The preseason is now over, and the regular season is under way. The Colorado Raptors will have some little things to work on as the games go by, but overall things are looking pretty good. The whole team works great as a unit. Advanced stats show it : for all the preseason and since the beginning of the season, every player has a positive (and, for most, a rather high) Corsi rating.

Although working great as a unit, a few players can already be identified as the most valuable players for the team this season.

First is Bradley Barkov. The veteran defenseman is playing as well as one would have expected, or maybe even better. Tied for highest scorer of the preseason with nine points and with already two points in three games, his defensive play is also impeccable. A reassuring presence on the back end.

Second is captain Simothy Drunkbird. The captain has made an incredible show of leadership in every game. The top tier of a very well-furnished group of centers (of which everyone has over 50% on the faceoff dot) is leading the team in points this season and already has a hat-trick, completed in the second game of the season, against Anaheim.

Finally, a surprise who could turn out as a real plus for the Raptors. First free agent player signed after the draft, Noah Johns II is maintaining a point-per-game ratio as a fourth-liner, playing less than 12 minutes a game. He will surely keep improving as the season improve, and if he keeps it up will be putting pressure on the veteran right wingers ahead of him in the depth chart.