This article is part of our NHL Barometer series.
This week's article includes Carlsson finding his form, Huberdeau lighting the Flame, Cernak producing for Tampa, Sorokin hot between the pipes, Markstrom back from injury, and Stamkos having a nightmarish campaign.
First Liners (Risers)
Leo Carlsson, C, ANA: Carlsson looks to have benefitted from his time playing with Team Sweden. He has four goals and two assists over five games since skating for Tre Kroner at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Carlsson's season has not been linear, as he struggled mightily the first three months of the season. He finally looks to have found his game. Carlsson is up to 13 goals, surpassing last year's total, and he's at 25 points, four shy of his rookie-year output while showing he can be a top-six centerman.
Wyatt Johnston, C, DAL: Johnston, despite seeing time on the third line, has been red-hot, capped by notching a hat trick Sunday. The three points extended his point streak to six games (six goals, four assists), and after a slow start, he is up to 21 markers and 34 apples in 60. Johnston, selected 23 overall in 2021, is now just 10 points shy of matching his career-high mark set just last year. He is benefitting from the two extra minutes of ice time he is seeing, including a minute-plus of that coming on the man advantage.
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, CGY: Huberdeau ended a two-game scoring drought with an assist Sunday. That helper gave Huberdeau 22 apples to go along with the
This week's article includes Carlsson finding his form, Huberdeau lighting the Flame, Cernak producing for Tampa, Sorokin hot between the pipes, Markstrom back from injury, and Stamkos having a nightmarish campaign.
First Liners (Risers)
Leo Carlsson, C, ANA: Carlsson looks to have benefitted from his time playing with Team Sweden. He has four goals and two assists over five games since skating for Tre Kroner at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Carlsson's season has not been linear, as he struggled mightily the first three months of the season. He finally looks to have found his game. Carlsson is up to 13 goals, surpassing last year's total, and he's at 25 points, four shy of his rookie-year output while showing he can be a top-six centerman.
Wyatt Johnston, C, DAL: Johnston, despite seeing time on the third line, has been red-hot, capped by notching a hat trick Sunday. The three points extended his point streak to six games (six goals, four assists), and after a slow start, he is up to 21 markers and 34 apples in 60. Johnston, selected 23 overall in 2021, is now just 10 points shy of matching his career-high mark set just last year. He is benefitting from the two extra minutes of ice time he is seeing, including a minute-plus of that coming on the man advantage.
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, CGY: Huberdeau ended a two-game scoring drought with an assist Sunday. That helper gave Huberdeau 22 apples to go along with the same number of tallies in 60 games. Huberdeau is on pace to finish in the 50-plus point range, the third straight season he has finished in that bracket. The 115 points he posted in 2021-22, his last season with the Panthers, clearly looks like an aberration, as he has settled into a solid, not elite, winger for the Flames.
Mikael Granlund, RW, DAL: Those who are consistent readers of this column know that I am loathe to include two players on the same team. This week, though, I made an exception as Wyatt Johnston and Granlund are both deserving of inclusion, as are several others for Dallas. Granlund has yet to light the lamp since coming over, but he has seven apples in nine games, meshing well with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment on the second line. He is up to 52 points in 61 games, putting him on pace for the fifth 60-plus point output of his career.
Erik Cernak, D, TB: Cernak is a player on whom you take a flier while he is currently hot, then jump off the bandwagon as soon as he slows. He posted three goals and three assists over eight February games, moving his season numbers up to three goals, 13 assists, 48 shots on net, 118 hits, 79 blocked shots and a plus-25 rating through 54 appearances. Cernak, selected 43th overall in 2015 by the Lightning, two points away from matching his career-high 18 from the 2020-21 campaign, which came in 46 games.
Tyler Myers, D, VAN: Myers is not normally thought of as an offensive defenseman, especially since Quinn Hughes is a Vancouver teammate. He has three points over his last two games and eight points across his last 12 outings, upping his season marks to 21 points, 66 shots on net, 66 PIM, 63 hits, 103 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 57 appearances. If Myers remains hot and breaks the 30-point barrier, it will be the first time since 2019-19 that he exceeds that total.
Ilya Sorokin, G, NYI: Sorokin is the prime reason why the Islanders remain on the fringes of playoff contention. He came into Monday's key matchup versus the Rangers having won two in a row to sit with a 22-18-4 record this season to go along with a 2.79 goals-against average (GAA) and a .904 save percentage through 44 appearances. After taking a step back last season, Sorokin, despite allowing three goals against the Blueshirts, has reverted to his early-career form, as he's on pace to exceed the career-high 31 victories from the 2022-23 season.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, FLA: Bobrovsky notched his third shutout of the season and 14th with the Panthers on Saturday, which moved him past legend John Vanbiesbrouck into third on the franchise list. Following the trade of Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks, Bobrovsky could be in line for additional playing time, backed up by Chris Driedger. Bobrovsky is 26-13-2 with a 2.55 GAA, .906 save percentage and three shutouts this season and up to 422 victories in what should be a Hall of Fame career.
Others include Adam Fantilli, Evgeni Malkin, Will Smith, Mavrik Bourque, Mika Zibanejad, David Pastrnak, Patrik Laine, Matvei Michkov, Dylan Holloway, Thomas Harley, Lane Hutson, Colton Parayko, Mason Lohrei, Mackenzie Blackwood, Filip Gustavsson, Jake Oettinger and Adin Hill.
Buy Low
Boone Jenner, LW, CLM: Columbus' captain, Jenner, has made an immediate impact since returning from a shoulder injury that cost him the first 56 games of the season. In four appearances since play resumed following the 4 Nations Face-Off, Jenner has racked up seven helpers while adding nine shots on net, seven hits, six blocked shots and a plus-7 rating. He's also won 33 of 64 faceoffs (51.5 percent) as he tries to lead the way for the Blue Jackets to make the playoffs.
Training Room (Injuries)
Jacob Markstrom, G, NJ: Markstrom, sidelined since January 22 with a knee injury, returned to action Sunday, allowing just two goals on 24 shots in a loss to the Knights. Prior to being sidelined, the 35-year-old netminder had gone 21-9-5 with a 2.20 GAA and .912 save percentage his first season in New Jersey. Jake Allen and Nico Daws did a nice job between the pipes while Markstrom was sidelined, but New Jersey is more than happy to see their No. 1 netminder back in action. Markstrom was a Vezina Trophy candidate before he was injured.
Others include Macklin Celebrini (lower body, injured Friday, game-time decision for Monday), Matthew Tkachuk (groin, placed on LTIR on Sunday, expected to miss the rest of the regular season), Adam Fox (upper body, likely shoulder, injured Feb. 25 against the Isles, placed on IR, out several weeks) and Quinn Hughes (tweaked something Saturday, may sit Wednesday).
Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)
Pavel Dorofeyev, RW, LV: Dorofeyev's scoring pace has slowed from his earlier production. He has just two goals and no assists in his past seven contests after a hot streak leading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Dorofeyev has lit the lamp 24 times while adding 13 helpers, both of which are career-highs building off a solid rookie season last year, in 60 games while skating on the second line. He eventually will find his form, but for now, staple him to your bench until that happens.
Travis Sanheim, D, PHI: Sanheim, the Flyers' top blueliner, is going through a major rough patch. He has just three points over his last 15 games and none since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Sanheim posted 24 points in his first 46 games, building off his breakthrough from last season when he notched 10 goals and 34 helpers in 81 contests. Sanheim is playing 24:32 a contest while blocking 133 shots, so he is contributing in ancillary stats but not on the scoresheet for Philly or where he is rostered.
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, MIN: MAF is in the midst of a slump as he winds down the final regular season of his illustrious career. He given up at least five goals in three of his last seven outings, though he has gone 3-4-0 in that span thanks to the Wild offense in front of him. The 40-year-old netminder is 12-7-1 with a 2.76 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 21 outings while backing up Filip Gustavsson. Minnesota can afford to liberally rest Fleury thanks to the performance of the Gus Bus between the pipes.
Others include Ryan Strome, Nicolas Roy, Jake Guentzel, Ross Colton, Nils Hoglander, Brock Faber, Pavel Mintyukov, Ilya Samsonov, Cam Talbot and Linus Ullmark.
Sell High
Steven Stamkos, C, NSH: Stamkos has had a season to forget in his first campaign in Nashville. He was held off the scoresheet for the 12th straight game Sunday and is sitting at 17 goals and 16 assists for the past six weeks. Stamkos is a minus-23, which is the worst mark of his career, while on pace for the lowest scoring full campaign of his Hall of Fame resume. He signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Predators last July, leaving the Lightning, which looks like a major mistake so far.
