In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll discuss players who have recently entered more favourable situations, thereby increasing their fantasy value for the foreseeable future. 

Jake Bean

The Blue Jackets' blueline has taken a few significant hits recently. Zach Werenski is slated to miss the rest of the season, while Adam Boqvist and Nick Blankenburg are sidelined for at least a few weeks. These injuries open opportunities for the team's healthy defenders, namely Jake Bean, who is currently skating on Columbus' top power-play unit. Now, the team's power play has been awful so far this season, sitting at the bottom of the league with a conversion rate of 8.1%. It's hard to be optimistic about their man advantage considering their best defenseman (Werenski), best shooter (Patrik Laine), and a very talented playmaker (Jakub Voracek) are all out for the foreseeable future. Despite what you think about the team's outlook, it's hard to find a defenseman on the waiver wire who sees a lot of power-play time. Currently a free agent in 90% of Yahoo Leagues, Bean could be a diamond in the rough for your fantasy roster. His offensive potential was well-documented back in 2016 when he was drafted 13^th overall. He's only played 124 NHL games since then, so I'd say there's still some untapped potential. This looks like the first time he'll enjoy a sustained stretch on a top power-play unit, let's see what he does with it.

Owen Tippett

It's crazy to think that a player who was drafted 10^th overall in 2017 was written off so quickly. He entered this season as a 23-year-old with 115 NHL games under his belt. Given his age and small body of work in the NHL, there was still plenty of time for him to develop, yet he wasn't on the radar for most fantasy managers – myself included.

This season, he's benefitted from playing on a Flyers team that lacks high-end talent, as he faces less competition for ice time. He's averaging 16 minutes of action a night – a significant step up from the 11-13 minutes he skated in recent years. Recently, he's spending most of those minutes on Philly's top line, beside Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes. Konecny has 17 points in 15 games this season while Hayes has 14 in 15. Playing a lot of minutes beside those two could really help Tippett's offensive numbers. Tippett is also enjoying a more prominent role with the man advantage this season, seeing 55% of the Flyer's total power-play time. He already has two points with the man advantage through 10 games, after posting just six PPPs in the first 115 games of his career. Tippett has been especially valuable in leagues that track shot totals as he's been averaging nearly three shots per game. His six points over 10 appearances isn't anything to write home about, but as we've discussed, there's a lot of reasons to be optimistic about his fantasy outlook. As I write this, he's still available in 97% of Yahoo leagues.

Jake Sanderson

On Sunday we learned that Thomas Chabot suffered a concussion against the Flyers on Saturday, causing him to sit out for at least a week. Now, Chabot was placed on Injured Reserve, a transaction which requires him to miss at least a week of action. So, when the team says he'll be out at least a week, it doesn't really give us any information about the status of his injury. Recovering from a concussion is an unpredictable process and it's incredibly difficult to assign a concrete timetable to such an injury. Although he could be back right after this mandatory absence, I think it's more likely he'll need some extra time to feel 100% again.

With Chabot sidelined, rookie defenseman Jake Sanderson is expected to take on a bigger role for the Senators. The 20-year-old has had a strong showing so far this season, tallying seven points through 15 appearances and looking like the team's best defenseman at times. At first, I was concerned that Chabot's absence would lead to more difficult minutes for Sanderson, ultimately making it harder for him to produce. However, Sanderson's usage chart suggests he hasn't been sheltered up until this point. He's faced high-quality opponents and hasn't started the majority of his shifts in the offensive zone. He's a talented player and I think he'll fare well in an expanded role. The only question is, how long will the increased opportunity last?

Kirby Dach

Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki have shown impressive chemistry together since Caufield burst onto the scene during the 2021 playoffs. Oftentimes when you have a dynamic duo, it's difficult to find a final piece that perfectly complements the pair. Last season, Josh Anderson was frequently the third wheel beside the youngsters. Although he performed relatively well, coach Martin St. Louis remained open to different options on the top line, giving guys like Rem Pitlick, Mike Hoffman and Sean Monahan a shot there over the past year. Most players didn't look bad beside Caufield and Suzuki, but it's Kirby Dach – the latest player to ride shotgun with the young guns – who has brought the line to another level. They've played together for about seven games now. In that time, Suzuki has 12 points, Dach has 11 and Caufield has nine.

Although the sample size is still small, the trio has managed to create more quality scoring chances than their opponents, outscoring the opposition 10-4 so far. Their chemistry has extended to the power play, as all three players skate on Montreal's top unit. The Canadiens struggled with the man advantage early in the season, scoring just one power-play goal on 21 opportunities (4.8%) in their first seven games. Since then, they've placed more of an emphasis on moving around and forcing the opposing penalty kill to make mistakes. That strategy has paid dividends as they've converted on 6 of 21 power-play chances (28.6%) in their last eight games. During that stretch, Caufield has three power-play points, while Dach and Suzuki each have four. It's been a long time since the Canadiens' have had a lethal power play. Although it's still early, the future looks bright. A productive power play would boost the fantasy ceilings of the team's budding stars. 

Now, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows here as the Dach-Suzuki-Caufield line owns an unsustainably high on-ice shooting percentage of 26.32% at 5v5 (via NaturalStatTrick). For reference, some of the league's top lines finished last season with on-ice shooting percentages around 10%. I think there's a lot of talent between the three of them and I could certainly see them developing into one of the league's most dangerous lines. However, odds are they don't keep scoring at this rate for the rest of the season. So, if you have the opportunity to sell high in a one-year league, it wouldn't be the worst idea. Now, if you're in the 56% of Yahoo Leagues where Dach is a free agent, it wouldn't be the worst idea to pick him up, ride this hot streak for as long as it suits you, and then trade him away for a higher price than you paid.