Fantasy Hockey's First Month: Surprise Trends and Sleeper Sensations

Team Performance Surprises

The early standings have defied many preseason predictions. The Kraken, Blackhawks, Red Wings, and Penguins have been positive early-season surprises, while traditionally strong teams like the Lightning, Wild, and Kings have struggled unexpectedly. The Devils and Utah Mammoth have combined strong offense with sharp defense to rank among the league's best teams in October.

Breakout Stars Taking the League by Storm

Connor Bedard's Resurgence

After a challenging sophomore season, Connor Bedard has found a new gear with seven points in his first seven games while skating to a plus-3 rating. The young star scored his first career hat trick and recorded his third career four-point game, and he now leads the NHL with 25 points in 16 games. The Blackhawks' franchise cornerstone is finally showing why he was the first overall pick.

Matthew Schaefer's Instant Impact

The No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft has taken a stranglehold on the early Calder Trophy race with seven points in his first six games. The dynamic defenseman from the Islanders ranks second on his team in assists with seven total points and has shown no adjustment period is needed for him to establish himself as a legitimate star defenseman.

Morgan Geekie's Scoring Surge

Boston's Morgan Geekie has been one of the season's most pleasant surprises. He converted on a nearly 100 mph slap shot to record his team-leading eighth goal and is currently on a four-game goal streak. Remarkably, he has seven goals in 11 games—it took him 12 games last season just to net his first goal. While his 33% shooting percentage is unsustainably high, Geekie's elite exposure to David Pastrnak on the top line has him producing at an elite level.

The Sleepers Who Are Wide Awake

Trevor Zegras: Philadelphia's New Offensive Weapon

The biggest sleeper success story of the early season belongs to Trevor Zegras. After being traded from Anaheim to Philadelphia, Zegras has exploded with four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in just 13 games. He recorded 11 points during a season-opening seven-game home point streak, looking like his box office form from his early days in Anaheim. The change of scenery has completely revitalized his career, and he's now leading the Flyers in scoring.

Zegras has been everywhere for the Flyers—skating at even strength, on the power play, at center, and on the wing. He's recorded an assist in every home game this season and has become the offensive catalyst that Philadelphia desperately needed.

Gabriel Vilardi: Point-Per-Game Consistency

Winnipeg's Gabriel Vilardi is living up to his potential with point-per-game production through 11 appearances, tallying four goals and 11 points. Winnipeg's top line had a massive game recently with all three members recording three-point nights, and Vilardi himself recorded 2 goals and 1 assist while totaling five shots and a block.

Dylan Strome: Thriving Alongside Ovechkin

Dylan Strome has been providing solid value for the Washington Capitals, playing alongside Alex Ovechkin. He's already scored his 5th goal of the season and has been a consistent contributor. Though he briefly missed time with an injury, Strome was quickly back practicing and his absence didn't last long.

Anton Lundell: Stepping Up for the Panthers

With Aleksander Barkov expected to miss the entire regular season, Anton Lundell has seized his opportunity. He has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) and four power-play points in 15 games, while averaging a career-high 18:55 per game. His line with Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen has picked up exactly where it left off during their dominant Stanley Cup Playoff run, where that trio combined for 57 points in 23 games.

Goaltending Surprises

The crease has produced some unexpected storylines. Ilya Sorokin is having an uncharacteristic start with a 3.70 GAA and .875 save percentage, raising concerns for Islanders fantasy owners. Meanwhile, Brandon Bussi has been a pleasant surprise for Carolina, technically outplaying Frederik Andersen and ranking higher in both goals saved above expected and save percentage above expected.

Sleepers Still Waiting for Their Moment

Not every preseason sleeper pick has paid off immediately. Chris Kreider, traded to Anaheim, missed over a week with hand-foot-and-mouth disease, limiting his early production despite being on the top line. Will Smith of San Jose is expected to remain in a top-six role with exposure to Macklin Celebrini or rookie Michael Misa, but fantasy managers are still waiting for consistent production.

Marco Kasper of Detroit was identified as a post-hype sleeper and favorite breakout pick after finding himself as a two-way forward arriving as a top-six contributor, but his point production hasn't exploded quite yet.

Key Takeaways

The first month has shown us that change-of-scenery plays can pay massive dividends, with Zegras being the prime example. Opportunity-driven breakouts—like Geekie and Lundell stepping into bigger roles—have also been fantasy gold. Young stars like Bedard and Schaefer are proving that elite talent eventually rises to the top, regardless of early-career struggles.

For fantasy managers, the lesson is clear: trust the talent when it changes teams. The players who are thriving now are those getting ice time, linemate upgrades, and fresh starts.