NHL Usage Trends for Fantasy Hockey: 01/08

Welcome to Fantrax’s NHL usage trends for January 8 — a tactical breakdown of deployment trends that matter. We’re spotlighting key ice time changes, power play promotions, and line shakeups that could swing matchups and unlock hidden value. Whether you’re grinding in deep leagues or scanning for streaming upside, these shifts offer actionable insight for fantasy managers looking to stay ahead of the curve.

More Fantasy Hockey Analysis: | Goalie Streamers | NHL Usage Trends | Buy-Low, Sell-High | NHL Schedule Preview | Fantasy Hockey Cold List | Prospect Report | NHL Injury Report | Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire

NHL Usage Trends for Fantasy Hockey

Justin Sourdif – Washington Capitals

The price the Capitals paid for Sourdif over the summer was a bit of a head-scratcher. Well, fast-forward 44 games, and Sourdif is centering the second line, averaging more than 16 minutes a game over the last 22.

Along with the increase in ice time, we’ve seen an increase in production. From three points in his first 21 games, to ten points over the next twenty. In the last two games, he’s averaged 18 minutes and picked up a hat trick and two assists on Monday night.

With 18 points in 43 games, the production remains modest; however, Sourdif continues to trend up. Rostered in only 24% of Fantrax leagues, he remains widely available. At this point, Sourdif should be viewed as a potential streamer option. That said, keep a close eye on him. If the trend continues over the third quarter, he becomes an injury replacement or bottom-of-the-roster option.

Peyton Krebs – Buffalo Sabres

Krebs has been on Tage Thompson and Josh Doan’s line for the last little while. Tuesday night marked the return of Jason Zucker, which created questions as to who Zucker would bump from the top-six. Turns out it was not Krebs, who, before Zucker’s injury, was playing fourth-line minutes.

The Sabres just had their 10-game winning streak broken, and Krebs’ line has been clicking. So, it makes sense why they didn’t want to mess with this newfound chemistry. His production is still very modest, sitting at a 28-point pace. However, he has six points in his last 10 games.

Krebs was a hot prospect with big upside when he was drafted. That skillset just hasn’t transitioned into production.

With Zucker returning on a line with Josh Norris and Alex Tuch, it’s worth watching Krebs’ continued deployment alongside Thompson.

Igor Chernyshov – San Jose Sharks

I talked about Chernyshov a couple of weeks ago when he was first called up.  He’s cooled a little over the last few games, but overall, he has really taken advantage of the opportunity.

With eight points in 10 games, including three on the power play, Chernyshov has played as well as anyone could have hoped for the 20-year-old.

His deployment speaks volumes about what the Sharks think of his upside, playing five-on-five with Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund. It will be interesting to see what the Sharks do when Will Smith returns from injury because Chernyshov has played well enough to stick around. He is exempt from waivers, and that is often the deciding factor.

Fraser Minten – Boston Bruins

Another young player making noise, Minten has seen his ice time creep up to a career high of 20:30 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Minten has played 17:51 or more in three of his last four games. The production remains modest with 17 points in 43 games, but we should remember he has only played 82 career NHL games. Getting second-line minutes is quite the feat at this point in his career.

Lest we forget, he’s accumulated 25 minutes alongside David Pastrnak at five-on-five in the last three games.

As a cherry on top, he is finally seeing time on the power play, receiving over 2:30 per game in six of the past seven games.