Filip Chytil – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:01:06 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 26: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) skates in warm ups before a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Vancouver Canucks on February 26th, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

After winning the Pacific Division with 109 points in 2023-2024, the Canucks collapsed to 90 points (38-30-14) last season, missing the playoffs. They ranked 19th in both Corsi percentage (49.2) and expected goals percentage (49.5), so they earned their finish. Vancouver’s power play was middle of the road, ranking 15th with 7.72 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. The Canucks’ penalty killing was excellent, ranking second in the league with 5.55 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play. While Kevin Lankinen was solid in goal, Thatcher Demko missed a good portion of the season and Arturs Silovs struggled, so the overall goaltending picture was not ideal.

What’s Changed?

Head coach Rick Tocchet departed for Philadelphia, replaced by first-time NHL head coach Adam Foote. The Canucks were not terribly motivated to make dramatic changes to the underachieving roster, perhaps figuring that the trade deadline deal sending J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers was the more significant roster shuffle. This summer, they traded to acquire Vancouver native Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers. They lost centre Pius Suter as a free agent to the St. Louis Blues, and traded winger Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canucks also dealt Silovs, who was ticketed to be third on the goaltending depth chart, to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Silovs may have struggled with Vancouver but was outstanding in the Abbotsford Canucks’ championship run to the Calder Cup in the AHL, winning Playoff MVP.

What would success look like?

Getting back into the playoffs is a starting point for Vancouver. The roster at the start of the season doesn’t necessarily look like it’s capable of more than that, but if Elias Pettersson rebounds and Quinn Hughes stays healthy all season, they could have a much better shot at the postseason. Mix in even league average goaltending or better, and the Canucks could win a round or two in the playoffs. They are probably a few players light of being a bona fide Stanley Cup contender, but if they are contending, the Canucks’ brass will surely be ready to add to the roster, if need be.

What could go wrong?

There is a lot riding on Pettersson this season, because with Miller gone, the expectation is that Pettersson will get back to being the star player that he had been previously, and it’s great if that’s what happens, but if Pettersson can’t get back to that level, then the season will almost surely end up as a disappointment. The Canucks are relatively unproven down the middle of the ice, with Filip Chytil and Aatu Raty penciled in for the second and third-line centre roles, the Canucks need Pettersson to be great, or else it’s going to be really difficult to drag this team back into the playoffs.

Top Breakout Candidate

He may not score enough to really generate a lot of buzz, but Aatu Raty has a chance to play a significant role for the Canucks. Raty had 11 points (7 G, 4 A) in 33 games for the Canucks, despite playing fewer than 11 minutes per game, but he did score on more than 20 percent of his shots, so that’s not likely to last over a full season. In the AHL, he had 40 points (17 G, 23 A) in 43 games, so there is some offensive upside. The 22-year-old pivot also plays a physical game, with 80 hits in 33 games for the Canucks, so if he scores enough to hold a third-line centre role, Raty’s hit totals could propel him into deeper league fantasy relevance.

FORWARDS

Elias Pettersson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	26	52	78	0.98

It is so difficult to pin down Pettersson’s all-around value because just when it looked like he was running with the elite, he turned in a season like 2024-2025, when he clearly had an issue with former teammate J.T. Miller before Miller was ultimately traded to the New York Rangers. Pettersson finished the season with 45 points (15 G, 30 A) in 64 games, the lowest per-game point production of his career, and a far cry from the 191 points (73 G, 118 A) in 162 games that he had in the previous two seasons. He is a cerebral player who is often a step ahead of the action, but when his game lacks passion, it doesn’t matter how smart he is on the ice because the results can not only be subpar, but it looks awful, too. When he’s on his game, Pettersson has an outstanding shot and can beat a goalie clean from distance with a wrist shot or one-timer. That kind of ability is not common, so it should be part of the Canucks’ plan to get Pettersson pucks in position to shoot. Although he is not the most physical player, he did register 74 hits last season and had a career-high 125 hits in 2023-2024, so it’s in his toolbox and when he gets fired up, he will play with more edge to his game. He is more of a finesse player, and it’s not like there is a desire to have him shed that skilled game, but if he plays with passion on a more consistent basis, it would help offset times that the offensive numbers aren’t going his way. He is too good to languish in mediocrity like last season, so expect some kind of bounce-back campaign for Pettersson, with 25 goals and 70-plus points, though he has obviously proven capable of even more than that.

Brock Boeser

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	28	27	55	0.73

When the 2024-2025 season wrapped up, Boeser was headed for free agency, and it seemed entirely likely that he would be moving on from Vancouver. The Canucks weren’t ready to concede that, however, so they signed Boeser to a new seven-year, $50.25 million contract. The Canucks recognized that Boeser’s ability to put the puck in the net should not be taken for granted. Last season’s 25 goals represented the sixth time in his eight NHL seasons that he surpassed 20 goals, and he has recorded at least 50 points in three straight seasons. Boeser is not so much a generator of chances as he is the finisher who puts himself in position to score. He has good hands and strong offensive instincts which allow him to thrive when playing with quality linemates, but he is more dependent on those linemates to transport the puck and create those opportunities. With the Canucks shaking up their roster, the most likely scenario is for Boeser to skate on the top line with Elias Pettersson, and that should help both players, but that only applies if Pettersson can rebound from his down season, because they did not fare well when they played on the same line last season, getting outshot, out-chanced, and outscored. It should be reasonable to expect 25 goals and 55 points from Boeser, with the understanding that Pettersson could potentially help to lift him even higher.

Jake DeBrusk

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	25	50	0.61

After signing a big free agent deal last summer to join the Canucks, DeBrusk didn’t have an earth-shattering first season in Vancouver, but he scored a career high 28 goals and that should not be ignored. Half of those goals came on the power play, a massive increase over his power play role in Boston. He has been a complementary player throughout his career and that is largely the role that he fills well with Vancouver now. His ice time has remained consistent, hovering just under 17 minutes per game, but DeBrusk’s shot rate has declined from where it was two years ago, at 2.98 shots on goal per game, to last season’s 2.09 shots on goal per game. When it comes to sustaining production, it’s preferable to maintain the higher shot rate because it doesn’t require DeBrusk scoring on 16.4 percent of his shots to score 28 goals when his career shooting percentage prior to last season was 12.4 percent. That extra four percent, over 171 shots on goal works out to nearly seven goals, a pretty significant difference for a player who scored 28. Going into 2025-2026, DeBrusk should be able to count on a regular scoring role with the Canucks, possibly even skating on the top line, with first unit power play time, so he should be able to contribute 25 goals and 45 points, but that may seem underwhelming if that is indeed his place on the depth chart.

Conor Garland

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	21	35	56	0.68

A feisty winger who has turned into an excellent two-way player, Garland saw his ice time jump by more than four minutes per game last season and he hit the 50-point threshold for the second time in his career. Garland uses his speed to effectively create chances and while last season was unusual in that the Canucks were outscored with Garland on the ice, he was hardly to blame, ranking first among Canucks forwards in terms of expected goals against per 60 minutes. Garland’s most common linemates last season were Pius Suter and Dakota Joshua, who have both departed, so it’s not like he was propped up by his teammates. His next most common linemate is more interesting, though. Garland played more than 258 five-on-five minutes with Elias Pettersson and in that time, the Canucks controlled 63.0 percent of expected goals with those two on the ice. If you have players controlling play to that degree in the NHL, there are not many reasons good enough to split them up, so maybe Garland will find his way to spending more time with Pettersson in 2025-2026. At the very least, Garland has established that he is a valuable player who can move the puck the right way. Provided he continues to play significant minutes, he seems like a good pick to score 20 goals and 50 points this season.

Kiefer Sherwood

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	18	18	36	0.48

A veteran winger who lingered on the fringes of NHL rosters for years before breaking through with the Nashville Predators in 2023-2024, Sherwood had the best season of his NHL career, by far, last season with Vancouver, scoring 40 points (19 G, 21 A) and leading the league with 462 hits. Yes, 462 hits, 156 more hits than second place Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sherwood found that the hard-driving physical game is what would keep him in the league, turned the dial up to 11, and kept it there all season. He had double digit hit totals in 10 games and recorded fewer than three hits twice in 78 games. Sherwood is not even physically imposing, listed at six feet tall and 195 pounds, but there is something to be said for being relentless and, in Sherwood’s case, being relentless earned him a two-year, $3 million contract from the Canucks last summer, and will surely earn him more on his next deal. As a player who started just 38.3 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone, Sherwood still ended up with positive possession numbers and the Canucks outscored opponents with him on the ice. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Sherwood is a net +26 in five-on-five goal differential for his career, not bad for a 30-year-old winger who couldn’t stick in an NHL lineup until two years ago. Sherwood is not an offensive dynamo, but he does more than enough to hold down his spot in the lineup. Going into the 2025-2026 season, he should play a regular top nine role for Vancouver and should bring 15 goals and 30 points, along with at least 300 hits.

Filip Chytil

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	20	25	45	0.64

Acquired from the New York Rangers as part of the J.T. Miller trade, Chytil had recovered from serious concussion woes but had middling production in a third-line role with the Rangers. In Vancouver, his ice time went up by more than two minutes per game, but his point production did not follow as he managed just six points (2 G, 4 A) in 15 games for the Canucks, but he played really well in that time, only to have his results undone by poor percentages. Chytil scored on just 4.5 percent of his shots on goal, and his five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage was 3.0 percent, which is absurdly low, so take some solace in the fact that Chytil had a 54.5 percent Corsi in Vancouver, driving play even if he wasn’t getting rewarded offensively. Chytil is a strong skater with a big frame and apparently wanted a bigger role than the third line spot that the Rangers could provide him, so the chance to fill a second line role in Vancouver is a prime opportunity for him, but he also needs to take advantage of that opportunity. While Chytil has never been great in the faceoff circle, last season’s faceoff winning percentage of 46.8 was the best of his career, and he got there by winning 49.7 percent of his draws with the Canucks. If Chytil can remain relatively healthy, he should have a chance to score 20 goals and 45 points in his first full season with Vancouver, and that point total would match his career high, set in 2022-2023.

Evander Kane

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
62	20	18	38	0.61

After sitting out the entire 2024-2025 regular season while recovering from multiple surgeries, Kane was plugged into the Edmonton Oilers lineup for the playoffs and had some strong moments while contributing 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in 21 games. He also faded from relevance in the Stanley Cup Final but that’s not an easy situation, playing a very strong Panthers team when Kane was maybe not quite where he needed to be to play at that level. He is 34 years old so it may not be a prime situation for any winger coming off of an injury to bounce back, but that is what the Canucks will hope that they can get out of a winger who, when he is on his game, is both a legitimate scoring threat and a physical presence. He has had plenty of off-ice issues over the years, and there’s no guarantee that those won’t crop up in Vancouver, but if Kane is committed to playing his best, there is a version that works out well for the Canucks because he has some of the fire that they need. Injuries have plagued Kane, and the 77 games he played for the Oilers in 2023-2024 represented the only time since 2018-2019 that he played more than 65 games in a season. Taking into account, then, that Kane is likely to miss 20 games for some reason or another, he could still contribute 20 goals and 35-40 points. His physical play could also yield 150 hits (or more, he had a career-high 250 for the Oilers in 2023-2024). For those in banger leagues, Kane led the NHL in penalty minutes in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons and while that’s unlikely now, he is still typically good for more penalty minutes than games played.

Aatu Raty

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	13	17	30	0.38

Highly touted as a prospect, Raty slipped to the second round in the 2021 NHL Draft, and it has taken him some time to make it to the league, but last season was a promising sign from the 22-year-old center who contributed 11 points (7 G, 4 A) in 33 games for the Canucks. While he may not continue to score on 20.6 percent of his shots, as he did in that small sample of games, Raty did win 57.7 percent of his faceoffs and recorded 80 hits in 33 games despite playing 10:39 per game. That physical style and reliability in the faceoff dot should give him a leg up on any competition for forward roles in Vancouver. Raty has been productive at the AHL level, putting up 92 points (35 G, 57 A) in 115 games across the past two seasons, so there is some reason to be hopeful that he can at least score enough to fill a top nine role with the Canucks. The Canucks have improved their forward depth so there could be an opportunity for Raty to play with quality linemates. If that’s the case, he might be able to contribute 12-15 goals and 30 points. If he adds 150-175 hits, that might give him some appeal in deeper fantasy formats.

Nils Hoglander

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	15	18	33	0.42

After breaking through for career highs of 24 goals and 36 points in 2023-2024, Hoglander took a step backwards last season, though some of that was merely going from a 20.0 shooting percentage to a 9.6 shooting percentage. Hoglander is on the smaller side but is a high energy player with good skills and he plays with some tenacity that belies his size. Hoglander has also had difficulty securing regular linemates. Last season, he played more than 150 five-on-five minutes with Teddy Blueger, Elias Pettersson, Conor Garland, and Pius Suter and had varying degrees of success with all of them, but there was a lack of consistency in his deployment, to be sure. The challenge that Hoglander faces is getting a real foothold on ice time in Vancouver. He played 15:27 per game as a rookie in 2020-2021, went down to 13:05 per game the next season and has hovered just over 12 minutes per game for three straight seasons. It may be unreasonable to expect that to suddenly change but securing a role that would see him play 14-15 minutes per game could have a significant impact on his production. Since that is in doubt, it’s fair to expect 15 goals and 30 points from Hoglander.

DEFENCE

Quinn Hughes

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	16	68	84	1.09

There is essentially a two-horse race being waged for the title of top defenceman in the league, with Hughes and Colorado’s Cale Makar the two contestants. Hughes won the 2023-2024 Norris Trophy and looked like he was on track to repeat again last season before getting injured in late January. At the end of January, he had 59 points (14 G, 45 A) and 136 shots on goal in 47 games and was a dominant force in the Vancouver lineup. After missing several weeks with a lower-body injury, including being kept out of the Four Nations Face-Off, Hughes finished the season with 17 points (2 G, 15 A) and 56 shots on goal in his last 21 games. That would be entirely fine for most defencemen in the league, but it was a step down from the exceptional tier that Hughes had been inhabiting for the previous season-and-a-half. Hughes has become even more dangerous offensively since he started shooting the puck more and the result has been 33 goals in his past two seasons. He is not only a game-changing offensive force, whose 244 points in 228 games and 1.07 points per game both rank second only to Makar among defencemen across the past three seasons, but Hughes has upgraded his defensive play in recent seasons, too. Last season’s 2.25 expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five was the lowest rate in Hughes’ career. There were 138 defencemen that played at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes last season and only 15 of them had a lower rate of expected goals against. A healthy Quinn Hughes is a difference-maker, and the Canucks will certainly hope that he is in good health for the 2025-2026 season. If he is, Hughes should be expected to contribute 15 goals and 80 points and run neck-and-neck with Makar for defenceman supremacy.

Filip Hronek

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	6	35	41	0.51

An excellent partner for Quinn Hughes, Hronek has been a quality top pair defender for several years and while he tends to get overshadowed by Hughes, Hronek is a strong puck mover who is effective at both ends of the rink, can kill penalties, and run the second power play unit. His skill set, and his deployment, leads to strong possession numbers and the Canucks outscore the opposition with Hronek on the ice. While Hronek makes a good first pass to start the breakout and is comfortable getting involved offensively, he is very much the stay-at-home partner to a phenom like Hughes. It’s not like Hronek is a big bruiser who is a punishing physical presence, but he can handle when the game gets gritty and he will deliver hits to separate opponents from the puck. When Hughes was injured in the second half of the season, Hronek contributed 10 points (2 G, 8 A) and 24 shots on goal in 10 games with Hughes out of the lineup, so Hronek has more to give offensively, if needed. It just so happens that it is not needed that often. In his strong complementary role, Hronek should contribute 40 points for the Canucks in 2025-2026.

Marcus Pettersson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	4	26	30	0.38

Acquired by the management team that had him in Pittsburgh, Pettersson has been a reliable top four blueliner, logging more than 20 minutes per game for the past three seasons. Pettersson is a tall and rangy defender who does not have a huge role offensively, with minimal power play time, and yet he has contributed 59 points (8 G, 51 A) across the past two seasons, in part because he is a strong skater and makes good passes to jumpstart the attack. Where Pettersson can make a difference, at least for fantasy managers, is when it comes to hits and, especially, blocked shots. He had 80 hits last season but has recorded more than 100 hits five times in his career and, in the past three seasons, Pettersson had 434 blocked shots, which was tied for 27th in the league over that time. Heading into the 2025-2026 season, Pettersson figures to be No. 3 on the Canucks’ defensive depth chart and that should mean consistent ice time, allowing him to contribute 25-30 points and 125-plus blocked shots. That probably won’t generate a lot of interest in most leagues, but in deeper leagues, Pettersson could be worthy of consideration.

Tyler Myers

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	5	17	22	0.30

A towering presence on the Canucks’ blueline, standing 6-foot-8, Myers has found a more suitable role at this stage of his career. For so long, he was maligned for not being the standout performer that he was early in his career, when he won the Calder Trophy as a rookie and received Norris Trophy votes in his first two seasons. Myers went through some difficult seasons, and his years in Vancouver are not without their own flaws, but in a secondary role, of course his performance is not going to match what is happening on the top pair with Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. Myers’ ice time decreased in 2023-2024, going under 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career, but he averaged 20:48 per game last season and while his Corsi was 47.3 percent, Myers’ expected goals percentage was 50.2 percent and the Canucks were outscored 51-50 with Myers on the ice, so he was certainly in the neighbourhood of breaking even during five-on-five play. This is all to say that Myers should be relatively secure in his role on the Vancouver blueline. He can still skate well, especially for his size, and he does contribute offensively as well as with hits and blocked shots. He has put up at least 125 blocked shots in four straight seasons and has topped 100 hits three times and is typically over a hit per game. In 2025-2026, Myers should be expected to chip in 20-25 points with 130 blocked shots. Again, it’s not going to garner widespread fantasy appeal, but might have some potential in deeper formats.

Goal

Thatcher Demko

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
58	28	17	7	3	.908	2.62

The Vancouver Canucks had finally managed to reach the postseason with an elite caliber goaltender in 2024 when disaster struck, and a knee injury suffered by Vezina caliber starter, Thatcher Demko, ended the team's playoff hopes along with nearly his entire following season. Demko didn't play an NHL game until December 10th of last season, and constant minor injuries held him to just 23 games (and a fairly disappointing statistical scorecard overall) by the time the year was over. When he's healthy, he's a downright bargain for the Canucks - but the healthy qualifier has become one of the most difficult things to produce, year after year.

The story, ultimately, looks the same for the upcoming season as it did last year. If Demko can stay healthy - and get enough game play to return to his peak form - they have very little in the way of true competition in the Pacific Division to fight through. But if he can't stay healthy, they'll have to hope that Kevin Lankinen - signed to a hefty deal with suboptimal numbers and very little consistency in his game year over year - can produce one of his better seasons in Demko's stead. The Canucks have plenty of young talent developing throughout their system, but the lack of another clear NHL-ready option at the moment makes things a bit dire for Demko, Lankinen, and the team as a whole.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Canucks send Miller to Rangers, Sharks ship Granlund to Dallas, Sanderson, Perfetti, Byfield, Knies, and Wright are among the young players gaining appeal and much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 18:51:21 +0000

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 07: New York Rangers left wing J.T. Miller (8) in action during the third period of the National Hockey League game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers on February 7, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, the Canucks send J.T. Miller to the Rangers, the Sharks ship Mikael Granlund to Dallas, Jake Sanderson, Cole Perfetti, Quinton Byfield, Matthew Knies, and Shane Wright are among the young players gaining appeal and much more!

#1 Ending a saga that had been going on in Vancouver all season, the Canucks finally traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers. Since the start of the 2021-2022 season, Miller has scored 323 points (112 G, 211 A) in 285 games, which ranks 13th in the NHL. He also has 692 hits in that time, so Miller offers a lot for fantasy managers. He can be a handful and eventually wore out his welcome in Vancouver, but he makes the Rangers better immediately.

#2 One of the players reaping the rewards from Miller’s arrival in New York is Mika Zibanejad, who has been enduring a difficult season, but has shifted to right wing on a line with Miller and Artemi Panarin. Zibanejad suddenly has six points (1 G, 5 A) and 10 shots on goal in his past three games, after managing just two points (1 G, 1 A) in his previous eight games.

#3 Going to Vancouver in the Miller deal, centre Filip Chytil should get a better opportunity with the Canucks. He was stuck behind Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck down the middle of the ice for the Rangers. Chytil had 20 points (11 G, 9 A) in 41 games for the Rangers, but has two points (1 G, 1 A) in three games with the Canucks, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game with his new team. Chytil is centering Drew O’Connor, who was recently acquired from Pittsburgh, and Brock Boeser on the Canucks’ second line as well as getting first-unit power play time, so he is getting a chance to be a more significant contributor than he was in New York.

#4 In another deal, the San Jose Sharks dealt forward Mikael Granlund and defenceman Cody Ceci to Dallas. Ceci is a veteran stay-at-home defenceman, with little appeal for fantasy managers, but Granlund has produced 106 points (27 G, 79 A) in 123 games for the Sharks across the past two seasons. While Granlund is not likely to play as much in Dallas as he did in San Jose, he is skating on a line with Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene, effectively replacing an injured Tyler Seguin in the Stars’ lineup.

#5 After what had been an uninspiring start to the season, Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson has produced 10 points (3 G, 7 A) with 18 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. Four of those 10 points have come via the power play and Sanderson now has 20 power play points this season, which ranks third behind only Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.

#6 Emerging from a month-long slump that saw him contribute two assists in 14 games, Winnipeg Jets winger Cole Perfetti has tallied eight points (4 G, 4 A) with 13 shots on goal in his past six games. Perfetti’s ice time is still worth keeping an eye on, but when he’s producing, he tends to have a good situation with Nikolaj Ehlers and Vladislav Namestnikov on Winnipeg’s second line.

#7 After breaking through for 55 points (20 G, 35 A) last season, Kings forward Quinton Byfield has not been scoring at the same pace this season, despite playing nearly two minutes more per game. He has had some recent success, with seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past six games. Byfield is skating at centre on a line with Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere, a line with decent offensive potential and Fiala has started to break through lately, too.

#8 Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Matthew Knies is busting out in his second NHL season. His ice time is up from 13:41 per game last season to 18:24 per game this season and he has 17 points (10 G, 7 A) in his past 13 games. His 21 goals this season is tied for second on the team with John Tavares, behind only William Nylander (33). Knies also plays a physical game, which sets him apart from Toronto’s other top scorers, and he has 115 hits in 50 games, which makes him even more valuable to fantasy managers.

#9 Although the season is not going the way that the Seattle Kraken would have hoped, they can take some small victories in the process and it appears that they are starting to realize the potential of centre Shane Wright, the fourth pick in the 2022 Draft. Wright has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in his past seven games and is skating on a line with Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky, a pair of skilled veteran wingers. It’s not like Wright has suddenly become a top-tier forward, but he is a 21-year-old who is handling third-line minutes and second-unit power play time, so there is going to be continued growth.

#10 After being sidelined for nearly two months, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz returned to action Thursday and stopped 26 of 27 shots in a win at Seattle. Stolarz has a .929 save percentage, which is tops among goalies with at least 10 appearances, and has 15.39 Goals Saved Above Expected. While Stolarz has never been able to handle a starter’s workload for a full season, topping out at 28 games for Anaheim in 2021-2022, his quality play ensures that he will have a significant role for the Maple Leafs down the stretch, sharing time in the crease with Joseph Woll.

#11 His first couple of seasons in Calgary were pretty rough, at least relative to his best seasons in Florida, but Flames left winger Jonathan Huberdeau has been more dangerous this season. He has eight points (3 G, 5 A) in his past nine games while playing more than 21 minutes per game, a far cry from the 16:52 per game he played a few years ago in his first season with the Flames. Huberdeau, who has largely been known as a playmaker throughout his career, is up to 21 goals, with only 19 assists, on the season.

#12 After having his contract terminated by the St. Louis Blues, left winger Brandon Saad signed on with the Vegas Golden Knights, looking for a chance to win and, presumably, an opportunity to contribute more than he was in St. Louis this season. In his last 20 games for the Blues, Saad recorded six points (3 G, 3 A) and all three of his goals in that time happened in one game (vs. Ottawa). In Vegas, Saad is not getting power play time, which is not altogether unusual for him, but he is skating on a line with Brett Howden and Mark Stone at even strength and has one goal in his first three games for the Golden Knights.

#13 New York Islanders right winger Mathew Barzal is out of the lineup once again, this time due to a lower-body injury. Barzal is averaging a career-high 20:21 of ice time per game this season but has a modest 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 30 games. With Barzal out, the door is open for Anthony Duclair to move up the depth chart, but Duclair has been struggling, with just two points (1 G, 1 A) and 19 shots on goal in his past 16 games. A more appealing option for the Islanders could be Simon Holmstrom, who has six points (3 G, 3 A) in his past five games.

#14 The Nashville Predators have called up top prospect Joakim Kemell from Milwaukee of the AHL, where the 17th pick in the 2022 Draft had recorded 25 points (9 G, 16 A) in 38 games. He is slated to make his NHL debut Friday and could have a plum assignment to start his NHL career, skating on a line with Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos. That’s not taking a skilled young player and burying him on the fourth line. It’s taking that player and giving him a chance to succeed.

#15 San Jose is giving some prospects a chance to play, too. Collin Graf, who was signed out of Quinnipiac in the spring, had 30 points (8 G, 22 A) in 33 games for the San Jose Barracuda and has averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time, scoring one goal in two games since he was recalled to the Sharks. Graf is skating with Luke Kunin and Barclay Goodrow at even strength but does get second-unit power play time. The Sharks have also promoted veteran pro Andrew Poturalski, a 31-year-old centre who was leading the AHL with 45 points (18 G, 27 A) in 41 games at the time of his promotion. He has two assists in eight career NHL games, but the Sharks are giving him a chance to skate between Fabian Zetterlund and Will Smith, so there is a chance for him to provide some offense.

#16 Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight has been steadily getting better and while he is clearly in a backup role, he is a much more valuable backup now. Since the calendar flipped to 2025, Knight has a .937 save percentage and an astounding 11.12 Goals Saved Above Expected in eight games. It has not been the easiest path for the 2019 first-round pick, who sat out last season, but he is showing that his talent is still there and at just 23 years old, he should have a promising future in this league.

#17 It’s not time to panic over Mikko Rantanen’s move to Carolina, even if the premier winger has just two points (1 G, 1 A) in his first six games for the Hurricanes. Rantanen also has 21 shots on goal and 40 shot attempts in those six games, so the chances are there, but this player who has scored on 16.1 percent of his shots in his career is scoring on just 4.8 percent of them since the trade. That will regress soon enough, and this slow start with his new team could make Rantanen a little bit of a buy-low option.

#18 While he has tallied 10 power play goals in 26 games for the Montreal Canadiens, Patrik Laine has hit a scoring slump. The sharp-shooting winger has no points and eight shots on goal in his past six games and that highlights what happens when things go wrong for Laine. He stops generating shots and while he tends to be dependent on others to create chances, he can surely put himself in better positions to get shots because 1.3 shots per game is obviously not nearly enough for a player with his shooting talent.

#19 Another player enduring an offensive slump is Kings winger Adrian Kempe, who has zero points in his past six games but the part that is encouraging about Kempe is that he has 21 shots on goal in that stretch. He remains on the Kings’ top line, alongside Anze Kopitar and Alex Turcotte, as well as holding a spot on the Kings’ first line, so it is easier to see Kempe resuming his scoring ways. Kopitar is enduring his own slump, with one assist and 11 shots on goal in his past seven games, so they should be ready to get back on track at any moment.

#20 Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot lost his first game after the Wings made their coaching change over the holiday break in December, but in 10 games since then, Talbot has nine wins and a .916 save percentage. Since Detroit is back into the playoff mix, that makes Talbot much more valuable for fantasy managers because the wins have become more accessible.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW YORK RANGERS – Team Preview

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 20:00:17 +0000

_{NEW YORK, NY - MAY 30: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers prior to the National Hockey League Eastern Conference Final game 5 against the Florida Panthers on May 30, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)}

In Peter Laviolette’s first season behind the Rangers’ bench, he led the Blueshirts to a 114-point (55-23-4) season, earning the Presidents’ Trophy. The Rangers ranked 17th in Corsi (50.5%) and 20th in expected goals percentage (49.3%). That is hardly the recipe for leading the league in points, but that was the path that the Rangers traveled. The Rangers ranked fourth on the power play, with 10.12 goals per 60 minutes and third in penalty killing with 5.48 goals against per 60 minutes. That dominance on special teams made a massive difference, not only in the regular season, but in the second round of the playoffs as well, when the Rangers escaped with a series win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The next round was the end of the line for the Rangers though, as they dropped the Eastern Conference Final to the Florida Panthers in six games.

WHAT’S CHANGED? The Rangers reportedly wanted to trade captain Jacob Trouba, but that could not be accomplished due to no-trade protection, so there is a lot of continuity from one season to the next. It is preferable for a Presidents’ Trophy team to keep most of the squad intact, but it seems that the Rangers have been steady. They dispatched Barclay Goodrow on waivers, where he was claimed by San Jose, and that created enough salary room for winger Reilly Smith, who was acquired from Pittsburgh. Trade deadline additions Alexander Wennberg and Jack Roslovic moved on in free agency, to San Jose and Carolina, respectively. Defenceman Erik Gustafsson signed in Detroit. The Rangers also added Sam Carrick, who had been toiling on fourth lines, adding some bite to the Rangers’ lineup.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? At this point, it is probably a Stanley Cup win if the Rangers are going to consider the season a success. They have lost the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three seasons, so winning to get to the Cup Final would probably be counted as a win, too, and the Rangers have the kind of talent necessary to get there. That means that goaltender Igor Shesterkin Is again great. The defence corps is solid, sometimes even better than that, and if the Rangers are going to get over the hump to win another Cup, they will need Artemi Panarin to show up in addition to seeing others in the supporting cast – Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle, and Matt Rempe – make contributions when the season is on the line.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? The Rangers have enough stars that an injury to one should not take this train off the tracks. Shesterkin, Panarin, and defenceman Adam Fox would seem to be the most irreplaceable, and Shesterkin figures to be the most fragile because as well as Jonathan Quick played last season, it would be risky to turn the crease over to the 38-year-old for any serious length of time. There is too much talent here for the Rangers to fall out of the playoff picture, but if they continue to hang around the middle of the pack when it comes to possession, then perhaps the Rangers could at least be forced to sweat their playoff position.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: A few of the Rangers’ younger players that might be considered for this honour – Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller – had breakout seasons in 2022-2023, so that narrows down the possibilities. Will Cuylle is a winger with good size who hits a lot and scored 13 goals and 21 points as a rookie. There is a chance for Cuylle to stick on the Rangers’ third line and that could give him enough of an opportunity to push for 20 goals.

Forwards

Artemi Panarin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	40	67	107	1.30

It is difficult to fathom that there is a downside to a winger who put up 120 points last season, but Panarin has taken heat for his performance when the Rangers have been eliminated from the playoffs in the past two seasons. He had four points in six games against Florida last season and two points in seven first-round games against New Jersey the season before. Panarin is a brilliant talent, a sublime playmaker who makes his teammates better, and he increased his shot output last season to 3.70 shots on goal per game on his way to scoring a career-high 49 goals. He has patience and creativity with the puck, but turned into an even more complete offensive threat when he started launching more pucks on net because he has always been a high-end shooter. Since joining the Rangers in 2019-2020, Panarin has produced 461 points in 350 games, which ranks fourth in the league in that time (behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon). That kind of sustained excellence should hold more weight than any playoff slumps but that is also the kind of pressure that won’t go away until Panarin gets over that hump. For the 2024-2025 season, Panarin should be able to contribute 30-35 goals and 95-100 points in the regular season, but he will need to carry it over to the postseason to quiet his critics.

Vincent Trocheck

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	24	56	80	0.98

A tenacious centre who plays hard, with a physical edge and an agitator’s spirit, Trocheck played a career-high 21:27 per game last season and finished with a career-high 77 points. That included 24 points on the power play, his highest total since 2017-2018. He also won a career-high 58.7 percent of his faceoffs and had 175 hits, the third consecutive season that he has recorded at least that many hits, so Trocheck racks up contributions both big and small. That leads to Trocheck’s team generating more shot attempts than the opposition and that has been the case in 10 of his 11 NHL seasons. He is a valuable two-way centre who is capable defensively along with his strong offensive contributions. Even though he slumped late in the regular season, managing zero goals and two assists in the last eight games, Trocheck rose to the occasion in the postseason, tallying 20 points in 16 games. It is worth noting that Trocheck had just 17 points in 40 playoff games before breaking through last season. With a regular role on the Rangers’ top power play unit, Trocheck should be able to contribute 20-25 goals and 65 points in the 2024-2025 season. Coupled with his physical play, Trocheck is a valuable fantasy contributor, as a scoring centre who generates hits at a high level.

Alexis Lafreniere

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	31	29	60	0.73

After three seasons of modest production, the heat was starting to get turned up on Lafreniere, the first overall pick in the 2020 Draft. He broke through in 2023-2024 with 28 goals and 57 points, playing a career-high 17:16 per game. Lafreniere’s 51 even-strength points was tied for 37th in the league. As much as all of those numbers are positive indicators for Lafreniere, that production was also a function of his spending most of the season skating on the right wing with Panarin and Trocheck. When Lafreniere was on the ice with Panarin, the Rangers controlled 54.6 percent of expected goals. When Lafreniere was on with anyone else, the Rangers controlled 42.6 percent. Lafreniere does have strong offensive instincts and has high level puck skills. He is also comfortable banging bodies or taking a hit to make a play, so he can put himself in position to score. One area for further development is his skating: Lafreniere does have trouble pulling away from defenders. Considering the relative success that he enjoyed last season, it would make sense for the Rangers to keep him with Panarin and Trocheck, which is an excellent place for Lafreniere to continue his production. It’s possible that Lafreniere could match last season’s production, but the safer expectation would be in line with 25 goals and 50 points.

Chris Kreider

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	34	29	63	0.79

One of the premier net-front players in the league, Kreider has developed into a premier goal-scorer in the league, especially on the power play. In the past three seasons, he has erupted for 127 goals, which ranks seventh in the NHL, and 52 of those goals have come via the power play, which ranks third. He is a big body presence who has quick hands and is exceptional at tipping pucks and corralling rebounds in traffic. Kreider is a strong skater with a powerful stride, which makes him difficult to contain when he builds up a head of steam. The puck tends to move in the right direction with Kreider on the ice and the Rangers have outscored the opposition at five-on-five in 10 of his past 11 seasons. The only exception was the 2020-2021 season when he had a career-low on-ice save percentage. Last season was the first full season of his career in which he finished with fewer than 100 hits, but he had 99, so it’s not like he has suddenly turned pacifist. Otherwise, Kreider consistently contributes to the Rangers’ success and that should continue in 2024-2025. Considering his massive impact on the power play, he should be expected to contribute 35 goals and 65-70 points.

Mika Zibanejad

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	30	45	75	0.91

Even though Zibanejad delivered 26 goals and 72 points for the Blueshirts last season, he has faced some criticism because those were the lowest goals per game (0.32) and points per game (0.89) in his eight seasons with the Rangers. A declining shot rate coupled with a shooting percentage (11.8 percent) that was his lowest since 2015-2016 led to lower-than-expected production from the Rangers’ No. 1 centre. Worse, he scored just three goals in 16 playoff games, so he fell in for some of the same critiques that landed on Panarin, that he was fine as a productive regular season player but he couldn’t deliver when the Rangers needed it in the postseason. For the record, Zibanejad finished the 2024 playoffs with 16 points in 16 games. On top of his offensive production, Zibanejad is a key part of the Rangers’ penalty killing unit. Barclay Goodrow, who will be playing in San Jose next season, was the only Rangers forward getting more four-on-five ice time than Zibanejad. While he is not the most physical player, Zibanejad does use his size and strength to his advantage and that allows him to protect the puck effectively. A consistently durable and productive player, Zibanejad should be a key component for the Rangers in 2024-2025. He is capable of scoring 30 goals and 75 points.

Filip Chytil

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	21	27	48	0.69

A concussion limited Chytil to just 10 regular season games and six playoff games in 2023-2024. In those 10 regular season contests, Chytil flashed great potential, with the Rangers controlling 58.8 percent of shot attempts and 56.1 percent of expected goals with Chytil on the ice. He did not score any goals in the 10 regular season games or the six playoff games, but he did have six assists in the regular season and was coming off a 2022-2023 season in which he set career highs with 22 goals and 45 points. A big centre who skates well in transition, Chytil has a quick release and has improved his ability to get into scoring position. When healthy, Chytil is an excellent fit as a third-line centre, capable of driving play, shutting down the opposition, and making regular offensive contributions. He could be better on the faceoff dot, however, as he has won just 40.4 percent of faceoffs throughout his career. That is clearly an area for improvement. Although that is true, the main concern for Chytil is ensuring that he is healthy for the 2024-2025 campaign. If he is, it would be reasonable to expect 35 points from Chytil, recognizing that he has the potential to score more than that.

Reilly Smith

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	22	28	50	0.63

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Smith has carved out a career as a reliable secondary scorer who can play in all situations. Smith scored on a career-low 8.6 percent of his shots last season, on his way to finishing with 13 goals, so this could be a case of the Rangers buying at a relative low point in Smith’s value. He is an underrated player whose team routinely outshoots and outscores the opposition when Smith is on the ice. In his 12-plus seasons in the NHL, the veteran winger has had one season in which his team was outscored with him on the ice. That was 2016-2017, his last season in Florida. A five-time 20-goal scorer who can kill penalties, Smith should improve the Rangers’ forward depth and Smith has the versatility to move around the lineup, making the team better wherever he plays. Although he is a left shot, Smith prefers to skate on the right wing, but can play both wings. While Smith could see his percentages bounce back a bit this season, he is also 33 years old, so that ought to be taken into account, too. With that understanding, Smith could still contribute 15-20 goals and 40-45 points in his first season on Broadway.

Kaapo Kakko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	15	22	37	0.46

The second pick in the 2019 Draft, Kakko has not had a breakout season, that announced he was a legit NHL scorer, though he did hit career highs with 18 goals and 40 points in 2022-2023. That production fell off to 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games last season as a lower-body injury took him out of action. Kakko was practically invisible in the playoffs, contributing one goal and two points in 15 games, getting scratched once in the Conference Final series against Florida. Even if the offensive numbers have not really been there, Kakko has quality underlying numbers that suggest he is worth keeping around. If Kakko is healthy this season and picks up where he was in 2022-2023, then that could signify that he offers real long-term value. If it’s another season of inconsistent production or injuries get in the way, then the frustration could reach a point where it will finally be time for Kakko to move on. Kakko is a big-bodied winger who will go to the net and has the ability to protect the puck to make plays. Can the 23-year-old winger take the next step in his development? An offensive breakout is still possible, but it is likely more reasonable to expect 15 goals and 35 points, a quality contribution from a spot in the Rangers’ middle six.

Will Cuylle

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	14	13	27	0.33

A 6-foot-3 winger who has some touch around the net, Cuylle played one season in the American Hockey League before earning a regular spot with the Rangers in 2023-2024. In addition to his contributions as a depth scorer, Cuylle makes a consistent physical impact on the game. He led the Rangers with 249 hits while playing a mere 11:08 per game and he can handle himself when the gloves get dropped, too. This should not be surprising from a player who dropped the mitts in a top prospects game! Cuylle’s rookie campaign laid the foundation for his career, establishing that he is a legitimate NHL player. The challenge for Cuylle is to build on that and show that he can be more than a fourth-line banger. Even if he were to be a third-line banger, that would mean more ice time with better teammates and that could lead to better all-around production. To be fair to Cuylle, expectations should still be modest in his sophomore season, but if he bumps up to the Rangers’ third line, where he conceivably could join Chytil and Kakko, Cuylle could produce 25-30 points, with maybe 12-15 goals. That won’t draw much interest in standard leagues, but Cuylle’s hit totals could bring interest in banger leagues that reward that physical play.

Jimmy Vesey

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	13	15	28	0.34

Although there was a lot of fuss about Vesey when he was coming out of college hockey, he has never been much of a scorer. He has become an effective checking winger who thrives on the penalty kill. Across the past three seasons, there are 99 forwards that have played at least 300 minutes of four-on-five hockey. Only four (Jesper Fast, Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho, and Blake Coleman) had a lower rate of expected goals against than Vesey. His defensive reliability does allow the Rangers to move Vesey around the lineup if need be. At times, he has been the defensive conscience on a scoring line, but Vesey is a better fit in a defensive role. Vesey has good size and can take the puck hard to the net, but has generally been able to contribute in a more limited fashion offensively. He has hit double-digit goal totals in five different seasons and last seasons’ 26 points was Vesey’s most since his career-high 35 points in 2018-2019. Expectations should be modest for Vesey in 2024-2025, but a dozen goals and 25 points is still within range for him, playing a useful complementary role for the Blueshirts

DEFENSE

Adam Fox

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	16	60	76	0.97

One of the premier blueliners in the NHL, Fox has finished in the top five of Norris Trophy voting for four consecutive seasons, capturing the award for best defenceman in 2020-2021. Fox plays the game with intelligence, ensuring that he is in the right position time after time. He exhibits great patience and handles the puck with confidence. Across the past two seasons, the Rangers have controlled 54.0 percent of shot attempts and 53.3 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play with Fox on the ice. He is a dominant player, one that has the ability to have a major impact on the game at both ends of the rink. If there is one area for improvement in Fox’s game, it is that he could shoot the puck more, especially considering how often it ends up on his stick in the course of a game. This is a minor quibble, however, since Fox is coming off a season in which he recorded more than a point per game for the first time in his career. As long as he is healthy, Fox is going to be a contender for the Norris Trophy. In 2024-2025, he should be expected to contribute 12-15 goals and 70-75 points.

K’Andre Miller

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	9	24	33	0.41

A rangy 6-foot-5 defender who is an exceptional skater, Miller excels at using his speed and massive reach to shut down opposing forwards. His ability to efficiently close the gap on the puck carrier allows Miller to shut down the attack, often eliminating any threat against the Rangers net. His confidence has grown in recent seasons and that is reflected in his play. Miller played primarily with Jacob Trouba and their effectiveness as a pair slipped a bit in 2023-2024. On the defensive end, they allowed a higher rate of shots against and, individually, Miller faded late in the season, managing a single assist in his last 14 games before he contributed four points in 16 playoff games. Considering how impressive Miller was in 2022-2023, enjoying a breakout season as a force at both ends of the ice, perhaps it’s not altogether surprising that he hit a bit of a speed bump in 2023-2024. Even with that hiccup, the 24-year-old defenceman has great potential and should be a major contributor to the Rangers’ cause for years to come. In 2024-2025, it is reasonable to expect 30-35 points from Miller. He has blocked more than 100 shots in back-to-back seasons and has recorded more than 140 hits in three consecutive seasons, so if Miller has adequate point production, those peripherals stats should push him into more valuable territory.

Jacob Trouba

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	5	25	30	0.38

The Rangers’ captain was a scapegoat during the Rangers offseason as the team apparently attempted to trade him in order to free up some cap space, but Trouba is rumoured to have exercised his no-trade clause to prevent a move. The 30-year-old blueliner has had better seasons and with the Rangers getting outscored 55-44 with him on the ice in the regular season, the fan base was suddenly turning on Trouba. That’s a tough situation for a guy who is a warrior on the ice, as Trouba was one of three players to record at least 180 hits and 180 blocked shots last season. Moritz Seider and Mackenzie Weegar were the others. Trouba also played through a broken ankle in the playoffs. He is a devasting hitter, often balancing on the line of what is acceptable and intimidating versus what is worthy of suspension, but that also makes it fair to wonder if his style of play is starting to catch up with him, leading to last season’s decline in performance. He is not tasked with handling a big offensive load anymore, but if Trouba is going to bounce back in 2024-2025, then he should be closer to 30 points, while hopefully improving his defensive performance.

Braden Schneider

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	6	17	23	0.28

Drafted in the first round in 2020, Schneider has established himself as a reliable third-pair defenceman in the NHL, but he could be ready for more responsibility as he continues to mature. Schneider’s defensive play improved in 2023-2024, even though the Rangers allowed more goals with him on the ice. That was due in large part to bad luck, as Schneider’s five-on-five on-ice save percentage went from .936 in 2022-2023 to .897 last season. He has yet to average 16 minutes per game, and last season’s 19 points counted as a career high, but Schneider did record 27 points in 22 Western Hockey League games during a shortened 2020-2021 season, so he has at least some offensive upside and still holds low end fantasy appeal for his contributions in peripheral categories like hits and blocked shots. He has recorded at least 130 blocked shots in back-to-back seasons and delivered 167 hits last season. Given his limited ice time, it’s easy to project more from Schneider if he is asked to take on more responsibility. Schneider’s offensive potential may not be great, but he could chip in 20-25 points while continuing to increase his impact in other parts of the game.

GOAL

Igor Shesterkin

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
59	35	18	6	5	0.916	2.52

It truly speaks to just how strong the pressure is for goaltender Igor Shesterkin when people talk about his 2023-24 regular season campaign. The 28-year-old Russian-born starter finished the season with numbers well above league average, boasting four shutouts and quality starts in nearly 60 percent of his games - and by most accounts, this year was considered a 'bad' year for him. He quickly established himself as a clear Vezina mainstay, and anything less than top five performances now come across as a red flag - even as the New York Rangers finished their year with a shiny new President's Trophy win.

Even if Shesterkin only replicates last year's numbers, though, the Rangers are still primed to be in excellent shape. Shesterkin will enter the 2024-25 season set to play another year alongside the surprisingly resurgent Jonathan Quick, who serves as a stabilizing veteran presence in the locker room and a fun stylistic foil to Shesterkin's structured play. Quick likely isn't going to be able to serve as a full tandem partner with Shesterkin, so the bulk of the workload will likely still fall to the younger of the pair - but that's perfectly okay. So long as Shesterkin continues to sail through his NHL career putting up top ten performances even in his worst seasons, the Rangers will be in excellent shape.

2024 NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 17:57:50 +0000

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 14: New York Rangers Center Vincent Trocheck (16) and Washington Capitals Center Dylan Strome (17) face off during the National Hockey League game between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers on January 14, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

At a glance, the Rangers-Capitals’ series might be the most lopsided series of all the first-round matchups, in part because Washington looks really bad on paper. Still, the Capitals have gotten this far, so perhaps there’s more to them than meets the eye.

Before we can discuss how Washington might be better than it looks, though, we need to establish why the Capitals look so underwhelming in the first place. For starters, Washington is entering the playoffs with a goal differential of minus-37, which is easily the worst of any playoff-bound squad this year. To put that into perspective, Ottawa, which finished with a 37-41-4 record, had a significantly better minus-26 goal differential. No team in 2023 made the playoffs with a goal differential worse than plus-17 and in 2022 the worst was Dallas at minus-8. Excluding the unusual COVID interrupted 2019-20 campaign, you’d have to go back to 2015-16 to find another postseason with a goal differential worse than minus-10 in Detroit, and even that version of the Red Wings looked leagues better in that metric at minus-13.

All this is to say that, at least in terms of goal differential, the Capitals aren’t just bad for a playoff team, they are historically so. The fancy stats don’t make the case for Washington much brighter. The Capitals Expected Goal Differential Per 60 was minus-0.3, which doesn’t set the Capitals apart by quite as much -- the Islanders made the playoffs at minus-0.28 -- though it is still pretty bad.

This all begs the question: How are the Capitals even here? The simple answer is luck or clutch play, depending on how you want to look at it. Washington was an incredible 20-2-11 in one-goal games compared to 20-29 in all other contests. Just Dallas and the Rangers earned more one-goal victories and, in contrast to Washington, both of those teams finished atop of the standings.

If you do want to ascribe Washington’s success in close contests as the result of clutch play, then you’re likely to feel more optimistic about them in the playoffs. Even if you don’t, though, there are reasons around the margin to think the Capitals are more than the top-line numbers suggest.

Most notable is its goaltending. Darcy Kuemper has skewed the defensive numbers downward with his 3.31 GAA and .890 save percentage across 33 appearances, but barring injury, that’s not necessarily going to matter much in the playoffs. Instead, Washington is likely to lean heavily on Charlie Lindgren, who has excelled with a 25-16-7 record, 2.67 GAA and .911 save percentage in 50 contests this season.

Up front, the Capitals have been terrible this year, averaging just 2.63 goals per game, which ranks 28th in the NHL. However, Alexander Ovechkin was far stronger in the second half of the campaign with 25 goals and 45 points in 46 contests compared to six goals and 20 points over his first 33 appearances. If Ovechkin can carry that into the playoffs, he might give the Rangers some trouble.

Even still, Washington shouldn’t be seen as anything other than an underdog because the gap isn’t even fully about the Capitals’ shortcomings, it’s also due to the Rangers’ abilities.

While Washington might have a couple of veterans capable of stepping up like Ovechkin, the Rangers boast an incredible forward corps. Artemi Panarin was one of the best players this campaign with 49 goals and 120 points, and he’s backed by Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, who each provided at least 25 goals. Aside from Ovechkin, Dylan Strome is the only other Capitals player with even 20 markers.

Then there’s the Rangers defense, which has been solid by limiting the competition to 3.00 xGA/60 (13th in the league), and behind it is one of the league’s top goaltenders in Igor Shesterkin, who had a 36-17-2 record, 2.58 GAA and .912 save percentage over 55 contests this season. Should he get injured or struggle, New York could always turn to Jonathan Quick, who has 92 starts worth of playoff experience and proved to be a capable backup this campaign, posting an 18-6-2 record, 2.62 GAA and .911 save percentage in 27 outings.

With that kind of balance and star power, a Capitals upset in this series would be nothing short of a Cinderella story.

KEY MATCHUPS

Charlie Lindgren vs. Igor Shesterkin

Shesterkin enters this series with a far more impressive resume, and Lindgren will need to keep up to give the Capitals a chance. Although Lindgren is 30 years old, he’s spent most of that career as a journeyman and consequently has no playoff experience, so Game 1 will be a big test for him.

If there is a glimmer of hope here for the Capitals, it’s that Lindgren has a 2-1-0 record, 1.35 GAA and .955 save percentage in three career games against the Rangers. It’s a small sample size, but at least it’s something.

Artemi Panarin vs. Alex Ovechkin

Panarin has enjoyed an outstanding career in which he’s averaged 1.16 PPG in the regular season, but one thing he hasn’t done with regularity is step up in the playoffs. Instead, Panarin has seven goals and 20 points across 30 career playoff appearances. Meanwhile, Ovechkin is one of the top active players in terms of postseason production with 72 markers and 141 points in 147 outings. If Panarin wants to lead the Rangers to the Cup as Ovechkin did for Washington in 2018, he’ll need to step up when it matters most.

Adam Fox vs. John Carlson

This series will pit two top-tier offensive defensemen against each other. Carlson is getting up there in age, but the 34-year-old still contributed 10 goals and 52 points in 82 appearances this season while averaging 25:54 of ice time. Meanwhile, Fox missed a bit of time due to injury, but still surpassed the 70-point milestone for the third consecutive campaign by supplying 17 goals and 56 assists. Unlike Panarin, Fox has also stayed just as strong in past playoff runs, totaling five goals and 31 points across 30 outings.

X-FACTOR

Washington Capitals: The Capitals need to stay out of trouble. The Rangers had a 26.4 conversion rate on power plays in the regular season while Washington was 18th on the penalty kill with a 79 percent success rate. The good news for the Capitals is they were also a pretty disciplined team, taking just 246 minor penalties throughout the campaign, which was the seventh-least in the league. The notable exception to that was Tom Wilson, who tied for second with 38 minors.

New York Rangers: The Rangers already have plenty of depth, but they might get even more with the potential return of Blake Wheeler (lower body) and Filip Chytil (head). Wheeler’s status is uncertain, but Chytil, who hasn’t played since Nov. 2, seems poised to return. Chytil had 22 goals and 45 points in 74 outings in 2022-23, so if rust doesn’t prove to be too big of a hindrance, he could be a nice addition to the third line. Wheeler is also likely to serve in a bottom-six capacity if he does factor in at all. While the 37-year-old isn’t the player he once was, having him healthy would still be a nice luxury.

FANTASY PLAYERS TO TARGET

The Rangers are well-positioned to go far in the playoffs, so taking their players in general is likely a good idea. As mentioned above, Panarin has been somewhat underwhelming overall in the playoffs, but he’s never been this effective before, so I wouldn’t be shy about selecting him in playoff pools. You also shouldn’t overlook Lafreniere, who made great strides in his fourth NHL campaign and seemed to only get better as the season went on, contributing 14 goals and 26 points over his past 28 contests.

Fox is an easy recommendation, but if your playoff league values PIM, hits and blocks, then Trouba is also worthy of consideration. Trouba won’t help you out much offensively after recording just three goals and 22 points in 69 contests this season, but he can contribute in the gritty categories.

I’d be more cautious about Capitals players given that Washington’s chances of making it past the first round are poor. However, Ovechkin might still be worthy of a gamble later in the draft, just because of how much potential value there is there if the Capitals do pull off an upset. Even if they don’t, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make a solid mark on this series.

You could also view Max Pacioretty as a sleeper candidate. He was limited to four goals and 23 points in 47 contests this year, but the 35-year-old might have something more to give. He’s certainly had big campaigns in the past and did look good during his most recent playoff stint in 2021, scoring five goals and 11 points across 13 appearances with Vegas.

PREDICTION

I think it’s fair to believe that the Capitals will put up a fight, but the difference between these teams is too great for me to realistically suggest that they’ll win. I’m projecting the Rangers to take this series in six.

NHL:CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Lindholm and Kuzmenko are traded, plus Logan O’Connor, Ivan Barbashev, Adam Henrique, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:31:42 +0000

Elias Lindholm (28). (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Elias Lindholm and Andrei Kuzmenko are traded, plus Logan O’Connor, Ivan Barbashev, Adam Henrique, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and much, much more!

#1 The Calgary Flames were likely to be a team to watch this season, with so many quality players in the final year of their contracts. The Flames started their trade season in earnest when they moved Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. Lindholm has logged a career-high 20:45 of ice time per game for the Flames this season, but has a modest 32 points (9 G, 23 A) in 49 games. Part of the problem is that he has scored on just 6.9 percent of his shots, his lowest rate since 2015-2016. While Lindholm has typically been a solid play driver for most of his career, he has struggled in that respect this season, so a new situation may help. It will be fascinating to see how Lindholm fits in Vancouver. It’s entirely possible that he is the second line centre, behind Elias Pettersson, which could put a limit on his offensive upside, but there could very well be opportunities for Lindholm to play with Pettersson, too. At the very least, he should be able to expect positive regression on his shooting percentage, so there is some reasonable hope that his production improves down the stretch.

#2 Heading to Calgary in exchange for Lindholm is second-year winger Andrei Kuzmenko, a 27-year-old winger who burst onto the NHL scene by scoring 39 goals for the Canucks last season. This season, he has just eight goals in 43 games and had been a regular resident in Rick Tocchet’s doghouse. Kuzmenko scored on 27.3 percent of his shots last season, so he was among the most obvious regression candidates in the league, but he had also been healthy scratched for multiple games and had seen his ice time cut by nearly two minutes per game. With the Flames, Kuzmenko should see his ice time pick up, with a regular role on the top power play unit. He could be worth a speculative pick up, just because he has to be better than he showed in Vancouver this season, but the Flames are not about to get better, so it could be a challenge for Kuzmenko to put up big numbers the rest of the way.

#3 A couple of Flames players to monitor in the aftermath of the deal are wingers Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich. If Kuzmenko is going to get a chance on the top line, one of those wingers will slide down the depth chart. Sharangovich has tallied 24 points (15 G, 9 A) in his past 24 games, and it would make sense for the Flames to keep him in a prime scoring role. Huberdeau has been wildly disappointing this season, managing 26 points (6 G, 20 A) in 48 games, though he does have nine points (1 G, 8 A) in his past 10 games. As a setup man, Huberdeau may get first crack to play with Kuzmenko, but his performance hardly indicates that this is a surefire solution for either of them.

#4 Although the big stars at the top of the depth chart command the attention in Colorado, one of the unsung heroes for the Avalanche has been right winger Logan O’Connor, a 27-year-old high energy forward who has 16 points (9 G, 7 A) and 30 shots on goal in his past 16 games. O’Connor has zero power play points among his 24 points this season, scoring 21 at evens and three while shorthanded. While it is to his credit that O’Connor has more even-strength points than Nick Suzuki, Steven Stamkos, or Mats Zuccarello, a regular role on the power play helps raise the floor of a player’s potential offensive production.

#5 While the Vegas Golden Knights are battling through some injury trouble, winger Ivan Barbashev has stepped up his game and heads into the All-Star break with 11 points (4 G, 7 A) and 14 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. While he has been productive recently, Barbarashev has seen his ice time drop by more than two minutes per game compared to how much he played for Vegas last season.

#6 A prime candidate on the trade market heading into the All-Star break, Anaheim Ducks centre Adam Henrique has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 20 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. While he is not going to score a point-and-a-half per game over the long haul, it is very encouraging that Henrique is generating shots at that rate, even in a relatively small sample of games.

#7 After scoring 39 points in 82 games during his sophomore campaign last season, Carolina Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis has taken his game to a new level this season. He enters the All-Star break having scored 10 points (1 G, 9 A) with 21 shots on goal in his past eight games and he has scored 38 points (15 G, 23 A) in 48 games. He plays primarily with Sebastian Aho on the Hurricanes’ top line, which is obviously a favorable spot for Jarvis to continue his high level of production.

#8 At the start of the season, the Buffalo Sabres were really giving rookie netminder Devon Levi every opportunity to claim the starting job, but he just couldn’t do it. It turns out that the young goaltender who was ready to handle the starting job was 24-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He has really made his case in the new year, posting a .944 save percentage in eight games since the calendar turned to 2024. Wins don’t come that easily in Buffalo, but Luukkonen is a goaltender who could help provide answers at a position that has tended to offer plenty of questions marks this season.

#9 The Colorado Avalanche inked 39-year-old left winger Zach Parise, which should give them better depth up front. It is unlikely that Parise will step into a significant scoring role, but that can’t be guaranteed, either. As a 38-year-old with the Islanders last season, Parise had contributed 34 points, including 21 goals. It is at least worth watching Parise, to see where he lands when he finally gets into the Colorado lineup.

#10 The fifth pick in the 2019 Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, centre Alex Turcotte had zero points in 12 NHL games coming into this season. He started the season in the American Hockey League, where he produced 23 points (7 G, 16 A) in 28 games, earning a promotion to a struggling Kings squad. Turcotte picked up a goal and an assist in just over 10 minutes of ice time in his second game with Los Angeles, and that might be enough to get him a longer look. Given his relatively slow progress for such a high draft pick, it’s probably wise to proceed with caution when it comes to Turcotte.

#11 Despite Ryan Johansen being a relative disappointment for the Colorado Avalanche, they are getting quality production out of centre Ross Colton. He enters the All-Star break having scored nine points (2 G, 7 A) with 16 shots on goal in his past seven games. Colton is getting a chance on Colorado’s top power play unit, which is enough reason to consider adding him in deeper leagues.

#12 Veteran centre Brayden Schenn was off to a slow start this season and was mired in a 16-game goalless slump when he found the net against Florida on January 9. That started him on the road to scoring 11 points (5 G, 6 A) with 23 shots on goal in his past 11 games. Schenn is skating on a line with Brandon Saad and Jake Neighbours at evens and has been moved to the second power play unit, so his upside is not that high but, right now, he could be a useful addition.

#13 Although wins are not coming easily in Chicago, goaltender Petr Mrazek has been playing very well, giving him surprising fantasy value. Mrazek has a .940 save percentage in his past seven starts, which is outstanding, but he was credited with two victories in that time, so that decreases his relative value.

#14 There are some potential goaltending battles taking place in Southern California. David Rittich has emerged as a viable option for the Los Angeles Kings, outplaying Cam Talbot in recent weeks. Rittich, who started the season in the AHL, has a .924 save percentage in 11 appearances for the Kings. Talbot, who was outstanding early in the season, has managed a .886 save percentage in his past 14 appearances, opening the door for Rittich to earn more time in the crease. In Anaheim, rookie Lukas Dostal is pushing veteran starter John Gibson. Dostal has a .918 save percentage in his past 10 games, which is good enough to earn more playing time. Gibson has a .882 save percentage in his past nine appearances, which is good enough to lose playing time. Gibson is a potential trade candidate for teams needing an answer in goal, which would obviously increase Dostal’s value if that were to ever happen.

#15 The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin was the best goaltender in the world in 2021-2022, when he easily won the Vezina Trophy. He has fallen on hard times recently, though, posting a .863 save percentage in 10 starts since the calendar flipped to January 2024. It’s not as though the Rangers can give veteran Jonathan Quick a significantly larger role, so they just need Shesterkin to get back on track.

#16 Buffalo Sabres right winger Jack Quinn had missed the first couple of months after suffering an Achilles injury, but he stepped right into the lineup and produced 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 17 games. Unfortunately, he will miss the next two months while he recovers from a lower-body injury that required surgery. The initial beneficiary in the Sabres lineup could be captain Kyle Okposo, who has just two points (1 G, 1 A) in his past 12 games but is looking at an opportunity to skate on the Sabres’ top line with Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson.

#17 It has been a tough season for the Columbus Blue Jackets and does not appear to be getting any easier for them heading down the stretch. Rookie centre Adam Fantilli will miss the next two months due to a lacerated calf. Fantilli ranked fourth among rookies in scoring with 27 points (12 G,15 A). The Blue Jackets also lost Patrik Laine to the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Laine hasn’t played since mid-December and was getting the lowest average ice time of his career (15:13 per game). Rookie centre Dmitri Voronkov, who has five goals and 24 shots on goal in his past seven games, is one Blue Jackets players that could get a bigger role, as could sophomore winger Kent Johnson, who is very talented but also has zero goals and two assists in his past 11 games.

#18 The New York Rangers have lost centre Filip Chytil for the rest of the season due to concussions. He had been out since November 2, but there was still some hope that he could return to his role as a valuable third-line centre before suffering a setback in his recovery. The Rangers were already candidates to acquire another centre via trade, but this situation makes that a virtual certainty now. As it is, journeyman Jonny Brodzinski, who has a career-high 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in 30 games, is the Blueshirts’ third line centre.

#19 Here are three forwards that could be buy-low candidates because of relatively low on-ice shooting percentages. Tom Wilson (5.2 OiSH%) last finished with an on-ice shooting percentage under 8.0% was 2014-2015. Matty Beniers (5.4 OiSH%) finished last season with an on-ice shooting percentage of 11.9% and maybe that was unsustainably high, but the pendulum has moved too far in the other direction this season. Jamie Benn (6.7 OiSH%) had a career-high 13.1% on-ice shooting percentage last season and regression has hit him hard in 2023-2024 as he is now at a career low.

#20 At the other end, here are three players that have benefitted from high on-ice shooting percentages and might be good sell-high candidates. Tyler Seguin (12.1 OiSH%) is rocking a career-high on-ice shooting percentage and the last time he finished a season higher than 10.0% was in 2014-2015. Casey Mittelstadt (12.7 OiSH%) finished last season with a 9.7 OiSH%, a career high, and he is obliterating that this season, so he is probably due for regression. Dylan Larkin (12.2 OiSH%) has never finished a season with an on-ice shooting percentage over 10.0% and is more than 20% beyond that mark right now.

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – November 6th to 12th – Teams to target with trending players and opportunities

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:44:20 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) skates with the puck during the NHL professional men’s hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks on November 2, 2023 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire)

Last week I posed the question: Are the San Jose Sharks historically bad? Since then, they’ve been outscored 20-3 over the span of two games. I’m not going to make a second straight article headlined by the Sharks but…yikes.

Still, there’s a team sadder than them: The Edmonton Oilers. The Sharks might be the worst team this year, perhaps even the worst team ever assembled, but they were never supposed to be good. By contrast, the Oilers are actually trying to win the Cup, and yet they’re 2-7-1.

With each passing year, the possibility of squandering the luxury of having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together becomes even more real. After all, this is the ninth year they’ve been together. It’s not like it’s bound to get much easier either: Draisaitl is signed until the summer of 2025 at $8.5 million and after that, he’ll either demand a massive raise or, if he doesn’t think Edmonton is going anywhere, he’ll move on in the hopes of pursuing the Cup in the back half of his career. If Draisaitl leaves, McDavid could follow in the summer of 2026.

So, the stakes are very high, but can Edmonton rise to the occasion? There’s still time, even if they have dug themselves into a deep hole, but at this point, I think the only way for them to make the playoffs and compete for a spot is to somehow acquire a solid goaltender. That’s not a small ask. Teams with good goaltending aren’t exactly jumping to part with it, but Jack Campbell has been dreadful in Edmonton (a 3.53 GAA and an .886 save percentage through 41 contests with the Oilers), and while Stuart Skinner might rebound, the young goaltender isn’t a safe enough bet.

To be clear: This is on the goaltending. Edmonton’s expected goals allowed ranks eighth this season at 31.66, so the defense has been doing its part. The Oilers forwards have gotten off to a sluggish start, but the pieces are there, so I have faith that Edmonton’s forwards will come through. Unless the goaltending changes, though, that likely won’t matter.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim has three home games this week, hosting Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Philadelphia on Friday and San Jose on Sunday. The Sharks are, of course, the worst of those teams, but the Penguins have struggled too, posting a 4-6-0 record. Sure, Pittsburgh earned a 10-2 win Saturday, but…it was against the Sharks.

The Ducks are red hot, winning five straight going into the week. Mason McTavish has been a big part of that, scoring five goals and eight points during the run, which brings him up to 12 points through 10 contests this season. I don’t expect him to maintain his offensive pace, but he should easily surpass his 43-point rookie finish.

Ryan Strome is hot too, contributing two goals and eight points over his last eight outings. He did miss Wednesday’s contest, but don’t worry about that -- it was just an illness, so he should play Tuesday.

In net, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Anaheim continue to lean heavily on Lukas Dostal, who has started in the last three contests. His GAA isn’t great (2.80), but he has a fantastic save percentage (.920), and with the quality of the Ducks competition this week, Dostal has a solid chance of picking up another two wins.

Dallas Stars

The Stars have a busy week ahead of them. First, they’ll host the Bruins on Monday, then they’ll make stops in Columbus on Thursday, Winnipeg on Saturday and Minnesota on Sunday.

Dallas is off to a 7-2-1 start, partially thanks to its deep offense. Even Matt Duchene, who was scoreless over his first four contests with the Stars, settled in, recording a five-game point streak from Oct. 24-Nov. 2 (two goals, three assists). However, he exited Saturday’s game after sustaining an upper-body injury on a high hit from Vancouver’s Ian Cole, so his status for Monday’s outing is in question.

Radek Faksa is also dealing with an upper-body injury, and if both miss time, then Sam Steel might have an opportunity to serve in a middle-six role and even get some power-play ice time. Steel isn’t a major offensive force, but that opportunity is worth keeping in mind, given Dallas’ packed schedule. If Duchene is healthy, though, he’d be worth leaning on given his recent play.

Digging deeper, Mason Marchment has some short-term value. The middle-six forward’s looked strong lately, collecting two goals and four points over his last five appearances.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers have been up-and-down thus far, earning wins against strong competition like New Jersey on Oct. 16, Toronto on Oct. 19 and Detroit on Nov. 2 while also being one of just two teams to deny Boston a regulation-time victory (Florida lost 3-2 in overtime Monday). However, the Panthers also suffered a 5-2 loss to the lowly Blackhawks on Saturday and are 5-4-1 overall.

This week will be a test for the Panthers with home games against Columbus, Carolina and Chicago on Monday, Friday and Sunday, respectively, as well as a road match versus Washington on Wednesday. Those are all winnable games. Carolina (7-5-0) and Washington (5-4-1) do have PTS% over .500, but not by much.

Anton Lundell should make for a good pickup this week. The 22-year-old was held off the scoresheet for the first five contests of the campaign, but he’s provided a goal and three points over his last five games. His increased production goes hand-in-hand with added responsibility, jumping from an average of 13:27 of ice time during his slump to 16:41 over his last five outings.

It might also be a big week for Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a 4-3-1 record, 2.51 GAA and .913 save percentage through eight appearances this year. This week’s contests are spread out enough that he could start in all four, which might be exactly what the Panthers do, given how sparingly they’ve used Anthony Stolarz. It’s also not like Stolarz demanded an expanded role Saturday -- he stopped 19 of 23 shots in a 5-2 loss to Chicago.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will look to build off their incredible 8-2-1 start with a home stretch against Detroit on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday and Columbus on Sunday. The Red Wings have done well themselves (7-4-1), but the Wild and Blue Jackets are off to mediocre starts.

It will be a challenging stretch for New York, though, because Adam Fox (lower body) and Filip Chytil (upper body) were hurt Thursday and will not be an option this week. Their absence forces the Rangers to make significant changes, particularly on the power play.

Erik Gustafsson is now likely to serve on the top power-play unit, so his fantasy value will go up meaningfully during Fox’s absence.

Meanwhile, without Chytil, Blake Wheeler might see time on the second power-play unit. Wheeler has been used sparingly by New York -- just an average of 11:58 per game -- and he consequently has just one assist through 11 contests. The 37-year-old finished the 2022-23 campaign with 16 goals and 55 points in 72 outings, though, so even in the tail end of his career, he can still chip in offensively under the right circumstances.

Artemi Panarin should still run the show, though. He has six goals and 18 points in 11 contests this year and is showing no signs of slowing down, providing three goals and 10 points over his last five outings.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are obviously bad, but they do have a full schedule this week. They’ll host Philadelphia on Tuesday and Edmonton on Thursday before visiting Vegas on Friday and Anaheim on Sunday.

If that schedule belonged to any other team, I wouldn’t hesitate to include them, but is there anyone playing for San Jose who has fantasy value? Certainly not its goaltenders, who have combined for a 4.75 GAA and an .873 save percentage.

What about on offense? San Jose has averaged 1.09 goals per game, so the pickings are slim there too. However, Tomas Hertl did have two assists Saturday, bringing him up to a goal and seven points in 11 contests. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him do some damage this week, particularly against Edmonton’s shaky goaltending.

Anthony Duclair might be worthy of a short-term pickup as well. He has just two goals and three points in 11 contests, but he’s not far removed from his 58-point campaign in 2021-22. Plus, the upside of being with San Jose is he does get a solid amount of playing time, including first power-play unit responsibilities.

Keep an eye on William Eklund too. The 21-year-old has just a goal and an assist, but the 2021 seventh-overall pick does have considerable upside and is getting top-six minutes.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning will complete their four-game road trip with visits to Toronto and Montreal on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Then they’ll spend some time at home while facing the Blackhawks on Thursday and the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Outside of Tampa Bay’s usual suspects, Alex Barre-Boulet is doing very well, collecting three goals and six points over his last six outings. The 26-year-old is an interesting one because he was never drafted and had just nine points in 32 contests going into this campaign. However, he earned this opportunity by excelling in the AHL, finishing the 2022-23 campaign with 24 goals and 84 points in 69 appearances with Syracuse, and has shown that his skills can translate to the top level. Barre-Boulet is averaging just 13:14 of ice time, but some of that’s with Nikita Kucherov, so if he’s available in your league, he’s worth taking a chance on.

If you could use a source of hits, Tanner Jeannot can fill that role during the Lightning’s busy week. He has 34 hits in 11 contests thus far and should maintain that aggressive play. Jeannot will probably continue getting into trouble, too, after accumulating 13 PIM this campaign. On the offensive side, he’s not a huge asset, but his two goals and five points are respectable for this stage of the season, and the 26-year-old consistently plays on the second power-play unit.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has dropped its last four games, bringing its record down to 5-4-2. That’s not so bad that it’s time to panic -- The Maple Leafs started 4-4-2 last year en route to a 50-21-11 campaign -- but it’s fair to say some serious questions about the team’s viability as contenders have been raised.

They’ll have an opportunity to step up this week with a key home stretch featuring the Lightning on Monday, Senators on Wednesday, Flames on Friday and Canucks on Saturday. While those aren’t easy teams, though Calgary is 3-7-1, playing at home should help.

What would help more is if the supporting cast stepped up for the Leafs. The Core Four of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitchell Marner and John Tavares have done their part, combining for an incredible 26 goals. That’s more goals than the entirety of the Blues or Capitals and more than double the Sharks.

The rest of the forward core is a barren wasteland, though. Matthew Knies has just two goals and four points, Max Domi has four helpers and Tyler Bertuzzi has two markers and three points.

Calle Jarnkrok is showing a bit of life, though. He has a goal and five points this campaign but has registered a point in back-to-back contests. The Leafs have been doing so line juggling, but Jarnkrok has seen time recently alongside Matthews and Marner, which certainly helps his potential value. If you’re going to gamble on any non-star Toronto player, Jarnkrok seems like the best bet right now.

Bertuzzi might be a good buy-low candidate. He’s struggled to find his rhythm with Toronto, but he’s a capable top-six forward who should turn things around. He certainly has reason to want more out of himself, given that he’s playing on a one-year contract.

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver will start the week hosting the struggling Oilers before facing Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal on the road on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Canucks are off to an 8-2-1 start and on a three-game winning streak, so they couldn’t be much hotter entering this batch of contests.

Elias Pettersson is leading the offense with six goals and 20 points in 11 contests this campaign, while defenseman Quinn Hughes isn’t far behind, providing four goals and 16 points. However, Vancouver also has gotten help up and down the lineup.

Filip Hronek is on a six-game point streak and has collected 11 helpers this year. He’ll slow down at some point, but for now, he’s a great component to any fantasy team.

If Ilya Mikheyev is still available in your league, he’s worth scooping up over the short term. Mikheyev has never recorded more than 32 points in a single campaign, but injuries are a big part of the reason why. He also missed the start of the 2023-24 campaign after undergoing ACL surgery in January, but since returning, he’s provided three goals and six points in seven outings. He’s been playing alongside Pettersson, and as long as that remains the case, Mikheyev should be productive.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW YORK RANGERS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 18:52:44 +0000

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 04: New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) in warm up before a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers on March 4, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

REVIEW: The Rangers entered 2022-23 as serious contenders, and their performance in the regular season helped reinforce that. Their biggest weakness was their mediocre defense, which finished 16th in 5-on-5 expected goals against (174.2), but that was about the closest the team had to a concern and even that wasn’t a big deal because the Rangers employed goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He posted a 37-13-8 record, 2.48 GAA and .916 save percentage in 58 starts, leaving the Rangers with the fourth-best goals against per game (2.63) despite that mediocre defense. Additionally, while the Rangers’ blueliners didn’t make life easy for Shesterkin, they were great drivers of the offense with former Norris Trophy-winner Adam Fox leading the charge with 12 goals and 72 points. The squad also featured a strong and deep forward cast headlined by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, who recorded 92 and 91 points, respectively. Seeing this team’s potential, GM Chris Drury put his cards on the table by acquiring forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane before the deadline. The Rangers entered the playoffs equipped for a lengthy run but were ultimately eliminated in a seven-game first round series against the Devils.

What’s Changed? Tarasenko left as a free agent while Kane, who isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the campaign after undergoing offseason hip resurfacing surgery, remains unsigned. The Rangers did add a fresh top-six forward option, though, by signing Blake Wheeler after he was bought out by Winnipeg. Jonathan Quick was also inked to serve as Shesterkin’s new backup.

What would success look like? Given the talent on this team coupled with the fact that Panarin, Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, Jacob Trouba and Shesterkin are all now firmly in their prime, the goal this season must be a substantial playoff run, if not the Cup. One thing that’d really help in that regard is if Kaapo Kakko and/or Alexis Lafreniere took a significant step forward after recording 40 and 39 points, respectively, last year. Both have the potential to be great top-six forwards, and if they breakout it would elevate what’s already a strong offensive core.

What could go wrong? Shesterkin getting hurt is naturally the nightmare scenario, but it would be an especially big problems this year because the alternative is Quick, who posted a 3.41 GAA and an .882 save percentage in 41 contests last season. Combine that with the fact that Quick will turn 38 in January, and he’s not even a safe bet to be an acceptable backup, let alone assume the starting gig if the need arose. While on the subject of injuries: Panarin, Zibanejad, Fox, Trocheck and Trouba all played the full 82 games last year. Can the Rangers count on being that lucky this time around?

Top Breakout Candidate: A lot is expected of first overall picks, so the fact that Lafreniere has 47 goals and 91 points in 216 career NHL contests is disappointing, but it’s worth remembering that he’ll be turning just 22 on Oct. 11. The Rangers’ offensive depth has also put them in a position to ease him into the lineup far more gradually than a typical top pick, which partially explains his slow growth. Entering a two-year, $4.65 million “show me” contract, Lafreniere has the talent and motivation to take a significant step forward.

Forwards

Mika Zibanejad

A big strong center who set a career high with 91 points (39 G, 52 A) last season, Zibanejad works well with Panarin, and has averaged more than three shots on goal per game in three of the past four seasons. His 133 goals rank ninth and 297 points ranks 14^th in the league over that time. He scored 20 power play goals last season and has 60 goals with the man advantage over the past four seasons, the latter ranking second behind only Leon Draisaitl. Zibanejad has a strong base which allows him to shield the puck effectively, giving him more time to make a play or find an opening for a shot. It is noteworthy that Zibanejad was below break-even in terms of Corsi percentage and expected goal percentage, even though the Blueshirts outscored the opposition 51-34 during five-on-five play with Zibanejad on the ice. Zibanejad had a blistering finish to the regular season, tallying 23 points (7 G, 16 A), with 36 shots on goal in his last 16 games. Of course, like Panarin, Zibanejad struggled in the postseason, with four points (1 G, 3 A) in seven games against New Jersey. Considering how consistently productive he has been in recent seasons 35 goals and 80-plus points should be a fair expectation for Zibanejad’s production in 2023-2024.

Artemi Panarin

Playoff struggles, including zero goals and two assists in a seven-game first-round loss against New Jersey last season, are starting to overshadow Panarin’s outstanding regular season production. In four seasons with the Rangers, he has accumulated 341 points (100 G, 241 A) in 268 games, which ranks fourth in the entire league in that span, finishing behind Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon. That track record suggests that small sample playoff struggles should not be Panarin’s defining characteristic. Panarin has excellent vision on the ice and can find an open teammate with ease, sometimes to the detriment of his own scoring. He has a top tier shot, capable of scoring from distance, but when he gets too focused on playing the setup role, he loses some of his effectiveness. Panarin is also a force on the Blueshirts’ power play. After the All-Star break, Panarin racked up 42 points (17 G, 25 A) with 75 shots on goal in 33 games. That he would suddenly fall flat in the postseason was hardly a foregone conclusion. There is little reason to believe that his regular-season production is going to dry up, so expect 25-plus goals and 90-plus points from the Rangers’ game-breaking winger.

Vincent Trocheck

A feisty two-way center, Trocheck put up 64 points (22 G, 42 A) in his first season with the Rangers, his most since a career high 75 points for Florida in 2017-2018. He did this despite his shooting percentage dipping to 9.8% after scoring on 12.9% of his shots in the previous two seasons with Carolina. In addition to his point production, Trocheck drives play and brings a physical game, so he offers substantial value in the second-line center spot. He has recorded more than 180 hits in each of the past two seasons, one of 12 forwards to cross that threshold in both seasons. In the last month of the regular season, Trocheck contributed 15 points (3 G, 12 A) in 17 games all while his ice time decreased. He had averaged 19:54 time on ice per game before that point and then played 17:06 per game the rest of the way, losing first unit power play time to Patrick Kane. With Kane unsigned, that could mean that Trocheck returns to the Rangers’ first power play unit, depending on where Blake Wheeler fits in, and Trocheck should still have a good chance to hit 60 points.

Chris Kreider

Kreider was practically guaranteed to regress after scoring 52 goals in 2021-2022 and he did, but 36 goals last season still counted as the second highest total of his career, and he scored one more even strength goal than he did during his 52-goal campaign. Kreider has rare skating ability for a winger of such size. He is listed at 6’ 3”, 230 pounds and when he gets a full head of steam going, he is a handful for defenders. Kreider also uses that size to bang bodies on the forecheck and create space in front of the net. He is superb in the net front position on the power play, setting screens, tipping pucks, and knocking in rebounds. It is not the most glamorous work, but those goals all count, too. Because of the manner in which he scores so many of his goals, Kreider is not in position to pick up a lot of assists. In his last 22 games of the regular season, Kreider had 11 goals and just one assist! The rarity of those helpers does put a limit on Kreider’s scoring totals, but he could still deliver 35 goals this season. It might just come with something like 55 points.

Blake Wheeler

Bought out of the last year of his contract by the Winnipeg Jets, Wheeler will be 37 by the time the season starts, and he is no longer the premier setup man that he was at his peak, but he can still contribute offensively. He has 161 points (48 G, 113 A) in 187 games across the past three seasons, ranking 64^th in the league over that time. Wheeler is much more a distributor than shooter, so if he is in a setup role that should still play to his strengths even if he is in the decline phase of his career. Last season started well for Wheeler, as he produced 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 25 games, he had just five points (1 G, 4 A) in his last 13 games. To his credit, Wheeler earned six points (2 G, 4 A) in Winnipeg’s five-game first-round loss to Vegas. In a supporting role with the Rangers, Wheeler can still put up 55-60 points and, on his bargain contract, that will provide significant value.

Filip Chytil

The Rangers’ third line center busted out last season to set career highs of 22 goals and 45 points. He has a quick release and his confidence noticeably increased as he started to find the net. He had a 13-game stretch from early January to early February in which he scored 11 goals on 36 shots, which was phenomenal production considering he was playing 15 minutes per game. Chytil was obviously not going to keep scoring on 30% of his shots, but he scored 19 of his 22 goals at even strength and his career high shooting percentage of 12.4% was hardly an unreasonably lofty rate. The challenge for Chytil to increase his production is how to get more ice time. With Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck ahead of him on the depth chart, Chytil does face an uphill battle trying to earn more time with a scoring line. Under those circumstances, Chytil should be able to produce 40 points, but if he could find his way to a bigger role, then obviously there is more upside to be discovered.

Kaapo Kakko

Drafted second overall in 2019, Kakko has taken some time to find his footing in the NHL, but he made progress last season, connecting for career highs of 18 goals and 40 points. The puck tends to move the right way when Kakko is on the ice and, aside from his rookie season, the Rangers have outscored the opposition with Kakko on the ice, so the 22-year-old right winger is having a positive impact for the Blueshirts. Can he take his game to another level, one in which he scores more consistently and plays an even bigger role? That should be his objective, but Kakko’s progress has been gradual, so it is hard to fathom a sudden explosion. Consistency can be a challenge for Kakko, but he flashes potential. In a nine-game stretch starting in mid-January, Kakko produced 10 points (2 G, 8 A), and he is still just 22-years-old. If Kakko continues to skate on the third line, then another 40-point season is a reasonable hope. If he earns a spot in the top six, there is room for him to grow offensively.

Alexis Lafreniere

When you are the first overall pick, as Lafreniere was in 2020, expectations are for immediate stardom, rather than preaching patience for eventual results. On one hand, Lafreniere had a career high 39 points (16 G, 23 A) and started to have more of a physical impact with 141 hits last season. At the same time, the first overall pick is three years into his career and is still searching for his first 20-goal campaign. There was an 11-game stretch in January and February last season in which Lafreniere produced 10 points (5 G, 5 A), and that is tempting production from a 21-year-old. Lafreniere’s supporters can note that he has scored 32 even-strength goals in the past two seasons, which is the same number as Sam Reinhart, Rickard Rakell, Jamie Benn, and Brayden Schenn. It is one more even-strength goal than Mika Zibanejad. In any case, if Lafreniere has been disappointing to this point in his career, all hope is not lost. All the same, time is of the essence if he is going to prove that he is more than a third-line winger. Lafreniere does not have great speed at this level and has found it difficult to create separation in the NHL. That may not change, but he is getting comfortable with his physical play and a 40-point season should be within his grasp.

Barclay Goodrow

With back-to-back seasons of more than 30 points, Goodrow has increased his offensive output since arriving in New York. Even so, he is probably playing too much, as the Rangers have been getting outshot handily with Goodrow on the ice. He is a gritty forward who adds a physical presence, but he is paid too much to toil on the fourth line and that is probably where he fits best. Goodrow has surpassed 30 points in both of his seasons with the Rangers but, with any objective evaluation, he would start losing ice time, because the Rangers fare better when he is not on the ice, so it might be a reach to expect a third consecutive 30-point season for Goodrow.

Defense

Adam Fox

One of the premier defensemen in the league, Fox won the Norris Trophy in 2020-2021 and has finished fifth and second, respectively, in voting in the two years since. The 25-year-old standout has recorded more than 70 points in back-to-back seasons as he has become very adept at quarterbacking the Rangers’ power play. Fox has a great understanding of the game, anticipates where he needs to be and is confident when he moves the puck. He dominates possession at both ends of the rink and the Rangers have outscored opponents by 82 goals at even strength in Fox’s four NHL seasons, which ranks sixth among defensemen over that span. He is a perennial Norris Trophy contender in his prime. Fox had a nine-game point streak in November, during which he accumulated 14 points (4 G, 10 A), and had two six-game point streaks in January and March, respectively. His consistent power play production should give Fox yet another season with more than 70 points.

K’Andre Miller

The rangy 23-year-old blueliner is emerging as a standout stick-on-puck defender. Standing 6’ 5”, with a great reach and outstanding skating ability, Miller can swallow up the space surrounding any attacking player. His confidence and point production both seemed to spike in his third NHL campaign, as Miller scored 38 of his 43 points at even strength. That is the same number of even-strength points as Miro Heiskanen, Alex Pietrangelo, and Brent Burns. Miller’s offensive breakthrough started in December, when he had 15 points (4 G, 11 A) in a 16-game span. His limited role on the power play does put a ceiling on what Miller can reasonably be expected to produce so it is fair to expect 30 to 35 points. Maybe he can get back to 43 points despite limited power play production, but that is a tall order.

Jacob Trouba

A thundering hitter who is one of the most intimidating defenders in the league, Trouba has recorded 425 hits and 373 blocked shots, ranking seventh and second among defensemen, respectively, while missing just one game in the past two seasons. Trouba is not just a physical presence, however. He is a strong skater who can move the puck and has recorded four seasons with at least 30 points in his career, including the past two seasons, when his per-game shot rates have also been the highest of his career. Trouba was the only Rangers regular to be outscored during five-on-five play, but he also had an expected goals percentage of 49.1%, so getting outscored looks like it was earned. He is not asked to handle a huge offensive role, but Trouba can still contribute in that way. During a nine-game stretch in March, he produced 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 24 shots on goal. He should still be good to deliver a 30-point season for the Rangers.

Erik Gustafsson

While the veteran blueliner has not necessarily had the most secure place in the lineup for most of his previous six stops in the NHL, he has tended to deliver quality results, so he is a valuable third pair defender who skates and moves the puck well enough to offer support on the power play. In New York, there is little pressure for Gustafsson to play a prime puck-moving role, but he does give the club insurance behind Fox and Miller, at the very least. Gustafsson’s puck skills can lead to some scoring surges. In December of last season, when he was playing for Washington, Gustafsson scored 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in seven games and only two of those points were on the power play. He added eight assists in the last six games that he played for Washington before getting traded to Toronto. There is some variability when setting expectations for Gustafsson, and it just requires a simple look at his track record. There are a lot of ups and down in his career, so the safe expectation is to look for 30 to 35 points, understanding that he is capable of more if he is given the ice time to do it.

Goaltending

Igor Shesterkin

Everyone was watching the Big Apple last season to see if goaltending phenom Igor Shesterkin – who seamlessly transitioned the Rangers from the Henrik Lundqvist era to a new one under his regime – was the real deal. And while the 27-year-old’s fourth year of NHL games didn’t quite yield the same superhuman numbers that he had put up the year prior, he was still good enough to sit comfortably among the league’s biggest threats – even on a team that hadn’t made back-to-back playoff appearances since 2017.

Shesterkin’s game is rivaled by very few around the league; during an era of tumultuous performances and changing guards for the NHL’s goaltending corps, he’s one of the most impressively consistent young talents available. He’s managed to steady the ship for the Rangers as they flirt the line between a quick retooling and a full rebuild, taking the controlled and precise style that Henrik Lundqvist perfected for the Rangers and adding a few twists of explosive strength and speed all his own. He has one of the league’s most consistent baselines; after every shot, he manages to re-set himself flat on the goal line to give himself a better opportunity to face tricky offensive systems designed to draw goaltenders out of position. Add in a strong tracking game and mental read of shooters, coupled with a game that minimizes extra movement to avoid fatigue, and there’s very little about Shesterkin that’s not to like. The only real question this year? Just how he’ll handle sharing a net with a Lundqvist-era legend; he’ll share the crease with none other than Connecticut native Jonathan Quick, who has returned to the East Coast to back up Shesterkin after a disappointing year for Jaroslav Halak as his number two. Quick’s style sits on the opposite end of the spectrum from Shesterkin’s – so it will be interesting to see how the team handles such variance in what they’ll need to do to prepare for games with each of their respective starters.

Projected starts: 60-65

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Trade market heating up – Players with increasing value

Scott Cullen — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:43:06 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 05: New York Rangers center Filip Chytil (72) tracks the play during the New York Rangers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on January 05, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/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 Rangers dive into the trade market and the St. Louis Blues might just be getting started as sellers. Players with increasing value include Filip Chytil, Ondrej Palat, Blake Coleman, Kyle Palmieri, and more.

#1 The Rangers acquired right winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues, and the veteran has 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 38 games, but has failed to record a point in four games since returning from a broken hand that kept him out of the lineup for more than three weeks. Moving to the Rangers ought to give Tarasenko a chance to play with Artemi Panarin, which is a plus, and Tarasenko is already due for some positive shooting percentage regression – he has a 9.7% shooting percentage, and he has never had a season in which he played more than 25 games and finished with a shooting percentage below 10.0%.

#2 Heading back to St. Louis, winger Sammy Blais did not really work out in New York, managing zero goals and nine assists in 54 games going back to last season. Blais has some fantasy sleeper appeal, especially in banger leagues, because the Blues are likely to give him more playing time than he was getting with the Rangers and Blais is a prolific hitter, averaging more than three hits per game for his career.

#3 With Tarasenko departing, the immediate beneficiary in St. Louis would seem to be winger Jake Neighbours, the 20-year-old rookie who is in the AHL, but he has contributed eight points (4 G, 4 A) in 27 games and is poised to play a bigger role down the stretch if the Blues are going to embark on a serious rebuild by dealing their veterans with expiring deals. If the Blues are going into overhauling their roster, Ryan O’Reilly and Ivan Barbashev will both have plenty of appeal on the trade market, and they have veteran defensemen on long-term deals – Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, Colton Parayko, and Nick Leddy – and it would not be a shock to see the Blues try to move one of them as well.

#4 A first-round pick of the Rangers in 2017, Filip Chytil is having a breakthrough season. He has tallied seven goals during a five-game goal-scoring streak, giving him career highs of 19 goals and 32 points in 43 games. Chytil is scoring on 20.2% of his shots, after scoring on 8.8% of his shots in 253 games prior to this season, so that shooting percentage is due to fall, but he is giving the Rangers a legitimate secondary scoring option.

#5 The New Jersey Devils are going to be without center Jack Hughes on a week-to-week basis due to an upper-body injury. That is a big absence from the lineup as Hughes put up 28 goals and 46 points in his last 30 games before the All-Star break. With Hughes out, Nico Hischier, Erik Haula, Dawson Mercer, and Michael McLeod fill out the middle of the ice for New Jersey and Ondrej Palat moved onto the No. 1 power play unit in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Seattle. Palat has nine points (3 G, 6 A) in his past nine games.

#6 Scoring Calgary’s only goal in Thursday’s 2-1 loss at Detroit, Blake Coleman has forced his way into fantasy relevance. In his past 11 games, he has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) and 42 shots on goal. He is not hitting as much as he has in previous seasons, but Coleman’s elevated shot rate still gives him value across multiple categories.

#7 The production might be of the empty calorie variety for an Anaheim Ducks team that is nowhere close to competitive, but Frank Vatrano is at his volume-shooting best in recent games. In his past five games, Vatrano has seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 25 shots on goal, and anyone who is getting shots like that becomes interesting for fantasy managers. Vatrano has only scored on 7.8% of his shots this season, which would be the lowest mark of his career, so he is likely due for more good fortune around the net.

#8 Veteran winger Kyle Palmieri has not been as productive with the Islanders as he was during his prime in New Jersey, but he could have some sleeper value for the stretch run. He has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 19 shots on goal in his past seven games, while averaging more than 17 minutes per game. Palmieri also has 47 hits in 28 games, so that makes him a more viable deep league option.

#9 It has been anything but a smooth path for 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, who has a modest 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 50 games in his third NHL season. He was even a healthy scratch earlier in the season, but with the Rangers reuniting Lafreniere with Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, they may have a quality secondary scoring line. Lafreniere has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past six games. That counts as his most points in any six-game segment of the season and his most shots in a six-game stretch since October.

#10 Vegas Golden Knights right winger Phil Kessel is showing signs of life on their recent stretch of road games, putting up five points (3 G, 2 A) and 18 shots on goal in six straight games away from T-Mobile Arena. Kessel is clearly on the downside of his career, but could still help in a complementary role, and the Golden Knights need all hands on-deck now that captain Mark Stone is out for the rest of the season due to back surgery.

#11 San Jose Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov has been a reluctant shooter, but he is making his mark in a scoring role. In the past 16 games, he has accumulated 12 points (4 G, 8 A) and 24 shots on goal. That shot rate is not the most encouraging sign, but he is playing big minutes – 20 minutes or more in six of his past 18 games. After struggling to gain footing with Toronto, the 28-year-old has made the most of his opportunity in San Jose.

#12 Most of the time, in 20 Fantasy Points, the focus is on players that could provide more value in the future. There are a few players to consider this week that have declining value. First up is Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen, who has two points (1 G, 1 A) with 14 shots on goal in his past seven games. Anyone getting a chance to play alongside Nathan MacKinnon has value, of course, but if Lehkonen’s production slows down, it becomes easier for the Avs to replace him in that spot.

#13 Seattle Kraken rookie center Matty Beniers is considered the clear front-runner in the Calder Trophy race for top rookie, but he has hit a rough patch, going without a point and managing 10 shots on goal in his past seven games. Beniers still leads all rookies with 17 goals and 36 points, but the longer this slump goes, the more opportunity there will be for challengers like Cole Perfetti and Mason McTavish, who are seven and eight points behind, respectively, to catch up.

#14 Surprisingly effective early in the season for the Detroit Red Wings, winger Dominik Kubalik had 25 points (10 G, 15 A) while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time in 25 games. In the two months since then, Kubalik has nine points (4 G, 5 A) in 24 games and is playing less than 14 minutes per game. Sure, the Red Wings are getting healthier up front, which makes it more difficult to maintain that ice time, but the crash in production did not have to be quite so dramatic.

#15 Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson has often looked overwhelmed in recent seasons. It’s understandable, as the Ducks allow the highest rate of shots against in the league. He has turned in a respectable .906 save percentage since the holiday break, but the workload is getting outrageous. In those 13 games, he has faced 40 or more shots six times, and landed on 39 shots against in two more games. When it comes to fantasy value, Gibson has the potential to provide huge value because of how many shots he faces, but the downside of giving up five or six goals is too much, especially because it means that he is not likely to accumulate wins.

#17 With Cam Talbot injured, Anton Forsberg is getting more reps in goal for the Ottawa Senators. He has won four straight games and his .905 save percentage in 27 games is just a little below league average. The wins are a little easier to come by in Ottawa, at least relative to other non-playoff teams, so if Forsberg is getting regular starts, he becomes a viable option, especially in deeper fantasy leagues.

#18 Considering that Jacob Markstrom was a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy last season, it did not seem like a goalie controversy was going to be part of this season for the Calgary Flames, but it does appear to be trending in that direction. Markstrom has a .892 save percentage, which would be the lowest of his career for a season in which he played at least 20 games. Meanwhile, Daniel Vladar has a .903 save percentage in 20 appearances, which is okay, enough to get him more starts while Markstrom is struggling. Maybe the real question is whether the Flames would consider calling up Dustin Wolf from the AHL. The 21-year-old has a .928 save percentage in 34 games for the Calgary Wranglers this season, after a .924 mark in 47 AHL games last season.

#19 Since the holiday break, the Florida Panthers have the most productive power play, scoring 12.74 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. That comes in just ahead of the Edmonton Oilers (12.57), who have had the best power play in the league by a substantial margin. With the Panthers burying their power play chances, Matthew Tkachuk is tied for the lead in five-on-four scoring since the holiday break with 13 points in 19 games. Connor McDavid has 13 five-on-four points in 17 games. Other Panthers boosting their power play point totals in that time: Aleksander Barkov (11), Sam Reinhart (9), and Brandon Montour (8), who are all among the Top 15 five-on-four scorers.

#20 Again, since the holiday break, looking at players with the highest rate of on-ice expected goals in all situations, Matthew Tkachuk holds the lead among players with at least 100 minutes played at 6.13, followed by Nikolaj Ehlers (5.67), Roope Hintz (5.62), Zach Hyman (5.42), and Auston Matthews (5.36). Some interesting and possibly unexpected names in the Top 25 include Kyle Palmieri, Carter Verhaeghe, Tomas Hertl, and Michael Eyssimont. Strictly during five-on-five play, Tkachuk and Verhaeghe rank 1-2, followed by Hertl, Sam Bennett, and Jaccob Slavin. The takeaway here is that the Panthers have something cooking with their second line at even strength, in addition to their suddenly potent power play.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Standout Rookies and Riding the Seattle Wave

Scott Cullen — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 19:31:57 +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, standout rookies Owen Power and Cole Perfetti are scoring, Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand are riding the wave in Seattle, Filip Chytil is emerging as a scoring threat and much more.

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

#1 The first pick in the 2021 Draft, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power has been an impact player from the drop of the puck but has been getting overlooked to some degree because he was not scoring. He had no goals and 15 assists through 41 games. Those days could be in the past, as he has three goals and an assist during a four-game point streak. He may have his offensive ceiling capped by Rasmus Dahlin getting first unit power play time, but Power could provide sneaky offensive value down the stretch.

#2 Another rookie to keep in mind, is the Jets’ Cole Perfetti. The 10^th pick in the 2020 Draft, Perfetti has moved up the Winnipeg depth chart to skate on a line with Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. In his past 10 games, Perfetti has contributed nine points (1 G, 8 A), giving him 29 points for the season. That puts him in second place in rookie scoring, seven points behind Seattle’s Matty Beniers.

#3 Staying in Winnipeg but moving to the other end of the career spectrum, 36-year-old right winger Blake Wheeler continues to put up points and remains available in many fantasy leagues. Even with reduced ice time, Wheeler has nine points (3 G, 6 A) in his past eight games, giving him 36 points in 41 games. In a change of pace, Wheeler has six power play goals and just four power play assists. It would be the first season of his career in which he finishes with more power play goals than assists.

#4 As the Seattle Kraken have surprisingly become one of the top scoring teams in the league, Jared McCann is leading the way with 23 goals. He has 12 points (7 G, 5 A) in his past 13 games. Among players that have played at least 500 five-on-five minutes, McCann has scored a league-best 2.29 goals per 60 minutes. The rest of the Top 10 is Jason Robertson, Jack Hughes, Tage Thompson, David Pastrnak, Cole Caufield, Connor McDavid, Victor Olofsson, Brayden Point, and Mikko Rantanen, so McCann is traveling in some rare company.

#5 Coming off a career-high 28 goals and 57 points for Columbus last season, Oliver Bjorkstrand was supposed to be an impact player for the Kraken. He scored a goal on opening night and then went 17 games without a goal. There has been progress lately, though, as he has seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 30 shots on goal in his past 10 games

#6 Due to a lack of premier playmaking options down the middle in Columbus, veteran Boone Jenner is still handling the first line center role and he has scored a goal in three straight games, but also has gone 11 games without recording an assist. The goals and hit totals are enough to give Jenner fantasy value, but if he is playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine, there have to be a few more helpers on the board.

#7 Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren picked up a couple of points in Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers and the 23-year-old is stepping into a bigger role. He has six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past nine games and has played more than 20 minutes in six of his past seven games. Since the start of last season, the Maple Leafs are controlling 57.4% of expected goals during five-on-five play with Liljegren on the ice. Among defensemen to play at least 1500 minutes, only three come in with a higher percentage – Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, and Matt Grzelcyk.

#8 In that Rangers loss at Toronto, Blueshirts center Filip Chytil scored a pair of goals, and he now has a career-high 15 goals in 40 games. In his past 10 games, Chytil has 11 points (7 G, 4 A) and 29 shots on goal, so it looks like the 23-year-old is ready to move beyond a depth role with the Rangers and become a real offensive contributor.

#9 Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson is on a goal-scoring tear, putting up 11 points (10 G, 1 A) and 38 shots on goal in the past 12 games. That gives Olofsson 23 goals and six assists in 48 games, making him a contender for the hockey Cy Young award. Cole Caufield (26 G, 10 A) is closest, but the Montreal Canadiens winger is done for the season with a shoulder injury. Aside from Olofsson, the players with the most goals, while still recording single digit assists totals are Brandon Saad (14 G, 7 A) and Josh Anderson (14 G, 3 A).

#10 The ninth pick in the 2017 Draft, Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen took some time to develop but appears to be taking the next step in his development. After notching a goal and an assist in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win at Montreal, Rasmussen has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past six games. At 6-foot-6, Rasmussen can play both center and wing and is up to 24 points (9 G, 15 A) in 45 games, pushing closer to his career high of 27 points, set in 80 games last season.

#11 While the Nashville Predators have called up Juuso Parssinen and Tomas Novak to fill center ice spots, the latest center to move to the top line is Cody Glass, who has quietly been a nice reclamation project for the Preds. In his past 19 games, Glass has 14 points (5 G, 9 A) to go with 38 shots on goal. He has been moved up the depth chart to center Nashville’s top line, between Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene, so if the production continues, Glass should be able to count on remaining in a strong situation.

#12 Even with Jake Allen returning from injury to help stabilize the Montreal Canadiens’ goaltending situation, Samuel Montembeault has surely earned a substantial role in the Habs crease. In the past three weeks, Montembeault has started eight games and delivered a .930 save percentage in that time. He has a .910 save percentage in 21 starts and his 10 wins is already a career high.

#13 Montreal has a long list of injured players, and it includes eight skaters that have been regulars in the lineup this season. That has resulted in Rem Pitlick and rookie Jesse Ylonen securing spots among the top six forwards and Evgeny Dadonov is getting firs unit power play time. Of those three, Dadonov would have the most fantasy appeal, and it’s not much.

#14 The return of Josh Norris to the Ottawa Senators lineup was brief, as he will now have season-ending shoulder surgery. Considering where the Senators are in the standings, this should mean a good run for rookie Shane Pinto. He has 19 points (12 G, 7 A) in 47 games, which is not going to draw fantasy interest even though 12 goals rank third among rookie goal-scorers, but if Pinto’s ice time goes up, there will be an opportunity for him to produce more later in the season.

#15 For much of the season, the New York Rangers have been trying to figure out the right combination of linemates for star winger Artemi Panarin. Although he is still scoring better than a point per game, Panarin has five points (1 G, 4 A) in the past eight games and one of those games was a three-assist effort against Florida. The latest line combinations for the Blueshirts have Panarin skating with Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey. Certainly, Panarin and Zibanejad are rostered just about everywhere, but this is quite an opportunity for Vesey who has four points (2 G, 2 A) in his past 16 games and played a season-high 19:18 at Toronto on Wednesday.

#16 It looked so good early in the season for Jack Eichel in Vegas. He was healthy and scoring, but now as his production is slowing down, he has taken public criticism from head coach Bruce Cassidy. In six games since Mark Stone landed on the injured list, Eichel has managed one assist and 11 shots on goal, which is not nearly good enough, but the Golden Knights are not exactly setting up Eichel to succeed at this point – his most recent linemates are Nicolas Roy and Paul Cotter and it’s a big ask for those players to handle the responsibility of playing on a No. 1 scoring line for a Stanley Cup contender.

#17 Carolina Hurricanes left winger Andrei Svechnikov has yet to score in 2023, picking up five assists in 11 games, but that could make him a good buy-low option on the fantasy trade market. Svechnikov is still generating chances – he has 41 shots on goal in those 11 games – and while there is some variance in his ice time from game to game, he is still averaging more than 18 minutes per game over that stretch, which is consistent with his average time on ice for the season. So, the opportunities are there for him and the Hurricanes have plenty of incentive to get Svechnikov back on track.

#18 Another possible buy-low candidate is skating in Ottawa. Alex DeBrincat has three points (2 G, 1 A) in 11 games since the calendar turned to 2023. While he has 39 points in 47 games, DeBrincat has just 15 goals, which is well below the pace that he was scoring at for Chicago in the past couple of seasons. However, DeBrincat is actually averaging 3.52 shots on goal per game this season, more than he ever has in his career. The problem is that he is scoring on 9.6% of his shots, which is way down form the 17.2% that he scored on in the past two seasons. But if the percentages bounce back a bit, DeBrincat could still have a hot streak of goal-scoring in him.

#19 Since January 1, the leaders in per 60 minutes individual expected goals in all situations (minimum 50 minutes): John Tavares, Max Pacioretty, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, Timo Meier, Brady Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Jack Hughes, and Matthew Tkachuk. The season-ending Achilles injury to Pacioretty is obviously a big loss for the Hurricanes and most of these names are to be expected, though Tavares being tops in the league is somewhat surprising and Verhaeghe is showing that he is a consistent scoring force. In his past six games, Verhaeghe has eight points (6 G, 2 A) and 25 shots on goal.

#20 At the other end of the spectrum, looking at forwards that have not been generating a lot of chances or expected goals in 2023, naturally, a lot of those forwards are fourth liners, who are often not expected to contribute offensively. However, there are some notable names among the bottom 40 forwards when it comes to expected goals per 60 in 2023. That includes Mike Hoffman, Jonathan Toews, Jack Roslovic and…Mitch Marner? Marner has 15 points (4 G, 11 A) with 24 shots on goal in 12 games in the new year, but perhaps that stark difference between Tavares and Marner helps explain why the Maple Leafs went back to having Marner play with Auston Matthews earlier this week.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Red Wing Injuries create opportunities – Michael Bunting, Mikael Backlund, Filip Chytil, Daniil Miromanov and more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 21:25:04 +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.

This week was a tough one for the Detroit Red Wings, but injuries can create opportunities. Also, look to Michael Bunting, Mikael Backlund, Filip Chytil, Daniil Miromanov and more for recent upticks in production.

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 21: Detroit Red Wings center Andrew Copp (18) looks on during warm-ups before a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks on October 21, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

#1 It was a tough week for the Detroit Red Wings as they lost two of their top three scorers to injuries. No. 1 center Dylan Larkin suffered a hand injury while blocking a shot and defenseman Filip Hronek suffered a concussion after getting steamrolled by Minnesota Wild winger Ryan Reaves. With Larkin out, the Wings really need Andrew Copp, their big free agent signing, to step up. Copp has 17 points (3 G, 14 A) in 29 games, but the Wings could use some of the finishing ability that Copp showed last season, especially when he scored eight goals in 16 games down the stretch for the New York Rangers. While Hronek is out, that should give Moritz Seider more of a role on the power play. Hronek has scored 10 of his 24 points on the power play, while Seider has tallied four of his 12 points on the PP.

#2 Scoring Toronto’s only goal in Thursday’s 3-1 loss at the New York Rangers, left winger Michael Bunting extended his point streak to 10 games, during which he has accumulated 12 points (3 G, 9 A) with 18 shots on goal. While he obviously has great appeal so long as he is skating on Auston Matthews’ wing, one area to watch for Bunting, in terms of his offensive sustainability, is his shot rate. He was generating 2.22 shots per game last season and is down to 1.74 per game this season.

#3 Calgary Flames veteran center Mikael Backlund has had just one 50-point season in his career, but he is an ace two-way performer who does contribute from time to time at the offensive end of the rink. In his past eight games, for example, Backlund has eight points (1 G, 7 A) and 27 shots on goal. That shot rate suggests that there could be even more goals, but Backlund also does not benefit from a big role on the power play as only two of his 18 points this season have come with the man advantage.

#4 New York Rangers center Filip Chytil is starting to generate more offense, putting up four points (3 G, 1 A) with 12 shots on goal in the past four games. His goal against Toronto on Thursday was his first power play point of the season and his 14 even-strength points ranks fourth on the Rangers, one behind Chris Kreider. Chytil is still just 23 years old, in his fifth season with the Rangers, so there is some untapped offensive potential, but the question is how he might achieve that on a team that already has Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck at center.

#5 Vegas’ blueline is beset by injuries to Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud, in addition to the ongoing absence of Alex Pietrangelo. While Nicolas Hague is likely to get a bigger role as a result, Daniil Miromanov is getting first crack at quarterbacking the Golden Knights power play. Miromanov is a 25-year-old right-shot defenseman who had 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 17 AHL games and has contributed four points (1 G, 3 A) in seven games with the Golden Knights. Miromanov is a Russian who has moved around quite a bit, playing in the QMJHL, KHL, and Czech League before spending time in the ECHL and AHL.

#6 Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Jason Zucker has been having a productive season, putting up 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 27 games, but he will likely be out for a few weeks with a lower-body injury. While that could open up an opportunity for someone like Kasperi Kapanen, who has been in and out of the doghouse this season. Kapanen has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in his past seven games. However, Danton Heinen is the one who moved onto Pittsburgh’s second line with Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust in the wake of Zucker’s injury. Not sure that is enough reason to reach for Heinen in most leagues.

#7 He probably does not play enough to have value beyond the deepest of leagues, but ageless Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Corey Perry still knows what to do with the puck around the opposing team’s net. The 37-year-old agitator plays about 12 minutes per game but has seven points (2 G, 5 A) in the past seven games, giving him 13 points in 29 games for the season.

#8 With the Colorado Avalanche lineup depleted by injuries, J.T. Compher has stepped into a bigger role. In the past 11 games, he has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) and 25 shots on goal, while playing more than 22 minutes per game. As the Avs get healthier, Compher will start to lose that ice time, but he also could earn his way into a better role than he had at the start of the season. Compher had a career high 33 points last season and, with 16 points in 28 games this season, he is on pace to surpass that total.

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)

#9 Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha has always had lots of talent, but his production never seems to live up to his promise. He is a two-time 20-goal scorer who has seen his ice time dwindle with the Capitals this year, despite the team being relatively under-staffed at forward. Mantha is averaging 14:35 of ice time, his lowest time on ice since he was first called up to the Detroit Red Wings for 10 games in 2015-2016. On the plus side, Mantha is playing on a line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Aliaksei Protas and has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 18 shots on goal in the past nine games. He is a high-risk, high-reward type of player, which is why he can still be found on the fantasy waiver wire.

#10 Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle had really been rounding into form, with 21 points (9 G, 12 A) and 55 shots on goal in his last 19 games before landing on the injured list with an upper-body injury. While Stutzle is out, veteran Derick Brassard moves up the depth chart, but he has eight points (4 G, 4 A) in 21 games, so it is hard to put too many expectations on him, even with an increased role. Maybe rookie Shane Pinto can step up. He does have three points (1 G, 2 A) in the past three games, but that follows a stretch during which he had two points (1 G, 1 A) in 13 games.

#11 Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in the offseason trade for Cam Talbot, goaltender Filip Gustavsson has been a great find for the Minnesota Wild. The 24-year-old has a .921 save percentage and 2.69 Goals Saved Above Expected in 11 games. If he keeps playing like this, Gustavsson will make it easier for the Wild to give him more starts and ease the workload on No. 1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

#12 Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper is out with an upper-body injury, so the Capitals have turned to backup Charlie Lindgren. While Lindgren had some AHL success prior to this season, he is also a 28-year-old who had played 29 NHL games in his career. In his past six starts, though, Lindgren has won five while posting a .936 save percentage.

#13 The Anaheim Ducks are dealing with injuries to goaltenders John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz, so they have called up top prospect Lukas Dostal from the AHL. Dostal, 22, was a third-round pick in 2018 and has been producing consistent results in the AHL, with a .916 save percentage over 84 starts in the past three seasons. He only has a .872 save percentage in three appearances for the Ducks this season, but Dostal is on his way to earning a regular spot in the league.

#14 Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev has been having a breakthrough season offensively, producing 27 points (5 G, 22 A) in 28 games, but is out with an undisclosed injury. While he does not offer the same kind of production that comes from Sergachev, Lighting blueliner Erik Cernak can have some deep or banger league value. In the past seven games, Cernak has contributed four points (1 G, 3 A) and 29 hits, which is enough to provide fantasy value.

#15 Over the past month, among players to play at least 50 minutes, these are the leaders in all-situations expected goals per 60 minutes: Brady Tkachuk (2.90), Alex Ovechkin (2.18), Anders Lee (2.09), Zach Hyman (1.98), and Anthony Cirelli (1.90). Cirelli has played six games after recovering from shoulder surgery and while he has not scored a goal yet, he does have six assists and 20 shots on goal.

#16 Boston Bruins left winger Taylor Hall has had some ups and downs in recent seasons but when things are going right, he still looks like a difference maker. He has 10 points (6 G, 4 A) and 31 shots on goal during an eight-game point streak. For a player that has seen his shot rate dip in recent seasons, the recent uptick is an encouraging sign for Hall’s long-term production.

#17 Buffalo Sabres rookie right winger Jack Quinn took some time to get going this season, scoring five points (1 G, 4 A) in his first 12 games, but he is delivering consistent production now. In his past 13 games, he has scored 12 points (5 G, 7 A) with 23 shots on goal. Skating on a line with Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka, Quinn is giving the high-scoring Sabres the secondary offense that they need.

#18 A note of caution, though, as Quinn and Peterka are among the forwards with the highest five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage over the past month. Extremes in on-ice shooting percentage tend to regress over time so Auston Matthews, Michael Bunting, Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse, and Jordan Eberle are among the others that have on-ice shooting percentages higher than 15.5% over the past month.

#19 Notables with an on-ice shooting percentage under 4% in the past month include Gabriel Vilardi, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Phillip Danault, Trevor Moore, Travis Konecny, and Claude Giroux. These players might be expected to have some better puck luck moving forward because it is unsustainably low for skilled forwards to have such a low on-ice shooting percentage.

#20 The Tampa Bay Lightning have found something unexpected with left winger Brandon Hagel, who was a supporting piece last season, but has emerged as a complementary scorer, too. With two goals and an assist in Thursday’s win over Columbus, Hagel has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) in the past 10 games, giving him 23 points in 29 games this season. He has gone through some slumps, but he has also secured a spot on the top line alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, which is obviously a great place for putting up points.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.