This week's article includes another Kindel worth rostering in Pittsburgh, Kreider heating up again, Ghost spooking the scoresheet, Ullmark finding his form, Sid out a month and Kane slumping in Hockeytown USA.
First Liners (Risers)
Ben Kindel, C, PIT: Kindel, selected 11th overall in this past year's draft, has quietly provided Pittsburgh excellent production. An extreme longshot to make the team, Kindel had a fine training camp and has continued that level of play through the first two-thirds of his rookie campaign. Kindel notched a goal and an assist Sunday, giving him seven tallies and a pair of assists his last nine contests. For the season, Kindel, the Penguins' third-line center, is up to 15 markers and 14 apples in 56 contests.
Simon Holmstrom, RW, NYI: Holmstrom went from 25 points in 2023-24 to 45 points in the same 75 games played last season. He got off to a slightly slow start but has found his game recently. In the past eight games, Holmstrom has a pair of goals and six assists, skating on the Islanders' third line. Holmstrom is up to 14 tallies and 19 helpers in 59 contests, seeing 16:32 of ice time an appearance. While he's producing he should remain on New York's first power play unit, though the Isles might acquire a winger by the Friday, March 6 trade deadline.
Chris Kreider, LW, ANA: Kreider's first season in Anaheim looks like a roller coaster or seismograph: up, down and now up again. He got off to a brilliant start, then hit a wall, tallying just one assist in 12 games. Kreider has found his form again lately, posting five goals and three assists in eight games stretching before and after the Olympics break. He is up to 20 goals, the eighth straight season and 11th in his last 12 campaigns he has hit that mark, along with 13 helpers in 53 appearances as a Duck.
Matthew Tkachuk, LW, FLA: Offseason groin surgery forced Tkachuk to miss the first 47 games of the season. He returned to action January 19, and, after posting three assists his first five games back, Tkachuk potted three goals with two assists his next five games prior to the Olympics. Matthew and Brady helped the US win gold, and Matthew has carried that success back to the NHL, lighting the lamp in both games after action resumed. If Florida is going to make a run to the postseason, Matthew, who has five goals and eight helpers in 13 games, will need to help carry the offense.
Logan Stanley, D, WPG: Stanley is getting top-pairing minutes and power-play time for the Jets in the absence of Josh Morrissey (upper body) and Neal Pionk (undisclosed). Not usually known for his offense, Stanley is up to nine goals and 11 assists in 58 contests after notching a pair of helpers Friday. Stanley sits six hits shy of 100 for the season while skating just under 17 minutes a contest. He has earned a big raise this offseason, especially if he continues to log key minutes for Winnipeg.
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, CAR: Ghost got back on track with a goal and a pair of assists Saturday. He is up to 10 goals, 41 points (14 on the power play), 95 shots on net, 45 blocked shots and a plus-9 rating across 43 appearances. Ghost is on pace to reach the 50-point mark for the third time in his career. He remains a polarizing player, as his fantasy value is substantially due to his power play prowess, but he has increased his 5x5 production this season as compared to years' past.
Linus Ullmark, G, OTT: Ullmark is 3-0-1 in four starts since his return Jan. 31 after missing a month due to personal reasons. His numbers still pale in comparison to his last two seasons in Boston and even his first campaign with Ottawa, but his hot streak is slowly moving his goals-against average and save percentage in the right direction. Ullmark and the Senators sit outside the playoffs but are making a run. A hot Ullmark can help carry a fantasy team as a first or second goalie down the stretch.
Joey Daccord, G, SEA: Daccord and the Kraken sit in a playoff position as we approach the trade deadline. He has won six of his last seven outings, allowing two goals or fewer in each of those victories. For the season, Daccord is up to a 18-13-5 record with a 2.74 goals-against average (GAA) and a .906 save percentage over 36 starts. His ancillary numbers are almost exactly the same to what Daccord posted last season, but he will need to remain hot down the stretch to match or exceed the 27 victories he tallied last season. If that happens, Seattle has a strong chance of making the playoffs.
Others include Logan Cooley, Adam Fantilli, Tomas Hertl, Evgeni Malkin, Aliaksei Protas, Beckett Sennecke, Yegor Chinakhov, Jordan Kyrou, Clayton Keller, Victor Hedman, Noah Dobson, Justin Faulk, Matthew Schaefer, Ilya Sorokin, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Arturs Silovs and Karel Vejmelka.
Buy Low
Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, WSH: PLD started the season poorly with zero points in six games before undergoing surgery to address injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He returned action after missing 47 contests, notching a goal and an assists February 5. Dubois added a pair of goals Friday, giving the Capitals' second-line center three goals and a pair of assists his last four appearances. A strong last six weeks could help Dubois salvage what has been a disappointing season after his brilliant first campaign in Washington.
Training Room (Injuries)
Sidney Crosby, C, PIT: Crosby, injured in Canada's quarterfinals win over Czechia, was placed on injured reserve and is slated to miss at least four weeks. Prior to the Olympics, Crosby posted 27 goals and 59 points in 56 NHL games. His absence leaves a massive hole in the lineup for Pittsburgh, who sits second in the Metro Division. No specific details have been provided as to what the injury is, though from watching the play live and on replay, it looked like an MCL injury. Crosby is expected to be back before the end of the regular season.
Others include Filip Chytil (facial fracture, suffered in practice, placed on IR), Alex Newhook (fractured ankle, missed more than three months, returned to action last Thursday), Mikko Rantanen (lower body, injured during the Olympics, out at least two more weeks), Adam Fox (upper body, returned to action after the Olympics break) and Igor Shesterkin (lower body, returned to action after the Olympics break).
Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)
Ryan Hartman, C, MIN: Hartman, centering Minnesota's first line, is not carrying his weight. He has just four assists his last 11 games and his scoring touch has dried up. Minnesota dealt Marco Rossi to Vancouver in the Quinn Hughes deal, improving their team but weakening their center position. Joel Eriksson Ek and Danila Yurov are the second and third line pivot men, but the lack of overall production from that spot has the Wild knee deep in discussions for the Rangers' Vincent Trocheck.
Patrick Kane, RW, DET: Kane ended a 14-game goal drought Saturday, which also was his first points in five games. After posting 21 goals and 38 assists last season, getting hot down the stretch to help Detroit make a run at a playoff spot, Kane is not having the same success this season, though on a point-per-game basis, he is not that far off. Kane, who has missed 15 games due to injury, has nine goals, 33 points, 114 shots on net and a plus-1 rating through 46 appearances in a middle-six role this season.
Dmitry Orlov, D, SJ: January 15, Orlov was sitting with a goal and 21 assists in 46 games played. A good portion of that production came earlier in the season, but he still had notched eight points in his last eight contests. March 3, 12 appearances later, Orlov is still sitting with that same point total. His role as the power play quarterback remains intact, though as seen from the prior sentence, his production fails to match that position. Feel free to hold onto Orlov with the hope he finds his scoring touch again, but it looks like its time to look elsewhere.
Others include Noah Ostlund, Noah Laba, Kiefer Sherwood, Ivan Provorov, Artyom Levshunov, Cam Talbot and Jesper Wallstedt.
Sell High
Tristan Jarry, G, EDM: Fantasy hopes were raised for those who had Jarry rostered when he was dealt from the Penguins to the Oilers. So much for the best laid plans of mice and men. Jarry has scuffled since the trade and now has a 15-7-2 record with a 3.18 GAA and an .890 save percentage over 26 games between Pittsburgh and Edmonton. On paper, not great but not horrific. When you peel back a layer, Jarry's 3.85 GAA and .864 save percentage in 12 games as an Oiler paint a darker picture. Connor Ingram looks like a better option between the pipes.
