Isn't it a little early in the season for a career season? Mike Richards does not think so.

It is time to return to our roots here at Treasure Hunting. We are in the process of developing some kind of rough system whereby we profile five players one week, run our “Over/Under” piece the next week, and use the other two weeks for random features. This is the profile week. Enjoy.

LW - Marco Sturm, Boston Bruins

On paper, the Bruins looked like a very good team heading into the season. With young players like Patrice Bergeron and Phil Kessel beginning to play big-time NHL roles, and players like Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara already in the midst of their primes, the Bruins looked very solid. Two months into the season, dark horse Marco Sturm is proving to an invaluable asset to the Bruins, second on the team in both goals (9) and points (18). Although Sturm was originally a high draft pick (21st overall in 1996), he has never recorded a 50-point season in his career, but is currently on pace for 64. Sturm has been especially hot lately, with five goals and seven assists in the last month, including a stretch during which he scored points in 10 of 11 games.

C - Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers

Just 24 games into the season, Mike Richards is just four points away from his best career season, and is on pace for 100+ points. Flyers’ coach John Stevens already branded Richards as the team’s future captain, but lately it has been looking a lot like the future is now. Richards has 8 goals and 10 assists in the last month and has scored at least two points in four of his last six games. Currently sitting ninth in the NHL in scoring, one could easily categorize Richards as the surprise of the year so far.

RW - Patrick Sharp, Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Sharp is quickly becoming one of the Blackhawks’ most valuable players. A skilled penalty killer who takes faceoffs and has a goal-scorer’s touch, Sharp has already collected five shorthanded tallies on the season, just 22 games in, easily leading the league. He also has 12 goals and 7 points on the season, including three on the power play, and is proving his worth in his third season with the team. Sharp has traditionally been a bubble waiver wire player, but is making a strong case for a permanent spot on most fantasy teams.

D - Michal Rozsival, New York Rangers

Michal Rozsival is probably the New York Rangers’ best defenceman at this point, with prized rookie Marc Staal still green in the gills. Rozsival anchors the blueline for the Blueshirts’ power play, and has three goals and five assists with the man advantage this season. Overall, Rozsival has seven goals and seven assists, with eight points and five goals coming in the last month. In terms of a sleeper defenceman, Rozsival is probably the best option likely to still be on the waiver wire.

G - Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders

On a team predicted to finish in the basement of the Eastern Conference, $4.5 million man Rick DiPietro has been earning his paycheck in the Islanders’ crease. In the month of November, DiPietro has a 7-5-1 record and is 12-8-1 overall with a .911 SV% and a 2.37 GAA. Notable wins against the Rangers (2-1, Nov. 19) and Senators (3-2, Nov. 28). The Islanders have been a notable story this season, currently sitting third in the Atlantic Division seventh in the conference with 27 points. The team still doesn’t have a legitimate scoring threat, with no player having more than 20 points so far (Mike Comrie is the closest with 19), so DiPietro’s contributions have been all the more important. His play has been so good lately that we have even decided to pick him two weeks in a row.

Here are the stat lines for last week’s picks:

LW – Chris Kunitz, ANA: 2 goals, 0 assists, +1, 4 PIMs, 2 game-winning goals, 11 shots
C – Jeff Carter, PHI: 1 goal, 1 assist, -3, 2 PIMs, 10 shots, 28 faceoff wins
RW – Radim Vrbata, PHX: 4 goals, 2 assists, +5, 2 PIMs, 1 power-play goal, 12 shots
D – Jay Bouwmeester, FLA: 0 goals, 1 assist, even, 3 shots
G – Rick DiPietro, NYI: 2-1-1, 91.6 SV% (110 saves on 120 shots), 2.50 GAA (10 goals against in 4 games)

I rock this week.