The 4 Nations Face-Off starts Wednesday, which means the NHL will be off for almost two weeks following Sunday’s action. With that in mind, eight of the following 14 selections will be from teams playing multiple games before the break.
(NOTE: No column next week, but we’ll be back on the 21st.)
(Rostered rates as of Feb. 7)
Forwards
Nick Schmaltz, UTA (Yahoo: 35%)
Schmaltz has sustained a solid run of scoring by notching 12 points in his last 14 games — including six on the power play — with 31 shots while averaging 19:21 (3:26 of that while up a man). He’ll be going up against top-10 defenses during back-to-back encounters on Saturday (Canes) and Sunday (Caps), but should still post sufficient stats as a lead player in all attacking situations.
Kent Johnson, CLS (Yahoo: 25%)
The Blue Jackets are without Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov up front while still waiting for Boone Jenner to make his season debut. A few players have gone on to take on improved roles, with Johnson taking Marchenko’s spot on the first line. He’s also been on fire the last month, having delivered six goals and eight assists while continuing on the lead PP. Johnson’s 20.7 shooting percentage over this stretch may be unsustainable, though it doesn’t look as though he’ll be slowing down anytime soon.
Ryan Donato, CHI (Yahoo: 10%)
Donato has already reached a career-high in points with 32 thanks to a couple prolonged scoring runs. He’s currently on one of those upswings, racking up five goals, seven assists, 33 shots and 23 hits through 16 contests. Donato finally tallied his first PPP since Dec. 31 on Wednesday as part of a successful and talented top man-advantage. His profile is further enhanced by skating beside Connor Bedard at even-strength. As long as Donato sticks with the phenom, he at least deserves a look.
Vladislav Namestnikov, WPG (Yahoo: 10%)
I’ve been meaning to insert Namestnikov into a column, but the timing never seemed to work. All it took was power-play points in three straight games — now at 10 on the year — to get him here. Winnipeg’s No. 2 center has gone under-the-radar in most leagues, as his unit is generally overshadowed by the lead line and he’s never previously recorded big numbers. But anyone who can supply a goal, seven assists and 16 shots through seven outings is worth adding. Maybe it’s time to give Namestnikov a chance.