In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll look at widely rostered players who have underperformed in the past month (since March 1^st). We've reached a point of the fantasy campaign where name-value becomes meaningless, and loyalty goes out the window. Don't be afraid to drop some of your big-name players if they've gone cold for a sustained period.

We'll also quickly run through a few players who aren't rostered in most fantasy leagues but have been productive in the past month. These players could make solid additions to your fantasy roster for this week's playoff matchup.

A lot of the information presented below was derived from Dobber's Schedule Planner – an incredibly useful tool that'll help you navigate your playoff matchups. Check it out here!

Widely Rostered Underperformers

Dougie Hamilton

The Devils defenseman has just six points in 16 games since March 1^st. In the past, Hamilton's status as a high-volume shooter gave him value even when he wasn't producing offense. Unfortunately, he hasn't been racking up as many shots during this recent stretch, averaging 2.5 per game. Don't get me wrong, that's still decent, but that shot rate ranks 21^st among defenseman since the beginning of March. We're used to seeing Hamilton atop the shot total leaderboard among the league's rearguards. Since returning from jaw surgery in late February, Hamilton has been stuck on the team's second power-play unit for the most part, with Damon Severson manning the first unit. A lack of power-play opportunity obviously limits Hamilton's offensive ceiling, and it's hard to say whether his role with the man advantage will increase any time soon. It's worth mentioning that Jack Hughes is currently sidelined with an injury, and his absence opens a spot on the top unit that Hamilton could potentially fill. Despite that potential, if I'm in the middle of a crucial playoff matchup and there are other options on the waiver wire, I'd be willing to drop Hamilton in one-year leagues. That decision is reinforced by the fact that the Devils only play three games both this week and next week.

Ondrej Palat

Since March 1^st, the Lightning forward has just four points in 18 appearances. Despite the cold streak, he's still rostered in 64% of Yahoo Leagues. His high level of ownership can be explained by his strong play before March began, as Palat posted 33 points in 46 games between October and February. During that stretch, he skated 17 and a half minutes a night, and held a prominent role on the power play for significant stretches. During this more recent cold streak, he's seeing just 15 minutes per game and doesn't get much time with the man advantage. In recent games, he's mostly been skating beside Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli, with minimal exposure to Tampa's superstar forwards. That could change in the short-term future, as Palat was skating alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov  during Tuesday's practice. That could be a reason for you to hold onto Palat in the short term. Another reason is Tampa's favorable schedule this week. Tampa Bay and Winnipeg are the only teams that play on all three of the remaining light days this week (Wednesday/Friday/Sunday). Light days are when fewer games are scheduled across the league, so it might be easier to incorporate Palat into your lineup than it would be for other players. Although there are reasons to be optimistic about Palat's potential this week, he has been cold for a while now, so I wouldn't blame you for dropping him if there are better options available on your waiver wire.  

Sergei Bobrovsky

I made the difficult decision to drop Bobrovsky in a 10-team league this week. There were three main reasons behind that decision. One: Without Bobrovsky, I still have two strong netminders in Jakob Markstrom and Tristan Jarry. Two: I wasn't a fan of Florida's schedule this week. The Panthers face Toronto's high-powered offense on Tuesday, before playing Buffalo on Friday and Nashville on Saturday. The way I see it, Spencer Knight is more likely to start the first half of that back-to-back against the weaker Sabres, leaving Bob to face a Nashville team with the league's fourth-best offense since March 1^st, averaging 4.07 goals per game. Even if Bob gets the start against Buffalo instead of Nashville, he surrendered four goals on 12 shots in his last start against the Sabres (December 2^nd). Which gets me to reason number three: Bob has had a number of really bad starts against non-playoff teams and is often unpredictable and inconsistent. In his last four starts (all against non-playoff teams) he surrendered six goals to the Devils, shutout the Blackhawks, gave up four to the Habs, and surrendered three to the Sens. Being on Florida ensures he racks up wins, but his GAA and SV% are so unpredictable, it isn't worth the stress. Now, I'm not telling you to drop Bobrovksy right now, because the Panthers happen to face weaker opponents next week (Anaheim/Winnipeg/Detroit), so if you make it past this week's matchup, he could help you get through your next one. However, I wanted to share my situation and thought process to help you evaluate your own big-name underperformers.

Hot and Available

Erik Haula

Haula has 14 points in his last 16 games and is still available in 73% of Yahoo leagues. If your league tracks faceoffs, Haula's center/left wing eligibility allows you to rack up face-off wins from the wing. The Bruins have game scheduled on two of the three remaining 'light' days this week, as they play Tampa on Friday and Washington on Sunday. Haula should be easier to fit into your lineup than most players. It's worth noting that Haula has enjoyed a lot of offensive success while skating between two talented wingers in David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. Unfortunately, an injury will keep Pastrnak out of Tuesday's game against Detroit. Pastrnak's absence takes a huge bite out of Haula's offensive potential, so keep an eye on the Czech sniper's status for those games later in the week. If Haula's already rostered in your fantasy league, Charlie Coyle (14 points in 16 games) and Craig Smith (10 goals and 3 assists in 15 games) represent more attainable options that have also been hot recently.  

Kevin Hayes

The Flyers center Is finally starting to settle in after an injury-riddled campaign, posting 15 points in 15 games since March 1^st. On one hand, the Flyers don't have a great schedule this week, as they only play three games, and all of those games will be played on heavy days (Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday), when most of the league is in action, making it harder to incorporate Hayes into your lineup. However, when you look at opponent quality, Philly's schedule is actually quite favorable. They play two games against Columbus and one against Anaheim, and both of those teams have been giving up a lot of goals recently. Hayes is rostered in just 8% of Yahoo leagues, so there's a good chance he's still sitting on your waiver wire.

Tim Stützle

The 20-year-old forward has been playing well recently, posting 15 points in his last 17 games and showing why he was selected third overall in 2020. Ottawa is one of just six teams that play four games between Tuesday and Sunday – giving Stützle plenty of chances to contribute to your fantasy roster this week. He's available in 63% of Yahoo leagues.