The Wire Troll: Alexander Edler Active on Power Play

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A couple of weeks ago, the Jets brought up Appleton from the AHL, and while he’s yet to light the world on fire (one assist through his first eight games), we like his long-term prospects. Currently playing on the Jets’ fourth line, he’s not seeing much ice time, but he has managed shots in each of the last two games. Given what Appleton did in the AHL as a rookie last season (66 points) and this season (nearly a point per game), he’s clearly a dude to keep an eye on.

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The Wire Troll: Jeremy Lauzon Logging Minutes in Boston

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Yes, McElhinney is now hurt, so this is not a pickup if you need immediate help. But assuming it’s not a long-term concern, he’s definitely worth a look as he’s seen the bulk of the starts for the Hurricanes and has performed extremely well. Before taking a shellacking on Wednesday, McElhinney had a run of five straight games giving up two or fewer goals, and it’s clear he’s going to fly past the 15 starts he made for the Leafs last season, especially now that Scott Darling has been sent down to the minors.

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The Wire Troll: Alex Chiasson Accumulating Goals for Oilers

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Chiasson potted his 11th goal in 19 games on Thursday, giving him three goals and an assist over the last four games. He was an afterthought in Washington last season, but is playing a much bigger role for the Oilers. No, Chiasson’s ridiculously good 35.5 shooting percentage won’t continue, but he brings last season’s Stanley Cup experience to a club that needs to learn how to win.

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The Wire Troll: Pavel Zacha Powers Past Slump

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Schlemenko missed the first few weeks of the season with a knee injury, but has stepped right into major minutes upon his return two weeks ago. Okay, so he’s not exactly the most skilled or fastest defenseman on the Habs, but he did log a team-high 30 shifts on Friday, picking up an assist (on the PP), three shots, four blocks and a pair of minor penalties. You won’t ever get much offense from a generally bottom-pairing defender like Schlemko, but he’s averaging around two and a half blocks and one and a half hits per game, and that has value.

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The Wire Troll: Joel Edmundson Offering Across the Board Help

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Komarov seems to have rediscovered his game since signing a four-year deal with the Isles last summer. On Thursday, he ripped a goal (the game-winner, to boot) and an assist, while recording a +3 with a pair of blocks and five hits. You’ve got to love that physicality! On Tuesday, he dished out another four hits with an assist and he’s on pace to match his personal best with 36 points.

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The Wire Troll: Robert Hagg Racking Up the Hits

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Backes is off to a simply horrific start, having gone scoreless in 10 games with a -1 rating. But he’s way too good a player to be held down for long, right? We’re talking about a dude that’s topped 30 assists five times in his career, and with Boston in need of secondary scoring, he’ll get his chances. Backes is headed back to the wing on the fourth line, and taking away those defensive responsibilities may be just what the doctor ordered to get him going. It’s worth a shot to see if he can get going, as we find it hard to believe that he’s done like dinner.

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