In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll discuss an early fantasy headline for each team in the conference.

Boston Bruins – David's Krejci Value

Since the 36-year-old center played in the Czech league last season, the 'out of sight out of mind' phenomenon caused him to fly under the radar in fantasy drafts this year. He's off to a strong start with four points in his first three outings, skating beside superstar David Pastrnak at even strength and on the top power play. Pastrnak is in the final year of his current contract and looks great so far – clearly motivated to earn a lucrative new deal. Krejci and Pastrnak have great chemistry together, so Pastrnak playing at a high level bodes well for Krejci.

While Pastrnak is rostered in your league, Krejci is currently available in 73% of Yahoo formats.

Buffalo Sabres – Better Stats for Mittelstadt?

It's only been two games, but it looks like the 23-year-old center is slated to take on a bigger role this year. He skated 17 minutes in game one and 20 minutes in game two – both totals being above last year's average of 16 minutes. At even strength, Casey Mittelstadt is skating on the second line. On the power play, he's skating on the 'top' unit with Tuch, Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and Rasmus Dahlin. I say 'top' because it includes the team's top talent, but in terms of ice time, we've seen a relatively even split between Buffalo's first and second units so far. Although Mittelstadt hasn't found the scoresheet yet, he's contributed to a couple of peripheral categories, posting six shots and 18 faceoff wins. He's been placed in a position to succeed and realize the potential that comes with being drafted eighth overall (2017).

Carolina Hurricanes – Martin's Puttin' Pucks In

With five points in his first three games, Martin Necas has left last year's disappointing 42-point pace far back in the rear-view. He's averaging over 18 minutes of action this year, a significant increase from the 16 minutes he saw last season. At even strength, he's looked excellent on that second line beside Andrei Svechnikov. Necas saw some time on the top power-play unit during Monday's game against the Kraken. If he can hold onto that role, he could have a big year ahead of him. He's currently rostered in just 32% of Yahoo leagues, but I expect that number to skyrocket in the coming weeks.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Gustav Must-Have V1

With Patrik Laine sidelined for a few weeks due to an elbow sprain, there's an opening on Columbus' top line and top power-play unit. Gustav Nyquist was the benefactor during Saturday's game against the Blues, scoring a goal while skating in Laine's place beside Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau. Although he didn't get any power-play time during that game, Nyquist was skating on the top unit during Columbus' most recent practice. As a result, he should play a prominent role with the man advantage during Tuesday's clash with the Canucks. If Nyquist can make the most of this opportunity while Laine is sidelined, he'll be a great short-term add.

Detroit Red Wings – A New Peak for Kubalik

With Tyler Bertuzzi out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, there's an opening on Detroit's top line and first power-play unit. Dominik Kubalik filled those holes during Monday's game against the Kings. He tallied two points while seeing 19 minutes of action and 82% of the team's total power-play time. Kubalik is available in 97% of Yahoo leagues and makes for a great addition to your roster while Bertuzzi is sidelined. He scored 30 goals in 68 games as a rookie in Chicago, so we know he has the offensive ability to succeed in this expanded role.

Florida Panthers – Gustav Must-Have V2

With Brandon Montour missing Monday's game against Boston with an injury, and Aaron Ekblad getting injured during that game, Gustav Forsling took on an increased role and ended up seeing 28 minutes of action. He was all over the stat sheet, posting a goal, assist and block, as well as two hits and five shots. Montour isn't expected to be out long term, but Ekblad is still being evaluated so there's no timetable for his return right now. With Montour and Ekblad out, Forsling should enjoy a prominent role and will probably see some time on Florida's' top power-play unit. 

Montreal Canadiens – Kaiden for Calder?

After just four games in the NHL, the 20-year-old defenseman has established himself as Montreal's best blue liner. Maybe that's not saying a lot given the current state of the team's blue line, but I think the poise and decision-making that Kaiden Guhle's shown early on would earn him a prominent role on any roster. His 22 minutes of ice time per game currently rank second on the team. I expect his opportunity will continue to grow in coming weeks, especially with Mike Matheson and Joel Edmundson on the shelf for the foreseeable future. A high volume of ice time should help Guhle contribute to a variety of fantasy categories. He already has 12 hits and seven blocks through four appearances. Guhle saw nearly 25 minutes in his most recent outing, effectively defending Sidney Crosby, but also posting his first two points in the NHL. He recently stepped into a secondary power-play role and could get some reps on the top unit before the season ends.

New Jersey Devils – Doug His Way Back

Last season, a couple of injuries hindered Hamilton's offense. He lost power-play time to Damon Severson and scored at an underwhelming 40-point pace. The Devils are only two games into a new season, but early signs suggest Hamilton is on track for a bounce back campaign. He's back on the top power-play unit and has seen 70% of the team's total time with the man advantage so far. Any concerns about Severson eating into Hamilton's opportunity can be silenced for now.

New York Islanders – Oliver's All Over the Scoresheet

Oliver Wahlstrom made his season debut on Saturday, tallying a goal and assist despite seeing less than 10 minutes of action. He was dealing with an injury during training camp, so I'm hopeful that his limited ice time was more a product of easing him back into the lineup than a glimpse of how he's going to be deployed this year. Maybe that's too optimistic of me though, seeing as Wahlstrom has averaged just 12 minutes of ice time through two seasons with the Islanders, stuck in sheltered minutes while players who are past their prime (Zach Parise and Kyle Palmieri) see more favourable deployment. Regardless, if Wahlstrom can build off this strong start, he'll give the team no choice but to play him more.

New York Rangers – Lafrenière's Year

After an underwhelming start to his NHL career, the first overall pick from 2020 is showing signs he's taken his game to a new level this year. Alexis Lafrenière has three points in four appearances so far. He's seeing 16 and a half minutes per game – a significant increase from the 14 minutes he averaged in each of his first two campaigns. More importantly, he's spent most of his even-strength minutes beside superstar Artemi Panarin. Although a lack of power-play opportunity limits Lafrenière's offensive ceiling, his current deployment sets the stage for a breakout season.

Ottawa Senators – Power-Play Personnel  

When the Senators acquired Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux during the offseason, we wondered what the team's top power-play unit would like. There were six forwards capable of playing on the top unit, but only four forward slots available. Through two games, the homegrown talent (Josh Norris, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle) has made up one unit, while the outsourced talent (Giroux and DeBrincat) played on the other. There's been a pretty even split of ice time between the units so far, but the Giroux-DeBrincat group is the one that scored Ottawa's only goal with the man advantage so far. I expect we'll see some tinkering as the season goes on until we eventually land on a winning combination. 

Philadelphia Flyers – Tony's TOI

Two games into the season, Tony DeAngelo leads the Flyers in ice time, seeing 25 and a half minutes per game. Second-place Ivan Provorov is a full two and a half minutes behind DeAngelo. It's important to highlight because DeAngelo is thought of as an offensive specialist and defensive liability. Such players typically see limited deployment because they can't be trusted in all situations. If DeAngelo is seeing such a high volume of ice time, then his fantasy value won't be so dependent on power-play production as it has been in years past. Even though he already has two points with the man advantage, I'm not a big believer in Philly's power play long term, so more opportunity at even strength would certainly help his fantasy value. With that being said, I wouldn't be surprised if DeAngelo's defensive shortcomings become more obvious against tougher opponents as the season progresses, ultimately resulting in a role reduction.

Pittsburgh Penguins – No Rust for Bryan

Bryan Rust is off to a hot start this year with five points in his first three games. He's primed for another strong year as a prominent piece of Pittsburgh's top-six forward group and first power-play unit. He isn't quite a household name like other Penguins' stars, but since the beginning of the 2019-2020 campaign, Rust has 161 points in 174 games (0.93 points per game). That's a similar pace to guys like John Tavares (0.95 points per game) and Brayden Point (0.90 points per game), but there's a massive difference in the way we perceive Rust in fantasy formats compared to those other guys.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Bagels for Hagel

Although he's currently sporting a bagel in the points column, Hagel remains in a prime position to produce beside superstars Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The trio has good possession numbers together, so coach Jon Cooper doesn't have a reason to break them up right now. Hagel showed off his offensive ability when he tallied 37 points in 55 games with the Blackhawks last season. As long as he's riding shotgun on Tampa's top line, the points will come.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Matthews the Multicategory Master  

Through four games, Toronto's star forward hasn't been producing the elite offense we've come to expect from him. However, he's been a top performer in one category that you wouldn't necessarily guess. In his four appearances, Matthews has racked up 14 hits – a total which currently ranks 12^th among league skaters. When speaking to the media, Matthews shared that he's making a conscious effort to be more physical this season. I don't think this new physicality is the reason for his slow start offensively. He's one of the most gifted shooters we've ever seen, and I expect the floodgates will open eventually – it's only been four games! The takeaway here is that if your league counts hits, Matthews just got a whole lot more valuable. 

Washington Capitals – Strome's Right at Home

Dylan Strome has fit right in with the Capitals, tallying four points in his first four appearances with the team. His production has been fueled by a prominent role on Washington's top power-play unit where he benefits from exposure to Alex Ovechkin – a benefit which extends to some of his even-strength minutes as well. Strome has seen 71% of the team's total time with the man advantage and already has three power-play points.  He's averaged 18 and a half minutes of ice time per night – a step up from last year's average of 17 and a half minutes. This is the deployment he needs to flirt with a 70-point pace for the first time in his career.