David Krejci – McKeen's Hockey

THE WEEK AHEAD: November 13th to 19th – Bruins goaltending driving early success – Oilers reset with coaching change

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:39:11 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 26: Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (11) waits for a face-off during the Columbus Blue Jackets versus the Montreal Canadiens game on October 26, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

The opening story of these articles might be a bit of a curse. I talked about how bad the Sharks were, and they subsequently got outscored 20-3. I followed that by discussing the sorry state of the Oilers in the last edition of this column, and their situation proceeded to get worse with a loss to the lowly Sharks, prompting the firing of coach Jay Woodcroft.

So, who will I burden with featuring this week? Rather than focus on the negative, why not shift our gaze to one of the best teams in the league? After over a month of play, I think it’s fair to say that reports of Boston’s demise over the summer have been greatly exaggerated.

It was logical to expect the Bruins to decline after losing significant pieces over the summer, most notably Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci due to retirement, but Boston’s 11-1-2 start is only a slight deviation from its 12-2-0 opening in 2022-23. How have they managed that? It really just comes down to the one thing that hasn’t changed: The goaltending.

Through 14 games in 2022-23, Boston had surrendered just 32 goals versus 28 over the same span this year. In the previous campaign that was entirely due to Linus Ullmark -- Jeremy Swayman struggled in the early portion of that season -- whereas this year it’s been a joint effort between Ullmark and Swayman, but the result is the same: Amazing goaltending wins games.

That has shielded Boston’s record from the reality that this genuinely is a worse iteration of the Bruins. Through 14 contests last year, Boston led the league offensively with 4.00 goals per game. By contrast, the Bruins are in the middle of the pack this season at 3.21.

David Pastrnak has enjoyed a near identical start to his 2023-24 campaign (21 points versus 22 points last year) and having Brad Marchand healthy from the start of the season (he missed the opening eight contests of 2022-23) helps. However, that’s not enough to make up for the loss of Bergeron (12 points in 14 contests), Taylor Hall (nine points) and David Krejci (nine points). There’s been a trickle-down impact in the Bruins’ scoring depth too: Boston had 12 multi-goal players at this point last year compared to eight today.

But what we’ve seen is all that extra offense was a waste. When you have goaltending this good, what does it matter? In 2022-23, Boston scored four or more goals in four of their first six contests. The Bruins did that just once in the same span this campaign. But so what? Boston not only won its first six contests this year but did so by two or more goals in all but one occasion.

The takeaway here is that those who predicted Boston’s decline were underestimating just how much their success is truly linked to their goaltending and how much the Bruins could afford to regress before it would actually start to impact their record.

Then again, there’s still a lot of the campaign left. The 2022-23 Bruins didn’t just get off to a strong start, they maintained it all year, finishing 65-12-5. This year’s weaker offense also makes Boston more vulnerable to injuries. When Brad Marchand was hurt at the start of 2022-23, Boston had enough talent to shrug it off. Could these Bruins do the same? What if a couple of middle-six forwards get hurt? Boston isn’t exactly swimming in depth anymore to fill the void.

Time will tell, but while Boston is better than some gave it credit for, it might also prove to be a bit of a glass canon.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets got off to a 3-2-0 start, but they’ve posted a 1-5-4 record since, including five consecutive losses. They’ll try to right the ship this week with home games against Pittsburgh and Arizona on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, followed by road contests versus Washington on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday.

Despite the Blue Jackets’ continued struggles, there have been some individual standout performers. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson has contributed five assists over his last four contests. He’s not a bad short-term pickup to ride while he’s hot, especially because he also has 13 PIM and 39 hits in 15 games this year, so the blueliner offers a bit of versatility.

Rookie Adam Fantilli is also looking good. He’s on a three-game scoring streak, giving him four goals and nine points through 15 contests. That puts him in a tie for fourth in the rookie scoring race. Fantilli has a top-six role and is on the first power-play unit. He’s likely to finish the campaign with 45-55 points.

Edmonton Oilers

New Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has a pretty favorable stretch to start his NHL career. The Oilers will host the Islanders on Monday and the Kraken on Wednesday -- both of which are off to mild starts -- before facing Tampa Bay, which is just 6-5-4 due in no small part to the continued absence of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (back). Edmonton has a lot of ground to cover to claw back into the playoff race, but taking four of six points this week is entirely doable.

How much of the Oilers’ problems can be fixed with coaching change is up for debate, but teams do typically get at least a short-term boost following a bench boss firing, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton does well this week.

A new coach also has the potential to be a reset point for struggling players. I’m not expecting Connor McDavid, who has been subpar by his high standards with two goals and 10 points in 11 contests, to see an immediate spike in production. Knoblauch was McDavid’s coach with the OHL’s Erie Otters, so I’m sure McDavid will play well under him, but the superstar might be playing through an injury right now, which makes a coaching change matter less as far as he’s concerned -- at least in the short-term.

Do you know who else Knoblauch coached with Erie, though? Connor Brown. Before the season, it was hoped that Brown, reunited with McDavid, might have the best season of his career, but so far Brown has failed to record even a single point. The 29-year-old is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but when he returns, perhaps working under Knoblauch will do him some good.

I’m also interested to see if Darnell Nurse can rekindle his offensive game after recording just four points through 13 contests this season, down from 43 in 2023-24. Rather than Knoblauch directly, it might be the presence of new assistant coach Paul Coffey who aids Nurse.

New York Islanders

The Islanders are on the road this week with games in Edmonton on Monday, Vancouver on Wednesday, Seattle on Thursday and Calgary on Saturday. It’s not the easiest schedule, but it is a packed one, so there is an opportunity here for players to have above-average weeks.

Backup Semyon Varlamov will be one to watch. The Islanders are likely going to use him in one, maybe two starts. With three of the four teams being middling-to-poor offensively this campaign (Edmonton, Calgary and Seattle), this seems like a favorable stretch to lean on the Islanders’ goaltending.

On the offensive side of things, the Islanders aren’t a strong group and not many players have performed well recently.

Simon Holmstrom is an exception, providing three goals over his last five contests. He’s an interesting player. Selected with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, he has offensive upside, but the Islanders used him sparingly last year (an average of 11:06 per game), which resulted in him providing just six goals and nine points in 50 contests. Even with his recent run, he’s been limited to four points through 12 outings this year, but the Islanders seem to be experimenting with him in a bigger role, bringing him up to an average of 14:58 over his last four contests. Keep an eye on his usage and performance over the next few games.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins’ rough start is well behind them after winning each of their last four games. They’ll look to keep that going this week with games in Columbus on Tuesday, versus New Jersey on Thursday, in Carolina on Saturday and finally against the Golden Knights on Sunday.

Erik Karlsson has been a huge part of the Penguins’ recent success. He got off to a slow start with a goal and four points over his first eight contests this year, but he’s bounced back with a five-game scoring streak, providing three goals and nine points in that stretch. Maybe he needed a bit of time to settle in with the Penguins, but he should finish the campaign with over 70 points so long as he stays healthy.

Pittsburgh has other stars excelling too, but one lower-profile player who is quietly having a productive campaign is Lars Eller. He’s up to two goals and seven points in 13 contests and is also entering the week on a three-game point streak. With how packed this week is, you might want to consider grabbing him temporarily. However, he’s primarily a third-liner, and it’s rare to see him on the power play, so don’t keep him long-term.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle hasn’t been able to replicate its 2022-23 success, going just 5-7-3 thus far. The Kraken are averaging an okay 3.27 goals per game dating back to Oct. 19 though, so while their overall of 2.60 is poor, that’s not reflective of their recent play.

Jaden Schwartz has been a big part of their improvement. After a quiet start to the campaign (two points through five contests), he’s recorded at least a point in each of his last nine outings, providing six goals and 12 points over that stretch. At this point, he’s a solid sell-high candidate in fantasy leagues. Schwartz is a solid forward but won’t be able to maintain this level of production. If he finishes the season in the 50-60 point range, that would be seen as a win. Keep in mind that he also has a somewhat lengthy injury history, which adds another element of risk to the equation.

Eeli Tolvanen is also on a roll, contributing two goals and five points over his last four contests. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that hot streak extended, especially against Colorado and Edmonton, which are two teams plagued by struggling goaltending (Edmonton’s is obvious, but Alexandar Georgiev has a 4.73 GAA and an .842 save percentage over his last seven contests).

At the other end of the spectrum, Kailer Yamamoto hasn’t done much yet, supplying just two goals and four points in 15 contests. There was a time when the 25-year-old seemed set to become a great top-six forward, but outside of his 41-point showing in 2021-22, that hasn’t panned out yet. Seattle is still giving him every opportunity, often deploying him on the top power-play unit, so there is still hope there.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues will host Tampa Bay on Tuesday before going on a road trip with stops in San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday and Anaheim on Sunday. The Lightning and Sharks are two of the bottom-five teams in terms of goals allowed per game this year, so this seems like a good time to grab a Blues forward.

Robert Thomas couldn’t be hotter going into the week. He’s contributed five goals and 10 points over his last six contests, including four assists versus Colorado on Saturday. Brayden Schenn came up huge against the Avalanche too, supplying a hat trick and an assist to elevate him to nine points in 13 outings this year.

Neither is likely to be available in most fantasy leagues, but Oskar Sundqvist probably is. While the bottom-six forward isn’t a good long-term option, he has chipped in a goal and three points over the last two contests, so he’s warm going into a favorable stretch.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning will play just three games this week, but the competition isn’t bad for them. As noted above, they’ll be in St. Louis on Tuesday, followed by a contest in Chicago on Thursday before hosting Edmonton on Saturday. The Blackhawks unsurprising have a poor 5-8-0 record and while Edmonton’s coaching change adds an extra X-Factor to the meeting, the Oilers are near the bottom of the pack too.

Tampa Bay will continue to be without Vasilevskiy -- though he’s currently on track to return around American Thanksgiving -- and they’re also missing Conor Sheary (upper body). Erik Cernak’s (undisclosed) status isn’t known at the time of writing, but he did exit Saturday’s game. Nikita Kucherov didn’t play Saturday, but unless his illness is significant, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play Tuesday or Thursday at the latest.

If Cernak ends up missing additional time due to his injury, then we might see Philippe Myers draw into the lineup. He wouldn’t be an offensive threat, but if you’re fishing for PIM and hits, then Myers would be worthy of consideration should he play.

If you’re looking for scoring outside of the usual candidates, Alex Barre-Boulet might still be worthy of consideration. He has just a goal and an assist over his last six contests, but Barre-Boulet has shown he can be productive with limited minutes and the defensive quality of Chicago (3.46 goals allowed per game) and Edmonton (3.92) improves the chances of him factoring in later in the week.

Vegas Golden Knights

Along with Boston, Vegas has dominated the league with its 12-2-1 start. The Golden Knights haven’t played since Friday, so they’ll be well rested for their road trip, which will take them to Washington on Tuesday, Montreal on Thursday, Philadelphia on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Like Boston, Vegas’ success starts with its goaltending. Adin Hill leads the team with a 7-1-1 record, 1.75 GAA and .939 save percentage in nine contests while Logan Thompson has been a fantastic alternative, providing a 5-1-0 record, 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage in six games. With a full road schedule this week, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them each get two starts.

The Golden Knights outshine Boston offensively though, averaging 3.67 goals per game. William Karlsson has been leading the charge with eight goals and 18 points in 15 contests this year, including five markers and seven points over his last five outings. His shooting percentage has climbed to 32.0, which is a huge red flag. To put that in perspective, he had a 23.4 shooting percentage in 2016-17 when he set career highs with 43 goals and 78 points in 82 appearances. After that campaign, many pointed to his shooting percentage as being unsustainable and used that as part of their argument that he would decline -- which he did in 2018-19 to 24 goals and 56 points. Karlsson is extremely unlikely to continue to cash in on nearly a third of his shots, so the goals will probably dry up in the not-too-distant future, which makes him a potential sell-high candidate.

When it comes to someone to pick up, Michael Amadio, who had two assists Friday, is a decent candidate. His value is linked to the availability of Nicolas Roy (undisclosed) and Chandler Stephenson (upper body), though. With those two out, Amadio is seeing some use in a top-six capacity, but that will change once one or both of Vegas’ injured centers return.

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: BOSTON BRUINS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS – Late surging Panthers make interesting underdog despite gap in standings

Scott Cullen — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 16:48:55 +0000

SUNRISE, FL - JANUARY 28: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) faces off with Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) during the game between the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire)

The Boston Bruins accrued 135 points, the most ever in a National Hockey League season, and they are the Stanley Cup favorites heading into the postseason. The Florida Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy last season, but it was a much more difficult path to reach the playoffs this year.

Naturally, the Bruins are expected to win their first round series against the Panthers, but it could be closer than the standings might suggest.

Forwards

The Bruins’ attack is paced by right winger David Pastrnak, who led the team with 61 goals and 113 points, but he has a strong supporting cast. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand may be getting older, but they are still dominant two-way players. Bergeron is 37 years old, and the Bruins controlled 63.2% of expected goals and 71.3% of goals during five-on-five play when he was on the ice. It’s preposterous.

Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Zacha, and David Krejci all had at least 50 points. Charlie Coyle, Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Trent Frederic all provide additional scoring depth. This is one of Boston’s big advantages – scoring threats throughout the lineup.

Florida is more top heavy, with Matthew Tkachuk both the scoring and spiritual leader of the group, putting up 40 goals and 109 points with 123 penalty minutes. If the Panthers are going to pull off the upset, they will need Tkachuk to continue his outstanding play. After the trade deadline, he produced 12 goals and 30 points with 85 shots on goal in 19 games. Carter Verhaeghe, with a career-high 42 goals, and Aleksander Barkov, who topped 75 points for the fourth time in his career, are the other top scoring threats for the Panthers.

Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett are quality secondary scoring options and Bennett does have a knack for rising to the occasion in the postseason, putting up 21 points in 30 games over his past four playoff appearances. Bennett has also been out since March 20 with a lower-body injury, leaving his status questionable for the start of the playoffs. A supporting cast that includes Anthony Duclair, Anton Lundell, and Eetu Luostarinen has some potential but, overall, the Bruins have a deeper forward group.

Defense

Boston brings one of the best bluelines in the league to this series. Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy are both legitimate No. 1 defensemen worthy of Norris Trophy votes and having two players of that calibre is a luxury available to precious few teams. Adding Dmitry Orlov at the trade deadline only made the group stronger as it gives the Bruins another well-rounded blueliner who can move the puck but handle defensive responsibility, too. Matt Grzelcyk adds mobility while Brandon Carlo, Connor Clifton, and Derek Forbort bring more of a physical presence to the game. While the Bruins defense is strong, the defensive results since the trade deadline are relatively mediocre, with Boston ranking 14^th in all-situations shots against and expected goals against per 60 minutes. It’s not egregiously terrible, but it is not as dominant as the Bruins were earlier in the season.

Brandon Montour emerged as a premier offensive defenseman this season, finishing in a tie for fifth among blueliners with 73 points while playing a career-high 24:08 per game. Montour averaged more than three shots on goal per game, a big jump from his previous high of 2.21 shots per game, set in 2018-2019. Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad both logged more than 23 minutes per game, and they form a solid nucleus on the blueline. It’s beyond those three where the questions start to hit. Marc Staal, Radko Gudas, and Josh Mahura round out the top six and that looks like a defense that will eventually get exposed against Boston’s forwards. The Panthers ranked 22^nd in all-situations shots against and 23^rd in expected goals against per 60 minutes, so there is a defensive vulnerability that lingers over this Panthers team.

Goaltending

Maybe the biggest edge that the Bruins hold in this series is the potential goaltending advantage offered by Linus Ullmark, who is favored to win the Vezina Trophy after leading the league in wins (40), goals against average (1.89), and save percentage (.938). Jeremy Swayman gives the Bruins an excellent secondary option in goal, delivering a .920 save percentage for the season, but a .932 mark in 23 games after the calendar flipped to 2023.

While Boston has two strong options between the pipes, the Panthers have more question marks. AHL call-up Alex Lyon played big role in Florida’s late season push to the playoffs. He is a 30-year-old journeyman who had a .912 save percentage in a career-high 15 games but had a .943 save percentage in his last eight starts. Goaltending is unpredictable at the best of times, but just about anything can happen in small samples, and that could include Lyon making a name for himself by stonewalling the top team in the league. If Lyon turns into a kitty cat, a now-healthy Sergei Bobrovsky would be available for the Panthers. The 34-year-old was mediocre during the regular season and has a spotty playoff track record, but it would come as no surprise if Florida’s $10 million goaltender appeared in this series.

Special Teams

Both the Bruins and Panthers are above average with the man advantage. Boston scored 8.21 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-four play, which ranked eighth. Pastrnak led the Bruins with 18 power play goals, followed by Bergeron and Marchand, both with nine. Florida scored 7.92 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, ranking 10^th. Reinhart tallied 16 power play goals and Tkachuk added 14, while Barkov and Ekblad both contributed eight. The Panthers spent 5:26 per game at five-on-four, tops among all playoff teams.

Penalty killing is a significant advantage for the Bruins, as Boston ranked first in expected goals against and actual goals against per 60 minutes during four-on-five play. Their goaltending has been great, but Boston has allowed the lowest rate of shots against per 60 in those situations, too. Florida had slightly better than average penalty killing results, but that is still operating at a deficit against Boston.

Conclusion

As great as the regular season was for the Bruins, their possession numbers do not quite match their historically dominant place in the standings, so they are probably not as good as 135 points would suggest. At the same time, the Panthers had better possession numbers than their 92-point season would indicate and might be better than their point total. With Tkachuk leading the way, the Panthers could be a lively underdog if they can get quality goaltending. That ‘if’ is a big factor, though, so Boston is still the pick to advance. Bruins in 6.

NHL: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Avalanche Getting Major Contributions from Unexpected Sources – Krejci, Laughton, Dach, Zucker and more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 19:46:39 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 17: Colorado Avalanche Center J.T. Compher (37) skates with the puck during the NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild on October 17th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, the Avalanche getting major contributions from unexpected sources, plus David Krejci, Scott Laughton, Kirby Dach, Jason Zucker and many more players picking up the offensive pace.

#1 One of the great bargain free agent signings of last summer, Colorado Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues has been such a versatile addition. He can play wing or center and moves up and down the lineup as needed. Given Colorado’s injuries, Rodrigues has been needed higher on the depth chart and he is averaging 19:24 of ice time per game. His previous career high was 15:50 per game for Pittsburgh last season. Rodrigues was held off the scoresheet in Calgary Wednesday, snapping a nine-game point streak, during which he produced 12 points (3 G, 9 A) and 26 shots on goal.

#2 Rodrigues isn’t the only Avalanche forward that is playing a whole lot more than expected. Since the beginning of December, J.T. Compher has averaged 22:30 of ice time per game, scoring 20 points (8 G, 12 A) with 61 shots on goal in 23 games. Compher scored a career high 33 points last season but already has 28 points (9 G, 19 A) in 43 games this season.

#3 It is hard to figure how the No. 2 center on the best team in the league is flying under the radar, but that seems to be the case with Bruins pivot David Krejci. The 36-year-old spent last season in Czechia, and it took him a little time to round back into form, but since mid-November he has delivered 28 points (9 G, 19 A) and 48 shots on goal in 27 games. He has always been a sharp playmaker and throughout his career, Krejci has tended to make his linemates better, giving them more opportunities to score with his creative passing.

#4 Flyers center Scott Laughton has been a major factor in Philadelphia’s resurgence. In the past 12 games, he has produced 14 points (5 G, 9 A) and 24 shots on goal. When Laughton is scoring at this rate, he becomes a valuable fantasy commodity, especially in banger leagues, because he is a prolific hitter. There are only two centers, Sam Bennett and Vincent Trocheck, with more points (27) and hits (98) than Laughton.

#5 In his first season with the Montreal Canadiens, center Kirby Dach has had some ups and downs, but the 21-year-old does seem to be discovering his offensive game. He has spent time playing on the wing of Montreal’s No. 1 line, but now is settling into the second line center role. Dach has contributed six points (3 G, 3 A) and 14 shots on goal while playing more than 18 minutes per game in the past seven games and for a rebuilding Habs team that has a ton of injuries, Dach ought to play a lot in the second half of the season.

#6 It has been a long season in Chicago, and there is still a long way to go, and defenseman Seth Jones contributed very little for a long time, but he is finally starting to make his mark offensively. After recording an assist in Thursday’s win at Philadelphia, Jones has scored 10 points (3 G, 7 A) with 19 shots on goal in his past seven games. This surge probably makes it worthwhile to add Jones off the fantasy waiver wire, but beware, Chicago is surely going to be selling before the trade deadline, so Jones may have even more of a skeleton crew as his supporting cast later in the season.

#7 Although he is known more for his defensive play, Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Brett Pesce can be a factor offensively, too. In the past 12 games, Pesce has 10 points (2 G, 8 A) along with 30 shots on goal. He is really a consideration in deep leagues, as Pesce has yet to record 30 points in a season, but his increased offensive contributions do make him fantasy relevant.

#8 Injuries have hindered Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker in recent seasons, but he has managed to stay healthy this year and is scoring again. Since the holiday break, Zucker has eight points (6 G, 2 A) in 11 games. What really sets Zucker’s contributions apart this season is a major spike in his hit rate. While it might be a suspect counting stat, Zucker has already recorded a career high 121 hits in 40 games. His previous career high was 87 hits in 2018-2019.

#9 After finishing fourth in the Calder Trophy voting last season, Detroit Red Wings right winger Lucas Raymond is heating up in his sophomore campaign. In his past 12 games, Raymond has delivered 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and the 20-year-old is up to 14 goals on the season, putting him one behind Dylan Larkin for the team lead.

#10 Seattle Kraken right winger Jordan Eberle has found an offensive resurgence, thanks to picking up more assists. In the past nine games, Eberle has eight points (2 G, 6 A) and he has 35 points (10 G, 25 A) in 45 games. He has 0.78 points per game and the last time Eberle finished a season with a higher points per game was the 2014-2015 season.

#11 Florida Panthers left winger Carter Verhaeghe continues to produce even though he has moved off of the top line. He has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 45 shots on goal in the past 17 games, which is pretty standard scoring production for him since arriving in Florida, but he is shooting the puck more this season, a career high 2.98 shots on goal per game.

#12 Replacing Verhaeghe on Aleskander Barkov’s wing in Florida is second year forward Anton Lundell. That change in circumstances makes Lundell suddenly appealing. In the past six games, he has four points (2 G, 2 A) and 21 shots on goal. His scoring is down this season, as he has just 18 points (6 G, 12 A) in 38 games, but considering his change in role, Lundell offers upside for the second half of the season.

#13 In recent seasons, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell has been known as a reliable shot generator who could not finish. From 2018-2019 through 2021-2022, he scored on just 8.8% of his shots on goal. His recent surge of six points (3 G, 3 A) and 18 shots on goal in the past five games gives him a shooting percentage of 11.9%, which would be his highest since the 2017-2018 season.

#14 Anaheim Ducks veteran forward Adam Henrique continues to produce, even for a Ducks squad that is lingering around the bottom of the standings. In his past 11 games, Henrique has 10 points (7 G, 3 A) and 20 shots on goal. As a steady veteran on an unsteady team, Henrique is playing first line left wing and getting first unit power play time, which gives him the chance to produce at this level. If he were to get traded before the deadline, there would be some give-and-take when it comes to his future value. Henrique would surely have better teammates elsewhere but would likely not get the prime ice time that he is receiving in Anaheim.

#15 There was a time early in the season, when Aaron Ekblad was injured, that Panther’s defenseman Brandon Montour was enjoying a surge of production and it seemed all predicated on the opportunities presented by Ekblad’s absence. Turns out that even with Ekblad in the lineup, Montour can be a very productive blueliner. In the past 18 games, for example, he has 16 points (3 G, 13 A) and 43 shots on goal. That lifts his season total to 38 points in just 45 games, which is already a career high, surpassing the 37 that Montour scored in 81 games last season.

#16 Signed to a new four-year-, $19 million contract extension, Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha has been nice fit in a supporting role on the league’s best team. He can move around the lineup and play in a scoring or checking role. Right now, the points are going his way. In the past 13 games, Zacha has produced 11 points (5 G, 6 A), which is outstanding, considering that all of those points have come at even strength, but a note of caution: Zacha only has 16 shots on goal in those 13 games, and low shot rates tend to concern me when it comes to projecting future production.

#17 One of my favorite unheralded forwards is Arizona Coyotes left winger Lawson Crouse. He is day-to-day with an upper-body injury right now but leads the Coyotes with 16 goals and he is heating up (or was before getting hurt). In 12 games since the holiday break, Crouse has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) and 23 shots on goal. He also adds banger value, delivering 33 hits in those 12 games. He may never live up to the hype that was building around him leading up to getting picked ninth overall in 2015, but the 25-year-old is well on his way to a second straight 20-goal season. His 29 even strength goals over the past two seasons leaves Crouse tied for 65^th. It is the same number of even strength goals as scored by Travis Konecny, Nazem Kadri, and John Tavares.

#18 Another player who is facing challenges as he tries to live up to prospect hype, Buffalo Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt is finding his niche as a playmaker in a supporting role. In his past 18 games, Mittelstadt has 14 points (2 G, 12 A) with 27 shots on goal. He does not shoot enough but Mittelstadt’s puck skills provide him the chance to play on the power play. Of his 27 points this season, 12 have come with the man advantage.

#19 Since the holiday break, these are the leaders in expected goals during five-on-five play: Timo Meier, Carter Verhaeghe, Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes, Brayden Point, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Anders Lee, Tyler Seguin, Zach Hyman, and Tanner Jeannot. It is an interesting list with mostly premier first-line forwards. It includes some crease crashers like Lee and Hyman, and Seguin is likely benefitting from his recent stint on Dallas’ top line while Roope Hintz is injured. The most interesting name on the list, though, is Nashville Predators winger Tanner Jeannot, who scored 24 goals as a rookie last season but has been snakebit as a sophomore. Jeannot has just three goals on 71 shots in 45 games. He is a massive hitter, with more than 300 last season and 164 in 45 games this season, so if he ever starts converting his chances, Jeannot will have fantasy value, especially in banger leagues.

#20 Not that Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky was a major factor in fantasy leagues this season, but the No. 1 pick in the 2022 Draft was rushed into the league and the results were underwhelming. He scored 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 42 shots on goal in 39 games and while he had some moments in which he showed his talent, there were plenty of moments when he was overmatched and, sometimes, caught unaware by a big hit. He is only 18 years old, so there is time for him to develop into the premier power forward that was expected on draft day, but expectations should also be kept in check after seeing the results of his first half season in the NHL. As it is, Slafkovsky has suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him out for the next three months, ending his season.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Kraken Delivering Fantasy Targets plus much, much more.

Scott Cullen — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:17:08 +0000

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, look West, where the Seattle Kraken have won seven straight games and are chock full of productive players that are still widely available for fantasy hockey managers. From rookie Matty Beniers to veteran defenseman Justin Schultz and several points in between, the Kraken are a team to target.

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 11: Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) skates during an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Seattle Kraken on November 11, 2022 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire)

#1 Calder Trophy front-runner Matty Beniers is stepping up as the No. 1 center for the Seattle Kraken. The second pick in the 2020 Draft, Beniers has 12 points (5 G, 7 A) during a six-game point streak. He is not a huge shot generator, with two shots or fewer in 20 of 23 games, so that is an area that might need some work if he is going to maintain his current goal-scoring pace of 10 goals in 23 games. Otherwise, Beniers will need to keep scoring on 23.3% of his shots and that is not a reasonable expectation.

#2 Veteran Seattle Kraken right winger Jordan Eberle had a slow start to the season, managing no goals and four assists through his first eight games, but he has put up 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in his past 15 games. Eberle has not had a 50-point season since 2017-2018, but he has found a good fit on a line with Beniers and Jared McCann.

#3 In his past 15 games, Seattle Kraken left winger Jared McCann has produced 13 points (9 G, 4 A). He has scored 37 goals in 94 games since joining the Kraken in the expansion draft. While McCann, like Beniers, is not likely to keep scoring on 23.3% of his shots, as he has this season, this line is helping the Kraken generate significantly more offense than they did last season. The Kraken have 3.75 goals per 60 minutes this season, which ranks third. Last season, they ranked 28th with 2.58 goals per 60 minutes.

#4 It is hard to put too many expectations on a forward who is playing 10 minutes per game, but Seattle seems to have found right way to deploy Daniel Sprong. Even in limited ice time, Sprong has produced 14 points (5 G, 9 A) in 16 games. He does contribute on the power play, but he is also generating even-strength offense. The leaders in points per 60 minutes during five-on-five play (minimum 100 minutes): Morgan Geekie (3.78), Matthew Tkachuk (3.72), Nico Hischier (3.68), Sprong (3.65), and Sidney Crosby (3.64).

#5 Seattle Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz last scored more than 27 points in a season in 2016-2017. He has always had good puck skills but has tended to fill a supporting role on the blueline for most of his teams. With the Kraken, Schultz runs the second power play unit, but he has quickly produced 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his past seven games. Vince Dunn is still the Kraken defenseman on the No. 1 power play unit, but Schultz now leads the Kraken with seven power play assists.

#6 Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko left Thursday’s loss to Florida with what looked like it could be a groin injury. It remains to be seen how long Demko will be out of the lineup, but Spencer Martin should be poised to play a more significant role with Demko out. Martin has a .900 save percentage in 10 games this season. That is a little below league average, but Martin’s 10 games played in the NHL this season already counts as a career high. The Canucks may be about to find out just how ready Martin is for NHL action.

#7 An old rookie making the transition from the KHL, Vancouver Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko is 26 years old. He has also been on a tear in recent weeks, putting up 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in the past seven games. He has scored on 22.0% of his shots this season, so Kuzmenko could use more shots to make his offense more sustainable, but he is establishing his value as a quality complementary piece on a line with Elias Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev.

#8 Winnipeg Jets rookie winger Cole Perfetti is climbing in the rookie scoring race, with six points (1 G, 5 A) in the past five games giving him 14 points (4 G, 10 A) on the season. He is now skating on Winnipeg’s top line, with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, and has upped his shot rate, generating 15 shots on goal in the past five games. He has tended to be a pass-first player, but if Perfetti can maintain the higher shot rate, there is a better chance for his goal totals to climb, too.

#9 The combination has worked for 36-year-old Jets right winger Blake Wheeler, who has put up 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in the past five games. Wheeler’s all-around game is not to the level that he displayed during his peak years, but he remains a productive offensive player. Since the start of the 2020-2021 season, Wheeler has 126 points (39 G, 87 A) in 136 games, so even if this is the decline phase of his career, it is a very productive decline phase.

#10 Returning to the Boston Bruins after spending last season in Czechia, David Krejci has nine points (6 G, 3 A) during a six-game point streak. That gives him 18 points (8 G, 10 A) in 19 games, and it is worth noting that, for as successful as his career has been, the 36-year-old has never scored at a point-per-game clip for a full NHL season.

#11 Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly is going to be out until at least mid-December due to a knee injury which opens up more ice time, including on Toronto’s top power play, for Rasmus Sandin. Sandin has just two points (1 G, 1 A) in the past five games, but he has also averaged 21:26 of ice time per game in those five games, a major increase from the 16:42 per game that he was averaging previously.

#12 Pucks are not going in for him the way that they did last season, when he scored 23 goals in 79 games, but Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Michael Bunting is still contributing to Toronto’s top line. Bunting has nine points (2 G, 7 A) in the past nine games and, after trying out some other combinations, the Maple Leafs seem to have figured out that Bunting still fits in a complementary role on that No. 1 line alongside Auston Matthews.

#13 Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins struggled to a .864 save percentage in nine games before he landed on the injured list with a lower-body injury. Rookie netminder Daniil Tarasov has received a better opportunity with Merzlikins out and 23-year-old Tarasov has delivered a .912 save percentage in seven games. For fantasy managers, wins are not going to come easily in Columbus, but Tarasov is getting a chance to prove that he is ready for the NHL and is making the most of that opportunity.

#14 Usually, it seems like a dicey proposition when a team needs to turn to its third-string goaltender but that is not always the case. When the Toronto Maple Leafs had injuries to goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray, Erik Kallgren stepped in to give the Maple Leafs solid play between the pipes. Even though Kallgren has a .898 save percentage in 10 games, in his last six starts, he had a 3-1-2 record with a .907 save percentage, which is entirely fine from a third-string goaltender.

#15 What is interesting is that coming into the season, Toronto’s goaltending was one of the major question marks and the tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray has been better than advertised. Perhaps it should be no surprise that they have missed time with injuries, but Samsonov has a .924 save percentage in nine games and Murray has a .927 save percentage in seven games. They have combined for a 12-3-1 record. While neither one is ideal for fantasy purposes, because they have not established that they can handle the workload of a true starting goaltender, both are entirely useful to plug in when they are healthy.

#16 He does not tend to score enough to be more than a banger league consideration, but Vegas Golden Knights left winger William Carrier is creating more offensively. In his past eight games, Carrier has scored five goals and recorded 22 hits, giving him 11 points (8 G, 3 A) and 64 hits in 24 games. Carrier has 1.76 goals per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play. Among players with at least 100 five-on-five minutes, these are the five players with a higher rate of goals per 60 minutes: Jason Robertson (2.11), Jared McCann (2.02), Elias Pettersson (1.88), Andrei Svechnikov (1.84), and Sidney Crosby (1.82).

#17 Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is out indefinitely after suffering the second stroke of his career. While this stroke is reportedly not as severe as the one that Letang suffered in 2014, it is understandable that the Penguins are going to be cautious with their long-time star blueliner before he has a chance to return to the ice. In the meantime, Jeff Petry will take over the point on Pittsburgh’s No. 1 power play unit. Petry has three assists in his past four games and has 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in 24 games for the season. Combined with his big hit and blocked shot totals, Petry remains a valuable, yet frequently underrated, defenseman for fantasy purposes.

#18 The leader in shot attempts per 60 minutes during five-on-four play (minimum 30 minutes) is Los Angeles Kings right winger Arthur Kaliyev, who has 49.1 shot attempts per 60. That puts him ahead of Jason Robertson (48.0), Timo Meier (41.5), David Pastrnak (41.2), and Alex Ovechkin (39.3). Kaliyev pulling the trigger 25% more than Ovechkin on the power play is certainly a strategy. Kaliyev has 16 points (8 G, 8 A) in 25 games, and half of those points have come on the power play.

#19 While the spotlight does not shine brightly in Arizona, veteran defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun are the Coyotes blueliners that draw the most attention. Don’t sleep on J.J. Moser, the second-year defenseman who has put up eight points (2 G, 6 A) while logging more than 23 minutes per game in the past 10 games.

#20 When the Montreal Canadiens acquired veteran center Sean Monahan in the offseason, there was naturally some concern about Monahan’s health. He had hip surgery and was coming off a season in which he had just eight goals and 23 points in 65 games. Those concerns were misplaced, apparently, because Monahan has been a solid contributor for the Habs. After assisting on both goals in Montreal’s 2-1 win at Calgary on Thursday, Monahan has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in the past 10 games and has most recently found a fit in the middle of a pair of power forwards, rookie Juraj Slafkovsky and veteran winger Josh Anderson. For a Montreal team that depends heavily on scoring from Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, they can appreciate the secondary scoring that Monahan provides.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – First line opportunities have popped up for Anthony Mantha, Phil Kessel, Rickard Rakell and more

Scott Cullen — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 13:09:41 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

In the first 20 Fantasy Points of the season, first line opportunities have popped up for Anthony Mantha, Phil Kessel, Rickard Rakell and more. Here are players to keep an eye on as the new season approaches.

BOSTON, MA - MAY 21: Washington Capitals left wing Anthony Mantha (39) gains the blue line on the power play during Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals on May 21, 2021, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

#1 A rare combination of size and skill, Washington Capitals right winger Anthony Mantha is potentially looking at the opportunity to play on the first line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, at least while Tom Wilson remains out of action as he recovers from a torn ACL. Mantha had his own trouble last season, limited to 37 games by shoulder surgery, he produced 23 points in 37 games, playing 15:10 per game, which was his lowest average time on ice since a 10-game stint with Detroit in 2015-2016, his first action in the NHL. A healthy Mantha, with a prime opportunity could score 20-plus goals for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.

#2 He will be 35 by the time the puck drops on the new season, and he scored just eight goals last season, but Phil Kessel is looking at an excellent opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights. Kessel could find himself skating with Jack Eichel on Vegas’ top line and that brings significantly higher upside than what he experienced in Arizona last season, when his most common linemates were Lawson Crouse Travis Boyd, Johan Larsson, and Alex Galchenyuk.

#3 Acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Anaheim Ducks last season, Rickard Rakell contributed 13 points and 48 shots on goal in 19 games for the Penguins. While Rakell moved around the Pittsburgh lineup, he had great success playing with Sidney Crosby, controlling 58.9% of the 5v5 shot attempts and 61.9% of the expected goals, outscoring the opposition 11-1 in the 98 minutes that they played together. If Rakell starts the season with Crosby and Jake Guentzel on the Penguins’ top line, it is a fantastic opportunity for the 29-year-old winger who has consistently been able to generate shots, with inconsistent finishing results.

#4 San Jose Sharks winger Kevin Labanc had just six points in 21 games last season before shoulder surgery ended his campaign. However, he is healthy now and not only is he looking at a return to a scoring role with the Sharks, but Labanc will have first crack on San Jose’s top power play unit. He has struggled since producing a career-high 56 points in 82 games during the 2018-2019 season, but Labanc has the talent to be a productive player and it appears that he will have the opportunity.

#5 After a one-year hiatus in Czechia, 36-year-old David Krejci returns to Boston and it’s important to note just how well Krejci fit alongside Taylor Hall. At the end of the 2020-2021 season, after Hall was acquired from Buffalo, the duo played 193 minutes together and controlled 65.7% of 5v5 shot attempts and 67.1% of expected goals, outscoring opponents 14-1. A full season together should bring positive results for Krejci and Hall.

#6 Yanni Gourde scored 48 points in 74 games in his first season with the Seattle Kraken, playing a career-high 18:29 per game, but he also returned early from shoulder surgery, missing a couple of weeks when it was expected that he would miss the first two months of the season. With Seattle improving its forward depth in the offseason, Gourde should have stronger linemates, giving him a shot at better production in his second season for the Kraken.

#7 When Kailer Yamamoto skated on Connor McDavid’s wing last season, they controlled 54.2% of the 5v5 score-and-venue-adjusted shot attempts and 57.9% of the expected goals. If Yamamoto can secure that right wing spot, beside McDavid and Evander Kane, there will be ample opportunity for Yamamoto to build on his career-high 41-point season. The next step for Yamamoto involves taking more shots, as he has averaged 1.41 shots on goal per game in his career, not enough to sustain higher offensive production over a long period.

#8 Even though he played just 11:32 per game as a rookie last season, Nashville Predators right winger Philip Tomasino contributed 32 points, including nine on the power play. There may be an opening in Nashville’s top six and if it goes to Tomasino, his ice time should get a significant boost. He is a skilled playmaker but struggled in the brief moments that he moved up the depth chart to play with centers Ryan Johansen or Mikael Granlund as a rookie. In his second season, Tomasino should be expected to elevate his game.

#9 The departure of Nazem Kadri from Colorado could open up the second line center spot for Alex Newhook, the second-year pivot who produced 33 points in 71 games as a rookie last season. The Avalanche also have J.T. Compher and Evan Rodrigues available for that spot, but Newhook should have the higher ceiling, which ought to make him the better fit. Like Yamamoto and Tomasino, Newhook could stand to shoot the puck more frequently. He averaged 1.59 shots on goal per game last season.

#10 A 26-year-old winger who put up 53 points in 45 KHL games for SKA St. Petersburg last season, Andrei Kuzmenko is an NHL-ready winger who is looking at a good chance to produce right away for the Vancouver Canucks. Even though the Canucks have improved their forward depth, Kuzmenko should still have a spot in the top six and with the talent supporting him in Vancouver’s lineup, Kuzmenko could be a sleeper candidate for the Calder Trophy.

#11 This season looks like it will be difficult for the Philadelphia Flyers, and Sean Couturier’s continuing health problems only make it more difficult, but while Couturier is out to start the season, there is yet another chance for 23-year-old Morgan Frost to establish his place in the Flyers lineup. He has 23 points in 77 games over the past three seasons, but if Frost could take advantage of an early opening, he might be able to stick in the lineup full time.

#12 Boston will be starting the season with some major absences due to injury, including defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk, which could leave Hampus Lindholm a role on the Bruins power play. The Bruins also might run five forwards on their top power play unit, but if Lindholm gets a shot on the power play, that would upgrade his offensive contribution. Earlier in his career, he had 15 power play points in 2015-2016, but has been in single digits with the man advantage ever since.

#13 For leagues that do not count plus-minus but value hits and blocked shots, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Dysin Mayo might be worth a late-round look. Mayo played almost 21 minutes per game as a rookie last season and while he produced a modest 12 points in 67 games, he recorded 133 blocked shots and 129 hits. On a Coyotes team that will not have the puck very often, Mayo should be served up many opportunities to record more hits and blocked shots.

#14 A 27-year-old who has started a total of 24 NHL games, Eric Comrie is looking at a much bigger workload with the Buffalo Sabres this season. While the Sabres have some goaltending prospects on the way, it looks like Comrie will be sharing the net with 41-year-old Craig Anderson, and that should mean plenty of reps for Comrie. Although the Sabres are probably not going to be a playoff team this season, they should continue to improve and, after posting a .920 save percentage in 19 games for Winnipeg last season, Comrie has a chance to be fantasy relevant (at least in deeper leagues) with more games coming this season.

#15 The Edmonton Oilers paid a lot of money to lure Jack Campbell to be their starting goaltender, so this is not some suggestion that will not be the case, but when looking at backup goaltenders, keep Stuart Skinner in your sights. The 23-year-old had a .913 save percentage in 13 games for the Oilers last season and Campbell does not have a track record of handling a heavy NHL workload, playing a career-high 49 games last season. If Campbell gets injured or slumps, Skinner could step in and provide immediate value playing behind a strong Oilers squad.

#16 The St. Louis Blues have a lot of veteran forwards, and yet 20-year-old Jake Neighbours still could find his way into a top six role. He had two points in nine games for the Blues last season before getting sent back to the Western Hockey League, where he scored 45 points in 30 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings. Neighbours is further down the list of potential Calder Trophy candidates, but if he sticks in a top-six role with the Blues, that is the kind of situation that would allow him to produce enough to contend for the award.

#17 Returning to the NHL after scoring 94 points in 93 games in Switzerland over the past two seasons, Denis Malgin has a chance to not only secure a spot with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but potentially even in a scoring role. He has managed 60 points in 192 career NHL games, playing mostly in a depth role, so there is no rush to grab Malgin off the waiver wire, but it is worth monitoring what his role could be on a high-scoring team.

#18 There will be precious little to get excited about in Chicago this season, but there may be some deep league value for players that will get overlooked. The Blackhawks acquired Taylor Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the Brandon Hagel trade last season and Raddysh produced 10 points and 43 shots on goal in 21 games for Chicago. With such a lacklustre lineup, Raddysh has the opportunity to play in a scoring role and on the first unit power play, which might be enough to give him some fringe fantasy value.

#19 26-year-old New York Rangers winger Sammy Blais missed most of last season after tearing his ACL. That limited him to just four points in 14 games and while scoring is never top of mind when it comes to Blais’ contributions, he had 28 points in 76 games while playing a limited role for St. Louis in the previous two seasons. There might be an opportunity on Broadway for Blais, that if the Rangers are looking for someone to fill the right-wing spot on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, Blais might get a shot in that role. If he sticks, that should elevate his offensive production to go with hit totals (403 in 133 career games) that make him a worthy contender for a spot in banger leagues.

#20 When the Seattle Kraken upgraded their forward group in the offseason, it looked like it might squeeze Ryan Donato out of a spot. The 26-year-old winger ultimately re-signed later in the summer. Coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 16 goals and 31 points, Donato is worth tracking because he has been able to generate shots at a good rate while playing in a depth role, and if he manages to find a spot with better talent in Seattle, he probably has some untapped offensive potential.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – BOSTON BRUINS – NHL Player Profiles

Shawn Ferris - Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 21:19:09 +0000

FORWARDS

Patrice Bergeron

Now thirty-seven years of age, the long-time Bruin won a record fifth Selke last season. Having yet to lose much pep in his step, he’ll be returning to Boston on a one-year deal. Bergeron netted 25 goals last season despite having his lowest individual shooting percentage since the 2016-17 season. On top of that, he assisted on 40 of his teammate’s goals. Not only can you depend on Bergeron’s production, but his commitment to and abilities on the defensive side of the game are a rare gem. Under Bruce Cassidy, Bergeron’s received more focus than previously under Claude Julien. This is reflected in his offensive and defensive zone starts which are almost perfectly inverse. How Jim Montgomery chooses to use Bergeron this coming season will be worth watching for.

David Pastrnak

While he was already a star, David Pastrnak took another leap forward last season. The Bruins opted to break up the “perfection line” by sending Pastrnak to play with Erik Haula and Taylor Hall for the latter part of the season. Thanks in large part to Pastrnak, the line saw success, outscoring their opponents 27-12. Pastrnak was able to muster his second 40-goal season and added 37 assists in 72 games. As he has most of his career, the former first round pick sees a hefty amount of powerplay time where he plays the flank on his off wing. His one-timer is as dangerous as anyone’s, and he can help get the puck in the zone with control too. Away from Bergeron, Pastrnak was forced to take on more defensive responsibilities, however, with the return of his fellow countryman David Krejci, we could see more offense unleashed from Pastrnak this year.

Brad Marchand

Known by some as the little ball of hate, Brad Marchand adds a gritty, pesty element to the Bruins top six. Standing at only 5-foot-9, the Canadian uses his skating abilities, hockey IQ, and clever trash talking abilities to disrupt his opponents. Of course, he can take it too far at times. He was suspended six games last season for punching and high-sticking Penguins goaltender Tristian Jarry late in a game in February. That helped limit him to 70 games where he notched 32 goals and 48 assists. Alongside Bergeron, Marchand’s defensive game is well-rounded. Whether it comes to forechecking, puck management, or defensive zone positioning, Marchand has all of the tools to limit his opponent’s chances. He’s even been trusted to take on a significant amount of penalty killing time throughout most of his career. Underwent successful hip arthroscopy and labral repair on both hips in May with a six-month recovery timeline, so a late November return is likely. Allow some time to return to form and suspension is always a risk for further time lost.

Taylor Hall

It doesn’t feel like we haven’t quite returned to the Taylor Hall of old, but the former first overall pick had a bounce back season. Following the 2017-18 season where he won the Hart Trophy, Hall only played 33 games in 2018-19 due to injury. Bouncing around in Arizona and Buffalo, Hall found his home in Boston. With David Pastrnak coming down to play with him, Hall’s offense sparked. He managed his first 20-goal season since that Hart Trophy year and added 41 assists to go along with it. Hall has been the fifth man on a loaded first powerplay unit where he plays the net front role. Perhaps it was sheer bad luck, but the Bruins only found themselves middle of the pack in powerplay efficiency last season. With David Krejci replacing Erik Haula, all signs of even strength production point up for Hall this season, however, we’ll have to see how the Bruins manage their powerplay units this season.

Charlie Coyle

When Coyle signed his extension with the Bruins in the fall of 2019, the intention was that he’d be the successor to David Krejci. But with Krejci playing in Czechia, Coyle wasn’t able to fill the role quite like the Bruins hoped. He found a groove later in the season where he played on a grind line with Craig Smith and Trent Frederic. He’s never produced at a top-six level in his career, but he’s a dependable player. He saw action in all 82 games last season where he played on the Bruins second powerplay unit and recorded over 100 shorthanded minutes to add onto it. Assuming that he sits back in his more comfortable role for the entirety of the season, Coyle should be able to add a lot of value for the Bruins this season.

Jake Debrusk

Jake DeBrusk had a roller coaster of a 2021-22 season. After a disappointing season in 2021 where he only scored five goals and added nine assists in 41 games, DeBrusk’s 2021-22 season did not start off so hot either. Wanting a change of scenery, it was leaked that the Edmonton native wanted to play elsewhere. With a solid attitude, DeBrusk stuck it out and found himself alongside Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron in the latter parts of the season. Rejuvenated alongside elite talent, DeBrusk was able to net 25 goals with the Bruins. After signing an extension, DeBrusk decided to rescind his trade request this summer and plans to play out his new contract on Boston. DeBrusk will likely see powerplay time in a net front role, but don’t expect him to see much time shorthanded.

Craig Smith

After a productive first season in Boston where he scored 0.59 points-per-game, Smith’s production fell down slightly, recording only four more points in 20 more games. He bounced around the lineup, playing on all three lines, before finding his home on the third line. Smith is responsible in all three zones, which has earned him the respect and trust of his coaches to move him up and down the lineup. Smith has the ability to help create shots at a high rate but has never had the finishing ability of a top-six scorer. Stuck on the second powerplay unit, his value may not show up in the box score. However, there is the looming possibility that he sees time with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand this season. Or perhaps the concession of David Krejci and Taylor Hall, a line combination that saw success after Taylor Hall was traded to the Bruins at the 2021 trade deadline. When everyone is healthy, DeBrusk may supplant him in the top six, but will see his share of time with the key scorers.

Pavel Zacha

As a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, the New Jersey Devils decided to send Pavel Zacha to Boston where he signed a one-year extension with the club. Although the former sixth overall pick is listed as both a center and a winger, expect him to play the wing given the Bruins center depth. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing over 200 pounds, Zacha has the size and stature of a power forward who can be dangerous on the rush and on the forecheck. Assuming he ends up playing with Charlie Coyle, he will be an upgrade to the Bruins grind line that saw success in the closing months of the 2022 season. However, the hope still lingers for him to get a shot with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Zacha should see a reduction in powerplay time from seasons past but may pick back up the shorthanded time he had seen earlier in his career.

David Krejci

After spending the 2021-22 season playing in his home country of Czechia, David Krejci has decided to return to Boston for another season. Krejci is a true distributor. He loves to be a supporting piece in the middle of the ice and sets up his teammates for breakouts and shot attempts. His pass-first style has led him to three 50+ assist seasons in his career, his last one being the 2018-19 season. He is expected to play with fellow countryman David Pastrnak, a player most known for being a goal scorer, and Taylor Hall. Although he is returning to the NHL at 36, between such talent, one can expect a productive year from him.

DEFENSE

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 02: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins, held on December 2, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

Charlie McAvoy

Coming off of another spectacular season, Charlie McAvoy will be entering his sixth NHL season. As one of the top defensive defensemen in the league, thanks to mentorship from Zdeno Chara, McAvoy had been trusted in every situation heading into last season already. However, for the start of McAvoy’s career, Torey Krug had managed the Bruins top powerplay unit. After his departure in the fall of 2020, the top spot was left in limbo in the short 2021 season. Last season, the Bruins decided to commit to McAvoy in the top spot, helping to boost his production to a career-high 10 goals and 46 assists. If there is one thing you can count on, it’s another excellent season at both ends of the rink from McAvoy.

Hampus Lindholm

Given the direction of the team, the Anaheim Ducks decided to trade away Lindholm at the deadline in 2022. Despite injuries shortening his previous two seasons, the Bruins stepped up to the plate, sending assets to the Ducks and signing Lindholm to a long-term contract extension. With McAvoy heading the defensive core, and the likes of Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak up front, Lindholm can fall into a lesser role in Boston. He was able to play a more simple, dependable game in Boston where he gelled with the team instantly. He spent most of his time alongside Charlie McAvoy but had spent time with Brandon Carlo as well. Lindholm is looking to return to his glory days as one of the better defensive defensemen in the league and looks poised to do that in this new environment.

Brandon Carlo

At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Brandon Carlo can be quite the intimidating presence. Good luck keeping a cycle alive against him. He’s a puck defensive defenseman. He lacks most offensive skills, notably his shooting abilities. However, he plays within his bounds. He’s efficient at keeping the puck in at the offensive blue line or forcing errors at his own blue line. He’s well-positioned in the defensive zone and prevents rebounds in front of his own net. He’s a dependable piece on the Bruins penalty killing unit where he gets into shooting lanes and helps to clear pucks. He may need a more offensive partner to stay glued with his forwards and get the play to move back up ice, but he will rarely make a major defensive error.

Matt Grzelcyk

Describing Matt Grzelcyk’s game can be quite the puzzle. When watching him play for the first time, his skating abilities might remind you of his former teammate Torey Krug. But he’s not exactly and offensive defenseman like Krug. Then, you notice he’s limiting shots against, but he’s only 5-foot-9. Grzelcyk is best described as a transitional defenseman. He’s like a one-man breakout, escaping tight jams and looking off forecheckers. He also uses his skating abilities to keep the puck in the offensive zone or create good gaps when defending entries. Nothing he does looks spectacular from a distance, but the details in his game are superb.

Derek Forbort

Derek Forbort quickly became a favourite in the Bruins locker room after signing in Boston during free agency last summer. Off the ice, he’s quite simple. He just wants to go on walks with his dogs. On the ice, it’s much of the same. He stays within his bounds as a reliable defensive defenseman. He’s reliable at his own blue line and in his own end. At times when he feels comfortable, he’ll show a flash of skills in the offensive zone, but quickly returns to the game he knows best. He saw well over 200 minutes on the penalty kill last season where he wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line. On a deep depth chart, Forbort knows that utility could be the difference between him being in the lineup or not.

GOALTENDING by Catherine Silverman

Jeremy Swayman

Jeremy Swayman couldn’t have asked for a better coming-out party than his 2021-22 season. He very nearly earned himself a Calder Finalist nomination, finishing fourth in voting during his first full season at the NHL level – and he established himself as one half of the league’s most endearing tandem, playing one of the league’s few true workload splits while doling out signature post-game hugs with his tandem partner Linus Ullmark and smiling for all the world to see. Now, his biggest challenge will simply be replicating his success next year; it might seem like a tall order, but he’ll do so with a determined offensive roster including the recently-returned David Krejci fresh off of his one-year stint back home in the Czech Republic. The addition of Krejci’s impressive defensive specialty to Boston’s center depth provides a one-two punch of reliability with Patrice Bergeron that eases the responsibility for Swayman heading into his sophomore campaign.

There’s not much about Swayman’s game that stands out in a negative way. Neither he nor Ullmark are particularly prolific puck-handlers, but they don’t necessarily need to be – and Swayman boasts a controlled game that relies on sitting back and allowing shooters to show their hands before he springs into action. He doesn’t always read the plays he faces perfectly and he lacks a little bit of that elite-tier gear when it comes to his ability to churn out creative saves, which is an area of his game that he’ll hopefully be able to round out as he becomes more comfortable evaluating the game at the NHL level. But even if he never quite dazzles like a Marc-Andre Fleury – and even if he never quite displays the intense temperament that Tuukka Rask did before him – he should be just fine.

Projected starts: 40-45

Linus Ullmark

The second half of Boston’s overly-likable tandem, Swedish netminder Linus Ullmark, proved that Buffalo lost something good when he ditched the Atlantic Division team that drafted him to sign with the Bruins last summer. Boston’s gamble on a longer-term deal for Ullmark paid off, too – while Ullmark’s overall game consistency was a bit less reliable than Swayman’s, he still managed to maintain some of the league’s better numbers over his 41-game regular season campaign.

If Swayman’s game relies on firm edges and patience, Ullmark’s relies on fluid movements and a comfortable rhythm. Like many Swedish-developed goaltenders, he does well when given a defense to backstop that allows him to push pucks back out into play. Some fans expressed concerns that Ullmark struggled with rebound control, but his tracking consistency when following pucks back out into the defensive zone suggest he prefers the puck to stay in action over stoppages that put faceoffs on his end. That makes sense, too, given how well he skates and how much he thrives when given the chance to establish a flow in the blue paint. His injury struggles from years past can’t be fully erased after a single season, of course, but it’s much easier to feel confident in his performance capabilities when he’s given a bit more structure up front and has a reliable tandem partner to work with. The one-two punch of Swayman and Ullmark seemed to help both goaltenders truly maximize their potential; there’s very little reason to look at what Ullmark did last year and approach this year with caution.

Projected starts: 40-45

FANTASY HOCKEY: PLAYOFF POOL STRATEGIES, TIPS AND PICKLIST

Scott Cullen — Fri, 14 May 2021 23:07:40 +0000

PLAYOFF POOL STRATEGIES

As unusual as the 2021 NHL season has been, the playoff is still a little different than in previous seasons – with staggered starts and different divisional setups – but it is close enough to a normal 16-team playoff that regular playoff pool strategies will still apply.

These guidelines for playoff pool drafting offer no guarantees. This is all about giving your team the best chance to succeed.

DIVERSIFY YOUR APPROACH

In general, the foundation for drafting a fantasy pool team is to pick from four different teams so that you have some room for error and have a chance at having representatives on each team in the third round of the playoffs.

It is possible to put all your eggs in one basket and if you draft 10 players from one team and that teams wins the Stanley Cup, you probably will win your pool. But there is a law of diminishing returns, too.

Consider that Anthony Cirelli ranked 10^th on the Tampa Bay Lightning playoff scoring last year with 10 points. If you somehow got all of Tampa Bay’s top ten scorers then, yes, you would likely run away with your playoff pool.

But Tampa Bay was expected to be a Cup contender last year, so the odds were heavily against being able to draft all three of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman. If you don’t get all of the top guys, then you end up in competition with others for the supporting players, which is fine, but it also means that you are not going to get all of Tampa Bay’s Top 10 even with an “all-in” strategy and suddenly you’re down to the likes of Pat Maroon and Barclay Goodrow and there might be better scoring options elsewhere.

Ultimately, depending on how your draft shakes out, this could mean being prepared to take players from at least one underdog because if everyone only takes players from favored teams, the pool of players gets shallow in a hurry.

STACKING STILL OKAY

The plan to diversify has overall value but that does not preclude you from grabbing players on the same line so that you might be able to score multiple points on the same goal. If you’re liking the new-look Boston Bruins since the trade deadline, maybe it’s worth considering not just Taylor Hall but linemates David Krejci or Craig Smith, too. Zach Hyman is out there just waiting to be paired with Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner.

DON’T PLAY BOTH SIDES IN THE FIRST ROUND

The Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals have had recent playoff success and there might be players on both teams that you like for playoff pool purposes but if you take players from both of those teams that guarantees that you won’t have a full roster in Round Two. I will offer a tiny exception to this rule and that is if you are heading to the end of your draft and the best player on an underdog is still available then that might make some sense as a hedging option because there may be greater upside in taking Filip Forsberg and hoping that Nashville can pull off an upset than grabbing another third-line winger from a favored team.

POWER PLAY MATTERS – ESPECIALLY ON DEFENSE

EDMONTON, AB - FEBRUARY 27: Edmonton Oilers Defenceman Tyson Barrie (22) in action in the second period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 27, 2021 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

Finding value in small samples means that power plays tend to have an outsized importance in playoff hockey. In the 2019-2020 regular season, for example, teams averaged 4:44 of 5-on-4 time per game. In the playoffs of that same season, teams played 5:37 per game. That is an increase of more than 18%. 5-on-4 goal production went from 0.545 goals per game in the regular season to 0.624 per game in the playoffs: an increase of more than 14%.

Obviously, more goals are scored at even strength, so that should not be ignored, but a role on the first power play unit certainly works as a useful tie-breaker among players that might be close in terms of expected value.

That also means that the defenseman who quarterbacks a team’s power play can have a major impact. In last year’s playoffs, three of the top seven scorers overall were defensemen – Dallas Stars duo Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg as well as Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman. Vegas Golden Knights blueliner Shea Theodore, Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes, and Colorado’s Cale Makar finished in the Top 25, too.

In 2019, Alex Pietrangelo, Torey Krug, Erik Karlsson, and Brent Burns were all among the Top 15 playoff scorers.

By way of comparison, there were two defensemen in the Top 25 in regular season scoring in 2019-2020: John Carlson finished 12^th and Roman Josi 24^th.

This season, Tyson Barrie is the highest scoring defenseman, with 48 points in 55 games, and he ranks 33^rd. You can take it to the bank that the highest scoring defenseman in the playoffs will finish higher than 33^rd in playoff scoring.

ST. PAUL, MN - JANUARY 31: Minnesota Wild Right Wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) controls the puck during an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche on January 31, 2021, at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

TARGET PLAYERS WITH LATE MOMENTUM

This does not mean that a player who had a good week or two is suddenly a star but if circumstances changed, it would make sense to take that into account.

Who are some notable players that have produced more since the trade deadline? These aren’t the first line stars, necessarily, but players who performed better down the stretch of this season.

Boston C David Krejci 21 points (6 G, 15 A) in 16 games

Minnesota C Nick Bonino 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in 16 games

Toronto C John Tavares 17 points (7 G, 10 A) in 14 games

Minnesota LW Kirill Kaprizov 17 points (11 G, 6 A) in 15 games

Montreal C Nick Suzuki 17 points (8 G, 9 A) in 18 games

Florida RW Anthony Duclair 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 14 games

Florida C Sam Bennett 15 points (6 G, 9 A) in 10 games

Boston LW Taylor Hall 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in 14 games

Vegas C Chandler Stephenson 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 16 games

TARGET PLAYERS WITH PREVIOUS PLAYOFF SUCCESS

Some players have been able to perform at a high level in the playoffs and it can be one thing for a star player to just carry on what they were doing in the regular season but supporting players who can keep scoring in the postseason, when the opposition is better, do hold added appeal. This does not mean to abandon a player who has not yet had playoff scoring success because it is more important to get good players in good situations rather than worrying about what they have done in small playoff samples.

Over the past decade, these are some supporting players who have had some relative postseason scoring success in the postseason.

Pittsburgh LW Jake Guentzel 46 points (25 G, 21 A) in 45 games

Nashville C Matt Duchene 15 points (6 G, 9 A) in 16 games

Boston LW Taylor Hall 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in 14 games

Vegas RW Reilly Smith 55 points (19 G, 36 A) in 65 games

Nashville C Ryan Johansen 48 points (16 G, 32 A) in 57 games

Colorado C Nazem Kadri 28 points (12 G, 16 A) in 34 games

Boston C David Krejci 71 points (21 G, 50 A) in 93 games

Winnipeg C Pierre-Luc Dubois 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 26 games

Pittsburgh RW Jeff Carter 53 points (26 G, 27 A) in 73 games

Florida C Sam Bennett 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 30 games

GET LUCKY

This one is out of your control but preparation and a strategy going into a playoff draft at least gives you an opportunity to have success. Maybe you need an upset or two. Maybe you need a player to go on a percentage-fueled scoring run. It can happen. Players and teams get hot and in a 16-team tournament, that can make all the difference.

HOCKEY POOL DRAFT/PICK LIST

Here is a playoff draft list, top 150 skaters plus 21 goaltenders, based on Colorado over Tampa Bay, with Toronto and Boston reaching the semifinal. Obviously, individual preferences for the playoffs make a big difference in expected games played. Use this as a guide, but trust your own research and instincts. If you need a quick list this should see you through.

RK	PLAYER	TEAM
1	Nathan MacKinnon	COL
2	Mikko Rantanen	COL
3	Nikita Kucherov	TB
4	Brayden Point	TB
5	Connor McDavid	EDM
6	Cale Makar	COL
7	Brad Marchand	BOS
8	Mitch Marner	TOR
9	Auston Matthews	TOR
10	Gabriel Landeskog	COL
11	Leon Draisaitl	EDM
12	Steven Stamkos	TB
13	Victor Hedman	TB
14	David Pastrnak	BOS
15	John Tavares	TOR
16	Patrice Bergeron	BOS
17	Sidney Crosby	PIT
18	Ondrej Palat	TB
19	Nazem Kadri	COL
20	Andre Burakovsky	COL
21	David Krejci	BOS
22	Taylor Hall	BOS
23	William Nylander	TOR
24	Sebastian Aho	CAR
25	Jake Guentzel	PIT
26	Mark Stone	VGK
27	Evgeni Malkin	PIT
28	Alex Killorn	TB
29	Yanni Gourde	TB
30	Zach Hyman	TOR
31	Max Pacioretty	VGK
32	Andrei Svechnikov	CAR
33	Kris Letang	PIT
34	Sam Girard	COL
35	Blake Coleman	TB
36	Devon Toews	COL
37	Shea Theodore	VGK
38	Joonas Donskoi	COL
39	Tyler Johnson	TB
40	Morgan Rielly	TOR
41	Jonathan Marchessault	VGK
42	Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	EDM
43	Mikhail Sergachev	TB
44	Charlie McAvoy	BOS
45	Craig Smith	BOS
46	William Karlsson	VGK
47	Reilly Smith	VGK
48	Martin Necas	CAR
49	Teuvo Teravainen	CAR
50	Dougie Hamilton	CAR
51	J.T. Compher	COL
52	Tyson Barrie	EDM
53	Jason Spezza	TOR
54	Anthony Cirelli	TB
55	Joe Thornton	TOR
56	Mathieu Joseph	TB
57	Jake Muzzin	TOR
58	Mike Reilly	BOS
59	Nick Foligno	TOR
60	Jordan Staal	CAR
61	Jeff Carter	PIT
62	Alex Tuch	VGK
63	Bryan Rust	PIT
64	Alex Pietrangelo	VGK
65	Jared McCann	PIT
66	Kasperi Kapanen	PIT
67	Mark Scheifele	WPG
68	Matt Grzelcyk	BOS
69	Charlie Coyle	BOS
70	Chandler Stephenson	VGK
71	Aleksander Barkov	FLA
72	Ryan O'Reilly	STL
73	Nicklas Backstrom	WSH
74	Alex Ovechkin	WSH
75	Darnell Nurse	EDM
76	Kirill Kaprizov	MIN
77	Jonathan Huberdeau	FLA
78	Mathew Barzal	NYI
79	David Perron	STL
80	Filip Forsberg	NSH
81	Blake Wheeler	WPG
82	Evgeny Kuznetsov	WSH
83	Vincent Trocheck	CAR
84	John Carlson	WSH
85	Kyle Connor	WPG
86	T.J. Oshie	WSH
87	Tyler Toffoli	MTL
88	Nick Suzuki	MTL
89	Valeri Nichushkin	COL
90	Alex Kerfoot	TOR
91	Jesse Puljujarvi	EDM
92	Alex Newhook	COL
93	Mats Zuccarello	MIN
94	Josh Bailey	NYI
95	Nikolaj Ehlers	WPG
96	Torey Krug	STL
97	Carter Verhaeghe	FLA
98	Ryan Johansen	NSH
99	Mike Hoffman	STL
100	Anthony Duclair	FLA
101	Kevin Fiala	MIN
102	Patric Hornqvist	FLA
103	Jordan Eberle	NYI
104	Vladimir Tarasenko	STL
105	Brandon Saad	COL
106	Tyson Jost	COL
107	Nick Ritchie	BOS
108	Alec Martinez	VGK
109	Brock Nelson	NYI
110	Pierre-Luc Dubois	WPG
111	Sam Bennett	FLA
112	Roman Josi	NSH
113	Brendan Gallagher	MTL
114	Jaden Schwartz	STL
115	Brayden Schenn	STL
116	Anthony Mantha	WSH
117	James Neal	EDM
118	Nino Niederreiter	CAR
119	Brett Pesce	CAR
120	Teddy Blueger	PIT
121	Brandon Tanev	PIT
122	Warren Foegele	CAR
123	Barclay Goodrow	TB
124	Tomas Nosek	VGK
125	Jason Zucker	PIT
126	Jesper Fast	CAR
127	Kailer Yamamoto	EDM
128	Frederick Gaudreau	PIT
129	Dominik Kahun	EDM
130	Anthony Beauvillier	NYI
131	Paul Stastny	WPG
132	Kyle Palmieri	NYI
133	Justin Schultz	WSH
134	Neal Pionk	WPG
135	Alex Chiasson	EDM
136	Keith Yandle	FLA
137	Andrew Copp	WPG
138	Jordan Kyrou	STL
139	Tom Wilson	WSH
140	Lars Eller	WSH
141	MacKenzie Weegar	FLA
142	Mikael Granlund	NSH
143	Jeff Petry	MTL
144	Ryan Ellis	NSH
145	Cole Caufield	MTL
146	Tyler Bozak	STL
147	Viktor Arvidsson	NSH
148	Nick Bonino	MIN
149	Tomas Tatar	MTL
150	Jared Spurgeon	MIN

RK	GOALTENDER	TEAM
1	Philipp Grubauer	COL
2	Andrei Vasilevskiy	TB
3	Jack Campbell	TOR
4	Tuukka Rask	BOS
5	Robin Lehner	VGK
6	Petr Mrazek	CAR
7	Mike Smith	EDM
8	Tristan Jarry	PIT
9	Connor Hellebuyck	WPG
10	Juuse Saros	NSH
11	Carey Price	MTL
12	Jordan Binnington	STL
13	Semyon Varlamov	NYI
14	Cam Talbot	MIN
15	Sergei Bobrovsky	FLA
16	Vitek Vanecek	WSH
17	Chris Driedger	FLA
18	Marc-Andre Fleury	VGK
19	Alex Nedeljkovic	CAR
20	Jeremy Swayman	BOS
21	Frederik Andersen	TOR

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Hall delivering, Benn and Gurianov Stepping up, Barzal, Tkachuk and Kardi fading down stretch plus more ..

Scott Cullen — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 19:50:54 +0000

Each week, Scott Cullen will dive into the numbers to unearth some analytical insights to help your fantasy team.

This week, the Boston Bruins got just what they needed with the acquisition of Taylor Hall. Jamie Benn and Denis Gurianov are stepping up for the Stars while Mathew Barzal, Matthew Tkachuk and Nazem Kadri are fading down the stretch.

#1 In one of the more predictable outcomes of the trade deadline, Bruins center David Krejci is thriving with Taylor Hall on his wing, putting up nine points (5 G, 4 A) in nine games since the Bruins acquired the 2017-2018 Hart Trophy winner. Krejci had scored two goals in 35 games before the trade.

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 13: Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (11) takes a shot off the face off during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres on April 13, 2021, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

#2 The move has been good for Taylor Hall, too. Sure, he has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in nine games with Boston, but Hall’s underlying numbers have exploded. In his first nine games with Boston, the Bruins are generating shot attempts, shots, and expected goals at least 25% higher than when Hall was on the ice with the Buffalo Sabres. Playing on a dominant Bruins team works in Hall’s favor, too, as he is generating 3.33 shots per game in Boston, compared to 2.38 per game in Buffalo, and this despite Hall’s average time on ice dropping from 18:41 per game in Buffalo to 15:57 per game in Boston.

#3 Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn has been making a difference down the stretch and it appears as though working in the middle of the ice is bringing out his best. There have been 19 games this season, including each of his past 12 games, in which Benn has taken at least 10 draws and in those 19 games, Benn has produced 18 points (7 G, 11 A). He has 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in the 26 games in which he takes fewer than 10 faceoffs.

#4 Islanders center Mathew Barzal is slumping late in the season. He has no goals and two assists with 11 shots on goal in seven games since the trade deadline and the Islanders have earned one regulation win in those seven games. That’s not great, obviously, but his schedule does get easier. In the past seven games, three were against the Capitals and two against the Bruins. The Islanders’ next six games include a pair against the Rangers, a couple at Buffalo, and two against New Jersey so there should be opportunities for Barzal to snap out of this untimely slump.

#5 As the Calgary Flames try to remain in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the North Division, left winger Matthew Tkachuk has no goals and three assists in the past 10 games. He has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in 22 games since Darryl Sutter took over behind the Flames bench, averaging 16.33 time on ice per game under Sutter after playing 19:35 per game before the coaching change.

#6 There is good news in Calgary, though. Johnny Gaudreau had difficulty getting going when Sutter took over, managing four points and 25 shots on goal in 14 games. More recently, though, Gaudreau has produced 10 points (4 G, 6 A) and 15 shots on goal in the past eight games.

#7 While the Buffalo Sabres have endured a miserable season, Sam Reinhart has been a leader for them late in the season. In nine games since the trade deadline, he has produced 10 points (8 G, 2 A) with 30 shots on goal.

#8 As the Dallas Stars try to push for a playoff spot, they have been getting contributions from a bunch of players. Denis Gurianov led the Stars with 20 goals last season but went through a stretch in the middle of this season in which he scored two goals in 33 games. He has emerged from that slump with eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 23 shots on goal in the past eight games.

#9 It was something of a surprise when Mikael Granlund re-signed with the Nashville Predators in the offseason because he had not been very productive in his time there, producing 35 points in 79 games coming into the 2021 season. Granlund had his own midseason slump but has been a valuable contributor to Nashville’s playoff push, scoring 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in his past 19 games.

#10 The St. Louis Blues made veteran winger Mike Hoffman a healthy scratch late last month after he had managed two points (1 G, 1 A) with 17 shots on goal in the previous 10 games. With the Blues getting healthier, they had more forward options and if Hoffman isn’t producing offensively, his value is limited. Since that reset, Hoffman has nine points (6 G, 3 A) and 19 shots on goal in nine games, despite averaging a modest 13:57 of ice time per game.

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 24: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) shoots the puck during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils on April 24, 2021, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

#11 Shots are a foundational aspect when it comes to fantasy hockey value. Both as the source of goals scored but also because those shots count as their own category in most cases. In the past month there are 14 players that are generating at least 3.50 shots per game and there are a bunch of familiar names in that group – Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Ovechkin etc. – but there are some surprises, too. Maybe the biggest surprise in that group is New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, who is averaging 3.50 shots per game in the past month and his point production has picked up, too. Hughes has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in the past 12 games, despite playing for a Devils squad that snapped a 10-game winless slide with Tuesday’s win against Philadelphia.

#12 There are 121 defensemen that have played at least 750 all-situations minutes this season. Of the 121, the top five in shots plus blocked shots per 60 minutes are: Alec Martinez (12.60), Alexander Edler (12.16), Jakob Chychrun (11.88), Alex Pietrangelo (11.87), and Dougie Hamilton (11.64).

At the other end of the spectrum: Cam Fowler (5.77), John Marino (5.94), Marc Staal (6.06), Brenden Dillon (6.21), and Nick Leddy (6.31).

Considering that Martinez also ranks 24^th among defensemen with 26 points (7 G, 19 A) in 46 games, he has been shockingly valuable – like Top 10 on defense – for fantasy purposes.

#13 When the Vegas Golden Knights put Chandler Stephenson in the center spot on their top line, between Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, it seemed that he might just be keeping the spot warm for, say, Cody Glass, a high draft pick with the offensive potential to be a No. 1 center. Glass has had a few opportunities in that role but not nearly enough to supplant Stephenson, who has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 22 shots on goal in the past nine games, giving him 29 points in 42 games this season.

#14 For the first half of the season Jeff Petry was one of the top fantasy defensemen, scoring 27 points (11 G, 16 A) in 30 games but his pace has slowed down, with no goals and six assists in 17 games since. That’s really not a surprise, since Petry’s inflated percentages were unlikely to last all season. He is still among the top ten defensemen overall, but regression has come for the Habs blueliner.

#15 The story is even worse for Montreal’s Shea Weber, who has two points (1 G, 1 A) in his past 13 games, leaving him with 19 points in 47 games, his lowest per-game scoring rate since 2007-2008. Weber is famous for his devastating slapshot but he is not getting as many pucks to the net anymore either. Weber is averaging 2.13 shots per game this season. after three straight seasons with at least 2.85 shots per game, and it is his lowest per-game shot rate since 2006-2007.

#16 Around St. Patrick’s Day is when the Colorado Avalanche really started to hit their stride and the Avs have scored 3.98 goals per 60 minutes in all situations since then. Their top line is scoring a ton and a lot of complementary players have contributed to that prolific stretch. One who has not contributed nearly as much as might be expected is center Nazem Kadri who has four points (1 G, 3 A) in those 19 games, and this is despite Kadri recording 58 shots on goal.

#17 There are 27 forwards that have recorded at least 100 hits this season and none of them have as many points as Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal, who has 37 points (16 G, 21 A). The next highest scoring forwards with at least 100 hits are Andrei Svechnikov (36), Brady Tkachuk (32), Matthew Tkachuk (31), and Chris Kreider (30).

#18 Vegas goaltender Robin Lehner has been the top fantasy goalie over the past month, posting a .941 save percentage on his way to a 7-0-1 record in eight starts. Injuries have cut into Lehner’s season, but he has just one regulation loss in 15 starts all season.

#19 The next most valuable goaltenders in the past month (minimum 5 GP): Boston’s Jeremy Swayman and Tuukka Rask are at two and three, respectively, then Carolina’s Alex Nedeljkovic, Vancouver’s Braden Holtby, and Detroit’s Thomas Greiss. Goaltenders are voodoo.

#20 The least valuable goaltenders in the past month (minimum 5 GP): Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo, New Jersey’s Mackenzie Blackwood, Toronto’s David Rittich, Detroit’s Jonathan Bernier, and Chicago’s Kevin Lankinen. This end of the spectrum is not as surprising, though Lankinen had a pretty good run when he was first called up to Chicago early in the season.

Advanced stats via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

Home Brewin’ – Boston Bruins 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 20:33:11 +0000

Review/State of Play - In their first full season under coach Bruce Cassidy they improved by 17 points over 2016-17 finishing fourth in the NHL and second in their division. It was their 10^th 50^-winseason in their history, the most by any NHL team. Bowed out of the playoffs in the second round losing to Tampa Bay 4 – 1 after defeating Toronto in seven games in the first round.

The Bruins have remained a competitive team while adding a remarkable group of rookies in a textbook example of rebuilding on the fly. With its core in place and still functioning at an elite level they added a significant amount of youth in key roles throughout the line-up. Third year in his reshaping of the team Bruce Cassidy filled in around the edges with an eye to further development from within.

Brad Marchand

Dominating trio - Bruins were only one of two teams (Toronto) to feature three 30 goal scorers in Brad Marchand (34),David Pastrnak (35) and Patrice Bergeron (30). Marchand and Bergeron have been the leagues best shut down pair for many years, as brilliant defensively as they are offensively. Dominating on both special teams, along with Zdeno Chara, they led the leagues third best penalty kill (83.7%) – and can strike given an opportunity - Marchand boasts 23 career shorthanded goals – the most of any player since he entered the league. They rank first, second and third in the NHL in plus/minus since the 2010-11 season (Marchand +185, Bergeron (+166), Chara (+157). Bergeron was second in the league in CF% (56.8). The power play finished fourth in the league (23.5%) and they tied for 5^th in overtime wins (12) led by Marchand tying a league record for OT goals (5).

The need for secondary scoring after the top line was a concern heading into the season, but they received surprising rookie support. They had eight players who scored their first NHL goal leading the NHL by a wide margin with 58 goals coming from rookies (21.6% of the team’s goals). Danton Heinen and Jake Debrusk were fifth and seventh in team scoring, each scoring 16 goals in 77 and 70 games respectively. Debrusk would add another six in the playoffs in 12 games. Charlie McAvoy would have been in the Calder conversation if injury had not cut his season short and was on a 42-point pace over 82 games. Grelczyk on the back end played 16:44 a night in 61 games on the blueline while Kuraly held down a fourth line role with 12:15 per game and earning a regular spot in the line-up.

The kids are alright – They will be adding further youth to the forward group in exciting prospect and goal scorer Ryan Donato, who could be a Calder candidate next season. He contributed five goals and nine points in 12 games with the big club after scoring 26 goals in 29 games in his final season at Harvard. He has the potential to be an important top six contributor and was paired largely with David Krejci. The two along with DeBrusk, another frequent linemate of Krejci, should form an effective second line. Krejci looked rejuvenated last season and played at a high level.

Another candidate for a scoring role will be Anders Bjork, who was a promising scorer in college hockey and appeared in 30 games. He will be given every opportunity to earn a spot in the middle six. The departure of Rick Nash opens an opportunity on right wing for one of the youngsters which will also include his 3:18 time per game on the power play.

Towering Defense - The defense is led by stalwart ageless giant 42-year-old Zdeno Chara and offensive dynamo Torey Krug. Krug delivered points and 37 points in his final 39 games while Chara led the team with 22:54 minutes per game and was third in the league with 3:39 shorthanded ice time. Chara and dynamic sophomore McAvoy now form the team’s top pairing and Krug was simply one of the top offensive defensemen in the league from November on. He was paired with 21-year-old sophomore Brandon Carlo giving the Bruins an impressive top four that features two players under 21 (McAvoy is 20). It is a solid group in front of Tuukka Rask that finished fourth in the league in goals against last season.

Rask played in 54 games, the lowest since 2012-13, hadn’t played less that 64 games prior. The goal was to keep him fresh at 32 for the stretch run and playoffs. In the offseason they added Jaroslav Halak, who appeared in 54 games last season as the back up and should also appear in good number of games and some security in case of injury.

Outlook - The team is solid in all three areas, forward, defense and goal. The challenge will be emerging from a very tough Atlantic Division that includes the team that eliminated them last time, Tampa Bay, and Toronto who added John Tavares to a team that took the Bruins seven games to beat in last seasons playoffs.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: The Long December?

Chris Wassel — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:38:06 +0000

Today and really the entire holiday weekend has been a tough for hockey writers everywhere with the news of what came out on Twitter late last night. It is an unfortunate lesson that we have to learn. However, we slowly try to trudge onward. Unfortunately the week was a bit slow but we still did get some good questions in. Thanksgiving and Black Friday often are a holiday weekend where hockey takes a back seat.

When you think about it, there is always that question that irks you at some point during the year. Naturally it only took until December 1st to hit that breaking point. Here are our questions today from the mailbag.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

What do you think of the Martin Brodeur signing? What kind of fantasy value do you expect him to have?

Here we go! The Brodeur question has been one that has plagued fantasy hockey scribes and hockey writers alike for the last several months. When you get down to it, St. Louis and Minnesota seemed fairly likely destinations given their goalie history. Minnesota seemed to make the most sense because their goalies could never stay healthy. There was the Josh Harding issue that is still there but no one expected Nik Backstrom to stay healthy at his age. Then that hot start by Darcy Kuemper just threw everything into a state of unexpected stability.

There were plenty of rumors to go around but in the end Martin Brodeur ended up in St. Louis over the weekend. With a knee injury sidelining Brian Elliott, the dots were all connected. It is very likely that Brodeur will sign on Tuesday as both sides appear to like what they see in each other. The question then becomes how many games does the iconic goalie play with Jake Allen considered to be the starter? Also, when does Elliott come back? Variables exist that we do not know the complete answers to necessarily.

The other problem is Ryan Miller was great in Buffalo and then struggled mightily in St. Louis after a hot start. He did rack up wins but is doing the same in Vancouver despite some not very impressive numbers. What the heck does this mean for Brodeur? The goalie can still handle the puck pretty well and can still make the saves for the most part. Can rest be balanced with play? If he is plugged in for say a third of the games, the former New Jersey Devils netminder could be very effective. Nobody really knows what he will do but Yahoo has buzzed for the guy. He has shot up from dead 0% to 12% in a matter of days. When he signs, that could easily double or triple, maybe more.

If you are looking for a goalie and desperate enough in deeper leagues, then Brodeur is your guy. Expect there to be risks and dicey games tossed in however. Let's take one more question.

When is the David Krejci train going to stop? Is he finally going to play later next week?

The answer is get back to me then. This has gone back and forth more times than multiple rides on the bumper cars. No one really knows what is going on and that may even include management. David Krejci will miss the entire West Coast trip and presumably a decision will be made after that.

He had flipped from DTD to playing to playing a few shifts to DTD to practicing then DTD then played then DTD and now IR. Did you get all that? I hope you did. It does seem a lot of players are just getting hurt during or right after they recover from something else. Artem Anisimov is out 2-3 months with a torn ab muscle as a glaring example and yes there will inevitably be others.

Just wait and see from the Boston beat before rushing to sneak Krejci back into your lineup. Do not go "Fools Rushing In" on this because it will not end well yet again. People hopefully have learned their lessons from oh, the last half dozen times.

------------------------------------------------------------

Good luck this week and do not forget to leave those questions @ChrisWasselTHW. See you next week!