Every Friday this season, theScore's NHL editors are debating a hot-button issue in 'On The Fly,' our roundtable series. This week, we identify a quartet of players we can't help but loathe.

Andrew Shaw

Navin Vaswani: There's just something about Andrew Shaw's face.

He's a pest. He even looks like a pest. And pests are easy to hate. He's always yapping at referees. Did you know that Shaw has never actually committed an infraction on the ice? His 358 career penalty minutes are part of a larger conspiracy against him and players like him.

Shaw's been suspended for dirty hits and for using a homophic slur against an official. The latter's very tough to look past, but Shaw, as we've learned, is clearly someone who plays with a lot of emotion, and he has trouble containing it at times. It's a fine line for the 25-year-old to toe, because he's one of those guys who's most effective when he's playing on the edge.

And that's what makes Shaw so annoying - he's an effective hockey player. He's good at what he does. He's a 20-goal scorer, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with big postseason goals on his CV, including a triple-overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. He played that series with a broken rib.

You want Shaw on your team. He's one of those guys, the kind who clearly drives his opponents crazy. He feeds off it. Problem is, he's so hard to ignore, especially when he loses his mind and abuses innocent hockey sticks.

Yeah, there's just something about Shaw. Love him if he's on your team, loathe him with every fiber of your being if he's not.

Zdeno Chara

Craig Hagerman: Chara is a pest like no other.

That's because no pest stands at 6-foot-9 like he does. Chara is a beast of human, there is no other way to describe him.

Players looking to get in front of Tuukka Rask never do so completely unscathed. Try to slide past him along the boards, and you'll likely end up on your ass. And if the Bruins decide to sit him in front of your goalie on a power play, well, there's very little you can do to stop him. Oh, and if you're stupid enough, he will even drop the gloves with you if you're willing.

Add to the fact he has a cannon of a shot, he's a great leader, and a former Norris Trophy winner and you have all the ingredients of a one-of-a-kind player. The ultimate "hate to play him, would love to have him" kind of talent.

He might be starting to lose his speed at his age, but rest assured, Chara isn't - and never will be - a pushover.

Chris Neil

Sean O'Leary: There's something to be said about Neil's dedication to his craft.

After all, there aren't too many 37-year-old agitators roaming the NHL these days.

Neil has been a heart-and-soul player for the Ottawa Senators his entire career, winning over the hearts of fans by constantly playing in the face of his opponents, and dropping his gloves more than a few times along the way.

His 2,492 penalty minutes (and counting) rank 22nd all time, easily the most among active NHLers. Neil's failed to reach the triple-digit mark in PIMs just once in his career, when he only played 38 games in 2014-15, accumulating 78 minutes in infractions.

Neil is only one game shy of 1,000 for his career - an impressive feat regardless of your playing style. There's probably 29 teams that are sick of seeing his face above the Senators logo he's worn for so long, but there's at least one franchise that holds him near and dear.

Drew Doughty

Cory Wilkins: Doughty is a top-notch NHL defenseman. And he knows it.

The Los Angeles Kings blue-liner hasn't missed a beat since being drafted second overall in 2008 and making an immediate jump into the NHL.

Right-shot defensemen are a rare commodity in the NHL, and Doughty is one of them. Not only that, but he's big, he's rangy, he produces, and that's not to forget his physical game. In other words, he's the complete package. He has the chirps to back it up.

Doughty is what all NHL defensemen should aim to be. He even admitted his frustration that he hadn't won a Norris Trophy, but that all changed last season, when he was recognized as the NHL's top defenseman. It's that sort of drive and dedication that sees you win two Stanley Cups before your 25th birthday.

This is all well and good if you're a Kings fan. If not, Doughty is surely a player you love to hate.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Friday this season, theScore's NHL editors are debating a hot-button issue in 'On The Fly,' our roundtable series. This week, we look at six players that could soon be on the move, and should be ready to pack their bags.

Bishop gets the boot

Hagerman: While the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to take the majority of the heat in regards to goalie limbo leading up to the expansion draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning are actually in the same - if not an even worse - position.

Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy have shared the crease this season with Bishop getting the slightly larger workload, but his numbers pale in comparison to his younger counterpart.

Since Bishop - who will become an unrestricted free agent at season's end - also currently costs the Lightning just under $6 million, he's the obvious choice to be shipped out.

With the draft and free agency upcoming, the Lightning face not just one, but two scenarios in which they could lose the former Vezina Trophy finalist for nothing. They might be better served by making a move at the trade deadline, and unless an unthinkable injury strikes Vasilevskiy in the weeks leading up to the playoffs, it's hard to imagine a situation where the Lightning don't flip Bishop to a team in goaltending need (cough, cough, Dallas).

Minor-league fix

Cuthbert: Having whirled with centers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and, more recently, Connor McDavid, Jesse Puljujarvi has been afforded every opportunity to be a productive member of the Edmonton Oilers as an 18-year-old in the NHL.

But that just hasn’t been the case through 20 games.

Without a goal since opening night, Puljujarvi's stuck on seven points and being denied access to the club’s power-play units. And since Drake Caggiula and Matt Hendricks became able bodies, he's been relegated to fourth-line rotation duties at practice, and the press box Thursday night in Winnipeg.

The clock officially started on his entry-level deal a few weeks back - and this wasn't necessarily a mistake. But given the opportunity for him to acquire big-league polish in the AHL with 20 minutes a night, and the added incentive of preserving a season of unrestricted free agency, the Oilers shouldn't have Puljujarvi in Edmonton beyond game No. 40.

Desert departure

Wilkins: Martin Hanzal is on borrowed time in the desert. The Arizona Coyotes center is a pending unrestricted free agent, and while the two sides informally talked extension around training camp, not much materialized. That makes Hanzal a prime target to be moved at the deadline, especially considering Arizona's spot in the standings.

Hanzal is a monstrous pivot who excels at both ends of the rink, in the dot, and in front of the net on the power play. He'd be a significant addition to any Cup contender. As for the Coyotes, things are a bit crowded up the middle with young centers like Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak expected to take on bigger roles in the next season or two, making an extension for Hanzal less of a priority. As such, the veteran's 10-year run with the Desert Dogs will end sooner rather than later.

O Captain, Bye Captain

O'Leary: The Montreal Canadiens want to stabilize their blue line beyond Shea Weber, and with the emergence of Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov, suddenly Max Pacioretty has become expendable.

On the heels of three consecutive seasons eclipsing 30 goals, Pacioretty has only five so far, and has bounced around the Habs' top three lines.

His friendly $4.5-million cap hit, however, could gather a decent haul for Marc Bergevin. Whether Bergevin values his captain's presence more than fixing the team's most glaring need as the season carries on remains to be seen, but the GM has already shown he isn't scared of a little scrutiny.

Fleury out, Murray in

Gold-Smith: Matt Murray hasn't completely wrestled the Pittsburgh Penguins' crease from Marc-Andre Fleury, but it's time to hand it over to the kid.

Murray's role in the Penguins' championship run and stellar play this season have made Fleury disposable, and the veteran hasn't done himself many favors, posting pedestrian numbers through 16 games.

Fleury is on the books for 2016-17 and then two more seasons at $5.75 million, while Murray counts for less than $1 million now before his three-year, $11.25-million extension begins in 2017-18.

The Penguins need to trade Fleury before his value evaporates. He's on Pittsburgh's protected list for the expansion draft by virtue of his no-movement clause. He'll be exposed if he waives it, but the Penguins shouldn't let it come to that point and risk losing him for nothing.

Spooner reaches fork in the road

McLaren: The additions of David Backes, Riley Nash, and Dominic Moore created a glut of forwards capable of lining up at the center spot for the Boston Bruins, and the odd man out early this season appears to be Ryan Spooner.

The 24-year-old came into his own last season while centering the third line, and broke out to the tune of 13 goals and 49 points. Recently, due to a crowded platoon of forwards, Spooner's been relegated to the fourth line.

But here's the thing - it's no secret the Bruins have been looking to add on defense, and Spooner makes a ton of sense as a literal centerpiece going the other way in a potential trade, despite his dip in production.

As such, it would not be surprising to see general manager Don Sweeney send Spooner packing at some point prior to the trade deadline.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Friday this season, theScore's NHL editors are debating a hot-button issue in On The Fly, our roundtable series. This week, we discuss what we're excited for, and concerned about with hockey heading to Vegas.

Blank slate

Wilkins: General manager George McPhee has a unique opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Typically, when a GM takes over, he's inheriting a roster he hopes to build into a winner. But it often comes with its less desirable parts - it's not uncommon to see a GM saddled with scouts he didn't hire, a coach he didn't pick, and a handful of ugly contracts he's not too fond of.

That's not the case in Vegas, where McPhee, the former general manager in Washington, will start with a clean slate in his attempt to bring Lord Stanley to the Strip.

McPhee gets to lay the first brick with the Golden Knights, choosing everything from the team's initial roster and its staff. He even had input on the team's official name. Not a bad gig.

Is there anybody out there?

Gold-Smith: Golden Knights fans hit their season-ticket deposit cap long before the team had a name or a logo, but it's the years after their inaugural campaign that owner Bill Foley should be concerned about.

There will be at least 16,000 seats accounted for in 2017-18 thanks to the early season-ticket drive, but whether they're consistently filled in a city with an unrivaled number of evening entertainment options remains to be seen.

The onus will be on the club's management - led by McPhee and whoever he tabs as head coach - to build a competitive team that holds interest long enough to establish a loyal fan base in a town with myriad distractions.

How the Golden Knights do at the gate will be one of the most intriguing storylines of their maiden voyage in the NHL.

The on-ice product

Cuthbert: When a bullish Foley triumphantly vowed that the executive team he chose would craft a championship roster within six seasons, it was clear that he hadn’t been sitting in on the mock drafts.

Without question, Las Vegas has assembled an impressive collection of hockey minds and strategists more than capable of building a successful franchise from the ground up. But because the expansion mandate has proven to accommodate the NHL’s 30 active teams, it would be naive to expect even the most fervent talent evaluators to piece together more than a glorified American Hockey League team with its selections.

Mock drafts from pundits and fans shared and discussed online are alarming, and these rosters have been assembled even before the NHL’s active franchises board up their rosters with the deadline still months away.

McPhee’s team is going to unearth talent. But with the way the NHL has protected its other teams, you have to be concerned about the product the Knights will bring to opening night.

Looking the part

McLaren: For as poorly as the unveiling went for the team we now know as the Vegas Golden Knights, the logo, at the very least, was well worth the wait.

The first thing about the logo that stands out is the V built into the Knight's helmet, which was a stroke of design genius. It works especially well after it was announced the team would be go by Vegas and not Las Vegas, a nod to the locals on the part of owner Bill Foley.

The gold is said to represent the fact Nevada is the largest producer of gold in the United States, while the grey represents strength and durability, and the black represents power and intensity.

Put it all together, and the hockey world has a slick new logo that fans from all over the world can proudly don - even if the the team is an absolute embarrassment on the ice to begin with.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Friday this season, theScore's NHL editors are debating a hot-button issue in 'On The Fly,' our roundtable series. This week, we discuss ways the league could augment its proposal to the NHLPA to trade Olympic participation for an extension of the CBA.

Rollback

Justin Cuthbert: Forget Olympics; how 'bout talking escrow?

As it's configured, the amount of money skimmed off the top of player salaries increases as the escalator inflates the salary cap from season to season, ensuring a 50/50 revenue split with the owners. Most recently, this has been upwards of 16 percent of player salaries up in smoke.

That's a little insane.

Though they lose the same percentage, and for that, more real dollars, this isn't as much of a concern for most players who would actually participate in the Olympics. The majority of these players have made a lot of money, or still have massive earning potentials. It is, however, of great concern to the rest, and especially replacement-level players being killed by this tax.

The NHL's clearly quite content with the mandate negotiated in 2013, and the incoming $500-million expansion fee is a heck of a lot of frosting atop the cake. So, if Gary Bettman and crew want to minimize change and avoid a work stoppage in Las Vegas' first few seasons, their proposal would actually be heard should it offer percentage ceiling or slight normalizing amendment to escrow.

All-Star fix

Ian McLaren: Remove the threat of suspension for players who feign injury for the purpose of sitting out the All-Star Game, then change the format of event so that it highlights the league's young talent and players who may not get the exposure that comes with a best-on-best tournament.

This would free star players from yet another obligation and allow others to be placed in the spotlight for once.

On top of that, up the ante in terms of compensation for the winning team so there's an actual incentive to make the game competitive.

If the John Scott saga taught us anything, it's that fans want to see unexpected players shine on a big stage. This way, star players can fight for Olympic glory while the rest battle it out for All-Star glory and some extra coin.

Scrap it

Sean O'Leary: The NHL's offer to simply green light Olympic participation as long as the NHLPA extends the current CBA is laughable - just ask Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The league has to construe something better.

Related: Vlasic scoffs at report tying CBA extension to Olympic participation

The offer is a win-win for Gary Bettman and the owners, because while lengthening the current agreement sounds like a no-brainer to fans, the players are unhappy with the current escrow structure.

If the NHLPA signs, the division of revenue would stay the same for three more years, and the owners would get their wish of keeping their players in North America.

Thankfully, any potential feud between the NHL and the PA in the next 15 months won't cause a work stoppage, but Bettman strong-arming his players with an unfair deal sets the wrong precedent on an already rocky relationship.

It's moot

Josh Gold-Smith: Why would the players accept any of the NHL's offers when many insist they'll go to South Korea regardless of the league's stance?

One can certainly understand why the NHL doesn't want to go, even with travel and insurance costs covered by the IIHF - because it won't make money off the tournament and shutting down the season while risking injuries to its stars isn't ideal.

But the union has power here. Allan Walsh argued this week that the league is trying to "blackmail" the players and take advantage of their desire to play in the Olympics. Judging by their less than enthusiastic response to the initial offer, it's clear they won't be easily coerced.

The NHL's position weakens every time another player says he intends to go whether or not the league approves.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, will be published every Friday throughout the season. This week, we explore how to fix a glaring need hindering four teams across the league.

Crease change-up

Wilkins: It's no surprise Dallas has a goaltending problem.

The Stars were a top team last season, frontlined by high-end offense that crashed in a Game 7 blowout loss to St. Louis, with Antti Niemi allowing two goals on 10 shots and Kari Lehtonen with three on eight in relief.

Both are back this season and it's ugly, as evidenced by the matching pair of sub-.900 save percentages. Poor performers are hard to move, even more so on a heavy ticket. Signed through 2017-18, Niemi carries a $4.5-million AAV, and Lehtonen at $5.9 million.

So, let's fix things. Could Jaroslav Halak be the answer? He wants off the Island and New York wants away from his agent. Halak can win - we saw that at the World Cup. At .908, he's outperforming both Dallas goalies, and owning a contract similar to Niemi, maybe there's a fit.

Infusing youth in Brooklyn

O'Leary: After reaching new heights in the spring, the New York Islanders find themselves toward the basement of the Metropolitan Division one month into the season.

Some are calling for head coach Jack Capuano to be fired, but it looks like he has some slack on his leash, with a chance to turn things around. But more than a systematic problem, it's personnel issues that are troubling the Islanders.

Capuano said it himself: the club lost a ton of production when Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen packed their bags in free agency, but the Islanders are still running with a less than ideal lineup.

New York also got older by adding Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera, and continue to leave youth in the press box or in the minors.

The club sent Mathew Barzal - the 16th overall pick in 2015 - back to junior, where he's averaged 1.23 points per game over his last 161 contests. Anthony Beauvillier, another first-round pick to make the club out of camp, has been frequently scratched.

Josh Ho-Sang and Michael Dal Colle are fellow skilled prospects producing in the minors. Their skill sets can add a jolt to the Islanders' attack.

Skill and speed are taking over the NHL, and the Islanders have plenty of it. They just aren't using it.

Bye-bye Benning?

Hagerman: The Canucks are having issues in almost every aspect of their game, and it's time for them to address the big picture. Vancouver needs to get rid of general manager Jim Benning to find success.

The Canucks are on a steady decline, no longer the powerhouse that reached the Stanley Cup Finals after two straight Presidents' Trophy wins. Instead, they are an aging club with few budding prospects.

This offseason, rather than retooling with young talent, the club decided to hand Loui Eriksson a 6-year, $36-million contract. Not only will the deal handcuff the team going forward, a quick look at the clubs' stats page will tell you it hasn't been money will spent.

The Canucks need to accept what they are and start preparing for a lengthy rebuild.

They could look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, who gave them a pounding - in many respects - on Saturday. Suddenly, with a plethora of homegrown young stars in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, Toronto's mapped out a plan for prolonged success.

Sputtering special teams

Gold-Smith: The Calgary Flames had the worst power play (4-for-48) and second-worst penalty kill (72.4 percent) entering Thursday night's action. They clearly need to do something to improve both special teams units.

T.J. Brodie has only two points in 15 games, far below his 40-plus-point pace over the last two seasons. The defenseman said he feels he hasn't been as involved as in years past on the offensive end, reports Wes Gilbertson from the Calgary Herald.

He's been a fixture on Calgary's top power-play group, and getting him going offensively with the man advantage is one way the Flames can start to repair that facet of their game.

Flames forward Michael Frolik said he and the other penalty killers need to help each other out more, according to Ryan Pike from FlamesNation. Head coach Glen Gulutzan wants them to show less panic and make smarter decisions on the kill.

Calgary's special-team issues predate Gulutzan's arrival, but taking those recommendations could help the Flames cure what ails them.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, will be published every Friday throughout the season. This week, we look at those producing at a high level, but flying under the radar.

The forgotten superstar

O'Leary: Claude Giroux is no stranger to going unnoticed.

Over the past five seasons combined, the Flyers' captain ranks fifth league-wide in overall points, trailing a who's who of NHL superstars.

This season - so far at least - it's much of the same, as the 28-year-old sits tied for second in scoring with 13 points in 12 games.

Giroux has topped 70 points four times in his career, yet hardly garners much of the notoriety or superstardom that comes with being one of the league's top offensive threats.

His underappreciation is a common trend, even on the international scale. After finally cracking a best-on-best Team Canada roster at the World Cup, Giroux was scratched for all but one game.

If Giroux keeps up his current pace - his career mark of 0.9 points per game suggests that's quite possible - maybe, just maybe, he'll finally be recognized for what he's capable of.

The Hurricane

Wilkins: It's easy to fly under the radar in Raleigh, and former Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner has done exactly that.

Earlier this year, Skinner scored a pair of goals and nearly added a third versus the New York Rangers. He then added two more points against the Philadelphia Flyers.

All in all, Skinner has 11 points in eight games. That leads the Hurricanes, as does his five goals. In fact, Skinner sits tied for fourth in NHL scoring, three points behind Artem Anisimov.

It's a nice rebound for Skinner, who'd become somewhat of a forgotten man in recent years. After winning rookie honors in 2010-11 - during which he notched 31 goals and 32 assists in 82 games as an 18-year-old - Skinner's production has never been the same.

That's changed this year, as he's recorded 1.38 points per game. It's more than double last year's per game total, and he's already more than a third of the way to reaching the lowly 31 points he finished with in 2014-15.

Jeff Skinner is back.

The Capitals' latest attraction

Gold-Smith: The Washington Capitals' big sleeper entering the season was Andre Burakovsky, but it's Marcus Johansson who's played a more important early role in the nation's capital.

Johansson started modestly with four points in six games, but he turned it on after that, exploding for five goals and two assists over the next three contests.

The Swedish winger has never recorded more than 20 goals or 47 points in a season, but those totals should be within reach if he keeps playing alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov, and continues getting time on the Capitals' top power-play unit.

Boston's next big thing

McLaren: Brad Marchand has stolen headlines in Boston, but the Bruins have benefited greatly from David Pastrnak's breakout performance thus far.

The 20-year-old Czech forward has scored six goals and added three assists through eight games, and ranks 13th among all players (with at least five appearances) in points per game (1.13).

Pastrnak - nicknamed "Pasta" - recently missed two games due to suspension, but still sits only one goal back of the NHL lead. He's on pace to far exceed the career-high 15 goals he recorded in 51 games last season, and is becoming an integral part of the Bruins' success.

Not bad for a player drafted 25th overall in 2014.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The result wasn't what Connor McDavid wanted, and he remains scoreless after his first game in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre, but he relished the experience, regardless.

"I grew up watching games in this building, so it was cool to play here," McDavid said after the Edmonton Oilers fell 3-2 to the Maple Leafs in overtime.

No. 97 played a lot, 22:46, and was often double-shifted, but he and his teammates couldn't crack Frederik Andersen, who had his best game in blue and white.

McDavid was beaten by Nazem Kadri in the extra frame, and thought Kadri got away with a hold before he beat Cam Talbot for the winner.

Related: Watch: Kadri fights off McDavid to score OT winner for Maple Leafs

"I have an opinion on it," McDavid said of the play, according to The Canadian Press' Jonas Siegel. "I don't really want to share it too much. The ref saw what he saw. Kadri made a good play."

Kadri was all over McDavid all night.

"He's a good player," McDavid added, according to TSN's Tony Ambrogio. "He played me hard. Good for him."

Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock thought all of McDavid's ice time caught up to him, especially after playing over eight minutes in the first period.

The rematch between the two clubs is later this month, Nov. 29, in Edmonton.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, will be published every Friday throughout the season. This week, we take a look at a few teams and players that are bound to regress after starting the season red-hot.

Trouble Looming in Vancouver

Hagerman: The Vancouver Canucks shouldn't get too acquainted with their current playoff spot because they likely won't remain in it for long.

The team got off to a questionable start to say the least, jumping out to a formidable 4-0-0 record, despite never holding a lead in regulation through the first three games. However, the team has begun to show their true colors as of late.

The Canucks have lost three straight, including a 3-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators. And while they still sit second in the Pacific Division with nine points, a quick look at a few stats proves just how lucky the team has been.

Painful days are coming for the Canucks who are more likely to finish with a lottery position than a playoff spot.

The New Guy

McLaren: The Montreal Canadiens could not have asked for a better start to the season from Shea Weber.

Through eight games, he recorded three goals and six assists for nine points (tied for third in the NHL) with a league-high plus-12 rating, while averaging almost 26 minutes a night. The team as a whole, meanwhile, has yet to lose in regulation, posting a record of 7-0-1.

At some point, however, Weber's production is bound to level off.

At present, Weber is on pace for 35 goals and 105 points, which is clearly out of the realm of possibility considering the offensively gifted Erik Karlsson has never topped 82 points.

For his career, Weber is averaging 18 goals and 48 points per every 82 games, with a shooting percentage of 8.2.

Expect numbers closer to that range when all is said and done.

Wheelin' in Motor City

O'Leary: After beginning the season with two losses, the Detroit Red Wings have reeled off six consecutive wins, but all that glitters may not be gold in Mo Town.

In all but two of Detroit's eight games, they've been out-shot, and are toward the bottom of the league in several key possession stats. The Red Wings are 26th in the NHL in shots allowed per game (33.1), and are bottom-10 in even-strength Corsi-against (59.06), to go with a bottom-three rank in Corsi-for (47.76) per 60 minutes (corsica hockey).

Both Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard have been fantastic early on in goal, frequently bailing out a struggling defensive corps. Thomas Vanek's eight points have provided most of the offense, but Henrik Zetterberg has yet to score, and Dylan Larkin has only three points. A defensive overhaul and more offense balance are imperative if the Red Wings want to carry their postseason streak to 26 years.

Time to Panik?

Gold-Smith: Richard Panik has definitely fit in well on the Chicago Blackhawks' top line, benefiting as any player would from playing alongside Jonathan Toews, but there are several reasons to believe his early production is unsustainable.

He's in a four-way tie atop the NHL goal-scoring race with six goals in seven games, but they've come on only 11 shots. Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine have the same number of goals in 30 and 23 shots on goal, respectively. There's simply no way Panik keeps scoring at a 54.5 percent clip.

The other factor is precedent. The 25-year-old has already equaled his six-goal, eight-point output from a season ago, but he's never put up more than 11 goals and 17 points in any of his four previous NHL campaigns. Panik is bound to post career highs and respectable numbers if he sticks on the top unit all season, but regression is inevitable.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vine is dead.

Well, not yet, but it will be soon. Twitter, which owns the short-form video app, announced Thursday that Vine will be discontinued in the coming months.

For the sports world, it's the end of an era. Here are some of the best hockey Vines over the past three years. Never forget.

Bernier's loogie

Without a doubt, Jonathan Bernier's finest Toronto Maple Leafs moment.

On second thought ...

Whatever, Gary.

Hip check

It's beautiful, even more so in slow motion.

Never saw it coming

The referee drills Drake Caggiula and still calls the goal. What a pro.

Hate when that happens

Painful to watch every time.

"Good one, Randy!"

Randy Carlyle is not funny.

Giroux's genius

Henrik Lundqvist is still looking for Claude Giroux.

Robbery

Jeff Lerg is a legend in Toledo, home of the ECHL's Walleye, and rightfully so. Remember: He made this save in overtime.

GOAT

The greatest goal in the history of the shootout:

Stick save ...

And a beauty, as they say.

McKinnon's mitts

Never forget the World Cup of Hockey.

Multiple moves

This one is remarkable. You can't say the German league did nothing for you.

Feelings

The kids, they're going to be all right.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.

Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, October 27:

Triple Threat

• C Tyler Seguin (70K), LW Jamie Benn (54K) & RW Patrick Eaves (25K), Stars (at Jets): These three come together on the team's top power play unit. While the Stars have struggled with the man advantage so far, converting only four times on 25 chances, the goal-scoring upside is still huge. Eaves offers inexpensive opportunity to hit the scoresheet by virtue of playing with Benn.

• C Aleksander Barkov (52K), RW Jaromir Jagr (40K) & D Aaron Ekblad, Panthers (at Maple Leafs): The bargain line stack of the day features the visiting Panthers in Toronto. Neither Barkov nor Jagr have looked as dynamic as a year ago, though Barkov has five points in six games. Only the Calgary Flames have allowed more goals than Toronto.

• C Claude Giroux (62K), RW Wayne Simmons (60K) & D Shayne Gostisbehere (48K), Flyers (vs. Coyotes): Philadelphia's top line may sway toward contrarian because of the capital invested, but the traveling Coyotes relying on backup netminder Louis Domingue are not in a good position. Arizona is a NHL-worst minus-9 in goal differential.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET/BARGAIN - Devan Dubnyk (75K), Wild (at Sabres): Despite starting on the road, Dubnyk's low salary and overall excellent play to start the season (2.01 GAA, .929 SV%) are enough to warrant confidence against a Sabres team that has managed to score only 14 goals though five games.

• FADE - Marc-Andre Fleury (110K), Penguins (vs. Islanders): The Islanders suffered a hard-luck home loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, unable to convert on their opportunities. Expect a different showing Thursday night. Fleury is the most expensive goalie on the slate against a team featuring some solid firepower.

• CONTRARIAN - Steve Mason (100K), Flyers (vs. Coyotes): Somehow, Mason is the next most expensive option. The Flyers have not exactly shone in net, but Mason did relieve Michal Neuvirth on Tuesday, stopping all eight shots he faced to pick up the win against Buffalo. Favored to win, even if he isn't sharp, Mason should do enough against the Coyotes.

Bargain Plays

• LW Jaden Schwartz (25K), Blues (vs. Red Wings): Schwartz has been doomed with injuries on a seemingly rotating basis and has only managed a solo assist through three games. This will not last. He's paired on a line with star scorer Vladimir Tarasenko and sees a bulk of the team's power play minutes. This savings allows spending big elsewhere.

• RW Cal Clutterbuck (26K) Islanders (at Penguins): Producing above his head with four points in seven games, Clutterbuck could easily come up empty. He's fourth among Islanders forwards in ice time, and he doesn't skate on the power play. He's a 5v5 machine and opportunity increases his chances at converting against a shaky Fleury.

• D Mattias Ekholm (25K), Predators (at Kings): Ekholm tallied 35 points in 82 games in 2015-16. While he isn't going to light the lamp with regularity, Ekholm is P.K. Subban's primary partner, offering greater scoring exposure, while also seeing plenty of time anchoring the power play.

Top Fades

• C Auston Matthews (88K), Maple Leafs (vs. Panthers): There will be growing pains for Matthews, and despite the home game, his price tag is too high against G Roberto Luongo. He has been held without a point only once, but there are too many options with better matchups on Thursday night to sink this much budget into the rookie.

• LW Tanner Pearson (55K), Kings (vs. Predators): Pearson's scoring comes with suspicion. He has scored on 36.4 percent of the shots he's taken, which is well above league average. With four goals, he is set to shatter his previous season-high of 15 set last season. He shot only 10.9 percent last season. Expect a correction.

• D Brent Burns (97K), Sharks (vs. Blue Jackets): The most offensively-viable defenseman this side of Erik Karlsson is absurdly expensive. He needs a multi-point effort to truly be worth rostering, and though the Blue Jackets seem like the obvious streaming opponent, G Sergei Bobrovsky has a .929 save percentage through five starts.

Contrarian Options

• C Steven Stamkos (78K), Lightning (at Canadiens): Canadiens G Carey Price got the night off on Wednesday and will be back between the pipes on Thursday. That should be enough to ease the Stamkos hype machine. Take him in tournaments as it's one of the few times he'll be largely faded.

• LW Max Pacioretty (54K), Canadiens (vs. Lightning): With everyone from Paul Byron to Phillip Danault getting goals for the Canadiens, Pacioretty has somewhat underperformed having scored only once through seven games. His five assists are second on the team, but that's hardly enough. He's a perennial 30-goal scorer currently lost in his team's shuffle. A multi-point showing is coming.

• RW Nikolaj Ehlers (44K), Jets (vs. Stars): Ehlers, and every line but the Jets' top trio, has stumbled out of the gate. The risk that Ehlers will come up empty once again creates reasonable doubt, but he's typically paired with Mathieu Perreault and Drew Stafford, who are superior to their paltry totals thus far. They need to take more shots to generate more scoring chances.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.