The Wire Troll: Pavel Zacha Powers Past Slump

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Schlemenko missed the first few weeks of the season with a knee injury, but has stepped right into major minutes upon his return two weeks ago. Okay, so he’s not exactly the most skilled or fastest defenseman on the Habs, but he did log a team-high 30 shifts on Friday, picking up an assist (on the PP), three shots, four blocks and a pair of minor penalties. You won’t ever get much offense from a generally bottom-pairing defender like Schlemko, but he’s averaging around two and a half blocks and one and a half hits per game, and that has value.

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The Wire Troll: Joel Edmundson Offering Across the Board Help

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Komarov seems to have rediscovered his game since signing a four-year deal with the Isles last summer. On Thursday, he ripped a goal (the game-winner, to boot) and an assist, while recording a +3 with a pair of blocks and five hits. You’ve got to love that physicality! On Tuesday, he dished out another four hits with an assist and he’s on pace to match his personal best with 36 points.

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The Wire Troll: Robert Hagg Racking Up the Hits

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Backes is off to a simply horrific start, having gone scoreless in 10 games with a -1 rating. But he’s way too good a player to be held down for long, right? We’re talking about a dude that’s topped 30 assists five times in his career, and with Boston in need of secondary scoring, he’ll get his chances. Backes is headed back to the wing on the fourth line, and taking away those defensive responsibilities may be just what the doctor ordered to get him going. It’s worth a shot to see if he can get going, as we find it hard to believe that he’s done like dinner.

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The Wire Troll: Anton Stralman Set Up For More Ice Time

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Injuries have played a role, but Duclair has struggled to rediscover the form he showed in his sophomore season when he potted 20 goals and 44 points for the Coyotes in 2015-16. With two goals on Thursday, he doubled his season output and now has six points through nine games with an even +/- and a whopping 23.5 shooting percentage. Duclair is seeing more ice time than ever before, and he’s getting second unit power play time, scoring half his goals with the man advantage so far. About a week and a half ago, he scored an unbelievable goal against the Flyers, showing some mad skills. It’s time to pick the kid up.

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The Wire Troll: Brandon Carlo Poised For Breakout

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Ottawa is supposed to suck hard this season, yet DeMelo is tied for the NHL lead at +5 so far. He enjoyed a breakout of sorts with the Sharks last season, registering 20 assists and is off to an even better start so far, with a goal and a pair of helpers through four games. Just 25, he’s capable of racking up a fair amount of assists this season, so grab him while you can.

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The Wire Troll: Cam Ward Finds New Life in the Windy City

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Ferland has shown steady improvement in each season he’s played and now that he’s in Carolina, he looks even better early on. He’s been one of the hottest forwards in the NHL through the first three days of play, scoring once, setting up another and recording a +2 with five hits. On Friday, Ferland led the team with six shots and pitched in with two hits and a block. Last season, he doubled his assist total to 20, and we could see him getting even more this season considering his boost in PT. Part of the huge draft day trade from Calgary, Ferland is about to enter his prime and should get a bigger opportunity with the Canes, so we’re expecting him to build on his breakout season.

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2017-18 NHL Wire Troll All-Star Team

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He probably wasn’t thrilled about how the season ended, but Brown sure reached into Fountain of Youth and came up with a fantastic campaign. After looking like a Fantasy non-factor for the last four seasons, he put together a 61-point effort for a new career best. Brown remains a tough as nails competitor, too, one whom you don’t want to keep your head down when you’re playing against.

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