NHL Barometer: Risers & Fallers

This week's article includes a hot Casey, Nino rolling, Georgie on Broadway, Pasta sidelined and the unquestioned No. 1 in the Edmonton net in a major slump.

First Liners (Risers)

Casey Cizikas, C, NYI - Cizkas is having a magical season. His two goals Thursday gave the fourth-line center 15 this season. The last four seasons, Cizikas averaged eight goals and about 22 points. The rise in scoring is largely due to a 19 percent shooting rate, close to double his career mark. The rug is likely to get pulled out from under Cizikas, but ride the wave while it lasts.

Auston Matthews, C, TOR - Matthews hit a rough patch in late December, early January but has righted the ship. Signing his five-year deal may have been just the impetus to get back him back on the beam, though his talent shining through is a more likely reason. Matthews has seven goals and four assists in his last 10 games. With 27 goals and 26 assists in 44 games, Matthews has a shot at exceeding the 69 points he scored as a rookie two seasons ago.

Nino Niederreiter, RW, CAR - Niederreiter, the fifth overall pick in 2010 by the Islanders, never got a real shot with the team before he was moved to Minnesota. He steadily increased his production with the Wild, peaking at 57 points in 2016-17. Following that year, he signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension with Minnesota in July 2017. Niederreiter's output fell to 32 points last year, and with Minnesota looking to free up salary, the Wild dealt Nino to Carolina. That move has been a boon to his career, as he is now skating on a line with Sebastian Aho, notching eight goals and five assists in 13 games.

Jeff Skinner, RW, BUF - Skinner, the seventh overall pick in 2010, was productive in Carolina, when healthy. But injuries impacted his output, though he did fall from 63 to 49 last year despite being healthy. With a year left on Skinner's deal, Carolina dealt him to the Sabres for three draft picks and Cliff Pu in early August. Skinner has settled in beautifully in northern New York, posting 36 goals in 58 games, including two Friday, leaving the talented winger just one shy of his career high. Skinner is set up for a major payday in free agency.

Andreas Johnsson, LW, TOR - Johnsson is included on this side of the ledger with the caveat that his leg injury, suffered on a knee-to-knee hit from Las Vegas' Brayden McNabb on Thursday, was originally thought it might sideline him for a bit, even though he is day-to-day. The good news is that Johnsson might return Tuesday. After scoring in the game in which he was hurt, Johnsson has nine points in his last six outings, including two power-play points, and 14 points in 16 games in 2019. Overall, the rookie winger has 15 goals and 16 assists in 51 games, balancing bouts of production with stretches of nothingness. But when healthy, Johnsson belongs in your lineup.

Jared Spurgeon, D, MIN - Spurgeon, profiled in early January, gets another mention since his production has not tailed off since that moment. Since that column was posted, Spurgeon has four goals and eight assists in 17 games, giving the blueliner a career-high-tying 11 goals and 25 assists. The 36 points is in line with the 38 and 37 points he tallied the last two seasons, but with about seven weeks left in the regular season, Spurgeon should blow well past those numbers. As noted then, Spurgeon is aided by the absence of Matt Dumba and while Ryan Suter still might be the top option on the Minnesota blueline, Spurgeon is 1A now.

Will Butcher, D, NJD - Butcher is well off last year's scoring pace from when he was a rookie but has woken since the calendar hit the new year. The University of Denver product burst onto the scene with five goals and 39 assists last season but slowed in the second half. Butcher got off to a very slow start this year, though he seems to be rounding into form. His two goals and eight assists in 21 games gives the sophomore blueliner, who averages more than 19 minutes a game, including three-plus on the man-advantage, 22 points in 58 games.

Cam Ward, G, CHI - Ward could be on the verge of losing his job to Corey Crawford, who is close to returning from his concussion. But he is doing his best to help Chicago in the playoff hunt. Entering Saturday's game, Ward had picked up five consecutive victories while posting an impressive 2.17 GAA and .943 save percentage over that span. Despite allowing five goals on 30 shots Saturday and four in 28 shots in relief Monday, Ward, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blackhawks in July 2018, has given Chicago solid enough netminding standing in for Crawford while splitting time with Collin Dellia.

Others include Teuvo Teravainen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dominik Kahun, Ryan Johansen, Kevin Hayes, Pavel Zacha, Steven Stamkos, Mark Scheifele, Max Domi, Derek Ryan, Dylan Larkin, Tyler Seguin, Sean Couturier, Oskar Sundqvist, Brayden Point, Patrick Kane, William Karlsson, T.J. Oshie, Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Konecny, Josh Bailey, Tyler Bertuzzi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jake DeBrusk, Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Labanc, Kyle Palmieri, Viktor Arvidsson, Alex DeBrincat, Justin Williams, Jakub Vrana, Sebastian Aho, Jake Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, Mats Zuccarello, Erik Johnson, Ryan Pulock, Ryan Murray, Mike Green, Radko Gudas, Keith Yandle, Tyler Myers, Thomas Chabot, Alex Pietrangelo, Jacob Markstrom, Darcy Kuemper, Robin Lehner, Thomas Greiss, Petr Mrazek, Jordan Binnington and Frederik Andersen.

Buy Low

Alexandar Georgiev, G, BOS - Georgiev earned his third consecutive win Friday, stopping 31 shots in a 6-2 win over the Sabres. New York and coach David Quinn rode Henrik Lundqvist heavily before the All-Star break. Recently, the goaltending role has been more of a job-share between the two netminders, as the Rangers look to see what they have in Georgie and avoid overworking Lundqvist. Georgiev's overall numbers are skewed by a few very poor outings, the majority of which coming earlier in the season, though he did allow six goals against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Despite that rough effort, he still appears overall to have found his form, aided by work at Hartford in the AHL and should be a nice spot-starter in DFS.

Training Room (Injuries)

David Pastrnak, D, BOS - Pasta will be sidelined at least two weeks with a left thumb injury suffered on his way from a sponsorship dinner Feb. 3. The Bruins tweet on the incident said: "Pastrnak and several of his teammates attended a sponsorship dinner on Sunday night. At about 11:30, while walking to his transportation, Pastrnak fell and injured his left thumb." Prior to suffering the injury, Patrnak tallied 66 points – 31 goals and 35 assists – through 56 games, and his absence removes a third of the stuff line in Boston. Danton Heinen has moved up the top line in his place while Boston will rely on a team approach to replace Pastrnak's production.

Others include Jeff Carter (lower body, missed the last five games, played Saturday), Andrew Ladd (lower body, placed on long-term IR on Saturday), Blake Coleman (upper body, placed on injured reserve Friday), Erik Karlsson (groin, out from January 16, returned to action Saturday), Justin Schultz (lower leg, out since fourth game of the season, returned to action Saturday), Dustin Byfuglien (lower-body injury, missed Saturday's game against the Senators), Ben Bishop (upper body, remains sidelined), Corey Crawford (concussion, close to returning, will need practice time first), John Gibson (upper body, placed on injured reserve) and Craig Anderson (eye, missed five straight starts, return to lineup Monday).

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)

Tyler Johnson, C, TB - Johnson lit the lamp Thursday and Saturday, which was just his second and third points in the last 13 games, but his third goal in his last six contests. After notching 50 points as a rookie and 72 as a sophomore, the undrafted center dropped to 38 and 45 points his next two campaigns. Despite that decline, Tampa still inked Johnson to a seven-year, $35 million deal in July 2017. Johnson's production rose to 50 points last year and he posted 30 points his first 38 games before his recent slump. Tampa will need to clear salary to make room for Brayden Point, making Johnson a trade candidate.

Patrik Laine, LW, WPG - Laine's picture may be on milk cartons in Winnipeg, as his game has been missing in action for weeks. He is now goalless in 13 consecutive games after being held off the scoresheet versus the Avalanche on Thursday. Despite scoring 25 goals this year and 36 and 44 the prior two seasons, Laine's slump warrants placing him on your bench until he finds his scoring touch. Winnipeg moved him off the top power-play due to his power outage, and even if placed on your pine, once he finally scores, he goals may come in bunches, warranting shifting back to active status in your lineup.

Cam Fowler, D, ANA - Fowler tallied 40 points as a rookie but has not hit that mark since. Taken 12th overall in 2010, Fowler signed an eight-year, $52 million contract extension with the Ducks in July 2017. Injuries limited Fowler to 67 points and 32 points last season. This year, he has played in 36 of Anaheim's 59 games, missing time due to a face injury. Fowler has struggled since returning from that injury, Fowler has just two assists and a minus-15 rating since returning from the injury on Jan. 6, though he has posted nine hits, 18 blocked shots and 26 shots on goal.

Others include Eric Staal, Alex Killorn, Mikko Rantanen, Anders Lee, Jordan Greenway, Anthony Duclair, Nick Leddy, Dennis Cholowski, Zach Werenski, Anders Nilsson, Devan Dubnyk and Linus Ullmark.

Sell High

Mikko Koskinen, G, EDM - Cam Talbot was dealt to Philadelphia on Saturday, making Koskinen the clear top dog in the Edmonton net. Prior to Saturday's start against the Islanders, Koskinen was mired in a terrible slump, as he hadn't won a game in exactly a month and owns a 3.69 GAA and .874 save percentage over a seven-game skid. That loss streak hit eight Saturday, as Koskinen surrendered four goals on 23 shots versus the Islanders. Anthony Stolarz, acquired from the Flyers, will be the back up and could get a start or two until Koskinen finds his way.