Welcome inside the latest edition of Eastern Edge, a weekly fantasy hockey column at Dobber Hockey analyzing the top trending fantasy news impacting your fantasy hockey squad on a week-to-week basis.

Even though most fantasy hockey leagues are in the stretch run of their playoffs or nearing the end of the season, depending on the format, work as a fantasy hockey GM truly never stops – there are always angles to cover and research to be had to ensure you always have a leg up on the competition.

It's been a relatively quiet week or two in terms of news permeating the Eastern Conference newsreel, but we have all the top news covered for you below, so you stay up-to-date on all the latest. Let's tap in.

Fedotov's Opportunity With Flyers

Whenever a team gives a goaltender a good opportunity to be the starter, fantasy hockey GMs need to take notice. Managing the blue paint and keeping your goaltending roster in optimal shape is usually one of the make-or-break scenarios in fantasy hockey that you have to face on a yearly basis. This is why we have our eyes peeled on this Ivan Fedotov situation for the Philadelphia Flyers, as Fedotov had sensational numbers in the KHL regular season and playoffs over the past number of years.

Aside from him setting the record for being the tallest goalie in NHL history following his entry into Monday night's tilt against the New York Islanders, Fedotov actually offers up a lot of intrigue as a potential option moving forward. It is hard to say how he will fare being thrown to the wolves at this point of the season, but if Tuesday was any indication (19 saves on 21 shots in relief of Samuel Ersson), Fedotov has all of the tools – and size – to be a legit netminder at the NHL level. Factor in the relative mess the Flyers crease has been over the past season and better part of two decades, and Fedotov becomes a goaltender to monitor heading into next season's draft.

Sid Surging For Penguins. Time To Sell High?

The Pittsburgh Penguins might be one of the bigger disappointments of the year following a season littered with inconsistent play at both ends, but Sidney Crosby is still producing at an elite level while proving he's clearly still one of the best players on the planet. That's great news for fantasy hockey GMs that decided to hold firm on Sid, as Crosby has five goals and 13 assists over his last 10 games while averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per night. This recent surge has pushed Crosby's point total to 82 through 74 games, good enough for his 19th season at a point-per-game clip or better, which ties someone named Wayne Gretzky with the most seasons at a point-per-game pace in NHL history.

When a player of Crosby’s age puts up an 80-plus-point season, we have to talk about it. We also have to mention that it might be hard for a guy heading into next season as a 37-year-old veteran to replicate this kind of offensive output – meaning, if you were going to sell on Sid, sell high right now and get a boatload of young talent in return. If you are in a keeper or dynasty league and are at the bottom of the standings and do own Crosby, we suggest taking a serious look into the rest of your lineup, as trading Crosby for some young pieces might prove more beneficial than holding onto him for another campaign.

There are a lot of question marks surrounding this Penguins group and next season. One that could be extremely tough in terms of Pittsburgh being a winning club and returning to the postseason. Factor in the relatively low-quality of line mates Sid likely has next year and the roster upheaval that is likely coming for GM Kyle Dubas, and it might just be the perfect time to move on from 87.

Maple Leafs Injury Updates + Papi Producing

Don't look now, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are racking up wins. Sure, the team still does its absolute best to blow big leads on the regular, but Toronto is 6-3-1 in its last 10 and is currently riding a three-game win streak without Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly. The more time that passes and the closer we get to the postseason, the Leafs are being even more cautious with getting Rielly and Marner back in the lineup, especially with the team putting up points.

Both players have been on the ice practicing and both are apparently still day-to-day, but if you're a fantasy GM in the playoffs and you're wondering about their availability, play it safe and keep them benched as we expect Sheldon Keefe and the Leafs to keep both Marner and Rielly out of the lineup until the final few games of the campaign. As for someone who is on the ice, Auston Matthews is doing Auston Matthews-type things once again. Leading the NHL in goals with a new career high of 62, Matthews is once again running away with the Rocket Richard Trophy and should be in serious contention for the second Hart Trophy of his already-illustrious career. Papi has also been a complete fantasy hockey juggernaut this year, chipping in across the board while filling out the peripheral categories nicely.

Take in his stat line from his game against the Sabres on Saturday night: one goal, five shots on net, 12 penalty minutes, two hits, and three blocked shots. Beast mode. If Matthews can continue this torrid pace and carry over some scoring momentum into the playoffs, Toronto will be a tough out against any opponent.