If we zero in on all NHL players with fewer than 200 minutes on the ice this season, Patrik Laine is the current leader in fantasy points per 60 minutes (FPP60). The Canadiens' winger has posted an average of 10.4 fantasy points for every 60 minutes of ice time (all strengths) that he has played.
By using rate metrics for fantasy performance dialed down even deeper than per game, it shows us the players who are extraordinarily effective and efficient at the game. Not all of them are in line for additional minutes to expand on their statistical output. Garnet Hathaway isn't going to be discussed here even though he ranks 21st in FPP60 because there is no chance he becomes a top-six forward or starts getting 18 minutes of ice time per game (currently 11:57).
But what if someone on the Winnipeg Jets top power-play unit suffered an injury? Nikolaj Ehlers would suddenly be asked to play more than the 15:38 he currently skates on average. And guess what? He is a top-10 player for FPP60 (8.1) -- and the only one of the remaining top 10 you might not get in 20 guesses.
Who else should we still monitor for increased ice time? Here are some names from the top 40 in FPP60 that stand out.
Jump ahead: Goalies | Power Play | Droppables
Dylan Guenther, RW, Utah Hockey Club (7.6 FPP60): Still out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, Guenther has room to improve when he returns. At the end of the day, he is still a second-line player for Utah and his 16:16 per game could go up with a better share of minutes. That seems like a longshot with the chemistry between catalyst Clayton Keller and his current linemates (Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton), but the injury fates could tip in Guenther's favor at a later date.
That refrain could be repeated often here, with lineups very much locked at the halfway point.
Kiefer Sherwood, LW, Vancouver Canucks (7.3 FPP60): Sherwood had some run as a top-sixer at times during J.T. Miller's absence, but he was never meant to stay there with everyone healthy. Still, he performed well and in the same vein that drove Dakota Joshua's fantasy value for the Canucks last season. If the Canucks make some ... ahem, personnel changes in the near future, Sherwood could get the assignment he needs to be a fantasy pickup.
Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (7.2 FPP60): Voronkov offers clear evidence that solid rate production can result in increased minutes. Before Dec. 1, he averaged just 14:56 per game. Since then, he's at 18:26 and is among the top 10 forwards for fantasy production in the past month.
Ivan Barbashev, LW, Vegas Golden Knights (7.2 FPP60): The only real knock on Barbashev is that he never managed to lock down that fourth-forward role on the advantage. Instead, it's been a combination of Victor Olofsson and Pavel Dorofeyev enjoying the spoils of the extra couple of minutes per game. Barbashev's rate stats alongside Jack Eichel are phenomenal and would surely stay at that pace with more power-play work added -- if it ever comes his way.
Ross Colton, LW, Colorado Avalanche (7.1 FPP60): Colton was at his best before a foot injury cost him all of November. During that time, some other key injured Avs made their way back into the lineup and bumped Colton down the depth chart. He is definitely a fantasy player to monitor, sitting dormant for the moment, with the potential to erupt if given top-line play.
Dylan Holloway, C, St. Louis Blues (6.9 FPP60): Holloway has more than paid off the offer sheet the Blues gave him for this season, especially as the cheaper of the grabs from the Oilers. His 16:06 per game needs to continue to creep up, as it has been since he started pouring in the offense. Still, the Blues have been mixing their power-play personnel and it would be better if Holloway could lock in a role.
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Goalie notes
Ottawa Senators vs. New York Islanders: Game Highlights
Buffalo Sabres in 43 games (three last week):
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (crease share season/week: 69.8%/100.0%, fantasy points season/week: 37.0/11.8, 70.9% available)
James Reimer (crease share season/week: 27.9%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 3.0/DNP, 99.1% available)
Devon Levi (crease share season/week: 16.5%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: -8.6/DNP, 98.9% available)
We keep getting small stretches in which it feels like Luukkonen could be trusted to ride on fantasy rosters, but then you look at the overall picture and see just 37 fantasy points. His play has been pretty solid and he would probably be a fantasy mainstay if the team in front of him were winning games, but it doesn't look like that corner will be turned by the Sabres this season.
Calgary Flames in 43 games (four last week):
Dustin Wolf (crease share season/week: 53.5%/75.8%, fantasy points season/week: 79.2/18.0, 46.7% available)
Dan Vladar (crease share season/week: 46.5%/24.2%, fantasy points season/week: 10.8/0.6, 97.3% available)
Wolf is starting to separate himself from Vladar for starts. A three-quarters crease share is probably optimistic, but 60-40 is more than ample enough to generate fantasy points.
Detroit Red Wings in 43 games (five last week):
Cam Talbot (crease share season/week: 48.5%/67.4%, fantasy points season/week: 36.0/10.8, 50.9% available)
Alex Lyon (crease share season/week: 32.7%/8.3%, fantasy points season/week: 29.0/2.0, 94.9% available)
Ville Husso (crease share season/week: 17.0%/24.3%, fantasy points season/week: -13.0/-6.4, 98.0% available)
Talbot has looked increasingly better with new coach Todd McLellan behind the bench. It was Husso in the crease when the Sharks fed the Red Wings their own dinner on Tuesday, so Talbot's potential rebound remains intact.
New York Rangers in 43 games (four last week):
Igor Shesterkin (crease share season/week: 66.2%/75.0%, fantasy points season/week: 53.0/11.6, 0.9% available)
Jonathan Quick (crease share season/week: 31.4%/25.0%, fantasy points season/week: 22.8/-2.2, 83.7% available)
Louis Domingue (crease share season/week: 2.3%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 5.0/DNP, 99.9% available)
Shesterkin is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in slowly stabilizing the Rangers from their recent skid. The Blueshirts have picked up points in consecutive games against the Devils, Golden Knights and Avalanche with Shesterkin back in the crease, and their point streak stretches even beyond that.
Ottawa Senators in 43 games (five last week):
Linus Ullmark (crease share season/week: 50.1%/DNP, fantasy points season/week: 67.2/DNP, 15.2% available)
Anton Forsberg (crease share season/week: 30.9%/40.4%, fantasy points season/week: 2.8/-3.6, 98.9% available)
Leevi Merilainen (crease share season/week: 15.3%/59.6%, fantasy points season/week: 32.2/29.4, 96.0% available)
With another shutout Tuesday, Merilainen has all but cemented himself into the mix for when Linus Ullmark returns from his upper-body injury. He is absolutely worth a pickup for fantasy given how the goaltender market fluctuates. Maybe Ullmark is back this week and the Sens want to keep Forsberg, so Merilainen is back to the AHL. Maybe Merilainen sticks around and stops all the pucks while Ullmark's recovery takes longer than expected. Either way, it's better to find out with him tucked on your roster.
Washington Capitals in 44 games (six last week):
Logan Thompson (crease share season/week: 53.9%/71.8%, fantasy points season/week: 100.4/25.8, 18.1% available)
Charlie Lindgren (crease share season/week: 46.1%/28.2%, fantasy points season/week: 31.2/1.6, 50.2% available)
Thompson has been given extra run lately with Lindgren sidelined due to an upper-body injury. He's used it to join Jacob Markstrom as the first two goaltenders to cross the 100-fantasy-point threshold on Tuesday. Connor Hellebuyck isn't included in the count because he's not a goalie, he's a brick wall the Winnipeg Jets have disguised as a human. For reference, Thompson and Markstrom just crossed 100 points; Hellebuyck has 170.
Power-play notes
Patrick Kane lights the lamp for Red Wings
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Carolina Hurricanes (available in 47.0%): After a prolonged absence, the linchpin of the Carolina power play is back in action. In the two games on Jan. 9 and. 10, before Gostisbehere returned, the top unit with Brent Burns on the point averaged 2.98 shot attempts per two minutes across 6:03. On Jan. 12, with Gostisbehere back in action, they managed 7.02 shot attempts per two minutes across 2:51. Check your waivers now.
Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings (available in 32.0%): Just another chance to highlight how the coaching change for the Red Wings has resurrected Kane's season. The top unit has collected five goals across the past four games with Kane earning three power-play points.
Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles Kings (available in 67.2%): With Doughty's return edging ever closer, it's worth noting that Brandt Clarke doesn't have a power-play point in his past seven games and has only one dating back to Nov. 9.
Alexis Lafreniere, LW, New York Rangers (available in 33.0%): He's not getting in on the power-play points much, but Lafrenière has looked like a fairly adequate replacement for Chris Kreider on the top unit while the veteran sniper is sidelined. That may become more relevant later depending on how this Rangers season continues.
Jamie Drysdale, D, Philadelphia Flyers (available in 97.1%): The Flyers roll out plenty of different looks on the power play, almost taking from the Seattle Kraken playbook of having every player interchangeable on the advantage ... with one exception. Drysdale has settled in as the tie that binds. He has been in on three of the four power-play goals by the team across the past three games and is up to four power-play points across his past eight.
Jack Quinn, RW, Buffalo Sabres (available in 97.5%): The Sabres' power play with Quinn and Jason Zucker instead of Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch has looked modestly better. The group managed 21 shots attempts across 11:15 in the past three games, which is an improvement on their rates this season. It shows, as they potted two goals as well.
Ross Colton, LW, Colorado Avalanche (available in 53.9%): He's down on the second unit even though Valeri Nichushkin is out of action for the month. That said, the power play has been slumping a bit and Colton was a spark plug for it earlier this season. He could get a promotion soon and then there is plenty of runway for him with Nichushkin sidelined.
Denton Mateychuk, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (available in 99.5%): The Blue Jackets are giving their young offensive blue-liner some work on the secondary unit. He doesn't have any power-play points yet, but this new responsibility means he's likely the next player up if Zach Werenski misses any time.
Droppables
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings (rostered in 65.6%): The future remains very bright for Clarke, and what we saw this season with Drew Doughty out of the lineup is affirming, but the time draws near to move on. In fact, Clarke has only 1.40 FPPG across his past 20 games as it is, with the Kings' power play running cold. In a keeper league, he is perfect trade fodder: Proven future value you can ship out to pad your in-season run at the title.
Kevin Fiala, LW, Los Angeles Kings (rostered in 75.2%): Speaking of the moribund Kings advantage, Fiala has been running equally as cold without that added fantasy juice. The real problem for Fiala has been no one to finish his passes. While the rest of his game looks similar to previous seasons, he is on pace for only 16 helpers after he averaged 48 across the past three campaigns. He was pushed up to the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe for the game against Edmonton on Monday -- and the Kings were shut out.
Brandon Montour, D, Seattle Kraken (rostered in 94.8%): Vince Dunn has been running the top power play unit, while Ryker Evans steals some time on the advantage too, as the Kraken use an ever-rotating mix of players on power plays. The fantasy points have been draining from Montour with Dunn healthy. Though he has 1.8 FPPG on the season, Montour has 1.4 in his past 20 games and just 1.2 in his past 10.