Happy Halloween to all my fellow fantasy hockey ghosts and ghouls out there! Halloween also marks the last day of October, so I figured what better time to recap some of the standouts from the first month of the season. It's a bit of an abbreviated month since the season doesn't start right on October 1, but at least we have a bit more of a sample size to analyze these players. So without further delay, let's take a look at some early surprises thus far. 

Ivan Barbashev (STL) C/RW

2021-22 Stats: 6 GP- 3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS, 10 SOG, 11 Hits, 3 Blocks, 15:51 ATOI

Ivan Barbashev has been in the St. Louis Blues system for quite some time now. In fact, this is his sixth campaign with the Blues and so far, the 25-year-old Russian has had mixed results, but for the most part he hasn't been a fantasy-relevant player. His best showing came in 2018-19 when he tallied 14 goals and finished the season with 26 points. On top of that, his career average time on ice per game is just 12 and a half minutes so he hasn't had a ton of opportunity.

This season he was given what I would consider as a golden opportunity. He has started on the Blues' third line and is playing alongside Robert Thomas and a returning Vladimir Tarasenko. I'll be honest, I didn't expect much from this line when I saw it heading into the start of the season. There's been reports that Tarasenko is disgruntled and wants out of St. Louis. And I hate to stereotype a guy, but sometimes unhappy Russian players in the NHL is a formula for disaster. Also this line was slated as a third line, and I usually am skeptical of guys getting ample opportunities in the bottom-six.

Much to my surprise though, this line has been excellent and it seems as though Ivan the (Not-So) Terrible has found some chemistry with Thomas and his fellow countrymate Tarasenko. I think getting the chance to play with an elite talent has helped Barbashev. For a third-liner who doesn't get reps on the power play, he's still managed just under 16 minutes a night, and so far, he's made the most of his ice time. 

In each of his six contests so far this season he has tallied a point. While the six points are solid, Barbashev does come with some caveats. First, as I just mentioned, he isn't getting any deployment on the power play, which really cripples his upside as a whole. Additionally, Barbashev has been a low-volume shooter throughout his career. In his first two games this year he didn't have a single shot, but it seems as he is growing more comfortable with his new linemates, he is peppering some more shots on net. On the flipside, if you are in a league that tracks hits, he definitely plays with a physical edge and will be a reliable source of hits for you.

For now, I would consider adding Barbashev as a flier to your squad if you have room or need an extra forward. He has dual-eligibility at center and right wing, so that's a nice added bonus. I've watched a few Blues games this season and a couple times this line has been the Blues' best line. Barbashev is only 21% rostered in Yahoo leagues so he's very available. 

Andrew Copp (WPG) LW/RW

2021-22 Stats: 8 GP- 5 G, 4 A, 9 PTS, 21 SOG, 6 Hits, 8 Blocks, 21:17 ATOI

Andrew Copp is off to a blazing hot start this year with nine points through his first eight contests. Over the past few seasons Copp has slowly endeared himself both to the fans and head coach Paul Maurice. The result has been a gradual uptick in his minutes and deployment throughout the last few years of his career. This season he has been afforded every opportunity to shine, especially as of late thanks to COVID protocols keeping Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler out of the lineup. But even despite that, Copp has found himself a nice home on a line with Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers. 

Some readers may recall last week I wrote about Ehlers and urged people not to panic about his slow start. This week he began heating up, thanks in large part to the solid play of Copp and the chemistry the two seem to have formed. It will be interesting to see if Copp can maintain his power play deployment when Scheifele returns. There's a good chance he will get bumped down to the second unit, but there's still tons to like about him.

Yahoo currently has Copp listed as a dual-eligible winger on both the left and right sides. However, Copp has been playing a ton of center for Paul Maurice, and he's done quite well there I might add. He has a 55.5% faceoff percentage so far this season, which is a great number. It's only a matter of time until Yahoo makes him eligible as a center, giving him the rare trio-eligibility at all forward positions. 

Aside from faceoffs and all the points he's been racking up, he also isn’t afraid to sacrifice himself to make a big block. He averages about a block per game so that's a nice added bonus if your league tracks blocks. Earlier in the week Copp was under 35% owned. As of today, he's up over 60%, so if you're interested in adding him to your roster you had better get moving as people are starting to take note of him. Although I think it may be a long shot, I think his strong start to the year should get him consideration for the Team USA Olympic team. It would be a longshot, but with the way he is playing right now I wouldn't rule it out.

Alex Killorn (TB) LW/RW

2021-22 Stats: 8 GP- 6 G, 3 A, 9 PTS, 16 SOG, 11 Hits, 1 Block, 19:10 ATOI

It's crazy to think Alex Killorn has been in the league ten seasons now, all with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Throughout all the cap-casualties and roster changes the Lightning have made over the seasons, Killorn remains in blue and white. As it turns out, this season the Lightning may be leaning on him more so than ever now that Russian sniper Nikita Kucherov has been sidelined with yet another long-term injury.

Killorn had already gotten himself off to a red-hot start, and although I don't think his 37.5 shooting percentage will hold up all season, it's nice to see him net six goals already! And now with Kucherov out of the picture for the time being, Killorn will be leaned on to produce. His linemates have flip-flopped a bit so far, but it seems like coach Jon Cooper likes Killorn with Anthony Cirelli. And whether you round out that line with Brayden Point or Steven Stamkos, either scenario gives Killorn a golden opportunity to shine. Add in the fact that he seems to have locked down a permanent fixture on the first power-play unit, and you have a ton of reasons to be excited for what Killorn could achieve this season.

In the 2019-20 COVID-shortened season, Killorn was at his best offensively when he scored 26 goals in just 68 games. He was on pace for 59 points that season, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that he could put up a 60-point year if things go well for him. Additionally, he can be a feisty presence on the ice and isn't afraid to play the body. He should be good to get you a hit or two most games. 

Surprisingly, Killorn is only 55% rostered in Yahoo leagues as of now, but his ownership is trending upwards this week. He has had a great first month of the season and unless he gets slowed down by an injury, I don't see him regressing any time soon.

The Lightning haven't been your typical powerhouse Tampa Bay squad that we've been used to seeing over the last handful of years. Part of that is probably from the short offseason and the wear and tear of winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. But some of that might also be attributed to the fact that teams like Florida and Carolina are starting to hit their peak finally and it's awfully competitive. With all that being said though, I don't think Tampa is in danger of falling off any time soon, so to me Killorn remains a strong choice if you need a forward.

That'll do it for this week. Hope you enjoyed your Halloween weekend! Don't get too crazy with the Reese's Peanut Butter cups over the next few days! Cheers!