from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Jamie Benn led the NHL in scoring last season with 87 points. Patrick Kane, without controversy, is now leading and scoring at a 127-point pace.

- A Sidney Crosby update: He now has 10 points this season and among the many he is tied with for 139th in NHL scoring are Rick Nash and Joffrey Lupul.

- Under the Department of Impressive: Leon Draisaitl. Another young gem — seven goals in 10 games — for the forever last-place Edmonton Oilers.

- Is this James Reimer’s Devan Dubnyk season?

The Minnesota goaltender was basically written off for dead after he bounced from Edmonton to Nashville to Montreal to Hamilton to free agency just two seasons back. He had no contract, no place to play, no one really believing in him.

And then everything changed for him. First in Arizona with the Coyotes. Then, after being traded to the Wild, where he has a new contract, and 37 wins and 14 regulation time defeats in 55 starts with Minnesota.

This is Reimer’s sixth season with the Maple Leafs. He has been great and terrible and decent and dreadful at various times in his career playing for Ron Wilson, Randy Carlyle, Peter Horachek and Mike Babcock and as many different goalie coaches. And now everything seems to be working. For these few weeks. In this short term. Maybe longer.

more on Reimer plus a few more hockey notes...