Although there was only one game on Sunday, it served as a make-or-break matchup for many fantasy leagues. I personally suffered the less favourable of those fates, losing my semi-final matchup on Vancouver's game-winning goal, as my opponent collected assists from J.T. Miller and Conor Garland. For a while I was inconsolable, regretting every lineup decision I'd made for the past week after losing by the slimmest of margins. Fortunately, internal voices of reason reminded me there's more to life than fantasy hockey – unless of course you're still in the running for a fantasy championship. If you are, hopefully this article proves useful. I'd love to taste victory vicariously.

Dakota Joshua turned out to be Sunday's most valuable waiver-wire pickup. Seeing nearly 18 minutes of action, he scored two goals – one on the power play and one to win the game. He's in a great spot right now, skating beside Miller and Garland on Vancouver's second line. This is a player who entered the season with 121 games of NHL experience, averaging ~10 minutes a night during that span. There's clearly some untapped potential that we're starting to realize.

The Canucks only play three games next week, but two of those games are in the next three days, with a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday. Perhaps you hold Joshua for those two tilts and drop him for someone with a better schedule afterwards. Joshua's especially valuable in leagues that track hits. He posted three on Sunday and is averaging 3.65 per game this season.  

DAKOTA JOSHUA BETWEEN-THE-LEGS GOAL 😱

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/W9mpYG1lMO pic.twitter.com/wNd3Im9dAV

— NHL (@NHL) March 31, 2024

With two points on Sunday, Miller is on pace for 104 this season. That's a massive step up from last year's 83 points. He's been a multicategory beast, ranking in the league's top-10 for points, power-play points and faceoff wins, as well as the top-20 for hits and plus-minus.

Although he scored a goal on Sunday, Brock Boeser hasn't been all that productive lately. Over the past two months, he has just 17 points in 25 games (0.68 points/game). That stands in stark contrast to his first few months of the season, where he racked up 52 points in 49 games (1.06 points/game). During fantasy hockey playoffs, current form usually takes precedence over season-long output. Although Boeser's overall numbers are good, I wouldn't blame you for dropping him if his recent play falls below your league's standard.

Filip Hronek ended a 10-game scoring drought with a power-play assist on Sunday. He started the year with 25 points in his first 25 games but has just 21 in his last 49.

Arturs Silovs had a relatively lazy Sunday, stopping 20 of the 22 shots he faced en route to a 3-2 victory. With Vancouver playing on back-to-back nights this week, Silovs will likely get the call for Wednesday's clash with the Coyotes. On the surface, it seems like a good matchup if you're in need of goalie start, but it has the makings of a trap game to me. Arizona's offense has been popping off lately, racking up 19 goals over the team's past three games. 23-year-old Silovs only has six NHL starts under his belt. Although he's been solid in five of those starts, a lack of experience leaves room for doubt against a hot offense.

Following another underwhelming offensive effort on Sunday, Anaheim finishes March with a league-worst 1.56 goals per game. Although you might have been chasing matchups against Chicago and San Jose earlier in the season, right now, Anaheim is the easiest team for goalies to play against. The Ducks play Calgary, Seattle and St. Louis this week.

Olen Zellweger went top corner for his first career goal on Sunday. Drafted 34^th overall in 2021, the 20-year-old defenseman has potential to be Anaheim's future power-play quarterback.

First NHL goal for Olen Zellweger 🚨#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/a02HHLNeJi

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 31, 2024

Frank Vatrano is on pace for a career-high 58 points this season, but Sunday's assist was just his third point in his last 12 games. Vatrano's overall output is buoyed by a strong start that saw him post 23 points in his first 24 appearances. He's currently rostered in 81% of Yahoo Leagues, but I'm not sure if that's warranted based on his recent form. I understand holding onto him if your fantasy league tracks shots, as he ranks 27^th in the NHL with 3.32 shots per game. However, if you're looking for purely points, there may be better options on the waiver wire.

Big Names to Drop in One-Year Leagues

If this is a do-or-die week in a single-season fantasy league, you may be forced to drop big-name players to optimize your schedule. Below are a few household names to consider swapping for players on hot streaks.

Charlie McAvoy – The Bruins' defenseman has just four points in his last 18 games. Boston's up against three strong defensive teams this week in Nashville, Carolina, and Florida. I know McAvoy's a big-name player who's been strong for most of the season but given his current form and the strength of his opponents, another defenseman may be able to provide more offense this week.

Brad Marchand – You may be thinking of Marchand as a 70-point player based on his overall pace, but his recent production tells a different story. The 35-year-old winger has 16 points in his last 27 games, which translates to 48 points over 82 contests. As I mentioned with McAvoy, Boston's opposition this week doesn't give up a lot of offense. Marchand isn't in great form right now and considering the teams he's up against, that isn't likely to change this week.

Erik Karlsson – Three points in his last 17 games. Pittsburgh's power-play and offense hasn't been in great form lately. This team doesn't pack as much punch without Jake Guentzel in the lineup. I can understand holding onto Karlsson because the Penguins play four games this week. However, if you want to open up a streaming spot on your roster, there are probably forwards on your waiver wire who'll put up more points than Karlsson this week.

Elias Pettersson – My direction to drop Pettersson doesn't come with the same confidence that I showed for the players above. He's a superstar forward in his prime, capable of igniting a hot streak at any time. Still, it's hard not to be underwhelmed by his recent production. 12 points in his last 19 appearances – which translates to roughly 51 points over 82 games.

To make things worse, Vancouver only plays three games this week, with just one scheduled between Thursday and Sunday. If this is the final week of your fantasy season, you may want to drop Pettersson after Wednesday's clash with the Coyotes – depending on the quality available on your league's waiver wire. A bunch of teams play three games during the period that Pettersson plays one – a timely swap will earn you two extra games played. That extra opportunity should lead to extra production. Now, if your league extends past this week, maybe think twice before dropping Pettersson. The Canucks play on Monday and Wednesday next week – when most teams aren't in action.

March Trends

With today marking the start of a new month, I thought I'd take a look back at the one that just passed, highlighting a few interesting stats from March.

Timo Meier led the league in goal scoring this past month, racking up 13 goals in 15 games. He'd been bogged down by injuries and unfavourable deployment between December and February. After Tyler Toffoli was traded to Winnipeg, doors opened up and Meier ran through all of them. He's back in a consistent top-line, top-power play role, producing at the elite level we knew he was capable of.

Looking at goals per game over a season-long sample, Chicago ranks dead-last at 2.22. However, if we shift our focus to the month of March, we see the Blackhawks ranked 15^th with 3.00 goals per game. A matchup against Chicago isn't the same slam dunk it might've been for your goalies earlier in the season.

Nick Schmaltz had an incredible showing in March. Racking up 21 points in 15 games, he placed ninth in league scoring.

Nick Schmaltz flies in for the @ArizonaCoyotes' sixth goal of the night! 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/4iV314CNK1

— NHL (@NHL) March 29, 2024

This season, Montreal has struggled to keep the puck out of their net. They've surrendered 3.33 goals per game, which ranks bottom-10 in the league. Thanks to strong goaltending from Cayden Primeau and Sam Montembeault, the Canadiens managed to concede less in March. They ranked in the top-10, allowing just 2.54 goals per game. Montreal's goaltending and defense will be tested this week, up against four offensive juggernauts from the Eastern Conference – Florida, Tampa, Toronto, and the Rangers.

Only ten players across the league had more points than Jamie Benn in March. The 34-year-old forward posted 19 points over 13 outings. They say you are who you surround yourself with. Playing beside elite young talent in 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston and 21-year-old Logan Stankoven has helped Benn rediscover his youth.

This Jamie Benn & Wyatt Johnston give-and-go is so smooth. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/WApIoVkNj4

— NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2024

Based on goals against numbers over the course of the season, Pittsburgh looks solid. However, they could not keep pucks out of their net in March. The Penguins allowed 3.94 goals per game this past month – only the Sharks conceded more. Tristan Jarry posted an .870 SV% over nine starts, while Alex Nedeljkovic posted an .883 over seven. I wouldn't be confident starting either one this week.

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Thanks for reading! If you ever have any fantasy hockey questions, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza and shoot me a message!