This article is part of our NHL Barometer series.
This week's article includes my name is Luca, Hub heating up, Moritz the Seider is back, the Czar rolling, Markstrom out four to six weeks and Askarov going through growing pains.
First Liners (Risers)
Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, CLM: Del Bel Belluz has helped the Blue Jackets make up for the absences of Sean Monahan, Cole Sillinger and Boone Jenner. In nine games played from January 9, Del Bel Belluz has lit the lamp twice while adding five assists. Drafted in the second round, 44 overall, Del Bel Belluz should continue to see copious ice time, centering the second line, while Columbus is shorthanded. If his ice time on the power play ticks up a little, his production could potentially rise accordingly.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, LV: Dorofeyev has been hot lately. The 24-year-old has been held off the scoresheet three times over his last eight outings, producing seven goals and three helpers during that stretch. He has shown in his short career that he is extremely streaky, and this season is no different. Dorofeyev has lit the lamp 21 times, nine of which have come on the man-advantage, tying him with Tomas Hertl for the team lead, while also adding 10 helpers in 50 games played. After scoring 24 points in 47 games last season, Dorofeyev has exceeded that total in just two more contests this season.
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, CGY: Huberdeau been playing at a high level of late and has notched
This week's article includes my name is Luca, Hub heating up, Moritz the Seider is back, the Czar rolling, Markstrom out four to six weeks and Askarov going through growing pains.
First Liners (Risers)
Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, CLM: Del Bel Belluz has helped the Blue Jackets make up for the absences of Sean Monahan, Cole Sillinger and Boone Jenner. In nine games played from January 9, Del Bel Belluz has lit the lamp twice while adding five assists. Drafted in the second round, 44 overall, Del Bel Belluz should continue to see copious ice time, centering the second line, while Columbus is shorthanded. If his ice time on the power play ticks up a little, his production could potentially rise accordingly.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW, LV: Dorofeyev has been hot lately. The 24-year-old has been held off the scoresheet three times over his last eight outings, producing seven goals and three helpers during that stretch. He has shown in his short career that he is extremely streaky, and this season is no different. Dorofeyev has lit the lamp 21 times, nine of which have come on the man-advantage, tying him with Tomas Hertl for the team lead, while also adding 10 helpers in 50 games played. After scoring 24 points in 47 games last season, Dorofeyev has exceeded that total in just two more contests this season.
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, CGY: Huberdeau been playing at a high level of late and has notched 14 points (eight goals, six assists) over his last 16 games. After posting a career-high 115 points in 2021-22 with the Panthers, Huberdeau was dealt to Calgary in the Matthew Tkachuk trade. The move out West has not been a positive for Huberdeau, as he dropped to 55 points the following season and 52 in 2023-24. Huberdeau has 19 tallies and 17 helpers in 48 games and could possibly challenge the 60-point mark if he remains hot.
Patrik Laine, RW, MTL: Laine has more than found his form since returning from injury for the Canadiens. Despite missing an additional four games from injury after first coming back December 3, Laine is up to 12 goals and six assists in 21 contests. He has been especially strong recently, denting the scoresheet in four straight contests, while posting four goals and as many assists in his past eight games. Laine has notched 11 of his points on the man-advantage, 10 of which have been goals. Roll with Laine, who should remain on the top line for the Habs.
Moritz Seider, D, DET: Seider is showing why he deserved the seven-year, $59.85 million contract extension he signed with the Red Wings last September. He has eight multipoint efforts this season and sits with four goals and 26 assists through the first 49 contests of the season. Seider is seeing 25-plus minutes of ice time and has dished out 131 hits while blocking 108 shots. What these numbers show is that Seider contributes across the board and is a true No. 1 blueliner for the Winged Wheel.
Victor Hedman, D, TB: Concerns about Hedman's decline after the 2022-23 season proved to be highly unfounded. He bounced back last season, with 13 goals and 76 points in 78 games, following a 49-point performance across 76 outings in 2022-23. Hedman has shown that return to form was not a one-time occurrence, as he has two goals and nine assists over his last 10 outings, and he's up to 40 points (16 on the power play), 116 shots on net, 78 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating through 46 appearances.
Igor Shesterkin, G, NYR: The Czar is back. After a rough patch in December and missing a week to start the month, Shesterkin has been on fire. Similar stretches have happened in the past, as Igor has found his game after being sidelined or given a break. This season is no different. Shesterkin was 6-0-1 with a .948 save percentage and 1.39 GAA since Jan. 9 (seven games), before allowing five goals Sunday to Colorado, and his fine play helped the Rangers go 7-0-3 in their last 10 contests (prior to Sunday) to get back into playoff contention. He now has moved his mark above the .500 mark for the season.
Spencer Knight, G, FLA: Knight continues to impress between the pipes for the Panthers. He allowed just two goals in 26 shots in a loss Wednesday and three in 25 shots in a defeat Sunday but had won his prior three starts and made one scoreless relief appearance in January prior to that outing. Overall Knight is 9-8-1 with a 2.47 goals-against average (GAA) and a .903 save percentage over 19 appearances. His fine play has allowed Florida to stay hot even though Sergei Bobrovsky is in the midst of a rough patch between the pipes.
Others include Adam Fantilli, Barrett Hayton, Frank Nazar, Macklin Celebrini, Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Drouin, Jonathan Marchessault, Yegor Sharangovich, Alex Tuch, K'Andre Miller, Quinn Hughes, Tony DeAngelo, Josh Morrissey, Logan Thompson, Jake Allen, Connor Hellebuyck and Darcy Kuemper.
Buy Low
Thomas Novak, C, NSH: Novak was a mild sleeper or breakthrough candidate coming into the season. He notched 17 goals and 26 assists in 2022-23 and followed that up with 18 and 27 last season. Nashville added Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, augmenting their offense, but Novak struggled to start the season and then recently endured a seven-game scoreless streak. But he seems to have found his game the past few games, notching a pair of goals and four helpers his last three contests.
Training Room (Injuries)
Jacob Markstrom, G, NJD: Justin Brazeau collided with Markstrom on Wednesday, and the Devils' No. 1 netminder will be sidelined four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. That injury will also keep Markstrom out of the 4 Nations Faceoff for Sweden. New Jersey will turn to Jake Allen and Nico Daws to keep the team afloat in net while Markstrom is sidelined. For the year, Markstrom is 21-9-5 with a 2.20 GAA and .912 save percentage, his first campaign with the Devils.
Others include Sean Monahan (wrist, suffered a setback, will be sidelined until mid-March), Evgeni Malkin (lower body, injured Saturday, week-to-week), Matthew Knies (upper body, injured Wednesday, no timeline for return), Noah Dobson (lower body, injured January 20, placed on injured reserve Friday), and Linus Ullmark (back, placed on injured reserve, but joined Ottawa on road trip).
Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)
Michael Rasmussen, C, DET: Rasmussen, after scoring in back-to-back games December 14 and 18, had yet to light the lamp since until notching an empty-net marker Saturday. He had collected three assists over his prior 16 outings, and his recent struggles have landed him back in the bottom-six after a short stint in the top-six. Rasmussen will continue to bounce up-and-down the lineup, though he is more likely to see time as the Red Wings' fourth-line center rather than in a prime scoring position.
Ivan Barbashev, LW, LV: Barbashev notched his first point in seven games Thursday since he returned from missing 10 contests due to an upper-body injury. Prior to being sidelined, Barbashev was off to the best start of his career with 15 goals and 30 points over 31 games. He brings a physical presence to the Knights but has shown that he has the offensive skill to warrant a spot in the top six. Barbashev will get hot again before too long, and that may have just started, as he has a pair of helpers his last three games, so this is just a short-term placement here.
Yaroslav Askarov, D, SJ: Askarov is the future No. 1 netminder for the Sharks, but the team is far from competitive right now. He allowed six goals on 38 shots Thursday, which was Askarov's third straight loss. Including Saturday's relief appearance, he surrendered 16 goals on 108 shots before defeating the Penguins on Monday. The 22-year-old is down to 3-5-1 with a 3.06 GAA and a .900 save percentage over nine contests. The future is very bright for Askarov and San Jose; right now, they are dealing with the growing pains before they get to that stage.
Others include Mikael Backlund, Casey Mittelstadt, Jimmy Vesey, Jakub Vrana, Jackson LaCombe, Thomas Harley, Alexandar Georgiev and John Gibson.
Sell High
Vladislav Gavrikov, D, LA: Gavrikov was a blueline target earlier this season but has hit a bit of a rough patch. His point drought is now more than a month and 14 games. During that span Gavrikov has a minus-seven rating, 28 blocked shots and seven hits while skating 24:24 a contest. Scoring is not his game, but his hot start made it seem like he would set a new career-high in points and might have unlocked his offensive game. Look for the occasional point out of Gavrikov but nothing consistent.
