This article is part of our NHL Barometer series.
This week's article includes Dubi, Dubi, Doo, Hertl the Turtle, Bobby Lu and a Flame whose light isn't shining brightly.
First Liners (Risers)
Ryan Kesler, C, ANA – Kesler, who came to Anaheim from Vancouver last summer, had what was for him a pretty typical recent season, scoring 47 points. The days of scoring 70-plus points are long gone, so don't expect a return to that level, but he should remain in the mid-40s. Anaheim opted to sign him to a six-year, $41.25 million contract extension in July that besides being a major risk in the future was looking like a nightmare already this season. Lately, Kesler has improved, with five goals and four assists in his last eight as the Ducks look to rebound from their struggles.
Brandon Dubinsky, C, CLM – Dubinsky is a John Tortorella-type player: hard working, plays with passion and lays it all on the line. While Dubi and Torts didn't always see eye-to-eye in New York, there may be no one better to show his Blue Jacket teammates how to play Tortorella hockey. In addition, with Ryan Johansen traded, Dubinsky is being relied upon even more than before and he has delivered. Since the end of December, he has posted five goals and 14 points in the last 13 games, giving him 30 points in 44 and a shot at beating his career-high of 54 set in 2010-11.
Carl Hagelin, LW, PIT – Every Rangers' fan nightmare is playing out in this column, as two of the first three names used to play on Broadway. Dubinsky was dealt as part of the Rick Nash deal while Hags went due to cap constraints, certainly not because New York really wanted Emerson Etem. Hagelin, who signed a four-year, $16 million deal with the Ducks, struggled a bit in Anaheim and was dealt nearly two weeks ago to Pittsburgh. His speed is a major asset on the forecheck and he also has found a spot on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.
Tomas Hertl, LW, SJ – Hertl the Turtle burst on the scene as a rookie, notching 25 points in 35 games before a knee injury sidelined him for the balance of the season. His sophomore year didn't come remotely close, as he struggled throughout and posted just 31 in 82 while also languishing on the fourth line. Hertl got off to a slow start this year, but he has more than made up for that lately. In his last 10 games, Hertl has lit the lamp six times and added five assists to give him 10 and 16 in each category. Now if he ever started to get real power play time….
J.T. Miller, RW, NYR – Miller bounced up-and-down the lineup earlier this season but he seems to have finally settled in on the second line. After a seven-game scoreless streak in early December, Miller has really found his stride. Since December 11, the winger has nine goals and four assists his last 19 games. His ability to win battles in the corners coupled with his offensive skills make him a perfect fit in the top-six for the Blueshirts.
Victor Hedman, D, TB – Hedman has very quietly racked up points of late. Overall, he has 28 of them on the season with seven coming in his last six contests. The giant Swede is a stalwart on the Lightning power play and has markedly increased his shots per game from last year to now, boding well for continued success.
Brian Campbell, D, FLA – Most of the focus on the Florida blueline rightly centers on Aaron Ekblad. But you shouldn't sleep on Campbell as a fantasy option. The veteran is riding a four-game point streak, boosting his totals to four goals and 15 assists. He has posted a tidy plus-16 rating and averages 2:36 on the power play each game, allowing him plenty of chances to increase those numbers.
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, PIT – The Flower has, for the most part, been blooming lately. After struggling for a bit, partially due to his team's issues, Fleury has won four straight: two by shutout, including Tuesday night, and two in which he allowed seven goals. With the Pittsburgh offense starting to percolate, it should translate to more wins. Despite his uneven play at times, Fleury still has a better goals-against average – 2.28 vs. 2.32 – and save percentage - .925 vs. .920 – than he did last season as well as in his stellar 2013-14 campaign.
Roberto Luongo, G, FLA – I usually don't like having two players from the same team on the Risers side of the column but in this case, I will make an exception. Luongo has now won three straight games and as our site update from Tuesday pointed out, he has surrendered two or fewer goals in eight of his last 10 appearances and is fifth in the league with 22 wins. So much for Luongo being washed up, as his GAA and SV% are the best of his career.
Others include Jack Eichel, Ryan Getzlaf, Sidney Crosby, Derek Stepan, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Brock Nelson, Jason Spezza, Carl Soderberg, Joe Thornton, Erik Haula, Claude Giroux, Tyler Johnson, Nazem Kadri, Phil Kessel, Jussi Jokinen, James Neal, Artemi Panarin, Jakub Voracek, Cam Atkinson, Bobby Ryan, Brad Marchand, Corey Perry, Filip Forsberg, Patric Hornqvist, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Steen, Danny DeKeyser, Brent Burns, P.K. Subban, Drew Doughty, Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Hutton, Seth Jones, Jake Muzzin, Mark Giordano, Kris Letang, Rasmus Ristolainen, Mattias Ekholm, Martin Jones, Corey Crawford, Karri Ramo, Tuukka Rask, Frederik Andersen, Petr Mrazek, Pekka Rinne and Eddie Lack.
Training Room (Injuries)
Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL – Schwartz, out since fracturing his left ankle in practice on Oct. 23, looks to be on track to return shortly after the All-Star break. When he gets back, St. Louis's already potent offense adds a top-six forward who notched 63 points (28 goals, 35 assists) in 75 games a year ago.
Others include David Krejci (upper-body issue, returned to action), Connor McDavid (collarbone, skating in AHL, will return to action after the All-Star Game), Henrik Sedin (undisclosed, returning to practice after ASG), Kyle Turris (ankle, DTD, should be back soon), Sean Couturier (lower-body injury, missed last four games before the break), Niklas Kronwall (knee scope on January 19, expected to miss 2-4 weeks), Johnny Boychuk (shoulder, could be back next week), Carey Price (leg, could be out another 3-4 weeks) and Sergei Bobrovsky (groin, indefinite).
Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)
Sean Monahan, C, CGY – Monahan exploded in his sophomore campaign, scoring 31 goals and 31 assists. He got off to a fine start this year, tallying 26 points in his first 34 games but has hit the skids recently, with just three points in his last 13. His ice time – including the power play – and spot on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau hasn't changed, which could lead to a turnaround.
Matt Moulson, LW, BUF – Remember when Moulson was a goal scorer and viable fantasy option? Those days appear to be history. His regression may have started in the 2013-14 season, but it was slight and he was still able to sign a five-year, $25 million contract with the Sabres in July 2014. Moulson had just 13 goals and 28 assists but meshed fairly nicely with Tyler Ennis and drove possession, lending hope his production would rebound this year. That has not been the case, as he only has four goals in 49 games this season while also spending time on the fourth line.
Alex Goligoski, D, DAL – Goligoski was profiled six weeks ago but his recent struggles warrant another mention. After being highlighted the last time, Goligoski seemed to right the ship with a goal and eight assists in 12 games. But he went right back to his slumping ways, going scoreless in seven straight until notching an assist Monday. Goligoski is still seeing lots of time on the ice – including the PP – so a rebound wouldn't be shocking, but bench him for now.
Jimmy Howard, G, DET – Howard signed a six-year, $31.8 million extension with the Red Wings in April of 2013. At that time, he appeared ready to ascend to the level of elite NHL goalies. That has been far from the case, as Howard now has been relegated to backing up Petr Mrazek and has failed to notch a win since December 3. If Mrazek continues to excel, would Detroit consider buying Howard out?
Others include Calle Jarnkrok, Frans Nielsen, Brandon Pirri, Mike Ribeiro, Sergei Plotnikov, Sergey Kalinin, Craig Smith, Gustav Nyquist, Andrei Markov, Tyler Myers, Andrej Sekera, John Klingberg, Jaroslav Halak, Mike Condon and Ryan Miller.
