Jimmy Vesey – McKeen's Hockey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forwards

Artemi Panarin

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

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

Vincent Trocheck

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

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

Alexis Lafreniere

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

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

Chris Kreider

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

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

Mika Zibanejad

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

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

Filip Chytil

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

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

Reilly Smith

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

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

Kaapo Kakko

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

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

Will Cuylle

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

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

Jimmy Vesey

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

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

DEFENSE

Adam Fox

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

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

K’Andre Miller

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

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

Jacob Trouba

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

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

Braden Schneider

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

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

GOAL

Igor Shesterkin

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

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

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

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – November 27 to December 3rd – Teams with favourable schedules and who to target

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:41:13 +0000

With a 4-1 loss to Detroit on Sunday, Minnesota has now lost its last seven straight contests to drop to 5-10-4. That puts them 30th in the NHL in terms of points, ahead of just Chicago and San Jose.

At the heart of Minnesota’s issues is its goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury has a 3-4-2 record, 3.46 GAA and .875 save percentage through nine outings while Filip Gustavsson is 2-6-2 with a 3.94 GAA and an .881 save percentage in 11 starts. Going into Sunday’s action, the Wild ranked eighth in expected goals against with 57.31, which suggests the defense has been solid, but the goalies have wasted the effort.

To be fair to Fleury and Gustavsson though, the Wild have also struggled to score and currently sit in a three-way tie for 20th offensively with 2.95 goals per game. Mats Zuccarello, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are a solid enough trio, supplying 21, 18 and 17 points respectively through 19 games, but after them, the Wild’s next best players are Ryan Hartman and Marco Rossi, who each have 11 points. In other words, they could use more secondary scoring.

These are issues that have been tough for Minnesota to address. Buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in July of 2021 might have helped the Wild out in the short term, but they’re paying for it now. The team has $14.7 million in dead space this year and they’ll have the same penalty next season as well. After that, the bulk of the cap burden will go away, but in the meantime, GM Bill Guerin is assembling this team with a hand behind his back. It’s unfortunate because it’s squandering the prime years of Kaprizov, who is also only under contract through 2026, but that’s the reality.

Maybe it’s too early to write Minnesota off, though. Fleury has defied expectations before, so maybe the 38-year-old has one more comeback in him. Maybe Gustavsson will bounce back too, given how much better he was than this in 2022-23. It’s a long shot given how deep the Wild’s hole is at this point, but it’s also their best hope.

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 11: Look on Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) during the Boston Bruins versus the Montreal Canadiens game on November 11, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Boston Bruins

Boston is experiencing its first downswing of the season, though it’s only been a mild one. The Bruins have lost two straight contests and three of their last four games, bringing their record to 14-3-3.

Boston will attempt to end the slump during a busy week, featuring games in Columbus on Monday, against the Sharks on Thursday, in Toronto on Saturday and versus the Blue Jackets on Sunday. Two contests against the lowly Blue Jackets, not to mention the league-worst Sharks, make the upcoming stretch a great opportunity for the Bruins to enter a new winning streak.

Keep an eye on Charlie Coyle, particularly during this stretch. He’s riding a five-game scoring streak in which he’s collected four goals and seven points. With nine markers and 19 points in 20 outings this campaign, Coyle’s well on his way to shattering his career highs of 21 goals and 56 points. Take some caution with him though: His 23.1 shooting percentage is a big red flag. Given the nature of the upcoming competition, I don’t expect him to slow down yet, but if you have Coyle on your fantasy squad, you might want to think about attempting to sell high in a week or two.

If your team happens to include either Bruins goaltender -- Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman -- don't worry yet. Sure, Swayman has allowed nine goals on 75 shots (.880 save percentage) over his last two starts while Ullmark was on the wrong end of a 7-4 loss to the Rangers on Saturday, but those struggles are an anomaly is what has been a generally strong campaign for both of them. The Bruins were also facing some of the league’s top offenses recently, which won’t be the case in three of their four contests this week.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers are another team that needs to rebound after a bit of a skid. They have a two-game losing streak heading into a road trip against Ottawa on Monday, Toronto on Tuesday and Montreal on Thursday. They’ll then return to Florida to host the Islanders on Saturday. Of those adversaries, Toronto is the only one in the upper half of the league in terms of points.

With that busy schedule against mostly middling teams ahead of Florida, you might be well served to grab defenseman Niko Mikkola in fantasy leagues for the short term if you have the opportunity. He’s not typically a significant offensive threat -- his career high in points is 13 -- but the Panthers have used him in a top-four role this season, which has led to his production ticking up to three goals and eight points in 20 contests. He’s been particularly effective recently with two goals and three points over his last three outings.

This week should also see the end of Matthew Tkachuk’s scoreless drought, which currently stands at five games. In particular, I’m looking for him to find the back of the net soon. He has just three tallies through 20 contests, leaving him with a 3.5 shooting percentage, which is far below his career average of 12.7. Tkachuk is not going to continue to be that unlucky with the puck, especially with him currently ranking in the 99th percentile in terms of high-danger shots on goal.

Nashville Predators

Nashville has clawed its way back to .500 by winning its last five contests, and the Predators have three home games ahead of them as they look to extend that run. They’ll host the Penguins on Tuesday, the Wild on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday before concluding the week with a road contest versus Buffalo on Sunday.

Filip Forsberg has been the chief architect of the Predators’ current winning streak, providing four goals and seven points over that five-game span. Through 20 outings this year, he’s up to 11 goals and 25 points. Forsberg was held back by injury troubles last year, but now that he’s healthy again, it’s entirely plausible for him to challenge his career highs of 42 goals and 84 points, which were set in 2021-22.

If you’re looking for a lower profile forward who might be had in standard fantasy leagues as a short-term pickup, then Yakov Trenin should fit the bill. After being held off the scoresheet over his first 14 contests this season, Trenin has contributed four goals and five points over his last five contests. He typically serves in a middle-six role but has logged over 17 minutes in each of Nashville’s last three contests, including a season-high 19:18 on Sunday.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have won three consecutive contests, bringing them up to 15-3-1, so they’re in a dominant position going into what will be a busy week. They’ll host the Sabres and Red Wings on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, before traveling to Nashville for a contest Saturday and returning home to play the Sharks. Of those teams, the 11-6-3 Red Wings are the fiercest competition, but the Rangers already earned a 5-3 victory over Detroit earlier this month.

Jimmy Vesey might be a decent short-term pickup this week. He’s primarily a fourth line forward, but recently he’s seen an uptick in ice time to an average of 13:34 over his last three outings and even has gotten a little use on the second power-play unit. Vesey also supplied a goal and an assist Saturday, bringing him up to four tallies and seven points in 17 outings this campaign. It’s all still not enough to make him fantasy-relevant in most leagues under normal circumstances, but New York’s busy schedule combined with his increased usage makes things interesting for now.

On the blue line, Erik Gustafsson is on fire with a goal and 10 points over his last nine appearances. It’s no coincidence that Gustafsson’s offensive climb coincides perfectly with Adam Fox’s (lower body) absence. Gustafsson is on the first power-play unit during Fox’s absence and three of Gustafsson’s last four helpers have been recorded with the man advantage.

Fox is eligible to be activated off LTIR on Nov. 29, so there’s a non-zero chance he’ll return this week. If that happens, Gustafsson’s production is likely to cool somewhat.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Speaking of returning stars, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made his season debut Friday, saving 22 of 24 shots in an 8-2 victory over Carolina. Now that their elite netminder has recovered from his back injury, Tampa Bay will look to go on a run this week with games in Colorado on Monday, Arizona on Tuesday and Dallas on Saturday. The Lightning also have a home contest Thursday versus the Penguins.

Vasilevskiy is extremely unlikely to play in both halves of the back-to-back, especially so soon after returning, so Jonas Johansson is likely to make at least one start this week. Beyond that though, Johansson should be used sparingly for the remainder of the campaign. He didn’t do enough to earn a bigger role in the long run with his 8-4-5 record, 3.41 GAA and .894 save percentage in 17 outings during Vasilevskiy’s absence.

Up front, this should be another big week for Nikita Kucherov, who is on fire with four goals and 11 points over his last four contests. It’s crazy to think that Kucherov comes with a sub-$10 million cap hit through 2026-27 ($9.5 million to be exact), especially with the cap expected to jump dramatically over the next couple of seasons.

He’s not the biggest bargain on the Lightning though: That’d be Brandon Hagel. He’s in the final campaign of a three-year, $4.5 million deal. Hagel set career highs in 2022-23 with 30 goals and 64 points in 81 contests and might do even better this season after providing 10 goals and 22 points through 21 outings. Even the eight-year, $52 million deal he signed in August might prove to be a steal when you consider that he’s just 25.

He also highlights the downside of the Blackhawks’ aggressive fire sale in the pre-Connor Bedard era. While it’s too early to truly judge the trade that sent Hagel to Tampa Bay in March 2022, and it’s possible Hagel’s breakout would have interfered with Chicago’s ability to tank for Bedard, it’s hard not to argue that Hagel wouldn’t be an ideal player for a rebuilding squad like the Blackhawks to have, if only they had held onto him.

Vegas Golden Knights

After getting off to an 11-0-1 start, Vegas has won just three of its last nine games. The Golden Knights will start the week against two struggling teams though, with contests in Calgary on Monday and Edmonton on Tuesday. Vegas will then wrap up the road trip with a contest in Vancouver on Thursday before hosting Washington on Saturday.

Vegas is missing key blueliner Shea Theodore (lower body) after he was put on the injured reserve list Sunday and defenseman Alec Martinez (lower body) has missed the Golden Knights’ last two contests and is regarded as day-to-day.

That’s created an opportunity for Ben Hutton, who logged a season-high 20:34 of ice time Saturday, including 2:49 with the man advantage. By contrast, he’s averaged 15:02 this season and 0:35 on the power play. Hutton has just two assists in 15 games this season, so don’t get too excited, but if he maintains the role he had Saturday for as long as Theodore and Martinez are out, then Hutton might still make some short-term offensive contributions.

Vegas has just scored two goals over its last three games, so naturally, the Golden Knights don’t have much in the way of hot forwards, but Jonathan Marchessault is the closest to an exception with three goals and five points over his last five outings. The 32-year-old is up to nine goals and 14 points through 21 contests overall and should surpass the 50-point milestone for the third straight campaign.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals suffered a 5-0 loss to Edmonton on Friday but won its previous five games. They’ll be on the road this week with contests in San Jose on Monday, LA on Wednesday, Anaheim on Thursday and Vegas on Saturday.

T.J. Oshie (upper body) suffered an injury Friday, so the Capitals might be without him this week in addition to forwards Nicklas Backstrom (hip) and Max Pacioretty (Achilles). With so many key scorers out, the Capitals’ top six is looking fairly thin.

Matthew Phillips has been a healthy scratch for the Capitals’ last three games, but he might draw back into the lineup Monday and even see time on one of the top two lines. The 25-year-old had 36 goals and 76 points in 66 AHL contests this year, so he’s always been worth keeping an eye on to see how the Capitals utilize him. So far in 2023-24, he has a goal and four points in 14 outings but has averaged just 10:40 of ice time.

Connor McMichael also has the potential to see his role increase somewhat. Through 17 outings this year, he has four goals and eight points while averaging 14:38 of ice time. It’s worth noting he’s been hot lately with two goals and five points over his last seven outings, making this an ideal time for the Capitals to utilize him more anyway.

One additional forward to monitor is Hendrix Lapierre. The 21-year-old has struggled to get a regular role this campaign, but the injuries might change that. Taken with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, he gave a taste of what he might be capable of last Saturday when he scored a goal and registered two assists in a 4-3 win over Columbus. Outside of that, though, Lapierre’s been quiet with Washington.

Winnipeg Jets

Despite a 3-2 loss to Nashville on Sunday, Winnipeg is one of the hottest teams in the league after claiming eight of its last 10 games. The Jets only have three games this week, but they’re all home contests, against Dallas on Tuesday, Edmonton on Thursday and Chicago on Saturday. Those final two games look particularly winnable given the state of the Oilers (7-12-1) and Blackhawks (6-13-0).

Connor Hellebuyck has been a huge part of the Jets’ recent success, posting a 6-1-0 record, 2.15 GAA and .926 save percentage over his last seven starts. That’s night and day compared to his first eight starts of the campaign -- a 4-3-1 record, 3.09 GAA and .891 save percentage. Hellebuyck has been an elite goaltender for years, so it’s not surprising to see the 30-year-old rebound from his shaky start. With this week’s contests spread out, there’s a good chance the Jets will deploy him in all their games.

Josh Morrissey is also on a strong run, providing three goals and five points over his last four outings. That brings him up to four goals and 19 points in 20 contests this year. Vladislav Namestnikov has been an underrated factor too, supplying a goal and six assists over the span of a six-game scoring streak from Nov. 11-24. That run ended Sunday, but it’s a little early to declare the hot streak completely dead. That said, he traditionally hasn’t been a significant offensive force -- he's exceeded the 40-point mark just once in his career -- so if you picked him up during his recent success, then you should be prepared to drop him if he has a couple more quiet contests in a row.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forwards

Mika Zibanejad

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

Artemi Panarin

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

Vincent Trocheck

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

Chris Kreider

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

Blake Wheeler

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

Filip Chytil

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

Kaapo Kakko

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

Alexis Lafreniere

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

Barclay Goodrow

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

Defense

Adam Fox

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

K’Andre Miller

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

Jacob Trouba

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

Erik Gustafsson

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

Goaltending

Igor Shesterkin

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

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

Projected starts: 60-65

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

Scott Cullen — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 19:31:57 +0000

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

This week, standout rookies Owen Power and Cole Perfetti are scoring, Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand are riding the wave in Seattle, Filip Chytil is emerging as a scoring threat and much more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

Oh, Canada – A Weekly Tour Around the North Division 3/26/21

Jeff Veillette — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 17:12:22 +0000

Welcome back to Oh, Canada!, a weekly look at the NHL's frostiest collection of teams in the North Division. For the first time this year, some games between these teams were postponed - which we'll touch on for a bit - but we're still here with you! Let's take a cross-country journey and see what stories are causing a buzz this week.

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 6: Calgary Flames Left Wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) in action in the second period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Calgary Flames on March 6, 2021 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

Calgary Flames - Plug Pulling Season

It's really starting to look like the Flames are entering "It's always next year" territory. The replacement of Geoff Ward with Darryl Sutter earlier in the month was one that the organization hoped would right the ship a little, but that process is moving about as quick as the Ever Given finding it's way out of the Suez Canal.

Not including Ryan Huska's two interim games, Sutter's Flames have posted a 4-4-0 record, buoyed heavily by the first five games and followed by three consecutive losses. Calgary does have some positives to look at - their shot attempt differentials are up, particularly on the defensive end, as is their expected goal share. But the more immediately visible flaws remain. Matthew Tkachuk still isn't like he was last year, the Johnny Gaudreau / Sean Monahan combo remains inconsistent, and their defensive corps is still transitioning from being able to rely on Mark Giordano at every beck and call. Most importantly in the short-term, however, is that they're simply running out of time to make up ground. Should the teams in the Top four more or less continue to win games as they have, the Flames would essentially need to post a near-0.800 record the rest of the way to take the fourth seed.

In other words: The ball isn't really in their court anymore. With 22 games to go, they're going to have to rely on another team's collapse, or a run for the history books. They don't seem equipped for the latter. With a cash-strapped, expansion-weary, quarantine-cognizant trade market this spring, it might be difficult for Calgary to really start refreshing the roster until the offseason. But unless something dramatic changes, Brad Treliving's focus has more than likely shifted from "potential buyer" to "all-but-seller".

Edmonton Oilers - McDavid's Triple Crown?

Through Thursday night, Connor McDavid is tied for the NHL lead in goals (21) and has a 10-point lead in the points race (60). With 34 games completed and 22 remaining, these totals are also his highest per-game rates in Goals, Assists, and Points in his career. He's combined this with incredible shot impacts; a 10% boost to his team's shot attempt differential when he's on the ice, a 14% boost to their goal differential, and a 15% boost to their expected goal differential.

Simply put, McDavid is having a season that isn't just great, but among the single greatest we've ever seen. Even without the more advanced data, his raw point production reminds you more of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux than it does any of his peers. What I'm wondering, though, is if he can chain it all together - the goal scoring, the point production, and the more subjective recognition from the media - to win the "Triple Crown" that consists of the Rocket Richard Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, and Hart Memorial Trophy.

In the era that the Rocket Richard Trophy has existed (since 1998/99), just one player has achieved this feat. Alex Ovechkin put up 65 goals and 112 points in 82 games, which carried him to a 98% share of potential MVP voter points. Prior to the goal scoring title's creation, the leader of this feat is, unsurprisingly, Gretzky, who has done it five times. Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur and Phil Esposito have also done it in the Post-Expansion Era. Gordie Howe (four times), Jean Beliveau and Bernie Geoffrion can lay similar claims in the Original Six Era.

Whether McDavid can join them will rely on two factors. For one, he's got to keep filling the net while Auston Matthews sorts out his wrist issues, which have held him to just three goals in 12 games after a goal-a-game start in the opening two months of the seasons. The second is more unfortunate, and its voting patterns. The PHWA tends to avoid naming the same person or team too many times in a short span, and they tend to favour players on teams that just barely squeak into the playoffs. With McDavid winning in 2016/17, Leon Draisaitl winning last year, and the Oilers putting up a pretty solid record thus far, it's entirely possible that they look elsewhere in search of a better story. If there's any sense, though, he'll get his credit, and he's got a real shot of pulling off all three.

Montreal Canadiens - The COVID Setback

For the longest time, it seemed like the Canadian teams would continue their momentum from the 2020 Playoffs and get through the regular season without so much as having to postpone a game.

Then, reality hit on Tuesday, as the Montreal Canadiens announced (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-postpones-canadiens-games-march-28-due-covid-19-protocols/) that they would be postponing all games from that night until this upcoming Sunday, March 28th. The reason given was two players who were placed under COVID protocols, which at first seemed like an over-reaction.

On Thursday, Habs GM Marc Bergevin gave a little more context on the situation. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia remain on the protocol list after a testing scenario that showed that one of the two had caught one of the more recent variants of the virus, while the other was considered a close contact. As recent variants have proven to be more severe in their ease of transmission and in their potential effect, the call was made by the NHL and local public health authorities to hit the proverbial breaks.

Bergevin did not note which of Kotkaniemi and Armia was the positive player and which was the false positive. He believes that the player(s) followed protocol, and the fact that one of them could have picked this up in a non-reckless way was all the more reason to be cautious. Personally, I agree with that approach. As much as we want to see these teams play through their games, and while the decision has impacts on everything to working schedules to fantasy rosters, COVID is nothing to scoff at and the potential for a variant strain of the virus to go through the Canadian teams, and potentially outside of their bubbles, is too worrisome to not act upon. There will obviously be the question of making up the three missed games against the Oilers, and single missed game against the Senators, but the potential for these pauses is part of why the schedule was designed as it has been this year. If the games need to be made up, which given Montreal and Edmonton's standings proximity is very likely, they will be.

Ottawa Senators - Anton Forsberg Gets His Chance

There are few players in this league that one could be happier for this week than Anton Forsberg, as he finally started in his first NHL game of the year for the Ottawa Senators. Under normal circumstances, you would be less concerned about the number of reps that a backup to third-string goaltender gets in a regular season, but his journey this season has been anything but normal.

In October, Forsberg signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers for the league minimum of $700,000, securing his paycheque for the season. As it turns out, though, he didn't secure his home. Days before the start of the season, the Oilers placed him on waivers to try to push him onto their taxi squad, only to have his former Carolina Hurricanes claim him. Carolina attempted to do similar, only to lose him to the Winnipeg Jets, who were short a netminder after losing Eric Comrie to the same carousel.

This left Forsberg in Winnipeg's system, but not playing games - not for the Jets, not for the Moose. It was a situation that lasted for months, as well, until the Jets attempted one more time to squeak him through the wire. The Senators, desperately short on goaltending after a series of injuries, gave him yet another detour, becoming his fourth employer in two months, none of whom used in games.

Until this week. Forsberg was thrown into a conditioning game with Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Belleville over the weekend and stopped 33 of 34 en route to a win over the Toronto Marlies. On Thursday, he got to play for the big club, against Toronto's big club, and had a similarly strong performance. Unfortunately for him, 38 saves on 41 shots weren’t quite enough to get the job done, but after the journey he's had this winter, it must have felt like playing in the Stanley Cup Final.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Campbell's Crease

Across the ice from Forsberg was another goalie who has had a whirlwind season, albeit in a different way. Jack Campbell donned his mask and pads for his fifth start of the season, and his second as their de-facto starter. Frederik Andersen has been shut down for the time being, as a run of poor play following a return from injury has led to the decision to let him get to 100% instead of pushing him back in. Campbell has been the hot hand for the Maple Leafs since acquiring him last winter, and especially in the games he's played this year.

Thursday night was more of the same, for the most part. A couple of bad misplays of the puck were quickly turned into Ottawa goals, including a shorthanded tally that may have been the worst goal conceded by a Toronto goaltender this year. But Campbell has shown a willingness to clear his mind quickly after mistakes, an eagerness to battle back, and a positive attitude that has infected his teammates and the city he plays in, and he carried all of that to yet another win on Thursday. Through his five games, Campbell has had a perfect 5-0-0 record, including a 0.958 save percentage and two shutouts.

It's a great feel-good story, and a level of consistency and motivation that the Maple Leafs needed amidst their first real slump of the season. How much of this is real remains to be seen, of course, as the former blue-chip prospect has not been a world-beater in most of his other nine seasons of pro experience. Not to mention, no one ever stays undefeated with numbers that would make Dominik Hasek jealous. But there might be enough there to get the Leafs through for a while, maybe even through the rest of this season. That would go a long way for the team as they sort out their future between the pipes.

Vancouver Canucks - Waiver Injections

The Canucks have created a lot of buzz through the waiver wire over the past week and change, poaching not one, but two players from the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs. Last Wednesday, the team claimed Jimmy Vesey off the wire, and on Monday they followed it up by plucking Travis Boyd off the list as well. Needless to say, it wasn't the outcome that that their former team was hoping for, as they tried to push some of their depth into taxi squad flexibility as their forward group began to recover from injuries. But Toronto's loss was Vancouver's potential gain, as the Canucks landed two useful players for pennies on the dollar.

In Vesey, the Canucks got a player who was playing just 11 minutes a night with the Maple Leafs, though the season didn't start that way. Toronto had hoped that he could slot in as a finisher with John Tavares and William Nylander, something more reminiscent of his previous hype as a college hockey prospect in the mid-2010s, but a lack of found chemistry led to him playing more in the bottom six. All the same, he was an inoffensive, rarely bad player, who often found himself in position to contribute to plays. Through his efforts, he managed five goals and two assists in 30 games, which isn't particularly heroic, but could be worse at his $900,000 cap hit. Vancouver has ramped his minutes up significantly through four games, averaging him at about 19 minutes per outing, but he has yet to put up a point.

Boyd, on the other hand, has yet to play for the Canucks, still waiting to get through proper protocols. In his case, he remains one of the NHL's most interesting men, as his career total of 39 points in 105 games suddenly looks really impressive when you realize that he's averaged just 10:10 of ice time in that timespan. Over the past two years, he's put up 18 points in 44 games, and fewer than 500 minutes played. There seems to be a lot of luck involved in that, though, as he's somehow managed to hold a 105.0% PDO, including a 12.1% on-ice shooting percentage in that timespan.

Again, however, Boyd makes just $700,000, which makes rolling the dice on him continuing to defeat the hockey gods all the more worthwhile. But that kind of brings me to a point with the Canucks. These are the sorts of moves that the team should be looking to bet on during the offseason, instead of having to rely on players falling down the wire at the midway point. Had Vancouver gone this route with their depth, they wouldn't find themselves with a bottom six that's pushing nearly $20 million in salary, creating all sorts of cap problems for a team that's nowhere near contention. If these claims are a lightbulb moment for this management group, that's great. Even if they don't work, it's better than being stuck with a long-term contract in the millions that's failing within the same role. But this needs to be a shift in philosophy, rather than a simple quick test.

VANCOUVER, BC - MARCH 24: Winnipeg Jets Left Wing Andrew Copp (9) on ice against the Vancouver Canucs. Copp scored 4 goals to help the Jets defeat the Canucks 5-1 during their NHL game at Rogers Arena on March 24, 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Devin Manky/Icon Sportswire)

Winnipeg Jets - Andrew Copp Cashes In A Quad

Last, but certainly not least, we come to an unlikely hero. After Leon Draisaitl picked up the North's first four-goal game of the year on March 2nd, who had Andrew Copp as the player most likely to get the second?

But that's exactly what happened on Wednesday night. In a 5-1 defeat of the Vancouver Canucks, the 26-year-old member of the Winnipeg Jets had the game of his life, picking up two powerplay tallies, an empty netter, and one more goal on top of that to end up with four tallies 16:59 of ice time. He made a mortal out of Thatcher Demko, and he made Jets fan Marcela Chartrand $100,000 richer through a Save On Foods score and win promotion.

While obviously the night of Copp's career, one might be even more surprised to see that the goals brought him up to 25 points in 33 games - a pace of 62 over a full season! Obviously, the sample is small, and four goals will influence it significantly, but these are still far from expected numbers from a player who has already gone a little past prime development age, and never scored more than 30 points in a full season. A shooting percentage of 14.3% (9.1 before Wednesday) obviously helps, as does an on-ice shooting percentage of 10.7, both of which well exceed his career averages. Getting not-insignificant playing time with Mark Scheifele and Nik Ehlers does too. It'll be interesting to see how much longer this run lasts for him, but if nothing else, he's now got a career night that many can only dream of telling stories about in his back pocket.

Metropolitan Division Training Camp News

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:36:52 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

There’s some cautious optimism that this might be the season Carolina ends its nine-season playoff drought, but the Hurrianes’ chances took a blow before the season even started. Victor Rask sustained a hand injury that will cost him months and perhaps the hardest part of it to swallow is the fact that he was hurt in the kitchen and not the ice.

The one thing Carolina did better than any team last season was win faceoffs (54.1%) and Rask was a significant part of that (54.9%) as were Derek Ryan (56.5%) and Elias Lindholm (54.5%), who are no longer with the team. Those two departures combined with Rask’s tough-luck injury have created a void up the middle that there is no clear answer for. Sebastian Aho has been tested as a center, but coach Rod Brind’Amour hasn’t liked what he’s seen there.

Lucas Wallmark might end up making the team, especially given the Hurricanes’ need for centers right now. He excelled in the AHL last season with 17 goals and 55 points in 45 contests. He also got into 11 games with Carolina, but averaged just 9:30 minutes and recorded a single goal.

Outside of the center issues, the Hurricanes’ other big focus has been Andrei Svechnikov, who is fighting for a roster spot after being taken with the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to at least see him get a nine-game trial with Carolina so that the Hurricanes can test him out in the regular season before coming to a final decision.

Columbus Blue Jackets

When everyone’s healthy, Columbus has a strong blueline, but that ideal isn’t what the Blue Jackets will start with. Seth Jones suffered a second-degree MCL sprain on Tuesday, which is projected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks. Needless to say, losing Jones is a far bigger deal to Columbus than Murray. Jones has been a top-tier defenseman for a while now, but he found another level in 2017-18 with 16 goals and 57 points while averaging 24:36 minutes per game. That led to him finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting.

To further complicate the situation, Ryan Murray isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. Injuries have plagued Murray’s career and in this case it’s a groin issue that will cost him time. When the Blue Jackets were only looking at dealing with the absence of Murray, there was speculation that Markus Nutivaara might be slotted into as David Savard’s partner – at least until Murray was available as an alternative. It’d be a big opportunity for Nutivaara after he averaged just 16:02 minutes in 2017-18, but it’s worth noting that he did a fair amount offensively in that role with seven goals and 23 points in 61 games. Now that Jones is out too, the Blue Jackets need to scramble to find new pairings, but this just makes it more likely that Nutivaara will be on the second pairing, whether it’s with Savard or someone else should Savard get bumped to the top unit. Nutivaara might also be asked to serve on the second power-play unit now that Jones is out.

At least the Blue Jackets also got some positive news on the injury front as Zach Werenski is on track to play in the season opener. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum after playing with the problem for most of 2017-18. That injury might have been part of the reason he went from recording 47 points as a rookie to 37 points as a sophomore, so he could have a nice bounce back this season provided he’s healthy. If Columbus had to enter the season without Werenski and Jones, it would have created a massive void, but at least it appears they’re narrowing avoiding that nightmare scenario.

New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider had an up-and-down 2017-18 campaign, but rather than wonder if he can be consistent going forward, the more immediate question is if he’ll be available. He had hip surgery over the summer and while he has practiced during training camp, he hasn’t gotten into a preseason game. That puts his status for New Jersey’s opener on Oct. 6 very much in question.

Keith Kinkaid would start in Schneider’s absence and given how well Kinkaid did down the stretch last season, if Schneider ends up missing a meaningful amount of time, Kinkaid could take that opportunity to make a strong case to steal the starting gig. Meanwhile, veteran goalie Eddie Lack is projected to make the Devils’ opening game roster if Schneider isn’t ready.

At least the Devils sorted out a different question mark on Sept. 22 when they signed Miles Wood to a four-year, $11 million contract. Wood missed the start of training camp as a RFA contract holdout, but these events might favor New Jersey in the long run. Giving Wood four years is a risk given that he still has more to prove, but the 23-year-old forward had an encouraging 19 goals, 32 points, and 84 penalty minutes in 76 contests last season, so if he continues to develop than he should more than live up to that contract.

New York Islanders

Luca Sbisa joined the Islanders’ training camp on a tryout basis and ended up securing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with time to spare. In doing so, the Islanders have created a logjam on the blueline with eight different defensemen signed to one-way contracts. They also have Dennis Seidenberg participating in their camp on a tryout basis, but it’s hard to see him earning a one-way contract after Sbisa already signed.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 26: New York Islanders Center Mathew Barzal (13) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders on October 26, 2017 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.The Wild defeated the Islanders 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Of course, the big question for the Islanders going into the season is how their top two forward lines will shake out. John Tavares signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs naturally created a big hole that no one on the team is capable of truly filling. The Islanders are fortunate in the sense that Mathew Barzal excelled as a rookie in 2017-18, so they at least have a strong first-line center even without Tavares, but then who do they put on the second line? Brock Nelson might end up getting that gig. He’s been tried out with some of the Islanders’ top wingers during camp, including Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle, and Josh Bailey. Nelson is obviously going to be a huge step down from John Tavares, but taking Nelson on his own merits, he might end up being an okay second-line center.

One player that won’t be trying to fill that offensive void left by Tavares, at least not at the start of the season, is Joshua Ho-Sang. The Islanders have already reassigned him to the AHL, which has to be extremely disappointing for the 2014 first-round pick. Ho-Sang hasn’t been able to establish himself as quickly as some hoped and now it seems that even the fresh start he was provided by the Islanders changing their general manager and coach hasn’t moved things in a positive direction.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will began the rebuilding process last season and gave this new era a face when they hired David Quinn to serve as the new head coach straight from Boston University. A new coach on a rebuilding team creates a golden opportunity for young players and it looks like Filip Chytil has taken advantage of that. Chytil has been one of the Rangers’ standouts and given Quinn’s philosophy of having his best nine forwards serve on the top-nine regardless of positional considerations, Quinn should find a way to give Chytil healthy opportunities in the regular season provided the 19-year-old forward continues to impress.

Not everyone has had as strong a camp though and Jimmy Vesey might not have done enough to earn more than a fourth-line spot out of the gate. Vesey might be playing alongside Vladislav Namestnikov on that unit, which would be a huge step down from most of 2017-18 when Namestnikov was primarily playing alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Whether you feel the Rangers won or lost the Ryan McDonagh trade with Tampa Bay, it seems evident that Namestnikov was the biggest loser in the shift.

It’s also worth noting that Kevin Shattenkirk made his preseason debut on Sept. 22, which was his first game since Jan. 18 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He got a pair of assists in the 5-2 loss and while preseason statistics aren’t terribly useful, it’s encouraging to see him do well after being absent for so long.

Philadelphia Flyers

It wouldn’t be the Philadelphia Flyers if there wasn’t goaltending drama. The latest chapter starts with Michal Neuvirth, who now appears doubtful for the start of the regular season due to an undisclosed injury. If he can’t play, then the Flyers safest alternative would be Alex Lyon given that he got into 11 games with Philadelphia last season – but Lyon is dealing with a lower-body injury and therefore also not an option.

VOORHEES, NJ - JULY 06: Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers poses for his official headshot for the 2017-2018 season on July 6, 2017 at the Virtua Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carter Hart

That leaves Anthony Stolarz, who is coming off two knee surgeries and played a total of four games in 2017-18 (three in the ECHL), and Carter Hart, the man Flyers fans are putting their hopes and dreams on. Hart has done great in the preseason, but even so it’s reasonable to wonder if it’s really a good idea to send him straight from the WHL to the NHL? It’s asking a lot of him and might not be ideal for his development. The Flyers might end up having to acquire a goalie, which is something that would have seemed crazy just a few weeks ago when it looked like they had an organizational logjam in goal.

Outside of the Flyers’ goalie issues, one emerging storyline has been Corban Knight. He’s 28-years-old, has only played in 29 career NHL games and spent the last two seasons entirely in the minors so he naturally didn’t come into training camp with any special attention paid to him. Knight has managed to claw himself into the conservation for the Flyers’ fourth-line spot though, frequently playing alongside Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. Knight survived Tuesday’s round of roster cuts, so if nothing else, he would be one of the last players cut if he doesn’t make the team.

Even if Knight makes the team, he wouldn’t have a huge impact, but it would make for a nice feel good story of a guy that kept fighting long after he lost the prospect tag and eventually managed to defy the odds.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jean-Sebastien Dea has managed to survive the Penguins’ cuts thus far and is consequently one of the final 15 forwards on the roster. He’s coming off his best campaign in the AHL to date with 18 goals and 50 points in 70 games. He also has the versatility to play center or right wing and kill penalties. If he does make the Penguins, it will likely be as a fourth-liner though.

Whatever happens with Dea, the biggest change for the Penguins going into the season will be the addition of offseason signing Jack Johnson. It wasn’t long ago that Johnson was a workhorse that consistently logged an average of over 24 minutes each season for Columbus, but his role declined in 2017-18 to the point where he averaged 19:33 minutes and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. With that all behind him, it looks like Johnson will enter the season on the Penguins’ second pairing with Justin Schultz. The X-Factor there is the fact that Schultz skipped Wednesday’s preseason game due to a nagging upper-body injury. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t make it seem like anything serious, but obviously if Schultz ends up being unavailable for the start of the season then Johnson will temporarily play alongside someone else.

Washington Capitals

After winning the Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals made a point of minimizing roster turnover, so naturally there weren’t a lot of question marks going into training camp. That’s led to a quieter preseason, so there has still been a couple smaller storylines.

For example, Devante Smith-Pelly hasn’t gotten into a preseason game yet and that’s reportedly because he hasn’t lived up to the Capitals’ conditioning standards. At this point it’s not clear if the Capitals will use Smith-Pelly as part of their opening game roster. It’s unfortunate to see this happen given that he was one of the role players that helped push the Capitals over the top with his seven goals and eight points in the postseason. Washington felt good enough about what he brought to the table to sign him to a one-year, $1 million contract over the summer, but now it seems like he might not live up to that deal.

The Capitals might also start the season without defenseman Michal Kempny, but for a very different reason. He’s sidelined after absorbing a high elbow from St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo during Tuesday’s game. Although the Capitals have simply termed Kempny’s injury as “upper body,” it’s reportedly a concussion and if that’s true then it’s hard to say how long he’ll be out for. Kempny is another one of those role players that came through for the Capitals during the playoffs. In his case, Kempny logged 17:42 minutes per contest in the postseason, which led to Washington signing him to a four-year, $10 million contract back in June. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that 21-year-old defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler has looked good in training camp and should be included in the Capitals’ final roster if Kempny isn’t available.

Quinn-Tessential – New York Rangers 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 17:54:47 +0000

OVERVIEW/STATE OF PLAY - It has been a remarkable run for the franchise, but all things must pass. The Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. A run that included appearance in two conference finals and a Stanley Cup final through 2011-12 to 2014-15. From that peak signs of decline have been evident in recent seasons, but great goaltending and a competitive squad has kept them competitive with three 100-point seasons in a row up until 2017-18.

In February management released a statement announcing a transition to a younger group. Prior to the draft they reaffirmed they are planning a rebuild. They laid the foundation at the draft with three first round picks, following upon two first rounders in 2017 (promising Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil who almost made the team as an 18-year-old last year). Given the Rangers had not had a first round pick since 2012 it is a significant shift in direction for the team. In addition to the three first rounders they also had three picks over the second and third round significantly stocking the cupboard, notably adding six defensemen.

REBUILD UNDERWAY - The rebuild also began behind the bench with the hiring of David Quinn, who coached at Boston University, after parting ways with Alain Vigneault after five seasons. He will have a different mandate in molding a group of promising young prospects into a contender in three of four seasons. The market of New York has not been known for patience nor has management in the past but GM Jeff Gorton managed to resist temptation in free agency with almost $20 million dollars in cap space.

They began acquiring assets close the trade deadline trading Rick Nash and acquiring 20-year-old Ryan Lindgren, the Bruins first round pick and Ryan Spooner (26-years-old and an RFA this offseason). They also shipped defensive stalwart Ryan McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller to Tampa for Vladimir Namestnikov, prospects Libor Hajek and Brett Howden, both of whom could make the squad this year along with a first round pick (used to acquire defenseman Nils Lundqvist) and a conditional second for 2019.

Henrik Lundqvist

There is no doubt the decline of Henrik Lundqvist has accelerated the rebuild after a second subpar season. After posting a 0.910 save percentage in 2016-17, he climbed slightly back up to 0.915, but struggled from February on posting a 0.908 save percentage in the fourth quarter.

The core forward group has both Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes who fired 25 goals at center, the first time a pair of 25-year-olds have done that for the franchise in 17 years, and the first two centers since Gretzky and Messier did it for the club in 1996-97. Zibanejad was dominating through the first part of the season until sidelined by a concussion. They anchored the top two lines and were second and third behind 30-year-old Mats Zuccarello in team scoring. The undersized but remarkably consistent (five seasons between 49 and 61 points in a row), healthy and effective winger. He led the forward group in ice time. All signs point towards being moved for assets prior to the deadline.

TALENTED YOUTH CHALLENGE ON WING - Hayes may find his spot in the top six challenged by either Filip Chytil or Lias Andersson, both first round draft picks from 2017. They were both on the roster to end the season after spending time in the AHL and will make their case in camp.

On the wing Chris Kreider brings size and speed and after a breakout 2016-17 and he started 2017-18 with a solid first half before being diagnosed with blood clots in his arm and forced to miss two months, returning 15 pounds lighter and needing time to adjust. Signs of a full return to form came when he had an outstanding tournament for Team USA at the World Championships.

The Rangers have been patient with Pavel Buchnevich and he will be provided with every opportunity to break out this season. After scoring at a point a game as a rookie, he endured an up and down sophomore season, not unusual and providing some learning. He has exciting upside and dynamic skills so joining the top line with Kreider and Zibanejad would provide a potentially explosive line all over 6’2”.

The defence is anchored by already mentioned Shattenkirk, Staal and Smith. Staal and Smith pose a challenge for the incoming coach to turn their game around and provide veteran presence on the blueline. Vigneault had lost confidence in Brendan Smith and was clearly not part of his plans.

Brady Skej brings 6’3” with a large wingspan, owns exceptional mobility and situational awareness. Very strong defensively he is also a superb skater. He posted 39 points in his rookie season and took a step back last season, but all the tools and opportunity are there to excel. Led the Rangers in ice time last season. He signed a six-year extension at $5.25 million AAV in July cementing his role as part of the future of the Rangers.

Neal Pionk was signed out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth before the season and played most of the year in the AHL, but when he joined the big club he averaged 22:23 minutes per game, behind only Ryan McDonagh on the team and slightly ahead of Skej. He added 14 point in 28 games and appeared to play his way on to the roster.

OUTLOOK – Red lights flashing warning include a defense that allowed 3.27 goals against per game for 28^th in the league, and the worst Corsi For percentage with 45.9. They had decent special teams with a 12^th ranked power play (21.2%) and a 10^th ranked penalty kill (81.4%). A return to form for their veteran defenders will make a difference and if Lundqvist has another season in him but little was done to address this need.

While in a rebuild they already have a core roster of relatively young skaters so could transition quickly. No dominant stars but they can compete but won’t run the corner this season.

NHL Prospect Scouting: Nashville Predators

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 16:48:47 +0000

For an organization known for a rich history of drafting and developing high end blueliners (Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Roman Josi, Seth Jones), the Nashville Predators are suddenly awash in skilled forwards bubbling up through the pipeline. This is not to say that they were mistaken in dealing Jones to Columbus for Ryan Johansen, who immediately steps into the role of their top line center, but rather that this will soon be a problem relegated to history.

There can be some doubt as to which forward prospect is the most appealing, but most observers (including this one) would agree that there are three that stand out above the rest – not just the rest within the Nashville organization, but among the entirety of the hockey prospect world. As of mid-January, the most prominent of the troika is Kevin Fiala, if for no other reason than that he is playing with Nashville right now.

His lofty placement on this list is not to see that his ascent to the NHL has been seamless. Through roughly one full season’s worth of experience in North America, there have been bumps in his path and even some questions as to how well he can adapt to the game away from the more spacious rinks of Europe. On the other hand, his game has shown signs of improvement through this season, making the question of his promotion a matter more of when, and not if.

The Swiss former first rounder is known for his puck game. His hands are high end with clever and quick moves to help keep the disc away from the sticks of opposing defenders. Whether carrying or passing the puck, Fiala raises the level of excitement on the ice. He has good vision, and his passes are both hard and on the money. When he is on top of his game, he can control the proceedings. When he is off, he lacks a sense of calmness and assuredness, seemingly playing hot potato with the puck and rushing plays, which never ends well. In general, he could stand to simplify his puck game a touch, and cut down on the risky plays, although he has made progress in that area this year.

Experience and consistency stand in the way of Fiala demonstrating the entire tool set needed to cement a top six forward spot in the NHL. If there is an area of his game that seems unlikely to develop too much it is his physical side. Not that today’s game – or a game like Fiala’s – relies overmuch on physical play, there is a modicum of strength needed to avoid it being an area that can be exploited by opponents. Oftentimes, the graduate of the HV71 program in Sweden plays a perimeter game in the offensive end. At the hint of contact, he will often pull up shot and let the play get away from him. Even when he is trying to stay engaged, he is too easily bumped off his stride and the puck, demonstrating a clear need to add muscle to his frame. He doesn’t need to be a physical force, but needs just enough to prevent opponents from shutting down his game without too much difficulty.

For now, he can probably hold his own in the NHL, if lined up with more physical and defensively responsible linemates. Ideally, Fiala would spend the majority of the remainder of this season rounding out his game in the AHL before getting a lengthier opportunity in training camp next year.

Vladislav Kamenev, C, Milwaukee (42^nd overall, 2015)

Another forward with quick hands, particularly notable for his wrist movements, Kamenev plays a far more physical game than his erstwhile Milwaukee teammate Fiala. The former second round pick, who captained the Russian squad at the recent WJC, combines elements of North American North-South with the Russian zest of quick passes in the offensive end, giving him multiple paths with which to make his presence felt on the ice.

In spite of what those who only saw him in the Gold Medal game, when he was ejected from the match late in the third for a moment of severe unsportsmanlike conduct, Kamenev is actually a very responsible player on the ice (between the whistles), given plenty of PK time his coaches and showing a zest for tracking back in his own zone, plus a proclivity for wrecking opponent offensive sallies. He still needs more development time to round out his defensive zone game, but he is trending in the right direction and definitely showing that he gives full effort on both sides of the puck.

After dissecting is off-puck play, we can enjoy the 19-year-old for his main qualities of which reside on the puck. Kamenev has a nose for the puck, anticipating where it will go and when and is able to get himself into little areas from where he can do some damage, whether that is in space, or by the crease. When he has the puck he is equally as proficient passing as he is shooting. He can perform either on a single touch, and either reach his teammate on a line or pivot and fire a strong wrist shot towards a piece of unguarded net.

The upside with the Magnitogorsk product is lower than that of Fiala, but Kamanev is also less likely to flame out altogether. His reasonable best case scenario is as a solid, versatile middle six forward who can slot into the lineup as needed, where needed.

Jimmy Vesey, LW, Harvard (66^thoverall, 2012)

While Fiala and Kamenev are front of mind prospects for Preds fans, Vesey can be somewhat forgotten, playing in the hockey hotbed of Boston on weekends only, and not even yet under contract. Now a senior at Harvard, his professional future will commence as soon as the Crimson have their season end in late March or early April. If the Crimson make all the way to the Frozen Four, their season will end during the same weekend as the end of the NHL regular season. This is relevant as some close to the organization view the Hobey Baker Award challenger as the equivalent as a late season trade addition, someone who could step right into an NHL lineup out of campus and contribute at a high level immediately.

As insane as his point totals are in the NCAA, they are all earned. Vesey grades out better than average in the skating and shooting categories, but he really excels when we watch the traits of his game, both on and off the puck, which both grade out as upper echelon components. Starting with his puck skills, the Boston area product is as creative as he is smooth. He makes tremendous puck decisions, of what to do, when to do it and how. His puck possession skills allow him to calmly cycle the puck in the low end of the offensive zone, knowing he can hold the disc until a lane opens up for a shot, or a teammate opens up for a cutting pass. He makes passes that few other collegians can. He also has a long reach, which he will sometimes employ to dangle, although I expect that to be less featured once he turns pro.

Vesey’s off-puck is just as impressive, as might be expected from the son of a former professional. Not a physical player per se, he knows how to use his body to gain leverage, such as bracing his feet against the boards to ensure a backchecker will expend his energy into the boards through Vesey’s legs instead of his more vulnerable back. He tracks the play very well and plays hard in the dirty areas of the rink without getting himself into penalty trouble.

Assuming the Predators can come to terms with him quickly and are in a playoff race, expect to see Vesey in the NHL in the postseason this year. If not, this may be the second most coveted free agent in the summer class behind only (maybe) a fellow named Steven Stamkos.

Juuse Saros, G, Milwaukee (99^th overall, 2013)

An undersized netminder, Saros is one of the most electric goaltending prospects in hockey, serving as another unneeded reminder that teams should not be wasting first round picks on netminders as the middle and late rounds are filthy with them.

Saros has plus lateral agility and minimizes his size deficiencies by cutting down on the angles whenever possible, challenging the shooter and reducing the amount of open net that is visible from the point, particularly when the puck is between the dots. He trusts in the speed of his legs to stay tall as long as possible and never seems to back down, even when in tight. The 20-year-old Finn is also a strong puck handler, who can help the transition game with early passes out from behind the net.

Some will not be able to get past Saros’ shortness of stature (compared to most goalies), standing only 5’10”, but the combination of his other tools makes him impossible to ignore. Having played heavy minutes as a teen in Finland’s top league, there is a chance he can carry a starter’s workload and his age and lack of North American experience gives the Predators’ organization a lot of time to hone his craft in the AHL. Outside of emergencies, he should not appear in the NHL until the 2017-18 season, but if Rinne is past his prime, Saros is the best bet in the system to be able to one day replace him.

Tyler Moy, C, Harvard (175^th overall, 2015)

A nice find as a late round pick last June, Moy, a teammate of Vesey’s at Harvard is a smart player with a good wrist shot complete with a tricky release. He is a smooth stickhandler who sees the ice pretty well and prefers to pass than shoot. Already a Junior with the Crimson, Moy will never be a big point producer, but plays a stocky and heady style that gives him a chance to emerge as a candidate for a lower line role in three or four years. His lack of acceleration will prevent him from a ceiling any higher than that, but his physical and intelligent game will make him a trusted player by coaches and a favorite by fans.

Max Gortz, RW, Milwaukee (172^nd overall, 2012)

Another forward with hidden upside, Gortz has made a number of fans for himself in his first season in North America after 161 games in the SHL. Not a fleet skater, Gortz plays a 200-foot game which he supplements with an above average shot that is dangerous whether he wrists them in from close range, or fires a slap shot from distance. Growing up between the Malmo, Farjestads and Froluna systems, Gortz plays on both special teams’ units for Milwaukee and has shown to be a quick study of the subtleties of the game on the smaller ice surface and of his opponents on any given night, allowing him to anticipate the play before it happens and making up somewhat for his average footspeed. While Gortz was on few radars prior to this season, he should expect to make his NHL debut by early next season, if not this one.