NHL Stock Watch: Connor McDavid rising, Tuukka Rask falling

RISING

Connor McDavid, C, Oilers: It’s hard to believe this kid is just 19 years old, and it's really hard to believe he missed 37 games with a busted clavicle, too. McDavid is on a 4-8-12 tear since rejoining the action six games ago (capping off with a five-point highlight film Thursday), and he’s taking Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle along for the ride. Enjoy those inexpensive Edmonton stacks while it’s available to you. Finally for Oilers fans, some light at the end of the tunnel.

Patrick Eaves, LW/RW, Stars: We can’t be sure how long he’ll stick on the top Dallas line, but anyone skating with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin is a threat to put up fancy numbers. Eaves is on a 4-4-8 run over his last five games, including a hat trick in the stunning victory at Chicago. He’s racked up 16 shot attempts over that span.

Jaden Schwartz, LW, Blues: The STL line (Schwartz-Tarasenko-Lehtera) is back in business, with Schwartz finally returning from his broken ankle. Although Schwartz was limited to a modest 13:31 of ice in Friday’s win over Florida, he came through with a goal and an assist, didn’t show much rust. The arrow certainly points up for Schwartz, who is just 23 and is coming off a snappy 28-35-63 season.

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Wayne Simmonds, LW/RW, Flyers: When we think of power forwards, we generally have two stat-collecting columns in mind: power-play goals and penalty minutes. Simmonds has been filling the sheet nicely this month (six goals, three PPG, 22 PIMs), settling in with Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. This might be the first time Simmonds gets to the lofty 30-goal plateau.

Shane Doan, LW/RW, Coyotes: Apparently he’s going to be a viable NHL top-six forward until the day he retires. Doan has quietly posted a 15-8-23 line (and a plus-10 rating) over his last 25 games, trying to keep the Coyotes in the playoff hunt. And he’s been especially active in February, with four goals and 21 shots over just five starts. Sounds like someone who should be owned in more than 44 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D, Sharks: The Sharks have piled on 53 goals in their last 15 games, and while the forwards (and Brent Burns) are getting most of the attention, don’t overlook the veteran Vlasic, assembling a career year. We made note of Vlasic in this space last month, but since then he’s gone on a six-game assist streak and continued to log time on the power play, so it’s worth an additional mention. He’s going to set a new career mark for scoring, and he’s been a plus player in nine of his ten NHL seasons.

FALLING

Tuukka Rask, G, Bruins: While a .917 save percentage isn’t necessary a scarlet letter, it does represent the worst ratio in Rask’s seven years as a regular. And if you frame his stats against all of the netminders in the league, Rask basically checks in at league average (especially in the advanced metrics that grade all goalies against one another). It’s a notable fall for someone who won a Vezina as recently as 2013-14. The Bruins might sneak into the playoffs, but I’d be shocked if they put any kind of a run together.

Mark Streit, D, Flyers: It’s comical to see some fantasy pundits ranking Streit over Shayne Gostisbehere; Ghost has clearly taken over the Philly power play and shoved Streit to the side. Streit has a piddly five points to show for his last 24 games, and he hasn’t notched a power-play assist since November. Streit is still owned in 44 percent of Yahoo leagues; get to work on that number, gamers. Name brands aren't worth anything in mid-February.

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Jets: Yesterday’s hero, today’s zero — the rookie netminder was sent to the minors Friday, coinciding with Ondrej Pavelec’s activation. It speaks to where the Jets are going this year — nowhere. I suppose the idea is to get Pavelec healthy and confident again, perhaps with the eye towards a trade (be it at the deadline or over the summer). Hellebuyck still looks like the goalie of the future to me.

Leo Komarov, F, Maple Leafs: So much for the talk of a breakout season. Komarov has just two goals in his last 21 games, and worse yet, he’s only generated 37 shots over that time. This isn’t a care of being snakebit, it’s a case of not being active enough. Somehow he’s managed to maintain an even rating over that period, though the Leafs have been getting kicked around during a recent road trip.