Alexander Semin has made noise with his stick and his mouth, scoring 16 points and taking a shot at Sidney Crosby. Greg Fiume/Getty Images Brian Cazeneuve's Mailbag Brian Cazeneuve will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

With the season merely a month old and polls still open as to which players will exceed expectation (Patrick Sharp and Zach Parise don't count, as we figured they'd have good seasons) and which will fall short, here is an early look at some of the league's surprises (for good or ill) as precincts have started to report:

HAVES (Trumans)

Tim Thomas, G, Bruins

With shutouts against Vancouver and Edmonton, Thomas became the first Bruins goalie to record back-to-back blankings since Byron Dafoe in 1999. Thomas' streak ended at 154 minutes 43 seconds against Calgary on Oct. 30. His robust .944 save percentage leads the NHL, great numbers for a goalie making $1.1 million in his walk year.

Shea Weber, D, Predators

With 12 points in 11 games, the man with the booming shot is already halfway to his total of 20 last season, when he spent much of the schedule trying to ignore the effects of a kneecap he dislocated early in the season. Weber watchers say his four-point game against Columbus on Oct. 18 was his best as a pro.

Alexander Semin, LW, Capitals

He won't make Caps' fans forget that Ovechkin guy, but Semin, who spent much of his career as an inconsistent threat, had the best offensive month of anyone in the league. He led the NHL with 16 points, including eight goals, and was a solid plus-7. He also turned up the verbal artillery in a recent interview when he said Penguins' superstar Sidney Crosby was nothing special.

Philip Kessel, C, Bruins

Much has been asked of the Bruins' top pick from '06 (No. 5 overall) and Kessel is finally delivering in his third season. He seemed to take his playoff benching in Game 1 against Montreal last spring to heart. He played better during that series and he began this season with six goals in his first six games. Kessel is competing more, taking after his dad, Phil Sr., a former CFL quarterback.

Nikolai Zherdev, RW, Rangers

After toiling in the obscurity of Columbus, Zherdev has found a home in the bright lights of the Big Apple with 12 points and a plus-9 in 14 games. Once thought of as a below-average defensive forward, he highlighted his signature game of the season last week against Atlanta with a rinklong dash followed by diving sweep check from behind against Todd White. Zherdev then scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist in the final period. The previous week, he scored a tying tally against the Penguins with eight seconds to play in a game the Rangers eventually won.

Mikko Koivu, C, Wild

With the losses of Brian Rolston and Pavol Demitra, the other Koivu has emerged as a leader on the streaking Wild. Earlier this season, he and older brother Saku of the Canadiens became the first sibling captains to face each other in an NHL game. With nine points in his first four games, Mikko is justifying his nickname: The Franchise. Coach Jacques Lemaire says Koivu is evolving into one of the best two-way players in the game.

Filip Kuba, D, Senators

Believe it or not, Kuba is now the first defenseman in NHL history to record assists in the first eight games of a season. Brad Park held the record of assists in seven consecutive, set as a Bruin in 1981. At 6' 4" and 225 pounds, Kuba is one of the league's least physical players for his size, so he'd better contribute offensively. With his solid production, he has been earning not only his points, but his minutes; at 25 a game he is averaging four more than any other Senator backliner.