The Metro-leading Caps are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, have four balanced lines, and are on pace to best their Presidents' Trophy winning season from a year ago. And general manager Brian MacLellan doesn't want to alter his club's momentum as the trade deadline inches closer.
"We've got good chemistry, which is important," MacLellan told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. "It seems like our lines are all settled in here. Everyone is comfortable with their roles, the coaches are comfortable. So it has more the feel right now of something you don't want to mess with ... at all, in my mind, because it's running smooth right now. So I'd be more inclined to do nothing.
"But it doesn't mean that we're not going to go through the process of, 'Can we upgrade on guys.'"
Of course, things can change. Injuries occur, and with a division as tight as the Metropolitan, a slump of any sort can change playoff seeding. Still, with the way Washington is rolling, MacLellan staying the course might be his best bet.
That Marchand won't miss any games is significant, as the Bruins are fighting to stay in the playoff picture. The All-Star sits tied for the sixth-highest points total among all NHL players (47).
Marchand, therefore, will be in the lineup for Thursday's game against Pittsburgh, but with a slightly lighter wallet.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are providing a new challenge for one of hockey's most experienced front office executives.
The rapid emergence of rookie forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander - all of whom rank within the top five in team scoring - has put the club in playoff contention perhaps a year or two earlier than expected.
Teams being carried by first-year players is a phenomenon that has emerged late in Lamoriello's 30-year career.
"I don’t think your rookies would have been better than the players you had," Lamoriello told Craig Custance of ESPN, referring to the state of the NHL during his tenure with the New Jersey Devils. "That’s the difference. I don’t think 10 years ago, 12 years ago, rookies came in and were able to take the jobs the way they are right now. The young player is so much better as far as quantity than it’s been in the past. It’s just the way the development of the game and the programs, and the focus of 12 months of training.
"It’s a different game today. It’s a different philosophy, it’s a different approach," he added. "I have certainly not experienced it."
The question, then, becomes where to go from here. Do the Maple Leafs continue with a patient, build-from-within approach, or do they take advantage of the fact three of their best players are on entry-level contracts and try to surround them with veteran talent in order to become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders in the near future?
It's a conversation that will no doubt be had more than once prior to the NHL's March 1 trade deadline, as well as through the offseason.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, Jan. 26 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
C Claude Giroux (63K) & RW Jakub Voracek (64K), Flyers (vs. Maple Leafs): The Maple Leafs and Flyers are both coming off shutout victories Wednesday night, and both teams needed to travel to Philadelphia for the second half of their back-to-back. Toronto ranks 28th in the NHL with 60.27 opponent shot attempts allowed per 60 minutes, while Philly's first line averages 59.19 attempts of its own.
LW Sven Baertschi (39K) & C Bo Horvat (48K), Canucks (at Coyotes): Baertschi scored two goals on just three shots in Wednesday's win over the Colorado Avalanche, while Horvat picked up an assist and two shots of his own. The Canucks' second line has revitalized their offense. The two average 7.97 scoring chances per 60 minutes with RW Alex Burrows.
LW Max Pacioretty (68K) & RW Alexander Radulov (58K), Canadiens (at Islanders): The Islanders allow 63.67 opponent shot attempts per 60 minutes, the highest rate in the league. Unsurprisingly, they also rank 29th in scoring chances allowed per 60 and expected goals allowed per 60. Pacioretty and Radulov rank first and second among Canadiens point-getters and first and fifth in shots on goal.
Goalie Breakdown
TARGET - Carey Price (80K), Canadiens (at Islanders): Price has finally returned to form, matching or besting his season save percentage in three of his past four starts. He has twice made 30-plus saves. The Islanders have scored at least four goals in four of their past seven games, potentially leading to lower ownership on an underpriced Canadiens goalie.
BARGAIN - Ben Bishop (82K), Lightning (at Panthers): Bishop put together three consecutive excellent starts upon his return from injury in mid-January, but he collapsed in his most recent effort, against the Arizona Coyotes, allowing five goals on just 17 shots. His salary has dropped, making him a prime target against a Panthers team riddled with injuries and averaging just 6.29 scoring chances per 60.
FADE - Curtis McElhinney (95K), Maple Leafs (at Flyers): McElhinney will replace Frederik Andersen for the second half of Toronto's back-to-back. He stopped 35 of 37 shots faced in his first start for the Leafs. With a tired team in front of him and an opponent with plenty of scoring weapons throughout the lineup, he is best avoided at this salary.
CONTRARIAN - Pekka Rinne (96K), Predators (vs. Blue Jackets): Rinne has made at least 20 saves and hasn't allowed more than two goals in any of his past five starts. The Blue Jackets' offense is still right to be feared, but Rinne's .942 save percentage for January and home locale make him a more favorable tournament selection.
Bargain Plays
C Jayson Megna (25K), Canucks (at Coyotes): Megna plays the right wing on a Canucks line with C Brandon Sutter and LW Markus Granlund. The trio owns a Corsi For rating of 55.86 percent and was used at a near identical rate as the Horvat/Baertschi/Burrows trio in Vancouver's most recent game. The Coyotes are always a prime target for hidden value.
LW Michael Raffl (25K), Flyers (vs. Maple Leafs): Raffl is rightfully at the minimum salary with just one shot on goal in his past four games. Still, he did top 15 minutes of ice time in his most recent outing, and he remains on the top line with the aforementioned Giroux and Voracek. Tournament owners looking for salary savings should opt for the cheap third wheel.
D T.J. Brodie (25K), Flames (at Senators): Brodie has just three assists and an even less inspiring 10 SOG in 12 games this month. He has still managed to top 22 minutes of ice time in all but one of those 12 games. He features on the top power-play unit, where he'll face a Senators penalty kill ranking in the middle of the league and allowing 3.30 opportunities per game.
Top Fades
LW Artemi Panarin (63K), Blackhawks (vs. Jets): Panarin tallied an assist and registered an impressive seven SOG in Chicago's most recent game, but he had gone point-less in his previous three outings and recorded a single shot in each. Others around his salary have much more stable floors when not providing offense.
C Jonathan Marchessault (57K), Panthers (vs. Lightning): Marchessault has assists in three consecutive games, totaling eight SOG and averaging nearly 19 minutes in ice time. Still, his price is mostly reflective of his early-season success on offense, numbers he hasn't been able to match in some time.
D Drew Doughty (45K), Kings (at Hurricanes): Doughty is representative of the entire mid-tier of defensemen. Daily fantasy owners should either spend up for more consistent options or drop down to the minimum-priced players who have considerably lower expectations and requirements. Doughty has two or fewer shots in three of his past four games.
Contrarian Options
LW Mike Hoffman (57K), Senators (vs. Flames): Hoffman missed the Senators' most recent game in which they shut out the Washington Capitals. Should he return from illness Thursday, he'll be a top target with Ottawa playing some of its best hockey of the season of late. It's yet to be seen how new forward RW Tommy Wingels will be incorporated into the lines, but the added depth should help the top forwards.
RW Radim Vrbata (64K), Coyotes (vs. Canucks): Vrbata had a four-point game Saturday, against the Lightning, but he has been providing consistent fantasy value with at least four SOG in each of his past six games. His ice time has varied from 14:45 to 18:48, which includes significant time on the power play. He's the only advisable target from his team.
D Andrej Sekera (26K), Oilers (at Sharks): Sekera has one goal and four assists this month, with just one of those assists coming on the power play. He has multiple shots on goal in all but one of his past nine games. The Sharks rank 29th in the league in opponents' average shot distance, allowing shots from 29.81 feet.
"(Varlamov) has been dealing with groin and hip issues for some time now," said general manager Joe Sakic. "After further evaluation from our team doctors, it was determined that the best road to recovery was surgery. Doing this procedure at this time ensures that Semyon will be fully healthy for the start of training camp."
The last-place Avalanche will presumably roll with Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin in net for the balance of the regular season.
Varlamov, a 2013-14 Vezina Trophy finalist, posted a record of 6-17-0 with a .898 save percentage in 24 appearances this season. He remains under contract with the Avalanche through to the end of 2018-19 at a salary-cap hit of $5.9 million.
Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.
▲ New York Islanders
A change behind the bench appears to be paying off for the New York Islanders.
The club has posted a record of 3-0-1 since Doug Weight took over from the fired Jack Capuano, and while they remain tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 49 points, the fact they've played only 46 games gives the Islanders a leg up on other teams trying to climb into a playoff spot.
In fact, the Islanders now have a the best chance at grabbing the second wild-card spot, according to Sports Club Stats.
John Tavares has also stepped up as of late, scoring eight goals and adding three assists for 11 points in his last seven games.
▼ Brad Marchand
On one hand, Brad Marchand is having a career year. His 47 points put him in a tie for the fifth-highest total among all NHL players this season, and on pace for a career-high 76 over the course of a full 82-game schedule.
The Boston Bruins have been struggling of late, with whispers of head coach Claude Julien being on the hot seat growing louder with each loss. On track to miss the playoffs for the third season in a row, Boston can ill afford to lose arguably its best player - who scored a pair of goals in a big win over the Red Wings - to suspension for such an unnecessary incident.
Marchand has displayed growth both on and of the ice in recent months, but this moment of regression could cost his team dearly.
▲ Filip Forsberg
The Nashville Predators highest-paid forward appears to have found his scoring touch.
After a quiet start to the season, Filip Forsberg has flipped the script, and has been absolutely on fire over the past seven weeks.
Before Dec.5: 24 GP, 2 goals, 14 assists
After Dec. 5: 24 GP, 13 goals, 3 assists
Forsberg has also been especially clutch this month, setting a Nashville record for most game-winning goals with five so far in January.
The 15 goals and 17 assists to date put him on pace for the lowest single season totals of his career to date, but the manner in which he's turned things around suggests he's headed for at least 30 goals while, most importantly, helping the Predators secure a playoff spot.
▼ Colorado Avalanche
Maybe Patrick Roy knew something we didn't.
The former Colorado Avalanche head coach appears to have read the tea leaves and bailed on the club before things snowballed out of control, thereby being saved from taking the blame for issues that run far deeper than coaching.
Colorado has posted a record of 1-8-1 in the past 10 games, dropping to an astonishingly bad record of 13-31-2 on the season. The 28 points accumulated by the Avalanche put them eight points behind 29th place Arizona, and 24 points out of a playoff spot.
Their .304 point percentage also puts them on track for the worst mark in the shootout era, wherein teams are rewarded for losing.
The 2013-14 and 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres are next lowest with point percentages of .317 and .329, respectively. Those teams were deep in the midst of a rebuild, with the latter roster seemingly constructed with the intent of making sure the club had the best possible chance of drafting at least Jack Eichel and hopefully Connor McDavid.
Expect a major shakeup in Colorado to begin sooner rather than later.
In the thick of rumors surrounding a team desperate for change, Matt Duchene is prepared for anything leading up to the trade deadline.
The Colorado Avalanche pivot has been a staple of the franchise since he was drafted third overall in 2009, but now, at 26, Duchene recognizes his club's situation and will accept whatever lies ahead - even a trade.
"I'm open to it," Duchene told Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post on Wednesday. "When I say open to it, I know it's part of the business, and it's something that might happen. I'm not hiding from it. I'm not running away. I'm not banging my head. I understand it's part of what we deal with as pro athletes."
Colorado's season has been flat-out disastrous. The Avalanche are on pace for the lowest point percentage in the post-lockout era, as head coach Jared Bednar's introduction to the NHL has resulted in a league-worst 28 points through 46 games.
"Where we're at, it's really hard. It's tough for everybody. Waking up in the morning, it's not the same excitement going to the rink," Duchene said.
The Avalanche need to make a change, and Duchene, the club's leader in goals (15), would likely provide general manager Joe Sakic a hefty return of assets to help a rebuild.
In his tenure with Colorado, Duchene has appeared in the playoffs twice, and if he's packing his bags, he hopes to land with a winner.
"I know when this team, or whatever (NHL) team I'm on, is ready to win, I know I'll be able to bring some experience to it," Duchene said. "That's something that fuels me, and it keeps me positive."
Duchene's skill set is highly enticing. His speed and playmaking have led to an average of 0.75 points per game over 536 career contests.
The All-Star nod is well-deserved for Atkinson, who sits in a tie for second with Jeff Carter with 24 goals this season, four behind leading scorer Sidney Crosby. On top of that, only seven players have more points than Atkinson's 46 this season.
This will mark Atkinson's first All-Star Game appearance.
