Alex Lyon – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Immediate reaction to the Artemi Panarin trade, Charlie Coyle leads the surging Blue Jackets, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich producing for the Blues, and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:10:00 +0000

New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, immediate reaction to the Artemi Panarin trade, Charlie Coyle leads the surging Blue Jackets, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich producing for the Blues, and so much more!

#1 Moving to Los Angeles should be an interesting situation for Artemi Panarin, who has been one of the most productive forwards in the league. Since 2019-2020, he has 607 points in 482 games which ranks sixth in the league. That suggests that he should be able to keep scoring, even on a team that has its own troubles generating offense. It remains to be seen which Kings players Panarin will play with, but it would seem to be a possibility that Panarin could skate on a line with Quentin Byfield, who is a strong player but has been struggling to score this season.

#2 The prospect going to the Rangers in the Panarin trade is Liam Greentree, the 26th pick in the 2024 Draft. He is a 6-foot-3 winger who should have a chance to compete for a spot in the near future with the rebuilding Rangers, though his production has dropped – from 119 points in 64 games last season to 45 points in 35 games in the OHL this season. Gabriel Perreault and Brennan Othmann are the top forward prospects getting looks with the Rangers now so, depending on how the Rangers rebuild is handled, Greentree could have a chance to play in the NHL relatively soon.

#3 When the Blue Jackets replaced Dean Evason as head coach with Rick Bowness, it turned the season around. The new coach bounce has lifted the Blue Jackets to 10 wins in the past 11 games, and centre Charlie Coyle has been one of several Blue Jackets to elevate his play. In those 11 games, Coyle has 16 points (8 G, 8 A) and 31 shots on goal. He is skating on a line with Cole Sillinger and Mathieu Olivier at even strength, but Coyle is getting first unit power play time, and he has scored three power play goals in the past 11 games.

#4 Surrounding an injury that kept him out of action for three weeks, Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou was held without a goal in 13 straight games, dropping his value for fantasy managers. In his past eight games, however, Kyrou has started to heat up, producing 12 points (5 G, 7 A) with 29 shots on goal. He has scored more than 30 goals in each of the past three seasons and while that’s not as likely this season (he has 13 goals in 47 games), Kyrou is a proven scorer who could have real value down the stretch.

#5 With Robert Thomas injured, the Blues have shifted Pavel Buchnevich to the middle of the ice, and in his past seven games, Buchnevich has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 22 shots on goal. He has played some centre for the Blues, despite being terrible on faceoffs (winning 35.5 percent of his draws with St. Louis), but, as a skilled playmaker, he does seem to be connecting with Kyrou, improving the fantasy value for both of them.

#6 An upper-body injury kept Dallas Stars centre Matt Duchene out of action for nearly a couple of months, and it took him some time to get up to speed after returning. Duchene had just 11 points (4 G, 7 A) through his first 26 games, but since then he has recorded nine points (6 G, 3 A) with 13 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. He is starting to click on the power play, with three power play goals in those six games after he had one power play point in his previous 26 contests.

#7 There have been many times during this season that we have pointed out the value of Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha, yet he’s still available in a significant percentage of leagues. In his past nine games, Mantha has 12 points (6 G, 6 A) with 17 shots on goal. He has hit 20 goals for the fourth time in his career, and with 42 points, he is six points away from tying his career high, which was set in 2017-2018 and matched in 2018-2019. The towering winger has moved up the depth chart and is skating on Sidney Crosby’s wing and getting first unit power play time for the Penguins.

#8 Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann has landed in trade rumours recently, as the Maple Leafs are on the outside looking in at the playoffs and he has an expiring contract. He is certainly not hurting his trade value with his play, putting up seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games, making the most of his chance to skate with Auston Matthews and Max Domi on the Leafs’ top line. If McMann is traded, he may not have such a prime scoring role, but he has proven that he can put the puck in the net, generate shots on goal, and add some hits for good measure.

#9 After spending most of last season in the American Hockey League, Kailer Yamamoto is back in the NHL this season with the Utah Mammoth. That hasn’t been particularly relevant for fantasy managers for most of the season, but he does have eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 12 shots on goal in his past seven games, which makes him worth considering even if it’s as a short-term pick up. Yamamoto is skating with Barrett Hayton and JJ Peterka on Utah’s second line, which does help to make him at least a little bit interesting.

#10 As the Seattle Kraken seek more consistent scoring, they are getting quality production from their captain, Jordan Eberle. The veteran right winger has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past seven games and his 38 points (20 G, 18 A) lead the Kraken. Eberle has exceeded 25 goals in a season twice in his career, most recently in 2013-2014, so he’s on pace for one of his best goal-scoring campaigns. He is skating on the Kraken’s top line with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann and they are having success, but it also highlights how the Kraken could use more game-breaking offensive talent.

#11 Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn is 36 now, so not the player that he was during his peak years, but he can still bring it in short bursts. Following a 12-game point drought, Benn has erupted for eight points (2 G, 6 A) in his past four games. The trouble is that he only has five shots on goal in those four games – and only had a dozen in the previous 12 – so it’s very difficult to trust that his production is sustainable.

#12 A fresh start in Pittsburgh has paid off for winger Yegor Chinakhov, who was acquired from Columbus earlier in the season. Chinakhov has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 21 shots on goal in his past eight games, with his ice time going up over 15 minutes per game in that stretch, as he skates on Pittsburgh’s second line with Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin. Chinakhov’s 1.31 goals per 60 minutes ranks 13th among skaters to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes.

#13 With the Vancouver Canucks lacking options down the middle of the ice, especially in an offensive role, Teddy Blueger is stepping into a more offensive role. Blueger played two games in October before getting injured and recently returned to the lineup, putting up seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 17 shots on goal in eight games. He has also played 16:23 per game which is a couple of minutes more per game than his typical average, and he’s having some success skating with wingers Conor Garland and Liam Ohgren.

#14 Utah Mammoth defenceman Sean Durzi can get overlooked because he’s not running the top power play, but he’s always been a quality puck-moving defender so there are times that his offensive production starts to take off. In his past seven games, Durzi has produced six points (2 G, 4 A) with nine shots on goal and 12 blocked shots – those blocked shots providing real value for fantasy managers as a complement to his increased scoring.

#15 With injuries sidelining Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, the Anaheim Ducks have needed other centres to fill the void. Enter Ryan Poehling, a checking centre who has moved between veteran wingers Chris Kreider and Troy Terry. Poehling has six points (2 G, 4 A) and seven shots on goal in his past six games and while that shot rate is low, he is playing more than 17 minutes per game which is up by more than a couple of minutes per game over his previous average time on ice. Once the Ducks are healthy, Poehling will fill more of a defensive role, but it’s encouraging to see a player successfully handle a bigger role when given the chance.

#16 One of the statistical areas to consider for possible positive regression is to find players that have struggled with low on-ice shooting percentages. This isn’t a blanket issue because players who tend to skate on fourth lines, for example, are likely to have lower on-ice shooting percentages, but if a player is playing in a scoring role and still running low on-ice shooting percentages, that might be a player due for better puck luck. Some notables with low five-on-five on-ice shooting percentages this season include Marco Kasper (5.8%), Jonathan Drouin (6.0%), Jesper Bratt (6.1%), Dougie Hamilton (6.2%), Conor Garland (6.3%), Nico Hischier (6.4%), Kevin Fiala (6.5%), and Quinton Byfield (6.6%).

#17 Of course, it works the other way too, so when players have benefited from high on-ice shooting percentages, the odds are greater that they will run into some regression towards the mean. Some of the more notable players with high, and possibly unsustainable, five-on-five on-ice shooting percentages entering the Olympic break include Ivan Demidov (16.1%), William Nylander (16.0%), Oliver Kapanen (16.3%), Brayden Point (15.0%), Macklin Celebrini (14.8%), Mark Scheifele (14.3%), Jamie Benn (14.1%), Kyle Connor (14.0%), Gabriel Vilardi (13.9%), Nikita Kucherov (13.7%), and Cole Hutson (13.7%).

#18 This doesn’t mean that these players can’t remain productive, only that it’s very difficult to maintain this kind of lofty on-ice shooting percentage over the long haul. In the past three seasons, among players with at least 1500 minutes of five-on-five ice time, the leaders in on-ice shooting percentage are Kucherov (12.3%), Vilardi (12.2%), Points (12.1%), David Pastrnak (12.0%), and Hutson (11.8%).

#19 With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen injured, Alex Lyon becomes even more important between the pipes for the Buffalo Sabres. Lyon has been excellent, posting a .912 save percentage this season, but if Luukkonen is going to miss time beyond the Olympic break, then Lyon and Colten Ellis will have to fill the void for a Sabres team that now expects to reach the playoffs.

#20 Calgary Flames left winger Jonathan Huberdeau is going to miss the rest of the season due to hip surgery. The veteran winger did have four points (2 G, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal in his last five games, but that followed a stretch of zero points in nine games. It has been a difficult season overall, with Huberdeau producing 25 points (10 G, 15 A) in 50 games and with the Flames looking like they will have an eye towards next season, Huberdeau’s absence will create more opportunities for others. Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary are likely to see expanded roles, which could make them viable fantasy contributors down the stretch.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Veterans who are elevating their play, including Zach Hyman, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Hartman, Claude Giroux, David Perron, and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 16:22:00 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, veterans who are elevating their play, including Zach Hyman, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Hartman, Claude Giroux, David Perron, and so much more!

#1 Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman was not ready to start the season, as he recovered from wrist surgery, so he didn’t get into the lineup until mid-November and even then it took him some time to get up to speed. It does appear that he’s starting to cook. In his past 11 games, Hyman has 15 points (9 G, 6 A) and 34 shots on goal. He’s getting first unit power play time and skating on the Oilers’ top line with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, so Hyman should be in a prime position for the rest of the season.

#2 In his first 29 games this season, Nashville Predators right winger Steven Stamkos had 11 points (8 G, 3 A) and when that happens to a player in his mid-30s, it can look like the end is near. He has turned back the clock recently, however, putting up 11 points (7 G, 4 A) with 29 shots on goal in his past seven games. He’s skating on a veteran line with Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg and the key is that Stamkos is generating shots on goal. In his first 29 games, he had just 58 shots on goal, so to go from two shots per game to more than four shots per game in this recent uptick in his performance shows that he can still be a legitimate offensive threat.

#3 Ryan O’Reilly has been a huge part of the Predators’ resurgence. In the past 14 games, the Preds are 10-4 and O’Reilly has 19 points (5 G, 14 A) in those 14 games. He has just 23 shots on goal, and a low shot rate is a concern for offensive sustainability, but O’Reilly is a consistent play driver year after year and that has continued this season in Nashville, with a 55.8 CF%, which would represent the best Corsi percentage of his career.

#4 Although he moves around the Minnesota Wild lineup quite a bit, there is usually reason to like when Ryan Hartman gets his turn playing on the top line. With Marco Rossi dealt to Vancouver in the Quinn Hughes trade, Hartman has moved in between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, with Hartman putting up seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games, after he had eight points (4 G, 4 A) through his first 29 games this season.

#5 The Ottawa Senators are getting quality production from veteran wingers Claude Giroux and David Perron. Giroux has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 11 shots on goal in his past seven games while Perron has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past seven games. They are getting second unit power play time and, for a pair of 37-year-olds, they are still providing reliable secondary scoring for the Sens. As with many of the veterans in this week’s article, they are not producing at the level of their best career performance but in their mid-30s that’s not a reasonable expectation and it is part of the reason that these players are more widely available.

#6 When he was acquired by the Ottawa Senators from the San Jose Sharks last season, Fabian Zetterlund responded with a meagre five points (3 G, 2 A) and 40 shots on goal in 20 games. He followed that up by starting this season with four points (1 G, 3 A) and 28 shots on goal in his first 20 games, but he has turned the corner and is now a solid offensive contributor on a talented Senators squad. In his past 16 games, Zetterlund has 12 points (8 G, 4 A) and 38 shots on goal, and appears to have secured a regular spot on the top line alongside Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk.

#7 With injuries decimating the Tampa Bay Lightning blueline, Darren Raddysh has been the primary beneficiary from an offensive standpoint, as he is quarterbacking the top power play unit and producing at an elite level. His partner, J.J. Moser, has been making inroads recently, with five points and 16 shots on goal while averaging 23:32 of ice time in his past six games. Moser only had seven points (1 G, 6 A) and 34 shots on goal in his previous 28 games, but he does seem equipped to provide more offense than that.

#8 Although he is getting surpassed by his younger teammates in San Jose, Sharks right winger Tyler Toffoli has put up 13 points (5 G, 8 A) and 38 shots on goal in his past 13 games, recording two four-point games in the process. Toffoli is skating on San Jose’s second line, alongside William Eklund and Alexander Wennberg, while also getting time with the top power play unit.

#9 At this stage of his career, 40-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns is not the focal point for offense on the blueline, but he hasn’t abandoned those parts of his game, either. In his past 12 games, he has delivered eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 26 shots on goal, while averaging 19:44 of ice time per game. Only one of Burns’ 19 points this season have come on the power play, so there is a limit to his offensive contribution, but he remains a contributor for an Avalanche team that is steamrolling the rest of the league.

#10 Staying on the Colorado blueline, Samuel Girard has suddenly started to provide offense. In his past six games, Girard has six points (2 G, 4 A) and eight shots on goal, but he had just two assists in the 15 games that he played before that. Like Burns, Girard is not getting power play time in Colorado, but the Avs are so good that it could be worth considering these guys in deeper leagues.

#11 Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron has never scored more than 21 points in an NHL season, but that could change this season. He has found a role on Winnipeg’s third line, alongside Adam Lowry and Alex Iafallo, and in his past six games, Barron has five points (4 G, 1 A) and a dozen shots on goal. He is up to 12 points (7 G, 5 A) in 29 games this season, so he has a real chance to set a career high in point production. For fantasy managers, his appeal is mostly in very deep leagues, though his offensive surge coupled with 67 hits in 29 games does give him some added fantasy value.

#12 It seems as though Oliver Bjorkstrand has been underutilized in Tampa Bay, as he is playing just 14:23 per game, which would be his lowest average time on ice since 2018-2019. However, in his past seven games, Bjorkstrand does have seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 12 shots on goal while playing 15:32 per game. He is currently on the Lightning’s second line, with Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel.

#13 Buffalo Sabres left winger Zach Benson was having a hard time finding the back of the net, going without a goal in his first 17 games of this season, but he has started to put it together recently. In his past six games, Benson has five points (3 g, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal, As the Sabres are making a concerted effort to turn their season around, Benson is getting first unit power play time while skating on a line with Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn at even strength.

#14 After a slow start to the season that saw him demoted to the fourth line, Carolina Hurricanes left winger Andrei Svechnikov does seem to be back on track. In his past nine games, Svechnikov has 10 points (2 G, 8 A) and 20 shots on goal. He’s now skating on a line with Jordan Staal and Jackson Blake, which is more of a two-way line than usual, but Svechnikov is delivering results.

#15 The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired left winger Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken after the consensus was that Marchment’s time in Seattle was just not a good fit. After he had 13 points (4 G, 9 A) with 46 shots on goal in 29 games, which was not the kind of production that he was providing in his previous seasons with Dallas. Early returns in Columbus are more promising, as he has been playing with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko and Marchment has three goals and seven shots on goal in his first two games with Columbus. He is still more of a deep league option for fantasy managers, but he has a chance to provide value.

#16 The Buffalo Sabres are turning around their season and goaltender Alex Lyon is putting up great results. He has won each of his past six starts, posting a .922 save percentage. When the Sabres’ season looked like it was getting away from them, it was looking more likely that Lyon or Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen could get traded, but now that the Sabres have moved to within two points of a Wild Card playoff spot, they are more likely to stick with their tandem.

#17 While the Seattle Kraken are battling to stay in the playoff hunt, currently three points back of the second Wild Card spot, they are getting quality play from goaltender Joey Daccord. In his past five starts, Daccord has won three while posting a .934 save percentage. On the season, Daccord has 4.14 Goals Saved Above Expected, which is the kind of goaltending that can keep a team in the playoff race and it might make him a viable fantasy option.

#18 When looking for players who might be ready to bust out offensively, consider those that have not been living up to their underlying numbers. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, for example, has just one goal in 11 games this month, despite having 5.70 individual expected goals in all situations. Some other players whose goal numbers have been below expected goals in December: William Eklund (-4.25), Anthony Cirelli (-4.04), Chris Kreider (-3.88), John Tavares (-3.61), Rickard Rakell (-3.36), Logan Stankoven (-3.21), Jake DeBrusk (-3.20), Nico Hischier (-3.12), Tom Wilson (-3.11), and Jake Guentzel (-2.83).

#19 With Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar injured, the Chicago Blackhawks have veterans Jason Dickinson and Ryan Donato holding down their top two centre spots. Donato played a season-high 21:35 in the last game before the break and does have a goal and an assist in his past two games, so he may have some short-term appeal while the Blackhawks are in the tough situation of missing their top two centres.

#20 Newly acquired Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry suffered a lower-body injury that should keep him out for a couple of weeks and that has opened the door for Connor Ingram, who has won his first couple of starts with Edmonton, stopping 92.0 percent of the shots that he faced in the first two games. He had a .856 save percentage in 11 AHL appearances, so it’s not like he was forcing his way back into the NHL with his play, but the Oilers are playing better and if it means that Ingram can get comfortable in the NHL again, he could at least have short term appeal for fantasy managers.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – An 18-year-old defenceman who is already a star, goaltenders stepping up, Zegras making an impact in Philadelphia, and more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 17:45:04 +0000

ELMONT, NY - OCTOBER 11: New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) warms up before a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders at UBS Arena on October 11, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, an 18-year-old defenceman who is already a star, goaltenders stepping up, Zegras making an impact in Philadelphia, and more!

#1 The first overall pick in the 2025 Draft by the New York Islanders, 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer has been incredibly impressive to start his NHL career, registering eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 31 shots on goal in his first 10 games. The last 18-year-old defenceman to score at a higher rate over a full season was Phil Housley, who had 66 points (19 G, 47 A) in 77 games in 1982-1983. The last 18-year-old defenceman to average more than three shots on goal per game was Bobby Orr, in 1966-1967. It’s very early in Schaefer’s career and 10 games is not a big enough sample to determine a player’s fate, but what if this is only the beginning? What if he improves on what could be historically great production? That is the potential that lurks for the Islanders and fantasy managers alike.

#2 When the Florida Panthers drafted Spencer Knight with the 13th overall pick in 1999, he was one of the top up-and-coming goalie prospects in the game. It has not been a smooth path for him, but the Chicago Blackhawks acquired him last season and he seems to have found his game this season. He has a .914 save percentage and 8.72 Goals Saved Above Expected in all situations, which ranks third behind Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (9.58 GSAx) and Montreal’s Jakub Dobes (8.89 GSAx).

#3 With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was injured in the preseason, the Buffalo Sabres thrust Alex Lyon into the role of starting goaltender and Lyon, who has been a career backup, has responded to the challenge. He has delivered a .912 save percentage and 3.24 GSAx, which could make it difficult for Luukkonen to reclaim the crease. His case was not bolstered by allowing four goals on 23 shots at Toronto in his season debut.

#4 When the Philadelphia Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras in the summer, it was seen as a risk worth taking. Zegras is a highly skilled playmaker but had just 32 points (12 G, 20 A) in 57 games for Anaheim last season. He has had two seasons with more than 60 points, so it’s clear that he can do better, and he is at least off to a productive start in Philadelphia, contributing 12 points (4 G, 8 A) and 16 shots on goal in 10 games. His low shot rate is a concern, but it’s good to see him putting up points early because it will help him stay in a prominent role with the Flyers.

#5 A 27-year-old right winger who had played a total of 95 regular-season games prior to this season, Justin Brazeau is making the most of his opportunity with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s not like he is suddenly playing a ton, though this season’s 13:29 ATOI would be the highest of his career, but he has mostly played a second-line role alongside Evgeni Malkin and Brazeau has 12 points (6 G, 6 A) with 22 shots on goal in 12 games. Brazeau also has 17 hits and 12 blocked shots, which gives him a solid statistical base, but if he could see that ice time creep up a little bit more then there is a better chance for his production to be sustainable. Even if he’s not a point-per-game player over the long haul, if Brazeau scores 20-plus goals that would have to be considered a major step forward in his career.

#6 There is a bigger window for Brazeau to get comfortable in a top six forward role for the Penguins because Rickard Rakell will be out for 6-to-8 weeks following hand surgery. Rakell had eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 17 shots on goal in nine games before getting hurt, and rookie Filip Hallander has moved onto Sidney Crosby’s line in Rakell’s absence. It’s too soon to recommend Hallander, but he does have a couple of assists in the past four games, so he’s worth keeping an eye on for managers in deep leagues.

#7 Chicago Blackhawks centre Frank Nazar had a strong start to the season but that has continued. Nazar has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in 11 games and is averaging 19:37 of ice time per game, ranking second among Blackhawks forwards behind only Connor Bedard. There is some valid concern about his percentages as he is scoring on 21.7 percent of his shots on goal and has a five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage of 14.8 percent, both of which are quite lofty and highly likely to regress.

#8 The Vancouver Canucks have lost right winger Conor Garland to an undisclosed injury and when Brock Boeser had to leave Thursday’s game against the Blues early, that provided even more ice time for blue collar winger Kiefer Sherwood, who played a career high 24:12 against the Blues and recorded a hat trick, giving him nine goals in 12 games. He’s also a hitting machine, with 54 in 12 games after recording 462 last season, so he is very valuable in fantasy circles.

#9 Columbus Blue Jackets winger Dmitri Voronkov made nice progress last season, going from 34 points as a rookie in 2023-2024 to 47 points (23 G, 24 A) last season, and it looks like he’s on track to continue that upward momentum in his third season. He has 10 points (5 G, 5A) and 21 shots on goal in 10 games and has a spot on Columbus’ top line with Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko as well as getting first unit power play time, good spots for him to remain productive.

#10 The Seattle Kraken are off to a solid start and they are giving 2024 eighth overall pick Berkly Catton a legitimate chance to stick, especially with Kaapo Kakko and Jared McCann both injured. Catton has three assists in five games and is skating at left wing on Seattle’s top line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. Catton had 225 points (92 G, 133 A) in 125 games across the past two seasons in the Western Hockey League, so he has strong offensive pedigree, and the Kraken could definitely use more offensive skill.

#11 Veteran winger Marcus Johansson has reached a stage of his career where he can move into a variety of roles. He’s a skilled player who might just fit in near the bottom of the depth chart, but he knows his way around the offensive zone, so if there are openings he can move up and, right now, he is skating on Minnesota’s top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi. Johansson has five points (2 G, 3 A) in his past four games and played more than 22 minutes against San Jose on Sunday.

#12 As the Calgary Flames look for answers, and no easy ones seem to be forthcoming, they are giving Morgan Frost a shot at right wing alongside Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. Frost has five points (1 G, 4 A) during a five-game point streak, which is a good way to hold onto a spot higher on the depth chart. He has had two seasons with more than 40 points in his career, but never more than 46, so it’s fair to be cautious about just how much he can produce over the long haul.

#13 Knowing primarily for his checking prowess, Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli put up a career-high 59 points (27 G, 32 A) last season and has started strong this season, too. Through 11 games, Cirelli has 10 points (6 G, 4 A) and 19 shots on goal. He is scoring on 41.6 percent of his shots, a ridiculously high rate, so that is going to regress, but with Brandon Hagel on his left side, he has a reliable linemate. The right side is more of a revolving door, but Cirelli is a solid source of secondary offence for Tampa Bay.

#14 When the Los Angeles Kings traded defenceman Jordan Spence to the Ottawa Senators in the offseason, that created more of an opening for Brandt Clarke to have a regular spot on the Kings blueline. Clarke has five points (1 G, 4 A) and 10 shots on goal in his past four games, which is a promising sign for a young offensive defenceman. The challenge will be finding his way to the Kings’ top power play unit, where he can maximize his offensive output, but is currently running with five forwards.

#15 The Pittsburgh Penguins traded to acquire Arturs Silovs in the offseason, desperately hoping that he could help stabilize their goaltending. Incumbent starter Tristan Jarry was coming off a down season, during which he was demoted to the AHL, but now the Jarry and Silovs tandem is giving the Penguins a chance to win almost every night, as the Penguins’ .921 save percentage is best in the league. Silovs, who struggled in Vancouver last season before starring during Abbotsford’s run to the Calder Cup in the AHL, has a .919 save percentage in six games for Pittsburgh, splitting time in the crease with Jarry.

#16 Sometimes, the right partner can help steady goaltending. It’s happening in Columbus, too, as Jeat Greaves has emerged as a quality option for the Blue Jackets, but Elvis Merzlikins also has a .915 save percentage in five games. After three consecutive seasons of below average performance, he is off to a good start in 2025-2026 and it might be a case of less is more. He’s more effective when sharing the crease rather than trying to handle a full starter’s workload.

#17 Veteran left winger Jaden Schwartz has helped the Kraken to a good start this season, contributing nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 19 shots on goal through the first 10 games. He is a six-time 20-goal scorer and last season’s 26 goals was the second highest total of his career, so he has known his way around the net for a long time and on a team without offensive stars, like the Kraken, they need solid veterans like Schwartz to deliver.

#18 Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine suffered a core muscle injury that is expected to keep him out of the lineup for 3-4 months, a tough financial hit for him considering that his contract expires at the end of the season. He wasn’t off to much of a start this season anyway, with one assist and six shots on goal in five games. If looking for sources of secondary scoring in Montreal, maybe Oliver Kapanen will have a chance because he has taken over as the second line centre, between Alex Newhook and Ivan Demidov and Kapanen has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in 11 games despite playing just 12:24 per game.

#19 With standout Nashville Predators defenceman Roman Josi considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Brady Skjei moves into his spot on Nashville’s top power play unit. He has just three assists and 17 shots on goal in 12 games, but Skjei is playing more than 23 minutes per game and if he is getting time on PP1, then that’s always worth considering. Skjei had 10 power play points, out of 33 points total, last season, so when the opportunity presents itself, he can contribute with the man advantage.

#20 Staying in Nashville, rookie winger Matthew Wood has landed a spot alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly on the Predators’ top line and he is not playing a lot yet, he does have a goal and an assist with 11 shots on goal in five games. If he proves that he belongs and can lift his ice time from the current 12:40 per game that he is playing, then Wood – the 15th pick in the 2023 Draft – could have a chance to provide value.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Team Preview

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:00:00 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 28: Detroit Red Wings Center Dylan Larkin (71) applies pressure on the forecheck during first period National Hockey League action between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators on February 28, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

Signing Patrick Kane in late November wasn’t quite enough. Although Kane rebounded nicely from his hip resurfacing surgery, providing 20 goals and 47 points in 50 contests to help Detroit finish a respectable ninth offensively (3.35 goals per game), the team struggled defensively, ranking 25th with a 3.28 xGA/60, and dealt with inconsistent goaltending, leading to the Red Wings finishing with a 41-32-9 record and a sliver out of the playoffs. Although it was Detroit’s eighth straight campaign without a playoff berth, it was at least the team’s best showing since 2015-16 in terms of PTS%.

WHAT’S CHANGED? Detroit watched forwards Daniel Sprong and David Perron, defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere, and goaltender James Reimer depart as unrestricted free agents, but the Red Wings were able to retain the services of Patrick Kane, who inked a one-year, $6.5 million deal. Detroit also attempted to stabilize its goaltending situation with the signing of Cam Talbot and bolstered its offence by inking Vladimir Tarasenko. Erik Gustafsson was brought in to help round out the blue line while Jack Campbell will be given a shot at redemption on a one-year, $775,000 contract.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? Detroit is at a point now where anything short of a playoff berth should be seen as a disappointment. The Red Wings’ offence is certainly sufficient to accomplish that task, especially with the addition of Tarasenko, but is their goaltending good enough? Talbot was able to be of great help to the Kings last year, posting a 27-20-6 record, 2.50 GAA and .913 save percentage in 54 contests. On top of that, Campbell looked good in the minors last season after falling out of favor in Edmonton, so he shouldn’t be discounted. Throw Ville Husso and Alex Lyon into the mix and Detroit has a wealth of potential starters.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? There’s a reason why Detroit has so many experienced netminders: none of them are sure things. Talbot has the best track record, but he’s also 37 years old, so who knows how good he’ll be. Campbell’s recent success in the minors won’t necessarily translate to the NHL, especially after some truly dreary results with Edmonton. Lyon was good at points in 2023-24, but overall, he was average at best, which isn’t good enough in Detroit because the defence in front of the goaltending has been the true Achilles’ heel. If the Red Wings make life as tough as they did for their netminders in 2023-24, then this might be another lost year for Detroit.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Hungry to end its playoff drought, Detroit is expected to feature of roster heavy on veterans. Simon Edvinsson figures to be one of the sole exceptions. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Edvinsson might even serve in a top-four capacity this season. He recorded eight goals and 30 points across 54 AHL contests last season, though his offensive upside doesn’t compare to Detroit’s other young blueliner, Moritz Seider. However, the 21-year-old Edvinsson is a towering, physical presence and might provide the kind of help Detroit’s goaltenders desperately need.

FORWARD

Dylan Larkin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	35	50	85	1.08

As Dylan Larkin goes, so do the hopes of the Detroit Red Wings returning to the postseason. As the team captain, he’s the beating heart of the team and his performance is what pushes their offence. In 68 games, Larkin finished second on the team in points with 69 points, three behind Lucas Raymond. His 33 goals led the team and his 1.01 points per game was the highest rate on the roster. Larkin was a dual threat player racking up 17 of his 33 goals at even strength and another 14 on the power play that was bolstered by the presence of Patrick Kane and defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere. Larkin’s 26 power play points were second behind Gostisbehere’s 29 and he even added two shorthanded goals as well. Larkin’s all-around play drives the Red Wings to success and when his teammates can play to his level, it makes Detroit a dangerous team to deal with. As a center, he was outstanding on faceoffs and won more than 55 percent of his draws to help ensure possession. Even though his point totals don’t rank out with the elite scorers in the NHL, a fully healthy season would show off what he can do to help cure the Red Wings’ playoff drought. With the way the team rallies around him when he’s playing, he’s the most important player on the team.

Lucas Raymond

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	35	48	83	1.01

Sophomore slumps are often a curious thing because they cast doubt on the players who have them following great rookie campaigns. Two years ago, Raymond’s second NHL season saw him hit roadblocks along the way and his offensive numbers dipped. But after his performance last season, he showed that he is the real deal and will be vital to the future success of the Red Wings. Raymond led the team in scoring with 72 points in 82 games. His 31 goals were second behind Dylan Larkin and his 25 even strength goals were most on the team. That he posted 56 points at even strength highlighted how good he was in general. What’s even more remarkable is that Raymond was able to pile up goals while not exactly pumping a ton of shots on net (163) at just under two shots per game. Raymond proved to be a puck hound around the net cashing in on loose pucks but still capable of sniping shots past goaltenders when he has the opportunity. The Red Wings struggled defensively in respect to controlling shot attempts and shot quality at five-on-five, but Raymond was among the best on the roster at controlling play behind Dylan Larkin. If the Red Wings are going to improve in those areas, it’ll be behind Raymond and others.

Patrick Kane

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	22	36	58	0.83

There was so much fascination with how Patrick Kane was going to perform upon his return to the NHL following hip surgery. With the way Kane performed for Detroit, it highlighted what’s made him one of the best players in NHL history. In 50 games, Kane scored 20 goals and had 27 assists averaging 0.97 points per game, second on the team behind Dylan Larkin in that category. Kane’s performance as a playmaker and distributor was apparent and while he’s not as speedy or quite as agile as he once was, so much of what he did last season was reminiscent of the kind of player he was. Kane was a boon to the Red Wings’ power play and had 15 points on the man advantage including two goals. The Red Wings needed a boost to their offence after it struggled so mightily two seasons ago and Kane helped fulfill that need immediately upon entering the lineup. Kane reunited with former Chicago teammate Alex DeBrincat in Detroit and recaptured that chemistry and likely helped make his entrance to the lineup easier. What’s more impressive is he played most of his five-on-five minutes with J.T. Compher at center instead of Larkin. With that season post-surgery under his belt, it will be interesting to see how Kane handles an 82-game season with full training camp to prepare. At 35 years old, these seasons get tougher, but considering what he’s gone through before, it’ll be hard to ignore him.

Alex DeBrincat

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	28	42	70	0.85

One of the biggest acquisitions the Detroit Red Wings made last summer was the trade that brought Alex DeBrincat into the fold. That they pulled him away from division rival Ottawa was boon enough, but with the way he fit into the Detroit lineup right away, it showed that bringing a guy back to his hometown team can work out great. DeBrincat had 27 goals and 40 assists in 82 games for the Red Wings and teamed up with his old Chicago Blackhawks teammate Patrick Kane to provide a second line with a lot of scoring punch. He proved to be a threat both at even strength and on the power play with 16 goals coming at evens and another 11 on the man advantage. Even though he was an outstanding goal scorer in Chicago and Ottawa, he proved to be a valuable setup man last season. His 40 assists were third most on the team behind Shayne Gostisbehere and Lucas Raymond and given his proficiency at scoring goals, drawing opponents away from teammates and feeding them to score is a good plan. DeBrincat was a universal offensive boost to the lineup. While he was mostly on Larkin’s wing with Lucas Raymond on the other side, when Kane arrived, they teamed up with J.T. Compher often to form a second attacking line. Spreading out the wealth in the lineup was wise because it helped open their attack. With the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko, how coach Derek Lalonde sets his lines bears watching, but you can assume DeBrincat will receive a prime offensive role.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	17	28	45	0.69

While the Red Wings landed a big fish in free agency last season with Patrick Kane, this summer brought them another former big scoring veteran to strengthen their offence in Vladimir Tarasenko. Tarasenko joins the Red Wings after a season in which he split time between Ottawa and Florida and culminated with winning his second Stanley Cup in five years as part of the Panthers. At 32 years old, Tarasenko is not the hard-firing sniper he was years ago with the St. Louis Blues, but he is still a capable offensive weapon. Between Ottawa and Florida, he had 23 goals 32 assists (55 points) and added another five goals and four assists during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup in 24 games. While on a not-as deep Senators team, he played more than 16 minutes per game, but saw that ice time drop with Florida to under 14 minutes a game. Detroit likely wasn’t planning to bank on riding Tarasenko for big minutes, if he’s able to generate 50 points and 20 goals again getting similar ice time, that would provide a huge lift to their depth scoring. There’s also the possibility he may reunite with Kane (the two played together with the New York Rangers in 2023). Tarasenko is a wicked competitor and showed he’s got some bite to his game to go with the offensive skills regarding mixing it up in scrums. Although he won’t have the same play style as the now departed David Perron, the role may be similar, just with more looks to score.

J.T. Compher

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	19	34	53	0.65

When J.T. Compher arrived in Detroit as a free agent from Colorado last summer, the hope was he would be able to hop right into the lineup in a second line center role and give the Red Wings a different look from what Dylan Larkin provided on the first line. Compher’s more defensive inclinations allowed him to provide balance with wingers who were not as strong in their own end of the ice and that proved to be of great value to the Red Wings with the additions of Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. What’s more impressive is that Compher’s production didn’t fall off at all coming from the Avalanche. Compher had his best goal scoring season putting up 19 goals along with 29 assists last season and his 48 points missed a career-high by four points despite missing five games. Compher was able to supplant Andrew Copp on the second line and improved the Detroit attack in the process. If there was one area Compher struggled with it was at faceoffs. He won 44.8 percent of his draws which made it a little harder for his line to start with possession. Otherwise, he arrived in Detroit as advertised and produced exactly the way he figured to and that’s about all you can ask for when it comes to free agents. It would seem likely he’ll have Kane back on his line and it’s only a question of whether it’ll be DeBrincat or Vladimir Tarasenko on the other side.

Andrew Copp

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	14	23	37	0.46

When Copp signed with the Red Wings two summers ago, the expectation was that he would use that big offensive season with the Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers and his naturally strong offensive play to help him return home to Michigan and be the second line center they needed. Instead, his goals dropped from 21 to nine and his point total dropped off by 11. Even worse still, his possession numbers cratered in Detroit. All of this pointed to Copp being a bit over his head in a new role in what’s become a high-pressure situation as the Red Wings attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. With J.T. Compher’s addition last summer, Copp was able to slide into a role as the third line center and although his point totals fell again, his goal total went up. He had 13 goals and 20 assists, and his average ice time dropped to just over 16 minutes, down from 18. His possession numbers remained the same, however, with a five-on-five shot attempt percentage just below 45 percent. Those aren’t the kinds of results a team wants from guys in a more defensive role and that must improve if Detroit is going to be a true playoff threat this season. Ideally, an improvement in shot metrics and a boosted offensive output would go a long way for both Copp and the Red Wings and with three years left on his contract, it’s necessary.

Michael Rasmussen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	12	22	34	0.44

When the Red Wings selected Michael Rasmussen in the first round of the 2017 draft, the hope was that he would develop into a powerful scoring forward that used his size to create havoc around the net. While that hasn’t happened in the NHL, the 6-foot-6, 220 pound forward has made a home for himself in the bottom six of the lineup. In 75 games last season, Rasmussen had 13 goals and 20 assists while also delivering 124 hits and 76 blocked shots. Playing a physical game helps him stand out amongst his Red Wings teammates as they’re not really an overly physical team up front in the first place. Among forwards, Rasmussen was second in hits behind Christian Fischer and tops in shots blocked. Every team needs role players and for Detroit, Rasmussen’s contributions are abundantly clear. The downside to playing that style of hockey can come in the form of poor shot metrics and that’s certainly the case for Rasmussen whose shot attempt and shot quality percentages at five-on-five are below 44 percent. That’s not ideal, but the hope is that a deeper group at forward will be able to help improve those numbers. Whether he’s on the third or fourth line, he’s out there to play the heavy.

Joseph Veleno

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	12	19	31	0.39

Entering his fifth NHL season, Joseph Veleno has locked himself into a role in Detroit’s bottom six forward group in a checking role but one with his junior hockey scoring instincts still intact. Veleno had 12 goals and 16 assists in 80 games last season while he averaged fewer than 14 minutes per game. Detroit’s third and fourth lines functioned as a kind of change-up from their far more offensively talented first and second lines and Veleno leaned into that delivering 108 hits. Those numbers were down a touch from his previous two seasons with 123 and 156 hits respectively, but the uptick in offence was certainly welcomed. Veleno’s 28 points set a new career high for him and that included a bit of action on the power play where he scored three goals. If the situation and contracts were different, Veleno could challenge Andrew Copp for a spot centering the third line, but considering each player produces roughly similar results it’s more of a toss-up between which guy is going more. Like everyone else lower in the lineup, Veleno needs to help improve the shot differential numbers and give their goaltenders more of a break. If his evolution as more of a defensive forward improves, it could go a long way to helping the Red Wings.

DEFENCE

Moritz Seider

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	11	45	56	0.68

As the Red Wings’ No. 1 defenceman as well as their youngest member, the expectations set upon Moritz Seider are, indeed, lofty. After he won the Calder Trophy in 2022, the hope was he would build upon that outstanding 50-point season and lean a little more into his offensive game. However, he’s posted 42 points in each of the past two seasons but set a career high in goals last season with nine. Some of the offensive responsibilities were taken off his plate last season by Shayne Gostisbehere, but with Gostisbehere gone to Carolina and Jake Walman traded to San Jose, the need for Seider to better embrace his offensive game is immediate. Fortunately, he’s leaned into using his size more often. He led Detroit in hits (211) and blocked shots (212) and his 22:22 played per game was the most on the team as well. That’s just part of what’s expected out of a No. 1 defenceman who at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds can change a game by playing to his size. What’s somewhat concerning was the dip in Seider’s five-on-five possession numbers. Team-wide those statistics weren’t great and indicative of why Detroit missed the postseason, but Seider’s shot attempt and shot quality percentages were the lowest of his career. Given his workload, those numbers must improve if Detroit is going to be a serious playoff contender.

Ben Chiarot

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	4	14	18	0.24

Much of what’s been asked of Ben Chiarot since he signed with the Red Wings two summers ago has happened. He was asked to be a physical player who blocks shots and leans into being every bit of a defensive defenceman. Last season, he had more blocked shots (167) than hits (163) and was among the team leaders in time played on the penalty kill. There was a downside, however. At five-on-five, Chiarot was on the ice for the second most shot attempts against behind Moritz Seider as Chiarot faced 27 fewer shot attempts. The issue there is Seider played nearly 39 more minutes than Chiarot did. His shot attempt percentage at five-on-five was lowest among defencemen at 43.6. Being a defenceman is somewhat like being a shot sponge, but to that degree is not something any coach would like to see. Chiarot scored five goals and had 15 assists last season, his fourth season with 20 or more points and he kept the penalty minutes down to a respectable 56. Much is asked of Chiarot considering he averaged nearly 20 minutes per game (19:47) but it stands to reason Detroit might be better off if his role was more specialized situationally. Instead, it’s lining up that he’ll be a fixture in their top four group on the blue line again.

Erik Gustafsson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	7	28	35	0.45

With the departure of Shayne Gostisbehere to Carolina in free agency, the Red Wings needed a puck moving defenceman with strong offensive instincts. That’s a role Erik Gustafsson was made to fill. Last season with the New York Rangers, Gustafsson generally paired with Jacob Trouba to be a counterpart to his physical defensive style of play on the Rangers second pairing. He had six goals and 25 assists, nine on the power play, in helping the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final against Florida. Throughout his career, Gustafsson has been an offensive specialist on the blue line with the ability to move the puck through all three zones and make good decisions on passes. That ability will be desperately needed for the Red Wings who, outside of Moritz Seider, don’t really have a defenceman who can do that especially well. Although he’s not an overly strong defensive player, the Red Wings have a few other guys who specialize in playing that way. Depending on who Gustafsson is paired with, be it Olli Maatta or perhaps rookie Simon Edvinsson, his job will be to be the puck mover and offensive catalyst from the back end. If he can tap into what made him nearly a 50-point player six seasons ago in Chicago, that would be a huge bonus. But should he remain steady as a 25-to-35-point player, that’ll do just fine.

Jeff Petry

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	5	22	27	0.36

Veteran Jeff Petry returned home to Michigan last season after a pair of offseason trades going from Pittsburgh to Montreal as part of the Erik Karlsson three-way trade and then from Montreal to Detroit for Gustav Lindstrom. His addition was meant to give the Red Wings a solid veteran with a good shot and someone who could help contribute to the power play. In 73 games, Petry scored three goals and had 21 assists last season and averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game. Shayne Gostisbehere’s presence prevented Petry from seeing power play time and he played 17 minutes with the man advantage as Detroit opted for Gostisbehere’s more offensive instincts and quicker feet over Petry and his heavy shot. Defensively, Petry struggled. At five-on-five, he had the second lowest shot attempt percentage among defencemen at 44.6 but had a slightly better shot quality percentage of 47.1, fourth best among defencemen. As it is, he’s a third pairing defenceman and, ideally, his presence on a playoff team would come in handy given his experience in the league. Asking more of him now may be asking a lot, but with the lack of major additions to the blue line this summer, Petry will be counted on to be a bigger contributor.

GOAL

Alex Lyon

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
32	17	12	3	1	0.903	2.93

Cam Talbot

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
44	23	17	4	2	0.904	2.88

If Cam Talbot felt bitter about the fact that the Ottawa Senators failed to shore him up with a contract renewal at the start of last season, he certainly didn't let it show in his play with the Los Angeles Kings - and as a result, he earned himself that coveted security in the form of a new multi-year deal for the Detroit Red Wings during this summer's free agency period. That could mean new and exciting things for the Red Wings, who have hopefully put their bottomed-out years firmly in the rearview mirror and look poised to take a step back towards potential wild card contention. Talbot brings the perfect amount of veteran experience to tandem with either Alex Lyon, who is heading into the second year of his own two-year stint with the Atlantic team, or Ville Husso, who comes with a fairly high price tag but an underperforming stat line last season. It's a three-goalie stare down heading into the new season, and there's no clear-cut option for who should get the lion's share of the starts.

If it feels like the Red Wings have cycled through an above-average number of goaltenders the last few years, that's because they have; rather than gambling on big-money free agents, they've opted to plug-and-play with cheaper, short-term but high-upside options while sitting outside their next prime window. And Talbot, while a steadying presence in net with some life left in his game, likely isn't set to be their next big thing, either. Signing him, though, signals that the Red Wings are still content to wait for Sebastian Cossa to finish developing - and the signal that they don't plan to rush him is yet another praise-worthy sign from the team that might be poised to make some noise next year.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 18th to 24th) – Detroit in late season collapse, need to turn it around fast – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:18:48 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 04: Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) skates with the puck during an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings on January 4, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)

For much of the season, it looked like Detroit was going to make the playoffs. As recently as Feb. 27, the Red Wings were 33-20-6 with an eight-point cushion in the fight for a wild-card spot. After dropping seven straight games, though, Detroit finds itself tied with the Islanders for the second wild-card seed, and the Red Wings’ situation is even worse because they’ve played one game more than New York. Meanwhile, Washington is just one point behind the Islanders and Red Wings, putting further pressure on Detroit.

Goaltending has played a big part in Detroit’s collapse. Alex Lyon was having a strong season, posting a 17-8-2 record, 2.68 GAA and .916 save percentage across 27 contests through Feb. 24. However, Lyon has allowed at least three goals in each of his last seven appearances, resulting in an ugly .856 save percentage in that span. However, Ville Husso (lower body) is still unavailable, and James Reimer has a 6-7-2 record, 3.09 GAA and .903 save percentage in 19 contests this campaign, so the Red Wings don’t have a good alternative to pivot to during Lyon’s struggles.

To be fair, it’s not just Lyon. Detroit has managed just 1.71 goals per game during its losing streak. Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond have each managed just three points over that seven-game span. Alex DeBrincat has no goals and one assist in the same stretch. Those are key forwards for Detroit, so for them all to go cold at the same time is disastrous.

The Red Wings could still rebound and make the postseason, but they need to do it soon. Otherwise, this season will go down as one of the most painful late season collapses for a team in recent memory.

Carolina Hurricanes – TUE @ NYI, THU VS PHI, FRI @ WAS (BTB), SUN VS TOR

The Hurricanes’ playoff spot is all but guaranteed, but Carolina is still chasing the Rangers in the battle for the Metropolitan Division title. They’ll continue that pursuit next week starting with a road game against the Islanders on Tuesday. After that, Carolina will host the Flyers on Thursday, play in Washington on Friday and conclude with a home contest versus the Maple Leafs on Sunday.

The Hurricanes are pretty healthy right now and even have Frederik Andersen back after missing roughly four months due to a blood clotting issue. He’s been fantastic since returning, posting a 3-0-0 record, 1.01 GAA and .955 save percentage across three starts. Carolina has been rotating between him and Pyotr Kochetkov, who has saved 46 of 49 shots (.939 save percentage) over his last two contests, bringing him to 17-12-3 with a 2.35 GAA and a .911 save percentage through 34 appearances this season.

Andersen and Kochetkov are likely to split the workload for the remainder of the season, which doesn’t leave much of a role for Spencer Martin. It wouldn’t be surprising if Martin accepts a brief AHL conditioning stint in a week or two for the sake of staying fresh ahead of the playoffs. Although he’s certainly far from Carolina’s first choice going forward, it’s still helpful to have him as a fallback plan should the Hurricanes run into injury troubles.

Jake Guentzel (upper body) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (personal) have also returned and made their Hurricanes debuts after being acquired from Pittsburgh and Washington, respectively. The duo appears set to play together on the second line, providing the Hurricanes with scoring threats outside of the Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen trio.

Kuznetsov has just seven goals and 18 points in 47 contests this season, but there’s potential here for him to mesh nicely with Guentzel, especially as the two settle into their new roles. If Kuznetsov is available in your fantasy league, he’s not a bad forward to take a chance on.

Colorado Avalanche – TUE @ STL, FRI VS CBJ, SUN VS PIT

The battle for the Central Division title could come down to the wire with Colorado, Dallas and Winnipeg all legitimate contenders for the top spot. The Avalanche can make things easier for themselves in that race by sweeping their relatively light competition next week. They’ll play in St. Louis on Tuesday before hosting the Blue Jackets on Friday and the Penguins on Sunday. None of those adversaries are in a playoff position, though St. Louis and Pittsburgh still have outside shots of squeaking into a wild-card slot.

There has been news recently when it comes to Gabriel Landeskog’s recovery from cartilage transplant surgery on his right knee. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, the 31-year-old might return during the 2024 playoffs, but it’s far from guaranteed. Keep in mind that he’ll be just 10 months into his 12-16 month timetable come May and while the Avalanche aren’t ruling anything out, they also don’t want to rush him back and risk making things worse.

He will surely be on the back of fantasy managers’ minds going into playoff league drafts. When healthy, Landeskog is a top-tier forward and the Avalanche are legitimate Cup contenders, so under normal circumstances, he’d be highly sought after. You should heavily temper your expectations, though. At most, you could take him toward the end of the draft, and even then, only if you’re comfortable with the very real possibility that he ends up not contributing anything.

In the meantime, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are continuing to dominate with 14 and 12 points, respectively, over the Avalanche’s last five games alone. MacKinnon is up to 42 goals and 115 points through 67 games as he pursues both the Art Ross and Hart Trophies.

Casey Mittelstadt has settled into a second-line role and has provided a goal and an assist in three games since being acquired by Buffalo. Obviously, he’s not playing with MacKinnon and Rantanen at even strength, but Mittelstadt doesn’t seem to be with the superstar duo on the power play either, instead going out with the second unit. That meaningfully hinders Mittelstadt’s value going forward.

Dallas Stars – WED VS ARI, FRI VS PIT, SUN @ ARI

As noted above, Dallas is in the battle for the Central Division title. Like the Avalanche, Dallas’ upcoming competition is fairly easy. Dallas will start with home games against the Coyotes and the Penguins on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before traveling to Arizona for a contest Sunday.

Unlike Colorado, which made a big splash in the Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram trade, Dallas had a relatively quiet trade deadline, though the Stars were able to get some business done before it, acquiring defenseman Chris Tanev from Calgary on Feb. 28. Dallas is also looking to get some reinforcements back soon in Tyler Seguin (lower body) and Evgenii Dadonov (lower body), both of which might return next week.

When Seguin returns, Sam Steel will likely find himself moving out of a top-nine role, but what’s harder to gauge is where Dadonov fits in. After scoring 24 goals and 57 points in 47 AHL contests, Logan Stankoven made his NHL debut Feb. 24 and has gone on to record five goals and eight points in 10 outings. If the 21-year-old can continue to produce, then removing him from his third-line spot would seem counterproductive. However, there is no other obvious candidate outside of Steel (who would get bumped for Seguin’s return) to remove from the top nine, so when everyone is healthy, Dadonov might find himself on the fourth unit.

A fourth line of Dadonov, Steel and Radek Faksa is a level of luxury most teams could only dream of, but that trio likely won’t get enough playing time to have any fantasy value. It does put pressure on Stankoven, though -- if he has a prolonged cold stretch, he could find his minutes drop dramatically given the intense competition in Dallas.

Edmonton Oilers – TUE VS MTL, THU VS BUF, SAT @ TOR, SUN @ OTT (BTB)

Edmonton has had some incredible highs and lows this campaign, but when all is done, it now looks like the Oilers will finish with the second seed in the Pacific Division. However, that’s not guaranteed, so Edmonton needs to continue to get results in the upcoming week. Fortunately for the Oilers, their upcoming competition isn’t the strongest. They’ll host Montreal on Tuesday and Buffalo on Thursday before hitting the road to play in Toronto on Saturday and Ottawa on Sunday. The Maple Leafs are set to make the playoffs, but their other three adversaries have an eye toward the draft lottery.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are unsurprisingly continuing to headline the Oilers’ offense. McDavid has an incredible 25 points (four goals) in his past 13 games while Draisaitl has four tallies and 13 points in his last seven appearances.

Edmonton did try to diversify its offense with the addition of Adam Henrique, but the former Ducks forward has just one assist in four contests with the Oilers. He’s serving primarily on the third line and second power-play unit, so he’s not sharing the ice with Edmonton’s superstars. Unless that changes, Henrique’s fantasy value with the Oilers is likely to be somewhat limited.

This might be a good week for goaltender Calvin Pickard, though. The backup netminder has been rotating with starter Stuart Skinner recently and the results have been positive with Pickard saving 93 of 97 shots (.959 save percentage) over his last three starts. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Oilers continue to give Pickard a decent share of the workload in the short term. It’ll help keep Skinner fresh for the playoffs, and Pickard has earned the increased responsibilities with his 9-4-0 record, 2.27 GAA and .919 save percentage across 14 outings in 2023-24.

New Jersey Devils – TUE VS PIT, THU VS WPG, SAT VS OTT, SUN @ NYI (BTB)

The Devils’ playoff hopes aren’t completely gone, but they’re running out of time to close the gap. New Jersey will spend most of the upcoming week at home, playing against the Penguins on Tuesday, the Jets on Thursday and the Senators on Saturday. They’ll finish the week with a road contest against the Islanders.

Timo Meier has done the most lately to keep New Jersey’s postseason dream alive. Although his 19 goals and 36 points through 53 games this season represent a substantial decline from his 40 tallies and 66 points in 78 contests in 2022-23, he’s excelled recently. Meier’s contributed nine goals and 14 points over his past 10 appearances and has found the back of the net in six of his last seven outings.

Of course, the Devils’ main problem this campaign has been defensive, not its scoring. To that end, New Jersey did add goaltenders Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. Kahkonen made his Devils debut Monday, saving 23 of 25 shots against a tough opponent in the Rangers, though New Jersey didn’t provide him with enough support and lost 3-1 anyway. Allen then made his first Devils start Thursday, turning aside 35 of 37 shots en route to a 6-2 victory over Dallas.

That duo is likely to split the workload the rest of the way. It’s worth warning, though, that to say the Devils had poor goaltending would be to tell only half the tale. The defense in front of those netminders hasn’t done its job either. New Jersey has an xGA/60 of 3.22, which is tied for 23rd in the league, so don’t expect Allen or Kahkonen to put up great numbers in the long run.

Tampa Bay Lightning – TUE @ VGK, THU @ SJS, SAT @ LAK, SUN @ ANA (BTB)

Tampa Bay is unlikely to climb into the top three of the Atlantic Division race, but the Lightning are in a strong position to make the playoffs in a wild-card spot. They’ll continue that fight next week while visiting Vegas on Tuesday, San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday and Anaheim on Sunday. The Kings and the Golden Knights are tough opponents, but the Sharks and the Ducks sit in the league’s basement.

Nikita Kucherov has continued his season-long battle with Nathan MacKinnon for the Art Ross and Hart Trophies. Kucherov is behind the Avalanche star in that race, but just barely with 39 goals and 112 points to MacKinnon’s 42 markers and 115 points. Kucherov is riding a nine-game scoring streak in which he’s supplied three goals and 18 points, so he certainly hasn’t let up.

While MacKinnon has Mikko Rantanen as his complementary forward in the battle, Kucherov has Brayden Point. The 28-year-old Lightning forward was especially effective Thursday, providing a hat trick and six points, bringing Point up to 36 tallies and 73 points in 66 appearances in 2023-24.

Victor Hedman has shined recently too with two goals and six points over his last three games. He’s up to 12 goals and 66 points in 64 contests, which is good for third in the defensemen scoring race behind Cale Makar (73 points) and Quinn Hughes (76).

Of course, those are all headline players with Tampa Bay. One contributor who doesn’t get that level of attention is Anthony Duclair. The Lightning acquired him from San Jose on March 7 and the 28-year-old has gotten off to a good start, providing two goals and three points in two contests with the Lightning. That brings him up to 18 goals and 30 points in 58 appearances this year. Tampa Bay has deployed him at times with Steven Stamkos as well as the Point-Kucherov duo, so Duclair could be in line for a strong finish to the campaign.

Toronto Maple Leafs – TUE @ PHI, WED @ WAS, SAT VS EDM, SUN @ CAR

Toronto is pretty much set at this point. They do have an outside shot of competing for the first or second seeds in the Atlantic Division but barring a complete collapse or a stunning hot streak, Toronto will almost certainly finish the campaign in the division’s third position. Still, the Leafs will look to stay sharp next week. They’ll play in Philadelphia on Tuesday and Washington on Wednesday before hosting the Oilers on Saturday. Toronto will then conclude the week with a road game versus the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The big question mark regarding the Maple Leafs is the health of Mitchell Marner. He’s dealing with a high-ankle sprain, which is concerning, but Toronto considers it to be a mild variant. Still, he’s set to miss his third straight game Saturday. Given Toronto doesn’t have a lot left to fight for until the playoffs, there isn’t any compelling reason to have him play at anything under 100 percent, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Toronto exercises an abundance of caution when determining his availability going forward.

As long as Marner is unavailable, who plays alongside Auston Matthews remains somewhat in flux. Calle Jarnkrok and Tyler Bertuzzi were his linemates initially Thursday, but Jarnkrok suffered a hand injury and is considered week-to-week. That creates a potential opening for Pontus Holmberg to play on the first unit, which would give him some short-term fantasy value.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on how Nick Robertson is used. He’s been limited to eight goals and 19 points in 41 contests this season but has averaged just 11:22 of ice time and hasn’t even dressed for Toronto since Feb. 29. However, Robertson does have some offensive upside, and the Leafs’ recent injuries might create a new opportunity for him.

Winnipeg Jets – TUE @ NYR, THU @ NJD, SAT @ NYI, SUN @ WAS (BTB)

As noted above, the Jets are competing with Colorado and Dallas for the top seed in the Central Division. The Jets will continue that pursuit next week while playing on the road against the Rangers on Tuesday, New Jersey on Thursday, the Islanders on Saturday and Washington on Sunday.

Gabriel Vilardi has unfortunately been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. There’s no timetable for his recovery, and we just have to hope that his recovery will go smoothly for him, and after this, he’ll be able to put it behind him.

When he’s healthy, there’s a fair chance Vilardi will play alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the first line. As long as he’s unavailable, though, that spot will likely be occupied by Alex Iafallo, who has done well recently, providing two goals and three points in his past four games, which brings him up to 10 goals and 23 points in 65 contests in 2023-24. Iafallo might be worth taking a chance on while he’s playing on the first unit, but even in that role, you shouldn’t expect too much from him.

In the long run, the Jets will probably get more offensive production out of Tyler Toffoli, who is serving on the second line after being acquired from New Jersey on March 8. He has 26 goals and 44 points in 63 outings this season. Toffoli was held off the scoresheet in his first two games with Winnipeg, but it shouldn’t be too long before he starts to find his way with his new team, especially because he’s seeing time on the first power-play unit.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (February 19th to 25th) – Guentzels injury complicates a tough situation for Penguins – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 14:27:49 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) takes a face-off wearing his CCM helmet, gloves, and stick and left wing Jake Guentzel (59) on his wing during the Pittsburgh Penguins versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on October 13, 2023 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Pittsburgh earned a 4-1 victory over Chicago on Thursday with Sidney Crosby scoring two goals, including his 30th of the campaign -- marking the 12th time he’s reached that milestone. However, with a 24-20-7 record, the Penguins are still five points behind the Detroit Red Wings and the second wild-card spot and would need to climb over the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils on their way to gaining that position.

That’s not an insurmountable obstacle, but it’s one that got much harder when Jake Guentzel suffered an upper-body injury Wednesday that’s projected to cost him four weeks. The Penguins have already taken the step of moving him to the long-term injured reserve list.

That complicates an already tough situation. As I’ve talked about before, Pittsburgh went into this season trying to manufacture at least one more run out of the era of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang before time finally catches up to them. That would make them very reluctant sellers at the deadline as it would essentially be an admission that the era is over and the Penguins now need to rebuild.

As it happens, that brings us back to Guentzel. He’s playing out the final season of his six-year, $30 million contract and is in line for a big raise. It’s not clear if the Penguins will re-sign him, but if they feel they can’t or are otherwise willing to commit to rebuilding, then he could potentially command a huge return on the trade market. Obviously, his injury complicates that -- he might not even be healthy by the March 8 deadline -- but those interested in his services will naturally have an eye toward the playoffs and based on Guentzel’s timetable, he should be fine well before the postseason starts.

Pittsburgh still has 10 games before the deadline, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas waits until those contests are in the books before deciding what direction he wants to go. That makes those upcoming games of vital importance to the future of the franchise and, perhaps, whether Crosby spends his final campaigns in the NHL as part of a contender or as a mentor for a rebuilding squad.

Anaheim Ducks - MON @ BUF, WED VS CBJ, SAT @ LAK, SUN VS NSH (BTB)

The Ducks will begin the week with a game in Buffalo on Monday and then host the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. After a breather, the Ducks will visit LA on Saturday before playing at home against the Predators on Sunday. Anaheim isn’t a strong team, but the Blue Jackets are one of the few with a comparable record. The Sabres are also far outside of the playoff hunt, so that should be another competitive matchup for the Ducks.

Anaheim has an especially good chance of winning those contests if Frank Vatrano stays hot. The 29-year-old forward has two goals and seven points over his past five appearances. He’s having a strong campaign overall too with 23 goals and 41 points in 53 outings, which matches his career high in points, which was set in 2022-23. It helps that Vatrano is playing on the top power-play unit, which has accounted for 15 of his points, and he’s likely to remain in that role for the remainder of the campaign.

Trevor Zegras should join him on the first power-play unit once he’s recovered from a broken ankle, which he sustained Jan. 9. Based on his original six-to-eight week timetable, we’re getting to the point where you’ll want to keep an eye on the situation. Zegras has just four goals and seven points in 20 contests in what’s been an injury-riddled season, but he’s capable of far more. If nothing else, remember him for your 2024 fantasy drafts, because the 22-year-old should be an excellent rebound candidate.

Mason McTavish hasn’t had the same kind of rough campaign that Zegras has endured, but McTavish should also see improvement in 2024-25. You don’t have to wait, though. In fact, this might be a good week for the 21-year-old, especially after he scored three goals and six points over his last eight outings.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ LAK, WED @ ANA (BTB), FRI VS BUF, SUN VS NYR

Columbus will start on the road with games in Los Angeles and Anaheim on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The Blue Jackets will then return home to face the Sabres on Friday and the Rangers on Sunday.

Although Ivan Provorov was able to complete Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to Ottawa, he might have suffered an injury while blocking a shot and underwent X-rays as a result. At the time of writing, the results aren’t known, so it’s unclear if he’ll be available next week. Provorov has four goals, 23 points, 44 hits and 99 blocks in 52 contests while averaging 22:36 of ice time, so he’d leave a considerable hole in the lineup if he’s unavailable.

If Provorov is forced to miss time then we might see Jake Bean take on a bigger role at even strength and start regularly featuring on the second power-play unit. Bean has four goals and nine points in 49 contests, so he hasn’t been particularly productive this season, but he’s been averaging just 16:17 of ice time and has gotten almost no work with the man advantage. The 25-year-old recorded 25 points in 2021-22 while averaging 20:34, so Bean can chip in offensively when given the opportunity.

We might also see Andrew Peeke play regularly should Provorov miss time. Like Bean, Peeke can do a bit with the puck when the opportunity presents itself. The 25-year-old blueliner has six assists, 39 hits and 40 blocks in 20 contests while averaging 15:40 in 2023-24.

When it comes to hot players, Boone Jenner is an interesting pickup option after scoring three goals in his past two games. He has 16 markers and 21 points through 37 contests in 2023-24, so he’s not a great long-term option but can provide some help when he’s on a roll.

Detroit Red Wings - MON @ SEA, THU VS COL, SAT VS STL, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Red Wings will start next week in Seattle for a contest Monday, but they’ll get to return to Detroit afterward to host the Avalanche on Thursday and the Blues on Saturday before closing out the week with a game in Chicago on Sunday.

With four games on the schedule, including a back-to-back set during the weekend, it’s safe to assume that the Red Wings will need more than Alex Lyon in goal. With Ville Husso once again shelved due to a lower-body injury, though, James Reimer is instead projected to get at least one start next week.

If you’re still holding onto Husso, you might want to drop him. It’s unfortunate because he only recently recovered from a different lower-body injury, but the reality of the situation is he’s week-to-week and even if he does return before the end of the campaign, he’s unlikely to receive much work. Although Husso entered the season as the projected No. 1 goaltender, the 29-year-old has lost that role to Lyon due to Husso’s 3.55 GAA and .892 save percentage in 19 appearances. With Husso’s three-year, $14.25 million contract set to run through 2024-25, he’ll need to rebound next year if he wants the league to still see him as a legitimate starter candidate.

Patrick Kane is healthy, though, having returned last Saturday from a lower-body injury. He hit the ground running with a goal and four points in three contests since rejoining the lineup. Kane’s contributed eight goals and 20 points in 22 games this season, demonstrating that the 35-year-old is still a high-end scoring threat.

Christian Fischer certainly won’t match Kane in terms of offensive production, but the 26-year-old forward is on a three-game scoring streak in which he’s collected three assists. That might be enough to warrant consideration for a short-term pickup, but Fischer’s fantasy value is typically minimal, so don’t hold onto him if he cools down.

Edmonton Oilers- MON @ ARI, WED VS BOS, FRI VS MIN, SAT VS CGY (BTB)

The Oilers will play in Arizona on Monday to conclude a three-game road trip. Afterward, Edmonton will host the Bruins on Wednesday, the Wild on Friday and the Flames on Saturday. Boston is a difficult team, but the Oilers’ other three adversaries next week have been middling.

Whether you’re lucky enough to have Connor McDavid on your fantasy squad or not, you might want to watch him next week for the fun of it. He’s doing amazing even by his incredibly high standards, scoring four goals and 20 points in his past seven games. That’s barrelled him to the 80-point milestone (21 goals, 59 assists) by his 48th contest. Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon are the only players ahead of him in the scoring race, and it wouldn’t be shocking if all three of them finish with at least 120 points each. To put that into context, there have been seven occasions of a player reaching the 120-point milestone since the start of the salary cap era, so for three to achieve that feat all in the same campaign would be remarkable.

One of McDavid’s three assists Thursday came on a Corey Perry goal. It was Perry’s first goal and second point in six contests with Edmonton. Since signing a one-year, $775,000 contract with Edmonton on Jan. 22, Perry has seen time on the ice with McDavid and he’s also been utilized alongside Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane. While those are choice assignments, Perry’s power-play work has been somewhat limited and he’s finished with more than 15 minutes in just two of his six games -- and even then, just barely. The 38-year-old should be seen as an okay secondary scorer, but not someone who is going to be a big enough threat with the Oilers to be worth having on a standard fantasy league team.

By contrast, Stuart Skinner was a great fantasy option for months, posting a 22-5-0 record, 2.02 GAA and .926 save percentage in 27 games from Nov. 11-Feb. 6. He’s hit a rough patch, though, allowing at least three goals in each of his past three contests. Skinner’s struggles haven’t gone on long enough to warrant panic, but meanwhile, Jack Campbell has been finding himself with AHL Bakersfield. He got off to a rough start after being sent to the minors but allowed just 20 goals over nine starts from Dec. 30-Feb. 14. Perhaps it’s time for Campbell to get another shot with the Oilers.

New York Rangers - TUE VS DAL, THU @ NJD, SAT @ PHI, SUN @ CBJ (BTB)

The Rangers will host Dallas on Tuesday, but after that they’ll take to the road, playing in New Jersey on Thursday, Philadelphia on Saturday and Columbus on Sunday. That opponent list is a mixed bag with Dallas doing well, the Flyers and Devils being decent, but not amazing, and the Blue Jackets ranking near the bottom of the NHL.

Meanwhile, the Rangers have built a firm lead in the Metropolitan Division race and their offense has been a key factor. Chris Kreider can take some credit for that. After scoring a hat trick Thursday, he’s up to 27 goals and 51 points through 54 contests this season, including seven tallies and 12 points over his past 10 games. Kreider’s goals tend to come in bunches, so be sure to take advantage of him while he’s hot if given the opportunity.

Will Cuylle hasn’t been making the same kind of headlines as Kreider. The 22-year-old is serving in a bottom-six capacity and has offered the kind of gritty play that role typically dictates, recording 38 PIM and a team-leading 173 hits in 54 appearances this season. However, Cuylle was an offensive force at lower levels, providing 80 points (43 goals, 37 assists) in 59 outings with OHL Windsor in 2021-22 as well as 45 points (25 goals, 20 assists) in 69 games with AHL Hartford last season. He’s up to 10 goals and 18 points in 54 contests with the Rangers in 2023-24 despite his limited playing time and is on a three-game scoring streak. Consider picking up Cuylle for the duration of his hot stretch, especially if your league uses hits as a category.

You also might want to consider giving Kaapo Kakko a chance. When healthy, he struggled mightily on offense during the first half of the campaign, scoring three goals and four points across 26 contests. However, he’s shown life recently, contributing three goals and five points over his last seven outings.

Tampa Bay Lightning - MON VS OTT, THU VS WAS, SAT @ NYI, SUN @ NJD (BTB)

The Lightning are set to play at home against the Senators on Monday and the Capitals on Thursday. They’ll follow that up with a road set over the weekend versus the Islanders and the Devils on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. None of Tampa Bay’s upcoming opponents are in a playoff position, though the Islanders and Devils still have a solid shot of reaching the postseason.

The Lightning is in a strong spot in the playoff race with a 30-20-5 record thanks to their run of 11 wins over their past 14 contests. The Lightning’s resurgence is thanks in no small part to Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has rebounded from a rough start to post a 10-2-0 record, 2.41 GAA and .915 save percentage in his last 12 starts.

Meanwhile, Jonas Johansson has been used sparingly, but he’ll probably get a start Saturday or Sunday. If it’s against the Islanders, who are tied for 22nd offensively with 2.91 goals per game, then he might be worth considering as a short-term pickup for a spot start. Johansson has a 3.46 GAA and an .889 save percentage in 23 outings, so he’s not having a great year, but with Tampa Bay rolling, he’s at least a decent candidate to collect a win.

In contrast to Johansson’s struggles, Anthony Cirelli had one of the best campaigns of his career with 12 goals and 30 points through 54 appearances. A lot of that production has come recently -- Cirelli has three four and 13 points over his last 11 outings. He’s unlikely to maintain that pace, but fantasy managers should take advantage of the 26-year-old forward while he’s hot.

Vegas Golden Knights - MON @ SJS, TUE VS NSH, THU VS TOR, SAT @ OTT

The Golden Knights will start the week with a road game against the lowly Sharks before hosting the Predators and the Maple Leafs on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, and finishing with a visit to Ottawa on Saturday. Toronto is the only team on that list in a playoff position, though the Predators are also in the running.

Jack Eichel, who underwent lower-body surgery in mid-January, was originally given a four-to-six-week timetable, so we’re at the point where he might be getting close to returning. When Eichel is back, he’ll likely serve on the first line and top power-play unit. His return might cut into Nicolas Roy’s playing time, especially with William Karlsson having also recently rejoined the lineup from a lower-body injury. If that happens, Roy, who has 10 goals and 29 points in 44 outings, would likely see his production dip.

Shea Theodore (upper body) is also getting close to returning and when he does, Daniil Miromanov will likely see his power-play role vanish. However, the 26-year-old defenseman is an interesting pickup to hold onto until Theodore’s back. Miromanov missed most of the campaign because of an undisclosed injury, but after recovering he recorded a goal and six points in five outings during a conditioning stint with AHL Henderson, and he made his NHL season debut Feb. 8. Although he didn’t record a point in his first two contests with Vegas, he did average 2:38 with the man advantage (17:56 overall), so he’s getting a solid opportunity.

If Logan Thompson is available to be picked up, he’s also worthy of consideration given the likelihood that he’ll start versus San Jose on Monday or Nashville on Tuesday. Obviously, facing the Sharks is preferable for the goaltender, but Nashville ranks 19th offensively with 2.96 goals per game, so either opponent might yield a good result. Thompson has been alright this season with a 16-10-4 record, 2.77 GAA and .906 save percentage in 31 games, but he’s fallen into the No. 2 slot with Adin Hill recovered from his undisclosed injury.

Winnipeg Jets - MON @ CGY, TUE VS MIN, FRI @ CHI, SUN VS ARI

The Jets will face the Flames in Calgary on Monday, and then return to Winnipeg to play against Minnesota on Tuesday. After that back-to-back, Winnipeg will play in Chicago on Friday and host the Coyotes on Sunday.

Winnipeg’s offense has gone ice cold in February, scoring just four goals over its last four contests. That’s despite acquiring Sean Monahan from Montreal on Feb. 2 at the cost of the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick. Monahan hasn’t recorded a point with the Jets, but he’s fired nine shots while averaging 16:16 of ice time, including 2:13 with the man advantage, over his first four games with Winnipeg, so it should just be a matter of time before he breaks through.

Monahan’s addition has been bad news for Adam Lowry, though. Lowry has averaged just 14:55 since the Jets’ trade and has received almost no power-play ice time. He has eight goals and 23 points in 51 outings in 2023-24, so Lowry already wasn’t a significant factor in fantasy circles, and his offensive production is likely to slow further.

One player who conversely might start doing better is Cole Perfetti. The 22-year-old has been limited to an assist over his last 11 games, but it’s not unusual for younger forwards to be prone to big hot and cold streaks. In terms of strong stretches, he had eight goals and 17 points across 18 contests from Oct. 24-Dec. 2 as well as five markers and 10 points in 11 games from Dec. 18-Jan. 9, so be on the lookout for his next big run.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 Fantasy Points – Stephenson, Faber, Tippett, Lyon, Luukkonen, Daws and much, much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:08:47 +0000

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 05: Philadelphia Flyers Right Wing Owen Tippett (74) skates with the puck during the third period of the National Hockey League game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers on October 5, 2023, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, injuries are creating opportunities for Chandler Stephenson and Brock Faber, Owen Tippett is firing pucks, the season of unpredictable goaltending has turned attention to Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Nico Daws, and much, much more!

#1 With both Jack Eichel and William Karlsson injured and out of the Las Vegas lineup, there is more opportunity available down the middle of the ice. Chandler Stephenson is the prime beneficiary, skating on the top line and first power play unit. Stephenson has four points (1 G, 3 A) in three games since Eichel is out week-to-week following lower-body surgery, which does give Stephenson more value. Nicolas Roy has also moved up the depth chart and has recorded three assists in the past three games, averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game.

#2 Minnesota Wild rookie defenceman Brock Faber has enjoyed a fantastic first season and is going to have more heavy lifting to do on the Wild blueline. Captain and standout defender Jared Spurgeon is out for the rest of the season following hip and back surgeries. That leaves even more responsibility for Faber, who has 10 points (1 G, 9 A) and 35 shots on goal while averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game in 16 games over the past month.

#3 Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett scored a pair of goals in Thursday’s 5-1 win against the Dallas Stars, the fifth straight win for a surging Flyers squad. Tippett now has six goals and 31 shots on goal in his past six games and since the calendar turned to 2024, Tippett leads the NHL with 15.42 shots on goal per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. He has been skating on the Flyers’ top line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny and is getting first-unit power play time. With this kind of production, Tippett should remain in this prime spot in the Philadelphia lineup.

#4 During a season in which goaltending has been a consistent point of concern, it makes complete sense that one of the best goaltenders in the NHL this season has been Alex Lyon, a 31-year-old who had started 31 games in his career prior to this season. Lyon has started 15 games for the Red Wings this season and has a .923 save percentage. He saved the Florida Panthers’ season last year and Lyon is doing something similar for the Red Wings this season.

#5 At the start of the season, the Buffalo Sabres were giving rookie netminder Devon Levi every opportunity to run with the starting goaltender job. Levi has a .889 save percentage in 19 games and has lost the starting job to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the 24-year-old who has recorded back-to-back shutouts and has a .956 save percentage in his past six starts. It’s not as though Luukkonen has established long-term trustworthiness, but if you’re looking for goaltending at this point in the season, you probably have to take some risks.

#6 New Jersey’s goaltending has been such a disaster that they demoted Akira Schmid to the AHL and recalled Nico Daws. While the 23-year-old netminder has a 3-3 record in six starts for the Devils, Daws also has a .916 save percentage which is a massive upgrade over the work of Schmid and Vitek Vanecek this season.

#7 With Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele banged up, Adam Lowry has moved up the depth chart to play on the first line between Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. Lowry has six points (1 G, 5 A) and 11 shots on goal in his past five games, the last two of which have been without Scheifele. Lowry tallied a career-high 36 points (13 G, 23 A) last season and with 23 points (8 G, 15 A) in 43 games this season, he is on pace to surpass that total.

#8 Los Angeles Kings centre Philip Danault was held without a point in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Nashville, snapping a six-game point streak during which he had recorded eight points (2 G, 6 A). Danault is skating between Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala, which is an upgrade in his typical offensive situation. Danault and Moore have played together a lot and Moore is enjoying the best season of his career, but Fiala is a proven point producer who has 110 points (33 G, 77 A) in 111 games with the Kings.

#9 Florida Panthers centre Sam Bennett is starting to heat up, perhaps not surprisingly as his right winger, Matthew Tkachuk, has emerged from his relatively slow start to the season. Since December 30, Bennett has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 24 shots on goal in nine games. Playing with Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe is a prime spot for Bennett to be a productive force, at least when he is healthy.

#10 Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, a potentially crushing blow for the Avalanche. Nichushkin was averaging 21:49 of ice time per game, which ranks fourth among forwards behind Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov. In his last month of action, Nichushkin played 15 games and put up 21 points (12 G, 9 A) with 58 shots on goal. His absence is going to leave a giant hole in the Avalanche lineup. Hard working Avs right winger Logan O’Connor is doing his part to increase his offensive output and has contributed eight points (3 G, 5 A) in his past nine games.

#11 Detroit Red Wings right winger Patrick Kane suffered a lower-body injury and will be out of the lineup. The Red Wings insist that it is not a hip injury, which would obviously raise concerns after he had his surgery in the offseason. After a bit of a slow start with Detroit, Kane has 14 points (6 G, 8 A) and 43 shots on goal in his past 13 games. If you’re looking for a veteran Red Wings winger, consider David Perron, who has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past eight games.

#12 Ottawa Senators rookie centre Ridly Greig is picking up the scoring pace, making the most of the opportunity afforded to him by Josh Norris’ injury, producing six points (2 G, 4 A) with 12 shots on goal in his past five games. Greig has been bumped up the depth chart to skate between Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux on the Senators’ top line and while it might be ambitious to expect Greig to handle that responsibility already, he is probably the best option for now. Remember, suspended centre Shane Pinto is eligible to return to Ottawa’s lineup this weekend and that will give Ottawa more choices down the middle of the ice.

#13 Anaheim Ducks rookie defenceman Pavel Mintyukov is out with a separated shoulder and it has created an opportunity for another Ducks rookie blueliner. Jackson LaCombe is getting a taste of first unit power play action for Anaheim and has three assists in his past five games after recording four assists in the previous 35 games. It’s too soon to start recommending LaCombe but, for dynasty leagues, this does offer a chance to LaCombe to prove that he can contribute more offensively, so that bears watching. Mintyukov has had a stellar start to his career, with 19 points (2 G, 17 A), including seven on the power play, in 40 games. In a Ducks organization that is well stocked with young defencemen, Mintyukov may be the prize of the bunch.

#14 In his first 18 games this season, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell managed zero goals and four assists, a ridiculously low level of production for a skilled player who has endured some lengthy slumps in his career. He has snapped out of it, though, and now has 12 points (5 G, 7 A) and 33 shots on goal in his past 12 games. He is playing with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, which is a good place for ensuring future production.

#15 One of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season has been the performance of Calgary Flames winger Blake Coleman, who has 38 points (20 G, 18 A), tying his career high in points that he established last season. He is scoring on 18.9 percent of his shots, after never scoring on even 12 percent in any of his previous seasons, but the 32-year-old is offering fantasy value when he is producing at this level.

#16 Looking at forwards who might be due for some better shooting luck for the rest of the season, Alex Ovechkin might be the leading candidate. The Capitals superstar has two goals on 81 shots during five-on-five play and while everyone is aware of Ovi’s office on the power play, it is stunning that he has just two five-on-five goals more than halfway through a season. While in recent seasons it has seemed inevitable that Ovechkin would catch Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goal-scoring record, the 38-year-old sniper will have to recover his even-strength production to have a chance. For fantasy managers, Ovechkin does represent a potential buy-low opportunity because. His productivity is so far below his reputation, but if his shooting percentage bounces back, he still gets enough shots to make an impact, even if his 3.55 shots on goal per game is a career-low rate for him.

#17 Along the same reasoning, consider Columbus’ Johnny Gaudreau as a possible buy-low value play. Gaudreau has 28 points (7 G, 21 A) in 44 games and, during five-on-five play, has scored three goals on 65 shots. That is an unsustainable rate, but it is made even worse by the fact that Gaudreau is averaging 2.05 shots on goal per game. He has picked up three assists with nine shots on goal in his past two games, so that could be the start of something more promising. Gaudreau has never had less than 0.80 points per game in a full season and is sitting at 0.64 points per game now.

#18 When it comes to players that could be due for some improved fortune around assists, check out some of the players with lower on-ice shooting percentages during five-on-five play. Some are fourth-line players who play with other fourth-line players and those low on-ice percentages are consistent from year to year. A skilled forward with a low on-ice shooting percentage has more reasonable expectations for regression to work in their favour. Ducks rookie centre Leo Carlsson has an on-ice shooting percentage of 4.6 percent, which should be due for improvement as he continues to get more comfortable in the league. Injured Ducks centre Trevor Zegras has a 5.3 percent on-ice shooting percentage. Capitals right winger Tom Wilson is at 5.2 percent, Seattle’s Matty Beniers is at 5.6 percent, and New Jersey’s Timo Meier is at 6.6 percent. Meier has three even strength assists in 29 games, which is obviously too low to be a sustainable rate.

#19 Looking at the other end of the spectrum feeling like raining on someone’s parade, announcing the unsustainability of their current level of production. Senators rookie Ridly Greig, who has been bumped up the depth chart, also has a five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage of 15.7 percent. That can’t last. Vancouver’s success this season has been driven in part by high percentages, as Elias Pettersson (15.3), J.T. Miller (15.0), and Brock Boeser (14.2) have percentages among the highest in the league. Matt Duchene (13.5), Gabriel Vilardi (13.3), and Casey Mittelstadt (12.8) are among the forwards that have had their production elevated by favourable on-ice percentages and are probably due for some regression.

#20 The leaders in five-on-five individual expected goal per 60 minutes this month have been: Yanni Gourde (1.61), Jake Guentzel (1.48), Lawson Crouse (1.48), Gabriel Vilardi (1.46), Evander Kane (1.45), and Ridly Greig (1.41), so those are players who are at least generating high quality chances. Whether they can continue to do that over the long term will affect their true value for the rest of the season. At the other end, Ryan Johansen (0.15) is not getting chances in January. Mika Zibanejad (0.26), Mats Zuccarello (0.29), Evgeny Kuznetsov (0.31), Jonathan Huberdeau (0.31), and Adrian Kempe (0.34) are among the more notable forwards that are not generating scoring chances at five-on-five.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Coyle thriving in Boston – Rakell emerging from brutal slump – Lyon is king of the crease in Detroit – Kings call up their top prospect and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:51:03 +0000

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 04: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) starts up ice during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 4, 2024, at TD garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Charlie Coyle is thriving in Boston, Rickard Rakell is emerging from a brutal slump, Alex Lyon is king of the crease in Detroit, the Kings call up their top prospect and much, much more!

#1 One of the more surprising developments of this season has been the production that the Boston Bruins have received from their centres in the wake of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retiring. Charlie Coyle, for example, has exceeded 50 points in a season once in his career and it happened in 2016-2017 when he played for the Minnesota Wild. He has seven points (3 G, 4 A) during a five-game point streak, giving him 28 points (134 G, 15 A) in 37 games. Coyle has a good thing going with linemates Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. DeBrusk also has a five-game point streak, during which he has scored seven points (3 G, 4 A) and Marchand has eight points (2 G, 6 A) in his past six contests.

#2 Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell endured a miserable start to the season, going 19 games without a goal, despite putting 48 shots on net. Since then, Rakell has started to come around, putting up seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 18 shots on goal in the past six games. He has been moved up to the top line, with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, as well as holding down a spot on Pittsburgh’s top power play unit.

#3 When the Detroit Red Wings signed Alex Lyon as a free agent, it appeared that he would be a strong No. 3 option behind Ville Husso and James Reimer. Given the performance of Husso and Reimer, however, Lyon has now claimed the starting job. After stopping 40 of 43 shots in Thursday’s 4-3 shootout win at Los Angeles, Lyon has a .919 save percentage in 11 games. A 31-year-old who had made 31 career NHL starts prior to this season Lyon’s performance has earned him his place in the Red Wings crease. His track record can make it uneasy to put too much weight on Lyon’s performance, but if you need a goaltender, adding one that has performed well in a small sample is preferable to those that have struggled in a larger sample and it seems that there are a lot of candidates from the latter category.

#4 Veteran winger Gustav Nyquist remains quietly productive. Now on his fifth team, the Nashville Predators, Nyquist has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) during a seven-game point streak, making the most of his opportunity to skate on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. Since the start of last season, Nyquist has 57 points in 90 games. His 0.63 points per game in that time is the same as Matty Beniers, Phillip Danault, David Perron, and more.

#5 After putting up a goal and an assist in Thursday’s 6-1 rout at Montreal, Buffalo Sabres centre Casey Mittelstadt is riding a hot streak. In his past nine games, the 25-year-old pivot has produced 11 points (5 G, 6 A) with 16 shots on goal. Although he is skating between Jordan Greenway and rookie Zach Benson at even strength, Mittelstadt is still getting top unit power play time and has scored 30 of his 33 points this season at even strength.

#6 The Los Angeles Kings have called up defenceman Brandt Clarke from Ontario of the American Hockey League. Clarke was the eighth overall pick in the 2021 Draft and played nine games for the Kings in 2022-2023 before he was returned to junior. That season, between regular season and playoffs, he compiled 84 points (30 G, 54 A) in just 43 games for Barrie. The 20-year-old right shot defenceman has put up 32 points (7 G, 25 A) in 30 games in the AHL this season, so he is one of the most exciting prospects in the game and it looks like he is going to get his chance soon with the Kings. In dynasty leagues, he is already super valuable, but Clarke might be worth a look in deeper redraft leagues, too. It will depend on how big his role is on the Los Angeles power play.

#7 Clarke’s U16 AAA teammate with the Don Mills Flyers (where they played with Seattle Kraken prospect Shayne Wright), Brennan Othmann, has just been promoted to the NHL by the New York Rangers. Othmann was the 16^th pick in the 2021 Draft and the rangy winger produced 23 points (9 G, 14 A) in 28 games for Hartford in the AHL to earn his call up. With injuries hitting the Rangers forward ranks – Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Tyler Pitlick are all out of the lineup – the door was opened for Othmann to make his NHL debut, skating on the fourth line with Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski. Othmann does not have as much immediate appeal as Clarke, so he is more a player to keep an eye on for the future, when he might find a spot higher on the depth chart.

#8 A 27-year-old winger who has never recorded more than 30 points in an NHL season, Warren Foegele has moved up to play with Leon Draisaitl and he dropped a five-point game on the Anaheim Ducks on New Year’s Eve. Foegele has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and, importantly, 17 shots on goal in his past five games. As long as he is getting ice time in Edmonton’s top six, Foegele has fantasy value, but it is also a precarious situation – the moment that Kris Knoblauch removes Foegele from that spot, his fantasy appeal becomes very limited.

#9 Moving up to left wing with Draisaitl, Ryan McLeod has typically been a checking centre for most of his time in Edmonton, but is getting a greater offensive opportunity and has suddenly produced eight points (5 G, 3 A) with 11 shots on goal in his past six games. Like Foegele, McLeod’s value may be closely tied to his role, and having the chance to play with a premier playmaker like Draisaitl, but in the short term it does give him more fantasy value than he has had to this point in his career.

#10 Known more for his sound defensive play, Vancouver Canucks centre Pius Suter is adding some offensive pop to his play, contributing seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 13 shots on goal in his past seven games. The recent opportunity to slide up the depth chart and skate on the wing with highly-skilled forwards like J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser raises Suter’s offensive ceiling and should put him on the radar for fantasy managers.

#11 After struggling in 2022-2023, his first season in Dallas, power forward Mason Marchment has found his form this season while skating on a line with veterans Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin. Marchment had a hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks on New Year’s Eve and has eight points (4 G, 4 A) in the past three games. It is remarkable that Marchment is producing more this season because he is playing a minute per game less than last season and his shot rate is down from 2.18 per game to 1.89 per game. The big difference is that Marchment is scoring on 18.6 percent of his shots after scoring on just 8.1 percent last season.

#12 While his name has landed in recent trade rumors, Carolina Hurricanes winger Michael Bunting has not been hurting his value any, contributing nine points (3 G, 6 A) with 20 shots on goal in his past nine games. While he is skating with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas at even strength, Bunting is on Carolina’s top power play unit, so six of those nine points have come via the power play. If he does get traded, that may not hurt Bunting’s value too much, as any team that acquires him would presumably like him to do what he does best, agitate the opposition and get to the front of the net as often as possible.

#13 Although he does not score a ton, New York Islanders defenceman Alexander Romanov is contributing in peripheral fantasy categories, especially as he takes on more ice time while several of his fellow Islanders defencemen are injured. In the past 10 games, Romanov has four points (2 G, 2 A) but also has 16 hits and 29 blocked shots while playing more than 23 minutes per game. That is not going to give him universal appeal, but to fill hits, blocked shots, and time on ice categories, Romanov has worked his way into fantasy relevance.

#14 San Jose Sharks defenceman Mario Ferraro brings similar value. He does have six assists in his past seven games, which is a sudden offensive surge, but he has 19 blocked shots in those seven games. Ferraro played more than 21 minutes in six of those seven games, with the only exception coming against Colorado on New Year’s Eve when he suffered an upper-body injury after getting hit by Nathan MacKinnon and left the game early. Even so, Ferraro was recovered enough to eat minutes and block shots in San Jose’s next game.

#15 Known more for his physical play, which includes leading his team with 15 fights over the past three seasons, Bruins centre Trent Frederic is starting to contribute on the scoreboard, too. Frederic has six points (3 G, 3 A) in his past six games. While he only has nine shots on goal in that time, Frederic has recorded 12 hits, which elevates him into being worthy of fantasy consideration in deep or banger leagues. His offensive upside is not huge, but he is scoring enough right now to at least warrant fantasy consideration.

#16 Versatile veteran forward Vladislav Namestnikov started the season on Winnipeg’s fourth line but has found himself playing higher on the depth chart, often centering the Jets’ second line. In his past 21 games, Namestnikov has quietly produced 16 points (3 G, 13 A), though it has come with just 20 shots on goal. Nevertheless, in deep leagues that production makes Namestnikov intriguing, especially if he can fill a position on the wing for fantasy managers.

#17 With Wild starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury, 39-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury is going to see more consistent action in the Minnesota net. Fleury has a .896 save percentage in 15 games this season. That would match his 21-game stint in 2003-2004 for his lowest save percentage in an NHL season. He does have a .918 save percentage in his eight appearances since the beginning of December, so that is moving in the right direction, and getting more consistent starts will at least offer value for fantasy managers.

#18 Having demoted Akira Schmid to the American Hockey League, the New Jersey Devils have turned to 23-year-old netminder Nico Daws in goal. He has won his first two starts of the season for the Devils, managing a respectable .906 save percentage. Daws had offseason hip surgery so he only appeared in three games for the Utica Devils, posting a .929 save percentage, before he got the call to the NHL. That was probably not the original plan for the young goaltender’s development but the struggles of Schmid and Vitek Vanecek forced the Devils to be more aggressive about trying to solve their goaltending woes.

#19 Buffalo Sabres winger J.J. Peterka might be an interesting buy-low candidate as he has gone 10 games without a goal. He does have five assists and 26 shots on goal in that stretch, though, so the 21-year-old is still creating chances and is likely to break through soon. Even though he fills a secondary scoring role in Buffalo, Peterka is on a line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, a line of talented young players that should not be held down for long.

#20 On the other hand, it might be time to let Pierre-Luc Dubois, so that he can experience the fantasy waiver wire. Even after chipping in a couple of helpers for the Los Angeles Kings in Thursday’s win over Detroit, Dubois has just five points (2 G, 3 A) in his past 16 games, which is abysmal fantasy production, particularly from a player who tallied a career-high 63 points (27 G, 36 A) in Winnipeg last season. The Kings have put Adrian Kempe on the wing with Dubois, and maybe that will jumpstart the centre’s offensive production, but it is getting surprisingly easy to find more productive options on the waiver wire.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Boldy is back on track – Devils turn to their young defencemen – Granlund lifting the Sharks – Healthy Fabbri on a tear for the Wings

Scott Cullen — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:20:59 +0000

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Matt Boldy is back on track, the Devils turn to their young defencemen, Mikael Granlund is lifting the Sharks, and a healthy Robby Fabbri is on a tear for the Red Wings.

#1 Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy had shown lots promise entering this season but then started this season with one goal (and seven assists) in his first 12 games. A new coach seems to have helped Boldy get back on track as he has rallied to score four goals in the past five games, though that may just be a case of the percentages starting to swing back in Boldy’s favour after he was having trouble finishing early in the campaign. He is getting ample opportunity with the man advantage. Among players with at least 50 minutes of five-on-four play, Boldy ranks fourth with 3.62 expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. He is behind Vincent Trocheck (3.91), Joe Pavelski (3.82), Zach Hyman (3.78), and ahead of Quinton Byfield (3.57) and Sam Reinhart (3.39).

#2 With Dougie Hamilton out long term due to a torn pectoral muscle, the New Jersey Devils have a hole on the blueline and the first place to look for solutions may be internally, as rookie Luke Hughes will continue to play a big role and Simon Nemec has been called up from the American Hockey League. Hughes has five points (3 G, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal in his past six games, playing more than 20 minutes in five of those contests. Nemec, the second pick in the 2022 Draft, has started his NHL career with three points (1 G, 2 A) in his first three games after producing eight points (2 G, 6 A) in 13 AHL games to earn his promotion. Hughes and Nemec are playing the point on New Jersey’s top two power play units, so they will have opportunities to produce.

#3 As the San Jose Sharks are starting to show signs of life, going 8-7-1 after a 0-10-1 start, veteran centre Mikael Granlund has picked up his offensive production. In his past dozen games, Granlund has 15 points (3 G, 12 A) while averaging 21:53 minutes of ice time per game. A player that can sometimes be a reluctant shooter, Granlund has also put 29 shots on goal in those 12 games so that shows more offensive drive.

#4 Injuries always seem to be lurking around the corner for Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri, but he has been very productive when healthy this season and has landed a spot on Detroit’s top line, alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Fabbri has produced 13 points (8 G, 5 A) in 13 games this season, though he has just 20 shots on goal, so it is obvious that he will not continue to score on 40% of his shots, but playing with high quality linemates is a good way to maintain production.

#5 Through his first 16 games this season, Arizona Coyotes forward Alexander Kerfoot contributed just four points (1 G, 3 A). In his past nine games, he has 11 points (1 G, 10 A) and is averaging more than 19 minutes per game. While Kerfoot is generally skating on the third line, with Michael Carcone and Jason Zucker, he is also getting first unit power play time and that gives him a higher offensive ceiling than he might have otherwise.

#6 Ottawa Senators right winger Drake Batherson has turned up the heat offensively. In his past 10 games, the 25-year-old has produced 13 points (6 G, 7A) with 26 shots on goal while playing nearly 18 minutes per game. Skating on a line with Tim Stutzle and Vladimir Tarasenko seems to agree with Batherson.

#7 Florida Panthers late bloomer Evan Rodrigues has seven points (3 G, 4 A) during a three-game point streak and with the opportunity to play with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, the 30-year-old winger is poised to have his most productive season. Rodrigues has been a consistent shot generator in previous stops but the chance to play with top players raises the bar for what point totals he might be able to achieve. He tallied a career high 43 points (19 G, 24 A) in 2021-2022 and already has 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 25 games this season.

#8 With Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish out of the lineup, the Anaheim Ducks pretty much have to lean on rookie centre Leo Carlsson and the 18-year-old pivot has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 27 shots on goal in his past 10 games, averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game. The Ducks have made it clear that they would prefer to ease Carlsson into his NHL career but circumstances may dictate that he just play more because he can. With 0.72 points per game, Carlsson ranks third among rookies, behind Connor Bedard (0.81) and Connor Zary (0.75).

#9 Philadelphia Flyers rookie right winger Tyson Foerster is starting to find his range as a scorer. He has produced six points (4 G, 2 A) with 13 shots on goal in his past five games. The 21-year-old winger is skating on Philadelphia’s top line alongside Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, and as long as that is the case, Foerster should hold some appeal for fantasy managers.

#10 The seventh overall pick in the 2021 Draft, William Eklund is working his way into a bigger role for the San Jose Sharks, as he has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past eight games. He is also playing nearly 19 minutes per game in that stretch and it’s encouraging for a rebuilding team to see their 21-year-old prospect taking advantage of the opportunity to play a significant role. Eklund has landed on San Jose’s top line, skating with Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov, as well as playing on the Sharks’ top power play unit.

#11 Playing just 11 minutes per game for the Arizona Coyotes, Michael Carcone has nevertheless been the most efficient five-on-five goal scorer in the league. Carcone is a 27-year-old who had played a total of 30 NHL games before this season and his good fortune in the offensive zone is keeping him in the Coyotes lineup. He is scoring on 32.4 percent of his shots on goal, which is not sustainable, but Carcone has scored 2.71 goals per 60 minutes, which is the best rate in the league among players that have skated at least 200 five-on-five minutes. He is followed by Trevor Moore (2.09), Nils Hoglander (2.04), Zach Hyman (2.00), Artemi Panarin (1.86), and Jake Neighbours (1.86).

#12 Hoglander has had a meteoric rise for the Canucks this season. After an extended stay in the American Hockey League last season, Hoglander started this season in a very limited role with the Canucks, playing less than 10 minutes six times in his first 11 games. The ice time is still inconsistent, but he has scored seven points (6 G, 1 A) in his past 11 games and his highest ice time this season has come in each of his last two games. He has found a spot on the wing with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, and that is a real chance for Hoglander to prove that he can be a top six forward in the NHL.

#13 Over the past month, among players to skate in at least 100 minutes in all situations, here are the ixG leaders per 60 minutes: Zach Hyman (2.50), Evander Kane (1.93), Brady Tkachuk (1.92), Quinton Byfield (1.77), Anders Lee (1.66), Matt Boldy (1.65), Jake Guentzel (1.58), Robby Fabbri (1.57), Lawson Crouse (1.57), Joel Eriksson Ek (1.56), and Nils Hoglander (1.54). Many of those players are already established fantasy performers, but it supports the production of players like Fabbri, Crouse, and Hoglander, who are getting the chances that lead to scoring more goals.

#14 Even after surrendering four goals against Philadelphia on Thursday, Arizona Coyotes netminder Connor Ingram has forced his way into a much bigger role between the pipes. In 16 games, Ingram has a .925 save percentage and with Karel Vejmelka struggling (.892 save percentage in 11 games), Ingram has been the natural choice for the suddenly competitive Coyotes.

#15 After a breakout season last year, Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson had serious difficulty stopping pucks early this season, posting a .872 save percentage in his first eight games. He is rounding into form, it appears, as Gustavsson has a .926 save percentage over his past seven starts. For a Wild team that struggled to the point that they felt the need to fire head coach Dean Evason, improved play from their starting goaltender can make a world of difference.

#16 Detroit has some tough decisions to make in goal as starter Ville Husso continues to have difficulty. He has a .886 save percentage in 14 starts and that opens the door for backups to earn a bigger role. Veteran James Reimer has a .917 save percentage in six starts while Alex Lyon has a .947 save percentage in his first five appearances for Detroit. The Red Wings are competitive this season, but it might be time for Lyon to get more action. The Red Wings have held three goaltenders in the NHL, presumably because they did not want to lose Lyon on waivers and now it looks like they might want to consider giving him a bigger piece of the goaltending pie.

#17 Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is out for a couple of weeks with a broken finger, offering a prime opportunity for top prospect Dustin Wolf. Wolf has a .927 save percentage in 118 AHL games, so he has proven everything he can at that level, but he has had difficulty working his way into the Flames’ crease. Dan Vladar has posted a .877 save percentage in eight starts this season, so the Flames can give Wolf more action while Markstrom is out. In four career games (three starts) for the Flames, Wolf has a .914 save percentage, which is good enough to finally earn him a legitimate look.

#18 A handful of notable slumping forwards over the past month: Chandler Stephenson (one assist in 10 games), Ryan Hartman (one assist in nine games), Reilly Smith (two assists in 14 games), Nick Paul (one goal, one assist in 15 games), and Kasperi Kapanen (one goal, one assist in 14 games). Of course, there are others, but these are players that have had quality playing time and their production has hit a dry patch. Stephenson is centering Brett Howden and Michael Amadio right now, which is not necessarily conducive to big scoring numbers. Hartman’s fantasy appeal was largely tied to playing centre on Minnesota’s top line but now that Marco Rossi is in that spot, Hartman has fallen down the depth chart. Smith has played most of this season on Evgeni Malkin’s wing, so it is hard to imagine how he has gone 15 games without a goal. He has been moved to play with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and that duo remains dominant at five-on-five, so maybe they can sprinkle some of their magic on Smith. After some early season scoring success, including scoring five of his eight goals on the power play, Paul has gone nine straight games without a point. He is a fringy fantasy player at best, and this is not his best. Not only does Kapanen have just two points in the past 14 games, but he has just 16 shots on goal. He’s barely giving himself a chance.

#19 Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll was in the midst of an outstanding performance against the Ottawa Senators Thursday when he was forced to leave the game with a lower-body injury. With a .916 save percentage in 15 games, Woll had claimed the Leafs’ No. 1 job, but if he is going to miss some time, the responsibility will fall to the tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones. Samsonov was excellent for the Leafs last season, but has a .878 save percentage in 10 games this season. That is decidedly not excellent. Jones had some moments with Seattle last season but the 33-year-old netminder had a .895 save percentage in the five NHL seasons that preceded the 2023-2024 season. Samsonov is the one to back, but that’s not easy given his performance thus far.

#20 It’s not like Patrick Kane is flying under the radar, but it’s worth keeping tabs on him to see what kind of residual effects could hit the Detroit lineup. Kane skated on a line with Alex DeBrincat and Joe Veleno while getting first unit power play time in his Red Wings debut. J.T. Compher did not play because he was nursing some nagging injuries, but it’s possible that Compher, who has 15 points (5 G, 10 A) in his past 15 games, is the more likely centre for that line when he is healthy.

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS – A path opens up in the East for fortunate Leafs and surprising Panthers

Scott Cullen — Mon, 01 May 2023 17:28:02 +0000

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 29: Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) plays the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) in the third period during the NHL regular season game between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 29, 2023 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gavin Napier/Icon Sportswire)

TORONTO vs. FLORIDA

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2004 and have home ice advantage after the Florida Panthers pulled off a massive upset against the top-seeded Boston Bruins in the first round.

Now that they have broken the first-round seal, are the Maple Leafs ready to go on a Stanley Cup run? Can the Panthers carry their first-round magic forward? Ousting the Lightning and the Bruins, respectively, opens up potential opportunities for the team that can emerge from the Atlantic Division.

Forwards

Toronto’s high-priced forwards have taken plenty of criticism over the years for not rising to the occasion in the playoffs, but Toronto’s big dogs showed up against Tampa Bay. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander produced 13 goals and 34 points against Tampa Bay. The supporting cast matters but getting production from the stars at the top of the depth chart sets the foundation for a team to achieve success.

One of Toronto’s apparent strengths is that they have solid contributors beyond the core four. Ryan O’Reilly contributed seven points in the first round and Calle Jarnkrok moved up to play with Matthews and Marner. Rookie Matthew Knies added three assists and the Leafs controlled 57.4% of expected goals with him on the ice during five-on-five play.

Michael Bunting was suspended for three games in the series against Tampa Bay, then was a healthy scratch for Game 5, so he has more to offer, and it might be further down the depth chart because Toronto’s fourth line of Zach Aston-Reese, David Kampf, and Sam Lafferty managed 35.9% of shot attempts and 32.9% of expected goals during five-on-five play against Tampa Bay.

Matthew Tkachuk had an incredible season for the Panthers and carried that play into the playoffs against Boston. The Panthers’ winger put up 11 points and 22 shots on goal in the first round, with Florida controlling 63.4% of expected goals against Boston when Tkachuk was on the ice during five-on-five play. The Maple Leafs will need to find a solution to the problem that Tkachuk presents as a skilled and physical force.

Sam Bennett got into the Boston series in Game 2 and was an impact performer, with five points and 20 shots on goal in six games. Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, and Anton Lundell all played solid contributing roles against the Bruins.

Maybe the most surprising part for Florida is that Aleksander Barkov had a hard time against Boston. He produced one goal and six points, but the Panthers only held 40.4% of expected goals during five-on-five play with Barkov on the ice. For a Panthers team that tends to lean on their stars, Barkov will need to elevate his game if they are going to advance.

Defense

After an up-and-down regular season, Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly stepped up and delivered an outstanding series against Tampa Bay. Rielly had three goals and eight points against Tampa Bay with Toronto getting 56.7% of expected goals and outscoring the Lightning 9-3 during five-on-five play with Rielly on the ice. Luke Schenn was frequently paired with Rielly and while Schenn struggled late in the regular season, he was excellent against Tampa Bay, with Toronto pulling 61.1% of expected goals with Schenn on the ice.

T.J. Brodie and Jake McCabe are an effective shutdown pair for Toronto, with McCabe providing a necessary physical element. Schenn and McCabe combined for 66 hits in the first round.

The third pairing was a trouble spot for Toronto against Tampa Bay. Justin Holl and Mark Giordano had just 40.0% of expected goals during five-on-five play and the Leafs were out-scored 9-2 during five-on-five play when Holl was on the ice against Tampa Bay. As a result, Timothy Liljegren and Erik Gustafsson were pressed into action in Game 6. It would make sense for Toronto to give Liljegren a chance to upgrade that pairing but it would not be a surprise for Holl to get a fresh start against the Panthers.

Brandon Montour’s breakout season continued in the first round against Boston. The right-shot blueliner put up five goals and eight points with 22 shots on goal. His confidence is soaring, and he is always ready to launch one-timers from the point on the power play. Montour has been paired with Marc Staal so that duo is vulnerable during five-on-five play. They had 40.5% of expected goals and were outscored 6-3 against the Bruins.

Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling formed an effective shutdown pair against Boston, controlling 55.1% of expected goals while the Panthers outscored the Bruins 8-2 with that duo on the ice during five-on-five play.

Josh Mahura was an under-the-radar pleasant surprise for Florida in the first round. Acquired off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks before the start of the season, Mahura averaged less than 11 minutes per game against Boston, but the Panthers earned 54.4% of shot attempts and 63.2% of expected goals during five-on-five play with Mahura on the ice. Radko Gudas stands out as the heavy hitter on this blueline, but he is somewhat vulnerable if he gets caught out there against speedy and skilled forwards.

Toronto’s group is steadier overall, but both teams have some question marks on the back end, which could ultimately cause problems.

Goaltending

Although he experienced some highs and lows against Tampa Bay, Ilya Samsonov ultimately picked up his first career playoff series victory. His save percentage was just .900, and he let in a few soft goals, but he had stellar performances in Game 3 and Game 6. Given his lack of a playoff track record, there is still plenty of uncertainty around Samsonov heading into this series, but he is clearly Toronto’s number one option with Joseph Woll in the backup role.

The Panthers opened the playoffs with Alex Lyon starting in goal against Boston and he had a .902 save percentage in three games, but Florida eventually turned to Sergei Bobrovsky, who is a high-wire act at this point.

Bobrovsky was erratic in games four and six against Boston and was excellent in game five and seven, ultimately backstopping the Panthers to three straight wins to finish the series. Bobrovsky has a .900 save percentage in 56 career playoff games, including .891 in five appearances this spring, so he is not an easy man to trust under these circumstances.

Goaltending is always important in the postseason, but it would be fair to say that both the Maple Leafs and Panthers have some uncertainty at the position heading into Round 2.

Special Teams

Toronto’s power play was among the best during the regular season and that carries over into the playoffs. During five-on-four play, the Leafs scored 12.48 goals per 60 minutes, ranking fifth among 16 playoff teams in the first round. Toronto’s big boys were firing on the power play, with Marner, Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and O’Reilly all getting on the board against the Lightning.

Florida was closer to the middle of the pack, ranking ninth with 7.60 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. Tkachuk led the way with five power play points and Montour added a pair of power play goals against the Bruins.

Tampa Bay’s power play posed a problem for the Maple Leafs in the first round, scoring 10.92 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, which ranked 10^th. However, that was still more successful than the Panthers, who allowed 15.31 goals per 60 minutes, ranking 13^th among playoff teams. A compounding issue for Florida is that they were one of three teams in the first round to spend more than six minutes per game playing four-on-five. By comparison, the Maple Leafs averaged 4:34 per game. That discipline could make a difference.

Conclusion

Toronto had some good fortune against Tampa Bay, picking up three overtime wins, including some in games that they did not necessarily deserve to win. For a team that is now a co-favorite to win the Stanley Cup and had a long drought of not winning a playoff series, they are in good position, but can hardly afford to look past the Panthers.

While Florida’s upset of the Bruins seems monumental because Boston just put up the most regular season points in history, the underlying numbers suggested that Florida was better than their place in the standings and they caught enough breaks to make the difference. If they could do that against Boston, who is to say that is couldn’t happen against Toronto? I’ll side with the Maple Leafs…cautiously. Maple Leafs in 6.