Buying or Selling Hot Starts to the 2016-17 NHL Season

The kids are kings, the goals are flowing and Canada's teams are back on the map.

The winds of change have been blowing during the first two weeks of the 2016-17 NHL season.

Six or seven games make up a small sample size, but fans who want to see more scoring have to be heartened by the fact 13 players are on pace for seasons of at least 100 points. Only Patrick Kane (106 points) broke that plateau last year.

That group of hot starters doesn't even include perennial offensive threats such as Kane (seven games, eight points), Alex Ovechkin (six games, five points), Sidney Crosby (one game, one point) and Jamie Benn (six games, four points), so there is plenty of new blood in the early mix for the league's scoring title.

Young stars, defensemen, goalies and players with new contracts—here's a look at some of the hottest starters in the NHL this season and whether they'll be able to sustain their early momentum.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

The numbers: The 19-year-old Edmonton Oilers captain averaged an impressive 1.07 points per game in his rookie season and is well ahead of that pace through the early part of 2016-17. After the first two weeks of the season, Connor McDavid is the NHL's leading scorer, with four goals and 11 points in just seven games.

The verdict: Buying

The bottom line: Edmonton is winning big against tough teams, but the Oilers' pace to finish the season with more than 140 points will be unsustainable because of the ebbs and flows of an 82-game schedule. No team has even cracked 130 points in more than two decades—the last outfit to do that was the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings.

It doesn't seem so improbable, though, that McDavid could make it to 128 points or so this year. Offense is flowing around the NHL, and the Oilers captain is making a solid case for his first career Art Ross Trophy.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The numbers: The 19-year-old first overall draft pick from 2016 has left no doubt that he's NHL ready. Auston Matthews is averaging a goal per game in his first six contests and is tied for second overall in the scoring race, with 10 points.

The verdict: Selling

The bottom line: Matthews has almost single-handedly brought hope back to the passionate fanbase of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that four-goal debut has skewed expectations a little too high. Matthews played just 36 regular-season games in 2015-16 with his Swiss League team, the ZSC Lions. He'll start to wear down over the long grind of a full NHL campaign, so a 50-point campaign would be a solid rookie-year performance.

Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks

Justin Berl/Getty Images

The numbers: Brent Burns' point totals have been trending upward for the last three seasons and are continuing to do so this year. He has spent some time at forward but looks to be in the running for the overall NHL scoring title as a member of the San Jose Sharks blue line. Burns is tied for the lead among all defensemen, with nine points in seven games so far.

The verdict: Buying

The bottom line: Burns took some heat for his lackluster defensive presence early in his career, but he has matured into a do-anything monster who can create an offensive spark and help keep the puck out of his team's net. Expect to see Burns earn a second straight Norris Trophy nomination in 2016-17 as he once again hovers among the league's top 10 scorers.

Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

The numbers: A power-play demon, Shea Weber's big shot has helped him score 15 goals or more in eight of his 10 full NHL seasons—and one of the years he came up short was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, when he had just nine goals.

Weber has been a consistent scorer but is more of an old-school defenseman than players such as Burns and Erik Karlsson. His most productive season to date saw him put up 56 points in 79 games with the Nashville Predators in 2013-14. He's well ahead of that pace in his first season with the Montreal Canadiens, tied with Burns with nine points in seven games—as well as holding a league-leading plus-12.

The verdict: Selling

The bottom line: With his hot start, increased profile and the goaltending of superstar Carey Price behind him, Weber should be a serious contender for his first Norris Trophy at the end of the 2016-17 season, but these offensive numbers won't last. 

If the Canadiens can stay strong, Weber might be able to hang on to the best plus-minus number in the league, but he'll top out on the low side of 60 pointsbelow Burns, Karlsson and possibly even Mike Green of the Detroit Red Wings.

Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The numbers: Brad Marchand's new contract extension, with the $6.125 million cap hit, won't kick in until next season, but he's already playing like an NHL superstar for the Boston Bruins. After his breakout 37-goal campaign in 2015-16, Marchand was Team Canada's impact player at the World Cup of Hockey and has started the NHL season as one of the most effective offensive forces in the game. In his first seven games, Marchand has tallied three goals and 10 points.

The verdict: Buying

The bottom line: It's not easy to adjust to the idea that Marchand is more than just a pest whose tenacity lands him on the right side of the puck from time to time. As he matures, we're seeing some elite-level scoring ability from a player who was once best known for his ability to get under opponents' skin.

Marchand's star has been rising for a while, and it hasn't hit its apex yet. Expect another impressive season and a new career high of more than 70 points.

Thomas Vanek, Detroit Red Wings

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The numbers: Two-time 40-goal scorer Thomas Vanek has raked in some big money during his NHL career as one of the most effective snipers in the game. He hasn't always deliver, but he's off to a great start this season with the Detroit Red Wings. In his first seven games in Motown, Vanek has four goals and eight points—bringing good value on his $2.6 million contract to a team that's off to an unexpectedly strong start.

The verdict: Selling

The bottom line: Because it's what they do, the Red Wings will almost certainly find away to cobble together another playoff appearance this year, but it's unlikely Vanek will be among the team's top scorers by season's end.

He has great hands, but he's streaky at best and can be wildly inconsistent. Expect him to top out at around 50 points while Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Larkin lead the Wings in scoring come the end of the year.

Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The numbers: After being out of action for nearly a year, Carey Price has quickly reminded hockey fans why he was considered one of the top players in the game at any position before he was injured last fall. Price was stellar at the World Cup of Hockey and, after battling a severe case of the flu, has given up just five goals in a 3-0-0 start to his season with the Montreal Canadiens.

The verdict: Buying

The bottom line: Price has quickly erased any doubts that might have lingered about whether he'd be the same goalie once he returned to the Habs lineup after his long injury layoff. Montreal's sputtering performance last season underscored how important he is to the team's success, and he has been given a better supporting cast this time around.

As long as he stays healthy, Price could be in the running to reclaim his Hart and Vezina trophies at the end of the year.

Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers

Codie McLachlan/Getty Images

The numbers: Edmonton Oilers netminder Cam Talbot is the first NHL goaltender to record six wins this season. The NHL named him First Star for the week of October 24. The wins likely weren't even the best part of those seven days—Talbot's wife, Kelly, gave birth to twins on October 19.

The verdict: Selling

The bottom line: Though he was unheralded—and undrafted—as a goaltending prospect, Talbot's a pretty solid goalie, as he showed during his two seasons with the New York Rangers. His success so far this season has possibly been fuelled by the adrenaline of becoming a first-time father and by the high-flying offense in front of him.

Talbot's goals-against average of 2.49 and a save percentage of .927 aren't as impressive as his win total—and that'll start to matter on nights when the Oilers' scorers don't pot three or four goals. The cracks will appear in Talbot's goaltending armor as the season rolls along.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com, current through games Wednesday, October 26.