Another game, another Nathan MacKinnon goose egg. One promising sign though – he played 18 minutes, which was his highest ice time in 13 games.

*

Anton Khudobin is playing every two weeks or thereabouts, as the team rides Ward. But he’s working his numbers back up to the impressive level they should be. He’s had three straight wins and four consecutive games of allowing no more than two goals.

*

 Both Benoit Pouliot and Derek Roy have points in three straight. So the Edmonton count for Roy is now seven points in eight games. That’s very retro-Roy numbers right there. I thought he was done after seeing him struggle for three years after his quad surgery. But he doesn’t need speed on a speedy team I guess. I just quickly went to Fantrax and increased my pending waiver bid on Roy by 25%.

*

When I do this gig, I try not to speak in absolutes. Like “he’ll never do this” or “he’ll definitely do this”. If I speak that way, then I’m pretty damn certain. You won’t see it often. And when you do this for over nine years, you get your share of arguments – usually from readers who don’t mind speaking in absolutes. Sometimes these disagreements stick out in my mind, though I never remember who has them with me or when. After seeing Mathieu Perreault score four goals last night, and watch him tally 22 points in his last 19 games, I’m reminded of the time that a reader swore up and down that he had zero upside on a scoring line and he was an energy player at best. That 65 points for an upside was absurd. This was when he was with Washington. Not everyone can score four goals. If he keeps getting the ice time he’s getting, he could very well get to that 65-point mark. His current full-season pace is for 53 points thanks to the slow start. So he’d need 37 points in 39 games the rest of the way. A long shot, but doable. If he even gets 60, then I don’t think many would doubt that he has the ability for 65.

This is the reason I’m so loose with my upsides when it comes to players aged 18 to 24. An upside is just that – an upside. Most players won’t reach it. Some do. But it’s best to see a career pattern and a role with the team, before zeroing in on a proper upside.

*

Michael Frolik has 14 points in his last 16 games, so Perreault is really helping him out as well. The other linemate Mark Scheifele has 14 points in 15 games.

Dustin Byfuglien has 20 points in his last 20 games. It’s already well documented that he’s enjoying things – and producing more – as a defenseman.

*

Aleksander Barkov has quietly put up four points in five games. Jonathan Huberdeau‘s hot streak is helping others in the lineup get out of their funk, too. Tomas Fleischmann has four points in three games.

*

Dallas line combos last night:

Brett Ritchie is still hanging in there.

*

Calvin de Haan has five points in his last eight games and is plus-4 in that span. I was looking around for a defenseman to bid on and thought I’d share my findings. Pickings are slim in that league.

*

Kari Lehtonen is now winless in four – and he got the hook last night after giving up two goals on five shots. His SV% is taking an absolute beating.

*

First Fleischmann, and now Hemsky. What is this, 2010? Hemsky has nine points in his last 11 games.

*

And finally, DobberBaseball writer Anatoliy Metter contributes fantasy hockey stuff over at The Hockey Writers. Check out his latest work on sleepers vs. streakers …and streaking dmen under 25% owned.