– – – Last chance! Get a full refund for the Fantasy Hockey Guide you bought! Details here, expires October 31! – – – 

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Early season slumps are happening all over the place.

Axeman's Grind

To say there are a few worried fantasy owners about some of their key players slow start is an understatement. With key guys like TJ Oshie, Shane Doan, Tomas Vanek, Alexander Semin, David Perron and of course Nathan MacKinnon all still in search of their first goals of the season, there is plenty to start thinking about. Other players like Jordan Eberle, Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic, Mikko Koivu and Matt Read have just recently found the twine themselves but are still having their own issues. Jacob Trouba is still oh-fer for the season as well. Even Henrik Lundqvist and Semyon Varlamov are off to sluggish starts for their fantasy owners.

Now I am not saying to go and do anything crazy if you own any of these players, but patience is always recommend when it comes to your main cogs on your roster. I am a firm believer that I draft these players for a season, not for a week or two. How many fantasy owners went and traded away Claude Giroux last year after it took him something like 16 games to score his first goal, only to watch him turn his season around and finish up as the leagues third highest scoring player. God knows I tried my hardest to acquire him in every league I am in and buy low. I didn't get him but it wasn't for a lack of trying.

From the players I listed above, now would be the perfect time to go and try and buy low to jittery fantasy owners. MacKinnon will be the hardest to acquire but you wouldn't be doing your due diligence if you didn't at least reach out to the owners and ask. God knows his asking price was ludicrous in the summer, damn near criminal when it came to keeper leagues. Pounce while the getting's good. It's just a matter of time before those listed above turn it around and come back to reality. Any hope of acquiring them at a reduced price will be right out the window. 

If you own any of those players listed above, all I can do is preach patience. Don't do anything foolish at this stage of the season. If you don't own any of them, what are you waiting for? Get on the horn and reach out to their owners and see if they are willing to move them for a slightly reduced price before they turn their season around. You won't get if you don't ask. 

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Oilers manage to turn a corner

Axeman's Grind

Well it was just one short week ago, I was ragging on the Oilers, Ben Scrivens and Dallas Eakins. What a difference a week makes, that and a home stand against the Eastern Conference teams. The then winless Oilers went out and have won four straight games and Ben Scrivens wins the second star of the week award. Sure, one of their wins was against the hapless Carolina Hurricanes but the other three wins were against some quality opponents in Tampa Bay, Washington and the league's top team, the Montreal Canadiens. Scrivens went 3-0 last week, sporting a tidy 2.33 GAA and a 0.920 save % on his way to winning the award. He shut out the Habs on Monday night for his fourth win since I last wrote. He's looking extremely confident and is playing like a legit starter for the Oilers, something they have lacked for years.

Dallas Eakins is still Dallas Eakins. I am still not a fan but it's fair to say he has bought himself some breathing room, and time I suppose. I took some heat from a friend online, who also happens to be a big Oilers fan. He thought I was a bit too harsh on Eakins and the Oilers in last week's column and let me know it. Well Tim, what do ya know, the Oilers managed to turn it around, for now. Here's hoping they can keep this up, or some sort of facsimile to it. 

We Oilers fans will enjoy watching the Leafs fans continue to throw their jerseys on the ice at the ACC for a change. 

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Well those are my Axes for this week.  As usual, please feel free to comment on anything you like, or don't like.  Good or bad, I read them all.

Also, you can follow me on twitter @chrispudsey and I will follow you!