NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers for the Week

This week's article includes Hertl the Turtle, a cool Cuylle, perfect Perfetti, Ekholm rolling for the Oil, add the Rat, Barkov back and a scuffling McTavish. 

First Liners (Risers) 

Tomas Hertl, C, LV: Hertl the Turtle is settling in nicely during his first season with the Knights. Acquired at the 2024 trade deadline from San Jose, Hertl played the final six games of the season for Las Vegas. Hertl has racked up seven points over his last four games and has four markers and six apples in 11 contests while centering the Knights' second line. He is also deployed on the point on the top power play unit, affording Hertl the chance to exceed the 60-point mark this season. 

Nick Suzuki, C, MTL: Suzuki failed to dent the scoresheet the first two contests of the season. Since then, he has notched points in each of his last seven games, including Sunday. Suzuki is up to three goals and seven helpers in nine games. He upped his output each of the past three campaigns, going from 41 to 61, then 66 and 77 points. Centering the Habs' top line, Suzuki is between Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach, the latter until Juraj Slafkovsky returns, giving him a chance to score at a point-per-game pace or better this season. 

Cole Perfetti, LW, WPG: Perfetti, taken in the first round, 10th overall in 2020, took a mild step forward in his second full season. He went from eight to 19 goals, driven by an improvement of his shooting percentage from 8.9 to 13.4, and 30 to 38 points, though half of that production came in the first 23 games of the season. Perfetti signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with the Jets in September, looking to put together a full campaign. He went scoreless his first three games of the year, but has found his form recently, earning nine points over his last six games.

Will Cuylle, LW, NYR: When you gameplan to stop the Rangers, Cuylle is likely not the name at the top of your list. If the third line of Cuylle-Filip Chytil-Kaapo Kakko continues to play as effectively as they have to date, that view may change. That line has notched six goals and 13 assists in eight games, with Cuylle contributing two goals, five assists, 16 shots on net, 36 hits, six PIM and a plus-10 rating. Cuylle has vastly raised his game in his sophomore campaign after a very solid rookie season. 

Jacob Middleton, D, MIN: Minnesota has been looking for a blueliner to provide balance to Brock Faber. Most people expected Jared Spurgeon, back from injury this season, to fill that role. Instead, Middleton, who moved from San Jose to Minnesota several seasons ago, has stepped up in that spot. After a 2023-24 season in which he set new personal bests with seven goals and 18 assists, Middleton signed a four-year, $17.4 million contract extension with the Wild in July. Up to two goals and four helpers in eight games, Middleton is on very early pace to set a new career-high in points.

Mattias Ekholm, D, EDM: Following a very slow start to the season, Ekholm has found his scoring touch and game. Ekholm has notched a pair of points in three straight contests and is up to two goals and six helpers in 10 games this season. He recorded 11 goals, 45 points, a plus-44 rating, 47 PIM, 93 blocks and 136 hits across 79 regular-season contests while averaging 21:03 of ice time last season. Ekholm is locked in on the first pairing with Evan Bouchard, though Bouchard is more of the scoring threat while Ekholm is the more "defensive" blueliner. 

Frederik Andersen, G, CAR: The Great Dane refuses to go quietly into that good night. The expectation was that Andersen would cede the No. 1 netminder job to Pyotr Kochetkov in Carolina. Three straight wins while allowing just six goals on 101 shots, posting a 3-1-0 record over his first four outings of 2024-25, shows that Andersen intends to keep his spot a while longer. Kochetkov is the future in net for the Canes, but Andersen may be the here and now, at least for the time being. (Check his status, as he is dealing with a minor injury, forcing him out of Monday's start.)

Justus Annunen, G, COL: Sunday was Annunen's fourth straight start. He entered the contest going 3-0-0 with a .949 save percentage in his previous three outings. Alexandar Georgiev was better in his last outing, but if Annunen continues to play well and rack up wins, he likely will continue to start. Annunen showed signs last season that he was up to the task, and he has built off that fine performance this season. If you have Annunen -- who picked up the win despite allowing four goals Sunday -- rostered, enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.           

Others include Filip Chytil, Tage Thompson, Matty Beniers, Joel Eriksson Ek, Mark Stone, Cole Caufield, Jordan Eberle, Jake Neighbours, Kirill Marchenko, Travis Konecny, Colton Parayko, Cale Makar, Owen Power, Shayne Gostisbehere, Thomas Harley, Brandt Clarke, Lukas Dostal, Ilya Samsonov, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. 

Buy Low 

Brad Marchand, LW, BOS: Prior to Marchland's game-winning goal Saturday, whispers had started that he had lost a step and was on the decline. An unrestricted free agent after the season, Marchand is completing the eight-year, $49 million contract extension he signed with the Bruins in September of 2016. Marchand has notched 402 goals and 935 points wearing the black and gold. His 67-point output each of the last two seasons are a drop from the norm, leading to questions of age-related decline. Keep in mind though that Marchand has been painfully unlucky with a 4.3 shooting percentage, well below his 15.2 career mark. 

Training Room (Injuries) 

Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA: Florida welcomed back their No. 1 center Monday after an eight-game absence. Anton Lundell more than ably stood in for the Finnish pivot, but he now slides back to a third line role. Barkov has a history of missing contests, playing just one 82-game campaign in his 11-year career, though one year was pandemic shortened. When on the ice, Barkov contributes across the board, showing why he is viewed as one of the most complete players in the NHL.

Others include Connor McDavid (lower body, left Monday's game), Shane Pinto (undisclosed, missed second game Sunday, listed as week-to-week), Anthony Duclair (groin, out four to six weeks), Bryan Rust (lower body, injured Saturday, didn't practice Monday), Cam York (upper body, expected to be out of action for at least two weeks) and Frederik Andersen (lower body, out Monday). 

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers) 

Mason McTavish, C, ANA: McTavish is one of the key building blocks for the future for the Ducks. But he is scuffling this season, landing the third-year center on the fourth line at times. McTavish posted 42 points; one fewer than his 2022-23 campaign, albeit in 16 less games, raising expectations. McTavish needs to shoot more, as he historically averages just two per game, but his ice time, at even-strength and on the power play, remain in line with past years. Sooner or later McTavish will get hot. Until then, leave him in your bench. 

Trevor Moore, RW, LA: Moore, off a career-best 57 points, including 31 goals, is off to a very slow start this year. He has notched just one goal and an assist in nine games. Moore has seen his shot volume decline slightly, from almost three a game last year to 2.5 this season, but that is not a sufficient reason for his rough start. Expect his shooting percentage to pick up, and the helpers should rise as well as long as he remains entrenched as the second line right winger. 

Connor Ingram, G, UTAH: As someone who has Ingram rostered in his home league, I much preferred when he and Utah were on fire. The losses of Sean Durzi and John Marino have adversely affected the Hockey Club's backline, contributing to their recent struggles. After opening the season 3-0-0, heading into Monday's game against San Jose, Ingram was 1-2-1 with a 3.87 goals-against average and .851 save percentage, far from attractive numbers. Utah needs a trade to improve the blue line. If not, Ingram's numbers will likely continue to be pedestrian at best. That was the case again Monday, as Utah and Ingram blew a 4-1 late third period lead and lost 5-4 in overtime.

Others include Adam Fantilli, Jett Luchanko, Michael Bunting, Gustav Nyquist, Brent Burns, Charlie McAvoy, Joey Daccord and Tristan Jarry. 

Sell High

Alex Pietrangelo, D, LV: Even though it's apple-picking season on the East Coast, Pietrangelo has been dishing more than taking in Vegas. He has gone on a play-making binge with eight helpers over his last three games, upping his season mark to 11 assists, while adding his first goal of the season Monday. Pietrangelo has just the one lamplighter, but it's hard to complain about his production, as he also has blocked 15 shots, doled out eight hits and posted a plus-10 in 10 contests. After a down 2023-24 season, Pietrangelo is turning back the clock early, but don't overrate, as he is seeing less than a minute per game on the power play, while his ice time has dropped two minutes a contest.