Dallas Stars: Elite goalie Ben Bishop (lower body) is day to day, but the Stars have increased fantasy value with rookie forward Roope Hintz finding success on the top line. Hintz has three goals in his past two games skating with elite forwards Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov at even strength. Rookie forward Joel L'Esperance scored a goal and had six shots on goal skating on a line with valuable left wing Jamie Benn. Dallas has lacked depth scoring for much of the season, but the newly formed line combinations could be the spark they needed. Much of the Stars' success down the stretch will hinge on how long Bishop is out, but backup Anton Khudobin (.924 save percentage entering Friday) is worth streaming until he returns.
Florida Panthers: Rookie goalie Sam Montembeault has won three straight starts with a .933 save percentage in the span. He's worth streaming in all formats with the likelihood of winning the starting job over Roberto Luongo and James Reimer for the rest of the season. Elite center Aleksander Barkov leads the NHL with 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 14 games since Feb. 17. Barkov's 11 power-play points over the span lead the NHL, forwards Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Huberdeau are tied for second with nine PPP and defenseman Keith Yandle leads the position with eight. The Panthers quietly have the second best power play in the NHL (27.0) behind the Tampa Bay Lightning (29.0). While it's unlikely the Panthers will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they are finishing strong and have a high fantasy ceiling moving forward.
San Jose Sharks: Forward Kevin Labanc has emerged as a must-own skater with five points (two goals, three assists) in his past five games skating with center Joe Thornton at even strength and with valuable forwards Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl and elite defenseman Brent Burns on the top power play. Recently acquired wing Gustav Nyquist is also contributing with three goals in his past five games. Left wing Evander Kane (personal) is expected to return against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, further strengthening San Jose's team fantasy appeal. Despite elite defenseman Erik Karlsson (lower body) missing significant time, the Sharks scoring depth could keep them in the No. 2 spot for the remainder of the season.
