Another exciting, entertaining, and wild week in the NHL tees up the latest jam-packed edition of our Eastern Edge column. Today we're taking a look at a number of intriguing trends and fantasy hockey hotspots out East that are worth a few minutes of your weekly fantasy research.

Astute fantasy hockey GMs never slack on keeping their finger on the pulse across the league. Injuries, up-and-down performances, or lines being shuffled are all scenarios that command our attention and call on our ability to navigate the fantasy hockey landscape and NHL schedule with a keen eye.

Keep that gaze razor sharp by diving into a number of intriguing trends below.

Gaudreau's Game Getting Gruesome

It somehow seems like a lifetime ago we were witnessing Johnny Hockey lighting the league ablaze and garnering Hart Trophy respect alongside Matthew Tkachuk and a Calgary Flames team poised to accomplish championship-level success. My goodness, the difference a few seasons and a change of scenery can make, as Gaudreau is mired in what is easily the worst start to any season of his 11-year career.

Of course, he's not exactly playing with the duo-threat-type player that Matthew Tkachuk is, and injuries to Columbus' top-line pieces in Patrik Laine and Boone Jenner over the past two campaigns have affected that trio's ability to form real chemistry, but Gaudreau has been straight up awful across his first 16 games while registering a single goal and five assists.

Gaudreau used to be an absolute weapon on the man advantage, but he's a shell of his former self when it comes to the ability to not only impact the game at even strength, but the Blue Jackets are awful on the power-play, currently sitting with the fifth-worst unit in the NHL clicking at only 12%. The most concerning factor of this entire debacle surrounding a player who's expected to be a game-changing talent earning $9.75-million a season? It's Gaudreau's performance over the past six games, as Johnny Hockey has looked downright dreadful while registering one assist, going  minus-seven, and putting up only six total shots on net.

This guy was a plus-64 with 115 points only two seasons ago! Say what you will about the value of plus-minus, but those basic stats right there should be sounding alarm bells for fantasy GMs still holding onto this fading star. He's shooting a lot less, playing less, and his confidence is clearly zapped. Unless something drastic happens in a hurry, it's time to seriously consider letting go of Gaudreau.

At least until he shows some signs of having anything going fantasy worthy… A pulse would be a great start.

Thompson Out Long-Term: Which Sabres Are Set to Shine?

Things are going from bad to worse for this Buffalo bunch.

The team has not lived up to the offseason hype and newfound expectations to be a winner so far, and now the club will now have to deal with a prolonged absence to their no. 1 centre and top offensive star Tage Thompson. TT had a seriously rough ride against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, missing 15 minutes of the first period after being cut by Charlie McAvoy's skate to only return to be hit in the hand by a McAvoy shot that will have him on the shelf for what head coach Don Granato is calling "significant time".

Aside from the obvious hole this leaves at the top of the Sabres lineup, in their power-play, and overall offensive attack, this is going to be a hole fantasy hockey GMs will also need to hemorrhage. Everyone knows Thomspon was off to a slow start by his recent standards, but his six goals, six assists, 50-plus shots, and nearly 19 minutes of ice time per night will need to be replaced. Or at least attempted to be replaced.

The first two obvious names that should be looked at here from a fantasy standpoint are Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. Cozens is a natural centre and should shift over fairly seamlessly to fill Thompson spot on the top line, but that should prompt Granato to do some juggling, leaving more opportunities in the Sabres top-six for other forwards such as JJ Peterka or even a bit further down the line in Peyton Krebs. Thompson's absence will hurt, but this is still a really good young and offensively potent squad, so getting yourself a piece of that action is never a bad idea.

Compared to last season, the Sabres are clearly disappointing in terms of matching goal total and power-play efficiency that saw them at the near the top of the league in both categories only a season ago and Thompson is clearly a key reason for that. However, this hole creates opportunity, and from what we've seen from the likes of Peterka, Mittelstadt, and others, don't be shy about stashing Thomspon on IR and getting creative with some fill-in options. Hit the waiver-wire for other options if you don't feel comfortable with the in-house replacement pieces.

Crosby Continues to Cook: Sell-High or Hold?

One of the toughest situations a fantasy hockey GM has to navigate during the long and winding road that is the NHL fantasy season is what to do with aging stars? Do we bail on them before their value starts to dip, sell high, and get a boatload of young talent in return? Or, perhaps, do we hold on to them and continue to enjoy the elite-level production?

This is the current predicament facing owners of a red-hot 36-year-old savant named Sidney Crosby who once again is carrying this Pittsburgh Penguins club on potentially one last push for glory. Sid's 16th hat trick of his illustrious career against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday proved a few things: he can still score from anywhere on the ice, his hands are still absolutely money, and he can still produce with the best of them. Crosby's 19 points this season have him tied for seventh-most in the league, but even more impressive is his ability to provide all-around fantasy value by chipping in with 10 PIMs, 54 shots, 13 hits, and six blocked shots.

With that said, it becomes tricky to come to a decision on what to do with him. Of course, some might be thinking: "Why do anything at all?".

Well, depending on your league format, how many GMs are in the league, and your overall standing and team structure, it might serve you a whole lot better to move Crosby now while his value is sky high. His name attracts fantasy attention and with his current production is on point, there's no denying that the return on selling Sid now would likely not get any higher.

With that said, as a self-touted Crosby owner and supporter, right now, he's not going anywhere. However, keep your eyes peeled on this situation, as this window for winning in Pittsburgh is about to slam shut, impacting the overall quality and fantasy impact of 87's game in the near future.