Home US SportsNHL Follow the public and add Scott Wedgewood, Justin Faulk and these trending players

Follow the public and add Scott Wedgewood, Justin Faulk and these trending players

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How y’all doing?

Isn’t that nice of me to ask? Makes you suspicious though, doesn’t it. “Why is this article starting by asking how we are doing?

It’s because the tidbits at the top here are about you.

Specifically, what you have been up to with player roster changes so far this season. With data on roster percentages, we can take a deeper dive to review which players the collective “we” has invested in, or given up on.

You don’t have to follow suit, your life is your own, but sometimes the hivemind has picked up on something you missed.

Jump ahead: Goalies | Power Play | Drops

Most added since start of season

  1. Scott Wedgewood, G, Colorado Avalanche (currently 85.2%, up 74.8% since start of season)

  2. Dawson Mercer, RW, New Jersey Devils (currently 78.0%, up 73.1%)

  3. Shane Pinto, C, Ottawa Senators (currently 76.3%, up 70.5%)

  4. Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim Ducks (currently 89.7%, up 67.0%)

  5. Spencer Knight, G, Chicago Blackhawks (currently 79.1%, up 66.0%)

  6. Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Colorado Avalanche (currently 73.7%, up 57.7%)

  7. Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders (currently 90.5%, up 55.9%)

  8. Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues (currently 68.7%, up 54.3%)

  9. Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal Canadiens (currently 54.5%, up 52.5%)

  10. Troy Terry, C/RW, Anaheim Ducks (currently 62.9%, up 48.4%)

The biggest one-week surges this season all came right out of the gate: Pinto (39.8%), Nazar (39.1%) and Wedgewood (38.9%) each exploded in Week 1 as managers rushed to patch early holes. Dobes didn’t make his move until Oct. 28, when a 36.4% jump pushed him firmly onto the radar.

Mercer’s rise is the one that may cool off a bit with Jack Hughes sidelined for several weeks as much of Mercer’s value has been tied to that top-line ecosystem. But for the most part, these adds reflect managers correctly chasing early roles and opportunity shifts.

And it still isn’t too late to fall in line with the collective on a few of them. Lehkonen and Terry are both sitting on waivers in more than a quarter of leagues, and their usage trends point firmly upward. If you missed the first wave, the second one is still very much rideable.

Most added since start of November

  1. Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues (currently 68.7%, up 47.8% since start of November)

  2. Troy Terry, C/RW, Anaheim Ducks (currently 62.9%, up 47.1%)

  3. Jake McCabe, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (currently 50.9%, up 42.3%)

  4. Tyler Bertuzzi, LW, Chicago Blackhawks (currently 51.7%, up 40.9%)

  5. Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim Ducks (currently 89.7%, up 34.1%)

  6. Morgan Geekie, C/LW/RW, Boston Bruins (currently 77.1%, up 28.8%)

  7. Spencer Knight, G, Chicago Blackhawks (currently 79.1%, up 28.5%)

  8. Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils (currently 31.7%, up 28.3%)

  9. Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks (currently 74.3%, up 28.2%)

  10. Jack Roslovic, C/RW, Edmonton Oilers (currently 27.3%, up 26.6%)

Faulk continues to be a smart collective add. Even as he jockeys with Cam Fowler for a spot on the Blues’ top power-play unit, his peripheral stats — hits, blocks, general ice time — keep him relevant in most formats. Nemec earned attention with his hat trick, but he remains the third option on the Devils’ defensive depth chart, so temper expectations. McCabe is another player worth checking in your league; his shot-blocking and secondary contributions make him Toronto’s most consistent fantasy defender, at least until the Maple Leafs’ power play starts producing at a higher clip.

Most dropped since start of season

  1. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Washington Capitals (currently 21.4%, down 39.3% since start of October)

  2. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Colorado Avalanche (currently 37.8%, down 36.8%)

  3. Matt Duchene, C/LW, Dallas Stars (currently 38.6%, down 32.4%)

  4. Kaiden Guhle, D, Montreal Canadiens (currently 37.1%, down 30.1%)

  5. Sam Montembeault, G, Montreal Canadiens (currently 51.9%, down 29.3%)

  6. Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights (currently 68.7%, down 29.1%)

  7. Sean Durzi, D, Utah Mammoth (currently 39.9%, down 29.0%)

  8. Kent Johnson, C/LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (currently 22.3%, down 28.4%)

  9. Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues (currently 57.6%, down 27.6%)

  10. Linus Ullmark, G, Ottawa Senators (currently 43.4%, down 27.4%)

Injuries explain a few of these drops, while struggling goaltenders account for most of the rest. Landeskog and Duchene are tougher to swallow, as their fantasy value has eroded with other players stepping into prime roles. Some of the injured names are worth bookmarking for later in the season. Guhle (January) and Dubois (March) could be late-year reinforcements. Durzi never secured a power-play role, and Johnson has now lost his.

Goalie notes

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Jet Greaves robs Canadiens with save

Jet Greaves robs Canadiens with save

Here’s this week’s selection of goaltending snapshots, showing crease shares, fantasy production, and key notes where relevant.

Columbus Blue Jackets in 19 games (five last week):

  • Jet Greaves (crease share season/week: 63.5%/100.0%, fantasy points season/week: 22.4/11.4, 88.9% available, 1.84 FPP60)

  • Elvis Merzlikins (crease share season/week: 36.5%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 15.6/DNP, 71.8% available, 2.23 FPP60)

That’s right … a five-game week for the Blue Jackets, and Greaves was in the crease for every second of it. There’s no suggestion Merzlikins is injured, as he is in line for the Tuesday start. It was made a little stranger by the fact that Greaves actually had a rough outing in the first of the five consecutive starts, surrendering five goals to the Oilers. We’ll see what the next couple weeks show us, but I’m feeling pretty good if I have Greaves on my roster.

Colorado Avalanche in 19 games (three last week):

  • Scott Wedgewood (crease share season/week: 74.3%/66.7%, fantasy points season/week: 52.8/16.6, 14.8% available, 3.7 FPP60)

  • Mackenzie Blackwood (crease share season/week: 15.9%/33.3%, fantasy points season/week: 2.4/1.6, 28.5% available, 0.79 FPP60)

  • Trent Miner (crease share season/week: 9.8%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 2.0/DNP, 99.9% available, 1.06 FPP60)

Speaking of our most-added player, it sure looks like the Avs are rewarding Wedgewood with plenty of starts. He was the backup on paper coming into the season, but Blackwood’s injury and Wedgewood’s exceptional seat-warming has turned this into a timeshare.

Minnesota Wild in 20 games (three last week):

  • Filip Gustavsson (crease share season/week: 69.4%/68.0%, fantasy points season/week: 14.6/4.8, 11.6% available, 1.04 FPP60)

  • Jesper Wallstedt (crease share season/week: 30.6%/32.0%, fantasy points season/week: 29.6/12.6, 88.4% available, 4.79 FPP60)

It might be time to add Wallstedt. That’s two consecutive shutouts for Wallstedt to form a chasm between the goaltenders’ respective fantasy value to date.

Montreal Canadiens in 19 games (five last week):

  • Sam Montembeault (crease share season/week: 54.0%/56.9%, fantasy points season/week: -12.4/-9.0, 48.1% available, -1.19 FPP60)

  • Jakub Dobes (crease share season/week: 46.0%/43.1%, fantasy points season/week: 20.2/-9.4, 45.5% available, 2.28 FPP60)

The schedule hasn’t been kind and it isn’t getting kinder. Next on the docket for the Habs: Capitals, Maple Leafs, Mammoth, Golden Knights and Avalanche to close out the month.

Toronto Maple Leafs in 19 games (four last week):

  • Anthony Stolarz (crease share season/week: 62.0%/11.3%, fantasy points season/week: 5.4/-4.4, 33.8% available, 0.46 FPP60)

  • Dennis Hildeby (crease share season/week: 16.7%/55.5%, fantasy points season/week: -0.4/-0.6, 99.7% available, -0.13 FPP60)

  • Cayden Primeau (crease share season/week: 16.1%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: -4.6/DNP, 99.8% available, -1.52 FPP60)

  • Joseph Woll (crease share season/week: 5.2%/33.2%, fantasy points season/week: -0.2/-0.2, 73.4% available, -0.2 FPP60)

Woll finally made his season debut and should hold the fort down while Stolarz is injured. He’s worth adding if you have bench space, but it might be too early to confidently lock him into a starting spot.

Boston Bruins in 21 games (four last week):

  • Jeremy Swayman (crease share season/week: 61.8%/75.5%, fantasy points season/week: 26.2/9.0, 39.6% available, 2.01 FPP60)

  • Joonas Korpisalo (crease share season/week: 38.2%/24.5%, fantasy points season/week: 0.8/-4.6, 98.3% available, 0.1 FPP60)

Buffalo Sabres in 19 games (five last week):

  • Alex Lyon (crease share season/week: 58.2%/2.6%, fantasy points season/week: 16.0/-3.8, 87.4% available, 1.45 FPP60)

  • Colten Ellis (crease share season/week: 20.9%/75.2%, fantasy points season/week: 13.0/7.6, 99.2% available, 3.27 FPP60)

  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (crease share season/week: 20.9%/22.2%, fantasy points season/week: -1.0/-0.6, 91.6% available, -0.25 FPP60)

Seattle Kraken in 18 games (four last week):

  • Joey Daccord (crease share season/week: 58.0%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 23.8/DNP, 23.6% available, 2.24 FPP60)

  • Philipp Grubauer (crease share season/week: 22.3%/54.2%, fantasy points season/week: 11.8/10.4, 97.5% available, 2.89 FPP60)

  • Matt Murray (crease share season/week: 19.8%/45.8%, fantasy points season/week: 3.6/4.8, 99.8% available, 1.0 FPP60)

Power-play notes

Hampus Lindholm, D, Boston Bruins (available in 97.3%): Though they’ve gone with Mason Lohrei as recently as last season, Lindholm seems to have the edge for the top unit as Charlie McAvoy hits the sidelines. This is a very good power play, made only better when Elias Lindholm gets healthy, so an extended absence from McAvoy will provide value somewhere.

Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (available in 32.9%): Just a reminder that Voronkov is both a top-line winger and top-unit power-play member that remains available in a handful of leagues. Since switching to Adam Fantilli instead of Kent Johnson, the top unit has as many goals (three) in half the ice time (12:05).

Braeden Bowman, RW, Vegas Golden Knights (available in 99.9%): Until Mark Stone is healthy, it appears the Golden Knights have decided rookie Bowman will be their stand-in on the advantage. He was on the top power-play unit in Stone’s spot for his NHL debut and has remained there ever since. The unit has two goals with him in 12:58 over the past three games. If the Knights think he is worth a shot, perhaps you can afford him one, too.

Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings (available in 59.1%): The Red Wings power play will be the fuel for Kane if he has a successful fantasy season. Following some downtime with an injury, Kane is picking the pace back up again with three PP points in three games as the forward group scored four times (three times with Moritz Seider and once with Axel Sandin-Pellikka).

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Patrick Kane lights the lamp

Patrick Kane lights the lamp

Jack Roslovic, C/RW, Edmonton Oilers (available in 72.7%): Zach Hyman returned, but Roslovic was bought some additional time on the top unit with an injury to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Keep rolling Roslovic, as the PP time really locks him in as roster-worthy.

Victor Olofsson, RW, Colorado Avalanche (available in 77.7%): The Avs power play has had a little bad luck of late (one goal in 11:10 across three games), but are still absolutely piling on the chances (27 shot attempts in that span). The dam will break and Olofsson could have himself a hot streak.

Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings (available in 43.5%): The Kings remain very committed to a five-forward attack. Of their 10 power-play goals this season, nine have been scored with no D on the ice. Clarke was on for the lone exception to the rule, but unless the deployment changes, his ceiling is limited. But if the Kings don’t start scoring more on the advantage, maybe they go a more traditional route soon.

Matvei Michkov, RW, Philadelphia Flyers (available in 30.5%): A pretty disappointing sophomore showing from Michkov so far, but this is a hat tip to him and the Flyers for their first power-play goal of the season without Trevor Zegras on the ice.

Droppables

Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Nashville Predators (rostered in 62.0%): It’s getting harder to find clear drops this week, so we’ll have to lower the threshold. Many managers have already cut bait on Marchessault, and for the 62% still holding him, he isn’t providing much. With Roman Josi injured, the Predators aren’t offering much fantasy value anywhere. The Ryan O’Reilly-Filip Forsberg-Luke Evangelista line at least shows some promise (67% Corsi among lines with at least 5 minutes per game), but the second line remains unsettled. Marchessault with Steven Stamkos and Erik Haula has been outscored 0-2 in 80:31 with a 47.7% Corsi, while with Haula and Michael Bunting he’s 3-3 on goals but sits at just 40.0% Corsi. There’s really no good news here.

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