Dave Reginek/NHLI through Getty Photos
Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond (Detroit Crimson Wings)
Larkin and Raymond are cornerstone constructing blocks for the Crimson Wings and spent a substantial period of time collectively a 12 months in the past. The one drawback was the outcomes weren’t all the time nice once they did play collectively. The addition of DeBrincat, nonetheless, appears to have actually sparked one thing for all of them.
As a trio, they’ve outscored groups by a 10-3 margin going into play Thursday, whereas they’ve averaged 6.24 goals per 60 minutes. They’re merely lighting up the scoreboard each individually and as a bunch.
DeBrincat appears like he’s on observe for an additional 40-goal season, whereas Larkin appears poised for a possible profession 12 months offensively.
Frank Vatrano, Mason McTavish, Ryan Strome (Anaheim Geese)
In an effort to achieve the cap ground and get some veteran presence of their younger, rebuilding lineup, the Geese signed Vatrano and Strome to multiyear offers in free company previous to the 2022-23 season and obtained some OK manufacturing from them, as each reached 41 factors. By way of the primary month of this season, the Geese appeared to have discovered the glue that may deliver them collectively, and it’s one in all their current first-round picks, Mason McTavish.
In 93 minutes of five-on-five motion coming into play Thursday, that trio had outscored groups by a 9-2 margin when on the ice collectively and averaged 5.8 goals per 60 minutes. McTavish appears like he’s on his solution to a breakout 12 months.
Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Evan Rodrigues (Florida Panthers)
Irrespective of the place he goes, Evan Rodrigues appears to make each line he performs for higher. It’s taking place once more right here in Florida subsequent to Reinhart and Barkov.
Getting into play on Thursday, that line was not solely averaging more than six goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time, that they had additionally not been on the ice for a single purpose in opposition to, outscoring groups by a 7-0 margin. Barkov is likely one of the greatest two-way facilities in hockey, and he has an incredible mixture of offensive help (Reinhart) and two-way play (Rodrigues) round him.
Cam Atkinson, Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett (Philadelphia Flyers)
Given the amount of cash they’ve invested in them, it will be fairly helpful for the Flyers if Atkinson and Couturier—and particularly Couturier, who carries a $7.75 million cap hit by way of 2029-30—may nonetheless be good NHL gamers.
The early returns this season, and for this line, are extraordinarily promising.
Couturier specifically has been an enormous shock (eight factors in 10 video games) as he makes an attempt to return again from a few misplaced campaigns as a result of accidents. This trio has been an enormous vibrant spot for the Flyers early on and has supplied a shocking quantity of offense (4.93 goals per 60 minutes) whereas tilting the ice of their favor territorially.