Your fantasy team can get hot at any time. And no matter its strength, there will be lulls. The key is to not dwell on either situation and focus on the long-term plan while preparing for upcoming events.
But if you really want to grab hold of lightning in a bottle, perhaps one or more of the following selections will be of service.
(Rostered rates as of Nov. 21)
Forwards
Patrick Kane, DET (Yahoo: 39%): You know what you're getting with Kane in fantasy, as it mainly revolves around scoring and shooting. The newly minted 37-year-old hasn't changed his ways, with three goals, six assists and 34 shots in only 12 games. This includes six power-play points with three of those coming over the last five. And it's not as if Kane is taking it easy at his advanced age, as he is logging 17-plus minutes a night. There may be injury concerns considering a recent two-week absence, but that much offensive involvement is too hard to ignore.
Cole Perfetti, WPG (Yahoo: 37%): Some poolies may have forgotten about Perfetti since he only made his season debut 12 days ago. Even though he missed 14 contests, he seamlessly slid right back onto Winnipeg's second line and top PP – where he potted a goal on Saturday. Perfetti is a talented forward in a favorable position on a strong attack who qualifies at all three positions on Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey. Sounds like someone you might want to add right away.
Logan Stankoven, CAR (Yahoo: 29%): The results (5G, 6A) may not be outstanding, but Stankoven is still finding his groove during his first full year with Carolina. And that's good to hear for a player who hasn't come anywhere near his junior/AHL output. Stankoven gets to center the second unit and backup man-advantage while generally being consistent at directing pucks on net (six last time out). If he can remain in the top-six, there's a decent chance of him reaching 50 points and 200 shots.
Mats Zuccarello, MIN (Yahoo: 27%): Like Perfetti, Zuccarello has probably gone under the radar due to missing most of the campaign. And all he's done during the six outings since coming back is register a goal and five assists averaging 18:48 – 4:30 of that up a man while collecting two PPAs. It's ridiculous to think Zuccarello could be available in three of every four Yahoo! leagues as he continues to participate with Kirill Kaprizov on the lead line and PP. Do your job in boosting his coverage.
Tyler Seguin, DAL (Yahoo: 24%): Joining forces with two of the league's hottest skaters is pretty much guaranteed to skyrocket your fantasy production. That's been happening for Seguin the last six games by way of three goals, three assists, seven shots and a plus-7 next to Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. The only drawback in this arrangement is that they only play together at even-strength with the duo covering the top man-advantage while Seguin is on the second unit. Monitor his situation and see if he gets switched to another trio or possibly promoted to Dallas's main PP.
Claude Giroux, OTT (Yahoo: 17%): Giroux continues to defy the odds into his mid-30s as a reliable offensive contributor. The 50 points from last year marked his lowest full-season haul since 2009-10, yet he's back to reliving his glory days with four goals, 10 assists and 40 shots as a member of the Sens' third line and – most importantly – lead power play (four PPPs). Brady Tkachuk is bound to unseat someone on that group upon returning, and Giroux is the most likely casualty. Even if that occurs, he'll still hold enough value on a deep Ottawa attack.
Jonathan Drouin, NYI (Yahoo: 14%): We conclude our four-part series of trendy veterans with Drouin. He's been snake-bitten by injuries only to revive his career in Colorado…and get hurt again. The Isles swooped in and signed Drouin to a two-year deal, where he's repaid their generosity by reeling off 14 points – three of them PPPs – and a place alongside Mathew Barzal in all scoring situations. There's a chance he gets sidelined, but there's too much going for him right now to remain 86 percent available.
Isak Rosen, BUF (Yahoo: 1%): With a couple prominent Sabres (Zach Benson, Jason Zucker) projected back in the lineup soon, Rosen may be more of an add-and-stash transaction. But you can't fault anyone for wanting to click on his name, as he's accumulated three goals and three assists across nine NHL appearances right after five and seven from eight in the AHL. The 2021 first-rounder has been a fine addition to the Sabres' first power play (two PPPs), though that placement will probably be taken by one of the aforementioned returnees. There's no harm in grabbing Rosen now in case he stays in an elevated role.
Defensemen
Devon Toews, COL (Yahoo: 56%): We're reaching past the 50 percent threshold for a defender who combined for 201 points the last four seasons and started the current campaign with nine scoreless efforts. Toews has since turned it around by notching seven assists over 11 games to go with 11 shots and 18 blocks on a 23:11 average. No offense has materialized as of yet on the second power play, though he maintains a significant shorthanded role while carrying significant even-strength upside alongside Cale Makar.
Cam Fowler, STL (Yahoo: 38%): Fowler mainly struggled early on, yet has come on of late (five assists from eight) and has totaled five PPPs mainly as a member of the Blues' top unit. And like Toews, he's logging major minutes while in a solid five-on-five pairing next to Justin Faulk. St. Louis may be anemic offensively (27th at 2.75 goals per game), but there's hope, as Fowler is part of a power play that's still strong, and a veteran core that's previously succeeded and should eventually improve.
Mason Lohrei, BOS (Yahoo: 6%): With Charlie McAvoy out indefinitely after undergoing facial surgery, others will need to pick up the offensive slack. Hampus Lindholm has already moved up to PP1 and delivered two assists there on Wednesday. Lohrei may get some time on that group after notching 16 PPPs last year as a fill-in for McAvoy during an extended absence, but for now he's on the backup unit. He recently endured a stretch of five straight scratches, though has since looked better by recording four points (two of those PPAs) across six contests.
Darren Raddysh, TB (Yahoo: 5%): Raddysh performed well the last two seasons having produced 70 points to go with a stable spot on the man-advantage, yet he went scoreless through most of October and November. He moved up to the first power play after Victor Hedman (undisclosed) was sidelined and broke out Tuesday by supplying a pair of PPAs with another helper and four shots on Thursday. And even when the star Swede returns, Raddysh should at least retain fantasy value as a secondary scoring option.
Goaltenders
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN (Yahoo: 40%): Marc-Andre Fleury's retirement has allowed Wallstedt to earn a larger NHL role after he was mainly stuck in the minors since being drafted 20th overall in 2021. He's responded by posting a 2.20 GAA and .926 save percentage in seven games featuring back-to-back shutouts and a heroic performance on Wednesday that saw him stop 42 of 45 shots versus Carolina. Filip Gustavsson isn't going anywhere after signing a five-year extension with decent recent stats (2.33/.909 over five outings), but there's at least room for Wallstedt to earn more action the rest of the way.
Arturs Silovs, PIT (Yahoo: 35%): While Sergei Murashov has impressed, he'll probably be sent down once Tristan Jarry is ready to return. And let's not forget about Silovs since the surprise summer trade that's seen him register a 2.44/.917 line through 10 appearances with four of his six losses coming in OT/shootout. Jarry is set to come back in the next week or so, though Silovs should be Pittsburgh's No. 1 during an upcoming four-game stretch against bottom-half offensive sides (Columbus, Buffalo, Minnesota, Seattle) with the opportunity to pick up a few wins.
Players to consider from past columns: Dylan Cozens, Leo Carlsson, Frank Nazar, Will Smith, Victor Olofsson, Nick Schmaltz, Anze Kopitar, Kiefer Sherwood, Zach Benson, Jonathan Huberdeau, Dawson Mercer, Chris Kreider, Troy Terry, Brock Boeser, William Eklund, Will Cuylle, Tyler Bertuzzi, Pavel Buchnevich, Marco Rossi, Alexis Lafreniere, Anton Lundell, Conor Garland, Jack Roslovic, Marcus Johansson, Mackie Samoskevich, Evander Kane, Teuvo Teravainen, Jake DeBrusk, Jordan Eberle, Jackson Blake, Dmitri Voronkov, Pavel Zacha, Kyle Palmieri, Jimmy Snuggerud, Josh Doan, Arseny Gritsyuk, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matias Maccelli, Matthew Coronato, Ben Kindel, Barrett Hayton, Ryan Leonard, Matthew Wood, Brock Faber, Brandt Clarke, Kris Letang, Travis Sanheim, Filip Hronek, Rasmus Andersson, K'Andre Miller, Jake McCabe, Artyom Levshunov, Hampus Lindholm, Brent Burns, John Klingberg, Philip Broberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Justin Faulk, Simon Edvinsson, Dmitry Orlov, Cam York, Nick Blankenburg, Spencer Knight, Jakub Dobes, Yaroslav Askarov, Jake Allen, Cam Talbot, John Gibson, Dan Vladar, Elvis Merzlikins, Akira Schmid
