Fantasy Hockey Values: Is there a new No. 1 goalie in Minnesota?

By Jan Levine, RotoWire

Special to Yahoo Sports

In this space, we'll look at which NHL players are seeing their fantasy hockey values rise or fall on a week-to-week basis.

This week's article includes LA's second center, a Flame on fire, an Oilers D-man on a roll, Minnesota with a possible new #1 netminder and Carter slumping.

First Liners (Risers)

Phillip Danault, C, LA

Danault has given LA everything they could have wanted and then some since he signed a six-year, $33 million contract with the Kings in July 2021. He tallied a career-high 27 goals and added 24 assists last season, his first as a King. This year, while centering the second line, Danault has 14 markers and 26 helpers in 58 games, with 15 of those points coming on the man-advantage. He has a decent chance of exceeding the career-high 53 points he potted in 2018-19 as a member of the Canadiens.

Dylan Larkin, C, DET

One of the big questions in Hockeytown is if Larkin — an unrestricted free agent after the season — will sign a long-term deal to remain a member of the Red Wings. Larkin has done his best to prove he deserves that contract, as his goal Saturday extended his point streak to seven games, a run in which he's tallied seven goals and six assists. With his recent hot streak, Larkin is up to 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) through 54 games, building off the rebound campaign he had last season. Now fully healthy, Larkin is playing like a true first-line center.

Drake Batherson, LW, OTT

Batherson is at 17 goals and 30 assists through 56 games with his assist Friday, giving him a new career-high in points. The burgeoning winger has 22 power-play points to boot, but his performance there, while beneficial, is also a reason why he's a minus-26 since more than half his points have come on the man-advantage. In addition, his shooting percentage is at just 10.5 percent after being over 15 percent the last two years, which bodes well for a possible spike in goals if he can move that number up closer to his prior history.

Dillon Dube, LW, CGY

Dube has increased his scoring each year he's been in the NHL. Skating on the top line in Calgary, Dube had four goals and three helpers during his recent three-game point streak. That output upped his season totals to 16 goals and 19 assists. His increased output this season has been aided by his line placement coupled with the extra two-plus minutes of ice time he's receiving each game. Continue to roll with Dube, who has shown he deserves his top-line deployment.

Alexis Lafreniere, LW, NYR

Lafreniere's growth has been anything but linear, as he has bounced up and down between the top three lines in New York since he was drafted first overall in 2020. The expectation when Laf was drafted was that he would take the league by storm. That has yet to happen, partially due to his usage and line deployment, prompting some to call him a bust. The 21-year-old winger has found a groove lately back on the Kid Line with five goals and five helpers over his last 12 contests. He's up to 10 goals, 28 points, 100 shots on net, 111 hits, 20 PIM and a plus-5 rating through 56 outings overall.

Hampus Lindholm, D, BOS

Lindholm helped solidify the Bruins' blue line while Charlie McAvoy was sidelined to start the season. He hit a little bit of a lull in December but has been back to his productive self since then. Over the past 11 games, the Swedish d-man has a goal and six assists. On the season, Lindholm has six goals and 36 points in 56 games, an output that sets a new career-high in his first full season in Black and Gold after coming over from Anaheim last March.

Tyson Barrie, D, EDM

Barrie benefits from all the offensive talent around him in Edmonton and is in the midst of another hot streak. He has five goals and two helpers over his last nine games, including markers in three straight contests, giving the veteran blueliner 10 tallies and 39 points through 58 outings this season, with 25 points coming on the power-play. Expectations to begin the year were that Evan Bouchard would supersede Barrie as Edmonton's point man on the top unit, but Barrie has retained and excelled in that spot.

Filip Gustavsson, G, MIN

A changing of the guard may be taking place between the pipes in Minnesota. Gustavsson has started five of Minnesota's last six games, going 4-0-1 with a .948 save percentage. He's now 15-8-2 with a .928 save percentage and a 2.11 GAA this season. The Senators flipped Gustavsson to the Wild for Cam Talbot last offseason in a move that looks short-sighted right now, with Gustavsson playing well and Talbot having dealt with several injuries while also struggling a bit. Gustavsson is a buy-low solely due to name recognition if your league is still doing trades.

Vitek Vanecek G, NJ

All Vanecek does is win. Before falling to Montreal on Tuesday, Vanecek hadn't lost in regulation since Dec. 28 (12-0-1) and allowed two or fewer goals in nine of those 13 games. For the year, Vanecek is 24-6-3 with a 2.35 goals-against average and .914 save percentage as New Jersey continues to push Carolina for first in the Metro Division.

After two fairly solid years between the pipes for the Caps, Vanecek was dealt to New Jersey this offseason. The three-year, $10.2 million contract he signed with the Devils last July looks like a bargain for the team.

Others include Brock Nelson, Kent Johnson, Elias Lindholm, Dylan Cozens, Mikael Backlund, Claude Giroux, Zach Hyman, Rickard Rakell, Chris Kreider, Robby Fabbri, Anthony Beauvillier, Rickard Rakell, Cam Fowler, Drew Doughty, Jake McCabe, Brandon Montour, Owen Power, Jeremy Swayman, Jaroslav Halak, Ilya Samsonov and Ville Husso.

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)

Jack Quinn, C, BUF

Quinn, profiled as a Faller a little over a month ago, unfortunately lands in this spot again. Selected in the first round (eighth overall) in 2020, Quinn posted 26 goals and 61 points in 45 games for AHL Rochester. He broke camp with the Sabres this year and has notched nine goals and 14 assists in 48 games. Quinn lands in this spot as he's been limited to two goals and a pair of helpers over his last 14 games. That slump has seen him dropped to the third line recently, and he hasn't exceeded 15 minutes of ice time in a game since Dec. 10.

Jeff Carter LW, PIT

After a rebound campaign last season and a decent start to this year, Carter's production has cratered. He has just one point — a goal — in his last 17 games, including an 11-game streak without hitting the scoresheet. Carter signed a two-year, $6.25 million contract extension with the Penguins in January of 2022, a deal that looked like a solid move last season. Now, though, the $3.125 million cap hit looming next year looks excessive given his rapid decline this season. Maybe he finds his way down the stretch.

Scott Mayfield, D, NYI

Mayfield has already tied his career-high in goals with five, which is the good news. The bad news is that he hasn't lit the lamp in 17 games and has just four assists during that streak. While the offense has slumped, Mayfield is still contributing hits (73) and blocks (121), but the offensive production has tailed off rapidly. The 15 points scored by Mayfield leaves him four shy of tying his career-high, with that number showing that he's more of a shutdown blueliner than a scoring one.

Others include Yanni Gourde, Alexander Holtz (sent to AHL), Alexander Romanov, Ryan Suter, Travis Sanheim, Igor Shesterkin, Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury.