San Jose Sharks: Center Joe Thornton is approaching NHL.com's top 100 forward rankings with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in the past 14 games entering Thursday. Thornton is skating on the third line at even strength with forward Kevin Labanc, who has seven points (five goals, two assists) in his past five games. Thornton's third-line role may deter some fantasy owners from adding him in season-long leagues, but the Sharks rank second in the NHL with 210 goals in 57 games, and he generally faces better matchups against the opposition instead of skating in the top six.
Elite defenseman Erik Karlsson has missed the past eight games with a lower-body injury but has been practicing in full and could return to the lineup against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Despite missing time, Karlsson is tied with Thomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators for eighth among NHL defensemen with 43 points (three goals, 40 assists) in 47 games.
Goalie Martin Jones is 13-2-0 in his past 15 appearances despite a .900 save percentage over the span. If he finds a way to stop more shots, the Sharks could soon take over the No. 1 spot in the team power rankings.
Montreal Canadiens:Forward Jonathan Drouin is on pace to set NHL career-highs in goals (25), assists (42) and points (67). He has three multipoint games in his past four appearances skating on the top line with center Phillip Danault and right wing Brendan Gallagher. Wing Tomas Tatar has quietly reached 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) through 55 games and is playing on a line with forwards Max Domi and Andrew Shaw, who had a multipoint game in his return from injury Feb. 9.
Defenseman Shea Weber continues to trend up in the top 50 defenseman rankings with five points (two goals, three assists) and 15 shots on goal in the past four games. He brings added value in FanDuel DFS contests with 10 blocked shots over the span.
Goalie Carey Price is 7-0-1 with a .944 save percentage and one shutout in his past eight games and has entered the top 10 goalie rankings. With skaters at each position trending up for the Canadiens, they could remain a top 10 fantasy team down the stretch as they challenge for second or third in the Atlantic Division.
