In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll look at heroes and zeroes from each team in round one. Special thanks to Ryan Brudner (@fantasycheddar) who did an amazing job with the column while I was away last month!

Boston Bruins

Heroes: Tyler Bertuzzi & Dmitry Orlov

Boston's trade deadline acquisitions were incredibly productive during the postseason. Through seven games, Bertuzzi led Bruins' skaters with 10 points, while Orlov led the team's blueliners with eight. In the playoffs, Bertuzzi and Orlov extended an impressive body of work that began when they joined Boston late in the regular season. As unrestricted free agents this summer, they'll likely receive lucrative deals from other teams on the open market.

Zero: Linus Ullmark

After an outstanding regular season saw him post a .938 save percentage and 1.89 GAA, it was disappointing to see Ullmark register an .896 save percentage and 3.33 GAA in the playoffs. I wouldn't put too much stock into his postseason struggles as Kevin Weekes reported that Ullmark played through a debilitating injury that limited his mobility.   

Carolina Hurricanes

Hero: Seth Jarvis

The 21-year-old forward fell victim to the dreaded sophomore slump during the regular season. He scored at a 39-point pace in year two, failing to build on a strong rookie campaign despite seeing significantly more ice time. Jarvis has been solid at both ends of the ice during these playoffs, tallying four points through six games. A strong postseason performance could give him the confidence to take a step forward in year three.

Zero: Shayne Gostisbehere

There was a lot of hype around Gostisbehere when he tallied four points in his first two games with the Hurricanes. His production fell from that point forward as he tallied just six points in his next 21 regular season appearances. That decline has carried into the playoffs where he's pointless through six games. It's hard to be too critical of Gostisbehere because he isn't seeing the same volume of offensive opportunity that he saw in Arizona, where he was a 50-point defenseman.

Florida Panthers

Hero: Brandon Montour

Heading into this season, Brandon Montour wasn't really a household name. He'd been hovering around the 30-point mark and never really saw a prominent offensive opportunity on any of the three teams he played on during his first six seasons. Coach Paul Maurice trusted Montour with an expanded role this year and it's paid off in a big way. After posting a career-high 73 points in 80 games during the regular season, Montour has eight points through seven playoff appearances – headlined by the game-tying goal with a minute left in game seven.

Zero: Aaron Ekblad

It's no coincidence that Montour's rise has coincided with Ekblad's decline. The 2022-2023 regular season saw Ekblad post his worst offensive output in recent years. That underwhelming production has carried into the postseason, where Ekblad has failed to register a point in six games so far. Ekblad's fantasy stock was at an all-time high after he scored at nearly a point-per-game pace last season, but it's dropped significantly since then.

New Jersey Devils

Hero: Akira Schmid

After Vitek Vanecek surrendered nine goals in the first two games of the series, Schmid stepped in and won four of five starts, registering a .951 save percentage and 1.38 GAA in the process. The 22-year-old netminder saw limited action during the regular season but was solid when called upon, posting a 2.13 GAA and .922 save percentage over 18 games. From a contract standpoint, the Devils are most invested in Vanecek, so he should continue seeing significant action next season. Regardless, Schmid's role will expand if he can keep up his strong postseason play.

Zero: Timo Meier

Considering he was one of the most valuable assets exchanged at the 2023 trade deadline, Meier's time in New Jersey has been underwhelming so far. After posting just 14 points in 21 appearances (0.67 points/game) with the Devils during the regular season, Meier has gone pointless in his first seven games of the playoffs. In his final years with the Sharks, Meier had emerged as a 40-goal, point-per-game threat. He's fallen short of expectations thus far, but sometimes new players need extra time to get comfortable in new surroundings. He took a big hit in game seven, but assuming he's available for round two, let's see if he can raise his stock with a strong showing.

New York Islanders

Hero: Brock Nelson

I think Nelson is one of the league's most underrated players. He's scored at or above a 65-point pace in three of the past four years, but is rarely recognized for his offensive ability. This year, Nelson capped off a career-best 75-point season by leading his team in playoff scoring (tied with Kyle Palmieri), posting five points in six outings.

Zero: Bo Horvat

Given the investment made to acquire and retain Horvat long term, it's disappointing to see him tally just two points through six playoff appearances. His underwhelming postseason is an extension of a regular season that saw him tally just 16 points in 30 games with the Islanders (0.53 points per game). That's a far cry from the 54 points he had in 49 games (1.10 points/game) with Vancouver earlier in the year. Now, there's usually an adjustment period when a player joins a new team, so I don't want to be too critical of Horvat. His struggles were likely magnified because he didn't have time to build chemistry with fellow star Mathew Barzal, who was sidelined with an injury during the final months of the regular season. I don't think we've seen Horvat's best in New York just yet.

New York Rangers

Hero: Igor Shesterkin

Shesterkin's regular season numbers weren't as good as they were last year, but he gave the Rangers a chance to win during the playoffs, posting a .931 save percentage and 1.96 GAA. Ultimately, he was let down by star-studded offense that scored just 2.43 goals per game. Only Minnesota posted fewer goals per game (2.33) during the postseason.

Zero: Artemi Panarin

I thought about giving this spot to Alexis Lafreniere, who went pointless during New York's seven-game series with the Devils. Although Laf's lack of offense is disappointing given the high expectations that come with being a first overall pick, those expectations have gradually fallen over these past three years. In all fairness, he's still young and hasn't really been given a prime opportunity to realize his potential. In contrast, expectations are much higher for Artemi Panarin – as they should be. Panarin is among the league's highest paid players and sees a high volume of offensive opportunity. The fact that he registered just two assists in seven games is incredibly disappointing.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Hero: Anthony Cirelli

With six points in six games, Cirelli co-led the Lightning in playoff scoring (tied with Nikita Kucherov). Cirelli is often recognized for his two-way play and defensive impact, but these playoffs serve as a reminder that he's capable of producing offensively as well.

Zero: Andrei Vasilevskiy

Expectations are obviously high for one of the most talented and highest paid goalies of this generation. Vasilevskiy fell short of those expectations during these playoffs, posting a 3.56 GAA and .875 save percentage through seven games. It's a reminder of the unpredictable nature of goaltending. In fantasy hockey, using early draft picks on high-profile netminders often results in heartbreak.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Hero: Mitch Marner

11 points in six games. Across the league, Roope Hintz is the only player who had more points (12) than Marner in round one. Marner had been productive in previous postseasons, but took his game to another level in order to help his team pass a checkpoint that's eluded them for so long.

Zero: non-Leaf Fans

Hockey fans everywhere have lost a classic, timeless joke about Toronto's lack of playoff success.