In today's Eastern Edge we will look at buy low targets using power play data and focus on goaltender usage and performance for some Eastern Conference teams. For the latest on Western Conference goalies, make sure to check out yesterday's Wild West article by Lucas Main:

One way to target underperforming stars is to buy low on power plays that should be doing better. The Tampa Bay Lightning were successful on 20.7% of their power plays last year. This year they are down to 10.7%, a mark that is unlikely to stick with Nikita Kucherov running the man advantage. Buy-low names that stand out are Brayden Point with no power play points and John Carlson with only one. Note: Charle-Edouard D'Astous got PP1 time over Carlson last game, but I do not think that is something that will stick long term. In Monday's practice, both D'Astous and Carlson were getting power-play reps, per Benjamin Pierce.

Similarly, the Montreal Canadiens are scoring on 14.8% of their power plays, while last season they were top-10 in the league at 23.1%. No one on the Canadiens has more than two power play points through eight games.

Did these two teams overperform last year, or are they underperforming this year? For the answer, we look at shooting percentage on the power play. The Lightning are last in the NHL with a 5v4 shooting percentage of 7.9%, while the Canadiens are 26^th at 9.1%. What is completely shocking is that Tampa Bay's 5v5 shooting percentage (9.6%) is actually higher than their 5v4 shooting percentage. This power play drought is unsustainable and makes the Lightning stars all buy-low candidates.

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One of the reasons why Dylan Cozens only has two points in nine games is the sputtering Ottawa Senators power play, which has fallen from 24% to 12.8%. Cozens is receiving a career high average time on ice of 18:01, as well as 4:11 on the power play, but he has not scored on 17 shots, and none of his teammates have scored at 5v5 while he is on the ice. The rare snake eyes – 0% in both personal shooting percentage AND 5v5 shooting percentage – makes him a great buy-low option.

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New acquisition Anthony Mantha has had a poor start to the season for the New Jersey Devils, held pointless in seven of eight games. Amadeus Lombardi got a shift with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt during the second period of last Monday's game vs the Ottawa Senators. On Tuesday night against the Red Wings, it was Arseny Gritsyuk playing with Hughes and Bratt, while Mantha (with Evan Rodrigues and Stefan Noesen) did contribute a goal and an assist in 12:23 in ice time. Gritsyuk has two points in his last three games on the top line. With Evangelista out due to illness, right-handed shooter Evan Rodrigues was promoted to the top power play unit. Evangelista is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

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Buffalo is seldom a desired destination for NHL players. If there is a star player like Connor Hellebuyck that is open to the idea, GM Jarmo Kekalainen should strive to his fullest extent to seal the deal. The Sabres have 10 points in nine games but a -7 goal differential. They are fortunate to have banked some extra points with that goal differential, but one area where they will be better is the power play where they have an abysmal 9.1% conversion rate, last in the NHL. Last year, the Sabres were at 19.5%. As expected, the Sabres shooting percentage at 5v4 is quite low at 8.8%. Like the Habs and the Sens, the Sabres have no one on the team with more than two power play points.

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Sunny Mehta is providing real life experimentation of a Zero Goalie strategy. He doesn't believe in investing a large portion of the salary cap in nets, where randomness plays a greater role than other positions. The New Jersey Devils crease was a great unknown to start the year: who would be used and in what frequency? It is Jake Allen that has received the slight edge in starts: five to three over Nico Daws. Both have a save percentage below league average: Allen at 0.876% and Daws at 0.857%. Daws’ second outing was much better than his forgettable 6-0 loss to the New York Islanders. He stopped 16 of 19 shots (0.842%) against the Senators but couldn’t be blamed for the second goal where Brett Pesce‘s self-wipeout allowed Stephen Halliday direct unencumbered access to the slot, nor the third goal, which was a Tim Stutzle redirection of a Thomas Chabot slapshot. The Devils scored a grand total of one goal in the first two games backstopped by Daws.

The offense let loose in his third game, giving him seven goals to work with. Daws played well by stopping 18 of 19 shots (0.947%). Nine of the 10 goals that have gotten past Daws this season have been scored on his left (glove) side. There is also waiver claim Remi Poirier who may get a game, however Sheldon Keefe’s priority is getting Allen and Daws up and running. Both Poirier and Daws cannot be sent down without clearing waivers, so the Devils are carrying three goalies on their NHL roster. David Rittich has won both games in the AHL, posting a save percentage of 0.933% with the Utica Comets. The Devils should continue to provide an offensive cushion to help their goalies accrue wins. They are second in the league in expected goals for per game (3.73) but like last year having some difficulty in shooting luck sitting bottom-5 in shooting percentage (8.93%).

Daws has made it up to 6^th on Dobber's Top-50 Fantasy Prospect Goaltenders.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are still bad defensively. Last season they allowed 295 goals in 82 games (3.6/game), highest amongst Eastern Conference teams. There is a slight improvement this year, as they are at 3.3/game (32 goals allowed in 10 games). Sergei Bobrovsky is now at two wins in seven games. He could have had a shutout against the Sharks if the Leafs defense hadn’t left Mason Marchment unattended in front of the net.

With John Tavares out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, it was Gavin McKenna, and not Jack Roslovic, on the top power play. Jim Hiller lost track of McKenna on the bench in the October 15^th game against Buffalo, which resulted in only 6:36 of time of ice for the rookie. McKenna rebounded nicely with a career high 17:56 of ice time in the following game against the New York Islanders. McKenna has 6 points in his last 7 games, showing off some exquisite stick handling on his power play goal vs the Sharks. His ice time was back down to 11:30 last night.

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38-year-old James Reimer signed a professional tryout with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers AHL affiliate. His most recent NHL experience is a 14-game stint with the Ottawa Senators in 2025-26 going 7-4-2 with a save percentage of 0.886%. The Rangers have let Dylan Garand (4-2-1, 0.929%) run with the heavy workload but will likely make a move at some point to give him some help. Goaltending expert Kevin Woodley describes Garand as having “Exceptional edges and patience. He rarely gets too wide and low too soon, all of which fuels excellent movement and positioning”.

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Zachary Bolduc is on a three-game point streak, taking over Chris Kreider‘s spot on top power play in Montreal, a spot initially opened due to the Ivan Demidov injury. Bolduc scored on a beautiful deflection goal from a point shot on Saturday night. He also registered five shots. In 2025-26, Bolduc was on the top power play for the first eight games of the season and contributed four goals – two of which were on the man advantage.

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Daniil Tarasov has been lights out (+5.4 GSAx) in his first three games as a Red Wing, leading the league in GSAx/60. He gets the start Tuesday night against the 5-3-1 Seattle Kraken. John Gibson (0.873%) is an unrestricted free agent, and the Detroit Red Wings are currently sitting in last place in the Atlantic Division. Gibson could be dealt during the season if the Red Wings are not going to make the playoffs, he has a 10-team no-trade list. Tarasov also happens to be an unrestricted free agent. Trey Augustine (0.882%) is plying his trade in the AHL. He is 1-1-1 with the Grand Rapids Griffins where he is splitting the crease with Michal Postava (4-0, 0.954%).

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The only goaltender in history to notch a win with nine different NHL teams, Cam Talbot played a great game on Sunday night, turning away all but two of the 34 Minnesota Wild shots. It was not enough to get the win as the Columbus Blue Jackets scored just one goal. Talbot and Jet Greaves have been alternating starts over the last six games. After a hot start (four points in two games), Matthew Knies is pointless in five straight.

That concludes our tour of the Eastern Conference. Enjoy your upcoming week of hockey!

Player data from Frozen Tools. Advanced stats from Money Puck.

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