Sean Allen tracks season-long ice time trends across the NHL, identifying players whose usage has climbed steadily enough to signal meaningful changes. Most of these athletes are widely available in ESPN fantasy leagues, making these shifts relevant for managers looking to gain an edge early in the 2026-27 season.
Tye Kartye of the New York Rangers has seen his ice time surge from 13:20 on opening night to 22:47 recently, while his shot volume has increased accordingly. He currently skates with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev at 5-on-5 and sits on a second power-play unit outperforming the Rangers' top group. Tristan Luneau of the Anaheim Ducks has climbing shots and fantasy points, averaging 2.5 fantasy points over his past seven games while running the Ducks' second power-play unit with Jackson La Combe.
Roman Kantserov of the Chicago Blackhawks is taking 83% of the top power-play unit ice time, producing 2.1 fantasy points per game over his past five outings. Esa Lindell of the Dallas Stars has exceeded 26 minutes in each of his past three games since returning from injury, pairing with Miro Heiskanen and posting 1.65 FPPG since his return. Alex Laferriere of the Los Angeles Kings is seeing rising power-play time and shot volume, including two games with seven shots over his last four contests.
Elias Lindholm of the Boston Bruins has more than doubled his power-play time this season, peaking at 8:34 in his latest game and sitting at 1.81 FPPG on the top unit. Erik Gustafsson of the Los Angeles Kings has seized the top-unit quarterback role, averaging 4:23 a night with two power-play points over his past three games. Michael Misa of the San Jose Sharks has climbed in shot volume all season but recently dropped to the second power-play unit. Andrew Peeke of the Utah Mammoth has increased from low teens to around 20 minutes a night lately. Jamie Drysdale of the Philadelphia Flyers is trending up in fantasy points (2.3 per game over his past five) while remaining on the Flyers' top unit. Vasily Podkolzin of the New York Rangers, rostered in 85.4%, shows the sharpest decline, down to 0.5 fantasy points per game over his past five, as the column notes his role appears finished with healthy options available.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing