In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll discuss players to keep an eye on during this final stretch of the regular season. These guys could see their fantasy value fluctuate going forward, so monitoring them closely will help you prepare for next year's campaign and/or upcoming playoff pools.

Boston Bruins – Erik Haula

Haula had an incredibly slow start to the season, posting five points in his first 25 appearances with the Bruins. When the new year began, Haula started seeing more time between David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. As you might expect, the Finnish center saw his production take off once he joined forces with the two strong wingers. In 2022, he has 34 points through 47 games, which translates to 59 points over 82 games. Keep an eye on Haula and ask yourself if he has what it takes to stick around as the team's second-line center next year.

Buffalo Sabres – Casey Mittelstadt

With an impressive breakout performance this year, Tage Thompson has emerged as Buffalo's top center, and will likely retain that role next season. On the other hand, the role of second-line center is still very much up for grabs. At present, Casey Mittelstadt – the eighth overall pick from 2017 – and Dylan Cozens – the seventh overall pick from 2019 – seem like the frontrunners for such a position. Since Mittelstadt (23 years; 191 GP) is slightly older and has more NHL experience than Cozens (21 years; 116 GP), he's expected to be further along in his development than Cozens at this stage. It may be useful to watch Mittelstadt over these final games, to see whether he has the tools to succeed as a second-line center in Buffalo next year.

Carolina Hurricanes – Martin Necas

The young forward put his name on the map last season when he paced for 63 points. He had a decent start to the 2021-2022 campaign, posting 22 points in his first 34 appearances. However, his production has dropped off since then, leaving him with 14 points in his last 39 games. Based on his underwhelming output this season, he's likely to fall in upcoming fantasy drafts. Keep an eye on him over these next few games as you evaluate his bounce-back potential.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Jack Roslovic

Roslovic had a strong showing last year, scoring at a 58-point pace. He was stuck in a reduced role this year and tallied 26 points in 58 games until captain Boone Jenner went down with an injury. Since Jenner got injured, Roslovic has benefitted from an increased role, posting 13 points in 17 games. He's an RFA after this season, and these next few games could give us an indication of what the future holds for him.

Detroit Red Wings – Pius Suter

With Dylan Larkin out for the rest of the season following core muscle surgery, Suter should step into an increased role beside high quality line mates over these final few games. He's shown flashes of offensive potential during his two seasons in the NHL, let's see if he can use this new opportunity to create a bigger role for himself next year. 

Florida Panthers – Mason Marchment

Is his current 69-point pace a product of an insulated role in Florida? The Panthers deep lineup benefits Marchment in two ways: (1) He doesn't have to play against the opposition's best lines, and (2) he gets to play with talented line mates – frequently skating beside Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell this year. He's an unrestricted free agent after this season, so what can we expect from him if he takes on a tougher role with a new team next year?

Montreal Canadiens – Josh Anderson

As a big, strong skater, Anderson has the physical attributes to thrive in the NHL. Coach Martin St. Louis has talked about helping Anderson develop his hockey IQ, which would make the 27-year-old winger an even bigger threat. Anderson is likely to play beside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki going forward. His fantasy value could increase as he works on his individual game and continues developing chemistry with Montreal's young stars.

New Jersey Devils – Dougie Hamilton

After missing seven weeks of action because of a broken jaw, Hamilton has just eight points in 26 games since returning to the lineup. He's received less favourable deployment than Damon Severson, who has 16 points in the same 26-game stretch. Is Hamilton's lack of production solely a product of unfavourable deployment, or can he be blamed for his own poor play?

New York Islanders – Anthony Beauvillier

We've been waiting for him to take the next step for a while now, and it finally seemed to happen at the end of last season. He closed out the 2020-2021 campaign with 22 points in his final 25 regular season outings and followed that up with a strong showing in the playoffs, posting 13 points in 19 postseason appearances. Unfortunately, he hasn't carried that momentum into this season, where he has just 33 points through 72 games – a 38-point pace. Can we expect more offense next season, or is it finally time to give up on Beauvillier?

New York Rangers – Alexis Lafreniere

The first overall pick of the 2020 draft hasn't had an ideal start to his NHL career, now pacing for 30 points in each of his first two seasons. Although things have looked bleak for the most past, Lafreniere scored two goals in his most recent outing, with one of those goals being a beauty. If he's able to gain confidence from that game and have a strong end to the regular season, perhaps he can ride that momentum into the playoffs and through to next season.

Ottawa Senators – Mathieu Joseph

The 25-year-old forward is off to a strong start with his new team in Ottawa, posting 12 points through 11 games as a Senator. However, it's important to consider that nine of those points came in a three-game stretch. As a result, we have to ask whether Joseph is capable of long-term success in Ottawa, or whether his early production was a flash in the pan. He's been sidelined recently with an undisclosed injury, but hopefully we'll see him in action again before the season ends. 

Philadelphia Flyers – Bobby Brink

As a non-playoff team with a few significant injuries, the Flyers can use these final few games to evaluate their young talent. One of those young players worth taking a look at is Bobby Brink – a second-round pick from the 2019 draft who made his NHL debut a few games ago. The Flyers have numerous roster spots up for grabs, so it'll be interesting to see which of their young players earn full-time roles with the team.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Rickard Rakell

The 28 -year-old forward has been a good trade deadline acquisition for the Penguins, posting 10 points in 14 games since joining the team. He's on an expiring deal, so it'll be important to monitor his performance over these final few games and into the playoffs. If Rakell shows good chemistry with Pittsburgh's stars, he may be tempted to re-sign and chase a cup with this core. Alternatively, a strong showing could net him a more lucrative contract on a different team next year.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Ondrej Palat

Is scoring at a modest 47-point pace this year after pacing for an astounding 69 points last year. Palat is a versatile player who often makes an impact even when he's not producing points. He's an unrestricted free agent after this season and his performance down the stretch and in the playoffs will have an effect on his next contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jack Campbell

The net-minder had an excellent start to the season but then then struggled mightily before he was eventually sidelined for a month, due to a rib injury. His performance over these next few games could give us an indication of what kind of form he'll be in for the playoffs. He needs a new contract after this season, so these playoffs could influence where he signs and how much he gets paid next year.  

Washington Capitals – Anthony Mantha

The Capitals winger missed four months of action while recovering from shoulder surgery. As a result, we still haven't seen a sizeable sample of Mantha's play in Washington – as he was dealt to the Capitals late last season. He's posted decent numbers since returning from the shoulder injury, tallying 15 points in 21 games. Keeping a close eye on him over these final few games will be important as we make projections for him going forward.