Rattling Around The Dome: The best surprising starts so far

Surprises can go either way, most of the time.

When you believe to be picking up a bag of succulent chocolate chip cookies and they turn out to be oatmeal raisin, that is a horrendous surprise. Crack an egg to construct your morning omelette and two yolks emerge from one shell? Good surprise.

The cocktails you’ve been crushing all night weren’t half price as your suspected? That’s a bad surprise. But, drafting players late who turn out to be some of the NHL’s most lethal offensive producers through the first part of the NHL season? Now THAT’s a good surprise.

Here’s a look at five under-hyped gems who are over-delivering so far:

(All projections via ESPN Stats/Elias)

Jeff Skinner, LW, Sabres, 93%

2017-18 Key Fantasy Stats: 82 GP, 24 goals, 25 assists, 49 points, minus-27, 277 shots

This season’s 82-Game Projections: 60 goals, 25 assists, 85 points, plus-44, 259 shots

Skinner has obviously shown the ability to put the puck in the net in the past with three, 30-plus-goal campaigns under his belt, but with a change of scenery after the trade to Buffalo and an elite centre in Jack Eichel to play beside, the former Springfield Elementary School principal is lighting it up on a whole other level this time around.

Playing his way through a big contract year with a giant payday on the horizon, bank on Skinner putting up the production cheddar all season long.

Elias Lindholm, RW, Flames, 81%

2017-18 Key Fantasy Stats: 81 GP, 16 goals, 28 assists, 44 points, minus-8, 153 shots

This Season’s 82-Game Projections: 36 goals, 43 assists, 79 points, plus-13, 213 shots

Like Skinner, a new city and team has done wonders for Lindholm’s stat-line, and playing alongside one of the most potent offensive duo’s in the league doesn’t hurt either, of course. Manning the right side of the Flames top unit with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, Lindholm is well on his way to shattering career highs in points and goals, and is doing a lot of damage on the power play too.

It’s hard to see this combination getting broken up anytime soon, so keeping Lindholm for the long haul is definitely the right play here.

Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, Panthers, 85%

2017-18 Key Fantasy Stats: 82 GP, 22 goals, 34 assists, 56 points, minus-20, 257 shots

This Season’s 82-Game Projections: 43 goals, 39 assists, 82 points, minus-14, 314 shots

He’s always been able to bury the biscuit, as his run of four straight 22-plus-goal seasons would suggest, but I’m not sure many expected him to be tearing it up like he has with the Panthers. Hoffman is on pace to shatter career-highs in all major fantasy stats categories, and was available for nothing or very cheap earlier in the campaign.

He’s been extremely consistent so far, but a crazy 17-game point streak has also clouded his value a little bit and suggests that Hoffman is a prime candidate to drop off in the near future – so don’t be afraid to move him if the right offer comes along.

Chris Kreider, LW, Rangers, 70%

2017-18 Key Fantasy Stats: 58 GP, 16 goals, 21 assists, 37 points, minus-2, 137 shots

This Season’s 82-Game Projections: 41 goals, 25 assists, 66 points, plus-19, 233 shots

Kreider has bounced back healthy after an injury-shortened 2017-18 campaign and his production has been flourishing as a result. He’s found great chemistry alongside Mika Zibanejad with his opportunity on the Rangers top line and has been taking advantage of the consistent power-play time he’s been granted, too.

This is a tough one, but I’d suggest moving Kreider to you have other needs to fill on your squad as the odds of him both staying healthy and continuing at his current pace are pretty slim.

Thomas Chabot, D, Senators, 91%

2017-18 Key Fantasy Stats: 63 GP, 9 goals, 16 assists, minus-12, 94 shots

This Season’s 82-Game Projections: 22 goals, 69 assists, 91 points, plus-3, 224 shots

Chabot was slated by most to eventually round into a solid No. 1 NHL blueliner, but the departure of Erik Karlsson opened up that 1D spots on the Senators a lot earlier than most expected, and Chabot is crushing it. Currently ranking first in points and third in goals among all defenseman, the 21-year-old is flourishing in the role — already surpassing his rookie points total of 25 in 63 games only 26 contests into his sophomore campaign.

Keep, Keep, Keep. If the thought of trading Chabot crosses your mind for some reason, tun off your computer and KO yourself real quick by smashing your head off your desk and forgot about that option immediately.