10 NHL Players Poised for a Hot Start to the 2014-15 Season

NHL teams have shuffled the deck and are ready to roll for the 2014-15 season. This past summer, trades changed fortunes in an instant, and the results could be astonishing.

Several forwards have been given a push to a more skilled line, and still others are enjoying better health as the season draws near.

Here are 10 players ready to take off in a big way at the start of the 2014-15 season.

10. Eric Fehr, RW, Washington Capitals

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Eric Fehr provided solid two-way play for the Washington Capitals in 2013-14. Among forwards, he was No. 9 in ice time per game last season. 

What Has Changed? New coach Barry Trotz has assigned the top line a defensive player, and that's Fehr's job to lose. According to Alex Prewitt in Capitals Insider for The Washington Post, Trotz will play Fehr with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the top line.

Why Will He Start Hot? Fehr's job description goes from winger on a checking line to two-way player on the top line. His numbers should spike impressively this season.

9. David Backes, C, St. Louis Blues

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: David Backes delivered another strong season for the St. Louis Blues, recovering from a mediocre year in 2012-13. 

What Has Changed? Backes' role on the Blues will change this season with the addition of Paul Stastny, who came over from the Colorado Avalanche in free agency. He should face easier opposition and could get a zone-start break with the improved depth at center.

Why Will He Start Hot? The St. Louis Blues should be able to send two very good offensive lines over the boards every night. Backes stands to benefit more than anyone, and that opportunity starts opening night.

8. Patric Hornqvist, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Patric Hornqvist enjoyed a strong season for the offensively challenged Nashville Predators. His 53 points in 2013-14 were a career high.

What Has Changed? Hornqvist was included in the trade for James Neal, moving from the Western Conference to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Why Will He Start Hot? The trade puts Hornqvist in a tremendous situation. He'll get an opportunity to play with the best player in the game, Sidney Crosby.

If the chemistry doesn't work, Hornqvist will likely get Evgeni Malkin as his center. If he can score 53 points without an elite center, imagine what he can do with Crosby or Malkin.

7. Ales Hemsky, RW, Dallas Stars

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Ales Hemsky played most of the season for the Edmonton Oilers in 2013-14 before being dealt to the Ottawa Senators at the deadline. He scored 43 points in 75 games, catching fire after being dealt to Ottawa.

What Has Changed? As this NHL.com article from July 1 tells us, the Dallas Stars acquired Jason Spezza and signed Hemsky on a big day for the franchise.

Why Will He Start Hot? As Travis Yost from TSN.ca indicates, the combination of Spezza and Hemsky was exceptional in Ottawa and could be the same in Texas:

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The re-unification of Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza in Dallas is going to be something to behold. In a limited run last year with Ottawa, the two scored about 3.6 goals every 60 minutes. It’s a small sample size, but as a quick reference point, that sort of offensive production is comparable to formidable duos such as Crosby/Kunitz, Toews/Sharp, and Thornton/Burns.

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6. Taylor Hall, LW, Edmonton Oilers

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What He Did Last Season: Taylor Hall had a strong offensive season for the Edmonton Oilers. He did it on a poor team that posted some of the poorest possession stats in the league. 

What Has Changed? The Oilers spent much of the summer acquiring players with good possession numbers, among them Mark Fayne and Benoit Pouliot. The Oilers should be a more capable team in 2014-15.

Why Will He Start Hot? The possession numbers should improve, meaning Hall will spend more time in the offensive zone. He scored 80 points on a team that ranked among the league's worst in terms of possession.

His center, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, took a long time to recover from shoulder problems but appears to be healthy entering the 2014-15 season—another reason Hall should start hot.

5. Marian Gaborik, RW, Los Angeles Kings

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Marian Gaborik posted a solid run for the Columbus Blue Jackets and then a strong four months for the Los Angeles Kings after the trade deadline. 

What Has Changed? The trade that brought Gaborik to Los Angeles came out of a need for offense. Gaborik played 45 games for Los Angeles—including the playoffs—and scored 19 goals. 

Why Will He Start Hot? Gaborik is in an ideal situation and should be quality all season long. He gives Los Angeles a pure goal scorer and someone who can flourish beside Anze Kopitar. According to HockeyAnalysis.com, Gaborik scored four goals and 11 points in his 237 even-strength minutes with Kopitar.

4. Claude Giroux, C, Philadelphia Flyers

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Claude Giroux enjoyed a terrific season after a slow start with the Philadelphia Flyers. 

What Has Changed? The key for Giroux is that he's learning all the time. As coach Craig Berube explained to Randy Miller of NJ.com, the Flyers' best player is always looking for ways to improve.

Why Will He Start Hot? Giroux and Philadelphia were extremely slow out of the gate a year ago. He scored only six points in 11 October games. The odds favor Giroux returning to established scoring levels in October 2014.

3. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders

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What He Did Last Season: John Tavares enjoyed a strong season with the New York Islanders and then got hurt at the Olympics. The injury had a major impact on the Islanders' fortunes in the second half of the season. 

What Has Changed? The Islanders have upgraded a great deal over the summer. General manager Garth Snow added goalie Jaroslav Halak, defensemen Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk and forwards Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin to the roster.

Why Will He Start Hot? Tavares is entering his prime, and the team behind him is much better. The Islanders should hit the ground running and win a playoff spot led by Tavares.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche

JACK DEMPSEY/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Nathan MacKinnon impressed everyone with a tremendous rookie season for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon's season earned him the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. 

What Has Changed? He's a year older and has so much talent that fans can expect another strong season. Many rookies—even the very good ones—suffer a sophomore jinx. MacKinnon's range of skills should allow him to take an immediate step forward.

Why Will He Start Hot? MacKinnon found his way a year ago with an assortment of linemates. He played more than 310 minutes at even strength with only Gabriel Landeskog, and he spent a lot of time with other Avalanche forwards.

This season, MacKinnon should see consistent linemates, allowing him to find a groove and maintain consistency. This Adrian Dater article for The Denver Post quotes TSN analyst Dave Reid on MacKinnon:

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When I talk to a lot of hockey people and ask who they think the next great player is, MacKinnon's name probably comes up the most, and I agree. We all saw what he could do last year, and his career is just getting started.

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1. Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

What He Did Last Season: Sidney Crosby showed once again that he is the best player in the game, with 104 points in the regular season. 

What Has Changed? The Penguins spent the offseason improving the quality and depth of their roster. That change is reflected in the James Neal trade that brought back two capable forwards in Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling.

Why Will He Start Hot? Crosby is going to play with superior linemates from opening night, and that should impact his offense immediately. A year ago, he lined up most often with Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis.

Pittsburgh's captain also played with men like Brian Gibbons and Tanner Glass, who are role players. Giving Crosby two quality NHL linemates makes the Penguins better instantly, and he should be even more effective.