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Heading into this evening's action, here are the day's top NHL storylines:
After a year away, Ducks ' Eaves 'had a blast' in NHL return
After overcoming effects of a post-viral syndrome, which was originally thought to be Guillain-Barré syndrome and caused him to miss all but two games in 2017-18, then undergoing shoulder surgery in the spring, Patrick Eaves was finally back in the lineup for Anaheim on Thursday night. [More]
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Mike Babcock and Henrik Zetterberg speak on contentious relationship in Detroit
Mike Babcock and Henrik Zetterberg haven't worked alongside each other since 2014-2015, but speculation about the relationship between coach and captain continues to this day. On Thursday night, Zetterberg tried to clarify matters, positing that the two didn't "hate" each other, but acknowledging their working relationship wasn't exactly harmonious. [More]
Lamp-lighters
'It's like floating:' How Miro Heiskanen has made his rookie mark
Miro Heiskanen is best known as the player Jim Nill labelled untouchable in trade discussions involving the Stars and former Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson . One shift into his career and the hockey world let out a big 'ol "oh wow, okay" and then collectively all thought better about Dallas's stance on the matter. [Watch video]
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Chabot doing great job taking torch from Karlsson in Ottawa
With 15 points in just 12 games, Thomas Chabot leads the Senators in scoring and is also tied with Brent Burns and Mark Giordano for second in points among NHL defensemen . Remarkably, Chabot's hit that mark in one fewer game than Burns, and two fewer than Giordano. [More]
Why the Bruins deserve a little skepticism
The first issue here was probably the main culprit in the Bruins getting punted out of the playoffs last year. The total number of goals scored by non-first-line forwards in a 12-game postseason run last spring was just 20. Pastrnak and Bergeron had six each, while Marchand had four, for a total of 16. The problem for the Bruins' depth forwards is much the same this season. Through 12 games, the top line has combined for 22 goals, while the rest of the team's forwards have 11. [More]
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Fantasy forecheck
Which surprising snipers are for real?
Yahoo fantasy writers Kyle Cantlon and Nick Ashbourne discuss ascendant goal scorers, slumping goalies and whether you can ever trust an Edmonton Oilers defenseman. [Watch video]
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: An elder Sabre leads pickups this week
Jason Pominville might be the old man in Buffalo, but he's making the youngsters around him look twice. The soon-to-be 36-year-old winger not only skates on Jack Eichel 's right side on 5-on-5, but also occupies the same role on Buffalo's mega-talented first power-play unit. Pominville has turned this favorable placement into five goals and five assists through 12 games. [More pickups]
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Rattling Around The Dome: Struggling fantasy tenders
It's early, yes, we all know how to read a calendar, for the most part, but a few of the widely-drafted, big guns that were expected to make a big time fantasy impact during the first month of the season simply haven't produced. So what gives with these tenders' early-season performance so far? [More]
Game of the night
Carolina Hurricanes at Arizona Coyotes
While their 6-5-0 record remains modest, the Arizona Coyotes are beginning to take on the look of a team that could reach the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2012. That's one reason why the Carolina Hurricanes , just like the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators before them, hope they're not catching the Coyotes at the wrong time. [Full preview]
