Well into the second half of the NHL season, with the 4 Nations Face-Off still three weeks away, this feels like an appropriate occasion to tidy up our fantasy rosters. It's the perfect time to scrutinize underperforming skaters and goalies and determine whether a current lull in performance is merely a negative blip during an otherwise successful run, or if there's serious cause for concern.
For instance, you won't find Brady Tkachuk below, despite one goal and zero assists in his past 10 contests. Why? Not only because he's Brady Tkachuk -- although that's part of it -- but because the winger is still skating on the top line and power play unit, and rifling on net with impressive regularity. We all know the dam will break shortly. The same applies to a handful of others -- Dylan Strome in Washington, for example -- who are clearly enduring a rough patch.
Instead, the following don't appear to boast the same sunny-side-of-the-street prospects for this weekend, next week or even next month. These players could be worth shipping out for less-popular players available on your wire or sent out in a trade.
Resources: Goalie depth chart | Daily lines | Projections | Play for free | Player rater | Most added/dropped | Mock draft lobby | How to watch on ESPN+
Drop 'em
Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks : While his 3-2 winning performance against the Oilers over the weekend was solid enough, that game involved only 15 shots on Vancouver's net. Demko's follow-up loss to Buffalo was much less impressive, while the preceding defeat to the Kings even less so.
His 3-4-3 record, .873 SV%, 3.23 GAA has netted fantasy managers -6.4 fantasy points on the year in ESPN standard leagues (Connor Hellebuyck has 177.0). How much longer would you like to wait? Unless there are no viable replacements on the wire, I would suggest not another minute. Not in light of how the Canucks are fumbling altogether.
Charlie Lindgren, G, Washington Capitals: The hottest netminder since before Christmas, Logan Thompson has 65.2 fantasy points to show for nine starts. For comparison, the aforementioned Hellebuyck has a (wholly respectable) haul of 44.2 through 10 appearances during the same stretch. A winner in six of his past seven games, while posting 1.18 GAA and .955 SV%, Thompson is the undisputable go-to for coach Spencer Carbery and crew in Washington, which relegates Lindgren to "other guy" status. Managers are better off hitching their fantasy cart to an active wildcard like Montreal's Jakub Dobes at present.
Jake DeBrusk, F, Vancouver Canucks : One goal and one assist (minus-four) while averaging 1.45 shots/game since New Year's Eve ain't gonna cut it. Drop the ice-cold winger now, then keep an eye on when/if he reignites for a fruitful stretch. He's still likely to remain available on the wire at that point.
As for forward Elias Pettersson, who's cobbling together a disappointing campaign, have a bit more patience before making a drastic move. At least until J.T. Miller is moved out (very likely), or he isn't (less likely), and the dust settles. Then re-assess how much good Pettersson is serving you in shallow leagues.
Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton Oilers : As a fan of the defenseman, this one's a bit painful to float, but even the biggest Ekholm supporter has to admit there isn't enough moving and shaking within the fantasy fold these days. One assist in 2025. Nowhere near a sufficient number of blocked-shots. Few hits.
Now newbie John Klingberg is endeavouring to sub in on the Oilers' secondary power play. Outside of the deepest of fantasy leagues, there are likely better blue-line options available on your wire.
Casey Mittelstadt, F, Colorado Avalanche: It's time to part ways with the second-line center. First of all, he doesn't shoot on net, registering a goose egg in that category in five of his past six games. Which helps to explain the two goals and four assists in his past 15 contests, and not many more since his rather productive October.
Plus, we now know Valeri Nichushkin -- who Mittelstadt had the chance to skate with at times -- is expected out indefinitely as he recovers from a lower-body injury. Then there's the chatter that the Avs, who are still missing Nazem Kadri, are shopping around for another second-line center ahead of the trade deadline. Just drop Mittelstadt.
Trevor Moore, F, Los Angeles Kings : Never mind what last season's numbers suggest, Moore isn't a 30-goal scorer. His six in 36 contests this round, and modest tallies in years previous, provide proper evidence to that end. Kings insider John Hoven also submits that Moore hasn't been his best self since returning from an upper-body injury earlier this month. Toss in the limited minutes -- until Wednesday versus the Panthers, anyway -- and it appears time for fantasy managers to move on.
Tyson Foerster, F, Philadelphia Flyers: The 23-year-old's productive stretch from late December into early January now feels like distant history. Drop him and pick up a currently sizzling young performer like Adam Fantilli, who remains available in nearly 80% of ESPN leagues,or Kaapo Kakko, who's figured out how to best exploit his fresh start in Seattle. Check out our edition of fantasy hockey waiver picks for more appealing options.
Adam Fantilli completes the Blue Jackets' rout with his first career hat trick in front of friends and family.
Be patient
Sam Bennett, F, Florida Panthers: To take nothing away from what the imposing center contributes to the Panthers as a whole, he's served as a fantasy dud lately. Skating on a forward unit with rookie Mackie Samoskevich and Eetu Luostarinen, Bennett has a goal and two helpers since Dec. 10. Yikes.
However, there's reason to hesitate on moving in a different direction. The 28-year-old is still generating shots on net and his 1.79 shooting percentage since Dec. 10 is hardly sustainable. Plus, according to Evolving Hockey, Bennett sports a 7.1 ixG (individual expected goals based on quality of shots) over that aforementioned 20-game stretch when he earned just the single tally. A turnaround could be in quick sight.
Pavel Buchnevich, F, St. Louis Blues : No invested manager should be a fan of his current third-line assignment with Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist or the one assist in five recent contests. Only a couple of weeks removed from a pleasant flurry of two goals and four helpers in five games, Buchnevich merits a little more runway to rev back up before being shown the door in deeper leagues.
Ivan Barbashev, F, Vegas Golden Knights : Is he still skating on a Vegas top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone? Yes? Leave him be, at least in deeper leagues. Barbashev deserves more time to get back into a groove after recently returning from an upper-body injury.