The 10 most pleasant surprises of the NHL season

(There’s really no such thing as the “quarter pole” of the NHL season, but most teams have cleared their first 20 games. Here are the 10 most pleasant surprises of the season so far; we chronicled the unpleasant ones yesterday.)

10. The Devils Aren’t The Devils

So not only are they not tanking for Auston Matthews, they’re a contending team with a young roster, an aggressive offense and a strong reliance on analytics that’s kept them far from the cap ceiling. These are not Mr. Lamoriello’s Devils.

9. Twin Magic

Daniel Sedin, 35, has 23 points in 22 games, including 10 goals. Henrik Sedin – spoiler: also 35 – has 21 points in 22 games. They’ve combined for 15 points on the power play, where their Swedish sonar remains in full effect. Still a blast to watch.

8. San Jose Sharks Lovefest

Last season was disastrous for the Sharks, and the cloud of a Patrick Marleau trade darkened the early part of this season. But Peter DeBoer has them playing great hockey and having fun, even with Logan Couture out of the lineup – coincidence, we’re sure – and Martin Jones may have already secured his title as Sought-After Backup Goalie That Was Worth They Hype Last Summer.

7. Tryouts Work Out

For many veteran players in a capped league, a professional tryout contract is their best last resort. And for Scott Gomez, Martin Havlat, Brad Boyes, Lee Stempniak, Dainius Zubrus and others, it’s been a banner year for familiar faces getting another chance on the cheap.

6. No More Raffis

Sure, Raffi Torres got his, but we’ve only had five suspensions through Nov. 25. We had eight last season. Progress!

5. Leon Draisaitl and the Not-Jack-And-Connors

While many anticipated that the Calder Trophy race would be a two-man battle between Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, a slew of freshmen have moved ahead of them. Artemi Panarin (21 points in 21 games), Max Domi (16 in 20), Dylan Larkin (15 in 21) and Oscar Lindberg (14 in 21) have all been outstanding. The focus on them is thanks in part to McDavid’s injury, which also opened the door for Draisaitl to have a increased role with the Edmonton Oilers. He’s not a rookie, but he is a young star with 17 points in 11 games.

4. The Bread Line

Speaking of rooks, Panarin found instant chemistry with Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane to form the NHL’s most potent offensive line. Kane leads the NHL with 32 points in 21 games. Anisimov has been the second-line center the Blackhawks have coveted for years. And Panarin's just been dynamic.

3. The Dallas Offense

While the rest of the league contemplates smaller goalies and bigger nets, the Stars just keep scoring. Jamie Benn has 16 goals, Tyler Seguin has 12 and Patrick Sharp and Jason Spezza have eight each. Jordie Benn is the only Dallas player to have played at least 10 games and not have a goal. We love this team.

2. The 3-on-3 Works!

We’re seeing fewer shootouts and more games ending in overtime. And as chaotically crazypants as the 3-on-3 game be, they’ve become must-see viewing.

1. Jaromir Jagr’s Mullet

Guess who’s back? Back again …

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY