NHL Barometer: Risers & Fallers

This week's article looks at the biggest risers and fallers from the unofficial "first half" of the season. Players that missed a significant amount of time due to injury are not included.

First Liners (Risers)

Sean Couturier, C, PHI – Couturier has scored between 34 and 39 points the past four seasons, carving out a role as a solid shutdown center. Coach Dave Hakstol placed him with Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux, moving Giroux to left wing. Couturier has exploded offensively since that change, already racking up 26 goals – a new career high — and 23 assists in 49 games.

Mathew Barzal, C, NYI – The NHL has been blessed by an amazing crop of rookies the past several seasons. This year was expected to be good, but not at the same level as the Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews classes. Leading the newest group group is Barzal, who has settled in nicely as the Islanders' No. 2 center.

Mikko Rantanen, RW, COL – The Avalanche sit in a playoff spot and a big driver in their climb to that spot, especially in their recent hot streak, has been the play of Rantanen. Taken 10th overall in 2015, Rantanen already sits at 17 goals and 30 assists in 49 games, exceeding his total from his rookie season last year. Skating alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, Rantanen should be a threat to score for the remainder of the season.

Jonathan Marchessault, LW, LV – Marchessault was taken in the expansion draft, and came along with Reilly Smith from Florida and William Karlsson from Columbus. After bouncing from team to team, Marchessault seemed to have settled in last season, posting 51 points with the Panthers. In his new digs, he's racked up 17 goals and 29 assists in 45 games, earning a six-year, $30 million contract extension with the Golden Knights.

Thomas Vanek, LW, VAN – Vanek has provided Vancouver incredible value for the money after signing a one-year, $2 million deal last offseason. For the Canucks, it was a worthwhile signing, because if the team failed to contend for a playoff spot and Vanek played well, he could be dealt for future assets. This is what looks to be happening, as the veteran winger is having a solid campaign with 14 goals and 21 assists through 49 contests, while the Canucks look to be on the outside looking in again. Pay attention to where Vanek goes, as that will impact his future value.

Morgan Rielly, D, TOR – Rielly has missed the last four games due to an arm injury but could get the green light to return after the All-Star break. Thought to be relegated to a defensive shutdown role entering the season, Rielly is playing over two minutes a game with the man advantage and has blossomed into an offensive weapon from the blue line. With 31 points in 47 games, Rielly is on pace to far exceed the career-best 36 points he notched two years ago.

Mikhail Sergachev, D, TB – Selected ninth overall in 2016 by Montreal, Sergachev was traded to Tampa in the Jonathan Drouin deal. There was a clause in the trade with the Habs that said the Bolts would not get the conditional second-round pick in 2018 if Sergachev played 40 games. Tampa focused more on the team needs this year rather than losing the pick, using Sergachev in 47 contests to date due to his fine play coupled with injuries — especially to Victor Hedman. Sergachev has earned the ice time, tallying eight goals and 19 assists with a plus-11 rating.

Carter Hutton, G, STL – One of the best "second" netminders this season has been Hutton. Coming over from Nashville after a solid 2015-16 season, Hutton signed a two-year, $2.25 million deal with Blues. That has been money well spent, as Hutton went 13-8-2 with a 2.39 GAA and .913 save percentage last year. This season, he is 12-4-2 with a 1.74 GAA and .943 save percentage while technically backing up Jake Allen, though lately, it's been more of a timeshare.

Mike Smith, G, CGY – The move from Arizona to Calgary has done wonders for Smith. Tending the net behind a porous offense and defense, Smith's numbers left a lot to be desired. Resurrected by the team change, Smith has been stellar between the Flames' pipes. On the season, Smith is now 20-13-6 with a 2.39 GAA and .926 save percentage. His play is a big reason why the Flames are third in the Pacific Division.

Others include Aleksander Barkov, Brayden Schenn, Brayden Point, Eric Staal, Nathan MacKinnon, Vladislav Namestnikov, Anders Lee, Dylan Larkin, Vincent Trocheck, Brian Boyle, Mathieu Perreault, William Karlsson, Blake Wheeler, Claude Giroux, Reilly Smith, Dustin Brown, Travis Konecny, Evander Kane, Mark Stone, Josh Bailey, Yanni Gourde, Micheal Ferland, Nick Schmaltz, Elias Lindholm, John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Nate Schmidt, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Sami Vatanen, Erik Johnson, Mathew Dumba, Ivan Provorov, Torey Krug, John Klingberg, Aaron Dell, Jonathan Bernier, Marc-Andre Fleury, Malcolm Subban, Anton Khudobin, Tuukka Rask and Connor Hellebuyck.

Training Room (Injuries)

Charlie McAvoy, D, BOS – The young blueliner underwent a successful procedure last Monday to treat an abnormal heart rhythm and is expected to be out two weeks. McAvoy -- who has logged 25 points in 45 games – is having a big rookie year steadying the Boston bark end while playing averaging 23 minutes a game.

Others include Joe Thornton (arthroscopic procedure on MCL, indefinite), Evgeny Kuznetsov (groin injury, left Thursday's game), Nino Niederreiter (lower body, could return Feb. 2), Tyson Barrie (broken hand, out since Dec. 23, could be back right after the All-Star break), Roberto Luongo (lower-body, out since Dec. 4, could practice this week, back in early-February), and John Gibson (leg injury, left Thursday's game).

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)

Kevin Hayes, C, NYR – Hayes scored a career-best 49 points last season, notching 17 goals and 32 assists. But his play tailed off as the campaign wore on, as he only managed 10 points in the next 37 games, including just three assists scattered over 12 playoff contests. This season, Hayes has been deployed in more of a shutdown role by coach Alain Vigneault. So despite Hayes moving from the third to second line, his production has dropped from 49 to 20 points in 44 games.

Artemi Panarin, LW, CLM – Panarin isn't having a "horrific" season with 12 goals and 27 assists in 49 games. After tallying 30 and 31 goals with 47 and 43 assists, respectively, some regression was expected with Panarin's move from Chicago to Columbus. Mix in a decline from 16.0 and 14.7 shooting percentages to 8.8 this season and you have a recipe for failing to reach 30 goals again.

Duncan Keith, D, CHI – Keith can't buy a goal. He and Ryan McDonagh were basically competing to see who could get off the schneid first. McDonagh scored twice, leaving Keith as probably the best defenseman who has yet to light the lamp. Keith hasn't scored in 49 games despite putting 116 shots on net, continuing his decline in tallies the past three years when he dropped from 10 to nine to six. In addition, with just one point in his last seven contests and only 23 assists, Keith could finish with his lower output since 2011-12.

Scott Darling, G, CAR – I loved the move by Carolina acquiring Darling from Chicago and signing him to a four-year, $16.6 million contract to be their starting goalie, but I was off-base here. Darling has been nothing short of horrific, posting a 3.02 GAA and .892 save percentage while going just 9-13-6 in the first half of the season. Cam Ward has seen most of the action between the pipes lately for the Hurricanes.
 
Others include Mikko Koivu, Max Domi, Matt Duchene, Brandon Saad, Bobby Ryan, Andrew Ladd, James van Riemsdyk, Gustav Nyquist, Jaromir Jagr, Dustin Byfuglien, Aaron Ekblad, Brent Seabrook, Justin Schultz, Cam Fowler, Robin Lehner, Thomas Greiss and Carey Price.