This week's list leans into the "next wave" theme. All five names here are either in the middle of their breakout or sitting right on the edge of one, and the common thread is usage. Beckett Sennecke is stapled to Anaheim's young core and producing like a 60-point-plus rookie without any training wheels. Juraj Slafkovsky has finally settled into a heavy-minutes, PP1 role in Montreal that rewards both his size and his touch. On the back end, Simon Nemec and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are being pushed into real responsibility rather than sheltered rookie minutes, which is exactly what you want to see if you are betting on upside from the blue line. Dylan Holloway rounds things out as the fantasy friendly power forward who fills several categories at once while riding shotgun to high skill linemates in St. Louis.

Data Sources:

Player Data From Natural Stat Trick

Yahoo roster percentages via Frozen Tools.

Line combinations and power-play deployment via Daily Faceoff and Frozen Tools.

All information current as of December 10th, 2025.

None of these profiles are built on one hot week or a lucky shooting bender. The quarter splits, game logs, and special teams shares all point to sustained opportunity that should carry through the heart of the season. In other words, these are the types of players you can add, hold, and actually plan around, instead of hoping a third liner stays hot for a road trip.

Anaheim Ducks — Beckett Sennecke (46%, F)

Sennecke's rookie season keeps trending in the right direction because the deployment never wavers. Through 31 games he sits at 10 goals, 16 assists, and 26 points, which lands him on a 69-point pace, and the way he's doing it looks sustainable. He is glued to a top six role and bouncing between strong linemates like Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, and Mason McTavish, with steady PP2 work at 1:40 a night. The production lines up cleanly with that environment. His quarterly split shows 15 points in 21 games to open the year and 11 more in his last 10, and the shot volume has quietly climbed from 35 in Quarter 1 to 25 already in Quarter 2.

The game log shows why the counting stats haven't slowed. December alone has given him a two-point night against Pittsburgh, another against Chicago, and multi-shot games in nearly every outing except the Islanders matchup. There is some streakiness baked in with his 16.7 percent shooting rate, but it's paired with a consistent two shots per game rather than noisy spikes. The hits are also starting to show up, especially in early December when he recorded 1–2 per game across a four-game stretch. Most important is how many of his touches come next to the Ducks' young core. When Anaheim stacks Gauthier and McTavish with Sennecke, he gets prime entries, slot touches, and controlled power play looks.

The role has a clean fantasy shape. Top six at even strength, PP2, smart line mates, and enough individual talent to turn those touches into real offense. Nothing jumps off the page as inflated beyond the shooting percentage, and his current pace lines up with both his junior profile and the way Anaheim's forward group has been distributed this year.

Takeaway: Sennecke is a comfortable hold. The blend of deployment and steady production gives him value in points formats and mid-depth redraft leagues. As long as he stays stapled to Anaheim's scoring lines and keeps logging PP2 minutes, he profiles as a reliable 55- to 65-point rookie with room for mini-bursts when the Ducks' top six catches fire.

Montreal Canadiens — Juraj Slafkovsky (77%, F)

Slafkovský has settled into exactly the kind of role fantasy managers were hoping for. Through 30 games he sits at 9 goals, 8 assists, and 17 points with 60 shots, 52 hits, and 27 blocks while averaging 17:44 a night. The deployment is premium by living on the second line at even strength but still getting regular runs with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and he is locked to PP1 with about 2:44 of power play time per game and over 60% of Montreal's man advantage share. The quarter splits show a slow but healthy build. Quarter 1 gave him 9 points in 20 games, Quarter 2 already has 8 points in 10 games with three more power play points and only a slight drop in shot volume.

The recent game log tells the same story. Since late November he has stacked multi-point nights against Vegas and Ottawa, scored key goals against Winnipeg and Vancouver, and logged several games over 20 minutes as Montreal leans on him in tougher matchups. The peripherals are what tie the profile together. Around two shots per game, 1.7 hits per night, and close to one block add up to a very sturdy floor in multi-cat formats. His career arc also matters here. After back-to-back 50- and 51-point seasons with similar ice time and power play usage, he now looks like a more comfortable version of that player, with better linemates and less of the defensive chaos that dragged his plus minus in past years.

Takeaway: Slafkovský is both a clear hold and a trade target if someone in your league is impatient. PP1 usage, a stable top six role, and strong peripherals give him reliable value in almost every format. The current pace in the mid 40s understates his recent trend, and if the Quarter 2 production holds, he can easily finish in the 55-point range with very useful hits and blocks.

New Jersey Devils — Simon Nemec (27%, D)

Nemec has made the leap from "interesting prospect" to "trusted every-situation defender" in a hurry. Through 31 games he sits at 7 goals, 11 assists, and 18 points with 50 shots, 46 blocks, a plus-4, and an even 20 minutes per night. The deployment is exactly what you want to see for a breakout defenseman. He is locked into a top four role, eating both power play and penalty kill minutes, and his current PP1 look comes with about 1:13 of man advantage time per game and nearly 30% of New Jersey's power play share.

The split by quarter shows how that role has grown. Quarter 1 saw him at 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points in 20 games on 19:09 per night and just 45 seconds of power play time, with no power play points. Quarter 2 has ramped up to 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in 11 games with PPTOI more than doubling to 2:03 and his overall ice time jumping to 21:32. The game log backs it up: There are nights over 25 minutes, a 30-minute workload against Columbus, a three-goal explosion in Chicago, and recent multi-point production against Ottawa and Tampa with real PP usage. The blocks keep piling up as well, sitting at 1.5 per game this season, which gives him a very stable floor even when the points are quieter.

Takeaway: Nemec is moving into strong hold territory in any league that values defensemen who play a lot and chip in across the board. PP1 touches, rising minutes, and a steady block rate make him a clear add in multi-cat and deeper formats, and even in standard points leagues he has enough offensive momentum to justify a roster spot while this role holds.

Detroit Red Wings — Axel Sandin-Pellikka (3%, D)

Sandin-Pellikka is getting a real trial by fire in Detroit. Through 32 games he has 3 goals, 8 assists, and 11 points with 33 shots, 31 blocks, and 17:57 per night in TOI. On the surface that looks like modest rookie production, but the context matters. He is living on the second pair, seeing both power play and penalty kill time, and doing it on a team that has been bleeding chances defensively. The minus-12 is rough, but it lines up with the environment more than any one player and is something you have to factor in when looking at Red Wings skaters this year.

The quarterly split shows how his role is being tested and tweaked. Quarter 1 came in at 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in 21 games with 25 shots, just over 18 minutes per night, and a healthy 2:01 of power play time on PP2. Quarter 2 looks different. He has 1 goal and 4 assists in 11 games, so the scoring rate has actually improved, but his ice time has dipped to 16:20 and his PPTOI has slid to 1:17. At the same time, his short-handed workload has stayed very real, with regular penalty kill stints in the 1- to 2-minute range in recent games. The game log backs it up with nights over 20 minutes when Detroit leans on him, then others closer to 14 minutes when they spread things out.

The fantasy value here is about timing and format. The offensive ceiling is real based on his SHL track record and flashes this year, but it is not fully unlocked yet. For now, he offers a light mix of points, a small but growing block rate, and occasional power play touches. If Detroit ever shifts more of the PP2 work fully in his direction or tightens up defensively so the plus minus is not such a drag, he becomes much more interesting.

Takeaway: Sandin-Pellikka is a watch-list name in standard leagues and a speculative add in deeper formats that count blocks and power play points. The current role and environment make him more of a patient stash than a set and forget starter, but the combination of skill, PP2 usage, and growing responsibility gives him real upside if Detroit stabilizes or his deployment ticks up again.

St. Louis Blues — Dylan Holloway (57%, F)

Holloway has turned last year's breakout into something very real. Through 32 games he sits at 8 goals, 9 assists, and 17 points, which is a 44-point pace, with 73 shots, 85 hits, and 17:42 per night. The counting stats tell the story. He is firing 2.3 shots per game, throwing 2.7 hits per night, and still chipping in a bit on the power play, with 3 PPP on PP2 in just over two minutes of man advantage time per game. The quarter split shows how steady the role has been: Quarter 1 shows 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points in 21 games with 44 shots and 2:20 on the power play. Quarter 2 has produced 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points in 11 games with 29 shots, still right around two minutes of PPTOI even as his even strength minutes have moved up and down a bit.

The usage and line mates are exactly what you want from a power forward with this toolkit. Holloway has lived in the top six, usually riding with Jordan Kyrou and a rotating cast of centers like Pius Suter or Brayden Schenn on L2, and he has mixed in with other skilled forwards in shorter bursts. The game log gives you the peaks: A 3-point night in Montreal on December 7 with 4 shots, 3 hits, and a power play assist as well as solid multi-shot, multi-hit games against Boston, Utah, and Ottawa. Even when he is quiet on the scoresheet, he often still brings hits, shots, or faceoff wins, since St. Louis is comfortable letting him take draws on his wing side. The minus-10 is the main bruise on the profile, and it reflects both his style and the Blues being up and down defensively.

There is nothing fluky about the way he is scoring. The 11% shooting percentage is right in line with last year's 14.6 given his shot locations, and the quarter-by-quarter rates match a player who drives offense with volume rather than just floating into tap ins. With over 2.3 shots and 2.6 hits per game, plus some secondary power play work and a sprinkling of faceoff wins, Holloway's floor in banger formats is very strong.

Takeaway: Holloway is a clear hold in multi-cat leagues and a strong depth piece in standard formats. Top six deployment, PP2 time, heavy hits, and healthy shot volume all point to a player who can quietly win categories while flirting with 25-plus goals if the finishing heats up for a stretch.