The Olympic break is over, the video games matter once more, and that is the a part of the season the place fantasy worth swings hardest on position. Coaches tighten rotations, contenders lean heavier on their finest gamers, and “good to have” deployment turns into “this man is definitely usable” deployment quick.
This week’s checklist is 5 names that match that precise post-break window. You’ve got acquired a high-end younger scorer returning to an Anaheim Geese group nonetheless chasing the playoffs, a Los Angeles Kings winger whose worth is tied on to top-six alternative and a playmaking enhance, a Boston Bruins middle stepping proper again into premium utilization, and two defensemen who present the alternative ends of the spectrum: one driving elite group context with out the factors catching up but, and one logging massive minutes whereas the power-play door stays locked.
As at all times, the objective right here is not to promote a sizzling streak. It is to establish the place the minutes, particular groups, and teammates are pointing proper now, and what to observe over the subsequent week to verify whether or not these are actual provides, schedule streams, or simply “appears good on paper.”
Information Sources:
Participant information from Pure Stat Trick.
Yahoo roster percentages by way of Frozen Instruments.
Line combos and power-play deployment by way of Each day Faceoff and Frozen Instruments.
All info present as of February twenty sixth, 2026. Commerce Deadline March 6th.
Leo Carlsson (67% Roster) – Anaheim Geese
Position: L2, PP2 | Context: again from damage; Geese within the playoff hunt
Carlsson’s season line is doing the loud fantasy speaking: 46 factors in 45 video games (1.02 P/GP) with 19 objectives and 110 photographs (2.44 SOG/GP). That is not a “good younger participant” tempo — that is a weekly difference-maker tempo when he is within the lineup. The ability-play involvement is actual too (12 PPP with 3:20 PPTOI/GP), and the Geese are giving him true workload minutes (19:25 TOI/GP).
The micro-trend is the story you will need to body: he got here out scorching (Q1: 28 factors in 21 video games, 9 PPP), then cooled in Q2 (Q2: 13 factors in 19 video games, solely 2 PPP), however the utilization barely moved (nonetheless ~3:16 PPTOI, ~19:40 TOI). Then he returns from damage and instantly posts a press release sport: 3 factors vs Edmonton on February 25 with 4 photographs and 4:52 PPTOI in 17:01. That is the sort of “again in enterprise” sport you need proper earlier than a fantasy stretch run.
Fantasy name:
Add/maintain in all however the shallowest leagues; this isn’t a streamer profile when he is wholesome and getting PPTOI north of three minutes.
Schedule observe: Anaheim’s subsequent set is busy — Winnipeg, Calgary, Colorado (back-to-back with New York Islanders), Montreal, St. Louis arising.
Watch checklist (subsequent 1–2 weeks):
Does PPTOI keep in that 3:00–5:00 vary (Feb 25 spike to 4:52 is a superb signal)?
Is he stapled to one of the best scoring look (your L2/PP2 observe), or does he bounce strains once more (he is already had a number of combos throughout quarters)?
Shot quantity staying round 2.5+/sport. If that holds with this factors tempo, it is set-and-forget.
Alex Laferriere (39%) – Los Angeles Kings
Position: L1, PP2, PK1 | Context: Kevin Fiala injured opens top-six; Panarin on the squad boosts everybody round him
Laferriere is the sort of fantasy add that does not have to attain a bunch to matter as a result of the class base is already doing work. On the yr he is sitting at 163 hits in 57 video games (2.86 hits/GP) with 134 photographs (2.35 SOG/GP) and 17:23 TOI/GP, which is a clear banger-league profile even earlier than you speak about any “prime line” alternative. The ability-play manufacturing is mainly nonexistent (1 PPP on 1:29 PPTOI/GP), so the trail to a real breakout in factors leagues is narrower, however that is precisely why the present state of affairs issues.
Your line context exhibits how he is trending: by Q3 he is getting these higher-end appears extra usually, together with Artemi Panarin – Adrian Kempe – Alex Laferriere as a listed combo. Even with no PP1 runway, Panarin driving a line at 5v5 can flip Laferriere right into a “factors present up with out you needing PP objectives” kind of streamer — particularly when he already brings photographs + hits.
The latest sport log exhibits a flooring with some progress spurts, he has factors in 4 of his final 10 (Jan 24: 2 factors, plus helpers Jan 27/31, and one other on Feb 15), whereas nonetheless stacking peripherals most nights (Feb 25 vs Vegas: 3 SOG, 4 hits; Feb 4 vs Seattle: 5 hits, 2 blocks). That is the usable fantasy form: you are not chasing a heater; you are shopping for secure deployment + multi-cat manufacturing and hoping the brand new top-six surroundings pushes the scoring up a notch.
Fantasy name:
Cats/bangers: add/maintain — the hits+photographs flooring is legit, and the road context offers upside.
Factors-only: stream whereas he is driving the premium 5v5 spot; he isn’t a “must-roster” with out PP1.
Watch checklist (subsequent week):
Does he keep glued to Panarin/Kempe-type minutes, or does he slide again into the middle-six as soon as the lineup normalizes?
Any signal of PP utilization truly rising (proper now it is largely “PPTOI exists,” not “PP factors occur”).
Keep watch over the shot quantity staying 2+ per night time — if it dips, the points-only case will get skinny quick.
Elias Lindholm (30%) – Boston Bruins
Position: L1, PP1 | Context: again from damage; Boston pushing for playoffs
That is the cleanest sort of post-injury fantasy sign: Lindholm comes again and the position remains to be premium. On the season he is at 38 factors in 45 video games (0.84 P/GP) with a heavy share of particular group worth (18 PPP) and a pair of:47 PPTOI/GP. He is additionally doing the “actual middle stuff” that retains deployment sticky: 407 faceoff wins and 54.5% on the dot.
The quarter break up exhibits why he is been such a pleasant fantasy piece even with out large shot quantity (1.6 SOG/GP). Q1 was robust (9 factors in 13, 7 PPP, 3:27 PPTOI), then Q2 stayed productive (17 factors in 19, 7 PPP) at the same time as PPTOI dipped to 2:31. Q3 is extra of the identical: 12 factors in 13 with 4 PPP and his general TOI rising once more (18:10). In different phrases: manufacturing has held whereas his minutes have not fallen off a cliff — precisely what you need from a man you are trusting within the stretch run.
The sport log exhibits he hasn’t missed a beat. Since January 3, he has factors in a bunch of spots, together with an enormous one on Jan 26 vs New York Rangers (2G on 4 SOG, 20:43 TOI), and he is nonetheless feeding you PP worth (Jan 22 vs Vegas: PPG + PPP, 1G 1A, 19:44 TOI). Most up-to-date: Feb 26 vs Columbus: 1A, 2 SOG, 19:35 TOI — not flashy, nevertheless it’s a “minutes and position intact” sport.
Fantasy name:
Add/maintain in all commonplace codecs.
With L1 + PP1 on a robust group and 0.84 P/GP, he must be in your lineup except an damage happens.
Watch checklist (subsequent 1–2 weeks):
PPTOI staying round ~2:30–3:00 (or climbing again towards the early-season 3:27 stage).
Shot quantity: if it creeps above ~2.0 SOG/GP, the ceiling jumps.
Line stability with David Pastrnak (he is spent a number of time tied to that anchor throughout quarters).
Devon Toews (43%) – Colorado Avalanche
Position: L1, PP2, PK2 | Context: Colorado scores in bunches; Toews advantages by way of minutes and surroundings
Toews is an ideal instance of why “good group, large minutes” can nonetheless be fantasy-usable even when the field rating appears quiet. This yr he is at 22:10 TOI/GP with 0 PPP and simply 13 factors in 44 video games (0.30 P/GP) — so when you’re anticipating final yr’s offense, it is not there proper now. However the deployment hasn’t collapsed: he is nonetheless residing on the highest pair more often than not, and on a group that may grasp 4–5 objectives on anybody, factors can “radiate” to a defenseman just because he is on the ice for all the things.
The quarter break up exhibits the utilization sample clearly: Q1 he was all-time secure (23:14 TOI), Q2 dips a bit (21:25), then Q3 is a tiny pattern (4 GP) however nonetheless over 20 minutes. He is additionally nonetheless blocking photographs at a robust fee (61 blocks in 44 video games = 1.39 BKS/GP), and that is an actual fantasy flooring in leagues that rely blocks.
The sport log tells you what is driving the latest frustration: he is been quiet offensively currently (final 4 logged video games: 0 factors, although he is nonetheless placing pucks on internet and consuming minutes e.g. 25:56 vs San Jose, 21:38 @ Utah, 25:23 vs Minnesota). There are indicators of life earlier within the season — one of the best instance is November 8 @ Edmonton: 3 assists — however these spikes have not been repeating, and the power-play hasn’t supplied any cushion (0 PPP on the season, with PPTOI often round ~1:00).
Fantasy name:
Cats/bangers (blocks matter): maintain / add as a stabilizer, particularly when you want blocks + TOI quantity from the blue line.
Factors-only: extra of a maintain when you imagine in group context — however he isn’t a precedence add till the factors get up or the PP position modifications.
Watch checklist (subsequent 1–2 weeks):
Any bump in PPTOI above the same old ~1:00–1:15 (proper now it is not creating offense).
Shot quantity staying close to ~2 SOG/sport — if the factors return, that helps it stick.
Pairing stability (he is seen stretches with Makar and a few mixing; if he is persistently stapled to one of the best minutes, the “factors by proximity” thesis stays alive).
J.J. Moser (20%) – Tampa Bay Lightning
Position: L1, PK2 | Context: Victor Hedman again means mainly no PP runway
Moser’s fantasy profile this yr is extraordinarily trustworthy: he is giving Tampa massive minutes and also you’re getting the “actual hockey” worth (and a few cats worth), however the power-play door is shut. He is at 22:04 TOI/GP with primarily zero PP utilization (0:04 PPTOI/GP, 1 PPP whole) — so the ceiling in factors codecs is capped laborious. That matches your observe completely: with Hedman within the image, Moser’s offense is generally restricted to 5v5 secondary assists and the occasional random spike.
Nonetheless, there is a flooring in the proper league settings. The blocks are robust: 74 blocks in 55 video games (1.35 BKS/GP), plus first rate PIM quantity (49 PIM, 0.89/GP). Hits are modest (0.76/GP), however he isn’t a zero there both.
The quarterly utilization makes the story nearly humorous in its consistency: his PPTOI is mainly a rounding error each quarter (0:03, 0:02, 0:07) whereas his TOI sits round 21–23 minutes nightly. So, when you’re rostering him, it is for stability and defensive classes — not since you suppose a power-play breakout is coming.
Latest log exhibits precisely that: factors arrive as single assists whereas he continues to soak minutes. Over his final a number of video games he is popped assists vs Carolina (Feb 26), Buffalo (Feb 3), Winnipeg (Jan 29), Utah (Jan 26), and earlier Philadelphia/Los Angeles/Anaheim — nevertheless it’s not stacking into multi-point runs, and the PP column stays at 0:00 nearly each night time. The exception is Jan 26 vs Utah the place he logged 1:23 PPTOI and picked up a PPP — that is the sort of outlier you do not chase except it repeats.
Fantasy name:
Cats/bangers (blocks matter): stream/maintain in deeper leagues as a blocks + TOI stabilizer.
Factors-only: go away on waivers except you are determined for video games performed — the PP ceiling simply is not there.
Watch checklist (subsequent 1–2 weeks):
Any actual PPTOI change (not 0:04 → 0:10, however precise 1:00+ nightly).
Pair stability (he is been with totally different companions; if he is persistently subsequent to Hedman once more, that is extra “protected minutes” than “extra factors”).
Blocks staying in that 1.3+ per sport vary — that is the class motive to roster him.
