FORWARDS
Trending up: Marian Gaborik, Los Angeles Kings -- It’s been more than a year now since Kings general manager Dean Lombardi’s bold move to acquire the 33-year-old sniper, and the deal continues to pay dividends for the defending Stanley Cup champs. Gaborik tallied twice for the Kings in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, including the game-tying goal with 45 seconds left in regulation. Gaborik also scored one in the shootout to help propel the Kings past the Habs.
Trending down: Brooks Laich, Washington Capitals -- The veteran forward served as a rare healthy scratch Tuesday night when Capitals coach Barry Trotz elected to sit him out against the Columbus Blue Jackets. From all accounts, Laich handled the adverse assignment with class and he returned to the lineup Thursday night in the team’s 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. But his goal drought continues. Laich has now gone 26 games without a goal.
Surprise of the week: Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs -- Kessel has taken a lot of heat this season for spurning the media at critical junctures of the Leafs' floundering season. But he positioned himself front and center Tuesday, when he sounded off on what he felt was unfair treatment of Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. It was nice to see Kessel show some fire in sticking up for a teammate. His uncharacteristically emotional rant revealed both the sense of anger and frustration that has clearly been festering in that room for some time, and it revealed a rare, and welcome, glimpse into his personality.
DEFENSEMEN
Trending up: Marek Zidlicky, Detroit Red Wings -- The 38-year-old veteran emerged as a top target on the rental market once Jeff Petry and Andrej Sekera went off the board, and Zidlicky ended up in Detroit with one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Traded from the New Jersey Devils on Monday, Zidlicky made an immediate impact with a power-play goal in overtime to give the Wings a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena.
Trending down: Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames -- The Calgary Flames captain is in this category by no fault of his own, but because a torn biceps ended what has been an absolutely terrific season for Giordano. The news Monday that the 31-year-old would be forced to undergo season-ending surgery was a devastating blow for the Flames. Giordano’s spectacular effort this season earned him plenty of recognition as a Norris Trophy candidate, and we should salute his accomplishments regardless of who takes home the hardware this spring.
Surprise of the week: Keith Yandle, Arizona Coyotes -- Arizona GM Don Maloney said that Shane Doan was the only true untouchable on the team’s roster, but Yandle was not considered someone likely to move before the NHL trade deadline. Maybe it’s because years of trade rumors have repeatedly failed to come to fruition. Maybe it’s because a deal of this magnitude usually waits until the summer. But consider us surprised when the biggest trade of the deadline involved his heading to New York. Maloney fetched a mighty return, and the Rangers finally got their power-play quarterback in a stunning swap that involved multiple players, a top prospect and picks going both ways.
GOALTENDERS
Trending up: Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators -- The 27-year-old Hammond, who's nicknamed the “Hamburglar,” was masterful again this week for the surging Sens against the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets, turning away 71 of 74 shots. Hammond, who has emerged since injuries to Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner, is 6-0-2 with a 1.35 goals-against average, a .957 save percentage and two shutouts this season.
Trending down: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators -- Rinne remains one of the best goaltenders in the league during what has been a Vezina-caliber season, but recently he hasn’t been able to steal the games for the Predators the way he has done so often. Rinne has been saddled with four straight losses and has given up 14 goals during that span. Nashville's current skid is hardly Rinne's fault, but the Preds desperately needs their savior to pull them out of their funk.
Surprise of the week: Robb Tallas, Florida Panthers -- An absolutely crazy situation unfolded in Sunrise, Florida, on Tuesday night, when Panthers starting goaltender Roberto Luongo and backup Al Montoya were both injured in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After some confusion on the bench about whether an actual skater would have to be the sacrificial lamb, we saw 41-year-old goaltending coach Robb Tallas emerge from the Panthers tunnel as an emergency backup. Montoya held down the fort while gritting through injury and Luongo eventually returned from a local hospital to re-enter the game, but Tallas was there at the ready in case he was forced into his first NHL action since 2001. Talk about a team player.