We are a week into the season and things are starting to set up a little bit. Lines are being sorted out still, but we can see things start to settle in. Despite it being just a few games, teams make rash decisions if things don't work so let's see where we are at.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (10 percent on Yahoo) – During the summer, the Carolina Hurricanes submitted an offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, which he signed. After the Montreal Canadiens decided to not match, Kotkaniemi became a member of the Hurricanes. He's coming from a Habs team where, over the last three seasons, he managed to put up a very solid 55.86 Corsi For percentage (CF%) at even strength. This was fourth among forwards with at least 1000 minutes, which is pretty good considering he averaged just 11 minutes of even strength ice-time. He certainly took advantage any time he was on the ice. Now, in Carolina, he has lined up with Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas early on this season and if that spot remains, he could be in for some very nice even strength numbers. I wouldn't expect much with the man advantage as he'll likely always be relegated to the second unit at best.

Jordan Kyrou (27 percent) – There will be some recency bias here as Jordan Kyrou is fresh off a four-point game, but this could be the Kyrou breakout that many have been waiting for.After putting up a near point-per game the last two seasons in the AHL and a ridiculous 109 points in 56 games in his final OHL season, offense is clearly priority number one for Kyrou. He has been playing with Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich on the Blues second line, as well as getting some time on their second power play unit. With 14 goals and 35 points in 55 games last season, Kyrou is hopeful to take that next step as a consistent offensive threat in the Blues top six.

Tyler Ennis (6 percent) – Tyler Ennis has played on four teams in the last four seasons, but this year might be his best opportunity to actually put up some offensive numbers. The Ottawa Senators have a mixed bag of talent and with just a couple standout players on their roster, Ennis is likely to be able to have his permanent role in the top nine, possibly even top six, along with some power play time. Given that his offensive ability is all he's really good for at this point, it makes sense for the Sens to use him in this way. Ice time could certainly become an issue with Ennis as he has seen just 9 minutes per game at even strength, but that would be the case with any third liner, and he is still widely available.

Derick Brassard (1 percent) – After a couple of 40-point seasons in Columbus followed by 58-plus seasons in New York, it looked like Derrick Brassard was slowly falling out of the league. Since 2016, Brassard has spent time in Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Florida, Colorado, Long Island, Arizona and now Philadelphia. At 34 years of age, Brassard's best days are clearly behind him, but he may have a decent role in Philly — at least from an offensive standpoint. He is centering the second line, playing with Cam Atkinson and Joel Farabee, two offensively minded players. So as long as Brassard can keep up with these two, there may be some hope here at his age. Additionally, through the first couple games, this line has made up the second power play unit for the Flyers which gives him additional upside. He should be available in every league essentially, but should only be rostered in the deepest leagues. If you've been hit by one of the early injuries, he's worth taking a flyer on, at least in the short term.

Ondrej Kase (1 percent) – I wrote about Ondrej Kase before the season and how there could be a prominent role for him in the top six if things don't go right for either Nick Ritchie or Michael Bunting. So far, Bunting has been solid, but Ritchie has been unimpressive. With Auston Matthews healthy again, I am concerned that Ritchie will not be able to keep up with Matthews and Marner and a different player will be asked to play the left side. Enter, Kase. This is an excerpt from my preseason write-up:

"From 2017-2018 to 2019-2020, Kase put up a 2.06 points per 60 (pts/60) at even strength and a 54.25 Corsi For percentage (CF%) — both of which led the Anaheim Ducks over that time for all players with at least 100 even strength minutes played."

Kase is a player that has struggled to stay healthy, and this is a bit of a preemptive move, but it is worth monitoring Kase in your league where he is likely available. A line change could be coming if Ritchie continues to look out of place. In a mostly defensive role playing alongside Pierre Engvall and David Kampf, Kase has managed a 55.6 percent CF% (note: Alex Kerfoot replaced Engvall in the most recent game with Matthews’ return). Of note, Kase has just a 4% ZS% (percentage of faceoffs in the offensive zone vs. defensive zone), meaning he is almost always starting his shift in the defensive end and is still putting up above 55% possession. This is fantastic.

*stats from Natural Stat Trick