Why these 5 NHL stars aren’t scoring and whether it’s time to worry

The article evaluates the early-season goal-scoring slumps of five NHL players approaching the one-month mark of the 2026-27 season. Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres has zero goals in 11 games, while Boston's Morgan Geekie has managed one goal in 12 games. Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston and Tampa Bay's Brayden Point have each scored twice, and Pavel Dorofeyev has tallied three goals through 14 games with the New York Rangers.

The analysis notes varying underlying metrics for each skater's cold start. While Benson and Geekie struggle with accuracy and missing the net, Johnston and Dorofeyev continue to generate strong expected-goal rates that suggest impending rebounds. Point faces hurdles with decreased top-end burst speed and Tampa Bay's power-play difficulties.