In this week’s Eastern Edge, we’ll look at the midseason fantasy MVP from each team in the Eastern Conference. When I think about value in fantasy hockey, I think about players who have outperformed expectations. So, this article isn’t necessarily a list of each team’s best player or leading scorer. Instead, I tried to consider players whose contributions outweigh their preseason acquisition cost. Without further ado, here's each team's fantasy MVP from the first half:

Boston Bruins – Brad Marchand

Marchand leads the Bruins with 45 points in 34 appearances, or 1.32 points per game. I think he's deserving of the team's fantasy MVP title because he's outperformed Boston's other stars by a wide margin; David Pastrnak has 0.95 points per game and Patrice Bergeron has 0.84 points per game.

Buffalo Sabres – Rasmus Dahlin

The 21-year-old defenseman has quietly posted 28 points in 41 appearances this year, which translates to 56 points in 82 games. Across the league, only 12 defensemen have more points than Dahlin, and only 10 have more power-play points. Given the low expectations we had for Buffalo's offense this year, I'd say the young blueliner has had a pretty strong first half.

Carolina Hurricanes – Tony DeAngelo

For me, this one came down to DeAngelo and Frederik Andersen. Andersen has been excellent this year, posting a 2.03 GAA and .928 save percentage while winning 21 of his 26 starts. However, he was one of the first few goalies off the board in most fantasy drafts. As such, this strong performance was almost a requirement because of his high draft position. In contrast, DeAngelo was taken in the late rounds of most fantasy drafts. He's posted 32 points in 31 games this year, comfortably outperforming his fantasy draft position. 

Columbus Blue Jackets – Boone Jenner

Prior to this season, Jenner had established himself as a strong performer in peripheral categories but not someone you could rely on for offense. He's stepped into a bigger role with the Blue Jackets this year, averaging 20 minutes of ice time per game. That's a two-minute increase from last year's average. In addition, he's seeing 68% of Columbus' total power-play time – a significant upgrade from last year's 35% share. Jenner has thrived in this expanded role, racking up 16 goals in 39 games and scoring at a 57-point pace.

Detroit Red Wings – Dylan Larkin

Heading into this season, Larkin's fantasy value was at an all-time low because his offensive output had been on the decline. He grabbed our attention with a 79-point pace in 2018-2019 but followed that up with a 61-point pace in 2019-2020 and a 43-point pace in 2021. Due to the reduction in production, Larkin went undrafted in 47% of Yahoo leagues this year and had an ADP (average draft position) of 177 when he was drafted. Larkin has thoroughly outperformed his preseason acquisition cost, maintaining a point-per-game pace through 37 outings this year.

Florida Panthers – Anthony Duclair

Picking just one player to be Florida's fantasy MVP is no easy task, you could make a strong case for at least four or five guys. Jonathan Huberdeau has been outstanding this year, tied for the league-lead in points as I write this. Aaron Ekblad has been a top-five fantasy defenseman, scoring at nearly a point per game pace. Sergei Bobrovsky is having an incredible bounce-back year, sporting a 20-4-3 record with a 2.44 GAA and .923 save percentage. But ultimately, I gave the title to Anthony Duclair because he's shattered preseason expectations by the widest margin. After going undrafted in most fantasy leagues, Duclair has 33 points in 34 appearances

Montreal Canadiens – Tyler Toffoli

It's hard to find a single source of optimism from this year's Montreal Canadiens. They sit dead last in the league standings, posting just eight wins through 41 games. Honestly, I don't think any Hab is deserving of the midseason fantasy MVP title. But since I had to pick someone, Tyler Toffoli seemed like the most deserving candidate. He leads the team with 0.70 points per game.

New Jersey Devils – Jesper Bratt

Bratt flew under the radar in most fantasy drafts this season and was probably sitting on your league's waiver wire to start the year. It's amazing that he's still available in 46% of Yahoo formats considering he leads the Devils with 36 points in 37 games. To provide some perspective, Bratt has 12 more points than second-place Andreas Johnsson. It's worth mentioning that Jack Hughes has 23 points in 23 appearances and would be a frontrunner in the team's scoring race had he not missed 17 games due to injury.

New York Islanders – Ilya Sorokin

Offense hasn't come easy for the Islanders this year, so I couldn't justify dishing the fantasy MVP title to any of New York's skaters. Instead, the honour goes to netminder Ilya Sorokin, who holds an 11-7-5 record, with a 2.26 GAA and .928 save percentage. Heading into the season, we thought Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov would be sharing the net, but Sorokin has set himself apart as the starter, outperforming Varlamov's 3-7-1 record, 2.65 GAA and .914 save percentage.

New York Rangers – Chris Kreider

Put your pitchforks down. Yes, Igor Shesterkin has been the league's best goalie this year. He's won 20 of his 25 starts while posting a 2.07 GAA and an insane .937 save percentage. However, Shesterkin was one of the first few goalies off the board in most fantasy leagues. He's managed to outperform our lofty preseason expectations, but not by a wide margin because expectations were so high to begin with. In contrast, Kreider was taken late in most fantasy drafts, sporting an ADP of 153 in Yahoo leagues. He currently leads the league with 30 goals in 43 games. Yes, you read that right. As I write this, Chris Kreider leads the league in goal scoring.

Ottawa Senators – Drake Batherson

Batherson leads the Senators with 33 points in 30 games this season. Not bad for a player who wasn't even drafted in the majority of Yahoo leagues and had an ADP of 172 when he was drafted. If you're looking at leagues that emphasize peripheral production, Brady Tkachuk might be Ottawa's candidate for fantasy MVP. Not only is Tkachuk scoring at a career-best 67-point pace, but he's also a top contributor in shots, hits and penalty minutes.

Philadelphia Flyers – Claude Giroux

It's been a disappointing season for the Flyers, who have won just 13 of their 42 games. 34-year-old Giroux has been one of the few bright spots, posting 33 points in 39 appearances. That's a 67-point pace from a player who was drafted late in most fantasy leagues, with a Yahoo ADP of 157. He's been especially valuable in league's that track faceoffs, racking up faceoff wins from the wing with his center/left-wing position eligibility. 

Pittsburgh Penguins – Tristan Jarry

Public perception of Jarry fell after last season's playoff struggles. As a result, he wasn't among the top-20 goalies selected in your average Yahoo fantasy draft. Jarry has rewarded managers who took a chance on him, posting a 22-7-4 record with a .928 save percentage and 2.09 GAA. Had I written this article a few weeks ago, I probably would've crowned Evan Rodrigues as Pittsburgh's fantasy MVP. Rodrigues came out of nowhere to tally 30 points in his first 33 games of the year. However, he's failed to register a point in his last eight games. Although his numbers are still solid overall, he lacks the consistency I've seen from Jarry.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Alex Killorn

The 32-year-old winger went undrafted in 63% of Yahoo fantasy leagues, holding a late ADP of 168 when he was drafted. With such a low acquisition cost, it's amazing he's managed 39 points in 43 games this year. Killorn hasn't cracked a 60-point pace in his career but is currently pacing for 74.

Toronto Maple Leafs – William Nylander

The stylish Swede boasts a point-per-game pace through 38 outings this year. He's thoroughly outperforming the expectations that came with his Yahoo ADP of 97. Nylander has outplayed many of the players drafted ahead of him, including Nick Suzuki, T.J. Oshie and Tyler Seguin. Honourable mention for Toronto's midseason fantasy MVP goes to Jack Campbell, who sports a 19-6-3 record, 2.24 GAA and .927 save percentage. I would've given the title to Campbell, but he was drafted much earlier than Nylander and has struggled over the past month.

Washington Capitals – Alex Ovechkin

Twenty-nine goals and the same amount of assists through 43 games at the age of 36. He leads the league in shots and can contribute a few hits every now and then. If I'm sticking with my original premise that this list is comprised of players who outperformed their preseason ADP, then Washington's midseason MVP is probably Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has 41 points in 40 games after being selected 68^th overall in your average Yahoo league. However, I'm willing to sacrifice my credibility for an opportunity to recognize Ovechkin's consistent defiance of Father time. At the age of 36, he's pacing for 111 points. Absolutely insane.