With week one in the books, we see a lot of the same players on top of the leaderboards. Patrick Kane is terrorizing defenses with six points and Pekka Rinne is once again playing at an elite level. However, this article is for the guy who does not get enough love. They do not get the headlines, but have made major impacts already in this young season. These are the names on the leaderboards that suprises the average fan.
Michal Neuvirth, Philadelphia Flyers
What a difference a weekend makes. In the Flyers second game last Friday, everyone was counting the Flyers out already. People were bagging on another bad performance by the Flyers defense, and that they could not go anywhere this year. However, you do not need a good defense when you have a perfect goaltender. Neuvirth did himself justice when he picked up a shut out at the perfect time to prevent the Flyers from losing their first three games.
Justin Abdelkader, Detroit Red Wings
Abdelkader finally had the breakout season everyone was expecting out of him last year. His 23 goals and 44 points made him a respectable second line. However, so far this year Abdelkader has been dynamite. Look no further than his hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs for proof that Abdelkader is the hottest player in the NHL right now. His five points right now is second only to a angry Patrick Kane.
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
When people were talking about possible rookie of the year candidates, players like Jack Eichel andConnor McDavid were the first ones to pop up in the conversations. Detroit had a secret weapon in Larkin, and now it is looking like Larkin could be the most NHL ready rookie. He has already amassed a goal and two assists in only two games. His 6 +/- puts him on a pace of 246 +/- if he plays the whole season.
Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
The expectations were not that high for Martin Jones in San Jose, but he has played like a star goalie in his first two starts. He has two wins and a shutout in games against the Ducks and Kings, both expected to make the playoffs by many experts. In those games he has racked up an impressive.5 GAA and .979 SV%. It does not get much better than Jones right now.
Jason Garrison, Tampa Bay Lightning
The most underrated player in the NHL is already making an impact this season. In the Lightning's regular season opener against the Flyers, Garrison scored a pair of goals including the game-winning goal in overtime. He was awarded the first star, and nobody could say that he did not deserve it. To go along with those two goals, Garrison has an assist and a 3 +/-. He is also playing about twenty minutes a night on one of the best defenses in the league.