The Top Storylines to Watch in the NHL for the Week of October 20

Good or bad, every NHL campaign has trends, people and moments who come to define it.

Through the first two weeks, the 2014-15 hockey season has been filled with solid on-ice action all around the league. Compared to other years, it's been refreshingly light on salacious moments. So far, new disciplinarian Stephane Quintal is enjoying an easy ride in his first full season at the helm of the Department of Player Safety.

With the early focus on scores, goals and saves—with some trades, hirings and firings soon to come—here's a road map of what to watch for during this week's hockey action.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.

Youth Gone Wild

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

There's nothing unusual about seeing Sidney Crosby's name at the top of the NHL scoring parade.

Here's what's different. This year, the 27-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins captain might be feeling like a grizzled veteran for the first time as he sizes up his challengers.

Crosby has four goals and five assists for nine points in five games. He's tied atop the scoring race with 24-year-old divisional rival John Tavares of the New York Islanders, who has two goals and seven assists in five games.

Five players have eight points through Sunday's games, while another 21 have seven points. Looking at general trends among those top names, this year's list of scoring leaders so far contains plenty of youngsters who could be on the verge of logging breakout seasons.

Stars reflect light onto their teammates. Tavares' linemates Brock Nelson and Kyle Okposo have eight and seven points, respectively, while Crosby's Penguins are seeing great production from new addition Patric Hornqvist (eight points in four games) and the reliable Evgeni Malkin (seven points in four games).

In terms of pure goal scoring, the surprising standout is the New York Rangers' oft-maligned Rick Nash, who leads the league with seven goals in six games. He's chased by a pack of eight players with five goals, including Philadelphia Flyers power forward Wayne Simmonds, Los Angeles Kings rookie Tanner Pearson, Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos, New Jersey Devils free-agent signing Mike Cammalleri and his replacement with the Calgary Flames, natural scorer Mason Raymond.

A competitive scoring race with plenty of new faces is great news for fantasy team managers. It should also help to spark excitement around the NHL on a nightly basis.

Jonathan Drouin Set to Make NHL Debut

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In the early going, the Calder Trophy race for rookie of the year is also wide open. Blue-chipper Jonathan Drouin of the Tampa Bay Lightning could be about to change that perception.

The third overall pick in 2013 broke his thumb during training camp but was recalled by the Lightning on Sunday after a brief conditioning stint in the AHL.

After watching his junior linemate Nathan MacKinnon capture the 2014 Calder Trophy as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, Drouin could finally make his NHL debut on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Despite Drouin's strong pedigree, other rookies have a head start in the season's early going.

Twenty-two-year-old winger Tanner Pearson shone during the Los Angeles Kings' Stanley Cup run last spring as a member of "That '70s Line," but with only 25 regular-season games on his resume before this season, he still technically qualifies as a rookie. So far, Pearson leads this year's group with seven points in five games.

Other impressive starts have come from Andre Burakovsky of the Washington Capitals, Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators and 25-year-old Swedish goaltender Nicklas Svedberg, who has posted an 0.91 goals-against average and .969 save percentages in three early appearances this season with the Boston Bruins.

Are the Predators and Capitals for Real?

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After dismissing their incumbent coaches following disappointing campaigns in 2013-14, both the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators have yet to lose a game in regulation so far in the new season.

The fates of the two teams are intertwined, since former Nashville bench boss Barry Trotz is now guiding the ship in Washington. Through five games, his Caps are 3-0-2 with two shootout losses.

The Predators are also 3-0-2 under new coach Peter Laviolette, though both of Nashville's losses have come in overtime.

The strong starts have pushed both teams comfortably back into playoff contention, with Washington tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division, while Nashville leads the Central.

After facing the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, the Predators will need to prove themselves later in the week to keep their streak alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Capitals' path to remaining unbeaten looks a little easier, with games this week against the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Is Dallas Eakins' Job Already in Jeopardy?

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Speaking of the Oilers, the heat is on Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins. His team has stumbled out of the gate with an 0-4-1 start and the worst goals-against average in the league.

Promises of improved goaltending from Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth haven't helped to improve team defense, and Fasth is now on injured reserve after leaving Edmonton's October 14 game against the Los Angeles Kings with a groin problem.

Even more worrisome, Eakins seems unsure about how to deploy an effective top six from the group of defenseman that he has available. On the night Fasth was injured, Eakins scratched possibly the team's best defender, Jeff Petry, which led to a 6-2 Kings win. The personnel shuffles have continued as the coach looks for the elusive formula that will lead to the team's first win of the year.

Now eight seasons removed from their 2006 trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Oilers seem no closer to finding success. Over the past eight years, Ralph Kreuger, Tom Renney, Pat Quinn and even current general manager Craig MacTavish were all relieved of their coaching duties in the quest to give the Oilers a fresh start and make them better.

This week, Edmonton will continue to strive for its first win of the year in home games against the strong Tampa Bay Lightning, the improved Washington Capitals and the dismal Carolina Hurricanes.

According to Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail, "No one’s in any imminent danger yet, but if the trend continues...heads will roll. They always do."

How Will the Avalanche Plug Their Holes?

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Last season, new coach Patrick Roy guided his Colorado Avalanche to the top of the Central Division and a playoff appearance.

This year, it looks like the Avs have come back down to earth.

Colorado has opened the season with a humble 1-3-1 record. The forwards have struggled to score, while 2013-14 Vezina Trophy finalist Semyon Varlamov was placed on injured reserve on October 16 with a groin issue.

To make matters worse, backup goalie Reto Berra was also injured just 2:46 into the Avs' first game without Varlamov, leaving AHL call-up Calvin Pickard to tend the net for the last two games—both losses.

Two recent ProHoceyTalk articles list sources that show the Avalanche spurned offers of help from unemployed veteran goaltenders Martin Brodeur, per The Denver Posts' Mike Chambers, and Ilya Bryzgalov, per Sportsnet's Damien Cox (via Mike Johnston), both of whom reached out when the incumbents were sidelined. The Avs are trusting that the injuries to Varlamov and Berra aren't serious.

The Avalanche have two winnable games on their schedule this week, against the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. Colorado needs to put some points on the board in order to stay within sight of the leaders in the strong Central Division.

Who Will Pull the Trigger on the Season's First Trade?

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All has been quiet on the NHL trade front since the flurry of preseason deals that brought all 30 teams into salary-cap compliant situations. But the rumors never die down for long.

The biggest name that made the rounds last week was Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal, currently sidelined with an unspecified upper-body injury. With the Hurricanes off to another terrible start under new general manager Ron Francis, the Toronto media are suggesting that a quality centerman like Staal would be a good fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

According to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, "The Leafs have not had any trade discussions of any kind with Carolina since the season began." Simmons goes on to call Staal "the kind of gem of a player, if available, who would interest just about anybody."

He suggests that Toronto would have the inside track on the Thunder Bay, Ontario native. "The advantage the Leafs would have, if any, is word that Staal would waive the no-movement clause in his contract for a Toronto trade."

Staal's injury makes it unlikely that a move is imminent in the next few days, but his name will be one to watch over the coming weeks.

My colleague Lyle Richardson reports that most of the other high-profile players who might be available in the early going are defenseman. Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres, Brian Campbell of the Florida Panthers, Marc Methot of the Ottawa Senators, Andrej Sekera of Carolina and the aforementioned Jeff Petry could all find themselves in new hockey homes in the not-too-distant future.