It’s ludicrously early in the NHL regular season, but why not take a look at some of the statistical leaders after one week of action? I’ll also ponder which players might be likely to continue their success and which ones are probably just enjoying a brief moment in the sun.
In this post, I’ll glance at the most common stat categories: points, goals, points for defenseman and so on. Expect a post on goalies and some of the off-the-beaten path stats in a bit, too.
Top 5 Points leaders
1 (tied). Alex Ovechkin - 7 points (4 Games Played); Brad Richards - 7 pts (3 GP)
3 (tied). Steve Stamkos - 6 pts (3 GP); Marian Hossa 6 pts (4 GP); Todd Bertuzzi 6 pts (4 GP)
Comments: The least surprising name is Ovechkin’s. Stamkos, Hossa and Richards aren’t exactly earth-shattering, but seeing Todd Bertuzzi’s name on there is both shocking and unsettling. I’m not exactly the world’s biggest supporter of Bertuzzi, yet it does seem like he found himself a good fit in Detroit. I don’t expect him to be a top point generator for the whole season, though.
Six players are tied for the league lead with four goals scored: Ovechkin, Stamkos, Clarke MacArthur (!), Derek Roy, Steve Sullivan and Brenden Morrow.
Comments: Again, Ovechkin and Stamkos aren’t shockers. Morrow, Sullivan and Roy will probably slow down considerably but might be in for good seasons, although Morrow and Sullivan will need some luck, health-wise. The biggest surprise is obviously Toronto Maple Leafs forward MacArthur, a player who the Atlanta Thrashers allowed to walk rather than pay him an arbitration award. He shouldn’t be a contender in the Maurice Ricahrd Trophy sweepstakes, but if he scores 20 goals or more, he’ll be a fantastic addition by Leafs GM Brian Burke.
Top 5 scorers among defensemen
1 (tied). John Carlson 5 pts (4 GP); John-Michael Liles 5 pts (3 GP)
3 (tied). Alex Goligoski 4 pts (4 GP); Paul Martin 4 pts (4 GP); Jordan Leopold 4 pts (4 GP)
Comments: None of these players were high-end fantasy hockey defensemen, but they all have talent (with Leopold probably ranking as the most surprising to appear on this scoring list). Interestingly enough, Leopold is a former Penguins defensemen while Goligoski and Martin currently patrol the Pittsburgh blue line. Carlson might be the least experienced of the five, but he might also be the most likely to rank high among scoring defensemen at the end of this season considering the fact that he plays for the Washington Capitals.
Five players lead the league in plus/minus with a +5: Loui Eriksson, Stephane Robidas, Brian Rafalski, Hossa and Richards.
Comments: Rafalski cheats his way onto this list (only two games played thanks to injuries and missed that 4-1 shellacking against the Stars), while the list is dominated by Dallas Stars; Niklas Grossman, James Neal and Brenden Morrow are just behind Robidas, Eriksson and Richards with +4 ratings.