Who doesn't like a winner? Written off as being irrelevant (or at the very least, forgettable) earlier this campaign, a few NHL clubs are noticeably redeeming themselves of late -- winning games, scoring goals and reminding us they aren't out of it just yet. Sure, in some cases, a playoff berth may still be too much to expect, but that won't stop these sides from trying.
Next week, we'll take a gander at some of the top surprises the Eastern Conference has to offer. This week, though, we start with a look at a handful of these suddenly surging teams from the Western Conference, with a eye on the fantasy value lurking within these newly relevant squads.
Chicago Blackhawks: Remember when the Blackhawks were hopelessly awful and dead last in the NHL? It actually wasn't that long ago, which magnifies this turnaround as being all the more remarkable. Showing signs of smartening up in late December, Chicago further dialed it up with seven straight wins before they fell to the Bruins on Tuesday. They find themselves only four points out of a playoff spot in the parity party that is the Western Conference. You can't count them out yet.
The fantasy cream: Patrick Kane, RW; Jonathan Toews, C; Alex DeBrincat RW/LW
Supporting cast: There's so much to mine from this roster beyond the Kane/Toews forward duo. First off, the Blackhawks' second scoring line, featuring DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and Dominik Kahun, is smoldering. Already appearing to be a different player since jettisoning Arizona via trade at November's end, Strome has since ratcheted it up another notch with 17 points in his 10 most recent games, including five with the extra skater. A presence on Chicago's top power play, the 2015 No. 3 overall draft selection is amazingly available in 66.9 percent of ESPN.com leagues. Overwhelmingly unclaimed, Kahun has three goals and six assists over his past five contests. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues also should be all over this 23-year-old rookie. ... Since Nov. 21, defenseman Erik Gustafsson has quietly collected 29 points in 33 games. Yes, twenty-nine. Since joining the team's top power play in late December, a dozen of those points have come with the man advantage. The 26-year-old blueliner is there for the taking in almost 30 percent of leagues, so you never know.
In the crease: Just when you thought Cam Ward was closing in on the conclusion of his career with a sad coda in Chicago, the veteran pulls a string of stand-up performances out of his sleeve -- four strong games since Jan. 22, to be precise. While we don't trust him entirely, the former Hurricanes goaltender should be used however possible before he runs out of steam. For all the talk of Corey Crawford's pending return from a devastating concussion, there's no booting Ward from the starter's crease while he's performing this well.
Dallas Stars: While president Jim Lites' holiday-timed and profanity-laced calling out of the stars of the Stars might not be directly responsible for the club's more-than-respectable showing since, it doesn't seem to have done any harm. Both Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are producing at an admirable clip, and Dallas now sits third in the Central with a six-point playoff cushion on the top non-contender. They also have a couple of games in hand on those Vancouver Canucks. It's not yet comfortable, but there's much to be said for controlling one's own destiny.
The fantasy cream: Tyler Seguin, C; Jamie Benn, LW; Alexander Radulov, RW; John Klingberg, D; Ben Bishop, G
Supporting cast: Operating a revolving door up front, coach Jim Montgomery is constantly shuffling bodies around in the hope of maximizing secondary scoring opportunities. This makes it difficult for any fantasy manager to go "all-in" on a forward outside of the top trio. At present, winger Roope Hintz is skating with Seguin and Radulov, while Jason Dickinson is centering a scoring line with Benn. However, that could easily change over the weekend. Outside of DFS action, there isn't much to mine here. On the blue line, however, Miro Heiskanen looks like the Stars' future and is rostered in only 34.3 percent of leagues. The rookie defender has five points in his past six contests.
In the crease: Herein lies the sneaky fantasy value in Dallas, at least at present. With Bishop on the shelf with an upper-body issue, the net currently belongs to Anton Khudobin. The Stars' backup is certainly holding his own. Looking to start yet again in Tampa on Thursday, Khudobin is 2-1-1 in his past four contests, coming off a 30-save shutout of the Florida Panthers. As such, the Stars will be in no hurry to throw Bishop back out there, even though he's considered "close" to a return. Rostered in only 5.8 percent of leagues, Khudobin also can be expected to see a larger share of action down the stretch. He should also be a very cost-effective DFS asset, although maybe not on Thursday versus the goal-happy Lightning.
San Jose Sharks: Sitting on top of the West astride the Winnipeg Jets, the Sharks are on a genuine tear, scoring quite often. Only the Lightning have produced more goals on the season -- and no team has averaged more per game (4.38) since Jan. 1. From a fantasy standpoint, there's much to appreciate about the current state of hockey affairs in Northern California, and not every contributing body is locked down on rosters.
The fantasy cream: Joe Pavelski, C/RW; Evander Kane, LW; Logan Couture, C; Timo Meier, RW/LW; Tomas Hertl, LW/RW; Erik Karlsson, D; Brent Burns, D; Martin Jones, G
Supporting cast: Forward Kevin Labanc has been a revelation of late, collecting five goals and two assists in five February games, and 13 points in his past dozen contests. Rostered in less than half of ESPN.com leagues, he should be snatched up quickly. Labanc's centerman, veteran Joe Thornton, still has value via steady contributions in the assists department, and winger Joonas Donskoi -- third banana on a line with Kane and Hertl -- could breathe a little life into your roster in deeper leagues. After a three-week lull, Donskoi is back in form with four assists in his past three contests -- and he's largely available.
In the crease: While Jones shoulders most of the load in San Jose, backup Aaron Dell has been more hit than miss in sporadic play since the calendar turned over. Consider turning to the Sharks' No. 2 in DFS action when the matchup appears favorable. For instance, circle Feb. 24 on the calendar as the second game of a weekend back-to-back versus the not-so-formidable Red Wings. There's a very good chance Dell will be given a chance to shine.
St. Louis Blues: How about them Blues? Perhaps the league's most underachieving squad until very recently, St. Louis has wriggled its way into the No. 1 wild-card position, on the back of a seven-game win streak, all the while averaging 4.14 goals per contest. Not coincidentally, the Blues have turned things around in perfect rhythm with the decision (finally) to remove Jake Allen as their go-to No. 1 netminder. More on that below.
The fantasy cream: Vladimir Tarasenko, RW; Ryan O'Reilly, RW/C; Brayden Schenn, C; Alex Pietrangelo, D
Supporting cast: Acknowledging the measurable drop-off in value beyond the top line, there are still a couple of players worth discussing here. Centering a second scoring line and power play, Tyler Bozak remains a solid, if not explosive, fantasy asset. Bozak's linemate Jaden Schwartz finally scored after a 22-game drought. Hopefully that will kick-start more production from the 26-year-old, who has the potential to score 30 goals per season. The return of David Perron, which shouldn't be too far off, might also inspire more from the Blues' No. 2 scoring line. Before getting hurt in mid-January, Perron was smoking hot with seven goals and 10 assists in 15 games. Again, there's value here in deeper leagues.
In the crease: Criminally under-rostered in ESPN.com leagues at just 18.3 percent, rookie Jordan Binnington deserves much of the credit for the Blues' abrupt change of fortune. He has now won six straight, including a Feb. 7 shutout of the Lightning (of all teams), while only giving up over two goals on one occasion -- on Tuesday, in an 8-3 victory over the Devils. Never mind the how or why, the 25-year-old is getting the job done -- and that's what matters.