Maybe it's a different result if Cale Makar is in the lineup for Game 1 or Game 2, but the Colorado Avalanche already find themselves in a hole.

Vegas 3, Colorado 1 (Golden Knights lead series 2-0)

Ivan Barbashev's game-winning goal in the third period was his first goal in seven games, and he followed that up with an empty-net goal with just over a minute left. At the end of the day, Barbashev finished with two goals, an assist, three shots, a plus-3, and seven hits in 16:15 of icetime. That's quite a day if you're in a multicategory league… I don't know how many playoff pools are a multicategory format.

Barbashev now has 12 points in 14 playoff games, which is a slightly better pace than how he finished during the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup season (18 points in 22 games). Regardless, he is a player who seems to dial it up as the games matter more.

Jack Eichel scored Vegas's other goal while assisting on the Barbashev winner. With 18 points in 14 games, Eichel is now behind only teammate Mitch Marner for the playoff scoring lead. If it matters in your playoff pool, Eichel has just two playoff goals this season. Eichel's game-tying goal in the third period was his first in 11 games.

Pavel Dorofeyev registered two assists, giving him nine points over his last six games. Dorofeyev still leads the playoffs with 10 goals, with super playoff sleeper Brett Howden in second place with nine goals.

Carter Hart was outstanding again, saving 29 of 30 shots that he faced. Hart now has four consecutive quality starts and now has an impressive 2.19 GAA and .924 SV% in the playoffs.

Mark Stone remained out of the lineup for Game 2. Although playoff injury reports can be misleading, Stone appears to be day-to-day, as he participated in the Golden Knights' morning skate on Friday. Stone last played in Game 3 of the Anaheim series. With a 2-0 cushion heading home, Vegas has no reason to rush Stone back.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche might be scrambling to find a way to get Makar back into the lineup, even if he is not 100 percent. Makar is listed as day-to-day with a possible shoulder injury. He may have been affected by it while he was in the lineup, as he was held without a point in the last four games of the Minnesota series.

Other Avalanche players that have gotten cold: Sam Malinski, Josh Manson, and Artturi Lehkonen (0 PTS in 4 GP), Brock Nelson and Nick Blankenburg (0 PTS in 3 GP), Valeri Nichushkin (1 G and 0 A in 5 GP), and Gabriel Landeskog (1 G and 0 A in 4 GP).

Ross Colton scored the lone goal for the Avalanche. Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves.

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As I continue reviewing the past season, I'm highlighting the waiver‑wire pickups that delivered the most value for me. Today I'll break down three of them, with three more coming tomorrow. Their roster percentages and the timing of when I added them vary, but the common thread is simple: each player offered a clear, compelling reason to be scooped up at some point during the year.

Steven Stamkos

I dropped Stamkos in one league but added him in another, so technically he qualifies for this list. Guess which of these teams missed the fantasy playoffs and which of these teams made the finals? Of course… I made it to the final in the league where I dropped him.

Stamkos qualifies as a waiver-wire pickup because he was dropped in many leagues after a rough start of two points in his first 14 games. After a disappointing first season in Nashville that saw his scoring fall 29 points, Stamkos appeared to clearly be on the downside of his career. However, a resurgence that started in late November saw Stamkos pile up 38 goals and 61 points in 60 games. That is more like the Stamkos we saw in Tampa Bay.

With 42 goals last season (tied for ninth with Matt Boldy), Stamkos still has elite finishing ability. He has also retained his status as a power-play weapon with 14 PPG and 26 PPP. As well, Stamkos still shoots the puck with regularity, as he reached 200 shots again. However, he doesn't check all multicategory boxes, as he has totaled only 49 assists over two seasons in Nashville, while his plus/minus leaves a lot to be desired. His hits and blocked shots numbers are okay but not outstanding.

Overall, Stamkos should be a top-100 fantasy player entering the 2026-27 season. However, he is now 36, and he is no longer the elite fantasy option that he was in Tampa Bay. He's a solid mid-round target in standard-sized one-year leagues, as 30-40 goals should be a reasonable projection. His keeper value is falling due to age and the recent decline in production.

Trevor Zegras

Fantasy leaguers were so certain that Zegras would bounce back after his trade to Philadelphia that… Zegras was drafted in 4 percent of Yahoo leagues. Yet by the end of the season, Zegras was rostered in 67 percent of leagues – to match his point total for the season! The skepticism was warranted, as Zegras had a combined 47 points in 88 games over his prior two seasons in Anaheim (0.53 PTS/GP).

I added Zegras on November 5 after he busted out of the gate with 15 points in his first 13 games. Aside from a third quarter slowdown of 11 points over 21 games, Zegras was a near point-per-game scorer for much of the season. The only advanced stat that indicates any worry is a 15.6 SH%, which partially explains the jump from 18 goals over those past two seasons to 26 goals in 2025-26.

There could be more worry about Zegras playing in the Flyers' system under Rick Tocchet. If you've noticed what is happening with Matvei Michkov, you'll understand that a skilled and creative forward like Zegras could easily find himself in Tocchet's doghouse. As a result, Zegras should be treated as a high-risk, high-reward fantasy option. Given his career production, Zegras has a relatively low 40-point floor (over a full season), but he could easily hit 70+ points if things line up properly for him.

Brock Nelson

I added Nelson in mid-November after he had been on the waiver wire for about two weeks. In his first full season with the Avalanche, Nelson started off slowly with just two points in his first nine games. Since fantasy leaguers tend to quickly drop underperformers during the first few weeks of the season, Nelson (29% drafted) was the kind of player who could shake loose in shallow to mid-sized leagues.

Nelson was a point-per-game player through the second and third quarters of the season, scoring 24 goals and 42 points in 41 games before cooling off to just three goals and 12 points over his last 20 games. When he was traded from the Islanders to the Avalanche, Nelson didn't seem like a sure thing to be on the Avs' top power play. Sure enough, he maintained a spot on there for much of the season, cashing in with a decent 10 power-play goals and 18 power-play points.

Nelson is now 34 years old, but his game should age well because his strengths are a quick release and hockey IQ. Nazem Kadri being acquired may have been a factor in Nelson's final-quarter drop, but Nelson still averaged 20 minutes per game over the final quarter. Nelson hasn't produced as much during the playoffs either (3 PTS in 11 GP), so having both Nelson and Kadri on the roster will be something to watch next season. Nelson seems safe for 55-60 points next season, including 25-30 goals, but not much higher than that.  

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