Welcome back in, everyone! If your league is anything like mine, this is the best time of the year — playoff season. Each round, we'll break down the key player news that could impact how far you advance in your league's playoff format, as well as any salary-cap implications you should keep in mind.

Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers, C/LW ($14M AAV)

We have to start with a big one: it's been reported that Draisaitl will miss the remainder of the NHL regular season. This one hurts. Odds are he was a top pick in your league and is nearly impossible to replace from a production standpoint. If there's any silver lining, it's that his AAV can now be shifted into a higher‑priced player—or multiple players—still sitting on your waiver wire. I get that some leagues limit moves, or that the remaining high‑salary options might be mostly defensemen, but this could be a situation where adding someone in Draisaitl's spot and swapping out a lower‑AAV player becomes a viable path forward.

Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild, C ($5.25M AAV)

If I roster you in fantasy hockey, one thing is certain — your chances of getting injured seem to skyrocket by mid‑March. I'm living that reality right now with Eriksson Ek in my ESPN league. He's been close to a point‑per‑game player at times this season, so losing him leaves a massive hole to fill. My approach to replacing him was simple: find a player with a similar or lower AAV who will play more games than Eriksson Ek over this week and next. He's expected to miss two more games, with a projected return next Tuesday, so maximizing games played became the priority.

Bobby McMann C/LW/RW ($1.3M AAV)

McMann is still only 47% rostered in Fantrax and costs just $1.3M, making him a worthwhile short‑term target on his new team in Seattle. It's a small three‑game sample, but he's produced six points on ten shots while averaging about 18:15 of ice time —which, if you play DFS like I do, you know is unusually high for anyone on this Kraken roster. He's also getting top‑line minutes on a team that isn't punting the rest of the season and is still hanging around the playoff fringe. Given his affordability and the fact that fewer than half of leagues have him rostered, he's a strong candidate to add heading into the first weekend of the fantasy playoffs.

Brandon Bussi, G, ($775K AAV)

Bussi was excellent earlier this season, earning himself a three‑year extension at a $1.9M AAV with the Hurricanes. But as I write this, he's been dropped in my ESPN league —playoff season is ruthless. His recent form hasn't helped: in his last three starts, he's allowed five goals in two of them and hasn't recorded a win since March 4th, a game in which he still gave up four. Carolina may start leaning more heavily on Freddie Andersen in the coming weeks, making Bussi's workload difficult to predict. The Hurricanes have also been giving up an unusually high shot volume over the past three weeks, which increases the risk of high goals againstoutings if Bussi does get the nod. If there's any saving grace, it's that we should get clarity soon. Carolina has a road tilt against the Leafs on Friday and on the road in Pittsburgh on Sunday, so if Bussi is going to see the crease again, that's the most likely window.

Gage Goncalves, Tampa Bay Lightning, C/LW/RW ($1.2M AAV)

Gage Goncalves picked up a goal and an assist in Tuesday's matchup in Seattle, and at this point he's becoming a must‑start down the stretch. He's producing comfortably in Tampa Bay's top six, and the best part is he's rostered in only 14% of Fantrax leagues. Plus, fitting his $1.2M salary into your lineup is about as painless as it gets. Since returning from a lower‑body injury that sidelined him for four games, he's come back with six points in four outings and is riding a 19% shooting percentage. Goncalves could be an integral piece in helping you advance to the next round of the playoffs.

*Salary Cap data from PuckPedia.com  

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