This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
Taylor Hall's four-point Friday night was Hart-worthy. Last season, he single-handedly carried the Devils into the postseason on performances like that.
Heavy lifting for sure.
He's hot again – 18 points in 13 games. But is it truly special?
Yes, but not Hart special. Not even close.
Don't get me wrong; I'd take Hall's production in a heartbeat. But there are 21 guys who have been as hot over the last month. Sixteen of them have actually been better.
Offense is up. Way up. And it's coming in bunches.
Since Nov. 21, Nikita Kucherov has led the charge with 28 points in 15 games. There are three Bolts in the top 13 scorers. Together, Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point put up 67 points in that span.
The Jets were just as hot. Mark Scheifele had 26 points in 16 games and dragged Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers along for 67 total points. And the Avs trio of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog delivered 62 in 16 games.
Odds are this year's Hart winner will likely come from the East – nine of the last 13 have. He'll probably lead the NHL in goals, points or both. Oh yah – he has to make the postseason.
Hall wasn't even on the Hart radar to start last season. But he singlehandedly willed the Devils into the postseason after a five-year absence.
Someone like Hall could do it again. But it's Connor McDavid's if the Oilers make
Taylor Hall's four-point Friday night was Hart-worthy. Last season, he single-handedly carried the Devils into the postseason on performances like that.
Heavy lifting for sure.
He's hot again – 18 points in 13 games. But is it truly special?
Yes, but not Hart special. Not even close.
Don't get me wrong; I'd take Hall's production in a heartbeat. But there are 21 guys who have been as hot over the last month. Sixteen of them have actually been better.
Offense is up. Way up. And it's coming in bunches.
Since Nov. 21, Nikita Kucherov has led the charge with 28 points in 15 games. There are three Bolts in the top 13 scorers. Together, Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point put up 67 points in that span.
The Jets were just as hot. Mark Scheifele had 26 points in 16 games and dragged Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers along for 67 total points. And the Avs trio of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog delivered 62 in 16 games.
Odds are this year's Hart winner will likely come from the East – nine of the last 13 have. He'll probably lead the NHL in goals, points or both. Oh yah – he has to make the postseason.
Hall wasn't even on the Hart radar to start last season. But he singlehandedly willed the Devils into the postseason after a five-year absence.
Someone like Hall could do it again. But it's Connor McDavid's if the Oilers make the postseason. If he goes down, I think Auston Matthews, Mark Scheifele and maybe Nathan MacKinnon duke it out. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will have something to say about that, too.
Toronto fans will lose their minds if Matthews get it. Talk radio will never be the same.
Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.
Erik Gustafsson, D, Chicago (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – Go get this guy NOW. I'll wait. Gustafsson is the best offensive defender the Hawks have. Yes, better than Duncan Keith (52 percent Yahoo! owned) and Brent Seabrook (51 percent Yahoo! owned). He was riding a five-game, six-point streak heading into Friday night and leading their blue line in ice time. Gustafsson's ownership rose 14 percent Thursday – get on board.
Carter Hart, G, Philadelphia (40 percent Yahoo! owned) – Hart's ownership rocketed 37 percent in a single day this week. I don't know if it's warranted or simply based on name alone. Hart's debut Tuesday against the lowly Wings was average, but he did look sharp Thursday against the powerful Preds. He's the best goaltending prospect the Flyers have had since the late Pelle Lindbergh. And given their current level of desperation, the 20-year-old could see a lot of ice time. Let's hope they don't ruin him. Still, I'd snag Hart if he were available off the wire in my single-year league.
Niklas Kronwall, D, Detroit (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Kronwall is no longer the Kronwall of old. His knees are shot and his game has slowed. But Mike Green is out and someone needs to fill his skates. This venerable Swede's game is on the decline. But he does have six points, including two goals, in his last eight games. Short term, Kronwall can help.
Vladislav Namestnikov, LW/C, NY Rangers (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Namestnikov channeled his inner stud on Tuesday night. He factored in all of the Rangers' offense, delivering a goal and adding two assists. And he finally looked like the high-end playmaker the Rangers thought they had acquired last year. Namestnikov has never really fit into the Rangers' system. And there are rumors he's available in trade. But put in the right situation, he can deliver at a 50-60 point pace. I'm not buying yet. But he's definitely on my radar.
Ryan Pulock, D, NY Islanders (36 percent Yahoo! owned) – All I can say is "it's about #$%%$ time." I drafted Pulock in a big head-to-head league, somehow believing he'd be a 45-point, puck-moving stud. #FantasyHockeyMistake. But things changed this week and Pulock is riding a three-game, five-point streak heading into the weekend. And he has eight of his 15 points in his last 10 games (he had seven in his first 24). I'm glad I held onto him. But others may have dumped him. Go check.
Bryan Rust, LW/RW, Pittsburgh (21 percent Yahoo! owned) – Rust has been the Pens' best offensive performer this past week. It's about time. He had one goal in the first 29 games. And then eight in his last six. Rust plays a simple game and none of his goals will ever be pretty. But there's no trophy for pretty. The Pens are always desperate to find top-six wingers to complement their stud pivots. Right now, Rust is right in that role. The streak will end, but I'm hoping for a few more snipes now that I've made him mine.
Nate Schmidt, D, Vegas (8 percent Yahoo! owned) – Schmidt is an amazing skater and brilliant in the shutdown role. He can also move the puck and that means his value is felt in all three zones. It took a bit for Schmidt to get warmed up after his 20-game suspension. But erasing his first eight games (just one assist), 88 has eight points, including three goals, in nine games since. Most impressively, the Knights are suddenly relevant again with Schmidt in the lineup – they've gone 12-5 since his return. Can you use a 40-plus point defender on your Yahoo! team? I can.
Cam Ward, G, Chicago (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – I snagged Ward the moment Twitter exploded with news of yet another Corey Crawford concussion. Crawford's history is well known. But then again, so is Ward's – he's never been able to live up to his rookie Conn Smythe. And his numbers this season suck. But a starter is a starter, and that's where Ward is now. He beat the Predators on Tuesday and the Stars on Thursday. The Hawks aren't good, but I'm desperate. And so far, so good.
Back to the Hart.
Come to think about it, Matthews might already be the front runner. His 1.57 points-per-game average is already second-best in the NHL.
Better than McDavid (1.44). Or Scheifele (1.37). And MacKinnon, too (1.53).
But Jack Eichel (1.28) could be this year's Hall. The Sabres have been on fire and they might not fall off, even if we think they will.
There you go. Eichel is this year's Hart winner when the Sabres make the playoffs.
Sorry, Leafs' fans.
Until next week.
