Before I start on the usual fantasy hockey discussion, Dobber shared some tough news earlier in the day.

It is with profound sadness that I announce that my cancer has returned.

I have been informed that the leukemia that I beat in 2017 has relapsed. I will be spending the next several days trying to find the inner strength that I need for another fight, and will have a more…

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) October 19, 2023

It's not easy to find the right words when something like this happens. When Dobber phoned me earlier to deliver this unfortunate news, all I could say is that I was sorry and that I hoped he was doing well given the circumstances. Although there are numerous implications for this site that we discussed in the call as well, my mind kept thinking about his personal situation. You see, Dobber is a similar age to me with a similar family situation (married, two children), and of course, our shared interest in fantasy hockey.

As much as we can grumble over day-to-day stuff like the results of our fantasy team, this news serves as a reminder that health and family are what really matter more. Bragging rights and perhaps even money might be on the line for what we do here, and you're here because your fantasy team is important to you. However, fantasy sports is also about the friendships we make along the way. That's why I hope we can all send enough positive vibes to Dobber as he prepares to kick cancer's ass a second time and win that ultimate keeper league.

I know that Dobber will need to take some time away from the site again. While that happens, we've got an awesome team here that will take care of things.

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Nick Paul scored a power-play goal and added a power-play assist on Thursday, breaking a three-game stretch without a point after recording three points on opening night. If you're a Brandon Hagel guy hoping for that PP1 opportunity, the eye test suggests that Paul is a viable option on the Tampa first-unit power play. He's a big body (6-3, 229 lbs.) that is difficult to move in front of the net. Pretty simple concept.

It’s not all bad for Hagel, though. In fact, it's been pretty good for Hagel. He assisted on one of Nikita Kucherov's two goals, giving him six points in five games – all at even strength. The Lightning have invested in Hagel long term, so he's at least been skating on either the Kucherov or Steven Stamkos line for much of the season so far. He'll probably be the next man up on the top power play once there's an injury or if Paul starts to look like he's out of his league.

Speaking of Stamkos, he returned to the Lightning lineup on Thursday after missing the past two games with a lower-body injury.

Elias Pettersson missed practice on Wednesday, so there was some concern that he would miss Thursday's game or at least be hobbled. Yet he added another two assists on Thursday, tying him with Alex DeBrincat for the league scoring lead (8 PTS in 4 GP) at the time I am writing this. I know I raised an eyebrow or two when I picked him 15^th overall in my fantasy content creators draft, but so far so good. Does a 40-goal, 100-point season make him elite?

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When Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl play on same line, the points are supposed to roll in, right? The Oilers' dynamic duo was held to just an assist for McDavid in a 4-1 loss in Philadelphia. Evander Kane began the game on this line, but he was eventually bumped in favor of Zach Hyman. McDavid and Draisaitl together is never a permanent arrangement, but this bodes well for Hyman in the short term if he can stay there. Hyman is off to a fantastic start on his own merit with six points in his first four games.

McDavid has six points (2 G, 4 A) in four games but is a minus-4. Meanwhile, Evan Bouchard has four assists in four games but is a minus-5. Hey Frozen Tools, can we call this the enlarged version of a Draisaitl Hat Trick – at least for McDavid? Although the Oilers have lost three of their first four games, it's too early to worry.

Carter Hart has three quality starts in four games, including a 22-save 4-1 win over the Oilers on Thursday. Although the Flyers were picked to finish near the basement, John Tortorella has his team outworking their opponents, which has resulted in three wins in four games for Hart. Although this start probably isn't sustainable, Hart might not be as bad as an option for fantasy teams as thought before the season if Torts' message continues to get through to his players.

The Flyers also have their share of potential comeback players. Cam Atkinson scored a pair of goals on Thursday, giving him three goals in four games. Atkinson is also averaging three shots per game, which seems like a good sign for his production. Sean Couturier chipped in two assists on Thursday to give him four points in four games. Couturier also continues to be a valuable two-way presence, playing at least 20 minutes in three of the four games with a plus-7 rating. I know, plus/minus again, so let's supplement that by saying the Atkinson-Couturier-Owen Tippett line has been driving play the last few games (near 60 percent SF% and CF%). This line also successfully matched up against the aforementioned McDavid-Draisaitl line. Impressive, considering that neither Couturier nor Atkinson played a single game last season because of injuries.

Flyers matched line of Owen Tippett, Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson against Connor McDavid's line, and held 3-time NHL scoring leader to 0 shots on goal and 1 shot attempt (5th time in 4 seasons McDavid had 0 SOG for a game). Cam Atkinson on how they did it: pic.twitter.com/jYBRKvX7s7

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) October 20, 2023

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Cause for concern? A reason for Zero G? Igor Shesterkin was tagged with his second really bad start in four games on Thursday. Shesterkin allowed four goals on 17 shots before getting the hook in favor of Jonathan Quick, who made his Rangers debut. The Rangers head out on a western road trip after this game, so shaking out of this funk might not be easy for Shesterkin. Just be patient.  

Filip Forsberg scored his first goal since January 26. Dating back to last season, Forsberg had not scored a goal in his last six games, which makes the stat seem not as bad. Forsberg also added an assist for two power-play points and six shots. With 24 shots so far, Forsberg is among the league leaders in that category, so he was definitely due for a goal.

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I don't think this will last once Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour return, but Oliver Ekman-Larsson has averaged 25 minutes per game over his first four games with the Panthers. OEL has points in back-to-back games, including a goal on Thursday. He might have a better season anyway now that he no longer has the pressure to deliver on a massive contract.

Evan Rodrigues, who is another new Panther, has at least four shots in each of his four games. It's still early, but Rodrigues seems like a decent fit with Florida. He has five points, including two goals, in four games. As well, Rodrigues' 11.8 SH% doesn't seem unrealistic, even though he has been a hot-and-cold player for the past few seasons.

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After being held off the scoresheet in his first two games as an LA King, Pierre-Luc Dubois now has three goals in his past two games. Dubois' two goals on Thursday were scored in the span of 12 seconds.

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Let's discuss one of the players that Dubois was traded for in the offseason. Gabriel Vilardi's first two games with the Jets seemed extremely promising. Vilardi had a top-line role with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, first-unit power-play time, and at least 20 minutes of icetime in each game. Unfortunately, Vilardi is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks with a knee injury, so his potential sleeper or breakout or whatever you want to call it has been placed on hold.  

There are no doubt better options to take that spot on the Scheifele-Connor line than Mason Appleton, but that's who Rick Bowness went with on Thursday. This line did not record a single point at even strength and was a combined minus-7 with a 42.1 SF% and 44.0 CF%. That's good news if you're hoping for someone like Nikolaj Ehlers, Cole Perfetti, or Nino Niederreiter in that spot.

Alex Iafallo was also acquired in the Dubois trade, and he scored a pair of goals while taking seven shots. His even-strength deployment is nothing to get excited about, but he has regularly been used on the Jets' top power play. Iafallo is no stranger to the power play, as his %PP was above 50% for three seasons with the Kings. He has only one 40+ point season over his six-season career, so expect his upside to continue to be limited.  

Stanley Cup hangover? The Vegas Golden Knights are 5-0-0 to start the season.

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Leo Carlsson made his NHL debut on Thursday, scoring his first career NHL goal.

LEO CARLSSON WITH HIS FIRST NHL GOAL IN HIS NHL DEBUT! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/6gP5qTd69X

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 20, 2023

I'll break down Thursday's late games along with Friday's two games tomorrow. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter/X and Threads.