Is Will Cuylle of the New York Rangers the quintessential bottom-six winger - or something more?
Through a perfect blend of body checks and clutch scoring, Cuylle has turned his modest 14 minutes of ice time per game into an impressive 17 points in 20 contests - production rarely seen from a typical bottom-six forward. In fantasy terms, he's collected 42.6 fantasy points, good for the list of the top 100 skaters, one spot behind Elias Pettersson and one spot ahead of David Pastrnak.
He's been given a bump by the Rangers to the top six, both because of injuries ahead of him on the depth chart and the Rangers' attempts to snap a losing skid. Cuylle managed to score two goals and played on a line with Mika Zibanejad in a losing effort to the Blues on Monday. While his top-six promotion is noteworthy, what truly stands out is his elite efficiency.
Cuylle ranks 12th among all skaters in fantasy points per 60 minutes.
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For every 60 minutes of ice time he gets, Cuylle has earned 9.1 fantasy points this season. His fantasy points per 60 minutes (FPP60) ranks even higher when you remove some of the small sample sizes for players who have played in only a couple games. Among NHL regulars with at least 10 games played this season, Cuylle ranks behind only Alex Ovechkin, Martin Necas, Ross Colton, Sam Reinhart and Brady Tkachuk.
But Cuylle is not a top-10 fantasy scorer this season because he has been getting only 14:03 minutes of ice time per game.
Still, not only has his total for the campaign been useful for fantasy rosters, he's now enjoying some time in the spotlight that can help him earn additional opportunity. We also know that when he goes back to the bottom six, he has the tools to be fantasy-relevant with less ice time. His 84 hits rank fifth in the NHL and help drive his fantasy value.
Players with high FPP60 but limited ice time often excel in one of two ways: physical dominance, like Cuylle, or power-play prowess, like Stefan Noesen of the New Jersey Devils.
Noesen ranks 46th with 7.7 FPP60. Also a bottom-six player at five-on-five, Noesen gets to join the Devils elite on the advantage and be a pestering net-front presence as his teammates drive pucks toward him. He ranks 52nd among skaters in fantasy points despite just 15:07 in ice time per game, thanks in part to his seven power-play points.
Cuylle and Noesen have stood out among the FPP60 success stories this season, and fantasy managers have noticed. Cuylle has had a rush on him this past week, his roster percentage shooting up to 33.5, while Noesen has been slow-burning his way on to 49.5%. Let's explore other high-efficiency players who could give your fantasy team a competitive edge.
Mathieu Olivier, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (rostered in 9.1% of ESPN Fantasy leagues): With only 12:55 per game, Olivier has managed to rank 114th among skaters in fantasy points this season, good for 8.7 FPP60. It's not the same profile as Cuylle, as Olivier gets fewer points, but he makes up for it with elite shot-blocking numbers. With that, what you see is what you get, and Olivier is a long shot to earn additional opportunity through a top-six promotion.
Kiefer Sherwood, LW, Vancouver Canucks (26.5%): The Canucks have recently turned to Sherwood in their time of need. With Brock Boeser missing time and J.T. Miller away from the team, top-six forwards were a rare commodity. Enter Sherwood, who throws plenty of hits to fuel a fantasy profile that has posted 8.5 FPP60 this season (that's good for the top 20). Keep an eye on him in the short term, as he's getting top-line minutes with Elias Pettersson, and that includes the power play.
Adam Gaudette, C, Ottawa Senators (0.5%): With barely 10 minutes of ice time per game, it's impressive that Gaudette has managed three power-play points this season. He's a mainstay of the Sens second unit, so is not quite on the level of Noesen, but he's posted 8.2 FPP60. The nine goals have not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff either, as Gaudette cracked 10 minutes of ice time for the first time since Nov. 9 on Monday while taking shifts with Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk.
Nino Niederreiter, RW, Winnipeg Jets (49.8%): It's been bottom-six minutes for Niederreiter this season, but he's still featured on a Jets secondary power-play unit that has been greater than the sum of its parts this season. With 7.7 FPP60, Niederreiter sneaks into the top 50 for that statistic with 14:18 minutes per game. If injuries set in on the Jets wings this season, Niederreiter has a window to sustained fantasy relevance.
Brandon Tanev, LW, Seattle Kraken (8.6%): Tanev never really got his groove last season after missing a lot of games at the start. But he has a fantastic fantasy engine from hits and points when he's going. He seems to be going at the moment, with 7.2 FPP60 and 19.9 of his 36.5 fantasy points coming exclusively from hits and blocked shots.
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Goalie notes
Carolina Hurricanes in 21 games (five last week):
Pyotr Kochetkov (crease share season/week: 61.1%/50.8%, fantasy points season/week: 36.0/3.0, 58.0% available)
Spencer Martin (crease share season/week: 19.6%/49.2%, fantasy points season/week: 0.4/-4.4, 97.7% available)
Frederik Andersen (crease share season/week: 19.3%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 19.0/DNP, 38.7% available)
Third-string Martin doesn't have the same fantasy appeal as the two tenders ahead of him, even though he has the crease all to himself for a winning club. Kochetkov is out for at least a week with a concussion, but we know those injuries have their own timelines. In the meantime, it looks like the Canes are happy to give up four goals because they know they can score five.
Chicago Blackhawks in 21 games (three last week):
Petr Mrazek (crease share season/week: 71.6%/67.5%, fantasy points season/week: 27.2/10.2, 91.1% available)
Arvid Soderblom (crease share season/week: 28.4%/32.5%, fantasy points season/week: 12.0/-1.8, 99.5% available)
He's not quite on the set-and-forget fantasy level, but it's worth acknowledging that Mrazek has probably been the Blackhawks best fantasy player outside their top D pairing. He has more fantasy points than Adin Hill, Sam Montembeault and Sergei Bobrovsky at this stage. Still, it's tough to even stream him in as Mrazek seems to do his best work when the matchup is bad.
Detroit Red Wings in 21 games (four last week):
Cam Talbot (crease share season/week: 53.1%/49.8%, fantasy points season/week: 34.2/-1.8, 35.5% available)
Alex Lyon (crease share season/week: 40.1%/50.2%, fantasy points season/week: 20.0/11.8, 92.6% available)
These two goaltenders are getting closer to a 50-50 split of the crease as time goes on. There are modest, but positive fantasy points being generated here. Additionally, I just want to point out the disparity in rostership while acknowledging that their value is very close to equal.
Los Angeles Kings in 21 games (two last week):
David Rittich (crease share season/week: 51.1%/100.0%, fantasy points season/week: 24.0/7.4, 89.3% available)
Darcy Kuemper (crease share season/week: 46.8%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 16.4/DNP, 85.7% available)
Pheonix Copley (crease share season/week: 2.2%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: -2.0/DNP, 99.9% available)
Rittich was just starting to look like he could be a short-term fantasy play with Kuemper injured, then he laid a -11.2 egg against the Sharks on Monday and erased all positive vibes of the past weeks. Meanwhile, there isn't a clear timeline for Kuemper's return.
San Jose Sharks in 23 games (four last week):
Mackenzie Blackwood (crease share season/week: 56.7%/74.1%, fantasy points season/week: 19.6/-2.0, 94.7% available)
Vitek Vanecek (crease share season/week: 38.8%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 2.6/DNP, 99.4% available)
Yaroslav Askarov (crease share season/week: 4.5%/25.9%, fantasy points season/week: 2.8/2.8, 92.8% available)
It's unclear how long the Sharks will carry three goaltenders, but probably not long. We know Askarov is NHL-ready, so his success across two outings was no surprise. If you are in a redraft league as opposed to a keeper, this might be the height of his value if the other goalies stay healthy and Askarov goes back to dominating the AHL. If you are in a keeper league, however, it's worth poking the manager with Askarov on their roster to ask about a trade; no one likes to see fantasy points accrue on their bench. With this Sharks prospect pool, Askarov has a path to be a long-term star in the crease in future seasons.
Utah Hockey Club in 21 games (five last week):
Connor Ingram (crease share season/week: 56.6%/10.8%, fantasy points season/week: -0.8/-6.2, 83.2% available)
Karel Vejmelka (crease share season/week: 43.4%/89.2%, fantasy points season/week: 18.4/9.6, 95.7% available)
Vejmelka has been having a run of success as Ingram has been sidelined with injury. It's probably not helpful for fantasy as we need quantity from this team's crease, as the quality isn't quite up to snuff. This likely means a closer split when Ingram is healthy. In the meantime, Vejmelka is getting a ton of quantity, which can justify using him until Ingram returns.
Vancouver Canucks in 19 games (two last week):
Kevin Lankinen (crease share season/week: 73.0%/50.0%, fantasy points season/week: 34.4/3.2, 44.0% available)
Arturs Silovs (crease share season/week: 27.0%/50.0%, fantasy points season/week: -10.8/-2.2, 97.5% available)
Thatcher Demko (has not played yet, 18.1% available)
Last chance. Demko is set to return soon. While the Canucks could use some of their injured forwards back to give him proper goal support, a fully healthy Demko has shown he can hold his own regardless.
Check out some of the top performers in fantasy NHL from Monday, including Connor Hellebuyck and Nico Hischier.
Power-play notes
Seth Jarvis, RW, Carolina Hurricanes (28.5%): Back from injury, Jarvis resumed his role on the top power-play unit. But keep Jackson Blake's name filed away, as he was a key to the Canes not missing a beat without Jarvis.
Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (2.7%): As the Panthers losing streak continues, Uvis Balinskis and Carter Verhaeghe have been removed from the top power-play unit for Ekblad and Sam Bennett, respectively. It doesn't really matter if they continue not scoring, but it's worth tracking as this advantage is top tier when it's on track.
Jakob Chychrun, D, Washington Capitals (33.6%): With Alex Ovechkin out of action, the Capitals have opted to go with a two-D attack on the top unit, with Chychrun joining John Carlson, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael. They generated 16 shot attempts in 6:04 across the past three games, so the early suggestion is that the advantage will get by without Ovechkin; maybe not excel, but certainly remain passable.
Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche (56.1%): For such a power-play threat as Nichushkin has been in recent seasons, the Avs sure seem hesitant to roll him out on the top unit. Casey Mittelstadt remains a lock, while Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin have been taking turns as the fourth forward. Surely the Avs will nix the nonsense and unleash Nichushkin soon.
Kent Johnson, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (76.8%): Making up for lost time, Johnson has ripped off four points in two games, including two on the advantage, since his return from injury. He immediately supplanted Adam Fantilli on the top unit and elevated its shot attempts. Johnson, by the way, ranks fourth overall in FPP60 this season across his six games.
Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Detroit Red Wings (89.2%): Although it's been in a little slump, the Red Wings power play remains among the league's best. With Kane missing some time, Tarasenko gets to join the top unit. Given Kane's modest results to date, some success from Tarasenko could keep him here.
Corey Perry, RW, Edmonton Oilers (99.6%): If Zach Hyman's injury keeps him out a while, Perry has a window for value as the net-front replacement with the world-class talent on this power-play unit.
Dennis Cholowski, D, New York Islanders (99.9%): Who had a top power-play unit of Kyle Palmieri, Brock Nelson, Simon Holmstrom, Maxim Tsyplakov and Cholowski on their bingo card for the three-quarters pole of the campaign? Congratulations as this unit has twice the ice time of the other Islanders unit in the past three games. They even managed a goal over the weekend, the Islanders' third with the advantage this month.
Droppables
Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings (60.7%): The latest injury might just be the prompt fantasy managers need to move on from Kane. He's been getting all the key ice time he needs for success, including tons of power-play time with a strong unit, but just isn't scoring like the Kane we knew.
Kris Letang, D, Pittsburgh Penguins (73.6%): I didn't know if I could bring myself to do it, but Letang isn't even getting the opportunity to not score on the Penguins top power play anymore. His 1.4 fantasy points per game aren't even that close to justifying on a starting fantasy roster.