It happens in the NHL every month: A player gets traded to a new team in a different city that he's - usually - never played in before.
Sometimes, it's a perfect fit; other times, not so much.
In honor of former Shark and current Maple Leaf Patrick Marleau's return to San Jose, we take a quick look at four players experiencing stellar starts to the season in newfound homes.
Mike Smith, Calgary Flames
The much-maligned Smith joined the Flames in the offseason to very little fanfare. But, after a well-rounded start, supporters in Cow Town are quickly changing their tune.
That's mostly because Smith has posted solid numbers, registering a 2.31 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go along with a 6-5-0 record. But also because he has been a workhorse, starting in 11 of the Flames' first 12 contests.
Calgary may be waiting to hit its stride, but Smith is already in fine midseason form.
Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues
One of the more overlooked deals of this past offseason was Schenn's move to the Blues from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jori Lehtera and draft picks.
It was a steep price for Blues GM Doug Armstrong to pay for a guy who has never topped the 26-goal plateau.
However, Schenn is already silencing his critics, and his hot start in his new town - 10 points, plus-7 rating - is a big reason why the Blues find themselves at the top of the NHL's standings.
Patrick Marleau, Toronto Maple Leafs
Marleau came out of the gates blazing, tallying three goals and two assists across his first five games in blue and white. Not bad for a 38-year-old who was supposed to have his best campaigns behind him.
That may still be true, as there's plenty of games this season and years on his contract left to be played. But at this point, on the heels of his strong start, Marleau and his three-year, $18.75-million contract are proving to be steals.
James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights
From steal to real deal, Neal has been exactly that for the upstart Knights, as the Nashville castoff is quickly proving Predators GM David Poile should have considered hanging on to the forward a little bit longer.
In addition to being Vegas' off-ice leader, Neal is posting solid offensive numbers, leading the team in goals (7) and points (10) across his first 10 games on the Strip.
Be it from fans, media, coaches, or themselves, every NHL player enters a given campaign with a certain level of expectations surrounding their performance.
Some exceed their perceived limits to silence critics, while others fail to live up to the hype. For now, let's take a look at the former, and analyze three players who have stepped up early in the 2017-18 season.
Connor Hellebuyck
It appears some internal competition has done wonders for Hellebuyck, as he's become the early answer to the Winnipeg Jets' much-publicized goaltending issues.
In six starts, the 24-year-old is 5-0-1, stopping pucks at a .937 clip, along with a 2.05 goals-against average, while offseason signee Steve Mason looks on from the bench.
It'll be interesting to monitor whether Hellebuyck can prolong his success as the season carries on. If he does, Winnipeg's biggest problem suddenly has a solution.
Claude Giroux
(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)
A position change for any team's captain and highest-paid player is definitely not an ordinary course of action, but bumping Giroux to the wing has paid major dividends for the Philadelphia Flyers out of the gate.
Flanking regular linemate Jakub Voracek and new No. 1 pivot Sean Couturier, Giroux once again looks like his former self, producing six goals and six assists in 11 games. The trio has been one of the most formidable across the NHL, registering a Corsi-for percentage of 55.5 at five-on-five as a unit. (Corsica)
It should be noted Giroux said offseason hip surgery played a big role in his subpar 58-point output in 2016-17, but now that he's healthy and thriving in a new role, he's put an end to those questioning his place with the Flyers.
Anze Kopitar
Similar to Giroux, Kopitar found himself under the microscope after managing just 52 points a season ago, his lowest full-season total since 2008-09. His struggles last year left many wondering if his eight-year, $80-million contract extension was worth it, but he's done his best to prove last season was an anomaly.
Kopitar leads the first-place Kings with 13 points through 11 games, and seems to be getting breaks and bounces that eluded him in 2016-17, helping accelerate the success of an improved offensive-driven game plan by new head coach John Stevens.
The most pressing dilemma the newly run Kings faced was finding a way to spark a dreadful attack, but if Kopitar is leading the charge on offense once again, Los Angeles could be in good shape to find its way back into the playoffs.
John Tavares' assault on the scoresheet has earned him No. 1 star status, as the NHL named the New York Islanders captain the top player of the week after netting two hat tricks in three games. Tavares also added an assist to his gaudy totals.
Elsewhere, emergency starting netminder Oscar Dansk earned second star honors, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to two more wins - one of which was a shutout - while posting a .968 save percentage.
Finally, Ottawa Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau was named third star after registering one goal and five assists across three games.
Lots of puck is left to be played, but after the Antti Niemi band-aid solution was a disaster, and without a capable backup netminder in Pittsburgh to support No. 1 stud Matt Murray, the Penguins are in serious trouble, putting a third Stanley Cup in three years in doubt.
And that's especially true when you consider the following factors:
Tough schedule ahead
The Penguins have shown over the first month of the season that they don't play well on the second night of back-to-backs, losing all four games in that scenario by a combined score of 29-7.
Making matters worse, Pittsburgh plays on back-to-back nights a total of 19 times this campaign - tied for the most of any team - so the schedule isn't doing it any favors. And with another 15 still left to go, the need for a quality backup will become that much more crucial, as most clubs use their No. 2 netminder when they play on consecutive nights.
If the Pens want to start winning some of these second legs, they'd better start looking for an answer in the crease to support Murray before the rest of the East passes them by.
Murray needs his rest
In addition to cementing himself as a bona fide starter over the past two seasons, Murray has demonstrated that he gets injured a lot. Broken bones, pulled hamstrings, concussions - you name it - he's already dealt with plenty of ailments across just 73 career regular-season games.
That's not to say Murray can't be a stellar No. 1 guy, because he obviously can, but he'll need a goalie behind him who's able to play at least 10-to-15 games and allow him time to lick his wounds.
Sunday's lopsided loss to the Winnipeg Jets was a perfect example. Murray looked gassed after the first period, allowing four goals on nine shots after playing the previous night against Minnesota.
There's still plenty of games to go, so the remaining workload will need to be split between two capable 'tenders. But right now, Pittsburgh only employs one.
Patchwork blue line can't be relied on
With all due respect to the Penguins' D-men, this group just doesn't look ready to propel the team to a third Cup in three years.
Left Defenseman
Right Defenseman
Brian Dumoulin
Kris Letang
Olli Maatta
Chad Ruhwedel
Ian Cole
Zach Trotman
Sure, lots of these guys got the job done last season, but that was in front of a well-rested Murray and with an ace in the hole on the bench in Marc-Andre Fleury; they currently have neither of those luxuries.
Factor in that Kris Letang is off to one of the worst starts of his career defensively - registering a league-worst minus-14 rating and a crooked amount of giveaways - and the need for an answer behind Murray grows exponentially.
With no solid options currently at his disposal, general manager Jim Rutherford better start working the phones looking for a quality No. 2, or else the Penguins are in for one scary-looking season.
In this season's first edition of the player power rankings, theScore hockey editors Josh Gold-Smith, Flip Livingstone, and Ian McLaren evaluate some of the NHL's biggest names based on their star power and how they've performed so far.
While Carey Price and Braden Holtby haven't been their typically dominant selves, Bobrovsky is once again proving to be a model of consistency. - Gold-Smith
9. Jamie Benn
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
11
7
6
13
1.18
54.72
Benn was held off the scoresheet in the Dallas Stars' win over the Calgary Flames on Friday night, but it was the first time since Oct. 17 and only the fourth time all season that he failed to collect a point.
The 2015 Art Ross Trophy winner piled up five goals and nine points in the four games prior to that contest, and while his shooting percentage (18.4) is bound to regress, there's no reason to believe he won't continue to be one of the toughest assignments for opposing defenders. - Gold-Smith
8. John Tavares
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
11
9
4
13
1.18
52.7
The New York Islanders captain hasn't looked at all distracted by his contract situation this fall, and he's been on an absolute tear over the last week or so.
Tavares potted a natural hat trick Saturday - his second three-goal game in the last three contests - and he has seven goals and 10 points in his last four games. - Gold-Smith
7. Erik Karlsson
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
6
0
9
9
1.5
50.47
The all-world defenseman hasn't shown much rust after missing the first five games of the season, and he's shown no hesitation in taking on his typical heavy workload despite coming off foot surgery.
Karlsson is averaging over 25 minutes in ice time, and he's posted more than a point in half of the games he's played early on. - Gold-Smith
6. Sidney Crosby
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
13
5
6
11
0.92
50.0
He may be struggling to fill the scoresheet right now, but the Penguins are still a dangerous group with Sid at the helm, and he doesn’t need to be lighting the lamp on the regular to earn a spot among the NHL's most dominant players.
Also, don't forget, No. 87 has 11 points and is just getting warmed up. Until we see a significant decline in his ability, Crosby's earned the right to be firmly entrenched on this list, as few players in the NHL today can play at both ends of the rink like he can. - Livingstone
5. Auston Matthews
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
11
8
7
15
1.36
54.46
While the Maple Leafs continue to fall back to earth, Matthews' torrid scoring pace has seemingly no end in sight, with seven points in his last five games.
Few thought Matthews would be able to replicate last season's 40-goal output, but, with eight already under his belt through only 11 games, the 40-goal mark becomes increasingly attainable with each passing game. - Livingstone
4. Connor McDavid
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
10
5
6
11
1.1
59.9
The Oilers might be struggling to bury the biscuit, but McDavid can't do it all by himself. Edmonton's captain has five goals and six assists across 10 games this season while also logging a beastly 22:37 of ice time per game.
McDavid has already shown flashes of his MVP-level play this season, and if his supporting cast can figure it out offensively, McJesus should take his rightful place in the top three very soon. - Livingstone
3. Alex Ovechkin
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
12
10
5
15
1.25
48.3
A blistering start has given way to a bit of a dry spell in the goal-scoring department, but while Ovechkin has tallied only once in his past seven games, his overall point total has been boosted by some helpers.
Overall, he sits second in goals, tied for fourth in total points, and is on pace for one of his most productive seasons in years. - McLaren
2. Steven Stamkos
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
GP
G
A
P
P/GP
5-on-5 CF%
12
4
17
21
1.75
54.47
Stamkos' comeback has been one of the best stories through the first month of the season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning captain was on a tear when he was sidelined almost a year ago with a devastating knee injury, and he's been even better this time around, leading the NHL in total points.
Known more for his goal scoring over the years, he's been setting the table with regularity for his red-hot linemate, the only player to eclipse him on this list. - McLaren
The Russian winger is averaging a goal per game, and Ovechkin is the only other player in double digits this season. He's also contributing more than enough helpers, and his even possession numbers are boosted by his efficiency in the offensive zone.
Dating back to Jan. 1, no player has more goals (39) or total points (69). At the moment, he's the best in the game. - McLaren
Patrick Marleau was the quiet and unassuming cornerstone of the San Jose Sharks for nearly two decades.
On Monday night, Marleau may feel somewhat awkward when he hits the SAP Center ice for the first time in a visitor's uniform.
Marleau looks to help the Toronto Maple Leafs pick up a rare win in northern California when they meet the Sharks in the opener of a four-game road trip.
After being selected second overall in the 1997 draft, Marleau was the face of the franchise. His stats speak for themselves and will likely result in his No. 12 being the first to be raised to the rafters in San Jose. The Saskatchewan native is the Sharks' all-time leader in goals (508), assists (574), points (1,082), power-play goals (160), short-handed goals (17) and game-winners (98).
Marleau, who turned 38 on Sept. 15, left the Bay Area for a three-year, $18.75 million deal with the Maple Leafs, who feature budding superstar Auston Matthews. It's hoped that Marleau's skill and veteran leadership is the key piece to help Toronto secure its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
"We had some really good teams (in San Jose) and still fell short and didn't win the Cup. It goes to show how hard it is to win. Everything has to align for you -- it still gives me something to strive for," he told the Toronto Sun.
Marleau is currently tied for third on the Maple Leafs with four goals and has chipped in three assists in 10 games. He recently reached a milestone by playing in his 1,500th NHL game, and is 11 points shy of 1,100 for his career. And he remains as diligent and focused as ever.
"He's a real good pro," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock told the Sun. "He works every single day, comes in takes it seriously, enjoys himself, and doesn't say very much and does it right every day. You don't play 1,500 games by accident."
Marleau has long been on the other end of the winning side in the head-to-head matchup. San Jose has won nine straight and 13 of 14 from Toronto dating back to December 2005, outscoring the Maple Leafs by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.
Since losing at home to Toronto nearly seven years ago, the Sharks have outscored the Leafs 19-4 in a four-game home winning streak in the series.
San Jose (5-5-0) returns home after capping a five-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
"To get six points is huge for us but we have to be ready coming home," Sharks forward Tomas Hertl said. "We've got tough teams waiting for us."
One player who broke out of an early-season slump was Logan Couture. The 28-year-old center recorded five goals and an assist to help San Jose post a 3-2-0 record on the trip.
Couture is the Sharks' leader with eight goals and 11 points. The Guelph, Ontario, native has one assist in five career home matchups with Toronto.
Martin Jones is 6-0-0 with a 1.31 goals-against average, a .953 save percentage and two career shutouts versus the Leafs. Four of those victories and one shutout have come with the Sharks.
Toronto begins its swing looking to avoid its fourth loss in five games after falling 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
"We have all the confidence in the world," center Nazem Kadri told the Toronto Star after scoring twice. "We're going to lose a couple in a row here and there. But we have to get back on track."
Kadri has four goals and two assists in his last six games. Toronto is 3-0-0 on the road this season when Kadri notches a point, however, the ninth-year NHL veteran has yet to register a point and has a minus-6 rating in four career games in San Jose.
Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen is 6-4-0 this season, but sports a 3.61 GAA and .890 save percentage. He's 0-5-0 with a 3.44 GAA and .900 save percentage over five career starts at San Jose.
In his only start and appearance of the season, backup Curtis McElhinney stopped 30 shots in Toronto's 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 18. The 34-year-old is 0-3-0 with a 5.10 GAA and .873 save percentage in his career at San Jose. He last took the ice there on Oct. 30, 2010, with Anaheim.
Blake Wheeler scored three of Winnipeg's five goals in the first period and the Jets routed the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1 on Sunday night.
Brendan Lemieux scored his first career goal for Winnipeg on a slap shot from the point at 12:20 of the third. The son of Claude Lemieux made his NHL debut Oct. 20.
Andrew Copp, Joel Armia and Mark Scheifele also scored for the Jets, who chased Matt Murray early. Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves.
Winnipeg (5-3-2) scored three times in a span of 34 seconds late in the first to break it open against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Penguins (7-5-1), playing back-to-back road games after losing 2-1 in Minnesota on Saturday, were on their heels from the start and didn't score until Evgeni Malkin's fifth of the season late in the second period.
Pittsburgh has been outscored 21-10 in the opening 20 minutes this season.
The Jets have played their best hockey this season in the opening period, outscoring their opponents 16-8.
Copp opened the scoring with his first of the season on a short pass in the slot from linemate Sean Matthias at 1:20.
The Jets remained on the attack but Murray stymied them until 13:58, when Scheifele fed Wheeler at the side of the net for his second goal of the season.
He added another at 17:44 and Murray barely had time to take his stance again before Armia made it 4-0 at 18:07. Murray was pulled and lost in regulation for the second time this season.
The hats rained down 11 seconds after that when Wheeler made it 5-0 at 18:18 with a goal against Murray's replacement, Casey DeSmith.
The Jets lost 2-1 in overtime Thursday at Pittsburgh, one of two overtime losses for them this week following a win at Minnesota.
Winnipeg returned to Hellebuyck's hot hand in goal. He has all five Jets wins this season.
Pittsburgh tried to regroup in the second period and outshot the Jets 15-4, thanks partly to a string of minor penalties on Winnipeg. But the Penguins not get one past Hellebuyck until Malkin scored his power-play goal at 17:02.
Scheifele scored in the third when he one-timed a pass from Wheeler during a 4-on-3 power play at 10:28 to make it 6-1. Lemieux's goal about two minutes later completed the scoring.
UP NEXT
Penguins: At the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
