NHL Usage Trends: Playoff Edition, Part Four

Welcome back to another installment of Fantrax’s NHL Usage Trends: Playoff Edition. John Tortorella has turned the Vegas Golden Knights into a three-game wrecking machine — and nobody saw it coming.

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NHL Usage Trends

Now, the Vegas Golden Knights holding a three-game-to-none lead over the Colorado Avalanche is not something I had on my BINGO Card. The Avalanche have looked like the team to beat all season long. The John Tortorella effect in Vegas is real.

And Vegas is where we are starting today:

Carter Hart, Vegas Golden Knights

Tortorella’s decision to go with Hart as his starting goalie over Adin Hill is the standout decision he has made since becoming the coach of the Knights. Tortorella was hired on March 29th, replacing Bruce Cassidy. Hart played his first game in three months on April 2nd. That was the start of a 7-0-1 run for the Golden Knights, and a six-game win streak for Hart to end the season.

In the 12 games Hart played in December and January, he arguably wasn’t playing well enough to be a backup goalie.

Adin Hill is under contract with a cap hit of 6.2 million per season. Hart is signed for one more at two million. It wasn’t that long ago that the Knights traded the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Marc-Andre Fleury, after winning the Stanley Cup. If they view Hill’s cap-hit as a hindrance, he’ll be out the door faster than you can spell his last name.

It is hard to see a scenario right now where Hart is not the Golden Knights starter in October. This will have a serious impact on Hill’s fantasy value. They should keep him. They’ve been burned too many times by scrimping on the salary cap in the crease. As cut-throat as they have been in the past, it’s 50-50 whether he returns or is traded.

Brett Howden, Vegas Golden Knights.

In 489 games across eight NHL seasons, Howden has only produced more than 23 points in a season, once. That came in 2024-25, when he hit 40 points. Sure, in four of those seasons, he played less than 60 games, but that’s another flag.

Yet, here we are. It is nearing the end of May, the Golden Knights hold a 3-0 stranglehold on the Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals, and Brett Howden is tied for the playoff lead in goals, with 10.

He has only scored 10 goals in an NHL season twice.

Here’s my disclaimer: Do not go into next season with the idea that Howden will suddenly become a 30-goal scorer. Enjoy the ride, but don’t go getting any delusional ideas that this will translate to the regular season.

Easton Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs

Tied at two, with twelve seconds remaining in the third period, Cowan buried the rebound in game five against the Cleveland Monsters. This sent the surprising Toronto Marlies into the third round of the AHL playoffs.

Cowan has been getting top-six minutes all playoffs with the Marlies. His primary linemates have been Bo Groulx and Ryan Tverberg. Two players hoping to make an impact at the Leafs next training camp.

Cowan wins. It’s what he does. His London Knights teams played in back-to-back Memorial Cups. In his first professional season, the Toronto Marlies find themselves in the third round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. With eight points in 13 playoff games, Cowan is cutting his teeth in this playoff run. It is going to pay dividends for his player development.

While I expect Cowan to become a top-six forward for the Leafs, it will be a gradual process. He’ll split time on the top three lines until chemistry dictates where he’ll settle. Nothing in Toronto is under the radar. However, Cowan remains a sleeper option, with 50-point potential entering next season.