You may notice a recurring theme throughout most of the Forecaster this week, in the form of a focus on players who have recently been traded. It's a fun time of year. Not since the start of the season have we had more new dynamics to monitor and track for fantasy purposes.
In addition to the four players I'm highlighting at the start here, you'll find more post-trade thoughts throughout the usual Forecaster sections that follow.
Paul Stastny, C, Winnipeg Jets (rostered in 57.8 percent of ESPN leagues)
Everything that could go right did go right for Stastny, in terms of fitting in with the Jets. On a line with young snipers Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers at even strength, Stastny also managed to snag a role on the top power-play unit with Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Laine and Dustin Byfuglien in his Winnipeg debut. With his one-touch pass to Scheifele for a goal on Tuesday, Stastny looked like he had been a part of this unit all season long.
Widely available in ESPN leagues, Stastny is worth an immediate pickup across the board based on this debut. I was admittedly down on him following the trade, simply due to the fact that he has always had elite linemates, yet had rarely carved out a significant fantasy role. One difference this time could be that he probably won't be among the Jets' chief penalty killers, a role that taxed his reserves when he was with the Blues.
Dion Phaneuf, D, Los Angeles Kings (54.4 percent)
While he wasn't involved in a deadline deal, Phaneuf has still only been in a Kings uniform for nine games. It's time to acknowledge that it looks awfully good on him so far. He has shown instant chemistry with his defensive partner Alec Martinez, which has already led to three goals and three assists for Phaneuf. For reference, he only had three goals and 13 assists in 53 games with the Senators before the trade.
Phaneuf ranks ninth among all defensemen on the ESPN Player Rater during the past 15 days, which should speak for itself. But also take a look at his box scores in the doubleheader with Vegas this past week: two assists (one on the power play), a plus-2 rating and nine shots on goal.
Ryan Spooner, C, New York Rangers (11.7 percent)
Five assists in two games is a pretty good start in New York for Spooner. He's playing on what is arguably the team's top line with fellow newcomer Vladislav Namestnikov and sophomore Jimmy Vesey. Spooner never really got a shake on offense with the Bruins, outside the power play, despite a massive breakout near the end of the 2014-15 season on a line with David Pastrnak and Milan Lucic (14 points in 15 games during the month of March). This is a chance for Spooner to showcase his offensive chops, and the end result could be a few more multipoint outings to close out the campaign.
J.T. Miller, C/LW, Tampa Bay Lightning (55.5 percent)
It's hard to completely assess Tampa Bay's depth chart, as league-leading scorer Nikita Kucherov has been out since the trade deadline with an upper-body injury. So far, Miller has played with February's rookie of the month Yanni Gourde and Brayden Point at even-strength, but wasn't a part of the top power-play unit. In his second game with the Lightning, he assisted both on a goal from Point and a tally by Steven Stamkos.
Again, Miller fits the profile to fill the role Namestnikov had for a bulk of the season -- the Lightning's top-line winger and top power-play unit. Kucherov could be back by the weekend, so stay tuned for some fine-tuning to Miller's role. Also be ready to look at another player who could potentially take over some of those duties, including (but not limited to) Chris Kunitz, Alex Killorn or Ryan Callahan.
Fantasy Forecaster: March 5-11
The number of teams playing four games in the coming week drops below double digits for the first time since the All-Star break, with eight teams lacing them up a quartet of times in the week ahead. That's still too many clubs to really single out any specific team for an advantage. However, you may note the red shading on the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks. If I was looking for an advantage, I'd lean toward Sam Bennett, Derick Brassard, or some of the Bruins and Canucks options mentioned below.
Five teams only play two games during the next scoring period. Weekly leagues will want to bench any fringe assets from the Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs, which could include all Hurricanes forwards, anyone not on the top lines for the Kings, Sharks and Blues, as well as all Leafs not named Mitch Marner.
For those new to the forecaster chart, here are some explanations: "O" (offense) and "D" (defense) matchup ratings are based upon a scale from 1 (poor matchup) to 10 (excellent matchup) and are calculated using a formula that evaluates the team's season-to-date statistics, their performance in home/road games depending on where the game is to be played, as well as their opponents' numbers in those categories. The "Ratings" column lists the cumulative rating from 1-10 of that week's offensive ("O") and defensive ("D") matchups.
In the notes -- team, goalie and player -- below, the focus every week will be mainly on players who are available for potential use. Being rostered in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues is a good generalized cutoff, and I'll include players below 10 percent whenever possible to cater to deeper formats.
Team notes
With four games during the week against four teams that are all outside the current playoff picture, the Coyotes offense could be in for a feast. With three assists on Thursday, Max Domi is up to eight points in his past nine games. The Coyotes are using him on the top power-play unit for the time being. Maybe not being traded at the deadline was a confidence booster for the long-slumping winger. Don't forget that he brings peripheral value, too, picking up 20 penalty minutes in addition to the points he has scored during his recent hot streak.
Boston Bruins
With Patrice Bergeron out of the mix for a couple weeks, Riley Nash (not Rick) was elevated to the top line alongside Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Riley has responded with four points in two games and should be in fantasy lineups next week for the Bruins' four-game slate. Rick Nash (not Riley) has also been making a good impression. In three games since coming over in a trade from New York, Rick has 15 shots on goal and three points. He's playing on the top power-play unit with Pastrnak, Marchand and David Backes.
He should also be in lineups next week, giving you the chance to start the "R. Nash duo" together. Going even further down the depth chart, Brian Gionta notched a pair of assists in his season debut with the Bruins. The veteran winger played on a line with Backes and Tommy Wingels, both of whom are imposing power forwards who should balance Gionta's diminutive frame. Those in deeper leagues might want to give Gionta a look while the schedule is looking good.
The NHL leaders in shots on goal by a defenseman since Dec. 19 include Brent Burns, Seth Jones, Roman Josi, Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Victor Hedman, P.K. Subban -- and Ryan Pulock. Sure, Pulock only has half the points of Burns in that time frame, but there is no doubt the Islanders are finally letting him release his cannon of a shot with regularity.
The Islanders are slumping hard, but visit the Canucks, Oilers and the possibly Mike Smith-less Flames next week. If you can get behind the idea of starting some Islanders for the week, Anthony Beauvillier would be the next man up in deeper leagues. Playing with Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal, Beauvillier has six points in his past eight games, despite the Islanders' overall struggles during that span.
Goalie notes
Cory Schneider, G, New Jersey Devils (rostered in 65.4 percent of ESPN leagues)
His first game back wasn't great, but Schneider should settle back in quickly with the Devils for the stretch run and push for the playoffs. Keith Kinkaid's success over the past couple of weeks should indicate that the Devils are giving their netminders a chance to win most nights. However, you might want to skip Schneider in weekly leagues. After facing the Canadiens on Tuesday, New Jersey closes the week against the Jets and Predators.
Philipp Grubauer, G, Washington Capitals (11.6 percent)
So, are we going to talk about Braden Holtby? Since Jan. 28, Holtby is 3-5-2 with an .875 save percentage and 4.43 goals-against average. That's not a small sample size, either. We're talking about 10 games. In that same span behind the same players, Grubauer is 4-1-0 with a .933 save percentage and 2.11 GAA. Grubauer came in to relieve Holtby three times in that span.
This is no joke. Holtby was supposed to be the safe, first-round goaltender to get fantasy teams through the entire season. He was supposed to be your "set it and forget it" goaltender worthy of an early pick. Perhaps that's why Holtby has been given so much leash already. A turning point is coming on Saturday, as the Capitals host the Maple Leafs in the outdoor Stadium Series game. If Grubauer gets the nod over Holtby on that massive stage, we'll know coach Barry Trotz has had enough of Holtby. If so, Grubauer should be scooped up as insurance, sooner rather than later.
Other goaltending notes:
Rather than repeat paragraphs about the same guys week after week, here's just a quick reminder that Roberto Luongo, Antti Raanta and Petr Mrazek are in a position to offer your fantasy team some assistance, and all are available in close to half of ESPN leagues. ... John Gibson has been back at practice and should return for Anaheim soon. He was red hot prior to a lower-body injury. ... Unlike the Penguins, your fantasy team should look externally to replace Matt Murray. Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith both managed to have a bad game against the Bruins on Thursday.
Player notes
Brendan Leipsic, LW, Vancouver Canucks (rostered in 0.5 percent of ESPN leagues)
It may have been just one game, but this wouldn't be the first time that Leipsic has inherited Sven Baertschi's role in the past. He was Baertschi's heir to the throne as a Ty Rattie linemate with the Portland Winterhawks in 2012-13, too. On Thursday, five years later, Leipsic took over Baertschi's spot on the Canucks top line with Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat, notching two assists in his Canucks debut.
Leipsic is yet another in a long line of Winterhawks who have put up epic numbers in the WHL that just didn't translate to the NHL. Rattie, Baertschi, Leipsic, Nic Petan and Oliver Bjorkstrand have all eclipsed 100 points for the Winterhawks in the past six years, but none have really caught on consistently as an offensive leader in the NHL. Leipsic's debut was impressive though, as he also notched seven shots on goal. It's worth noting now that he has a pedigree for scoring, just in case his second or third game with the Canucks also go well.
Joonas Donskoi, RW, San Jose Sharks (1.7 percent)
Lined up with newcomer Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski for the past two games, Donskoi has three points and a plus-5 rating. Clearly, the arrival of Kane has also had a positive impact at even-strength for the Sharks. Donskoi has shown flashes of offensive ability in the past, but has often been buried on the depth chart this season. Joe Thornton isn't close to a sudden return, so Donskoi should be able to enjoy this lineup position for the better part of another month or more.