J.J. Peterka – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – UTAH MAMMOTH – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 19:43:53 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 11: Utah Hockey Club Defensemen Mikhail Sergachev (98) as seen during an NHL game between The New York Islanders and The Utah Hockey Club on January 11, 2025 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. (Photo by Aaron Baker/Icon Sportswire)

In the franchise’s first season in Utah, after moving the roster (if not the team, officially) from Arizona, Utah finished with 89 points (38-31-13), missing the playoffs, but there were some encouraging signs. The Utah Hockey Club had the underlying numbers of a contender, ranking sixth in Corsi percentage (53.5) and fifth in expected goals percentage (53.9). They ranked 13th with 8.06 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-four play, and 17th with 7.47 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play. Unfortunately, they did not have the goaltending to reach the postseason. Karel Vejmelka appeared in 58 games, and played well, but Connor Ingram struggled before re-entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and Utah didn’t have any great options otherwise, leading to Vejmelka handling a heavier-than-expected workload.

What’s Changed?

Utah got busy in the offseason, naming the team the Mammoth, and taking a big swing in the trade market, sending defenceman Michael Kesselring and right winger Josh Doan to the Buffalo Sabres for winger J.J. Peterka, who adds an up-and-coming scorer to the Mammoth roster. Utah signed free agent right winger Brandon Tanev as well as Stanley Cup champion defenceman Nate Schmidt. They also inked goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who provides insurance behind Vejmelka if Ingram is unable to return to action. Winger Matias Maccelli was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and veteran centre Nick Bjugstad signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent. The move for Peterka was an indication that the Mammoth are not going to be shy about doing what it takes to make the team better.

What would success look like?

A playoff berth would have to count as success, since the previous iteration of the franchise, the Arizona Coyotes, reached the playoffs just once in their last 12 seasons in the desert. There is a quality core of forward talent that can take this team to the postseason, but the questions will land on defence and in goal, where depth could be an issue. It doesn’t appear as though the Coyotes are ready to be real contenders, but earning a playoff spot in that challenging Central Division would be a successful season and it’s not some ridiculous pipedream to believe that they can get there.

What could go wrong?

Last season could have gone much worse for Utah if Vejmelka had not played so well so, like most teams, the Mammoth can ill afford to have subpar goaltending. They do have a few stars that are probably harder to replace, like defenceman Mikhail Sergachev is hugely important and with the moderate level of blueline talent behind him, an injury to their top defenceman could be devastating. Utah’s improved depth could help them overcome an injury or two up front, but this team is still working on relatively thin margins, so a few bad bounces, unfortunate injuries, or subpar goaltending could be enough to keep them out of the playoffs yet again.

Top Breakout Candidate

Third-year centre Logan Cooley has to be the pick here, even after a relatively high on-ice shooting percentage last season, because he is poised to be the No. 1 centre for Utah, which would mean playing with left winger Clayton Keller, who just put up 90 points (30 G, 60 A) last season, so that kind of opportunity raises the ceiling for Cooley who, in his own right, is a dynamic offensive talent. If there is chemistry with Keller, Cooley may just continue his upward scoring trend.

FORWARDS

Clayton Keller

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	34	56	90	1.13

A talented playmaking winger, Keller put up a career-high 90 points (30 G, 60 A), continuing to provide offense at an elite level. In the past three seasons, he has 252 points (100 G, 152 A) in 241 games, ranking 16th in the league in that time. Keller is on the smaller side and plays according to his strengths. He only had 11 hits last season, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2017-2018, but he thrives in open space, whether it’s in transition or on the power play, where he can set up on the half wall and direct the play from there, either as a setup man or launching one-timers. His 37 power play points last season was tied for third, behind only Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon. Keller uses his quickness to create space from which he generates offensive opportunities, with the element of surprise working in his favour. Keller is a highly skilled player whose puckhandling makes him a challenge for defenders and goaltenders alike when left in a one-on-one situation. With Keller established as a legitimate star player for the newly named Mammoth, now is the time for the team to build a quality supporting cast around him, so that he can continue to deliver on the offensive end. While Keller is not necessarily noted for his defensive acumen, the puck was moving the right way when he was on the ice in 2024-2025; last season he had a 54 percent Corsi with 53.4 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play. If the supporting cast can continue to get better, then Keller should be a prime offensive threat in 2025-2026. It would be fair to expect 30-35 goals and 85-90 points, with a chance to challenge 100 points if he has good fortune in terms of percentages.

Logan Cooley

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	29	47	76	0.93

Drafted third overall in 2022, Cooley took a big step forward in his second NHL season, jumping from 44 points (20 G, 24 A) in 82 games in 2023-2024 to 65 points (25 G, 40 A) in 75 games last season. The name of the game for Cooley is speed, as he uses his acceleration to separate from defenders and create dangerous opportunities off the rush. He plays with an offensively aggressive mindset, so he’s not afraid to go to the net when the opportunity presents itself and seeing what he has accomplished through his first two seasons offers a tantalizing glimpse into his potential. At the same time, there is still room for improvement. While Cooley had a 50.4 percent Corsi in his sophomore season, up by three percent over his rookie campaign, his relative numbers were down 2.2 percent from the previous season. Some of that may be that Utah had more all-around talent so other lines also pushed play, but if he is going to be the star that he appears he can, he should not be trailing others when it comes to controlling play. Cooley remains a work in progress in the faceoff circle, but did improve, going from a winning percentage of 38.0 percent as a rookie to 44.7 percent last season. With an expectation that Cooley spends most of his time skating on a line with Keller, the young center’s production should continue to ascend but projections need to take into account that his on-ice shooting percentage last season was 11.7 percent, a mark that he is highly unlikely to duplicate in 2025-2026. As such, 25 goals and 65-70 points is a fair possibility and while it might not seem like much of an increase, he could use power play production to offset a likely five-on-five regression.

J.J. Peterka

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	30	34	64	0.78

Coming off a season in which he racked up a career-high 68 points (27 G, 41A) for the Buffalo Sabres, Peterka insisted on getting moved and was highly sought after as a 23-year-old winger just coming into his prime. Utah stepped up, sending Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to the Sabres to complete the deal and then signed Peterka to a new five-year, $38.5 million contract. His arrival in Utah gives the Mammoth another legitimate high-end offensive talent and it could be the type of move that lifts them into postseason contention. Coming from Buffalo, Peterka does not have playoff experience, but he has shown well when playing for Germany at the World Championships. He compiled 21 points (11 G, 10 A) in 18 games during the 2023 and 2024 World Championships and was named the top forward at the 2023 event. While Peterka certainly appears to be on the upswing in his career, there should be some caution exercised because his on-ice shooting percentage last season was 14.2 percent, an unsustainably high number that was the highest in the league among forwards that played at least 200 five-on-five minutes. So, while the tendency might be to lean towards optimism for Peterka, it is going to be difficult to overcome that likely statistical regression. That being the case, it’s fair to expect him to challenge 30 goals and 65 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Dylan Guenther

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	32	35	67	0.85

Drafted ninth overall in 2021, Guenther signed an eight-year, $57.14 million contract prior to last season and while it seemed like a major commitment to a player who had played a total of 78 NHL games to that point, Guenther quickly showed that it could be money well spent as he busted out with 27 goals and 60 points last season, showcasing a lightning-quick release that figures to serve him well for many years. There are so many NHL players who can really shoot the puck with authority that for the rare ones to stand out in that crowd there must be something special there and listening to teammates talk about Guenther’s shot, it appears that he is on a rare tier. The next step is to take more advantage of his shot during five-on-five play because Guenther has scored 51 goals in his NHL career and 25 of them have come via the power play. There is the possibility now that Guenther has enough experience to slide up the depth chart so that he could play first line at even strength, which should help him increase his even-strength scoring, because if it means playing with Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley, those are two very skilled linemates. Expect Guenther to continue his career ascent in 2025-2026. It would be entirely fair to expect him to hit 30 goals and 65 points.

Nick Schmaltz

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	20	38	58	0.71

In the past four seasons, Schmaltz has ranked between 58 and last season’s career-high 63 points, producing at a consistent level, though there is an obvious argument that scoring 58 and 59 points in 63 games, as he did in 2022-2023 is better than 63 points in 82 games, as he did last season. Schmaltz is a talented playmaker who has gradually become more comfortable shooting the puck. He’s still not firing indiscriminately towards the opposing net, but 2.27 shots on goal per game last season got him to 20 goals even with a shooting percentage of 10.9 percent, which was well below his career mark, which was 14.2 percent going into last season. With sound offensive instincts and good puck skills, Schmaltz is a strong complementary player to Clayton Keller, though both of them are quite reluctant to get involved in physical play, as Schmaltz accrued just 14 hits last season. As the Mammoth improve their talent, Schmaltz could slide into a second line role, where he would still have plenty of opportunity to generate offense, but may also be split away from Keller. Knowing how consistently Schmaltz has contributed to the offense in recent seasons, it’s fair to expect something similar, maybe in the range of 20 goals and 55-60 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Barrett Hayton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	18	28	46	0.56

It sure seemed like a reach when the Arizona Coyotes drafted Hayton fifth overall in 2018, but they gave him ample opportunity to prove that he could play in a scoring role and what ultimately appears to have happened is that he has shown he can be a capable second-line center. He hit career highs with 20 goals, 26 assists, and 46 points last season while playing a little over 16 minutes per game. That has Hayton fitting into the Utah lineup just behind Logan Cooley on the center depth chart. Hayton has good speed to create opportunities and will go the net to generate chances, but the lack of consistency in his career makes it difficult to expect him playing higher in the lineup if the team has more viable options. At the same time, while his offensive numbers have never really taken off, Hayton has turned into a puck possession monster the past couple of seasons, earning 57.9 percent Corsi and 57.9 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play over the past two seasons. So, on one hand, the point production isn’t quite what is needed from a first-line center, but his two-way play has evolved to the point that he is a strong option as a second-line center and with the Mammoth improving their team depth, that means that Hayton should have quality wingers to play with this season. He should be able to contribute 15-20 goals and 40 points.

Lawson Crouse

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	15	16	31	0.39

After three consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals, Crouse saw his role decrease dramatically as the team moved to Utah last season, with his average ice time per game falling from 16:49 in 2023-2024 to 13:44 per game last season. His production plummeted, too, and he managed a dozen goals and 18 points. The category that Crouse could trade on, in terms of fantasy value, has always been hits. He peaked at 288 hits in 2018-2019 and still registered 193 hits in his diminished role last season. When he was scoring 20 goals and recording 175 hits, there was clear fantasy value to Crouse’s production, but last season’s decline made it far less appealing. With his size and physical presence, Crouse should be valuable in the modern NHL, because he can battle the biggest defenders and handle himself if a fight is needed, but he has also grown as a player to fill a complementary role, capable of finishing chances around the net. His most common linemates last season were Jack McBain, Nick Bjugstad, and Josh Doan. Crouse had quite a bit of success with the since-traded Doan, controlling 62.7 percent of expected goals and outscoring opponents 16-10, but it should be an indication that Crouse is a strong complementary option alongside more skilled playmakers. That should give at least some hope that Crouse can bounce back in 2025-2026, so expect 15-20 goals and 30-plus points, along with 190 hits.

Jack McBain

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	12	17	29	0.35

A 6-foot-4 center who uses his size to be an effective physical presence, McBain has earned the respect of the Mammoth, which was shown by his new five-year, $21.25 million contract, an indication that they view him as more than a fourth-line center. McBain recorded career highs in goals (13) and points (27) to go along with 291 hits and 78 penalty minutes last season. The scoring numbers alone don’t generate fantasy interest, but 291 hits ranked sixth in the entire NHL and that holds value in banger leagues already, but if McBain can expand his offensive repertoire, then he would gain more widespread appeal. While McBain doesn’t have a huge offensive pedigree in the NHL, he did have productive senior season at Boston College in 2021-2022, scoring 33 points (19 G, 14 A) in just 24 games, so maybe there is a path to him producing more if he gets consistent ice time in Utah’s top nine. If McBain gets a little more ice time in 2025-2026, then he can fairly be expected to contribute 10-15 goals and 30 points, and if he puts up 250-plus hits, too, that will give him some fantasy value and if he could pop more offensively, that appeal would climb quickly.

Alex Kerfoot

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	12	20	32	0.40

A versatile veteran forward who has missed one game in the past five seasons, Kerfoot’s role was reduced last season, his ice time dropping more than two minutes per game and his point production dropped from 45 points in 2023-2024 to 28 points (11 G, 17 A) in 2024-2025. In addition to his ice time being cut, Kerfoot suffered from a dramatic swing in his on-ice shooting percentage, going from 10.1 percent two seasons ago to a career-low 6.6 percent last season. Kerfoot has established in Colorado, Toronto, and Arizona before the move to Utah that he is a reliable complementary forward who can play wing and center, moving around the lineup as needed. Last season, he won 52.5 percent of his draws, only the second season in his career in which he was the right side of the faceoff ledger. The main concern when it comes to Kerfoot’s offensive production is his reluctance to shoot the puck, recording 203 shots on goal in 163 games over the past two years. In a supporting role for the Mammoth, Kerfoot should still be counted on to play every game, and he should find his way to double-digit goals and 30-35 points.

DEFENCE

Mikhail Sergachev

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	12	40	52	0.67

Acquired from Tampa Bay following an injury-shortened 2023-2024 season, Sergachev provided Utah with the No. 1 defenceman that they needed. He sniped a career-high 15 goals and his 53 points was the second-highest total of his career. Sergachev averaged a career-high 25:07 of ice time per game and he brings a lot to the Utah defence. He is physically strong and can win puck battles, though he cut down on his hits last season compared to previous campaigns. Sergachev is also an excellent puck-handler who will use his wide base to protect the puck, taking the time necessary to make the best possible play. The smart move for the Mammoth to acquire Sergachev was that he was at a statistical buy-low point, coming off a season with a 95.1 PDO, and his percentages bounced back last season to 100.1 PDO, which is a little below his career mark, but much more in typical range. Sergachev did score on 11.4 percent of his shots on goal, which was more than double his career shooting percentage (5.6 percent) prior to last season, so that is a number likely to see some regression. Keeping in mind that he is playing 25 minutes per game for the Mammoth, Sergachev should still be able to hit double digits in goals and 50-plus points again.

Sean Durzi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	12	17	29	0.37

An early season shoulder injury sabotaged Durzi’s 2025-2026 season, limiting him to just 30 games, and he produced 11 points (4 G, 7 A). With the acquisition of Sergachev, Durzi was not needed to quarterback the top power play unit and that will still be the case this season, but Durzi has established his ability as a right-shot puck-moving defenceman. He has confidence to make plays on the offensive blueline and has a hard and accurate shot. Durzi does not play an especially physical game, but he is quick to get in the path of opposing shooters, recording 475 blocked shots in 242 career games. As the Mammoth improved as a team, Durzi found his way to a career-high 53.6 percent Corsi, which is, at least in part, a product of his ability to move the puck up the ice. While Durzi falls behind Sergachev on the depth chart, on a relatively thin Mammoth blueline, Durzi is still the second-best fantasy option, since he will play more than 20 minutes per game and should at least quarterback the second power play unit. In 2025-2026, look for Durzi to rebound as he challenges double digit goals and 30-35 points while also recording 140 blocked shots.

John Marino

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
71	3	21	24	0.34

Acquired from the New Jersey Devils last summer, Marino missed half of the season while recovering from back surgery, so he didn’t get into the lineup until January, but the veteran blueliner was effective once he got back into his groove. Marino recorded 14 points (1 G, 13 A) in 35 games and all of those points were at even strength, so, among the 248 defencemen to play at least 200 five-on-five minutes, Marino ranked sixth in assists per 60 minutes (1.25) and 14th in points per 60 minutes (1.34). He is an excellent skater who makes good passes to exit the defensive zone, but last season’s scoring pace was unusual as he has yet to match the 26 points (6 G, 20 A) that he scored as a rookie in 2019-2020. He is also not a particularly strong presence when battling in the corners, so there is some vulnerability in that aspect of his game, but it gets offset by his positive attributes and he finished last season with a 53.6 percent Corsi, with the Mammoth outscoring opponents 30-25 with Marino on the ice. That fits into any lineup and on a Mammoth team that is light on defensive depth, Marino should play a big role in 2025-2026. He has recorded one power play point, total, in the past three seasons, so there is a limit to what Marino will provide offensively, but he should be expected to contribute 20-25 points and around 90 blocked shots which, generally, will not draw much fantasy interest.

Olli Maatta

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	2	15	17	0.22

A veteran blueliner who has been bouncing around quite a bit in recent seasons, Maatta made the most of his opportunity in Utah, earning a three-year, $10.5 million contract. While that might not sound like a huge deal, the Mammoth are Maatta’s fourth team since the 2019-2020 season and he was struggling on Detroit’s third pair before Utah traded a third-round pick to acquire him. Maatta averaged 19:55 of ice time per game in Utah, a mark that he last surpassed in 2015-2016, his third season in the NHL. Thrust into a top four role on a team that didn’t have John Marino and Sean Durzi for significant chunks of the season, Maatta was a positive possession player and the Mammoth outscored opponents 41-39 with him on the ice during five-on-five play. That’s not a game-breaking performance, rather it’s an indication that he could competently fill a spot in Utah’s top four on the blueline and that’s enough. Maatta is a competent puck-moving defenceman, though he rarely sees power play ice time and that means his scoring production will be modest. He’s also not a hitter, as last season’s total of 25 hits was his lowest since 2014-2015, when he had 18 hits in 20 games. With security and what should be a regular role on the Mammoth blueline, expect Maatta to chip in 15-20 points with 110 blocked shots. Like Marino, that’s probably not enough to generate fantasy interest, but the blueline options are limited in Utah.

GOAL

Karel Vejmelka

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
46	23	16	4	3	.906	2.72

The Utah Mammoth seem to be opting for a kitchen sink approach in net at the moment, following a year that saw Connor Ingram fail to live up to the future starter trajectory he seemed to be on when he arrived in Arizona. They'll start the 2025-26 season with Ingram and the surprisingly reliable Karel Vejmelka as their tandem pairing, but Vitek Vanecek sits waiting in the wings in case something goes awry - and Matt Villalta is hanging around in the depth chart too, along with former Providence College standout Jaxson Stauber. All five goaltenders in Utah's immediate depth chart have NHL experience, but none have a storied history as a team's relied-upon starter - which feels very Coyotes of the Mammoth, despite the expansion team's attempt to forge their own identity.

The Mammoth didn't completely flounder last season, but they failed to reach the postseason by a big enough margin that it's clear something will need to change this fall. And while Vejmelka was clearly the team's best chance of success last year, he has a shaky history when asked to shoulder too much of the workload. Ingram will need to bounce back after his tough campaign if Utah hopes to challenge, and they've got far more reliable goaltending tandems waiting across the ice from a handful of the Western Conference's Wild Card contenders.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Hot Russian scoring wingers Ovechkin, Kuzmenko to Michkov, plus Jackson LaCombe, Matthew Knies, Nazem Kadri and much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 19:56:10 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 11: Los Angeles Kings Left Wing Andrei Kuzmenko (96) exchanges words with a Referee during a Los Angeles Kings game versus the New York Islanders on March 11th, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Russian scoring wingers from Alex Ovechkin to Andrei Kuzmenko to Matvei Michkov, plus Jackson LaCombe, Matthew Knies, Nazem Kadri and much more!

#1 While he is obviously rostered in every fantasy league, it’s worth paying respect to Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin as he is on the cusp of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record. It’s well worth noting that Ovechkin scored 31 goals in 79 games last season and considering he would be 39 years old this season, it was reasonable to wonder if he might finally be slowing down. Despite averaging a career-low 17:46 of ice time per game, Ovechkin has scored 39 goals in just 59 games. He is scoring on a career-high 18.0 percent of his shots, which plays a big part, but he has also increased his per game shot rate despite his ice time going down by 87 seconds per game. He is skating on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson at even strength and holds down the same spot in the left-wing faceoff circle on the power play that he has forever. Can he get the three goals he needs in the final seven regular season games? It seems likely.

#2 The Philadelphia Flyers have only played three games under interim head coach Brad Shaw, but it does appear that the change behind the bench has been beneficial for star rookie Matvei Michkov, who has put up seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 13 shots on goal in those three games. He now has 11 points (4 G, 7 A) with 21 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. Michkov’s ice time per game has jumped to 19:10 per game under Shaw, after averaging 16:18 per game under John Tortorella. It’s a small sample, but the early returns are positive.

#3 Sticking with the theme of high-scoring Russian wingers, it looks like the Los Angeles Kings have unlocked the talents of Andrei Kuzmenko, who has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in his past eight games, thriving on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Kuzmenko is also getting first unit power play time in Los Angeles, and he scored 39 goals in his first NHL season in 2022-2023, so he has shown that he has the skill, but now it looks like he’s getting a prime opportunity in Los Angeles.

#4 Anaheim Ducks defenceman Jackson LaCombe has emerged as a star this season. It might get overlooked because he is doing it for a young Ducks team that is on the outside looking in at the postseason, but LaCombe has taken on big minutes on the Ducks’ blueline and had eight points (3 G, 5 A) during a six-game point streak that was snapped in Thursday’s 4-1 loss at Calgary. LaCombe has 43 points (14 G, 29 A) in 68 games while averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game. It has been a massive leap forward from his rookie season and the 24-year-old blueliner from the University of Minnesota is going to be a fixture on Anaheim’s defence for years to come.

#5 Second year Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Matthew Knies continues to improve and he makes the most of his excellent opportunity to skate on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Knies has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 18 shots on goal in his past seven games. The sweetener for fantasy managers is that Knies has recognized the impact that he can bring with his physical play, and he has 23 hits in those seven games and 174 hits for the season, which adds to his appeal.

#6 As the Calgary Flames try to stay in the playoff hunt, veteran centre Nazem Kadri is leading the charge. In his past nine games, Kadri has 11 points (8 G, 3 A) with 35 shots on goal. He is skating on a line with Yegor Sharangovich and Martin Pospisil at even strength, but Kadri is a power play threat, producing 20 of his 59 points with the man advantage.

#7 Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe is not known as an offensive defenceman, having scored a career-high 28 points last season, but he has been playing with more confidence recently, and it has led him to record six assists in his past seven games. For a player who has 135 blocked shots and 118 hits, that bit of offensive production suddenly makes McCabe worth considering for fantasy managers.

#8 This has not been a banner season for the Nashville Predators in general, and for right winger Luke Evangelista, specifically. However, he is getting a decent shot to produce late in the season and has eight points (3 G, 5 A) with 13 shots on goal in his past eight games. He is playing on Nashville’s top line with Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting, which is a good position with more ice time for him but also reflects the kind of lineup that the Predators are rolling out down the stretch.

#9 Although this has been yet another disappointing season for the Buffalo Sabres, they have been able to give Ryan McLeod a chance to handle more responsibility, and he has proven that he can handle it. In his past 14 games, McLeod has 17 points (5 G, 12 A) with 25 shots on goal. He has been averaging fewer than 16 minutes per game before seeing his ice time increase to over 20 minutes per game over that 14-game span. His linemates, Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka, are sufficiently skilled to bring out the best in McLeod and Quinn is finding his footing after an otherwise forgettable season. Quinn has nine points (4 G, 5 A) during a five-game point streak. Peterka has 19 points (8 G, 11 A) and 38 shots on goal in 17 games since the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

#10 Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann has not scored quite as much this season, tallying 18 goals for the Kraken after producing 96 goals in his first three seasons with Seattle, but he is picking up points down the stretch. In his past six games, McCann has delivered nine points (1 G, 8 A) with 20 shots on goal. McCann has helped to snap Andre Burakovsky out of a season-long slump. In his past eight games, Burakovsky has nine points (3 G, 6 A), which is a far cry from the 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 65 games that he had before that point.

#11 When the Carolina Hurricanes traded Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars, it was somewhat forgotten that the ‘Canes had also acquired veteran winger Taylor Hall, and he would remain in Carolina. In 11 games since the trade deadline, Hall has contributed 12 points (7 G, 5 A) with 24 shots on goal and Hall has been in the position to shoot more on the power play and four of those seven goals have come on the PP. Staying in Carolina, but at the other end of the experience spectrum, rookie right winger Jackson Blake has taken on a bigger role and has eight points (3 G, 8 A) with 21 shots on goal in his past eight games. Blake has landed a spot on Carolina’s top line, skating with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, a real chance for Blake to finish the season strong.

#12 After missing much of the season, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner has long been a productive player, contributing enough to have fantasy appeal even without elite scoring numbers. He had missed more than half of this season while recovering from shoulder surgery, but since returning to action, he has contributed 18 points (6 G, 12 A) with 47 shots on goal in 18 games. He also has 33 hits and 13 blocked shots, providing the peripheral statistical value that goes above and beyond point production.

#13 The story of this season for the Chicago Blackhawks is naturally one of disappointment, as they have 52 points in 75 games, putting them in 31st place. But there have been some silver linings, most notably the breakthrough season for veteran forward Ryan Donato. In his past 30 games, Donato has piled up 35 points (16 G, 19 A). For a player with a previous career high of 31 points, Donato has taken his game to a new level and some of that can be attributed to receiving extra ice time on a team that is lacking skilled forwards, but Donato’s 59-point season (so far) should change expectations for him moving forward.

#14 Veteran Philadelphia Flyers centre Ryan Poehling has established himself as a capable checking centre, but one with relatively low offensive output. He scored a career-high 28 points last season and after missing some time with injuries this year, it did not look like he would surpass that, but suddenly Poehling has 10 points (7 G, 3 A) in his past 10 games, which has lifted him to 25 points (11 G, 14 A) in 62 games. He does not have a significant power-play role but is getting more than 15 minutes of ice time per game now, so he may find his way to a new career high in points.

#15 With J.T. Miller traded and Elias Pettersson injured, the Vancouver Canucks have turned to Pius Suter as their No. 1 centre and even if that seems above and beyond his profile, Suter has stepped into that responsibility. In his past eight games, Suter has averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game, producing 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 16 shots on goal. He has set career highs with 22 goals and 42 points, which shows that he can be a useful source of complementary offense.

#16 Another player making the most of his opportunities in what is otherwise a disappointing season for his team is Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie, who has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) while averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time per game in his past eight games. He is playing on the Bruins’ top line, with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak, as well as getting first unit power play time and has set career highs with 27 goals and 46 points.

#17 As a late-season addition, there might be value in Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Dante Fabbro. He does not have a significant power-play role but is paired with Zach Werenski on the Blue Jackets’ top pair. In his past four games, Fabbro has contributed seven points (2 G, 5 A) with eight shots on goal while playing more than 20 minutes per game. With 23 points (7 G, 16 A), Fabbro is one point away from matching his career high, set in 2021-2022 when he was with Nashville. The move to Columbus this season does seem to have rejuvenated his career.

#18 Every season, there is an influx of players coming out of college hockey and while they obviously provide great hope for the future, some might have an immediate impact down the stretch and into the playoffs. For example, Ryan Leonard has joined the Washington Capitals after accruing 49 points (30 G, 19 A) in 37 games for Boston College. He is starting on the Capitals’ second line with Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas and has averaged 15 minutes of ice time per game in his first two NHL contests. Some others to keep an eye on: Gabriel Perreault with the New York Rangers, Jimmy Snuggerud with the St. Louis Blues, and Oliver Moore of the Chicago Blackhawks.

#19 The Pittsburgh Penguins have recently called up Rutger McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, where he had 39 points (14 G, 25 A) in 60 games. The best part for McGroarty is that he has been slotted in at left wing alongside Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh’s top line, so it’s hard to ask for a better situation as a 21-year-old winger trying to establish that he can play in a top six role in the NHL. In his first two games since rejoining the Penguins, McGroarty has picked up a couple of points with six shots on goal and six hits all while playing more than 17 minutes per game.

#20 Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord is coming off a 24-save shutout against Vancouver earlier this week, but he has hit a rough patch since the 4 Nations Face-Off. Prior to Wednesdays’ shutout against the Canucks, Daccord had started 13 games since the break, winning five while managing a save percentage of .882, which does not compare too favourably to the .915 save percentage that he had in his first 38 starts of the season. From the files of too little, too late: Philipp Grubauer does have a .925 save percentage for the Kraken in four starts since getting recalled from the AHL.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Duclair, Drouin, Nyquist, Ekholm, Thompson plus much, much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 18:22:15 +0000

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 14: Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Anthony Duclair (10) looks to make a pass during the NHL Hockey match between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers on March 14, 2024 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Anthony Duclair has been a great fit in Tampa Bay, Jonathan Drouin is thriving in Colorado, Gustav Nyquist is having a career year in Nashville, Mattias Ekholm is a force in Edmonton, Logan Thompson is hugely important for the Golden Knights down the stretch, and much, much more!

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning winger Anthony Duclair has been well traveled throughout his NHL career. This stop with the Lightning is the eighth NHL team for the 28-year-old winger and Duclair has been a quality addition for Tampa Bay. In eight games for the Lightning, Duclair has put up nine points (5 G, 4 A) with 18 shots on goal. He has settled on left wing of Tampa Bay’s top line, alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, which is a great situation for just about anyone.

#2 Jonathan Drouin’s offseason move to Colorado offered him the opportunity to play with elite talent and it has helped to resurrect his career. In his past 10 games, Drouin has 12 points (4 G, 8 A) with 21 shots on goal and the shots on goal are a good indication for Drouin, who can be a reluctant shooter at times. He is still averaging a little over 1.5 shots on goal per game this season, which is not a lot, but the rate has increased during this most recent offensive surge. He is in a prime position, skating on the left wing of Colorado’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

#3 The Nashville Predators finally lost in regulation time Thursday night in Arizona, snapping an 18-game point streak, but that did not prevent veteran winger Gustav Nyquist from extending his individual point streak to seven games. In the past 19 games, Nyquist has produced 25 points (9 G, 16 A) with 38 shots on goal. The 34-year-old has hit a career high with 66 points (21 G, 45 A) in 73 games. He has been an excellent fit on Nashville’s top line and first power play unit, skating with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly.

#4 Moving to Edmonton last season helped to unlock some offensive potential in veteran blueliner Mattias Ekholm. Known as a steady and reliable defenceman, Ekholm’s ability to move the puck opens the door to quality offensive production. In his past eight games, Ekholm has delivered 10 points (3 G, 7 A) with 25 shots on goal. He is up to 36 points (7 G, 29 A) on the season, his most since he put up a career-high 44 points in 2018-2019. Incredibly, only three of Ekholm’s 36 points have come on the power play.

#5 As the Vegas Golden Knights battle to secure a playoff spot, starting goaltender Adin Hill is out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury. Logan Thompson takes over as the No. 1 for Vegas, with Pavel Patera recalled from the AHL to fill the backup role. Thompson stopped 39 of 40 shots in Thursday’s 4-1 victory at Winnipeg, giving him a .922 save percentage in his past nine games. The Golden Knights have a 21-12-5 record with Thompson between the pipes, which should help to give him good value for the stretch run.

#6 While the Ottawa Senators are making some noise when it is too late to really matter, the production still offers value for fantasy managers. Right winger Drake Batherson has been on a productive run for quite a while, tallying 18 points (9 G, 9 A) with 50 shots on goal in his past 19 games. He is riding on the Sens’ top line, skating with Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto, a good combination for Batherson.

#7 On one hand, it is wonderful for the Buffalo Sabres that young winger J.J. Peterka has developed to the point that he leads the team with 25 goals this season. On the other hand, it is not ideal for the Sabres to have Peterka outscoring the likes of Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Jeff Skinner. Peterka has seven points (5 G, 2 A) with 20 shots on goal in his past eight games and he played a career-high 21:38 in Wednesday’s loss against Ottawa, skating on the Sabres’ top line with Thompson and Tuch.

#8 Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis is enjoying a breakout season. In his third NHL campaign, Jarvis has produced 60 points (28 G, 32 A). In his past 11 games, the 22-year-old winger has 12 points (9 G, 3 A) and 26 shots on goal. Skating on Carolina’s top line with Sebastian Aho and Jake Guentzel is obviously a great spot for Jarvis, but he is doing his part to keep that prime spot in the lineup.

#9 At the start of the season, Washington Capitals centre Connor McMichael appeared to be blocked by veterans down the middle of the ice. However, with Nicklas Backstrom unable to get healthy and Evgeny Kuznetsov shipped out to Carolina at the trade deadline, more opportunities are available for 23-year-old McMichael. To his credit, he is making the most of it, most recently skating with Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie on the Capitals’ top line, McMichael has eight points (5 G, 3 A) with 14 shots on goal in his past nine games.

#10 Even though his ice time can be inconsistent in Winnipeg, Nikolaj Ehlers continues to produce. He has eight points (2 G, 6 A) with 26 shots on goal in his past eight games and he played 18:07 in Thursday’s loss against Vegas, which was Ehlers’ highest time on ice since an overtime loss to Toronto on January 24. Without a prime role on the Jets’ power play, Ehlers has scored 48 of his 53 points this season at even strength, which is a huge credit to him as a player but does make him less appealing for fantasy managers.

#11 It is fair to say that the Los Angeles Kings expected a lot more from centre Pierre-Luc Dubois this season. He has no shot at scoring 60-plus points for a third straight season, but he does have seven points (1 G, 6 A) in his past seven games. The concern for fantasy managers – to say nothing of the Kings – is that Dubois has just 11 shots on goal in those seven games, raising questions about how sustainable this production might be over the rest of the season. One reason to be encouraged about Dubois is that Viktor Arvidsson has landed on his wing and Arvidsson brings an energy that should elevate Dubois’ game.

#12 With Mitch Marner still nursing a high ankle sprain, Max Domi is getting a chance to skate on the Maple Leafs’ top line with Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi. Domi has been a solid complementary player for Toronto this season and he does have nine points (1 G, 8 A) with 19 shots on goal in nine games since the trade deadline. As a pass-first playmaker, Domi does seem to be a stylistic fit alongside Matthews, the league’s leading goal scorer. Of course, the moment that Marner is ready to return, Domi’s fantasy value will drop.

#13 When the Detroit Red Wings traded winger Klim Kostin to the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline, it did not make big waves. After all, he had just four pints (3 G, 1 A) in 33 games for the Red Wings, but Kostin is getting a better opportunity with the Sharks. He has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in 10 games for San Jose and played a season-high 17:01 in Thursday’s loss at Minnesota, skating with Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund on San Jose’s top line. Yes, that is the Sharks’ top line.

#14 Scoring a goal in Thursday’s win over Nashville, Arizona Coyotes centre Nick Bjugstad extended his point streak to five games. The veteran pivot has landed in a plum spot, skating with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz on Arizona’s No. 1 line, and he has delivered 11 points (7 G< 4 A) with 29 shots on goal in his past 11 games. It is the first time since 2017-2018 that Bjugstad has surpassed 40 points in a season.

#15 Playing on a deep Carolina blueline, Dmitry Orlov has not been as productive as he was last season, when he produced a career-high 36 points while playing for the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins. While that is true, Orlov may be worthy of late season fantasy interest, as he has contributed eight points (3 G, 5 A) along with 18 shots on goal in his past nine games. Orlov is playing just over 17 minutes per game this season, down more than five minutes per game compared to last season, and he is not a big power play point producer, but being a strong puck mover on a dominant Carolina team can still deliver the goods.

#16 The Carolina Hurricanes added more talent at the trade deadline and after a couple of three-point games, it appears to have sent winger Teuvo Teravainen into a slump. He has gone six straight games without a point despite playing nearly 16 minutes per game. For fantasy managers in the playoffs, it may be worth finding a hotter hand rather than hoping that Teravainen can snap out of this slump.

#17 When he recorded an assist on March 1 against New Jersey, Anaheim Ducks centre Mason McTavish had 40 points in 52 games. He has gone nine straight games without a point since then and played just 10:35 in Thursday’s 4-2 loss at Seattle. McTavish is a promising second year centre who should be a long-term fixture in the Ducks lineup, but for fantasy managers that need production now, he is coming up short and, in most cases, is worth sending to the waiver wire in order to find more immediate help.

#18 Sometimes goaltending can be overvalued, but when a team does not have reliable goaltending, it seems like it overpowers everything else. Take the New Jersey Devils, for example. They spent most of the season struggling to get any kind of consistently reliable play between the pipes and that, combined with some significant injuries, has left them outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. At the trade deadline, however, the Devils brought in Jake Allen from Montreal and Kaapo Kahkonen from San Jose. The early returns have Allen with a .925 save percentage in six starts and Kahkonen with a .934 save percentage in three starts. The Devils have won four of their past five games and Allen might have some fantasy value for the final weeks of the season, certainly far more than he had in Montreal prior to the trade.

#19 When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Michael Bunting from Carolina at the trade deadline, it was not very well received, in part because it meant that the Penguins were moving on from Jake Guentzel, a bitter pill to swallow for a team used to adding talent at the deadline. Nevertheless, Bunting has taken advantage of the bigger role afforded to him in Pittsburgh, producing six points (2 G, 4 A) while playing more than 17 minutes per game in his past seven games. For his part, Guentzel has been great in Carolina, scoring 14 points (2 G, 12 A) with 33 shots on goal in 10 games.

#20 The NHL leaders in expected goals (all situations, per Natural Stat Trick) for the month of March are: Sam Reinhart (8.11), Zach Hyman (8.07), Connor Bedard (7.59), Brady Tkachuk (7.58), Auston Matthews (7.53), John Tavares (7.23), Kirill Kaprizov (7.05), Andrei Svechnikov (6.59), Filip Forsberg (6.41), Nico Hischier (6.40), Chris Kreider (6.39), and Sidney Crosby (6.35). Reinhart and Hyman are the league’s newest 50-goal scorers, but Bedard and Crosby are the ones in this group that are under-performing their expected goals this month, as Bedard has four goals and Crosby has three. Svechnikov, Hischier, and Kreider also scored four goals, so they have been a few goals below expectations, too.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Sean Monahan moves to Winnipeg, Troy Terry is streaking, Jonathan Quick is earning more playing time, Nazem Kadri is leading the way for Calgary, Dylan Cozens is starting to heat up in Buffalo, and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 20:21:44 +0000

Troy Terry (61) (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire),

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

This week, Sean Monahan moves to Winnipeg, Troy Terry is streaking, Jonathan Quick is earning more playing time, Nazem Kadri is leading the way for Calgary, Dylan Cozens is starting to heat up in Buffalo, and much, much more!

#1 The Winnipeg Jets dipped into the trade market to acquire centre Sean Monahan from the Montreal Canadiens. Monahan, healthy after years of having hip problems, has been enjoying a renaissance. He had put up 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in his last seven games with Montreal and while he has not recorded a point in his first two games with the Jets, Monahan does have six shots on goal and seems like he should be a reasonable option as the No. 2 centre in Winnipeg.

#2 With Monahan departing, Montreal is in dire straits down the middle of the ice behind captain Nick Suzuki. With Christian Dvorak and Kirby Dach out for the season and Alex Newhook still recovering from injury, Montreal has Jake Evans slotted into the second line centre spot, with AHL call-ups Brandon Gignac and Lucas Condotta filling out the bottom half of the centre depth chart. Evans has 14 points (2 G, 12 A) in 50 games, which is not exactly prime offensive production from a player who is already averaging a career high 15:45 of ice time per game.

#3 Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry started slowly this season, scoring 13 points in his first 24 games, and that included a four-point game against Arizona on November 1. He has since picked up the pace and goes into Friday’s action riding a six-game point streak during which he has produced 10 points (4 G, 6 A) and 19 shots on goal. That’s a small sample, but the shot rate is encouraging. Terry averaged a career high 2.69 shots on goal per game last season and is sitting on 2.51 shots per game this season, so lifting his average up over three per game counts as progress and makes his production more sustainable.

#4 A bizarre goaltending season continues to wreak havoc for fantasy hockey managers. With Igor Shesterkin slumping, to the tune of a .863 save percentage in 10 games since the calendar flipped to 2024, the Rangers are now giving more starts to Jonathan Quick. For all of his career accolades, Quick is now 38 years old and had worse than average results in four of the previous five seasons. This season, he has a .919 save percentage and a 12-4-2 record in 19 appearances. With Shesterkin slumping, Quick is shockingly taking on a bigger role for the Blueshirts.

#5 While the season appears to be headed south for the Calgary Flames as a team, centre Nazem Kadri has picked up his production after a relatively slow start to the campaign. In his past 20 games, Kadri has 21 points (8 G, 13 A) and 67 shots on goal and with Elias Lindholm traded, Kadri becomes even more important as Calgary’s No. 1 centre.

#6 Following a breakthrough 2022-2023 season, Buffalo Sabres centre Dylan Cozens has not been as productive this season. However, with nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 23 shots on goal in his past eight games, Cozens is starting to look more like the rising star that he was a year ago. He is getting first unit power play time right now but has just five power play points this season, so that could be an area to increase potential point production.

#7 The goals are not coming as easily for Washington this season, but centre Dylan Strome remains a viable fantasy hockey option, at least for consideration in deeper leagues. Since December 30, he has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 34 shots on goal in 16 games. With Evgeny Kuznetsov in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Strome is the most established scoring centre on the Capitals roster by a healthy margin and is naturally centering the top line between Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.

#8 In his past 20 games, Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee has put up 21 points (6 G, 15 A) while registering 53 shots on goal. Skating on a line with Morgan Frost and Travis Konecny, in addition getting first unit power play time, is working for Farabee, who ranks 25th in the league with 35 even strength points. Farabee’s even strength production has been outstanding, but if he can become a factor on the power play, he could push towards a point per game scoring pace.

#9 Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Mikhail Sergachev suffered a broken leg in Wednesday’s loss at the New York Rangers, in his first game back after missing 17. Sergachev’s absence does open the door for Darren Raddysh to remain in a more significant role on the Lightning blueline. Raddysh has contributed eight points (4 G, 4 A) with 19 shots on goal in his past 12 games. He has played nearly 21 minutes per game over his past 20 games, the 27-year-old making himself a fixture on the Lightning blueline in his first full NHL season.

#10 While he could stand to put more pucks on net, Detroit Red Wings winger Lucas Raymond has contributed 15 points (3 G, 12 A) in his past 15 games, despite managing a modest 18 shots on goal. He is reaping the rewards of a high on-ice shooting percentage, 11.1 percent, and that is likely unsustainable, though riding with Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin on Detroit’s top line should help to keep Raymond’s percentages at least above average.

#11 With Jack Eichel still out of the lineup for the Vegas Golden Knights, they can be thankful that other centres have stepped up to fill the void. Chandler Stephenson has contributed 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 22 shots on goal in the past 10 games and Nicolas Roy has 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in his past nine games. Since January 1, Roy is averaging 4.05 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which is the best rate in the entire league for players that have played at least 100 five-on-five minutes. In Stephenson’s case, this re-emergence has come following a stretch during which he managed just two points (1 G, 1 A) in 12 games.

#12 Seattle Kraken right winger Jordan Eberle has had trouble getting on track this season but is making progress lately. In his past seven games, Eberle has put up nine points (4 G, 5 A) with 14 shots on goal. He is skating on a line with Tomas Tatar and Jared McCann and they have had some success. McCann has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 26 shots on goal in his past 10 games, while Tatar has four points (2 G, 2 A) in his past five games.

#13 In his second full season with the Buffalo Sabres, winger JJ Peterka has been the leading goal scorer for the team, which is a credit to Peterka, who has 18 goals after scoring seven points (5 G, 2 A) with 21 shots on goal in his past six games, but it’s also something of an indictment of more established scorers like Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch, who have not produced to the levels that they have in previous seasons. Peterka is skating on a line with Dylan Cozens and rookie winger Zach Benson, a trio full of potential and a group that should get plenty of ice time for the rest of the season.

#14 There is not a lot to bring excitement to the San Jose Sharks’ season and it is rare to bring forth Sharks players for potential fantasy value. With that disclaimer out of the way, managers in deep leagues should keep tabs on William Eklund, the 21-year-old who was the seventh pick in the 2021 Draft. Eklund has six points (1 G, 5 A) in his past five games and is getting some reps at centre. He is also getting significant ice time, including first unit power play time, playing more than 20 minutes in four of his past seven contests.

#15 It has been a challenging season in Columbus, too. Johnny Gaudreau leads the Blue Jackets with just 32 points in 50 games. Patrik Laine is in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and star rookie Adam Fantilli is out for two months with a lacerated calf. One bright spot has been the development of Yegor Chinakhov, the 23-year-old winger who was a surprise first-round pick in 2020. Chinakhov has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 19 shots on goal in his past seven games and is up to 14 goals on the season. Like Eklund, Chinakhov is more of a concern for those in deep or dynasty leagues.

#16 There are few players that are worthy of fantasy consideration that play as little as Detroit Red Wings right winger Daniel Sprong. He was one of the most efficient players in the league with Seattle last season, scoring 46 points (21 G, 25 A) in 66 games while playing just 11:25 per game. When he signed with Detroit, the expectation was that Sprong would see a bump in ice time but, for the most part that hasn’t materialized. Even so, he has put up 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 38 shots on goal in his past 13 games, while playing just 11:46 per game, since the calendar flipped to 2024.

#17 A defenceman who scored a career-high 20 points as a rookie in 2017-2018, Jan Rutta is suddenly contributing offensively for the San Jose Sharks. Not only does Rutta have six points (3 G, 3 A) in the past six games, but he is averaging 22:45 of ice time per game over that stretch. This is a more significant role for the veteran defender, but it’s also for a terrible team and he does not have a significant role on the power play, so maybe don’t rush to the waiver wire immediately, just consider him as a potential short-term option if injuries hit your blueline.

#18 The Jordan Binnington experience can be a bit of a roller coaster, with ups and downs, thrills, and spills, but when he is on, the St. Louis Blues netminder can be a difference maker. In 10 games since the Christmas break, for example, Binnington has a 6-3-1 record with a .928 save percentage. That will play in any league and makes Binnington a much more appealing fantasy option.

#19 Although it is difficult for any goaltender to put up great numbers in San Jose, Mackenzie Blackwood is doing his level best. In nine games since the Christmas break, the 27-year-old netminder has a 4-3-1 record with a .923 save percentage. It would be only the deepest of leagues that could justify taking a Sharks goaltender, but Blackwood is at least making himself a viable fantasy option and the way that goaltending has fluctuated throughout the league this season, it’s always worth considering one that is on a good run.

#20 Among players to play at least 150 minutes in all situations since January 1, the leaders for individual expected goals per 60 minutes are: Zach Hyman (2.64), Dmitri Voronkov (1.91), T.J. Oshie (1.89), Matthew Tkachuk (1.83), Chris Kreider (1.79), Kyle Palmieri (1.77), Yanni Gourde (1.71), John Tavares (1.64), David Pastrnak (1.62), and Joe Pavelski (1.62). A few things stand out. First, is that Hyman is getting way more chances than anyone else in the league but players like Voronkov, Oshie, Palmieri, and Gourde are all available in quite a few leagues. Fantasy hockey rewards actual goals rather than expected goals, but the process of generating expected goals should have a payoff with real goals at some point, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FANTASY: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Farabee stepping up for Flyers – Injuries open door to opportunity – Goalies bouncing back – Early-season underachievers that might offer potential buy-low value + much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:43:45 +0000

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 10: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Joel Farabee (86) with the puck during an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks played on November 10, 2023 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Joel Farabee is stepping up for the Flyers, injuries open the door for opportunities, goalies bouncing back, and early-season underachievers that might offer potential buy-low value.

#1 Although Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee hit a career high with 39 points (15 G, 24 A) last season, it was widely regarded as a disappointing campaign. He was recovering from disc replacement surgery in his neck and both his shot rate and shooting percentage declined. This season, however, Farabee is a vital part of the Flyers’ ability to exceed expectations. He has 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in 16 games and all 12 points have come during five-on-five play; his 3.52 points per 60 ranks ninth in the league and while his lack of power play production does put a ceiling on Farabee’s potential production, he has already taken steps forward from last season.

#2 Buffalo Sabres star centre Tage Thompson has been lost for “less than a couple of months” with a wrist injury. His absence will require Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt to anchor the top two centre spots on the Sabres depth chart. Cozens has one assist in his past six games and is averaging less ice time per game than he did last season, so this will provide ample opportunity for him to get back on track. Mittelstadt has 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in 16 games, though with just 21 shots, he does have room to increase his offensive impact.

#3 The Anaheim Ducks placed centre Trevor Zegras on the injured list with a groin injury and he had just two points (1 G, 1 A) in 12 games when they decided that he needed a break. That theoretically could open the door for more ice time for rookie centre Leo Carlsson, who has eight points (6 G, 2 A) in 11 games, but he’s already averaging 18:18 of ice time per game when he plays, so it is difficult to expect and 18-year-old to get much more ice time. Maybe it’s more reasonable to expect Mason McTavish to take on a little more, as the 20-year-old has 16 points (7 G, 9 A) in 16 games while logging 17:32 of ice time per game.

#4 A neck injury has put Avalanche left winger Artturi Lehkonen on the shelf, creating an opportunity for Valeri Nichushkin to skate with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on Colorado’s top line. MacKinnon has been Nichushkin’s most common linemate this season already, but adding Rantanen does spice things up a bit. Nichushkin has produced five points (4 G, 1 A) and 18 shots on goal in the past five games.

#5 Florida Panthers defencemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad are both nearing returns to action, on the precipice of making their seasons debuts for last season’s Stanley Cup finalists. The most intriguing effect will likely fall on Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the 32-year-old defender whose play has been in decline for several seasons. Given a new lease on life in Florida, he has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in 16 games, but half of those points have come on the power play and Montour’s return could take away Ekman-Larsson’s top unit power play role.

#6 An upper-body injury has landed Nashville Predators centre Tommy Novak on injured reserve for the next four-to-six weeks. With 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in 14 games, he is ranked third in scoring on the Predators and half of those points have come on the power play. Cody Glass gets first crack at Novak’s ice time, but he had better pick up the pace as he has yet to record a point in seven games this season.

#7 New Jersey Devils centre Jack Hughes appears to be on the verge of returning from his upper-body injury. The Devils’ playmaking centre has 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 10 games, outrageous production and, given the landscape among the league’s top scorers, Hughes has a legitimate case to at least be in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. Michael McLeod, who has three points (1 G, 2 A) in the past five games, is likely to slide back down the depth chart when Hughes is ready to return.

#8 It seems that nearly every week there is some example of how unpredictable goaltending can be from one season to the next, never mind smaller samples like one week to the next or one game to the next. Consider the case of St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who had a .897 save percentage in 98 games over the previous two seasons. This season, his save percentage is up to XXXX and, at least before the Blues were blown out by the San Jose Sharks Thursday night (in a game started by Joel Hofer), goaltending had been helping the Blues get back to a more competitive level.

#9 Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson was an elite performer early in his career, posting a .921 save percentage from 2013-2014 through 2018-2019, but then the burden of playing behind a suspect Ducks defence started to catch up to him and from 2019-2020 through 2022-2023, his save percentage had fallen to .902. This season, however, Gibson has a .927 save percentage in nine starts. With the Ducks more competitive than expected, Gibson is once again a valuable commodity for fantasy managers.

#10 In the previous two seasons, with the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks, Petr Mrazek had a .893 save percentage. In eight games this season, he is rocking a .921 save percentage. The wins don’t come easily in the Windy City, but if Mrazek is going to play at this above-average level, he is going to be fantasy relevant, which was not a widely held expectation for him at the start of the season.

#11 Edmonton Oilers left winger Evander Kane erupted for a hat trick in Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime win against Seattle. Following a slow start, Kane has produced 14 points (7 G, 7 A) and 34 shots on goal in the past 10 games, which puts him up among the top wingers because when the scoring is there, he also generates shots and provides a physical presence (56 hits in 15 games).

#12 Matt Duchene did not record a point in his first four games for the Dallas Stars, which saw him get waived in many fantasy hockey leagues, but the trend has reversed in a hurry. In 10 games since, Duchene has produced 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 25 shots on goal, thriving on a line with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.

#13 Part of Winnipeg’s return in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, Alex Iafallo has been a quality supporting winger for the Jets. He could stand to shoot the puck more, but Iafallo has nine points (1 G, 8 A) in his past six games, and he is riding shotgun with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the Jets’ top line as well as holding down a spot on Winnipeg’s top power play unit.

#14 After a brilliant performance at the World Championships, 21-year-old Buffalo Sabres winger J.J. Peterka entered this season with some expectations. He started slowly, but has now delivered nine points (4 G, 5 A) in the past nine games, a sign that he could be ready to make a leap in only his second NHL campaign.

#15 A couple of early AHL call-ups have made an instant impact in the NHL. Calgary’s Connor Zary, a first-round pick in 2020, has six points (3 G, 3 A) in seven games, though he has just one shot on goal in the past three, leaving him with 11 shots on goal in those seven games. That needs to bounce back up for his production to have a higher likelihood of sustainability. Zary and fellow rookie Martin Pospisil have been flanking Nazem Kadri on the Flames’ second line. Toronto’s Nick Robertson is no longer Calder Trophy eligible after various stints with the Maple Leafs in the past three seasons, but the 22-year-old does have four points (2 G, 2 A) in four games since getting promoted from the AHL, where he had 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in nine games. Robertson is skating with Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok in a third line that suddenly has some offensive pop to it.

#16 The leader in expected goals per 60 minutes (minimum 50 minutes of ice time) during the month of November is Bruins left winger Brad Marchand (2.09), ahead of Alex Tuch (2.06), Timo Meier (2.04), Connor McMichael (2.02), and Kevin Fiala (2.00). McMichael stands out of that group as he is not nearly as established as an offensive force. With Nicklas Backstrom stepping away from the Capitals, McMichael is looking at a bigger role and has four points (2 G, 2 A) with 12 shots on goal in the past four games and could be a buy-low option in deep leagues. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some forwards who have not been generating chances and it is no surprise if fourth liners have a low rate of expected goals, but Alex Newhook (0.19), Kaapo Kakko (0.21), Matthew Poitras (0.33), and Pavel Zacha (0.36) – all of whom have some expectation of offensive production - are among the forwards in the bottom 20 when it comes to individual expected goals in November.

#17 Looking specifically at five-on-four power play situations, which players are being put in position to score with the man advantage? The leader in individual expected goals per 60 minutes (minimum 40 five-on-four minutes this season) is Florida’s Sam Reinhart (4.05), ahead of Joe Pavelski (3.67), Sidney Crosby (3.53), Drake Batherson (3.35), Vincent Trocheck (3.31), and Tommy Novak (3.28).

#18 While there are some players scoring on a ridiculously high percentage of shots, that likely won’t be sustainable – looking at you, Alexis Lafreniere (29.2%) and Brock Boeser (27.1%) – there are players at the other end who are generating shots on goal and not finding the net. Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell has zero goals on 40 shots. He has had some seasons in which his shooting percentages are terrible, but zero for forty is a real struggle, especially for a player who is skating on a line with Reilly Smith and Evgeni Malkin, two skilled linemates. Others that might be buy-low considerations with zero goals: Josh Anderson (38 shots) and T.J. Oshie (28 shots).

#19 Spinning this to the players that have underachieved the most relative to their expected goals thus far, Oshie (-5.54) and Anderson (-5.31) have fallen shortest of their expected goals totals, followed by Matthew Tkachuk (-5.00), Anders Lee (-4.64), and Rakell (-4.31). These guys are getting chances but can’t finish. On the other hand, the players exceeding their expected goals by the widest margin thus far are: Kyle Connor (6.29), Alex DeBrincat (6.07), Frank Vatrano (5.96), Teuvo Teravainen (5.48), and Chris Kreider (5.08). These are players off to great starts, but sustainability could be a challenge.

#20 One of the bigger tests of any buy-low theory is Columbus Blue Jackets left winger Johnny Gaudreau. He and Patrick Laine were benched in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Arizona, and Gaudreau has a paltry six points (1 G, 5 A) and 40 shots on goal through 17 games. Gaudreau’s shot rate is down to 2.35 per game and if he can’t make it work with a shooter like Laine, then the Blue Jackets need to make some changes because it makes no sense to invest so much in Gaudreau, only to let him wither on the vine with a line that isn’t working. Gaudreau and Laine have controlled the flow of play to some degree at five-on-five, with 57.3% Corsi, but they are pulling just 40.9% of expected goals and that isn’t going to cut it. It’s notable that Gaudreau has had more success with his most common linemate, Boone Jenner, with a 58.5% Corsi and 58.0% of expected goals. Somehow, some way, the Blue Jackets need to find the right fit for Gaudreau and fantasy managers can lurk and wait for the answer because Gaudreau’s value right now is about as low as it could get.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Devils dealing with injuries at centre – the Sharks finally add a puck-moving defenceman, Hronek, Schwartz, and E. Kane are among the players heating up + much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 19:08:09 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 12: New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer (91) looks on during a game between the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils on October 12, 2023 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey.(Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, the Devils dealing with injuries at centre, the Sharks finally add a puck-moving defenceman, an injury to Jordan Eberle, while Filip Hronek, Jaden Schwartz, and Evander Kane are among the players heating up.

#1 One of the main reasons to like the chances of the New Jersey Devils is their 1-2 combination down the middle of the ice. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier provide the Devils with top-end talent at important positions and, at the moment, both are out of the lineup. Hughes got off to a phenomenal start, with 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 10 games before suffering an upper-body injury. Hischier struggled early, managing two goals in seven games then suffering his own upper-body injury. With Hughes and Hischier out, Dawson Mercer has moved back to the middle of the ice and Michael McLeod is taking on a bigger role. Mercer has one goal and zero assists in a dozen games. McLeod has three points (1 G, 2 A) while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game in the past four games.

#2 The San Jose Sharks are off to a miserable start, posting a 2-10-1 record, but they are taking a worthwhile shot on a young defenceman, acquiring Calen Addison from the Minnesota Wild for winger Adam Raska and a fifth-round pick in 2026. Addison is a puck-moving defenceman and power play quarterback who is suspect defensively, but his ability to work the power play fills a glaring hole on the Sharks’ roster. Since the start of last season, Addison has 34 points (3 G, 31 A) in 76 games, with 21 of those 34 points coming with the man advantage. In San Jose, he ought to be the first unit power play quarterback very soon, if not immediately.

#3 Seattle Kraken right winger Jordan Eberle suffered a leg injury when he was gashed by a skate in practice. The 33-year-old Eberle has four points (1 G, 3 A) in 13 games and is replaced on the top line, with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann, by Kailer Yamamoto, who has four points (2 G, 2 A) in 14 games.

#4 While the hype has been following Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes – and deservedly so – his partner, Filip Hronek is having a great start to the season. An assist in Thursday’s 5-2 win at Ottawa ran Hronek’s scoring streak to eight games, during which he has recorded 11 assists. The 26-year-old blueliner has recorded 39 points and 38 points, respectively, in the past two seasons, but has 14 assists in 13 games to open this season.

#5 Staying healthy can be a challenge for Seattle Kraken left winger Jaden Schwartz, but he is healthy and thriving right now. With a goal and an assist at Colorado on Thursday, Schwartz picked up a goal and an assist, running his point streak to eight games, during which Schwartz has produced 11 points (5 G, 6 A).

#6 The Edmonton Oilers have stumbled out of the gate and winger Evander Kane had just one assist and 11 shots on goal in the first five games. Since then, however, Kane’s production is much more typical. He has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 23 shots on goal in his past seven games.

#7 Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri was terrible to start the season, recording one assist through his first eight games, and he was even shifted to the wing as the Flames were left looking for answers. They are still looking but Kadri has returned to centre and has a four-game point streak during which he has tallied six points (2 G, 4 A) and 18 shots on goal.

#8 A reliable, if unheralded, forward Calle Jarnkrok has been doing his part to help the Maple Leafs emerge from their early-season doldrums. He is riding a four-game point streak, during which he has five points (2 G, 3 A) and nine shots on goal. He has been skating on a line with Max Domi and Nick Robertson, the latter recently promoted from the American Hockey League.

#9 After battling injuries in recent seasons, Montreal Canadiens centre Sean Monahan is healthy and in prime form this season. He recorded an assist in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win at Detroit, running his point streak to seven games. Monahan has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 20 shots on goal in those seven games, and he is anchoring a veteran line with Tanner Pearson and Brendan Gallagher on the wings.

#10 It seems like every week the unpredictability of goaltending raises its ugly head but sometimes, that unpredictability can work in a positive fashion. Take the case of Los Angeles Kings goaltender Cam Talbot, a 36-year-old coming off a season in which he had a .898 save percentage in 36 games for Ottawa but in his first 10 starts for the Kings, he has delivered a .930 save percentage. With Pheonix Copley struggling (he has a .792 save percentage through four games), there could be a temptation for the Kings to lean heavily on Talbot, but that might not be ideal for his long-term performance.

#11 More teams are getting into the plan of having three goaltenders available and the Carolina Hurricanes seem to be at the forefront of that plan. It makes sense because their veteran goaltenders are not especially durable and with Frederik Andersen landing on the injured list, the Hurricanes can bring in Pyotr Kochetkov and not miss a beat. At least that is the theory. Kochetkov will see more action with Andersen injured, but has a .836 save percentage in his first three starts for the Hurricanes.

#12 Injuries are also forcing some teams to turn to their third goaltenders. For the Rangers, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick are dealing with lingering injuries, prompting the recall of Louis Domingue from the American Hockey League. He stopped 25 of 26 shots in Thursday’s win against Minnesota. The 31-year-old has a .905 save percentage in 143 career NHL games, so he is capable of providing competent goaltending in a pinch and it appears that the Rangers need that right now. Pittsburgh is in a similar situation with Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic out, leading to Magnus Hellberg getting recalled. Hellberg does not have the same track record – a .890 save percentage in 26 games – but the 32-year-old netminder might be in line to see more action than expected.

#13 There may be no team facing a more difficult goaltending situation than the Edmonton Oilers. They have waived Jack Campbell to the AHL, recalling Chet Pickard, leaving Stuart Skinner as the No. 1 option for now. Skinner was the runner-up in voting for the Calder Trophy last season but has a .854 save percentage in eight appearances this season. For an Oilers team that had plans on contending to start the year, that isn’t going to cut it, and Edmonton might have to explore the trade market if they can’t get more saves.

#14 Talk about the nick of time, there are three productive Nicks that are widely available in fantasy. Start with Arizona’s Nick Bjugstad, the towering veteran centre who has seven points (1 G, 6 A) in his past eight games, playing more than 17 minutes per game over that stretch. His teammate, Nick Schmaltz, comes with more of an offensive pedigree. Not only does Schmaltz have 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 13 games, but he is playing more than 20 minutes per game and is averaging a career-high 2.46 shots on goal per game. The third Nick for consideration is Nick Paul in Tampa Bay. Paul has scored seven goals in 14 games, including four goals on the power play, which increases the fantasy relevance of a player who is normally known for his work in a checking role.

#15 Earlier in the season, the Seattle Kraken weren’t getting production from their centres but as that has changed, a few more wins are finding their way to the Kraken. Yanni Gourde, who had one goal and zero assists in the first eight games, has bounced back with six points (1 G, 5 A) in the past six games. Matty Beniers, who had just three assists in his first 11 games, has four points (1 G, 3 A) during a three-game point streak.

#16 Another slow starter, Arizona winger Lawson Crouse had zero points in the first five games of the season but has put up eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 17 shots on goal in the seven games since. Because of his physical play, Crouse has value in banger leagues, but when he’s cooking, he scores enough to have value in deeper standard leagues, too.

#17 While Connor Bedard is deservedly drawing the most interest among the rookie class, especially after a four-point game against Tampa Bay on Thursday, there are some other freshman forwards making a mark, too. Philadelphia’s Bobby Brink, a second-round pick in 2019, has been held off the scoresheet in four of the past five games, but also has three multi-point games this season on his way to eight points (3 G, 5 A) in 12 games. Minnesota’s Marco Rossi had just one assist in 19 games for the Wild last season but has started to find his range. Rossi has six points (4 G, 2 A) while averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time in the past eight games. Nashville’s Luke Evangelista remains Calder Trophy eligible after playing 24 games, and scoring 15 points (7 G, 8 A) last season. He started slowly, but has eight points (1 G, 7 A) in the past nine games and is getting first unit power play time. Calgary’s Connor Zary was called up after scoring 10 points (1 G, 9 A) in six AHL games. Zary is skating on Nazem Kadri’s wing and has produced three points (1 G, 2 A) in his first three games for the Flames.

#18 A few sophomores of note, too: Arizona’s Matias Maccelli has 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his past 10 games, building on a rookie season that saw him finish fourth in Calder Trophy voting. Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti had his rookie season shortened by injury but is asserting himself in his second season. He has six points (2 G, 4 A) during a five-game point streak. Buffalo’s JJ Peterka is heating up, with six points (3 G, 3 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past six games. Peterka was named best forward at the World Championships, and could be primed for a breakout season.

#19 Tampa Bay’s Alex Barré-Boulet has been hovering on the fringes of the NHL for a while, managing eight points (6 G, 2 A) in 32 games over the previous three seasons, but the 26-year-old might be finally ready to hold a regular spot. He has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in his past nine games and while his ice time remains inconsistent, continued production could help solve that issue, and he is getting a chance on a line with Nick Paul and Steven Stamkos.

#20 One of the most puzzling players early in the season has to be the Islanders’ Anders Lee. His ice time is down to 15:49 per game, his lowest since 2016-2017, and he has just two points (1 G, 1 A) in 12 games. He has 26 shots on goal and, as a net-front force, he is among the leaders in individual expected goals during five-on-five play. That might suggest he is a buy-low option because it’s hard to imagine him continuing at this pace.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Injuries provide opportunities – Blues resurrecting careers in Blais, Vrana and Kapanen

Scott Cullen — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:02:32 +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, the 2022-2023 NHL season is winding down and there are opportunities available for a rookie defenseman like Jake Sanderson to step up and the St. Louis Blues have been working quite successfully on resurrecting the careers of some forwards, including Sammy Blais, Jakub Vrana, and Kasperi Kapanen.

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 22: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Jake Sanderson (85) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators on October 22, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

#1 Ottawa Senators rookie blueliner Jake Sanderson has had an excellent first season in the NHL and looks like he should see a big role in the final few weeks of the season. Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun are both out, which opens the door for Sanderson to see first unit power play time and extra ice time has resulted in more production for the freshman defenseman. Sanderson played a career high 27:49 against Philadelphia on Thursday and has played more than 23 minutes in 22 games this season, recording 11 assists in those games, including seven helpers with the man advantage.

ST. LOUIS, MO - FEBRUARY 28: St. Louis Blues left wing Sammy Blais (79) looks for a shooting lane during a game between the Seattle Kraken and the St. Louis Blues on February 28 2023, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

#2 Seeing what he has been able to accomplish since returning to St. Louis, it feels like the New York Rangers might have missed out on the best of Sammy Blais, who was primarily a spare part in his time with the Blueshirts. In his past 12 games, Blais has 15 points (6 G, 9 A) and 53 hits, making him a hugely valuable fantasy contributor and one that is widely available.

#3 Cast aside by the Detroit Red Wings, Jakub Vrana is quickly re-establishing his credentials as a top goal scorer. He scored a goal in Thursday’s 5-3 win at Chicago, making it nine goals and 43 shots on goal in 13 games since he was acquired by the Blues. He now has 23 goals in 44 games since the start of last season.

#4 While we’re hanging out praise in St. Louis, might as well include right winger Kasperi Kapanen, getting another chance to play up in the lineup after his progress stalled in Toronto and Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old speedster has nine points (5 G, 4 A), with 20 shots on goal while playing more than 17 minutes per game, in his past eight contests. With Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich injured, Kapanen has even moved to the middle, playing center between Blais and Jordan Kyrou.

#5 Although he is not as dangerous as he was during his prime years in New Jersey, the Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri is providing much-needed offense for a team making a push to the playoffs. Since the trade deadline, Palmieri has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 30 shots on goal in 12 games. He is up to 15 goals in 49 games and the last time he had more in a season was when he scored 25 in 2019-2020, his last full season with the Devils.

#6 The Nashville Predators remain in the playoff hunt, but they are missing star defenseman Roman Josi, who has an upper-body injury. Fortunately for the Preds, newly acquired Tyson Barrie is helping to fill the role of puck-moving blueliner, contributing seven points (2 G, 5 A) while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game in his past eight games. Barrie’s ice time had dipped the past couple of seasons in Edmonton, but he has spent most of his career logging 21+ minutes of ice time per game, so he can handle this responsibility.

#7 In what has mostly been a lost season, the Philadelphia Flyers can take some solace in the development of young players. One of those players that is rising to the forefront is 23-year-old center Morgan Frost, who has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 16 shots on goal in his pats eight games. He has landed in the middle of a line with Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett, players that should be part of the Flyers’ future, so it would make sense to feed them big minutes the rest of the way.

#8 Production tends to run hot and cold for Edmonton Oilers right winger Kailer Yamamoto, but he seems to have found his groove right now, skating on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane, which is admittedly a pretty good spot for point production. In his past seven games, Yamamoto has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 12 shots on goal. While he has just 24 points in 52 games this season, he did have a career-high 41 points in 81 games last season, so there is some untapped offensive upside in the diminutive 24-year-old winger.

#9 Finding productive fourth line scoring is a rarity in the National Hockey League, but it appears that the Seattle Kraken have a reliable source in Daniel Sprong. In his past 11 games, the 26-year-old winger has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) and 25 shots on goal, while averaging just 10:38 of ice time per game. Among players that have played more than 500 five-on-five minutes, Kraken teammate Jared McCann and Montreal’s Cole Caufield are the only ones that have scored at a higher rate than Sprong’s 1.57 goals per 60 minutes.

#10 One of my favorite players to recommend late in the season has been Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, who is thriving on a line with Clayton Keller. In his past 12 games, Hayton has 16 points (7 G, 9 A) and 33 shots on goal while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. It has taken some time since he was drafted fifth overall in the 2018 Draft, but Hayton’s emergence in the second half of this season should give the Coyotes confidence that he the 22-year-old pivot can be a part of the long-term solution for the franchise.

#11 Injuries have taken their toll on Montreal Canadiens right winger Brendan Gallagher, not only keeping him out of the lineup for extended periods, but also diminishing what he can contribute when he is available to play. Since returning from his latest turn on the injured list, though, Gallagher is looking healthy and has produced four points (3 G, 1 A) and 16 shots on goal in six games. The Habs are cobbling together a functional lineup at this point, with so many players hurt, but Gallagher is getting first unit power play time in addition to skating on a line with Jake Evans and Sean Farrell, the 2020 fourth-round pick who was just signed out of Harvard.

#12 For a defenseman who has never had 25 points in a season, Florida Panthers blueliner Radko Gudas still has a measure of fantasy value because he is a man with a particular set of skills. He hits and hits a lot. In his past 17 games, Gudas has a modest total of four assists, but he also has 90 hits, which works out to 5.3 hits per game. With 280 hits, he ranks third, just behind Luke Schenn (283) and Tanner Jeannot (281).

#13 The season has been undeniably rough for the Anaheim Ducks, but it is not going to get any better with Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry out of the lineup. Zegras is injured and Terry is staying in Anaheim due to the premature birth of his child. Isaac Lundestrom is getting first line duty at center but has gone 14 games without a point. If there is fantasy value to be found in the Ducks lineup, look to Jakob Silfverberg, who has four assists in his past five games, or Derek Grant, who has six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past 10 games. Okay, those are really only options for the deepest of leagues.

#14 With Buffalo Sabres star center Tage Thompson dealing with an upper-body injury, Casey Mittelstadt is getting a shot on the top line between Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Mittelstadt could stand to shoot the puck more often but does have four assists in his past six games, giving him a career high 44 points (10 G, 34 A) for the season.

#15 Since Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is dealing with a lower-body injury, that should mean more action for Felix Sandstrom and potentially Samuel Ersson, too. Sandstrom has not shown much in a backup role this season but does have a .900 save percentage in five starts since the trade deadline. Ersson has not played for the Flyers since allowing seven goals on 36 shots at New Jersey on February 25, but he had a few standout performances, too, including a 28-save shutout against Buffalo. Speaking of Buffalo, a better option for goaltending late in the season could be Devon Levi, who is set to make his debut for the Sabres on Friday. Levi was a seventh-round pick in 2020 but just wrapped up a college career in which he had a .942 save percentage in 66 games for Northeastern.

#16 Injuries have caught up to the San Jose Sharks, with Alexander Barbanov, Andreas Johnsson, and Evgeny Svechnikov all out of action. That has opened the door for Jacob Peterson, Martin Kaut, and Thomas Bordeleau to land top-six roles in the San Jose lineup. Peterson has three assists in four games since he was acquired from the Dallas Stars. Kaut, claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the season, has four points (2 G, 2 A) with 11 shots on goal in his past five games. Bordeleau recorded an assist in his first game of the season for the Sharks after tallying 41 points (22 G, 19 A) in 64 AHL games. None of these players look like stars, but they are getting a great opportunity at the end of this season to show that they belong in the league.

#17 The top two rookie scorers since the trade deadline play for the Arizona Coyotes. Matias Maccelli has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and is followed by Jack McBain, who has 10 points (3 G, 7 A). They have most recently been skating with Lawson Crouse on the second line in addition to sharing second unit power play time. Maccelli now ranks second among all rookie scorers this season, with 43 points (10 G, 33 A) in 57 games.

#18 Another rookie forward contributing late in the season is Buffalo’s J.J. Peterka, who has nine points (2 G, 7 A) and 18 shots on goal in his past nine games. He has been skating on a line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, with the 22-year-old Cozens counting as the old vet on the line.

#19 Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy leads the NHL with 12 goals in 13 games since the trade deadline. His 0.92 goals per game ranks first, ahead of Clayton Keller and Leon Draisaitl (0.79), Matthew Tkachuk (0.77), Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin (0.75). When it comes to points per game, Draisaitl leads with 1.93 points per game (11 G, 16 A in 14 GP), followed by Connor McDavid (1.86), Tkachuk (1.69), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1.64), Cale Makar and J.T. Miller (1.62).

#20 Matthews has talked about how a hand injury had negatively impacted his production earlier in the season, but he sure seems to be firing on all cylinders now. Matthews has 67 shots on goal in 12 games since the deadline, an average of 5.58 per game, which leads the league. Before that, he was averaging 4.15 shots on goal per game, so that is a dramatic improvement, though it is admittedly skewed by his launching 15 shots on goal against Carolina on February 25. That is remarkable because the Hurricanes are, easily, the best team in the league when it comes to shot suppression, allowing an average of 25.7 shots against per 60 minutes. The rest of the shots per game leaders since the trade deadline: David Pastrnak (5.29), Viktor Arvidsson (4.75), Brady Tkachuk (4.71), Nathan MacKinnon (4.47), Jack Hughes (4.40), Matthew Tkachuk (4.38), Carter Verhaeghe (4.30), Sidney Crosby (4.21), and Jake Guentzel (4.14). Many of those names are to be expected, though Arvidsson and Verhaeghe are hanging in elite company. Crosby has clearly become more aggressive with his approach as the Penguins desperately cling to a playoff spot.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK: Fantasy Prospect Rankings – 30 Forwards, 20 Defenseman, 10 Goalies

Peter Harling — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 18:19:43 +0000

When preparing for a fantasy draft or evaluating prospects for a trade in your fantasy league you need to understand the difference between rankings, and fantasy rankings.

The difference can be subtle, or significant depending on your leagues scoring and format. Generally speaking, fantasy rankings are based on projected point production. I have found that the vast majority of readers that read and follow my work are in dynasty keeper leagues with peripheral stats, or bangers leagues.

The following rankings are based on projected point production and include added value to players that can contribute other stats, such as hits, blocks, PIM’s and faceoff wins.

In fantasy hockey, we have a limited number of prospect roster spots and as such I put higher value on prospects that have a quicker ETA to the NHL or have superstar upside.

This will help you identify the top 30 forwards, 20 defencemen and ten goalies to target in your fantasy leagues.

To be considered a prospect, skaters must be under 26-years-old, and have played in under 60 career games, or less than 35 in a single season. For goalies, less than 30 games played, or 15 in a single season.

Forward Rankings

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 26: Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 26, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

Matty Beniers, C – Seattle Kraken

The Kraken are poised to get an offensive boost this coming season with the additions of Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Those two new wingers will be centered by the Krakens first ever draft pick Matty Beniers, who finishing the season in the NHL scoring nine points in the final ten games. Beniers is a Calder favorite.

Marco Rossi, C – Minnesota Wild

I projected Rossi to make the Wild after his draft in 2020, but he lost a year of development to COVID. He returned last year in the AHL and is now poised to crack a top six with the Wild. Another Calder favorite.

Cole Perfetti, C/LW – Winnipeg Jets

Thanks to the pandemic, Perfetti now has two seasons of pro development, and the 20-year-old is NHL ready to take a top six role with the Jets. “Goal” Perfetti could develop into a 40-goal scorer.

Mason McTavish, C – Anaheim Ducks

The power forward played nine games to start the season with the Ducks before returning to junior to lead Hamilton to an OHL championship. In multi-cat leagues, McTavish will check all the boxes, points, PP points, hits, FOW, he will do it all.

Kent Johnson, C – Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnson may start on the wing, and may not offer much in peripheral stats, but he will rack up points early and often in his career. If Johnson can lock down a top six center role, he will have either or both Patrick Laine and Johnny Gaudreau on his wing.

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 04: New Jersey Devils right wing Alexander Holtz (10) skates during the first period of the pre-season National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals on October 4, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Alexander Holtz, RW – New Jersey Devils

The Swedish sniper scored 26 goals and 51 points in the AHL as a rookie. He only had two points in nine NHL games, but he is poised to secure a top six role with the Devils. He is a future 30 goal scorer.

Quinton Byfield, C – LA Kings

Bigger players can take a little longer to develop and the Kings are taking their time with Byfield. The big, smooth skating center can evolve into a dominant NHL first line center, and a dominant multi-cat fantasy asset as well. This one may take a few years yet, but he will be well worth the wait.

Jack Quinn, RW – Buffalo Sabres

I was very critical of the Sabres selecting Quinn ahead of Rossi in the 2020 draft. I still am, but Quinn has been excellent since then dominating the AHL. The gap between the two may be indistinguishable when all is said and done. Quinn is a blue-chip prospect.

Shane Wright, C – Seattle Kraken

The projected number one prospect in the 2022 Draft fell to fourth. It lit a fire in him and falling to Seattle may be the best thing for him as he has less competition to make the roster. Wright could make Montreal regret passing him by.

William Eklund, LW – San Jose Sharks

Eklund nearly made the Sharks out of his draft but was sent back to the SHL for one more year of development. Eklund will make the team this year and be a top six winger with Calder aspirations.

RED DEER, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 27: Juraj Slafkovsky #20 of Slovakia protects the puck from Isak Rosen #23 of Sweden during the second period in preliminary round action a the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at WP Centrium on December 27, 2021 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Juraj Slafkovsky, LW – Montreal Canadiens

The first overall pick in the 2022 draft may start in the NHL, but will need Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Drouin to falter to allow an opportunity for Slafkovsky to step in. As he showed in the World Championship and Olympics, he is up for the task.

Nick Robertson, LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Injuries limited him to just 28 AHL games last year, but he managed 28 points. The Leafs need cap friendly roster players and Robertson could step into a top six role on the high-octane offensive Leafs roster out of training camp.

Dylan Guenther, LW/RW – Arizona Coyotes

Guenther torched the WHL with a 91-point season and has one more year of junior eligibility to play. Their will be some more wait time before he is lighting NHL goal lamps, but his upside is tremendous.

Shane Pinto, C – Ottawa Senators

Pinto looked to be a lock for 2C, but injuries ended his season after just five games. If he can stay healthy, he would be third line centre at worst providing points, hits, and FOW.

Lukas Reichel, LW – Chicago Blackhawks

The German winger was excellent as a rookie in the AHL and showed he is NHL ready. The Hawks are rebuilding, and he is a part of their future. Reichel will see ice time in the NHL and as the Hawks continue to ship out veterans for futures, his role will increase.

Logan Cooley, C – Arizona Coyotes

The third overall pick in the 2022 Entry Draft could have the highest offensive upside from his draft class. He has committed to play in the NCAA with the University of Minnesota where he may play two seasons

Jakob Pelletier, LW – Calgary Flames

With roster spots opening in Calgary, the time is nigh for Pelletier to play his way in to the Flames top six. He checks all the boxes, has carried his dominant offense to the pro level, has character and leadership. He will help Flames fans get over the loss of Johnny hockey and Tkachuk.

Mavrik Bourque, C – Dallas Stars

In his final junior campaign Bourque led Shawinigan to a QMJHL Championship and laid claim to the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the Playoffs MVP. He already has a cup of coffee in the AHL and may not be long for the NHL

Jake Neighbours, LW – St. Louis Blues

Neighbours is graduating to the pro level, and while he may not have elite offensive upside, he brings a heavy physical game and could be the Blues next David Backes.

Brendan Brisson, C – Vegas Golden Knights

Brisson was a key and underrated player for Michigan on their march to the frozen four. He destroyed the AHL with Henderson in the final seven games posting eight points. Vegas will need players on ELC deals o round out their roster and Brisson could have a ripe opportunity.

Thomas Bordeleau, C – San Jose Sharks

Bordeleau posted a point pr game with Michigan before playing eight NHL games with the Sharks and another eight games for USA at the World Championships. Surpassing veterans Nick Bonino and Nico Sturm on the Sharks roster shouldn’t be to difficult for Bordeleau.

Jonatan Berggren, W/C – Detroit Red Wings

The 22-year-old kicked in the front door of the AHL in his debut in North America to the tune of 64 points in 70 games with the Griffins. He will be a big part of the Yzer-Plan and will try to make a similar splash in the NHL this year.

Dylan Holloway, LW/C – Edmonton Oilers

The 20-year-old has two years of NCAA development and had a successful AHL rookie campaign in Bakersfield. At 6-1 and 203 pounds he brings a good blend of offensive punch and hits.

Wyatt Johnston, C – Dallas Stars

Drafted 23^rd overall after missing the entire season, the Stars have been rewarded for the faith in Johnston as he torched the OHL with a 124-point season. He still has another year of junior eligibility to play but his upside is tremendous.

Brennan Othmann, LW – New York Rangers

Othmann wore the captain’s “C” for the Flint Firebirds last year and posted a 50-goal season and 97 points. The power winger has another year of OHL to play before he turns pro.

Bobby Brink, RW – Philadelphia Flyers

Brink posted 57 points in 41 games in his junior year at the University of Denver before finishing the year in the NHL with ten games in Philadelphia. As the Flyers rebuild or retool Brink will be a big part of the future.

Matthew Knies, LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Knies was a force both physically and offensively for the Golden Gophers. His play warned him a roster spot with USA at the Olympics where he produced two points in four games. He looks NHL ready now but returned for a sophomore season, look for him t finish the year with the Leafs.

J. J. Peterka, RW – Buffalo Sabres

The feisty German had a banner rookie campaign in the AHL with 68 points in 70 regular season games and had another 12 points in 10 playoff matches. He is NHL ready and will also provide some peripheral stats to boot.

Xavier Bourgault, C – Edmonton Oilers

Bourgault averaged over a PPG in his WHL career finishing with a 75-point season in only 43 games, with 22 points in 16 playoff games. He is ready to bring his offense to the pro level and will play a year in Bakersfield. If his production carries over to the pro level, he will be dynamite!

Matias Maccelli, LW – Arizona Coyotes

After two strong seasons of pro hockey in the Liiga, Maccelli made a splash in his AHL rookie season posting 57 points in 47 games and playing his way into 23 NHL games with the Coyotes. He lacks draft pedigree and is a sleeper but has the upside to be a Calder candidate and a fantasy darling.

Defense Rankings

Owen Power, Buffalo Sabers

The first overall pick in the 2021 Draft returned to Michigan for more development. His season ended in the NHL but not before he also represented Canada at the Olympics. His ten game NHL preview was promising with three points, ten shots and nine blocks.

ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 22: St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich (48) during a NHL game between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the St. Louis Blues on November 22, 2021, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire),

Scott Perunovich, St. Louis Blues

After missing an entire season to injury, his pro debut was delayed a year, but he rebounded in spectacular fashion with 22 points n 17 games in the AHL. His dominant play earned him an NHL recall, but again injuries limited his play to 19 games. His upside is elite, but the injuries are a concern.

Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Hughes will play another season in the NCAA with Michigan to refine his defensive game. Offensively he is already dominant having scored 17 goals with the Wolverines, and four points in 10 World Championship games with USA. The wait may be a little longer on Hughes, but the upside is tremendous.

Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators

After posting over a point per game in his sophomore season, Sanderson will begin his pro career. There may be some AHL development time in the near future, but the long-term fantasy upside in multi-cat leagues is very high.

Calen Addison, Minnesota Wild

In his second pro campaign Addison posted 34 points and 70 PIMS in 43 games in the AHL. His strong play earned him four different NHL recalls totalling in 15 games and four points. He is ready for the NHL now and will be a top pairing D in short order.

Simon Edvinsson, Detroit Red Wings

Can the Wings boast back-to-back Norris Trophy winning defencemen? It’s very possible! Edvinsson comes to North America with two seasons of SHL development under his belt. He will go from playing for Sweden at the WJC to the Red Wings camp to win a roster spot in the NHL.

Olen Zellweger, Anaheim Ducks

Zellweger fantasy stock is rising like a rocket. He exploded for 78 points in 55 games with Everett in the WHL. He still has a year of junior eligibility remaining, but don’t be surprised if he graduates and plays with the Ducks this year. Even if you must stash him in your minors for a year, he is a keeper.

Jack Rathbone, Vancouver Canucks

The 2017 fourth round pick is under a lot of people’s radar, but with two seasons of pro development he has 49 points in 47 AHL games and has dressed for 17 NHL games. Cracking the Canucks blueline shouldn’t be too difficult.

Cam York, Philadelphia Flyers

York barely qualifies for this list as he played in 30 NHL games last year, but he does, and he will be a full time NHL player going forward. The addition of Tony DeAngelo could hurt his PP time immediately, but he will get prime deployment in time.

Brandt Clarke, LA Kings

The Captain of the Barrie Colts scored 59 points in 55 games and will be back in the OHL for another year of dominance. It’s a mystery how he is not on the Canadian WJC roster as he is an elite all-around defender.

Kaiden Guhle, Montreal Canadiens

The big, mobile 6-2 defender helped propel the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Memorial Cup after a mid-season trade. His pro career is about to begin, and the Canadiens blue line is a barren wasteland, just waiting for him to assume the throne. The wait will be short

Simon Nemec, New Jersey Devils

Selected second overall, the Devils passed on both Logan Cooley and Shane Wright to select the right shot defenseman. Nemec could take some time to become a fantasy relevant producer, but it will happen.

David Jiricek, Columbus Blue Jackets

Jiricek is the Jackets top defensive prospect, but their blue line is a crowded one and it may take a little time for the 18-year-old to break into the lineup.

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 12: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jordan Spence (53) carries the puck during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings on March 12, 2022 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

Jordan Spence, LA Kings

Don’t sleep on Spence, since being a fourth-round pick in 2019 he has won the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year Award, played his way onto Team Canada at the WJC and scored 42 points in 46 games as an AHL rookie, and made his NHL debut playing in 24 games. He is ready for full time NHL duty.

Lukas Cormier, Vegas Golden Knights

Cormier is using the WJC in August as a primer for his petition to bypass the AHL and play for the Golden Knights. His 207 career points in 208 QMJHL will be on any fantasy radar, but he also hits, despite being 5-10

Justin Barron, Montreal Canadiens

Barron played most of his rookie pro season in the AHL with 20 points in 43 games for the Eagles, but he also played in seven NHL games for the Avalanche and Canadiens.

Denton Mateychuk, Columbus Blue Jackets3

Mateychuk may have the highest offensive ceiling from defensemen in the 2022 Draft class. He has another year of development ahead in the WHL and then some AHL time, but his ceiling is very high.

Philip Broberg, Edmonton Oilers

Broberg has arrived in Edmonton as a top four. Can he win some power play time away from Tyson Barrie, Darnell Nurse, and Evan Bouchard?

Nils Lundkvist, New York Rangers

The 2018 first round pick finally came to North America, splitting time between the AHL and the NHL. He likely sees a similar time share this season as the Rangers have a formidable back end.

Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars

If Harley played one more game, he would not have been eligible as a prospect, but he played 34 games for the Stars and is poised to be a full-time player going forward.

Goaltending Ranking

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

The Wild’s future starting goalie is the whole package. He has size, athleticism, tracks the puck and is positionally sound. Fleury signing a two-year deal may delay his inevitable reign as an elite starting goalie.

Yaroslav Askarov, Nashville Predators

This coming season will be a key development period for the Russian. After playing a limited number of games in Russia, he will make his North American debut in the AHL with Milwaukee. With Saros in place for the foreseeable future, Askarov can take a year or two in the AHL to refine his game.

Pyotr Kochetkov, Carolina Hurricanes

Kochetkov made an impressive debut in North America to end the season. He posted a 13-1-2 record in the AHL and even made his NHL debut starting in three games, winning all three. With both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta on expiring deals, Kochetkov could be the Canes starter sooner than later.

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

After posting stellar numbers in Everett the question was could he do it in the pros? His rookie season was outstanding posting a 33-9-5 record. Wolf has staring goalie upside, but with Jacob Markstrom in place through 2026, its not happening soon.

Devon Levi, Buffalo Sabres

After coming out of nowhere to back stop team Canada to a WJC Silver Medal and being named Best Goalie in the Tournament, he took his breakout to another level in the NCAA. As a freshman goalie he posted a 21-10-1 record with 10 shutouts to lead Northeaster to a Hockey East Championship. Levi won the Mike Richter award as NCAA Top Goaltender and was a Hobey Baker finalist. He is the Sabres best goaltending prospect.

Sebastian Cossa, Detroit Red Wings

The 6-6 netminder back stopped the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Memorial Cup. The Yzer-plan is starting to take form and Cossa could be in place to tend the crease when the Red Wings are a contender again.

Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks

Dostal has two AHL seasons development to his credit and is looking ready for prime time. His future looks like split time between the NHL and AHL for a year before he settles into a tandem situation in Anaheim.

Daniil Tarasov, Columbus Blue Jackets

Tarasov was playing his way into the Blue Jackets roster before a hip injury prematurely ended his season. He will be back in November and should pick up where he left off.

Cayden Primeau, Montreal Canadiens

Montreal has enjoyed premium goaltending for decades. Carey Price, Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden. As the Canadiens top goalie prospect, Primeau has a lot to live up to.

Drew Commesso, Chicago Blackhawks

Heading for his junior season as a Boston Terrier, Commesso drew into two games for USA at the Olympics, winning both and posting a shutout. The Hawks are biding their time with stop gap goalies while they rebuild, and the long-term solution is Commesso.

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Playoff Round Preview and Player Standouts to date

Brock Otten — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 20:53:07 +0000

As we ring in the New Year, we also prepare for the playoff round at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. The action kicks off tomorrow as the Germans take on Russia at 12pm EST in the first quarterfinal.

The opening round certainly brought us some great stories. Team Germany overcame a shorthanded roster on the backs of their dominant first line (Stützle, Peterka, Elias) to make the quarterfinals for the first time. Team Sweden saw their preliminary round winning streak come to an end with an overtime loss to Russia (and an additional loss to the U.S.), snapping a run of 54 straight victories. North America rose to the top of the pools as Canada captured pool A in dominating fashion, while the United States captured pool B after overcoming an opening game loss to Russia. Most importantly, the bubble atmosphere managed to keep players and staff safe, as positive covid tests were kept to a minimum.

In anticipation of tomorrow’s quarterfinal action, here is a closer look at the matchups.

Rodion Amirov of Russia skates during the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship game between Russia and Sweden on December 30, 2020 in Edmonton.
Photo: Andy Devlin / BILDBYRÅN

Game One - Team Germany vs. Team Russia (12 pm EST)

Five Standouts of the Preliminary Round

Tim Stüetzle (GER)

Team Germany needed Stützle to be one of the best players in the tournament in order to advance to the quarterfinals and he has been just that. The Ottawa Senators third overall selection has demonstrated his dynamic offensive abilities, finishing tied for third in scoring thus far. He has also had to be an absolute workhorse, playing over 25 minutes per game consistently.

J.J. Peterka (GER)

Tied with Stüetzle with 10 points (third in tournament scoring), the Buffalo Sabres second round selection has shown that he probably should have been a first round selection in 2020, more in line with the 17th overall ranking we gave him at McKeen’s. He has also been a workhorse for the Germans and his strong play away from the puck and his strength in puck battles has been the perfect complement to the slick and creative Stützle.

Florian Elias (GER)

A favourite of McKeen’s German scout Chapin Landvogt, Elias was someone we had ranked 146th for the 2020 NHL Draft, before he ultimately went undrafted. However, he has had a tremendous tournament thus far as the middleman between Stützle and Peterka on the tournament’s top line. Undersized, but tenacious, Elias has shown well in all three zones and has demonstrated a high enough skill level to keep up with his highly drafted NHL linemates. Perhaps a strong performance here will be enough to get him drafted in 2021.

Rodion Amirov (RUS)

The 2020 first round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been terrific for the Russians, pacing their offensive attack along with the likes of Vasili Podkolzin, Egor Afanasyev, and Marat Khusnutdinov. Amirov, playing in his first World Junior Championships, has looked terrific in all aspects, using his speed to be a threat in transition, but also his strength down low to help Russia maintain offensive zone time.

Artemi Knyazev (RUS)

While some other players could have been included here for Russia, Knyazev has been a bit of an unsung hero for the Russians thus far as one of the better defenders in the tournament. The San Jose Sharks second round selection is an excellent skater and he has looked good helping Russia deflect pace defensively, while also helping them push pace offensively.

Team Germany will win if…

They can get quality goaltending from starter Florian Bugl and sustained offensive pressure from their secondary scoring lines. We know that the Stützle, Peterka, and Elias line will get their chances. But if Germany is constantly hemmed in their own zone when those three are off the ice, their likelihood of pulling off the upset is slim.

Team Russia will win if…

They can shut down the Stützle, Peterka, and Elias line, stay out of the penalty box, and get quality goaltending from Yaroslav Askarov. Thus far Askarov has been only mediocre and he will need to improve his game should Russia want to move forward in this tournament. Germany also possesses one of the tournament’s top powerplays, so Russia will need to play disciplined, allowing their depth advantage to apply consistent offensive pressure.

Prediction:

Russia wins 4-1.

Game Two - Team Finland vs. Team Sweden (3:30 pm EST)

Five Standouts of the Preliminary Round

Topi Niemela (FIN)

Arguably the tournament’s top defender thus far, Niemela has been sensational at both ends of the ice for Finland. A recent Toronto Maple Leafs third round selection, Niemela’s seven points lead defenseman scoring thus far. His game is tailored to playing in today’s NHL with his quick feet and ability to process the game being standout qualities.

Anton Lundell (FIN)

His poor play against Canada aside, Lundell certainly has been one of Finland’s best players and one of the top forwards in the tournament. The 12th overall pick by Florida in 2020 had been terrific in Liiga action prior to the tournament, top five in league scoring, and is doing his best to alleviate concerns that his offensive upside was lacking.

Brad Lambert (FIN)

One of the top 2022 draft eligible prospects on the planet, Lambert has looked terrific for a recently turned 17 year old in this tournament. The Saskatchewan born, but Finnish raised forward scored a beautiful goal against Canada and has been consistently dangerous against other competitors, even if he has only amassed three points so far.

Noel Gunler (SWE)

On a team with Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz, it has been Gunler, a Carolina second rounder, that has been the standout offensively for the Swedes. An enigma as a draft eligible player last year, he has found a way to be successful through the middle of the ice at the tournament, generating scoring chances and finishing them all the same.

Victor Soderstrom (SWE)

The 11th overall selection in 2019 by Arizona, Soderstrom has been terrific for team Sweden yet again. A standout last year for the bronze medal winners, Soderstrom is wearing an ‘A’ this time around and has been sensational at both ends. His five assists tie him with Niemela and Cam York among defenseman leaders, however it has been his work defensively that has helped Sweden be so effective in transition.

Team Finland will win if…

They can get quality goaltending from Kari Piiroinen, they can continue to shut down Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz, and if Ville Heinola proves healthy. Piiroinen has largely been solid for Finland so far, but he is going to need to be better than he was against Canada in the matchup against Sweden. Heinola, one of team Finland’s workhorses, injured his hand blocking a shot against Canada and they will need him operating at full speed if they want to advance further. However, the team’s overall team defense approach has worked thus far and that could be trouble for Sweden’s offense, which has underwhelmed to a certain degree.

Team Sweden will win if…

They can get quality goaltending from...someone and if Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz awake from their slumber. At the writing of this article, Sweden has not yet announced who will be their starter today, after Hugo Alnefelt laid an egg against the United States in the preliminary round. Whether they come back to Alnefelt or go with 2021 eligible Jesper Wallstedt, either has to be better. Coming into the tournament, many expected Raymond and Holtz to run wild at the event, but they have been relatively silent thus far (although admittedly snake bitten). It is rare to win at the World Juniors if your best players are not your best players and Sweden needs them to find the score sheet. Additionally, like Finland, Sweden is facing injury issues on their blueline as Edmonton first round pick Philip Broberg appears to be held together with duct tape at this point.

Prediction:

Finland wins 3-2 in OT.

Game Three - Team Canada vs. Team Czech Republic (7 pm EST)

Five Standouts of the Preliminary Round

Dylan Cozens (CAN)

Currently second in tournament scoring behind Trevor Zegras, Cozens has been sensational so far for the Canadians. Operating as a fill-in captain (following the injury to Kirby Dachs), Cozens has dominated all three zones. While his transitional play has been noteworthy, it has been his work in the defensive zone and neutral zone that has really propelled Canada to first in their division. As a strong two-way force, Cozens is showing that he is ready to play in the NHL this coming year with the Buffalo Sabres.

Philip Tomasino (CAN)

Starting the tournament as a healthy scratch, Tomasino has slowly worked his way into regular rotation. Because of their depth, it seems like Canada has a player do that every tournament and this year it has been the Nashville first round pick. Despite receiving limited ice time, Tomasino is third in scoring for Canada and has been a consistent play creator, using his speed to push the pace and help apply pressure as a forechecker.

Devon Levi (CAN)

Levi seems to be the only goaltender in the tournament thus far that has not had a hiccup. Not tested as much as the likes of Askarov and Knight, Levi has done what he has needed to. He has been a rock for Canada, with the only two goals beating him thus far being deflections off of the sticks of his own defenders. Levi is so economical in his movements as he always seems to be in the right position to make even harder saves look easy. The Northeastern commit and Florida draft pick is probably the front runner for top goaltender at this time.

Martin Lang (CZE)

Undrafted after two seasons in the WHL (with Kamloops and Moose Jaw), Lang has been a surprise standout for the Czechs thus far, operating alongside captain Jan Mysak on the top line. He has been aggressive in driving the middle, trying to open up lanes and has shown good hands and finishing ability in tight with three goals. Every year this tournament gives NHL scouts a chance to re-evaluate previously passed over prospects and along with Florian Elias, Lang has made the most of it.

Stanislav Svozil (CZE)

The last Czech defender to be drafted in the first round? That would be Jakub Kindl in 2005. However, Svozil looks like a lock to break that drought at this point. Despite being 17 years old, Svozil has logged significant ice time for the Czech Republic and has been a big part of the team’s powerplay. His skating ability is an obvious strength, however his poise under pressure with the puck has also stood out for a double underager. His strong performance here is generating buzz and he looks the part of a potential lottery selection in 2021.

Team Canada will win if…

They continue to play the way that they have been playing. This sounds cliche, but Canada’s performance thus far has been nothing short of dominating. Their forecheck has suffocated opposing defenders to the point where they have dominated possession under the appearance of a period long powerplay. Canada has received scoring from all four lines and great goaltending from Devon Levi. So long as Levi remains sharp and they do not underestimate the Czechs, they should take this game in a similar fashion to their other victories in this tournament.

Team Czech Republic will win if…

They get quality goaltending from either Lukas Parik or Nick Malik, can shutdown Canada’s fierce top line, and can force Canada into penalty trouble. Outside of their victory against Russia, the goaltending for the Czechs has not been strong and they are going to need one of Parik or Malik to stand on their head to defeat the Canadians. The best way to disrupt Canada’s offense is to apply offensive pressure of their own and in turn, force Canada into taking penalties that keeps them from dominating at five on five. A consistent and aggressive forecheck will be required to help the Czechs establish that prolonged pressure. No team in the tournament has been able to hem Canada in their own end consistently and prevent their lethal transitional attack, so that will be key to coming up with the upset.

Prediction:

Canada wins 6-1.

Game Four - Team U.S.A. vs. Team Slovakia (10:30 pm EST)

Five Standouts of the Preliminary Round

Trevor Zegras (USA)

The current points leader in the tournament, Zegras has been nothing short of dominant so far. The assist leader at last year’s tournament, Zegras has returned even better this year, showing more confidence in his shot and an improved commitment to playing outside of the offensive zone. The Anaheim Ducks top prospect is the current favourite for the tournament’s top forward award, however a strong performance in the medal round is needed. Either way, he has shown an electric creativity that should fit in well this coming NHL season.

Cam York (USA)

The captain of the U.S. squad, York has been terrific thus far, especially as the quarterback of the top powerplay unit. After playing more of a depth role at last year’s tournament, York has moved to the forefront and his vision and high IQ with the puck has been on full display. A Philadelphia Flyers first round pick, York will return to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season after the tournament in hopes of capturing a National Championship.

Matthew Beniers (USA)

It is normally rare for first time draft eligible players to stand out in a positive way at this tournament, but we have seen many (Wallstedt, Svozil, Olausson, Kirsanov, etc) do just that. Beniers, even though he only has two assists thus far, may be the cream of that crop. His tenacious and aggressive offensive playing style has made him consistently noticeable for the U.S. as he drives the pace and plays between the dots. Look for him to continue to cement himself as a top 10 selection in 2021.

Spencer Knight (USA)

No question, Knight was not at his best in the opening game of the tournament against Russia. However, after sitting against Austria, Knight returned as strong as ever to post back-to-back shutouts against the Czech Republic and Sweden. In those two games he has looked every part the top goaltending prospect he is considered to be. Of course, his overall performance will be graded by how well the U.S. does in the medal round, however he deserves to be on this list at this point in the competition.

Simon Nemec (SVK)

Like Brad Lambert of Finland, Nemec is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2022. However, unlike Lambert, Nemec is still 16. With three assists thus far, Nemec has already entered the record book at the tournament as the highest scoring U17 defender at the tournament in the last 40 years. In the last two decades, only Rasmus Dahlin had managed two points or greater. While he has had some struggles defensively, Nemec has looked like a natural with the puck on his stick and the future is clearly bright for this Slovak future star. Rumour is that many CHL teams are already salivating at the thought of adding Nemec at the next Import Draft.

Team USA will win if…

They stay the course and play the way that they have in their last two games against the Czechs and Sweden. In those two games, they have suffocated the opposition with their speed and skill and their defense has done a terrific job of starting the breakout quickly, preventing opposing teams from having prolonged zone time. In their loss against Russia, the U.S. defense were extremely turnover prone as they tried to force plays in the face of a forecheck. Since then, they have really cleaned things up, using their mobility to create those passing lanes. It sounds obvious, but limiting defensive turnovers is key to preventing Slovakia from completing the upset, as the Slovaks are unlikely to be able to create consistently in transition.

Team Slovakia will win if…

They can get quality goaltending and if they can find a way to score goals. Thanks Captain Obvious. But let’s be frank, Slovakia is going to need either Samuel Hlavaj or Simon Latkoczy to really stand on their head in order to have a chance against this high-powered American offense. Both are certainly capable and have shown flashes of brilliance in this tournament. Los Angeles Kings draft pick Martin Chromiak only has one goal in this tournament so far and he and the Slovak offense really need to be able to apply more pressure than they have. Against Canada, Slovakia did a terrific job blocking shots and getting their sticks in passing lanes in order to stifle the creativity of the Canadian forwards. This is also going to be a key to shutting down Trevor Zegras and team U.S.A.

Prediction:

USA wins 5-0.

Continued Medal Round Predictions

Semi Final #1 - Canada vs. Russia

In what could easily be considered a matchup of the pre-tournament favourites, Canada would face Russia if my quarterfinal predictions come true. In this matchup, I see Canada continuing their path to Gold. I like the mobility of Canada’s defense and their ability to handle the Russian forecheck better than the U.S. did in their preliminary round matchup. I also believe that the Canadian team is gelling at the right time with all four lines showing great chemistry, and this is going to prove to be too much for the Russians to handle over three periods, even if I expect Yaroslav Askarov to have his best game of the tournament.

Prediction:

Canada wins 3-2 in OT.

Semi Final #2 - U.S.A. vs. Finland

Ultimately, I see the U.S. taking this matchup for the following reasons. The first is an advantage in net. Spencer Knight has shown himself to be dialed in the last couple of games and while Kari Piiroinen has been solid, he is not likely to stand on his head the way that he may need to in order for Finland to move forward. In a goalie duel between those two, I’ll take Knight. Secondly, like Canada, I see the U.S. really coming together at the right time as an offensive team. The defense has really improved their ability to handle the forecheck and the US forward group, led by Trevor Zegras, is smothering the opposition by consistently getting pucks in deep. Much the way Canada dominated time of possession against Finland, I expect the U.S. to do the same.

Prediction:

U.S.A. wins 3-1.

Bronze Medal Game - Russia vs. Finland

No one wants to play for bronze but ultimately someone has to win it. In this matchup I like Russia, with Igor Larionov looking to prove that he can bring home a medal in his first year behind the bench at the U20 level. Similar to how the Canadian and U.S. forecheck gives Finland fits, the Russians increase their physical tenaciousness to really keep pressure in the offensive zone. And, again, I am not confident in Finland’s goaltending being able to come up huge in a duel with Askarov.

Prediction:

Russia wins 4-1.

Gold Medal Game - Canada vs. U.S.A.

Look for the Canadians to copy the Russian model that worked so well in the preliminary round against the U.S. Luckily, this does not deviate from the team’s master plan in the first place. The thing about Canada is that not only have their forwards been dynamic in transition, applying consistent pressure, but their best players have also been strong in the defensive end by playing the way Andre Tourigny likes his team to play. So long as Devon Levi continues to impress and the team gets contributions from all four lines, I believe that this team should capture gold.

Prediction:

Canada wins 5-3.

Tournament Award Predictions

Top Forward: Trevor Zegras

Top Defenseman: Topi Niemela

Top Goaltender: Devon Levi

Tournament MVP: Dylan Cozens

Tournament All Stars (regardless of forward position):

Trevor Zegras

Tim Stützle

Dylan Cozens

Topi Niemela

Cam York

Devon Levi