Carolina's new winger has ignited the offense with blistering speed and dynamic playmaking, proving his potent offensive talent is just beginning to shine.
Nikolaj Ehlers knew it was going to take some time.
After 10 years in the same city, with the same team and organization, living and playing hockey anywhere else was going to feel so drastically different in almost every way.
"Everything is brand new," Ehlers said. "We have great group of guys. You try to get comfortable as quick as possible in every single setting. At home, finding the grocery store, not having to use the GPS every time. Everything is brand new, but the organization has taken me in and welcomed me great."
And on the ice especially, things did take some time, with the Danish winger going the first five games of the season without a point and the first 11 without a goal, despite top line and top power play minutes with Carolina.
"There's been good games, bad games, but I'm settling in more and more both on and off the ice," Ehlers said. "Hopefully it only gets better from here."
But even while Ehlers wasn't finding himself on the scoresheet, it's obvious there was way more good games than bad, as the talent was still popping off of the page.
Right away, the first thing you notice about Ehlers is his speed.
He's in the 94th percentile amongst all players for max skating speed this season (23.05mph) according to NHL Edge and when he gets going off of the rush, he just blows by defenders.
And overall really, his skating is second to none on the team. He's so good on his edges and can either quickly pull up or accelerate out of nowhere to create time and space.
That ability to generate zone entries with ease is an often overlooked aspect of the game, but one that is so integral to successful teams.
"You watch him when he gets the puck, he has the ability to create something out of nothing and that's something we needed a little more of and I think that clearly is what he can bring," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour.
While it's good to be fast, it's what Ehlers is able to do with the puck at that speed that really makes him special.
Ehlers has been one of the Hurricanes' best playmakers this season, with a nasty highlight reel of passes already under his belt.
He always has his head up looking for lanes and he just has a unique ability to thread those passes through, especially cross-crease or cross-ice.
"When he has the puck, he's a special player," Brind'Amour said. "There's a different level of talent there. It's that offensive poise. He can hang onto the puck, he can make something out of nothing. Dominant players can do that."
But Ehlers is more than just a passer. Coming into the year, Ehlers had scored 20+ goals in eight of his 10 seasons and already you can see why.
The winger is second on the team in shots on goal (57) and his 117 shot attempts are the most amongst all Carolina forwards.
He isn't afraid to shoot the puck and he can certainly put some power behind it too, with a 93.63 mph shot already on the board, just outside the top-10 for forwards this year.
"He's just so special with the puck," said Seth Jarvis. "If you can find him in open ice, good things are going to happen."
So really, even despite the slow start, it was honestly just a matter of time before things started clicking for Ehlers.
"[Ehlers] has been really good with the puck since day one," said Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky on an appearance on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. "He's one of best passers on the team, he has great speed and can use it to create space. He's been creating chances all along and honestly, his line was scoring, he just wasn't getting the points for it. So you knew it was going to come. You have a player who's dynamic with the puck, who's playing on a good line that's scoring, so we knew the points would come eventually. I don't think we were ever worried about that."
But now, the pucks are starting to go, starting with his first as a Hurricane earlier this month against the New York Rangers.
"It hasn't been easy, but at the same time, I feel like I've played some really good games where I've created a lot of chances with my linemates," Ehlers said after scoring his first goal in New York. "Obviously I was in the same place for 10 years so it's going to take some time, but I feel pretty good about where my game is at and I think the rest will come. I'm not worried about that."
And how right he was because since collecting that first point, Ehlers can't stop producing.
The 29-year-old forward has four goals and 13 points in 20 games this season, with points in eight of his last 10 games.
In fact, since registering his first point of the season on Oct. 20 in Vegas, Ehlers has only gone three games without a point.
"He got his first goal and you can just see that, all of a sudden, there's a little more, I don't know, pep in his step or whatever. Maybe a little more comfortable," Brind'Amour said. "There's a lot of pressure when you come to a new team and with all the hype. And even more so when you've been somewhere for a long time. Just everything feels different. I think he's starting to feel at home now."
A potentially big turning point for the Dane has been his immediate chemistry with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake.
While he was still good with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the Canes' top line, his game has gone to a whole other level with the two NHL sophomores.
The three have been on a line together for just under 100 minutes at 5v5 and they've been by far the Hurricanes' most dominant trio. They've controlled 69% of the scoring chances when they've been on the ice together and they're outscoring opponents 5-1 in that span.
"I think we've found a little chemistry there," Brind'Amour said. "[Ehlers] is a unique player. I don't know what the right fit is sometimes, but with Stanks and Blaker, they seem to really be on the same page and all of their skillsets are very unique."
Ehlers' speed and poise has been a perfect complement for the young duo who are some of the biggest puck hounds in the entire league.
All three have so much creativity in their offensive game and they're not afraid to try some crazy moves, which work more often than not.
"He's unbelievable," Blake said of his new linemate. "A stud. I love playing with that guy. He's so fast and makes really good decisions all the time."
Again, it was always going to take some time for Ehlers to find his fit in Carolina, but he's already starting to look like a guy who's been here for years. His on-ice play has been tremendous and you can see how easily he's assimilated himself into the locker room.
"Obviously a great player and just a great person to have in the locker room as well," Aho said.
But still, neither the player nor his coach believes his best game is here yet.
"It's still going to take some time for me to get 100% comfortable and know my way and know how things work, but it's been great so far," Ehlers said.
"It's a process," Brind'Amour said. "I think it's going to take a year, year and a half, two. When I first came here eons ago, it was a year and a half before I really felt comfortable with doing things differently. There are subtle differences and styles and sometimes it takes time for a guy to feel comfortable in a place. I see it more and more with his game that it's staring to be a little more natural, but I still think it'll take some time."
And if that's the case, than look out world, because while it's just 20 games into year one of a six-year, $51 million commitment to Ehlers, it already feels safe to say that this one looks to be a perfect match.
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