Power plays are the bread and butter of fantasy success. A good power play will help drive your skaters' fantasy stats from midtier to elite and from elite to superstar.
Those points with the extra skater count twice in ESPN standard leagues, with either a goal or assist plus a power-play point. There are also the added shots on goal and boost to average time on ice that come with roaming the man advantage.
The sample sizes remain small, but perhaps we can glean a fantasy nugget or two from the early returns on the teams at either extreme for power-play percentage so far this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs - 30.8 percent on 26 chances
This isn't an easy power play for fantasy owners to take advantage of for two reasons: The top assets are already valued well and there are two arguably equal units. One takeaway for fantasy owners might be to consider Morgan Rielly as a possible low-end addition to their defense. Rielly stays on the ice with the 1A unit that features James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri. He has three power-play points (his only points) in five games. It's not awesome production, but it's a pace that will hold No. 5 defenseman value in deeper leagues.
Washington Capitals - 30.0 percent on 20 chances
The Caps' power play is lighting up opponents so far and, given the history of the personnel involved, we should all have full confidence in its ability to continue to do so. You would think all five members of the unit would be universally owned in fantasy, but John Carlson's last couple campaigns still have owners slowly warming up to him. He's available in only 10 percent of leagues now, but it's still worth checking yours.
Nashville Predators - 29.2 percent on 24 chances
Three of Scott Hartnell's four points this season have come on the man advantage, where he plays on the Predators' first unit with the likes of Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen up front. Parked in front of the opponent's crease, this is a role that Hartnell could continue to fill for the Predators this season. If you need to boost your penalty minutes, Hartnell's power-play role will make him a valuable addition to your squad because it keeps his other stats respectable while he racks up time in the box.
Anaheim Ducks - 0 percent on 21 chances
An inauspicious start for the Ducks, but to be fair, they have been missing three of the five players from their top power-play unit last season. Ryan Kesler and Sami Vatanen remain out of the lineup since the puck dropped, and Ryan Getzlaf has managed to get only two games in. The Ducks haven't been awesome on the power play going back to last season (their 47 power-play goals since the start of last season rank 20th), so promising a turnaround isn't fair. One takeaway here will be that Vatanen should be in line to resume his role on the top unit as soon as his shoulder allows. The original timetable has him missing only another two weeks, but he could even be slightly ahead of that schedule. Rostered in only 20 percent of ESPN leagues, pick him up now if you have the bench room to be ahead of the curve.
New York Islanders - 0 percent on 20 chances
The solution to the Isles' woes on the man advantage is sitting in the press box. Ryan Pulock hasn't suited up for a game yet this season, but he remains the team's best power-play quarterback from a skills standpoint. The 23-year-old with a cannon for a shot is still practicing with the big club and waiting at the ready for a chance to suit up. One has to think with the power play still struggling with Nick Leddy at the point that any defensive concerns with Pulock will have to be overlooked for the chance to have him roaming the point on the power play.
Vegas Golden Knights - 4.8 percent on 21 chances
Honestly, looking at the personnel the Golden Knights get to use, one has to wonder how the 6-3 drubbing they took at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings on Friday hasn't been the norm this season. Kudos to the team's defensive play to drive a 4-1 record to start their franchise. The lack of power-play production may be the only thing in line with expectations, especially noting that the five players they've rolled out most often so far might not make many other NHL team's third power-play unit.
Erik Haula, Cody Eakin, William Karlsson, David Perron and Nate Schmidt have been the Knights' most frequent power-play unit to date, but things have been rotating frequently. On paper, the Knights should be using James Neal, Perron and Vadim Shipachyov with more frequency, but who knows what will happen.
It's hard to argue with the results in the standings. Keep an eye on rookie Alex Tuch, who made his debut on a line with Shipachyov on Sunday and notched two points. Also, a Shea Theodore call-up would be actionable as well, as he profiles as the power-play quarterback for the NHL club if he can find his way out of the minors. He already has a power-play goal and seven points in three games in the AHL.
Forwards on the move
Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles Kings (up 12 spots to No. 57)
With eight points already, Kopitar is putting a terrible 2016-17 season squarely in his past. Last year, it took him until Nov. 10 -- 14 games into the season -- to notch his eighth point. He already has four goals this season. Last season, it took him until Jan. 9 -- 36 games into the season -- to score his fourth goal. Even more promising is the fact that he's been a slow starter for a few seasons now. This is already his best October since the 2013-14 campaign. Consider last season a blemish on an otherwise clean record of star fantasy production.
Evander Kane, RW, Buffalo Sabres (up 13 spots to No. 85)
After a brief two-game separation, Kane was back with Jack Eichel on Sunday. The result was the team's first win of the season. This won't be the last time the depth chart is fiddled with, as coach Phil Housley tries to get all his offense contributing, but the Kane-Eichel connection is starting to get cemented a little stronger as we go. Expectations for this combination should be sky high, as Eichel's on-ice wizardry should pair well with a guns-blazing net presence like Kane. In the four games they've been on a line together, Kane has 30 shots on goal, four goals and two helpers.
Defensemen on the move
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Philadelphia Flyers (up 25 spots to No. 95)
Rumors of Ghost Bear's demise have been greatly exaggerated. It was a fair position coming into this season, as his sophomore campaign was a massive disappointment, as he barely topped rookie Ivan Provorov for point production. But Gostisbehere once again looks like the power-play quarterback who burst onto the scene in 2015-16 with 17 goals and 46 points in only 64 games. Given the success to this point, it's fair to stick a bookmark in Provorov's fantasy ascension and consider revisiting him next season (unless you play in a league with blocked shots).
Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (up 25 spots to No. 126)
Since it took until Nov. 29 last season for Ekblad to notch his first assist, it's fair to say his two goals and two assists through four games are a much better start to this season. Perhaps better news still is that Ekblad is still playing second fiddle to Keith Yandle for power-play time, a dynamic that won't last long if the players continue to trend in opposite directions. Yandle has only one power-play assist despite hogging almost two-thirds of the total man advantage minutes for the Panthers to date (Ekblad has two).
Goalies on the move
Jonathan Quick, G, Los Angeles Kings (up 31 spots to No. 31)
Quick is picking up where he left off in 2015-16, a theme continued from fellow Kings star Kopitar. After getting in just 17 games last season, Quick looks healthy and refreshed for this campaign -- still with a perfect record in regulation time. He gets to leapfrog other goaltenders off to hot starts in the rankings because of his track record for consistency. When Quick is on top of his game, he's a no-brainer top-five goaltender. I'll give some of the struggling goaltenders still ahead of him in the rankings (Carey Price, Devan Dubnyk) one more week to sort out their issues before Quick climbs past them.
Quick hits
I'm still not entirely convinced that Sven Andrighetto is a wise long-term investment, but the winger has done nothing but produce in an Avalanche uniform. He had 16 points in 19 games to close out last season after a trade from the Montreal Canadiens, and has six points in six games to open this one. He's skating with Nathan MacKinnon on what's arguably the top line for the Avs and getting power-play time. ... I have similar feelings toward Olli Maatta. He doesn't seem like a player you want on your fantasy team when you see him play, and the minutes as a defenseman are pretty limited, but he has six points in six games and, outside of being a minus-5 in that one forgettable game against the Chicago Blackhawks, doesn't have any other marks on his record this season. It's hard to argue with the results. ... Marc-Andre Fleury hit the injured reserve with a concussion, and Malcolm Subban picked up right where he left off for the Golden Knights. Subban held his former team without a goal until the final 30 seconds in a 3-1 win. Down is up, left is right, any goaltender in the Vegas net is a fantasy star? That's probably not the case, but Fleury has dealt with concussion issues in the past and we don't know if he'll be out for significant time. With the way the Knights are keeping pucks out of their net (when their goalies aren't concussed), it may be worth keeping an eye on Subban in deeper leagues. ... Suggestions are that Patrice Bergeron is returning this week. That is most welcome news for a Bruins team that has lost to the Avalanche twice and the Golden Knights once within the past week. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchard should get back on track with Bergeron's return. ... Even with a ready-made excuse in Leon Draisaitl being injured on Saturday, the Oilers still didn't move Ryan Strome to the top line with Connor McDavid. His time could come, but you'll have the chance to pick him up on waivers when it does -- no need to hold. ... The points aren't there yet, but with how hot Kopitar has been to open the season, one has to wonder if Alex Iafallo will eventually start producing via proximity. He's spending virtually all of his minutes on the top line with Kopitar and Dustin Brown. ... With forwards dropping like flies, the Minnesota Wild had Chris Stewart and Joel Eriksson Ek flanking Eric Staal on the top line on Saturday. Until they start getting some bodies back, Stewart and Ek may be stuck as top-six forwards. ... Josh Ho-Sang has quietly moved his way up to the Islanders' second line. If Jordan Eberle and Anders Lee don't start clicking with John Tavares soon, Ho-Sang could continue his ascent. ... With a big lead on Saturday, the Flames started experimenting with Jaromir Jagr on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan in the third period. It could be a sign of things to come, as Micheal Ferland or Curtis Lazar haven't locked down the prime spot.