It’s been a long 10 months to say the least, but regular season NHL hockey is finally back, and as expected, it was well worth the wait.

The NHL kicked off its abbreviated 56-game season on Wednesday, and since then we’ve already witnessed a Connor McDavid hat trick, a Sidney Crosby goal-of-the-year candidate, and a dazzling debut from a rookie in L.A.

It’s a small sample size, with most teams playing between one and three games, but there are some things we can take away from the last few days.

It’s important not to overreact, but to make cautious assessments. Nobody is dropping Evgeni Malkin after three straight games with donuts on the score sheet.  However, it is important to keep an eye on a few players off to hot starts who might deserve more of our attention.

We should also monitor some troubling situations around the league. Let’s take a look.

Week 2 Notes:

If you’re looking for streaming options for Week 2, look no further than the Winnipeg Jets. They’re the only team with a five-game week, with three of those games coming against the Ottawa Senators. Josh Morrissey should be available as a defensive replacement. He had three-and-a-half minutes of power-play time in the Jets opener. Look for Laurent Brossoit to get a couple of games in the crease as well.

If you’re rostering any Dallas Stars, you’ve been waiting patiently for their season debut. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait longer. The Stars have yet to play a game, and they won’t play their first until Friday against the Predators due to COVID-related postponements. Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Calgary will only play two games in Week 2, so make other arrangements to build up your counting stats.

The Canadiens have the most favourable four-game schedule in Week 2, with one game against the Oilers and three against the Canucks. Both of those teams are struggling defensively to start the season. Get your Habs in your lineup, and take a look to see who’s available on the wire.

Stock Rising

C: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens (65% rostered)

Suzuki had a lot of backers heading into the season, and through two games he’s lived up to the hype. He dominated the ice in the season opener against the Leafs, finishing with a goal and six shots. Suzuki had the second-most ice time among forwards (18:38) with close to three minutes of that on the top power-play unit. As mentioned, the Habs play four road games this week out west. Get him in your lineups.

W: Conor Garland, Arizona Coyotes (9% rostered)

Garland is off to a hot start, with three points in two games on the Coyotes top line. Garland had seven shots in the season opener, a number that could have been even higher as he missed the net five times as well. He was all over the ice and seemed to create a chance every shift. Garland has always been a good goal scorer, with his 104 goals over 206 games in the QMJHL as evidence. He’s coming off a 22-goal season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him improve on that scoring pace with the opportunity he’s been given. He’s available in 91 per cent of ESPN leagues.

W: Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild (83% rostered)

He was already a Calder Trophy favourite. Now we’re seeing why. Kaprizov scored the overtime winner in his first ever NHL game against the Kings, adding two assists. Kaprizov was a workhorse as well, logging close to 22 minutes of ice time, the most among Wild forwards. The 23-year-old followed that up by setting up the OT winner in his second game. He already has the trust of his head coach, so expect more production from the former KHL star.

W: Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay Lightning (60% rostered)

Palat is playing on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point and the trio has clicked. They’ve combined for eight points through the team’s first two games, with Palat scoring a goal in each game. Palat is also playing on the top power-play unit, which should be one of the best in the league. Tampa only has two games this week with the first one coming on Thursday, but Palat should still be added for the long-term forecast.

Stock Falling

G: Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins (85% rostered)

To say Jarry is off to a rough start would be a massive understatement. He’s given up nine goals in just three-and-a-half periods, which is good for a 7.57 GAA. He looked completely out of sorts in the season opener against the Flyers, giving up six goals on 27 shots. Game 2 wasn’t any better as Jarry was pulled after allowing three goals on six shots. The team in front of Jarry hasn’t been great either. Expect the Penguins to be in a lot of high-scoring games this season, which won’t bode well for Jarry’s fantasy value. I’m not really interested in Casey DeSmith at this point either.

D: Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins (92% rostered)

McAvoy was a preseason breakout projection with the hopes that he would win the quarterbacking job on the top power-play unit. It’s not looking that way. Matt Grzelcyk is occupying that position and had close to six minutes of PP time in the opener, finishing with an assist. It wouldn’t be crazy to swap these two players, given the situation.

C: Pierre Luc-Dubois, Columbus Blue Jackets (87% rostered)

It’s getting ugly in Columbus. Dubois requested a trade prior to the team’s season debut, which John Tortorella didn’t seem to be too fond of. Dubois led the team with 49 points in 70 games last season before signing a two-year contract in the off-season, so the request comes as a surprise. Through three games this year, the disgruntled centre has zero points and is a minus-3 with only two shots on net. At this point we have to hope for that trade if we want any value, but that isn’t looking promising.