Heyyyyy… Kaapo Kakko's alarm finally went off!

Yep, the 2019 second overall draft pick finally rolled out of bed and started the 2021-22 NHL season on Sunday, picking up his first assist of the campaign in the middle of the second period…and then adding his first goal of the season early in the third. Arguably the player most emailed and tweeted questions to me over the last month. He played 20 minutes in the game (that went to overtime) which was easily a season high. Here's his first goal, and it was a beauty (and a nice pickpocket):

On this goal, Kakko's elbow hits Mackenzie Blackwood in the head. After playing another minute or so, Blackwood left the game and into concussion protocol. He did not return and Jonathan Bernier was saddled with the SOL.

It's not often that you see a coach so patient with a player who is failing to produce on the top line, so kudos to Gerard Gallant. Kakko had zero points in 10 games playing with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin – and he was back playing with them on Sunday. Over the years I've had dozens of hunches and dark horse players who didn't pay off – and perhaps they would have if the coach just stuck with it for 15 games. But if they manage just two points in six or seven games (sometimes even less) and the coach will pull the plug. If all coaches did that with all players, I'd have a much better success rate!

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Speaking of success and failure rates, I always seem to have a big miss. This year it's Dawson Mercer. Ugh. Terrible. Probably my biggest miss in a decade. I didn't have him making the team, I didn't have a projection and I didn't even have him as an option in the prospects box to make the team. The 2020 18^th overall pick I had still a couple of years away. And even when he had a fantastic training camp, I still didn't make room for him on the roster. At the end of camp it was clear that he was going to make the opening roster – even then I thought he'd be sent down after three or four games. I can be too stubborn at times and this time I am eating a lot of crow. I should have put him on your radar, at the very least, but I failed to and I failed you. I am sorry. This one I am kicking myself over. I pride myself when I find you steals, but I do take the misses hard.

So Mercer has 11 points in 14 games and six in his last four. He's on the team to stay and is a key part of the top six. His 5on5 S% is 12.6% which is too high and indicative of a decline. But he's done enough that his place is secure. His current pace is 64 points and I think he gets 50-55. The great thing about his numbers this year is that just one point is on the power play. When that part gets going, it should balance out a lot of that 5on5 S% market correction.

Right now Mercer is flying on a line with Andreas Johnsson and Jesper Bratt. The chemistry there has the other two linemates going as well. Johnsson was pointless Sunday, but he has nine points in his last 10 games and 11 on the season. Bratt was pointless in his first five, but has all 11 of his points in the last nine.

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One side effect of Dawson Mercer's arrival and subsequent success is – Yegor Sharangovich. The Sharang-a-tang has just three assists in 12 games this year with little hope of a turnaround. You see, Mercer has the good linemates. Sharang-a-tang has Jimmy Vesey and Michael McLeod. Mercer has top unit PP time. Sharang-a-tang has been removed from the power play altogether.

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Daniel Vladar started his second straight game for the Flames after an outstanding game on Friday. He picked up his first career shutout. He is the first Calgary backup to post a shutout since 2003.

Ottawa didn't give Vladar much of a challenge in this one, though to be fair they were 10 players short due to COVID. That's right – 10. Drake Batherson is now added to the list. At this point the team is calling up anyone and everyone. I had my phone off so I missed the call.

Coach Darryl Sutter is forgiving Oliver Kylington's defensive gaffes in exchange for the wonderful production he's getting. Without much in the way of power-play time, Kylington still has 10 points in his last 10 games.

The other breakout player under the new (ish) coach is Andrew Mangiapane. He has 20 goals in 47 games since Sutter took over, with 10 in 15 this season.

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Sidney Crosby is finally back! He was held pointless Sunday, though his line scored (Jake Guentzel). He and Guentzel were back with Bryan Rust. This knocked Evan Rodrigues down to a line with Brian Boyle and Danton Heinen.

But what can be said about Alex Ovechkin? This start is unlike anything we've ever seen out of him. It was 2010 the last time we saw Ovechkin reach the 90-point mark (he ended with 109). He needs 64 in 67 games to reach that mark now. And this rejuvenated Ovechkin is helping Evgeni Kuznetsov have a nice rebound season and Tom Wilson, the other linemate, is on pace for a career year.

In fact, with Wilson, he is steadily improving his points-per-game average.

Since 2016-17:

0.23, 0.45, 0.63, 0.65, 0.70, and then 0.87 so far this season.

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With two goals on Sunday, Charlie McAvoy has nine points in his last six games. About six games ago I turned down a trade offer that had him coming my way. So you're welcome, McAvoy owners. Happy to help.

Charlie Coyle is looking like he'll have a career year thanks to his chemistry on the second line with Taylor Hall. He has eight points in his last 11 games thanks to two goals on Sunday. This line works better with Nick Foligno on it. Craig Smith had been struggling there and has been a healthy scratch for the last two games.

Boston prospect to watch: Oskar Steen. He has an assist in each of his two games this year and while he was with Providence he tallied 10 points in seven games. The 23-year-old ranks 123^rd on my prospect forwards list, but jumped 60 spots this month. He'll be moving up further next month, you can count on it. His DobberProspects profile is here.

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So it's pretty clear that Robert Thomas has arrived. Right on schedule, too. Ahead of schedule, actually. He was, according to our Breakout Threshold strategy, supposed to show signs of his breakout in the second half. But he had 14 assists already, thanks to three more on Sunday, two on Saturday and two Thursday. His chemistry with Vladimir Tarasenko is helping both players. Tank has 14 points in his last 13 games, with seven of them goals. The finisher to Thomas' setup.

Ivan Barbashev has been the other member of that line lately and he's been holding his own. He already has nine points in 14 games. His ice time is up three minutes per game over last season and his SOG per game has jumped accordingly (now 1.79 vs. 1.13 last year). Definitely a worthy waiver add.

David Perron has just four points in his last nine games. Over the last couple of seasons you just haven't seen that kind of slump out of him. He's been saddled with Brandon Saad and Tyler Bozak. The injury to Brayden Schenn is really hurting him, it seems.

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Beware the exhibition stat. Edmonton's Brendan Perlini scored six goals and an assist in six preseason games. Zilch in 10 regular season games and is now a press box regular.

Connor McDavid has 150 points in his last 82 games. Yep, he did it. I took this poll back in March and the majority believed he could do it in a season. Will this be the year?

Will Connor McDavid ever top 150 points in a season?

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) March 21, 2021

Leon Draisaitl is actually out-producing McDavid right now. But it's not at all sustainable, given that he's shooting at a 31.9% clip. That would result in a 90-goal season and, come on.

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Nils Hoglander has exploded for five points in his last three games. He was the only Vancouver Canuck to score on Sunday. He has 11 SOG in his last two contests. Lining him up alongside JT Miller is really panning out offensively. That being said, defensively that line was burned on a couple of occasions.

The Canucks are 2-7-1 in their last 10 and Jaroslav Halak is still looking for his first W of the season after five attempts. Both the coach and the GM are on the hot seat. Vancouver has just 22 regulation victories in the last 82 games. Yes – read that sentence twice.

But it was the Trevor Zegras show on Sunday as the rookie scored twice and added an assist. It was his first points after going four games without any. Both of his goals were on the power play. He was my preseason Calder pick.

And the Ramblings wouldn't be Ramblings without Troy Terry talk. Or so it seems, at least with me. His points streak is now up to 14, and he's fifth in NHL scoring with 20 points.

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See you next Monday.