F Chris Drury, New York Rangers
1 G, 2 A, 22:24 TOI, +3, 4 SOG
In his first game with the Rangers, Drury didn’t disappoint, assisting on two goals, while netting the game winning goal himself. Look for an improvement on last year’s 69 point output, as playing with Jaromir Jagr will yield a lot of opportunities.
F Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
3 A, 24:38 TOI, +3
After posting two 90+ point seasons in the last four years, their are still some out there who are skeptical of St. Louis’s talent. Scoring three assists in his first game should erase any doubt as the forward should be able to recreate last year’s totals.
G Chris Mason, Nashville Predators
Stopped all 35 shots in Nashville’s 3-0 victory over Colorado
Backing up Vokoun last year, Mason started in 48 games going 24-11-4 with five shutouts. Now that Vokoun is in Florida, Mason has become the Preds starting goaltender and could finish the year among the NHL’s elite.
G Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
Stopped all 27 shots in Minnesota’s 1-0 victory over Chicago
A reliable backup last year, Backstrom posted 23 wins in 36 games started. With the starting job all his, expect a steady output of wins.
F Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers
2 G, 19:19 TOI, +2, 6 SOG
Scoring the game winning goal against a very talented Calgary team, Briere appears to have Philadelphia back on track. Owners should expect a similar point total for the former Buffalo Saber.
Honorable Mention:
F, Jason Arnott, Nashville Predators
Phoenix Coyotes (undefeated!)
F, Martin Havlat, Chicago Blackhawks (It was obvious the fragile forward would go down, but the first game? Really?)
For Illegal Curve, Im Jonny Remis
