The first week of the 2025-2026 NHL regular season was full of surprises, and several Eastern Conference skaters have wasted no time making their mark with the man advantage. From veterans taking on new responsibilities to young players seizing unexpected opportunities, here are a few powerplay producers in the East worth keeping an eye on as the season rolls along.

(Statistics courtesy of Frozen Tools)

Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers

When Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov went down with a season-ending knee injury during training camp, head coach Paul Maurice was forced to shuffle his lines in a major way. Thankfully for the back-to-back Cup champs, Anton Lundell has stepped up remarkably well thus far, collecting four points (two goals, two assists) in his first four games, all on the powerplay.

Lundell has never been known for his work with the man advantage, totaling just 20 powerplay points over his first four NHL seasons. But early returns suggest that might change. Centering Florida's second unit alongside Evan Rodrigues, Carter Verhaeghe, Mackie Samoskevich, and Jeff Petry, the group has already struck four times in three games, despite seeing only approximately one quarter of the team's total powerplay time.

While it remains to be seen whether Lundell's production can hold on a secondary unit, as long as the Cats' PP2 continues to convert, Lundell should continue getting steady looks – and remain fantasy-relevant in the process.

Kyle Palmieri, RW, New York Islanders

At 34 years old, Kyle Palmieri is showing he still has plenty left in the tank. The veteran winger is off to a solid start to the 2025-2026 season with three points (one goal, two assists) through his first three games, with both helpers coming on the powerplay.

Palmieri has been skating on the Islanders' top unit alongside Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Jonathan Drouin, and rookie Matthew Schaefer. Interestingly, both of the unit's powerplay goals came while Anthony Duclair filled in for Drouin during his one-game suspension:

Even so, Palmieri remains a steady source of shot volume and a proven contributor with the man advantage, having recorded 15 or more powerplay points six times in his career. If Schaefer can inject some much-needed creativity into a powerplay that finished tied for the fewest PPGs in the league last season (26), Palmieri could quietly deliver one of his most productive seasons in years.

Pavel Zacha, C/LW, Boston Bruins

Pavel Zacha has opened the season strong, registering five points (one goal, four assists) through his first four games, with two assists coming on the powerplay. Under new head coach Marco Sturm, Boston's top unit has taken on a heavy workload in the early going, claiming 64 percent of the team's total powerplay time over the last three games.

That top unit – featuring Zacha alongside Elias Lindholm, David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Charlie McAvoy – has converted twice so far, with Zacha factoring in on both goals. It's a promising sign for a player who's topped 15 powerplay points only three times in his ten-year career and has yet to hit the 60-point mark in a season.

If Zacha continues to anchor the middle of Boston's top unit and sustain this early production, he could finally make the jump from steady secondary scorer to a reliable fantasy contributor this season.

Zack Bolduc, RW, Montreal Canadiens

Zack Bolduc ended last season on a tear, piling up 14 points in his final 19 games with St. Louis. That late surge appears to have carried straight into 2025-2026, as the young winger has opened the year with four points (three goals, one assist) through his first three games, including two on the powerplay (one goal, one assist).

Montreal's top unit boasts plenty of firepower with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson, but it was surprisingly unproductive in 2025-2026, finishing 21^st overall in productivity (20.09%). Last season, Patrik Laine was leaned on heavily with the man advantage, and following the late-season emergence of Ivan Demidov, many expected one of those two to fill the fifth spot on PP1 once again this year. Instead, Bolduc earned the opportunity in the early going – and has made the most of it to say the least.

Bolduc quietly produced 12 powerplay points (seven goals, five assists) last season despite a subpar 35.7 percent powerplay share. With that number up to 66.7 percent in the early stages of the season, there's no telling what Zach Bolduc is capable of in 2025-2026.

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That's all for this week! Follow me on X @SmoothE27 for more fantasy hockey content and analysis, and feel free to DM me with any questions about your team.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Eastern Edge on Tuesday, October 21. Have a great week everyone!