The holiday break has ended and teams are trying to work off the turkey and eggnog hangover. With the calendar about to flip, we have a massive base of games to make sweeping assessments. But more importantly, some positive trends are happening for some players who gave us an early-season pause.

Andrei Svechnikov

We knew it would be challenging for Andrei Svechnikov to have a quick start to the season. The 23-year-old tore his ACL last spring and the subsequent rehab cost him training camp and the first two weeks of the campaign. Playing catchup is never easy. Playing catch-up on a rebuilt knee is a massive ask.

Patience has been preached, but those who had held the hope of better days ahead are starting to reap the rewards. The former second-overall pick grabbed his third career hat trick on