Anton Lundell

Lundell is riding the kind of heater that coaches pretend not to notice until the box score forces the issue. His power-play goal against the USA keeps the momentum rolling and gives Finland another useful data point in a tournament where little details matter a lot. At worlds, one timely finish can change how a player is viewed both at home and by the people in NHL front offices watching from afar. This is the kind of performance that makes the summer conversation a little louder.

Montreal grabs Game 5, and that kind of win always changes the tone of a series and a locker room. The other buzz comes from the Flyers, where injuries keep forcing the conversation back to availability instead of execution. Around the league, the progress reports on Voronkov, Lundell, Turcotte, and Holmström give managers and fantasy types something to chew on, because every small step can matter when roles are shifting this time of year.