The Wire Troll: Goaltending Help For the Second Half

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Starting back-to-back games this week, Nilsson showed a bend but don’t break mentality, giving up plenty of juicy rebounds, but only two goals allowed on 67 shots faced over the pair of contests. Recently traded from Vancouver, he now has a chance to play more often and is taking advantage so far, with a 2.25 GAA since joining the Sens. And for what it’s worth, both Nilsson’s Corsi For and Fenwick For percentages have risen since heading east.

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The Wire Troll: Brandon Carlo Getting More PT in Beantown

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Carlo keeps seeing more ice time, receiving at least 21 minutes in three of the last four games — especially at even strength, when he’s getting as much or more than any Bruin blueliner. Sure, some more PP time would really jack up his value, but did manage his first goal of the season just over a week ago, and he’s gone +2 over the last four. Expect Carlo’s +/- to continue to improve as the season progresses (he was +10 last season), and he’s improved his secondary numbers with 31 blocks, 15 takeaways and 21 PM already. An RFA at the end of the season, this U.S.-born player might get more chances with a team that had fewer offensive defensemen. Even so, Carlo reached the NHL very quickly, and has proven he belongs, but he’s not likely to ever put up a ton of points, so you really want him more for those peripherals.

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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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