NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers for the Week

This week's article includes Fantilli making the most of his opportunity, Drouin excelling in Colorado, Parayko rolling in St. Louis, Thompson playing like a No. 1 goalie, Freddy is back and Bobrovsky struggling. 

First Liners (Risers)

Mark Scheifele, C, WPG: Scheifele saw his four-game goal and seven-game point streak end Saturday. Despite being shut out, Scheifele is up to 27 tallies and 25 assists in just 47 games. Scheifele just continues to consistently produce, as he has potted 324 goals and 446 assists in 844 games, all spent with the Jets since he drafted seventh overall in 2011. He signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension with the Jets in October of 2023, and barring something untoward, he should spend the length of that entire contract with Winnipeg. 

Jonathan Drouin, RW, COL: Drouin notched a goal and added a pair of assists Saturday. Those three points give Drouin a pair of tallies and eight apples in nine games since he returned to action after missing a month due to an injury. Drouin racked up personal bests in assists (37) and points (56) in 79 regular-season outings in his first season with the Avalanche in 2023-24. That production earned him just a one-year deal to remain with the team as he skates with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Travis Konecny, RW, PHI: Konecny continued his recent hot run by dishing out three assists Friday followed by an empty-net goal Saturday. He has five tallies and eight helpers in his last 10 outings, and is up to 21 goals and 33 apples in 47 games. Konecny notched 52 points in 2021-22, 61 points in 2022-23, and 68-points last season, With 54 points in 47 games, Konecny, in year one of the eight-year, $70-million extension he signed last July, is on pace to far exceed the career-best total he posted in 2024-25.

Patrick Kane, RW, DET: Kane, the best scorer in US history, got off to a slow start this season but has found his game lately. He scored a goal while adding an assist Thursday, the sixth multipoint effort in his last 10 games, a span in which he has six goals, nine assists and nine power-play points. For the season, Kane has 11 goals and 18 assists in 40 contests after potting 20 goals with 27 helpers in 50 games in 2023-24, his first campaign in Detroit. If the Red Wings fall out of playoff contention, Kane could be a trade deadline candidate. 

Colton Parayko, D, STL: Parayko extended his goal streak to three games Thursday, giving the blueliner 10 tallies on the season. The defenseman has scored five times while adding six assists across his last 13 outings, upping his season marks to the 10 markers and 17 helpers in 48 contests, matching his total from 82 contests last season. Parayko is skating on the Blues' top defenseman pair with Cam Fowler, who has seamlessly fit in since coming over from Anaheim in mid-December.

Shea Theodore, D, LV: Vegas' top-four blueliners all could be No. 1 D-men on other teams. This gives the Knights' enviable depth on the backline. Theodore, who signed a seven-year, $51.975 million contract extension with Vegas last October, is having another fine season. His goal Friday was his first tally since Dec. 15 versus the Wild, but he racked up 10 assists over the 13 games between goals. In addition, for good measure, he notched two apples Saturday and four helpers Monday. For the season, he's at five tallies, 43 points (18 on the power play), 90 shots on net, 56 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating over 44 appearances.

Logan Thompson, G, WSH: Thompson notched back-to-back shutouts this past week, whitewashing the Ducks and Senators. He followed those two outings by allowing just one goal in 19 shots to post another win Saturday. Thompson is now 21-2-3 with a 2.12 goals-against average and .925 save percentage (SV%). He sits just four wins from tying his career-high in victories, set last year with Vegas, while the GAA and SV% are the best in his career. Thompson is the final season of the three-year, $2.3 million contract he signed with the Knights in January of 2022 and is set up for a big payday. 

Leevi Merilainen, G, OTT: Merilainen surrendered five goals on 28 shots Saturday but picked up the win in his fifth straight start. He is 4-0-1 in those outings, allowing just three goals on 105 shots in his first four starts, notching a pair of shutouts in this stretch. Merilainen is seeing time because Linus Ullmark has missed 12 straight starts due to a back injury and he has vastly outplayed Anton Forsberg. Ullmark, listed as week-to-week has joined Ottawa on their road trip and may be close to returning. But in the interim, it's Merilainen who is seeing most of the action in net and has likely earned some starts once Ullmark is back.          

Others include Noah Cates, Matty Beniers, Sam Carrick, Morgan Frost, Artturi Lehkonen, Cole Caufield, Seth Jarvis, Mitch Marner, Dylan Holloway, Bryan Rust, Victor Hedman, Evan Bouchard, Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Igor Shesterkin, Darcy Kuemper, Stuart Skinner and Jakub Dobes. 

Buy Low

Adam Fantilli, C, CLM: Columbus selected Fantilli third overall in 2023. He had a strong rookie campaign with 12 goals and 27 points in 49 outings, but a leg injury prevented him from playing past Jan. 28. Fantilli was moved to the second line when the Blue Jackets signed Sean Monahan this offseason. He has taken advantage of the injury to Monahan, moving to the top line, four goals and four assists during a seven-game point streak that ended Saturday. He is up to 11 goals and 12 assists in 46 games.

Training Room (Injuries)

Frederik Andersen, G, CAR: Andersen, out since October 26 with a knee injury that required surgery Nov. 22, was activated off the injured list Friday and started Monday. Prior to being sidelined, Andersen was 3-1-0 with a 1.49 GAA and a .941 save percentage across four appearances this season. Pyotr Kochetkov has taken over as the 'Canes top goalie, but his recent struggles has lightened his hold on the job. Andersen has shown he can post great regular season numbers when healthy and should get another chance to carve out a significant amount of time between the pipes for Carolina. 

Others include Sean Monahan (wrist, wearing a brace for two weeks, then will be re-evaluated), Roope Hintz (upper body, missed his second straight game Saturday), Trevor Zegras, (surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Dec. 12, skated and practiced Monday), Yegor Chinakhov (upper body, missed his 25th straight game Saturday, is still a few weeks away from a return), Tyler Toffoli (lower body, didn't play Saturday), Alex Laferriere (upper body, mixed second straight game Saturday, skated that a.m. but is still "a ways off" from returning), Mikhail Sergachev (upper body, didn't play Saturday)  and Linus Ullmark (back, has missed 11 straight games, joined Ottawa on road trip). 

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)

Casey Mittelstadt, C, COL: Mittelstadt was acquired from Buffalo during the 2023-24 season to provide Colorado a solid second-line center. As a member of the Avalanche, he scored four goals and recorded 10 points in 18 regular-season games, along with three goals and six assists in 11 playoff contests. Mittelstadt has been unable to repeat the same level of success this season with Mikko Rantanen getting a run at center. He snapped a five-game point drought and an eight-game goal slump Saturday but has just nine goals, 20 assists and 64 shots in 47 games.           

Nils Hoglander, LW, VAN: Hoglander looked like he took a step forward last season, notching 24 goals with 12 assists in 80 games, though the goal production was due to a 20 percent shooting percentage. That production exceeded his combined total from the prior two seasons, when he posted 27 points in 85 games. The 24-year-old winger ended his 34-game goal drought Tuesday, during which he had just five assists. Coach Rick Tocchet is deploying Hoglander on Vancouver's fourth line, which won't aid his attempts to reverse his decline in production.

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, FLA: The Bob has hit a bit of a rough patch. He was pulled from Thursday's start, and that outing was the third consecutive game in which he's given up four goals. Bobrovsky has gone 1-4-1 with a 3.06 GAA and .894 save percentage over his last six appearances, ballooning his goals-against average up to 2.86, while his save percentage has dropped to .896. Florida could turn to Spencer Knight, who notched a 34-save shutout Saturday, more frequently in the short-term while Bobrovsky gets his issues ironed out.

Others include Nick Bjugstad, Will Smith, Lukas Reichel, Martin Necas, Brandt Clarke, K'Andre Miller, Kevin Lankinen and Tristan Jarry.

Sell High 

Kris Letang, D, PIT: Letang is still likely a Hall-of-Fame defenseman, but he is having a rough 2024-25 campaign. He has just two assists in his last 11 games, not lighting the lamp since December 14. After posting 51 points in 82 contests last season, Letang has notched just seven goals and 11 assists in 41 contests this season. His ice time is down a minute per game, but his power play time on ice is up slightly over last season, so the decline in ice time is not a valid explanation for his drop in production. The name recognition is why he is a sell high.