In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll discuss notable performances from the month of February. Keep in mind that as far as the schedule was concerned, it was an uneven month for most teams involved. Some played as few as six, some as many as 12.  

Toronto's Top Trio

February was a great month for Toronto's top line, with each member finishing as a frontrunner in the league's scoring race. Mitch Marner sat atop the leaderboard with 23 points in 12 outings, Auston Matthews was a close second with 19 points through 12 appearances, and Michael Bunting also managed to crack the top-10, tallying 14 points in 12 games. Through 300 minutes together this season, the trio has controlled 60% of the shot-share. Not only have they generated more shots than their opponents, they've also created more scoring chances (65%) and high danger opportunities (64%). A strong process has led to favourable results as the trio has outscored the opposition 34-17 this season. While Matthews and Marner won't be easy to acquire in your fantasy league, Michael Bunting is still available in 51% of Yahoo formats. He's shown good chemistry with Matthews and Marner and should continue seeing lots of time beside the two superstars down the stretch.

Goalie Gaffes

Heading into February, Sergei Bobrovsky had a 23-4-3 record, 2.56 GAA and .920 save percentage. His numbers over the past month don't look great as he posted a 3.08 GAA and .877 save percentage through five starts in February. Bobrovsky actually started the month with three quality starts against the Hurricanes, Wild and Blackhawks, but his stats took a hit after he surrendered five goals to Nashville and four to Edmonton in his two most recent appearances. I'm inclined to believe this is a small bump in the road, rather than a sign of what's to come down the stretch. Bob benefits from playing behind a strong team in Florida, and although the Panthers are currently caught in a three-game losing streak, they've proven to be a powerhouse over a large sample. I'm confident that both the team and Bob will bounce back from this small slump.

Jack Campbell's recent struggles have been well documented. While February wasn't a good month for Campbell, his struggles date back to the beginning of 2022. He possesses a 3.49 GAA and .887 save percentage in 15 starts since January 1^st. That's a drastic drop from the 1.94 GAA and .937 save percentage he had through 23 games during the 2021 portion of this season. Since Campbell is 30 years old, it's easy to forget that this his first season as a full-fledged starting netminder. He's navigating a new role and needs to continue developing his mental fortitude. At present, he seems to be a streaky goaltender that's capable of high highs, but also falls victim to low lows. Initial struggles diminish his confidence, leading to a snowball effect that results in a sustained period of poor play. The team seems to understand this, which is why they've given Petr Mrazek the reigns recently, providing Campbell with a chance to reset mentally. Based on Mrazek's play this year, I don't think the Czech goaltender is capable of running away with the starting role any time soon. Rather, I think the Leafs want Campbell to be their guy come playoff time, so they'll need to get him going again during these final few months of the regular season. The Campbell owner in your fantasy league is probably frustrated by his recent struggles, so you may be able to acquire him at a discounted rate. There's a risk he doesn't bounce back this season, but if you can buy low, there may be sizeable rewards to reap down the stretch.

Goalie Battle Brewin' in Boston

February was an excellent month for Jeremy Swayman, who posted a 5-1-1 record, 1.13 GAA and .960 save percentage. In contrast, Linus Ullmark struggled this past month, finishing with a 2-2-0 record, 3.27 GAA and .896 save percentage. Although Ullmark and Swayman have been sharing the net for most of the season, Swayman is starting to separate himself from Ullmark. Thanks to his strong showing in February, Swayman now sports a 1.95 GAA and .929 save percentage through 24 appearances this season. In contrast, Ullmark owns a 2.76 GAA and .909 save percentage through 27 outings. Don't be surprised to see Swayman get a few more starts than Ullmark down the stretch.

Good Players on 'Bad' Teams

Okay listen up Red Wings and Blue Jackets' fans. I know your teams haven't been bad this season. Heck, Columbus has a winning record. But I needed a title for this section and "good players on bad teams, as well as teams that are perceived to be bad" just didn't have the same ring to it.

Anyways, here's a list of players who haven't received enough love for their achievements in February. Some of these guys may be underappreciated because their teams aren't Stanley Cup Contenders and therefore don't receive leaguewide attention very often.

Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch

I've sung this line's praises a couple times already this season, so I'll save you from re-reading the same rave reviews. Instead, I'll just let you know that through 10 games in February, Thompson tallied 11 points (8 goals), Tuch posted 10 points, and Skinner put up nine.

Boone Jenner – 11 points in 10 games during the month of February. Not enough people are talking about Jenner's offensive production this year. Recent seasons have seen Jenner score at a 30 to 40-point pace, but he's currently pacing for 63. He has 22 goals in 53 outings!

Jakub Voracek – Posted 10 points through 10 games in February. He's still available in 53% of Yahoo Leagues.

Dylan Larkin – 12 points in seven games last month. That gives Larkin 55 points in 48 games this season – which translates to 94 points over 82 games. He's putting together an incredible bounce back campaign after last year's disappointing 43-point pace. 

Lucas Raymond – The 19-year-old rookie had an underwhelming January with seven points in 14 games. He bounced back in February with seven points in seven appearances. With 42 points in 53 games this season, Raymond is on pace for 65 in 82.

Moritz Seider – He has 10 points through seven appearances in February. Cale Makar was the only defenseman with more points than Seider this past month, but Makar had three extra games to post two extra points.

Noah Dobson – Through 12 games in the month of February, Dobson tallied 10 points. The 22-year-old defenseman is establishing himself as New York's top offensive blueliner this year. He's stepped into a prominent role with the man advantage, holding a 62% share of the Islanders' total power-play time this season.

Yegor Sharangovich – The 23-year-old sophomore posted 12 points through nine games in February, averaging 17 and a half minutes a night. He benefits from playing on a line with budding superstar Jack Hughes and is still available in 78% of Yahoo leagues.

Jack Hughes – 12 points in six games last month, 38 points in 33 games this season. After underwhelming rookie and sophomore campaigns, Hughes is showing why he went first overall in the 2019 draft.

Nico Hischier – The Devils' captain tallied 11 points through nine games in February and is still available in 70% of Yahoo leagues. New Jersey's offense has taken off recently now that most of the team's key skaters are healthy. 

Jesper Bratt – 10 points in seven appearances last month. He's been consistently excellent this season, sporting 50 points through 48 games. Bratt hasn't received enough attention for his breakout this year, he's only rostered in 60% of Yahoo formats.

Scott Laughton – February saw him post seven points in eight games, averaging over 18 minutes a night. That may seem like a flash in the pan, but he's actually been quite productive since the beginning of the calendar year. Laughton started the season with nine points in 29 games, but has 15 points in 20 appearances since 2022 began.