' management regime under GM Ken Holland, they have never incorporated a top draft pick directly into their lineup without an extended stay at AHL Grand Rapids. That trend has been turned by the 19-year-old Larkin, who has scored two goals and six points while compiling a plus-7 rating on Detroit's top line with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader.

Oscar Klefbom, Oilers – While the Oil are well known for the raft of highly drafted forwards on their roster, it looks like they've finally found a defenseman to make the grade. Klefbom was the Oilers' first pick in 2011, 19th overall, and like last year, he's playing serious minutes, currently averaging 20:29 per game. He's picked up a goal and an assist in Edmonton's first six contests.

Lee Stempniak, Devils – He may not be your prototypical first-line winger, but he does have experience, speed and offensive skills … certainly more than most of his Devils teammates. That's why Stempniak has an early chance in this role, and he's responded with a goal and three assists to date.

Nikolay Goldobin, Sharks – The lower-body injury that's sidelined top prospect Joonas Donskoi has allowed Goldobin the unexpected chance to play top-line minutes with Joe Thornton. He has already scored his first NHL goal while looking surprisingly comfortable with this assignment through three games in the NHL.

Colton Parayko, Blues – Kevin Shattenkirk's lower-body ailment created a hole in the Blues' lineup for a blueliner with offensive upside. Parayko has been a pleasant surprise in filling that need, already contributing two goals and an assist in his seven games played. He seems to have done enough to continue receiving top-four minutes even when Shattenkirk returns.