Darcy Kuemper suffered an upper-body injury in practice on Saturday, which means that Charlie Lindgren could start today (Sunday) against Minnesota and possibly beyond that. Lindgren deserves at least a short-term pickup not only because of Kuemper's injury but also because of some juicy home matchups coming up against Columbus and Chicago… although sharp turn, the Blackhawks have embarrassed me twice over the last couple weeks when I confidently started my goalie against them. Nothing is ever a sure thing in the fantasy playoffs. I'm sure you've found that out at least once, though. But uh, add Lindgren anyway.

Also on the injury front for the Capitals, John Carlson could return to the lineup as early as Thursday. His injury was believed to be serious, but we now know it was a fractured skull and a severed temporal artery from taking a slap shot to the face. He also reportedly didn't have any headaches or concussion-like symptoms. I'm not a medical professional by any means, but how is that possible? This doesn't sound like an injury that could be taken lightly.

Carlson will provide a much-needed boost to fantasy lineups, although he may need a game or two to get his game legs and senses back. Hopefully he is really okay to go and not just being rushed back by a team trying to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. Since the Caps would have only 10 games left in the season if Carlson returns on Thursday, maybe it would make more sense to just shut him down.

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After allowing five goals on 21 shots in just over two periods on Saturday, Ville Husso is tied for the league lead in really bad starts. At first, I was going to write about how the Wings should consider their other options more, especially considering that Husso is expected to start again on Monday. However, the RBS total is high because Husso is one of nine goalies that has started 50 or more games this season. As well, he's a top-10 goalie in wins (25) in spite of playing for a team outside of a playoff spot. Moreover, he's kept his goals-against average under 3 and his save percentage above .900, so maybe he's given the Wings all they can ask for.

Evan Rodrigues is a top-searched player on Frozen Tools because he's on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Rodrigues recorded an assist on Rantanen's goal, giving him points in back-to-back games. He's not on a major heater at the moment, but the thinking is that he might be about to go on one while playing on that line. He's still available in over 75% of Yahoo leagues and over 50% of Fantrax leagues, offering maximum roster flexibility by being eligible in all three forward positions in both leagues. As well, all four of Colorado's games next week are on off days with three matchups against non-playoff teams (CHI, ARI x 2). For that reason, Rodrigues might be the perfect waiver-wire pickup next week.

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Evander Kane scored on all three of his shots on Saturday for his sixth multi-goal game since joining the Oilers last season. Kane has had a rough season with injuries, but in scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 29 games, he's on a similar scoring pace to what he has shown in recent seasons. He's also still averaging over three shots per game, also a similar pace to past seasons.  

Mattias Ekholm recorded three assists on Saturday, giving him seven points in nine games as an Oiler and five points in his last four games. Prior to that, he had posted just 18 points in 57 games with Nashville. Only one of his seven points with Edmonton is on the power play, so this is simply a residual effect from playing on a far superior offense. The Oilers average over a goal per game more than the Predators. Ekholm should certainly be upgraded in next season's fantasy defense rankings.

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Matt Murray has the dubious honor of allowing exactly four goals in six consecutive games. We might have to cut him some slack on this one, as he faced 52 shots. Because of the number of shots he faced and goals he allowed, Murray managed to post his first quality start in six games. I would think that Ilya Samsonov would start Game 1 of the playoffs for the Leafs, but I neither coach the Leafs nor consider myself the world's foremost expert on the team.

Calle Jarnkrok scored a pair of goals, giving him multiple points in back-to-back games and six points in his last four games. All are games this week, if he's on your team in a head-to-head matchup. Jarnkrok has been on the Auston Matthews line for much of that time, which is worth keeping in mind if you're considering adding Jarnkrok.

After an Alex DeBrincat goal with two minutes remaining was reversed for offside, Brady Tkachuk scored the game-tying goal with 11 seconds remaining in regulation. He finished with a strong multicategory statline, as is the norm for him: 2 G, 8 SOG, 4 HITS.

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Brandon Hagel can be hot and cold, but he's hot again. Hagel posted a hat trick on seven shots on Saturday, giving him nine points over his last five games. It's possible you may have lost patience with him when he went goalless over a 13-game stretch from mid-February into March, or when he shifted over to a line with Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. However, he's back on the Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov unit, which means he should be rostered just about everywhere. Hagel is heavily dependent on his linemates, so check the Frozen Tools line combinations regularly if he's on your team.

Jonathan Drouin entered Saturday's game with four points (all assists) in his previous three games. However, he was benched for the entire game because he was two minutes late for a team meeting. When Drouin was brought up on the Hockey Night in Canada panel, Kevin Bieksa shared his own story about David Booth when the two played for the Canucks.

Kevin Bieksa (@kbieksa3) tells a story about his former teammate David Booth (@D_Booth7) on the Hockey Night in Canada panel. 😅 pic.twitter.com/hWcIT9hfdP

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 19, 2023

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All of the Rangers' top six were on the scoresheet for at least one point on Saturday, while Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Mika Zibanejad each posted at least two points. Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck each recorded a point.

That Kaner-Breadman connection. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/n7ceQT1Uo3

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 19, 2023

Igor Shesterkin posted a 34-save shutout for the Rangers. After a six-game span when he was without a quality start, Shesterkin is hot again with five consecutive wins and quality starts in three of his past four games. The Rangers tick the boxes for both scoring and goaltending, so let's see if that translates to playoff success.

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Do you think Tyler Myers's days with the Canucks are numbered after this season? In order to activate Ethan Bear, Myers was made a healthy scratch. One offseason prediction that I'll make about the Canucks is that they'll move on from either Myers or Oliver Ekman-Larsson in some way, shape, or form.

Myers' absence sure didn't help the shot total for the Canucks. They managed to pull out a shootout win in spite of taking just 17 shots. Thatcher Demko stopped 38 of 40 shots to earn a win. He's had quality starts in six of his last seven games and wins in four of his last five games. Since March 2, he's managed to earn a 1.99 GAA and .933 SV%. Whether it's the coaching change to Rick Tocchet or the return of Demko, the Canucks are suddenly much stronger in net.

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Jason Robertson has matched his goal total of 41 goals from last season, scoring a pair of goals on Saturday including the overtime winner. Robertson also added an assist, five shots, and four hits. The Stars' top line of Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski combined for nine points, with each player registering three points.

Also: is the Fox glow puck making a comeback?

Jason Robertson dangles to his backhand and buries a BEAUTY to win it for the Stars in overtime!#TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/MfVGo0QZO0

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) March 19, 2023

Miro Heiskanen added two more assists on Saturday, giving him eight helpers this week and 17 points in his last 10 games, with points in all 10 of those games. As I mentioned two days ago, Heiskanen is the top-scoring defenseman this month. He's been my top player in my head-to-head playoff matchup this week, earning his $8.45 million salary in my cap league.

With his goal on Saturday, Wyatt Johnston is the first rookie to score 20 goals this season. He also has goals in four consecutive games. Not bad for a 19 year old.

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Clayton Keller scored a goal and added two assists in a win over the Blackhawks. That gives him 15 points over his last eight games and a career-high 75 points in 70 games. Since February 6, Keller has 34 points over his last 20 games. What if I told you that Connor McDavid is the only player with more points since that date? (Keller is also tied with Nathan MacKinnon over that span.) That’s quite a scoring stat. Because he plays his home games in a building that holds only 5,000 fans for a team with zero Stanley Cup hopes, Keller might be one of the most underrated players in the league.

Clayton Keller is stellar! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/TvHTfG7OIc

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 19, 2023

Juuso Valimaki also scored a goal with two assists for the Coyotes. He has seven points over his last four games, averaging three shots per game over that span. He's found new life in the desert, averaging nearly 23 minutes per game over his last 21 games after averaging under 20 minutes during the first half of the season. The departures of Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere have helped tremendously, as Valimaki is now also on the first-unit power play. He's rostered in just 13 percent of Yahoo leagues, so he's one to consider if you need scoring from your defense.

Barrett Hayton scored again, extending his point streak to seven games. He's piled up 12 points over that span. For more on Hayton and some other Coyotes not mentioned here, check out my Ramblings from two days ago.  

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Follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding for more fantasy hockey.