Kaapo Kakko – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fantasy playoffs are upon us, the Blackhawks bring in another top prospect, Marco Rossi, Anthony Cirelli, and Quinton Byfield are producing in the middle of the ice as Troy Terry and Zach Benson are working the wings.

Scott Cullen — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 14:27:53 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - MARCH 24: Vancouver Canucks center Marco Rossi (93) vies for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C. (Photo by Ethan Cairns/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, as fantasy playoffs are upon us, the Blackhawks bring in another top prospect, Marco Rossi, Anthony Cirelli, and Quinton Byfield are producing in the middle of the ice as Troy Terry and Zach Benson are working the wings.

#1 While it has been another tough season for the Chicago Blackhawks, they are getting a nice boost late in the season with the arrival of Anton Frondell, the third pick in last summer’s draft, who tallied 20 goals and eight assists for 28 points in 43 games for Djurgardens in the SHL. Frondell has arrived in Chicago, registered two assists in his first three NHL games, and is skating on the top line with Connor Bedard and Ryan Greene in addition to getting first unit power play time. He’s 18, so expectations need to be kept in check, but he’s also getting enough of an opportunity to make him immediately interesting for those in deep leagues.

#2 There may be some fantasy value to be found in players that are playing for teams out of the playoff picture. For example, it’s easy enough to dismiss the Vancouver Canucks as they have endured a brutal season, but centre Marco Rossi has produced 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in his past eight games, is getting first unit power play time and is thriving with linemates Liam Ohgren and Brock Boeser.

#3 With an established reputation as a strong two-way player, Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli is getting a shot at an expanded offensive role, skating on the top line between Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. In his past 12 games, Cirelli has produced 14 points (5 G, 9 A) and 21 shots on goal, with 13 of those 14 points coming at even strength. With 2.51 points per 60 minutes during five-on-five play this season, Cirelli ranks 22nd in the league. Not bad for a checking centre.

#4 He has missed some time with injuries, but Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry has been on a good run since Christmas, producing 17 points (7 G, 10 A) with 29 shots on goal in 15 games. He is scoring better than a point per game this season, a feat he has not been able to accomplish in a full season. He was scratched from Thursday’s game at Calgary, so his reliability remains an issue but his productivity makes him a valuable player whenever he is in the lineup.

#5 There are so many great stories on the Buffalo Sabres this season, as the team is poised to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2010-2011 season, and one of those great stories is the play of 20-year-old winger Zach Benson. In his past six games, Benson has seven points (3 G, 4 A) with seven shots on goal. That shot rate needs improvement, but Benson is thriving on a line with Josh Norris and Josh Doan. When Benson is on the ice at five-on-five, the Sabres are outscoring opponents 39-22.

#6 As the Los Angeles Kings push for a playoff spot, centre Quinton Byfield has stepped up his game, with nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven contests. Consistency has been elusive for Byfield, as he had five points (4 G, 1 A) in the previous 17 games, but when he’s going, Byfield can be a physical force. He is currently skating on a line with Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere while getting second-unit power play time.

#7 The Ottawa Senators are in a competitive battle for a playoff spot but they are dealing with serious injuries on the blueline. Jake Sanderson was already out of the lineup with an upper-body injury when Thomas Chabot suffered a broken arm that will keep him out for 4-to-8 weeks. Add in injuries to Nick Jensen and Dennis Gilbert and the Sens were forced to make changes, which included calling up 2024 first-round pick Carter Yakeumchuk from Belleville of the American Hockey League, where he had 36 points (10 G, 26 A) in 50 games. Yakemchuk has two points (1 G, 1 A) with four shots on goal in his first three NHL games and the injuries on Ottawa’s blueline may prompt the Sens to keep Yakemchuk and his offensive skills in the lineup. Some D to consider from the waiver wire: Damon Severson, who has 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in 14 games this month, Rasmus Sandin, who has five points (2 G, 3 A) in his past seven games, and even Sens defenders Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence, who have combined for 12 points in the past eight games.

#8 In the past month, New Jersey Devils right winger Connor Brown has been moved into a more offensive role and has delivered 14 points (4 G, 10 A) and 24 shots on goal in 13 games. He has been a reliable middle six winger in his NHL career, but he’s skating on a line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, while also getting top-unit power play time. He is up to 36 points (14 G, 22 A) on the season, within striking distance of his career high of 43 points, set during the 2019-2020 season when he was with the Ottawa Senators.

#9 It has not been an easy season for Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault, but he has recorded 10 assists in his past 11 games, a veritable surge in production for a player who has just 28 points (11 G, 17 A) in 53 games. The veteran winger is playing on PP1 for the Predators and is skating on a line with Matthew Wood and Filip Forsberg, so he’s in a decent situation to produce late in the season.

#10 It’s been a similar situation for Anaheim Ducks veteran winger Alex Killorn, who has eight points (4 G, 4 A) with 17 shots on goal in his past 10 games, which is a significant improvement for a player who had 20 points in 63 games before that. The 36-year-old winger is skating on a line with veteran pivot Mikael Granlund and rookie right winger Bennett Sennecke, which is a strong enough situation to consider Killorn for some late-season value.

#11 As the Seattle Kraken try to stay in the playoff hunt, captain Jordan Eberle has contributed seven points (1 G, 6 A) in his past seven games. He is up to 23 goals on the season, which is his most in a season since 2017-2018, when he scored 25, so he is within range of that total. He has consistently been playing on Seattle’s top line with Matty Beniers at centre and there have been several wingers rotating through. Right now, it’s rookie Berkly Catton getting a shot on the left side.

#12 Staying in Seattle, right winger Kaapo Kakko is delivering quality results late in the season. In his past seven games, Kakko has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) with seven shots on goal. That shot rate is not enough to sustain that level of offensive production, but he provides useful secondary scoring, skating on a line with Chandler Stephenson and Bobby McMann.

#13 Early this season, the Utah Grizzlies winger Lawson Crouse was not playing a big part and his production was modest, managing nine points (4 G, 5 A) through his first 26 games. It’s gotten better throughout the season, and in his past seven games, he has six points (4 G, 2 A) and 24 hits, which is really where Crouse brings his most reliable value for fantasy managers. He has scored 20 goals for the fourth time in his career and it’s the fifth time in his career that he has recorded at least 190 hits. If you have a need on the wing at this point in the fantasy season, you could do worse than adding Crouse.

#14 There have been reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are not inclined to give a qualifying offer to right winger Matias Maccelli this summer, but Maccelli has been one of the few Maple Leafs contributing consistently. Since the beginning of February, Maccelli has 16 points (7 G, 9 A) with 33 shots on goal in 20 games. He is tied with John Tavares for second on the team in scoring over that span, three points behind William Nylander and one point ahead of Matthew Knies. Most recently, he’s been skating on a line with Dakota Joshua and Bo Groulx, but that hasn’t deterred him.

#15 Although the wins aren’t coming easily, Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has been playing well late in the season while facing a heavy workload. In his past eight starts, Woll has a 2-4-2 record, but he has a .910 save percentage while facing an average of around 35 shots per game. The Leafs’ lack of success doesn’t help Woll’s value, but it is part of the reason that he’s still available in a decent percentage of leagues and he’s playing well enough that he could help a fantasy manager who needs a late-season upgrade between the pipes.

#16 While we’re considering goaltenders on teams that are out of the playoff race, look at St. Louis Blues netminder Joel Hofer, who has been unbeatable since the Olympic break. In nine games since the break, Hofer has a 7-0-2 record with a .955 save percentage! He has a .911 save percentage on the season and has recently overtaken Jordan Binnington in terms of starts, with Hofer at 36 and Binnington at 35. Perhaps this is the changing of the guard for the Blues, as Hofer has 13.44 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) and Binnington has -20.01 (GSAx), a stark difference in performance.

#17 There was some suspicion around the Olympic break that the Florida Panthers could be on the verge of shutting down a bunch of players with injuries because the playoffs were looking less and less likely, so there was not as much incentive for players to play through the injuries that they might when the team is mounting a Stanley Cup run. Aleksander Barkov has been out all season of course, but Brad Marchand is out, Anton Lundell will miss 2-6 weeks with an upper body injury, Evan Rodrigues is out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger, and Mackie Samoskevich is due to return soon, but he’s still out. That leaves forwards like Jesper Boqvist and Tomas Nosek playing bigger roles than would typically be expected of them.

#18 Philadelphia Flyers centre Christian Dvorak has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past seven games, and he really has the trust of Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet. In the past 22 games, Dvorak has played more than 20 minutes 12 times, including a season-high 25:32 last week at San Jose. He is now averaging 18:28 of ice time per game, a career high, and his 44 points (15 G, 29 A) is also the high-water mark for his career. All of this is to suggest that, in a pinch, Dvorak could have late-season value for fantasy managers.

#19 It’s a little troubling for the Vegas Golden Knights, as they scramble for a playoff spot, that star centre Jack Eichel has hit a slump. They are hoping he has broken out of it with a three-point game last night against Washington. In his previous seven games, Eichel has generated 22 shots on goal while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game, and yet he has managed just one assist. It would be a tad aggressive to go cutting Eichel at this stage of the season, especially when he’s generating shots at this rate, but it’s also possible that he doesn’t need to be in your fantasy lineup automatically. It’s not much better for Golden Knights right winger Mitch Marner, who has two assists and 19 shots on goal in the past eight games.

#20 Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier is tied for the league lead with 11 goals in March, tied with Pavel Zacha. Gauthier ranks second in expected goals with 7.61 ixG, barely trailing Brady Tkachuk at 7.69. Other forwards that have been around the net, rounding out the top ten when it comes to individual expected goals: Zach Hyman (7.09), Brock Nelson (6.98), Alex DeBrincat (6.93). Beckett Sennecke (6.85), Bryan Rust (6.68), Rickard Rakell (6.60), Alexis Lafreniere (6.49), and Timo Meier (6.49).

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Major injuries at the Olympics, including Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen, and Kevin Fiala, plus young players like Matt Savoie and Jimmy Snuggerud getting bigger opportunities and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:27:31 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, some major injuries at the Olympics, including Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen, and Kevin Fiala, plus young players like Matt Savoie and Jimmy Snuggerud getting bigger opportunities and so much more!

#1 Not only did Canada lose in overtime of the Gold Medal Game at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, but they lost captain Sidney Crosby to a lower-body injury against Czechia in the quarterfinals. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain suffered an apparent knee injury after getting hit by Radko Gudas and it is expected to keep him out of the lineup for another four weeks. The Penguins have responded to the loss of their captain by shifting veteran Rickard Rakell to centre, with rookie Avery Hayes taking left wing, on Pittsburgh’s top line. Hayes, 23, had 30 points (19 G, 11 A) in 36 AHL games and scored a pair of goals in his NHL debut at Buffalo on February 5.

#2 The Dallas Stars lost their leading scorer Mikko Rantanen to a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics. Rantanen is considered week-to-week, with head coach Glen Gulutzan saying that he will be back before the end of the season, which is not the most encouraging timeline for fantasy managers! With Rantanen out, consider Mavrik Bourque, who has been getting more ice time in Dallas and has produced seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past nine games. He’s on the Stars’ top line with Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson, so this is a prime opportunity for Bourque to break out as an offensive performer in the NHL.

#3 One of the more devastating injuries at the Olympics was suffered by Swiss winger Kevin Fiala, who broke his leg after a hit from Tom Wilson. Fiala is second on the Kings with 40 points and with the trade to acquire Artemi Panarin, the Kings had reason to hope that they could be poised to make a push for the playoffs after the Olympics. They have since lost their first two games out of the break and, with Fiala out, Corey Perry is playing in the Kings’ top six as well as on PP1. Perry has zero points in his past five games, but did have 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in the 12 previous games.

#4 An upper-body injury suffered in the opening game at the Olympics has landed Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey on the injured list. With Neal Pionk and Colin Miller also out, the Jets are missing some puck movers on the back end, so Logan Stanley is getting first crack at quarterbacking the power play, though the Jets also have Ville Heinola available. He had 21 points (3 G, 18 A) in 40 AHL games and while he has struggled to earn a regular NHL role, he has the mobility and puck skills to play an offensive role on the blueline.

#5 Staying in Winnipeg, Jets winger Nino Niederreiter is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury that he suffered at the Olympics. The veteran winger’s production is down this season, as he has 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 55 games, and the tough thing for the Jets is that they don’t have great options to bolster the third line in his absence. Gustav Nyquist has zero goals and nine assists in 36 games. Vladislav Namestnikov has 13 points (7 G, 6 A) in 56 games, and Jonathan Toews has 19 points (7 G, 12 A) in 57 games, so there is not a lot of reason for optimism beyond their top scorers.

#6 With Jiri Kulich and Jordan Greenway already out of the lineup, the Buffalo Sabres are also missing winger Zach Benson, who suffered an upper-body injury before the Olympic break. Benson had nine points (3 G, 6 A) and 19 shots on goal in his last 13 games before getting hurt and the 20-year-old has been a solid complementary winger with 26 points (7 G, 19 A) in 42 games. If looking for potentially undervalued players in Buffalo, consider Peyton Krebs, who has moved to left wing on the top line and has contributed 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in his past 12 games, though he has a total of 11 shots on goal in those 12 games, which is rather low when it comes to offensive sustainability.

#7 The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenceman Sam Girard from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for veteran Brett Kulak. Girard is undersized but is a quality puck mover and should be a good addition for a Penguins team that has elder statesmen Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang leading their blueline. The deal does look like a downgrade for Colorado, even if Kulak was better for the Penguins than he was in Edmonton to start the season. From the Avalanche’s perspective, Kulak can fill a third-pair role at a lower cost, giving Colorado more flexibility when it comes to possible moves at next week’s trade deadline.

#8 Edmonton Oilers rookie winger Matt Savoie came out of the Olympic break skating on left wing with Leon Draisaitl at centre and Jack Roslovic on the right side, and Savoie put up five points (1 G, 4 A) with four shots on goal in the first two games. Savoie may not be a driver of results at this stage of his career, so when he does get a prime opportunity like this, it bears watching.

#9 St. Louis Blues rookie winger Jimmy Snuggerud went into the Olympic break on a high, with nine points (3 G, 6 A) and 13 shots on goal in six games, and while he was held off the scoresheet in his first game back, Snuggerud is likely to get plenty of reps down the stretch for a Blues team that is a long way from playoff contention. With Robert Thomas out of the lineup, Snuggerud has been on a line with Dalibor Dvorsky, the rookie who was thriving in a bigger role with Slovakia in the Olympics, scoring six points (3 G, 3 A) in six games. Dvorsky has one assist with four shots on goal in his past five NHL games, but he should have ample opportunity to play late in the season. Maybe he’s not offering great value now but could very well handle a bigger role as the season winds down.

#10 With Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul injured, the Tampa Bay Lightning have made some adjustments to their forward lines. Jake Guentzel has shifted to centre and Gage Goncalves has been lifted to play left wing on the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Goncalves contributed three points (1 G, 2 A) against Toronto on Wednesday, and anyone playing on that line would have fantasy appeal, but Goncalves is probably a short-term fix who will lose his prime spot when Cirelli and Paul return to action.

#11 After missing time in December with a lower-body injury, Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann returned to action and has been in fine form ever since, producing 23 points (11 G, 12 A) and 56 shots on goal in his past 23 games. He didn’t record a point in the first two games coming out of the break, but McCann is as dangerous offensively as anyone on the Kraken roster, skating on the top line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle in addition to getting first unit power play time.

#12 One of the players who gives the Penguins hope to survive Crosby’s absence is that rookie Ben Kindel continues to get better and in his past seven games, he has seven points (6 G, 1 A) and 18 shots on goal. He is centering the third line right now but has towering wingers Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau on his flanks and those guys have been productive, ranking second and fourth, respectively, in goals for the Penguins this season.

#13 Over the course of his career, Vegas Golden Knights winger Ivan Barbashev has had some ups and downs in his career, but when he heats up, he can be a serious contributor. In his past nine games, he has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 17 shots on goal while playing nearly 18 minutes per game. His strength is playing a solid physical game, but he can do it alongside skilled linemates and that’s what is happening in Vegas, where he is skating on the top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, and when Barbashev is scoring like this, he is much more appealing for fantasy managers.

#14 As the Buffalo Sabres have been climbing the standings across the past few months, it’s not only the top guys getting the job done. Consider right winger Jack Quinn, who has 15 points (5 G, 10 A) and 42 shots on goal in his past 16 games. He may not have the highest ceiling, but his line with Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker is outscoring opponents 17-11 during five-on-five play.

#15 Veteran St. Louis Blues defenceman Justin Faulk continues to deliver strong fantasy results even on a Blues squad that is having a tough season. Faulk has nine assists with 16 shots on goal in his past seven games. It’s noteworthy that Faulk isn’t hitting as much as he had in previous seasons, with 44 hits in 58 games, but the points and shot rate for a guy who is quarterbacking the top power play are both valuable for fantasy managers.

#16 At the Winter Olympics, plenty of top players delivered expected production, but some players also stepped up in bigger roles for their home nations. One example is New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier, who has managed a meagre four points (3 G, 1 A) despite recording 65 shots on goal in his past 18 games for the Devils. Playing for Switzerland in the Olympics, though, Meier had seven points (3 G, 4 A) in five games and played the physically punishing style that he does when he’s at his best. On the Devils, Meier is skating on a line with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer

#17 Nashville Predators centre Erik Haula may be on the trade block as the deadline approaches and he’s not hurting his value with his recent play. Haula is riding a five-game point streak in the NHL, scoring a goal and four assists in those games and had six points (3 G, 3 A) in six games for Finland at the Olympics. Another Finland forward, who had strong showing on the way to the bronze medal, was Kaapo Kakko, who had five points (3 G, 2 A) in six games and he has been playing well, when healthy, for Seattle. In his past 27 games, Kakko has 19 points (6 G, 13 A) and 38 shots on goal.

#18 It’s a difficult time for fantasy hockey managers if they still need a goaltending answer, but there are a few who are likely to see significant playing time down the stretch and are still available in a good percentage of leagues. The Vancouver Canucks are not likely to win games, because they haven’t been winning this season anyway, but rookie goalie Nikita Tolopilo is showing that he is ready for this league. He has a .908 save percentage in 10 games for the Canucks and with Thatcher Demko out for the rest of the season, Tolopilo should see lots of time in the Canucks’ crease. Former Canucks – and current Penguins – goaltender Arturs Silovs is sharing time with Stuart Skinner, but in his past eight starts, Silovs has a .928 save percentage, which is the level of play that will force his way into more playing time.

#19 This season has been difficult for the Florida Panthers, and the playoffs may not be in the cards for them, but there could be some players that have surprising value late in the season. Evan Rodrigues is centering the Panthers’ top line, between Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, and in his past seven games, he has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 28 shots on goal while averaging 19:48 of ice time per game. If he keeps playing that much, with high quality linemates, Rodrigues could deliver fantasy value.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fresh start for Alexandre Texier, Ivan Demidov takes the rookie scoring lead, Brock Nelson and Tyler Bertuzzi are cooking, Seattle’s top line is thriving and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:55:18 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 08: Alexandre Texier (85) of the Montréal Canadiens celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of the NHL game between the Florida Panthers and the Montreal Canadiens on Jan 08 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, a fresh start for Alexandre Texier, Ivan Demidov takes the rookie scoring lead, Brock Nelson and Tyler Bertuzzi are cooking, Seattle’s top line is thriving and so much more!

#1 After an underwhelming start to the season in St. Louis, where he had one assist in eight games, Alexandre Texier was bought out of his contract, leading him to sign a one-year, $1-million deal with the Montreal Canadiens and it looks like the fresh start that the 26-year-old winger needed. He is skating on Montreal’s top line, with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and, after a hat trick against Florida on Thursday, Texier has eight points (4 G, 4 A) with 12 shots on goal in his past five games. For a player whose career high is 30 points (12 G, 18 A), set in 2023-2024, Texier has a chance to be a bigger offensive contributor with the Habs.

#2 Even though he has been held off the scoresheet in the past two games, Canadiens right winger Ivan Demidov has pulled into the rookie scoring lead. He has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past nine games, giving him 36 points (10 G, 26 A) in 44 games. He is getting first unit power play time while skating on a line with Oliver Kapanen and Juraj Slafkovsky at even strength, but it is fair to be concerned about the shot rate. In his past 18 games, Demidov has recorded two or fewer shots 16 times.

#3 Early in the season, Colorado Avalanche centre Brock Nelson got off to a slow start, managing five points (3 G, 2 A) with 24 shots on goal in 16 games, which was enough to lose the interest of fantasy managers. Since then, though, Nelson has been riding high, producing 32 points (18 G, 14 A) with 69 shots on goal in his past 27 games. With Gabriel Landeskog injured, Nelson’s wingers right now are Valeri Nichushkin and rookie Gavin Brindley, but he’s also getting first unit power play time and that’s a fine opportunity to keep the points accumulating.

#4 In his past seven games, veteran Chicago Blackhawks winger Tyler Bertuzzi has delivered eight points (6 G, 2 A) and 24 shots on goal. Impressively, this has happened with the Blackhawks missing injured centres Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, so Bertuzzi has helped the Blackhawks get through a trying situation. Bertuzzi is skating on a line with rookie centre Ryan Greene and veteran winger Andre Burakovsky. He is a six-time 20-goal scorer but with 22 goals in 40 games this season, he has an excellent chance to surpass his previous career high of 30 goals, set in 2021-2022 when he played for Detroit.

#5 After scoring 57 points and winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022-2023, Seattle Kraken centre Matty Beniers has had a few mediocre offensive seasons. That hasn’t been entirely fixed, but he is starting to generate more offense right now, putting up nine points (4 G, 5 A) with 21 shots on goal in his past nine games. He is getting full opportunity, centering the first line and playing on the first power play unit, so there is a chance for Beniers to continue his production. One encouraging sign is an improving shot rate as Beniers has never averaged even two shots on goal per game over a full season, but he is starting to cross that threshold more recently.

#6 Beniers’ wingers, Jared McCann and Kaapo Kakko, are both thriving as well. McCann has battled injuries, skating in just 18 games this season, but since returning to the lineup in late December, he has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games. Kakko has elevated his play, too, producing nine points (2 G, 7 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past nine games. Kakko has two 40-point seasons and with 14 points in 26 games this season, he is on that pace, even if he has missed a significant portion of the season, too.

#7 With Alex Danault traded to Montreal and injuries hitting the Los Angeles Kings, Alex Laferriere has been spending more time at centre and the third year forward is getting some results, with six points (4 G, 2 A) and 17 shots on goal in his past six games. With Anze Kopitar day-to-day, Laferriere is getting a shot with Adrian Kempe on the Kings’ top line and Laferriere’s physical play – 115 hits in 42 games this season – does make him more appealing to fantasy managers.

#8 A long-time favourite of mine for fantasy value, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner remains very productive when healthy. That caveat hangs over him more at this stage of his career, but in his past 13 games, Jenner has 11 points (4 G, 7 A) with 36 hits and 36 shots on goal. He doesn’t take as many faceoffs now that he’s on left wing, but he still takes some draws, and skating on a line with Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson is not a bad place to continue scoring.

#9 He has been overshadowed by other young talent in San Jose, but Sharks winger William Eklund is still a highly skilled winger who can deliver offensively. In his past dozen games, Eklund has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 46 shots on goal while playing 20:18 per game. That shot rate is a very good sign for Eklund being able to sustain his production and it’s probably not a coincidence that he has more recently found himself on the Sharks’ top line with Macklin Celebrini and Igor Chernyshov, which is a great situation.

#10 In five games since he was a healthy scratch for the Vancouver Canucks, left winger Jake DeBrusk responded with five points (3 G, 2 A) and 22 shots on goal. If you’re trying to show that the coach’s message was received, that’s a good way to go about it. While he is getting first unit power play time, DeBrusk is skating the Canucks’ second line at evens, with David Kampf and Kiefer Sherwood, which may not offer the highest offensive ceiling, but it also might represent more of a back-to-basics approach, and it seems to be working.

#11 A third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020, Justin Sourdif saw action in four games for the Panthers, scoring one goal, but did have 72 points (28 G, 44 A) in 101 AHL games across the past two seasons. In the summer, the Washington Capitals acquired him from Florida for a second-round pick in 2026 and a sixth-round pick in 2027, presenting a better opportunity for Sourdif to stick in the NHL. He started the season with one goal and zero assists in 16 games, playing just over 11 minutes per game. Sourdif has gradually earned a bigger role and has busted out, scoring nine points (5 G, 4 A) with 12 shots on goal, while logging nearly 19 minutes per game, in his past five games. Sourdif has emerged as the Capitals’ second line centre, with Connor McMichael and Ryan Leonard on his wings, and that trio could be a solid source of secondary offense in Washington.

#12 Only once in his career has 34-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenceman Josh Manson surpassed 25 points in an NHL season, scoring 37 points in 2017-2018 when he was with the Anaheim Ducks, but with the juggernaut Avs, he is putting up decent numbers. He had two goals and two assists in Thursday’s rout over Ottawa, but in the past month he has 13 points (2 G, 11 A) and 21 shots on goal in 14 games. For a guy who already has 107 hits and 60 blocked shots in 43 games, that offensive surge suddenly makes Manson much more relevant for fantasy managers.

#13 When the Carolina Hurricanes acquired K’Andre Miller from the New York Rangers in the offseason, they were looking at a defenceman in his prime who, at his best, can be an exceptional defender, covering so much ice with excellent skating and a 6-foot-5 frame. In his past seven games, Miller has contributed seven points (2 G, 5 A) with nine shots on goal while averaging 23:47 of ice time per game. Only three of his 20 points this season have come on the power play, though Miller is getting second unit PP time right now, but the Hurricanes’ dominance at five-on-five does give Miller a chance to challenge for 40 points this season, a threshold he has crossed just once in his career.

#14 A reliable two-way centre, San Jose Sharks veteran Alexander Wennberg is getting more of an opportunity to play a top six role this season and he’s contributing more offence in the process. In the past four 14 games, Wennberg has produced 17 points (3 G, 14 A) with 19 shots on goal and while that shot rate is not very encouraging, it’s also pretty standard – he has been a reluctant shooter for much of his career. He is centering a line with Tyler Toffoli and Pavol Regenda on the wings, but Wennberg is also getting first unit power play time. The last time that Wennberg finished with more than 40 points in a season was 2016-2017 but with 30 points (8 G, 22 A) in 43 games, he seems very likely to exceed that total this season.

#15 Pavol Regenda is an interesting case for the Sharks. The 26-year-old left winger was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks last season and had 25 points (9 G, 16 A) in 36 AHL games then started this season with 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in 28 AHL games, which is hardly knocking down the door to force his way into the league. However, Regenda has scored six goals with 19 shots on goal in six games for the Sharks this season, which is the type of production that can get a team to figure out how to keep a guy around. With Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev injured, Regenda may have a little more time to prove that he belongs and might have some short-term appeal in deeper leagues.

#16 The Utah Mammoth have moved winger Lawson Crouse to the top line, with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, and that makes Crouse much more appealing from a fantasy perspective. In his past seven games, Crouse has six points (2 G, 4 A) with nine shots on goal while averaging 18:45 of ice time per game. He also has 19 hits and six blocked shots in that stretch, and those contributions elevate him when it comes to overall fantasy value.

#17 In his first four seasons with the Seattle Kraken, after he was signed in the summer of 2021, goaltender Philipp Grubauer was among the worst netminders in the league, posting a .890 save percentage in 156 games. His long-term contract was hanging around the Kraken like an albatross, and suddenly in the past few weeks, the 34-year-old netminder is good. In his past five starts, Grubauer has a 4-0-1 record, lifting the Kraken into a playoff position, stopping 168 of 175 shots against for a .960 save percentage. Joey Daccord is still the No. 1 option in Seattle but, however improbably, Grubauer might be able to force his way into more playing time.

#18 The Tampa Bay Lightning have moved winger Gage Goncalves to the top line, where he is skating with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and Goncalves has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 10 shots on goal in his past eight games after scoring seven points in his first 30 games. He played fewer than 14 minutes per game in that eight-game stretch, so there is a limit to his offensive upside, but if he sticks with elite linemates, there is a chance that Goncalves can raise his value.

#19 At 36-years-old, Detroit Red Wings left winger James van Riemsdyk is naturally not as productive as he was during his peak years, when he topped 25 goals five times, but he’s making the most of a limited role in Detroit. Since the start of December, JvR has 13 points (8 G, 5 A) and 37 shots on goal in 16 games. His four power play goals is tied for third on the Red Wings and he’s not a bad source of secondary scoring while skating on a line with J.T. Compher and Lucas Raymond.

#20 After a brief conditioning stint in the American Hockey League, where he had a .904 save percentage in two games, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault has returned to the Habs and has stopped 77 of 84 shots while winning each of his three starts since returning to the NHL. The Canadiens surely want Montembeault to regain his form, but it does create a crowded crease in Montreal as rookie Jacob Fowler has played well and Jakub Dobes is still in the mix, too. Fowler seems like the best long-term bet, but Montembeault might be getting his act together.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – SEATTLE KRAKEN – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:53:44 +0000

DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 12: Seattle Kraken C Chandler Stephenson (9) during the game between Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings on January 12, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire)

For the third time in four seasons, the Kraken missed the playoffs in 2024-2025, finishing with 76 points (35-41-6). The Kraken earned that placement, ranking 25th in Corsi percentage (47.9) and 29th in expected goals percentage (46.2). Overcoming that possession deficit is asking a lot on the rest of the things that the team can control. Seattle’s power play ranked 27th with 5.56 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-four play. It only got slightly better when the Kraken were shorthanded, as they ranked 23rd with 8.68 goals against per 60 minutes during four-on-five play. In goal, Joey Daccord had another strong season while Philipp Grubauer struggled yet again. When all of these components are added together, it wasn’t just one thing leading the Seattle’s struggles, but the combination of these things practically made it inevitable.

What’s Changed?

That disappointing finish resulted in the Kraken firing head coach Dan Bylsma, replacing him with Lane Lambert, who had been an associate coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and has previous head coaching experience with the New York Islanders. The Kraken also moved Ron Francis from General Manager to President, with Jason Botterill taking over as GM. That means the team has new voices and decision makers, but they made some changes to the roster as well, trading for Dallas Stars winger Mason Marchment and Minnesota Wild checking forward Frederick Gaudreau. On defence, they signed Ryan Lindgren, who finished last season with the Colorado Avalanche after starting his career with the New York Rangers. The Kraken traded winger Andre Burakovsky to the Chicago Blackhawks and winger Michael Eyssimont signed with the Boston Bruins as a free agent.

What would success look like?

It would be great if the Kraken could get back to the playoffs, but that would likely require a 20-point improvement, so it’s probably not the most realistic outcome. The objective should at least be to close the gap, and that includes improving possession numbers at five-on-five, getting better on the power play and penalty kill, and finding a reliable No. 2 goaltender, whether it’s Grubauer or someone else. If all of those objectives are met and the Kraken still fall short of the playoffs, but are a competitive team pushing, say, 90 points, then that’s a relatively and achievably successful season.

What could go wrong?

Considering the Kraken’s track record, expectations have to be modest already, going into the 2025-2026 season, so if the team is truly bad and has a shot at winning the draft lottery, then it’s really not the worst long-term scenario. But, if the expectation is for the Kraken to be competitive, that can get undone if Daccord doesn’t bail them out with strong goaltending. If the Kraken do fall off the pace early, they have a handful of proven veterans who will be unrestricted free agents at season’s end, so they will likely become active sellers in the marketplace. In the short term, that could make the Kraken even worse, but it might be best for the franchise in the long run.

Top Breakout Candidate

Shane Wright scored 44 points (19 G, 25 A) in 79 games in his first full NHL season in 2024-2025 and did that while playing just over 14 minutes per game. Considering that the Kraken have Matty Beniers and Chandler Stephenson ahead of Wright on the depth chart at centre, there is a possibility that Wright could beat them out for a bigger offensive role and if he does that, his point total could jump quite a bit if, for example, he is suddenly playing an extra three minutes per game.

FORWARDS

Jared McCann

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	35	60	0.73

McCann is the Kraken’s lone star forward and last year was his lowest goal-scoring season with the team, mostly due his power play production declining. Still possessing a heavy wrist shot, defenders put more of a focus on shutting down McCann and he didn’t have much space to work with. He had the lowest Controlled Zone Entry percent of his Seattle career, so he had to rely on his linemates more to both enter the zone and play off him. McCann adjusted to this well by thriving in more of a playmaking role, helping rookie Shane Wright find the back of the net a few times. McCann’s shot is his calling card, but there’s also a lot of deception to his game, which he showed with his playmaking. He passed from areas that he usually shoots from, giving his linemates plenty of looks off one-timers and into open nets. He had to make do with the space he was given from the outside and he usually finishes at a higher rate than he did last season, whether this was an off year or a sign of things to come remains to be seen. His all-around game covered up some of his decline in scoring, as McCann is one of the only forwards the Kraken can rely on for providing instant offence along with great play driving.

Matty Beniers

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	33	58	0.71

The Kraken were quick to make Beniers as part of their core, signing him for seven years before the start of last season. Hoping his $7.14 million cap hit will be a bargain when he breaks out, the offence still hasn’t come out for the former Michigan star. He has a unique profile for a younger player, excelling at carrying the puck out of the defensive zone and acting as a third defenceman to help spring the breakout. There aren’t a lot of young forwards who play this way, but Beniers uses his long reach and frame well to protect the puck and get it out of harms way. It’s made him a reliable defensive forward at a young age. The offence is still a work in progress, as he is one of the least productive first line centers in the league right now. His goal scoring improved a little last season, the addition of Kaapo Kaako being the biggest help to that. Beniers is more dangerous when shooting off one-timers rather than trying to beat goaltenders on his own off the rush, so adding a playmaker to his line was a big help. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for one-timers in previous seasons with Beniers having to quarterback everything in the offensive zone. His overall offence, however, took a step back with his line only creating off the rush without much shot volume. Time will tell if this will ever come around or if Beniers just fills a niche as a defensive workhorse.

Chandler Stephenson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	14	36	50	0.63

Seattle is no stranger to going the free agent route to fill their needs and last summer’s addition of Chandler Stephenson was one of their riskier moves. The speedy center spent his best seasons on deep Vegas teams and Stephenson himself had an elite linemate in Mark Stone for most of his run there. Going from that to playing as the de facto top line center on a weaker Seattle team was asking a lot out of him. In some ways he performed to expectations, posting similar scoring numbers to his final year in Vegas with more of his assist production coming on the power play compared to even strength. Everything outside of that is where the major problems lie. Seattle was heavily outshot and outchanced with Stephenson on the ice. His best tool is his speed, and they couldn’t set him up to get rush chances like he did with Vegas. He’s also not the best traditional center in terms of knowing where to be on the ice. He is all over the place when defending in his own zone, sometimes cheating for a breakaway, chasing the puck instead of sticking to his assignment and not doing much to break the play up. Sometimes you have to accept the risks if you have a game-breaking player and while Stephenson’s straightaway speed fits the bill there, the Kraken haven’t figured out how to best utilize it at even strength. They played him as their top center, and it might be better for the team’s future if someone else assumes that role next season.

Kaapo Kakko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	16	36	52	0.63

One of the Kraken’s highest scoring players on a point-per-game basis, Kakko found his niche as a playmaker in Seattle. His development with the Rangers was full of roadblocks, both by the coaching staff and his own play not being at the level of a top three pick. His linemates would change frequently, bouncing around from the top six to the fourth line and never establishing a role there. It changed with a mid-season trade to Seattle where the talented Finn decided to go all in on being a playmaker. He was first on the team in shot assists per 60 minutes and was only behind Jordan Ebelre in terms of setting up scoring chances, all while scoring 10 goals despite posting one of the lowest shot rates on the team. Kakko used his big body to position himself along the wall to create easy zone entries for Matty Beniers. This took a lot of pressure off Beniers to not play as a one-man show and become more of a shooting threat, as Kakko could protect the puck and draw defenders in from behind the goal line to create space. While he didn’t produce like a star and his defensive game is not quite there yet, this is the most high-level skill the former second overall pick has shown in the NHL thus far. Finding a niche is tough even for the most talented player and Kakko finally carved out a role for himself on a Kraken team desperate for elite talent.

Shane Wright

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	24	28	52	0.64

One of the centerpieces of Seattle’s core, Shane Wright showed enough to keep the team hopeful about his future but maybe not as the guy to build around. The encouraging thing from Wright’s rookie season is that he could score, shooting at over 20% and showing some high-level finishing off the rush. The downside is that he didn’t create a lot of chances and it’s tough for most players to sustain that kind of shooting percentage. Wright was somewhat protected with the Kraken deploying him mainly with sheltered third line minutes and power play time. They paired him with stronger puck-carries like Burakovsky and McCann so Wright could focus more on getting open playing away from the puck, not putting too much of a workload on the youngster early on. The results were a mixed bag. He showed a decent level of skill but didn’t show signs of being a potential game-breaker. Most of his goals came from reaping the benefits of his linemates or jumping on a loose puck. There’s a place for that, but the Kraken are hoping Wright can become their top center at some point. There were signs of him having more to offer, though. He likes to carry the puck and play off the rush, he just had a low number of zone entries per game, so he didn’t get to show this skill much. It’s not out of the ordinary for a player his age, but it’s something the Kraken will want to see more of as he ascends in the lineup.

Jordan Eberle

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	16	27	43	0.56

One of the few forwards on the team who could produce scoring chances consistently, Eberle sustaining a pelvis injury that required surgery, was a major blow to the Kraken. He was the team’s hottest scorer out of the gate with six goals in the first month of the season and he struggled to regain his form after returning to the lineup in February, scoring only three goals the rest of the season. Depending on how he recovers in the off-season, Eberle is one of Seattle’s most valuable players. He knows the tools of the trade when it comes to creating offence and has always been great at weaving through defenders to get to the net. He doesn’t have the same speed he used to, but he makes up for it by always being in the right spot and reading off some of his quicker linemates like Beniers or Stephenson. His skillset is more complementary in nature now, but it’s also integral in helping unlock some of the more skilled players on the Kraken. His chemistry with Beniers and McCann being a great example. When Beniers has control of the puck on the cycle, Eberle always does a good job of slyly getting lost in coverage for a one-time opportunity. The roles can also be reversed because Eberle is terrific at making passes around the net and McCann’s shot is one of Seattle’s best offensive weapons. The same goes for Beniers’ one-timer, which is why his absence was felt throughout the lineup. Now 35 years old, it’s uncertain if Eberle will stay this effective after surgery, but he’s always been a versatile offensive player who can make his linemates lives easier.

Tye Kartye

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	9	9	18	0.26

Kartye made some waves when he was called up during the Kraken’s inaugural playoff run, showing some of his goal-scoring prowess that made him one of Coachella Valley’s top players. As a slower skater, the NHL was going to be an adjustment for him, and he showed enough in his rookie season with 11 goals in a bottom six role. Last season was more of a struggle, as Kartye didn’t do much to standout and saw his scoring chance rate plummet to below replacement level. Losing his regular linemates in Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev at the trade deadline made things tougher on him and he eventually found himself in the press box for a few games. The Kraken still chose to extend him with a raise, so he gets a chance at fresh start with a new coaching staff. The intriguing part of Kartye’s game are his hands and his shooting. He showed in his rookie season that he can be a consistent scoring chance generator; Seattle just has a plethora of players with one or two tools and not enough with a complete skillset.

Jaden Schwartz

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	24	22	46	0.58

Schwartz is the definition of a jack-of-all-trades player, he can play all three forward positions on any line and adapt to whatever role he’s tasked with. The Kraken needed him to carry more of the offence last season, and he posted his highest goal total in 10 years. A great skater, Schwartz is very slick at getting away from coverage to extend shifts in the offensive zone. It was more of a weapon off the rush last season, where he scored a handful of goals off one-timers as the second or trailing forward into the zone. In addition to the goal scoring, Schwartz was also the Kraken’s best forward at leading zone exits, excelling at making long, breakout passes to kickstart the rush. This is also where his slick skating came into play, as he could dodge and dangle around forecheckers to both create passing lanes and allow the other forwards to fly the zone. He mastered the balance of contributing to the team’s transition game without needing to carry the puck in himself much, as that’s never been a major strength of his. Schwartz has been one of Seattle’s best players since their inception and while he is coming off an excellent season, it does raise some questions about the team’s ceiling if he is still one of their top forwards when they’re trying to make the playoffs.

Mason Marchment

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	21	26	47	0.63

Trying to bolster the middle of their roster, Marchment was acquired by Seattle early in the offseason for a couple of mid-round picks. He brings some elements the Kraken are lacking in the middle of their roster with his size, offensive upside and physical play. His propensity to take penalties and his sloppy play with the puck in the defensive zone are Marchment’s main drawbacks, but the positives outweigh the negatives if he scores like he did in Dallas the last couple of seasons. The Seattle middle-six has been somewhat of a mess in the last couple of seasons and Marchment brings a different look to the table than Burakovsky or even some of their better players like Schwartz. He plays like a torpedo on the forecheck, always looking to take the body and can create some high-quality chances out of nothing off loose pucks and scrambles. While Marchment raises the bar for Seattle, he isn’t going to have the same level of talent he had to work with in Dallas, so this will be a test of if he can drive the bus on his own. With how many of his chances came off one-timer and high-danger passes, Marchment might need some support to reach the offensive numbers he posted with the Stars, but the Kraken have some intriguing options to pair him with.

Eeli Tolvanen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	23	17	40	0.50

One team’s waiver wire fodder is another team’s treasure, as Tolvanen has improved every year he’s been in Seattle. Not developing into the goal scorer Nashville hoped he would be, Tolvanen was claimed for free by the Kraken and has done nothing but set career highs, all while primarily asked to play a checking role. Last year his goal scoring talent finally started to show. He’s always had a great wrist shot but needs the time and space to get it off, and he had to make do with limited opportunities. Last year was a change of pace, with Tolvanen becoming more of a shooting threat alongside Shane Wright. He’s quicker with releasing the puck now, scoring most of his goals off one-timers from plays from behind the net, taking some chances by playing deeper in the offensive zone instead of always being the first forechecker or staying in a defensive posture. It didn’t come at the cost of his defensive play, as the Kraken didn’t give up much when he was on the ice. He’s proven himself to be a versatile player and will look to build on that as he enters unrestricted free agency after this upcoming season.

DEFENCE

Vince Dunn

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	13	42	55	0.71

Dunn is one of the best-case scenarios letting a young defenceman play through his struggles when breaking into the top pair. They immediately used him in this role and while he had his initial struggles, Dunn blossomed into an undisputed number one defenceman the next season. His smooth passing and skating make him a key fixture in Seattle’s offence rather than a complementary piece, as he’s usually the one leading most of the entries and running the offence from up high. Dunn dominates the perimeter game by being patient with waiting for the defence to breakdown, deceptively looking off defenders and dissecting the coverage from up high. Also, he is very good at making the first forechecker miss to create chances closer to the net. Dunn is one of Seattle’s jenga pieces, with the defence usually falling apart when he’s not in the lineup. The transition game is where he’s most valuable, starting entries from both taking a beating to retrieve pucks and resetting the play in the neutral zone. The latter is where Dunn is the most impactful at starting the Kraken’s offence, picking off zone exits and turning them into quick-strike offence. This has made his injury concerns particularly devastating, missing most of the first half of last season with a mid-body injury and ending the previous season on injured reserve with a concussion. He is the catalyst for most of the Kraken’s offence and it exciting to think about what he could do with better forwards around him.

Brandon Montour

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	16	28	44	0.55

Montour has never been the easiest player to fit into your lineup as an attack-minded defenceman who needs to be insulated with great forward talent and a strong defence partner. He proved a lot of people wrong in Florida as a key part in back-to-back Cup wins while playing 24-25 minutes a night, but there was a lot that the Panthers did to protect him. Montour was never the first to go back to retrieve pucks, playing higher in the zone and letting his partner or the forwards do the work in the corners. This allowed him to get up in the play quicker, sprinting out of the zone and playing most of his shifts going north. With the Kraken, he had to do more of the grunt work in the defensive zone, and it didn’t keep him from playing his game. Montour set a career high in goals and was still the high-level offensive defenceman that he was in Florida. While a lot of defencemen like this have more complementary skillsets, Montour likes to be the center of the play. He takes a lot of shots, moves all around the offensive zone to look for one-timers and loves joining the rush. It’s why he’s a tough player to fit into your system, but with his defensive game improving, it was a little more seamless for the Kraken last year. They took a huge risk signing him to a high-dollar contract for seven years and so far, he’s been worth it.

Adam Larsson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	6	19	25	0.31

One of the early breeds of the modern shutdown defenceman, Larsson has been a model of consistency for the Kraken. He was one of their first picks in the expansion draft and one of the first players they made part of their core, signing him to a four-year deal almost immediately after. He plays a key role as the more defensive presence next to Vince Dunn and anchoring their top penalty kill unit. Mostly out there to play safety valve, Larsson can still be active in the play, he’s a very fluid skater and likes to join the cycle when the opportunity is open. He is a sizable defenceman but defends more with his legs, having the mobility to keep up with top forwards and skating them into a corner to kill the play. This has made up for some of the decline in his rush defence the past few seasons. He’s not as efficient with killing plays using his stick as he used to and teams have started attacking his side of the ice instead of Dunn’s. His strong cycle defence makes up for this, as Larsson still does a good job disrupting plays after the puck is in the zone. In the first year of a four-year deal, Larsson’s provides a steadying presence on Seattle’s blue line. Not a game-breaker by any means, but someone who can hold the fort down in the top four and give you solid results.

GOAL

Joey Daccord

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
55	21	25	6	3	.905	2.82

Seattle keeps hoping that Philipp Grubauer, who emerged as a surprising starting goaltending darling with the Colorado Avalanche just prior to the team's expansion, will finally find his footing and help the team challenge for contention. But Grubauer is coming off of one of the worst seasons of not just his career but the entire league, and it's about time to consider that his contract - which won't be up until the end of not this season, but the next one - was a mistake. Now, Seattle is desperately trying to scrounge up a goaltending depth chart that they can cycle through for a full season without offloading Grubauer, which has left them with an equally expensive Joey Daccord, a bizarre reclamation project (fresh off of his second 'second chance' team in Toronto) in Matt Murray, and the Coachella Valley Firebirds' most promising prospect in Niklas Kokko.

Daccord is, statistically, Seattle's best goaltender at the moment. He returned at the start of the 2023-24 season looking like a new, crisper goaltender, and he carried that new technical precision into this past season. From a financial standpoint, though, the Kraken seem intent on at least giving Grubauer 1B backup appearances, which leaves Seattle in a position where they look like they won't be competing for at least another two years. Unless Grubauer mysteriously finds his form again, they'll need to make some tough choices if they want to take a step forward.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Nashville Resurgence, Rantanen traded to Carolina, plus much more – Favourable schedules and players to target

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 15:16:30 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - JANUARY 16: Nashville Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault (81) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks, held on January 16, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

The best stories in sports are the comebacks that happen after a team has been written off. Two examples that spring to mind from recent history are the 2014-15 Ottawa Senators, who were 22-23-10 after a loss Feb. 16, putting them 10 points behind in the playoff race, only to go 21-3-3 the rest of the way to narrowly secure a postseason berth. Another is the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues, who were 16-19-4 on Jan. 5, which placed them last in the Western Conference, before going 29-9-5 the rest of the way to not only make the playoffs but win the Stanley Cup.

Is it possible we’ll have another one of those stories this year? Those stories are memorable because they’re rare, and you only need to look at the absurd records they needed down the stretch to illustrate why. Due in no small part to the consolation point for overtime/shootout losses, the standings tend to look closer than they truly are because closing even a small point gap is difficult.

That said, I can’t help but look at the Nashville Predators and wonder if there is still some hope. It’s probably a foolish thing to think and a take that will age like milk, but after a 7-16-6 start, Nashville began to stabilize and now the team seems to have hit its stride with its current five-game winning streak. The Predators are still just 18-22-7, so they’d have basically have to go the rest of the season without any more noteworthy slumps, but part of the reason that such a feat even seems remotely possible is because the veteran leadership that seemed lost in the early part of the season has settled in.

Steven Stamkos has 10 goals and 19 points across his past 19 appearances while Jonathan Marchessault has 10 goals and 26 points over the same 19-game span. They were signed over the summer to provide that kind of offense but were initially written off as poor decisions by GM Barry Trotz due to their extremely poor start to the campaign. Now it seems they were judged too harshly.

When you couple their success with Filip Forsberg (18 goals, 47 points), elite defenseman Roman Josi (nine goals, 35 points) and veteran center Ryan O'Reilly (13 goals, 27 points), you have a fairly strong offense, especially if any of Gustav Nyquist, Tommy Novak or Luke Evangelista (lower body) start to hit their stride. As it is, Nashville has ranked second in goals per game (3.47) dating back to Dec. 10. That’s in stark contrast to the Predators’ first 28 games where they were last in the league in that scoring category (2.18).

You could call this just a hot streak for the offense, and there’s probably an element of that, but given that we’re talking about players of this caliber, it might be something at least somewhat sustainable.

It’s not all rosy, though. The X-Factor is surprisingly goaltending. Ottawa’s run involved journeyman goaltender Andrew Hammond standing on his head, and the Blues got a similar story out of rookie Jordan Binnington.

Nashville shouldn’t need someone to come out of nowhere to shut down the opposing offense. The Predators already have Juuse Saros, who not that long ago was seen as one of the best goaltenders of this generation. This campaign, though, he’s struggled with an 11-18-6 record, 2.81 GAA and .901 save percentage in 36 appearances. Unlike the offense, Saros hasn’t stepped up -- he's 2-2-0 with a 3.42 GAA and an .860 save percentage across his past five outings.

That’s led to Justus Annunen starting a bit more often lately, but while the backup netminder has won his past four starts, he’s been inconsistent, allowing 10 goals on 105 shots (.905 save percentage) over that span.

Let’s assume Nashville needs a 95-point season to make the playoffs. That wouldn’t have been good enough last year, but for the sake of argument, let’s just pretend that’s what’s needed. Nashville would need another 52 points across its final 35 games, so for example, 26-9-0, or say, 23-6-6. Even a top-tier offense is unlikely to get them that kind of record down the stretch. Some of that’s going to have to come from the goalies stealing games, so until Saros or Annunen start heating up, it’s hard to imagine the comeback happening.

That said, if Stamkos and Marchessault could find their way back from unflattering starts, perhaps Saros can too?

Calgary Flames (Tue vs WAS, Thu vs ANA, Sat vs DET, Sun @ SEA)

Calgary wasn’t seen as a major contender going into the campaign. In fact, there was an argument to be made that the Flames would regress from their 38-39-5 record last season after trading away goaltender Jacob Markstrom over the summer. However, we’re clear past the halfway point of 2024-25 now, and the Flames are very much in the playoff race. The weakness for the Flames is they’ve struggled on the road (8-10-4), but they won’t have to concern themselves with that in the upcoming week. They’ll host the Capitals, Ducks, Red Wings and Kraken on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

A big part of the reason why the Flames’ rebuild is ahead of schedule is 23-year-old goaltender Dustin Wolf. He got a taste of the NHL last year and was mixed at best, posting a 7-7-1 record, 3.16 GAA and .893 save percentage in 17 games. However, he’s filled the void left by Markstrom and then some in 2024-25 with his 17-7-2 record, 2.49 GAA and .918 save percentage in 26 starts. To put that into context, Wolf has already saved 13.3 goals above expected this season, per Moneypuck, which has almost caught up to the 13.7 goals saved above expected Markstrom provided for the Flames last campaign. Wolf also ranks eighth among goaltenders in that metric this season.

Wolf’s contributions are extra important because the rest of the team has underwhelmed. Calgary ranks 29th in goals per game (2.65) and 21st in xGA/60 (3.09). So, the team’s not generating much offense and the defense hasn’t been responsible enough to make an average goaltender look good -- just ask backup Dan Vladar, who is only slightly below average at minus-2.8 goals saved above expected, but due to the Flames’ defense has some rather unflattering numbers: a 3.03 GAA and an .889 save percentage.

Still, even if Wolf is the team’s clear MVP, it would be inaccurate to suggest that he’s the only player of value in Calgary. Jonathan Huberdeau might not be living up to his contract, but his 19 goals and 35 points through 46 outings make him the team’s offensive leader. Since a quiet stretch from Oct. 19-Nov. 29 in which Huberdeau had four goals and six points in 20 outings, the 31-year-old has been tremendous, supplying 12 goals and 23 points across 22 outings. If he can maintain anything close to that down the stretch, then there’s a decent chance he’ll be playing playoff hockey this year.

The 23-year-old Jakob Pelletier is also hot with three goals and six points across his past five appearances. It took him a while to get going -- he recorded a goal and five points over his first 15 games with Calgary this season -- but we’re getting a flash of what he’s capable of. He was selected with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and has been dominant offensively at the AHL level, including three goals and 19 points in 20 contests this season.

Maybe Rory Kerins will also help them down the stretch. He’s 23 as well and has provided an incredible 21 goals and 34 points in 34 AHL games in 2024-25. Unlike Pelletier, Kerins was a late-round pick and even logged 38 games with ECHL Rapid City back in 2022-23. Kerins has risen, making his NHL debut Jan. 13 and recording four assists in five outings with the Flames so far. That said, he’s averaging just 12:14 of ice time, including a mere 6:57 on Thursday, so his role with Calgary is far from secure despite those early results. Monitor him, but don’t get too excited yet.

Colorado Avalanche (Tue @ NYI, Fri vs STL, Sun vs PHI)

The Avalanche has a solid 28-19-2 record, but they’ve merely treaded water lately, going 5-4-1 across their past 10 games. They’ll see if they can do better next week with a favorable schedule. The Avalanche will visit the Islanders on Tuesday before returning home to host St. Louis on Friday and Philadelphia on Sunday. Those adversaries are well behind the Avalanche in terms of points percentage.

I wrote this whole thing about Colorado’s situation with regard to Mikko Rantanen’s contract, and then the Avalanche traded him to Carolina in a three-team deal that also involved Chicago, which was shocking, to say the least. To be fair, there is logic to be found here. My now outdated discussion of the topic still serves as a decent overview of the challenge the Avalanche were facing pre-trade, so I’ll show it here for that purpose:

“Like Edmonton with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, Colorado also has the luxury of an elite one-two punch up front. The Avalanche version is headlined by Nathan MacKinnon, and the other half of the Avalanche’s duo is Mikko Rantanen, who has 25 goals and 64 points through 49 outings in 2024-25. Colorado has an issue that Edmonton recently went through, though: Rantanen is on the final season of his six-year, $55.5 million contract and can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Rantanen has a real shot of reaching the 40-goal and 100-point milestones for the third consecutive year, so to say he’s due a big payday would be an understatement.

Finding a comparable is a little difficult. Draisaitl won the Hart Trophy in 2019-20, has collected at least 50 goals on three occasions and has also gotten at least 110 points three times, but Rantanen has never been a Hart finalist, has reached the 50-goal mark just once and he’s career high in points is 105, so it’s clear which one of them has a better resume. Still, if Draisaitl could ink an eight-year, $112 million ($14 million cap hit) contract back in September, perhaps Rantanen is thinking at least $12 million annually? Maybe even more? It might be awkward to give Rantanen something at or above Nathan MacKinnon’s eight-year, $100.8 million ($12.6 million cap hit) contract, but MacKinnon inked that back in 2022, and with the cap going up, so too will the payouts for top talent.”

So, you can see why the Avalanche might have opted to move Rantanen rather than lock him up, and there might even be more to this story that we’re not yet aware of. Perhaps the Avalanche presented Rantanen with a competitive offer, and he rejected that. To be clear, that’s purely just hypothetical, and I have no inside knowledge of the situation, so please take my wild speculation as fact, but in that scenario, this trade would make more sense from the Avalanche’s perspective.

That said, I don’t love the return from the Avalanche’s perspective. Colorado is getting Martin Necas and Jack Drury from the Avalanche, as well as some picks. Necas has never reached the 30-goal or 80-point marks, so he doesn’t have the same kind of resume as Rantanen, but Necas is younger at 26 and has done well this campaign with 16 goals and 55 points in 49 appearances. He’ll look good alongside Nathan MacKinnon. My problem with Necas as the return is his two-year, $13 million contract expires in 2026, and then Necas will be eligible for unrestricted free agency. So, if he performs over the next year and a half as the Avalanche hope, then to some extent they just kicked the problem down the road by a year. Granted, Necas probably won’t command what Rantanen did…but that’s only because he’s a downgrade. No offense to Necas -- 99.9 percent of the league is a downgrade to Rantanen -- but the Avalanche are in a win-now mode, so unless retaining Rantanen was completely off the table, this trade feels a little weird to me.

Perhaps I’m undervaluing Jack Drury, though. He has just nine points (three goals) in 39 appearances in 2024-25, but the 24-year-old probably has upside left in him, and the Avalanche will certainly benefit from the center depth. It would not be surprising to see Drury tried out on the third line behind MacKinnon and Casey Mittelstadt.

The Avalanche also got two picks out of the trade. Not a first-rounder, but maybe in five years or so, we’ll look at one of those draft picks as an underrated benefit of this deal.

Carolina Hurricanes (Tue @ NYR, Thu vs CHI, Sat vs. LAK)

The teams I highlight are based on a combination of how busy their schedule is for the upcoming week and how favorable those matchups are. Additionally, I will typically present the teams I’ve included in alphabetical order. I’m breaking both of those to include the Hurricanes. I think it’s worth discussing the fallout of the Rantanen trade from the Hurricanes’ perceptive, and it’s better to have that discussion after outlining what this deal means for Colorado. A little bit of housekeeping before we get into the trade talks: The Hurricanes will start next week with a road tilt against the Rangers on Tuesday before hosting the Blackhawks on Thursday and the Kings on Saturday. It’s not a bad schedule, it’s just not special either.

Now to the trade: In addition to Rantanen, the Hurricanes also acquired Taylor Hall from Chicago for the cost of Necas, Drury and draft picks. There was also retained salary in the deal to make the cap situation work.

It’ll be really interesting to see how this plays out for Carolina. Rantanen has never really been “the guy” before. He’s spent basically his entire NHL career to this point in MacKinnon’s shadow, but now Rantanen will be expected to drive the offense in Carolina. Not that he’ll have to do it alone. In fact, Rantanen is likely to get some great linemates in Sebastian Aho (15 goals, 49 points) and Andrei Svechnikov (15 goals, 34 points). There’s every reason to believe that trio will mesh together.

There’s also reason to be optimistic about Carolina retaining Rantanen beyond this campaign. Sure, the Hurricanes’ attempt to lock down Jake Guentzel after acquiring him from Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 campaign ultimately failed, leading to Guentzel instead signing with Tampa Bay over the summer, but Carolina is set to be in a fantastic cap position for 2025-26. Dmitry Orlov ($7.75 million cap hit) and Brent Burns ($5.28 million) are both set to come off the books. Orlov will likely take a big pay cut if he stays at all. It’s not clear if Burns will play beyond this season, but if he does, it’ll likely be at a reduced salary too.

Carolina also doesn’t have any expiring players due for big paydays beyond Rantanen himself. Meanwhile, Puck Pedia is projecting them with $31.2 million in cap space for next season, albeit with just 13 roster spots filled. There is reason to believe the Hurricanes can meet Rantanen’s demands, even if he’s eyeing something close to what Draisaitl got.

What happens with Rantanen will go a long way towards defining how this trade is viewed, but adding Hall as well in the trade is interesting. He’s been middling this campaign with nine goals and 24 points in 46 appearances with the Blackhawks while averaging a modest 14:59 of ice time. It’s a far cry from what the 33-year-old did in his prime, but he might do better now that he’s on a contender. Hall will probably end up serving on the second line alongside some combination of Seth Jarvis (18 goals, 38 points), Jesperi Kotkaniemi (10 goals, 23 points) and Jackson Blake (11 goals, 16 points).

The Hurricanes’ overall offense has been good -- they rank fifth with 3.37 goals per game – but their scoring depth does leave something to be desired, especially if Carolina does go with that stacked top line of Svechnikov-Aho-Rantanen, so even a decent showing out of Hall would be a big boost.

Carolina likely doesn’t have any room left to make anymore notable additions before the trade deadline, but as it is, the Hurricanes do look like serious contenders.

New York Islanders (Tue vs COL, Thu @ PHI, Sat @ TBL, Sun @ FLA)

It might be premature to assume that the Islanders will miss the playoffs in 2024-25 for just the second time in seven years, but the team certainly has a hole to dig out of. They’ll attempt to better their situation next week, which will start with a home game against the Avalanche on Tuesday. The Islanders will then hit the road to play in Philadelphia on Thursday, Tampa Bay on Saturday and Florida on Sunday. It’s a tough schedule to be sure, but the Islanders are running out of margin for error, so they need to find a way to win difficult matches.

The Islanders inked Tony DeAngelo to a one-year contract Friday, which is…a choice. He’s been bought out twice at the NHL level, which led to him joining the KHL, but DeAngelo only served in 34 games with St. Petersburg SKA before his contract was mutually terminated. He’s questionable in his own end and seems to be a lightning rod for controversy. Still, for as much as there’s a reason why teams keep souring on him, there is also a cause for the infinite number of “second” chances he’s gotten.

DeAngelo, under the right circumstances, can be very effective when the puck is on his stick. He has surpassed the 40-point mark three times at the NHL level and had six goals and 32 points in 34 KHL outings before parting ways with SKA. So, for all the negatives he comes with, at least the 29-year-old has that going for him.

A team in a good spot probably wouldn’t bother with DeAngelo given the baggage, but the Islanders are 28th in goals per game with 2.66 and have lost Noah Dobson to a lower-body injury. Dobson is week-to-week after sustaining the injury Monday. He’s a vital part of the Islanders, and while DeAngelo isn’t a good enough blueliner to fully replace Dobson, one part of that void that DeAngelo likely can fill is the offensive loss. DeAngelo might only serve on the third pairing, but he will likely feature on the top power-play unit and could have fantasy value if that’s his role. His fantasy value will be even higher in leagues that include PIM as a category because he tends to end up in the sin bin a fair amount.

Under ideal circumstances, DeAngelo’s inclusion might even offer a boost to Anders Lee, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, who will presumably share the ice with him on the power play. The Islanders are dead last in power-play conversions at just 12.2 percent, which has been a drag on the overall offensive output of the Islanders’ top forwards. If DeAngelo can help make the Islanders’ power play even remotely close to average, then that would add up meaningfully for all involved.

Of course, all this is assuming a favorable outcome, which is always a risky thing to believe in when it comes to DeAngelo. At the time of writing, his inclusion on the Islanders isn’t guaranteed. Though the contract has been signed, he needs to clear waivers before he can play for the Islanders. I wouldn’t bet on another team claiming him, but then again, I didn’t anticipate this move from New York, and yet, here we are.

Philadelphia Flyers (Mon vs NJD, Wed @ NJD, Thu vs NYI, Sun @ COL)

The Flyers missed out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, but at least they managed to stay in contention for most of the campaign. They’d like to do one better this year and secure a Wild Card spot, but there’s a lot of competition for those two seeds, so every game is that much more important. The Flyers will start the week with a home-and-away series against the Devils on Monday and Wednesday before hosting the Islanders on Thursday. Philadelphia will conclude its weekly schedule in Colorado on Sunday.

Goaltending has been a recurring issue for Philadelphia this season. Samuel Ersson is just too inconsistent, leading to a 14-8-2 record, 2.80 GAA and .891 save percentage in 26 appearances. Ivan Fedotov is no better, though, at 4-6-3 with a 3.25 GAA and an .880 save percentage in 14 starts.

The tragedy is that the Flyers are actually a really good defensive team, locked in a four-way tie for sixth in xGA/60 (2.85). The problem is purely the goaltenders. Ersson ranks 83rd among all netminders in goals allowed above expected at minus-8.8, per Moneypuck. The only netminders worse in that category with at least 20 games played are Petr Mrazek, Tristan Jarry, Alexandar Georgiev and Philipp Grubauer. One of those (Jarry) was sent to the minors due to his play while Mrazek and Georgiev are playing for rebuilding squads in Chicago and San Jose. In other words, it’s unflattering company for Ersson.

The Flyers offense isn’t great, but it’s decent. Travis Konecny (21 goals, 56 points) is doing his best to push the team into contention. He’s also been particularly productive recently, supplying five goals and 15 points across his past 13 appearances.

Owen Tippett is benefiting from playing alongside Konecny. The 25-year-old Tippett has three goals and six points over his last eight games, giving him 14 goals and 30 points in 50 outings overall. That duo doesn’t combine to create a top line that will turn heads, but it does the job well enough.

The Flyers are hoping that Matvei Michkov might eventually headline a unit of his own, but the rookie has been streaky. That’s pretty common for a young forward. You just need to keep an eye out and bench him during the down patches. We might be entering one right now -- he has been held off the scoresheet in each of his past two games after supplying two goals and five points across six outings from Jan. 11-21.

Pittsburgh Penguins (Mon @ SJS, Wed @ UTA, Sat vs NSH)

Like the Islanders and Flyers, Pittsburgh is on the outside looking in on the Wild Card race but is still in the running. The Penguins will play in San Jose on Monday and Utah on Wednesday before returning home to host the Predators on Saturday. The Sharks and Predators own two of the worst records in the league, so Pittsburgh needs to pick up points during that stretch if the Penguins are going to convince GM Kyle Dubas that this team can make a serious playoff push this year.

And make no mistake: Dubas likely needs some convincing. RG.org claims to have a source that Pittsburgh is willing to trade anyone other than Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Philip Tomasino and Owen Pickering. The source was also asked about Kris Letang, and they weren’t sure about him.

Erik Karlsson stands out as the biggest player not ruled out. The Penguins would likely need to retain salary -- his cap hit is $11.5 million annually through 2026-27, but the Sharks are already retaining $1.5 million, bringing the current hit to Pittsburgh down to $10 million -- but as long as Pittsburgh is willing to do that, the return could be fairly nice. Although he’s 34 years old, he’s been effective this campaign with four goals and 32 points in 50 outings.

One potential sticking point is that he has a no-movement clause. He already waived it once to move from San Jose to Pittsburgh, but presumably, there would only be certain teams he’d be willing to play for. The fun destination from a fan perspective would be a return to the Senators, but that would be difficult to make work from a cap perspective. Maybe Calgary or Columbus? The Flames and Blue Jackets are teams trending in the right direction who also have plenty of cap space. Perhaps they’d value his veteran leadership in addition to what he brings to the table on the ice. Columbus’ defense already looks fairly solid and is led by a phenomenal offensive defenseman in Zach Werenski, so I don’t know that the Blue Jackets are a great fit. Karlsson would likely provide a meaningful boost to the Flames, though.

Of course, if you're Crosby or Malkin, you’re still going to be clinging onto the hope of making the playoffs this year, so these upcoming games are extremely high stakes for them. Rust is dealing with a lower-body injury, which does complicate things, but if Rust ends up missing time, then you’ll probably see Anthony Beauvillier play with one of those highly motivated superstars.

Seattle Kraken (Mon @ EDM, Tue vs ANA, Thu vs SJS, Sun vs CGY)

Seattle will begin its weekly schedule with what’s likely to be a difficult matchup in Edmonton on Monday. However, the Kraken will then return home to host Anaheim on Tuesday, San Jose on Thursday and Calgary on Sunday. The Ducks and Sharks have struggled this campaign, so those are favorable matchups for the Kraken.

I briefly touched on Philip Grubauer above in the context of how bad he’s been this campaign -- and really for a while now. He has a 3.09 GAA and an .890 save percentage in 150 games since joining Seattle. His six-year, $35.4 million deal, which started in 2021-22, has been such a waste for the Kraken.

On the plus side, the Kraken have Joey Daccord, who has a 16-11-2 record, 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage in 31 appearances in 2024-25. He could certainly use more offensive support, though.

Jared McCann leads the Kraken with 14 goals and 36 points in 49 appearances this season. That puts him outside of the NHL’s top 75 in the scoring race. Seattle also doesn’t employ any of the 32 players who have reached the 20-goal milestone. Jaden Schwartz is the closest at 16. A lack of big-name talent up front is really hurting this team.

Maybe Matty Beniers will still fill that void, but he’s been a mixed bag. He was Seattle’s first-ever draft pick -- the No. 2 overall selection in 2021 -- and he seemed to be on the fast track after supplying three goals and nine points in 10 NHL outings in 2021-22 followed by 24 goals and 57 points in 80 appearances last season. However, he took a big step back last year, dipping to 37 points, and he hasn’t rebounded much this campaign with 10 goals and 26 points in 49 appearances. He’s still just 22 years old, so there’s plenty of time for him to find his way, but it’s looking less and less likely that this year will be a positive for him.

Another former No. 2 pick seems to have found his way with Seattle, though. Since being acquired from the Rangers on Feb. 18, Kaapo Kakko has four goals and 13 points in 16 outings, giving the Kraken some of that offensive prowess they’ve desperately needed. He’s been averaging 16:50 of ice time in Seattle, which is up from 13:17 with the Rangers -- he had four goals and 14 points in 30 contests before the trade -- which goes a long way toward explaining his production jump.

There never seemed to be much of a role for Kakko in New York, so this change of scenery is probably exactly what he needed. Although his scoring pace might dip somewhat, he should continue to do well with Seattle.

Vancouver Canucks (Mon @ STL, Wed @ NSH, Fri @ DAL, Sun @ DET)

The Canucks have been a mess on and off the ice lately. Will things get any better for them or will the descent continue next week? They’ll start on the road with games in St. Louis on Monday, Nashville on Wednesday and Dallas on Friday. Vancouver will then host the Red Wings on Sunday.

There’s been plenty of speculation about the Canucks potentially moving one of Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller for off-ice reasons. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Hurricanes were considering acquiring one of those star forwards before opting to instead get Rantanen from Colorado, per Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. Carolina is likely out as a destination now, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vancouver still trade one of Miller or Pettersson. The Rangers have been brought up before as a potential destination, so maybe there’s still something to be had there.

Perhaps because this has been distracting them, Vancouver has been in free fall, going 6-10-6 since Dec. 8. Miller had a five-game scoring drought from Jan. 8-16, but he’s otherwise remained effective, collecting eight goals and 33 points in 37 outings this campaign. It’s still far behind his regular-season production from 2023-24 (37 goals, 103 points), but at least he’s providing close to a point-per-game.

Pettersson hasn’t given anything close to that lately. He has just three goals and four points across his past 14 appearances. That slump has undermined a strong start to the campaign, leaving him with 11 goals and 30 points in 41 outings overall. He’ll probably bounce back eventually, but his slump is certainly part of the reason for the Canucks’ decline.

Thatcher Demko isn’t helping either, though. Since making his season debut Dec. 10 after returning from a knee injury, he has a 3-5-3 record, 3.47 GAA and .867 save percentage in 12 games. Some rust is to be expected after missing the opening months of the season, but he’s showing no signs of improvement, going 1-3-0 with a 4.03 GAA and an .833 save percentage across his past four outings. Kevin Lankinen is far from a sure thing either, but he’s been the better option with his 16-8-6 record, 2.63 GAA and .903 save percentage in 30 appearances.

It's unfortunate because Demko has shown in the past that he can be an elite netminder, and Vancouver could certainly use the help right now. As it is, though, about the only positive in Vancouver is that Quinn Hughes is still Quinn Hughes with 12 goals and 52 points in 43 appearances, including four goals and 10 points across his past nine outings.

Hughes just needs other stars to go back to living up to their names as well.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Werenski pushing Norris Trophy candidacy, Stamkos heating up, Cirelli more than a checking centre, Dorofeyev is a finisher, Kakko making most of fresh start, and much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:51:37 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 27: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) skates with the puck during an NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C. (Photo by Ethan Cairns/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski is pushing his Norris Trophy candidacy, Steven Stamkos is heating up, Anthony Cirelli is more than a checking centre, Pavel Dorofeyev is a finisher, Kaapo Kakko is making the most of his fresh start, and much more!

Here is this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points:

#1 Many of the players that get addressed in 20 Fantasy Points are players that are available in most leagues, but sometimes players who are rostered are doing noteworthy things. Enter Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski, who had a career-high 57 points last season, but has taken his game to a new level in 2024-2025. Werenski had an assist in Thursday’s 4-1 win over San Jose, giving him 51 points (15 G, 36 A) in 45 games to lead NHL defencemen in scoring. Since 2021-2022, Werenski has 40 goals in 196 games, his 0.20 goals per game ranking third among defencemen, behind only Cale Makar and Roman Josi. Werenski has always been a strong shot generator, but this season he has taken it to a new level, leading all defencemen with 3.96 shots on goal per game. He has 19 points on the power play, one behind Makar who leads all defencemen. All of this is to say that 27-year-old Werenski is performing at the peak of his abilities, and he probably warrants Norris Trophy consideration. He may not be easy to acquire in fantasy leagues, but if you have him, understand that his underlying numbers suggest that his production isn’t likely to go away, so he is a sell-high commodity, if he is going to be sold at all.

#2 After a shockingly slow start to the season, the Nashville Predators have started to turn the corner, though it may be too late to salvage the season. Nevertheless, Steven Stamkos has started to find his range and after scoring a goal against Chicago on Thursday, he has 16 points (8 G, 8 A) in his past 16 games. Only three of those 16 points have come via the power play, so Stamkos is making hay at even strength, centering a line with Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault on his wings.

#3 A former teammate of Stamkos, Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli is enjoying his best offensive season. He scored his 18th goal of the season Thursday, which puts him only two behind the career-high 20 goals that he scored in 79 games last season. Cirelli is skating with Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul on his wings and getting power play time, leading to Cirelli playing a career-high 18:41 per game.

#4 Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev has sniped five goals in his past two games, vaulting into the team lead with 19 goals. Since the holiday break, Dorofeyev has scored seven goals on 32 shots while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game in 10 games. He may not continue at the same goal-scoring rate, but if he can continue to produce at least three shots per game and hold down his spot on the Vegas power play, Dorofeyev should continue to be a legitimate offensive threat.

#5 Getting a fresh start in Seattle, right winger Kaapo Kakko is thriving with the Kraken, even while the team has been delivering uneven performances. In his past nine games, Kakko has nine points (3 G, 6 A) and is averaging 17:22 of ice time per game. Sometimes all it takes is an opportunity and Kakko was playing 13:17 per game with the Rangers this season so getting a boost in ice time while skating on a line with Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz seems to be working for him.

#6 Detroit Red Wings rookie winger Marco Kasper picked up a goal and an assist in Thursday’s win at Florida, giving him six points (3 G, 3 A) in his past four games. He had seven points in 35 games before this scoring surge and he’s making the most of his opportunity to play on Detroit’s top line, alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. It might be too soon to give a strong recommendation for Kasper, but if he is going to keep playing on the first line, he might offer some short-term value for as long as that continues.

#7 Chicago Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen had a slow start to the season, producing 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 30 games, but he has taken on more offensive responsibility since then, contributing 18 points (4 G, 14 A) in 15 games. His shot rates are low, so he is more dependent on assists to maintain his production, but he is also on the Blackhawks’ top power play unit, so chances are there for him to make the most of his playmaking ability.

#8 San Jose Sharks left winger William Eklund saw his production slow down in December, but he has bounced back recently. He has eight points (4 G, 4 A) and 19 shots on goal in his past seven games. Eklund is in a quality situation with the Sharks, playing on a line with sensational rookie Macklin Celebrini and veteran right winger Tyler Toffoli.

#9 Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello obviously benefits from playing on a line with Kirill Kaprizov, but with Kaprizov injured, Zuccarello has continued to produce. In 10 games since Kaprizov was injured, Zuccarello has 13 points (4 G, 9 A) with 23 shots on goal, playing nearly 21 minutes per game. Skating with Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi is still a pretty good place to be, it seems. Zuccarello’s Wild teammate Ryan Hartman has emerged from a long offensive slump to deliver seven points (3 G, 4 A) in his past eight games. That followed a stretch of 18 games without a point, which pretty much eliminated his fantasy appeal, so maybe he is rediscovering some value.

#10 Healthy and scoring, veteran Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust has tallied 26 points (12 G, 14 A) in his past 23 games, adding 66 shots on goal while playing more than 20 minutes per game. While the Penguins continue to stumble along, Rust’s production is still high level and since he and Rickard Rakell are holding the wing positions on Sidney Crosby’s line, Rust is likely to continue his high level of productivity.

#11 He seems to move in and out of the doghouse in Philadelphia, but Flyers centre Morgan Frost is cooking lately. He is riding a five-game point streak, during which he has six points (2 G, 4 A) with 18 shots on goal. There is no question that Frost is skilled enough to be a productive scorer in the NHL, but he is constantly in a battle to prove his all-around game to head coach John Tortorella. With his current spot skating between Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny, Frost is being put in a position to succeed and seems to be making the most of it.

#12 Injuries have taken their toll on Edmonton Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson, making it difficult for him to transition to his new team this season, but he does seem to be finding his spot now. In his past dozen games, Arvidsson has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 31 shots on goal. He is only averaging 14:24 of ice time in that span, but he is getting reps with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin at even strength, so there is good opportunity for Arvidsson to score like he has in the past as a five-time 20-goal scorer.

#13 There have been so many positive stories out of Columbus when it comes to player production. Even veteran winger James van Riemsdyk is providing secondary scoring. Across his past seven games, van Riemsdyk has contributed eight points (4 G, 4 A) and the 35-year-old with soft hands and a big frame is fitting nicely alongside Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. At the other end of the experience spectrum for the Blue Jackets, they have called up Luca Del Bel Belluz, a second-round pick from 2022 and he has chipped in three points (1 G, 2 A) in his four NHL games this season after scoring in his NHL debut last season. Del Bel Belluz had 37 points (17 G, 20 A) in 34 AHL games to earn his promotion and it looks like he has no intention of going back.

#14 As the Ottawa Senators try to remain in the playoff hunt while starting goaltender Linus Ullmark is injured, the bulk of the goaltending responsibility has fallen to 22-year-old netminder Leevi Merilainen. He was a third-round pick in 2020 and played for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL in 2021-2022 before returning to Finland. He split last season between the AHL and ECHL and had a .901 save percentage in 13 games for Belleville of the AHL. That might not seem like a player ready to solve the goaltending problems of an NHL club, but Merilainen has been stellar since getting called up, going 5-2-1 with a .930 save percentage in eight games for Ottawa.

#15 Since the holiday break, Detroit Red Wings centre Dylan Larkin is the leader in individual expected goals in all-situations, with 8.00. What makes that even more impressive is how much better it is than the rest of the league. The rest of the top ten is: Zach Hyman (6.15), Mikko Rantanen (6.01), Dmitri Voronkov (5.51), Brandon Hagel (5.44), Nico Hischier (5.28), Tom Wilson (5.16), Alex Ovechkin (5.14), Leon Draisaitl (5.11), and Tomas Hertl (4.93).

#16 New York Islanders captain Anders Lee has moved back up the depth chart and is producing at a high level once again. Last season, he had 37 points (20 G, 17 A) in 81 games for the Isles, but he has 36 points (20 G, 16 A) through 44 games this season. The 34-year-old left winger is still difficult to contain in front of the net and in his past 11 games, Lee has 11 points (7 G, 4 A) and 31 shots on goal. He is playing with Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal, which is a good combination for Lee, who is not going to carry the puck a lot, but he’s good at getting body position in the offensive zone.

#17 Not everything is working for the Islanders, however. Veteran right winger Kyle Palmieri has two assists and just eight shots on goal in his past eight games, which is not nearly enough for a player who is averaging 17:28 of ice time per game. Palmieri is currently on a line with Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov, but they need to get more from a player who tied his career high with 30 goals last season and surely can be expected to generate more than a single shot per game.

#18 Veteran St. Louis Blues centre Brayden Schenn did not have a great start to this season, but he has been picking up the pace under new head coach Jim Montgomery. Schenn managed just nine points (3 G, 6 A) in 22 games before the Blues fired head coach Drew Bannister, but has produced 18 points (7 G, 11 A) in 24 games under Montgomery. Centering a line with Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyrou, Schenn is productive once again and could challenge for the ninth 20-goal season of his career.

#19 Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk tends to have an impact on the game whether he is scoring or not, thanks to his physical style of play. That doesn’t mean that the Sens are cool with him not providing offensive contributions and he has failed to register a point in five straight games. Tkachuk has 15 shots on goal and 15 hits in those five games, so it’s not like he is invisible out there, but this is the first stretch of the season that he has gone longer than two games without a point. That probably means that he will find the scoresheet again soon.

#20 Although he continues to be a dominant possession player, with a Corsi better than 55 percent, Vegas Golden Knights centre William Karlsson has hit an offensive slump. In his past nine games, Karlsson has no goals, one assist, and 15 shots on goal. For a player averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time per game over that time. At even strength, Karlsson is skating between Brett Howden and Alexander Holtz, which could play a part in his lack of recent production.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Vilardi heating up, Kakko on the move, and much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:53:01 +0000

_{LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 13: Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) celebrates his goal during an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings on December 13, 2023 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)}

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Gabriel Vilardi is hot, Pavel Buchnevich is thriving on the wing, Kirill Marchenko leads the surprising Blue Jackets, a fresh start for Kaapo Kakko, and much more!

Here is this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points:

#1 Winnipeg Jets right-winger Gabriel Vilardi is heating up. The 25-year-old forward has tallied 11 points (5 G, 6 A) with 16 shots on goal while averaging 19:26 of ice time per game in his past eight games. He is in a great spot, skating on the Jets’ top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, as well as playing on the top power-play unit. Injuries have been a significant factor in Vilardi’s career, and he has never played more than 63 games in a season, so it is surprising that he has played in all 34 games for the Jets thus far. Vilardi has 28 points already, so if he remains healthy, he should surpass his career high of 41 points set in 2022-2023.

#2 The St. Louis Blues tried to shift Pavel Buchnevich to centre at the start of the season, confident that his all-around game would fit in that role, and it did not bring out the best in the veteran forward. He has been returned to the wing and in 10 games since Jim Montgomery took over behind the Blues bench, Buchnevich has contributed nine points (4 G, 5 A) with 27 shots on goal and has most recently found himself skating on a line with Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas.

#3 The leading scorer for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, with 33 points (11 G, 22 A) in 33 games, is third-year right winger Kirill Marchenko. In his past 15 games, he has 17 points (5 G, 12 A) and 46 shots on goal. He plays 18 minutes per game, consistently generates shots and has a good thing going on Columbus’ top line with Dmitri Voronkov and Sean Monahan.

#4 With just 14 points (4 G, 10 A) in 30 games for the New York Rangers, right winger Kaapo Kakko was traded to the Seattle Kraken, an opportunity for a fresh start for the second pick in the 2019 Draft. Kakko, 23, had career highs of 18 goals and 40 points during the 2022-2023 season but has not been able to generate enough offense to meet expectations. While Kakko’s puck possession numbers aren’t great this season, it has typically been a strength of his, so he should be able to hold a regular spot in the Kraken lineup. In his first game for Seattle, Kakko skated on a line with Jared McCann and Matty Beniers, which would be a decent spot for him to find his offensive game.

#5 With the Edmonton Oilers scoring at a high rate, ranking second in the league over the past month, there are secondary sources of offense available on this squad. One worth considering is defenceman Darnell Nurse, who has five assists and 14 shots on goal in his past six games. Nurse has 15 points (3 G, 12 A) in 29 games, with just one point on the power play, but he has been this productive despite an on-ice shooting percentage of 7.1 percent during five-on-five play. That mark should go up, so it would be a reasonable expectation for Nurse to score at least a half-point per game for the rest of the season. For a player who delivers hits and blocked shots as well, Nurse has value in most fantasy formats.

#6 Colorado Avalanche left winger Artturi Lehkonen has thrived with the Avs, where his hard-working industrious style of play complements Colorado’s highly skilled top players. In his past 11 games, Lehkonen has nine points (7 G, 2 A) and 25 shots on goal while averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time per game. He skates on Colorado’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, which is obviously a prime position for Lehkonen to continue delivering offensive production.

#7 After a slow start to the season, veteran Utah Hockey Club right winger Nick Schmaltz has started to break out of his slump, scoring at a more typical rate. Through his first 19 games of the season, Schmaltz had zero goals and 13 assists with 38 shots on goal. In a dozen games since then, he has 12 points (5 G, 7 A) with 30 shots on goal. As a key player on Utah’s top line and first power play unit, Schmaltz tends to be a reliable scoring threat and appears to be back on track.

#8 As the Buffalo Sabres are watching their season go down the drain, defenceman Owen Power has quietly been very productive. While Power has 20 points (4 G, 16 A) in 32 games, it’s notable that all 20 points have come at even strength, which puts him third in even-strength scoring among defencemen, behind only Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. Power’s offensive ceiling would seem to be limited in Buffalo, where Rasmus Dahlin (currently injured) and Bowen Byram have power play priority, but the towering defender is already productive at 22 years old.

#9 Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry has become a consistently productive scorer in recent seasons, even if it sometimes gets overlooked because of where he plays. In his past 11 games, Terry has put up 13 points (3 G, 10 A) with 37 shots on goal while averaging 19:53 of ice time per game. On a Ducks team trying to build around young players, Terry is skating on a line with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome on Anaheim’s No. 1 line.

#10 The Anaheim Ducks shuffled the deck on their blueline, dealing veteran defenceman Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues and part of the reason for the change was to give younger defencemen the opportunity to step into bigger roles. Second-year blueliner Jackson LaCombe is making the most of his chances and, in December, has suddenly produced seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 19 shots on goal in seven games. He is playing nearly 20 minutes per game in that time and is getting first-unit power play time, which makes him a legitimate option for fantasy managers.

#11 Nashville Predators defenceman Roman Josi has been battling a lower-body injury and has landed on the injured list. With Josi out, Brady Skjei takes over as the quarterback on the Nashville power play. Skjei has failed to record a point in each of his past nine games, despite playing nearly 23 minutes per game, leaving him with nine points (2 G, 7 A) in 32 games. That is a long way off the pace that Skjei set in Carolina over the previous three seasons when he produced 124 points (40 G, 84 A) in 243 games for the Hurricanes.

#12 Another former Hurricane, winger Teuvo Teravainen started slowly upon his return to Chicago, managing eight points (4 G, 4 A) in his first 18 games, with half of those goals and points coming in the third game of the season. Since then, Teravainen has 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in 15 games and he is skating on Chicago’s third line, alongside Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev.

#13 It would be too soon to recommend Oilers right winger Connor Brown in anything but the deepest of leagues, but he is worth keeping an eye on because the Oilers are not getting consistent production from their wingers and Brown did contribute more offensively before joining the Oilers last season. Brown managed just a dozen points (4 G, 8 A) in 71 games for Edmonton last season, but is up to 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 32 games this season after producing eight points (3 G, 5 A) in his past 11 games.

#14 Red Winger centre J.T. Compher has contributed a point per game (1 G, 8 A) in his past nine games, a sudden increase in his offensive output. While his ice time is down by 2:33 per game compared to last season, Compher is still getting first-unit power play time in addition to his time at centre on Detroit’s third line. As a player who had 48 and 52 points, respectively, in the previous two seasons, Compher is behind his previous scoring pace, but if he remains productive, his ice time will likely climb.

#15 Seattle Kraken right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand has been a consistent contributor but has elevated his level of play in the past month. In 14 games, he has 15 points (7 G, 8 A) and 30 shots on goal. Bjorkstrand gets first unit power play time for the Kraken, but only five of his 23 points this season have come with the man advantage. The recent uptick in his production has come at even strength, where he has more recently been playing with Shane Wright and Eeli Tolvanen. Bjorkstrand tallied a career-high 59 points (20 G, 39 A) last season, with 25 points on the power play, so that would seem to be an area that still has room for further improvement.

#16 Vegas Golden Knights winger Ivan Barbashev has been sidelined with an upper-body injury and it’s worth pointing out what a big hole that leaves in the lineup. Barbarshev has 26 points during five-on-five play and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov is the only player in the league with more points during five-on-five play. Certainly, playing with Jack Eichel is a big part of Barbashev’s success, and Pavel Dorofeyev has joined Eichel and Stone on Vegas’ top line with Barbashev out of the lineup. Dorofeyev played 19:31 in Thursday’s win against Vancouver, the second-highest ice time of his career.

#17 As the Pittsburgh Penguins may be turning around a season that looked hopelessly lost, defenceman Matt Grzelcyk has turned into a solid contributor, putting up nine points (1 G, 8 A) in his past nine games. Eight of Grzelcyk’s 17 points this season have come on the power play and the Penguins are running a rare power play with two defencemen on the top unit and it’s been Grzelcyk and Kris Letang in those roles, with Erik Karlsson on PP2.

#18 There are ups and downs along the path for Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault, who has had nine games this season in which he has allowed at least four goals, but he has a .914 save percentage to go along with a 4-3 record in seven starts this month. He has 7.73 Goals Saved Above Expected this season, which ranks eighth in the league, ahead of Igor Shesterkin, Jake Oettinger, and Jacob Markstrom. Wins might not come so easily for the Canadiens goaltender, but his performance thus far makes him a legitimate fantasy option and it backs up Team Canada’s choice to include him on the roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

#19 Sticking with all situations Goals Saved Above Expected but looking at the low end of the spectrum, the goaltenders with the fewest Goals Saved Above Expected this season: Boston’s Jeremy Swayman (-14.53), San Jose’s Alexandar Georgiev (-13.56), Columbus’ Daniil Tarasov (-11.39), Utah’s Connor Ingram (-9.61), and Carolina’s Spencer Martin (-9.56). From that group, Swayman obviously stands out, given the strong track record that he had prior to this season, but Ingram had an excellent season in 2023-2024, so his decline before getting hurt is notable, too. The goaltenders at the top of the list might be surprising, too, at least after Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (+22.84). The rest of the top five are: Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal (+17.51), Toronto’s Anthony Stolarz (+13.46), Seattle’s Joey Daccord (+11.39), and Utah’s Karel Vejmelka (+10.94).

#20 There are some popular players with fantasy managers who are running ice cold lately, including New Jersey’s Dougie Hamilton, Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, and Buffalo’s Alex Tuch, among others. Hamilton has gone seven games without a point and his ice time has dropped below 18 minutes in three of his past four games. In his past five games, Pettersson has zero points and eight shots on goal, while averaging 16:50 of ice time per game. Kreider recorded his first (and only) assist of the season on December 6th and has since gone six straight games without a point, though he does have 17 shots on goal in that span. Tuch has one point (1 G, 0 A) and 10 shots on goal in his past six games and played a season-low 14:34 against Montreal on Tuesday.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (October 21st to 27th) – Avalanche and Predators Off to Rocky Starts

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 13:00:39 +0000

_{VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 30: Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) stops the puck during Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the Vancouver Canucks on April 30, 2024, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C. (Photo by Ethan Cairns/Icon Sportswire)}

We’re still way too early into the season to read anything into the standings, but it is eyebrow-raising to see Colorado and Nashville both 0-4-0 through Thursday’s action.

Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is a big part of the Avalanche’s early woes, posting a record of 0-3-0 with a 5.80 GAA and an .802 save percentage across four appearances this season. To put that into context, Jack Campbell got off to a 1-3-0 start with a 4.35 GAA and an .878 save percentage in four contests with Edmonton last year, and he played in just one more game beyond that before being sent to the minors. It’s not as if Georgiev has a strong track record to fall back on either. Yes, he won 38 games last year, but that was thanks to Colorado’s stellar offense. Georgiev finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 3.02 GAA and an .897 save percentage in 63 contests.

Do I think Georgiev is about to be sent to the minors? No, but there is an opportunity here for Justus Annunen or Kaapo Kahkonen to get a serious look, especially because Georgiev is in the final campaign of his three-year deal, so the Avalanche aren’t locked into him.

On the Nashville side, Juuse Saros hasn’t been great either (3.84 GAA and .878 save percentage through three games), but he has a far superior body of work, and there’s more reason to believe he will bounce back. It is somewhat interesting that Nashville hasn’t gotten any offensive production out of Steven Stamkos yet, but the former Lightning captain has fired 14 shots over four games, so we should see something out of him soon.

Colorado Avalanche

If there’s a silver lining for the Avalanche, it’s that their upcoming schedule looks extremely favorable. In addition to wrapping up this week with games against a pair of teams not projected to make the playoffs, Anaheim and San Jose, on Friday and Sunday, respectively, Colorado’s competition next week is fairly middling. The Avalanche will play in Seattle on Tuesday and Utah on Thursday before wrapping up next week’s action by hosting Ottawa on Sunday.

I picked on Georgiev during the intro -- justifiably so, in my opinion -- but I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that Colorado has far more than its fair share of important players injured. Up front, Jonathan Drouin (upper body), Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Atturi Lehkonen (shoulder) and Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) are all on the shelf. Meanwhile, Colorado’s second-best defenseman, Devon Toews, has been dealing with a lower-body injury.

Landeskog, Lehkonen and Nichushkin were already known to be long-term absences, but Drouin won’t be re-evaluated until Oct. 28, so he’s not going to be an option next week either. There isn’t much clarity when it comes to Toews timetable, so maybe the Avalanche will at least get him back.

Could it be argued that all those injuries are part of the reason for Georgiev’s struggles? After all, goaltending doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and when the quality of the play in front of the goaltender diminishes, their numbers tend to suffer. That might be a factor, but it’s not enough to completely explain away Georgiev’s horrendous’ numbers. Taking a look at Goals Saved Above Expected, per Moneypuck, which attempts to evaluate a goaltender independent of his team, Georgiev isn’t just the worst goaltender in the league, it’s not even close. He’s minus-9.5 while the next worst is a tie between Stuart Skinner and Ivan Fedotov at minus-3.9.

That’s why I focused on goaltending rather than injuries up top -- no matter what else happens, Colorado won’t have a successful season without better netminding. It’s simply nearly impossible to assemble a team capable of winning games consistently when your goaltender is this leaky. Although all that said, rather than need a new goaltender, it is possible that Georgiev will at least improve somewhat as the campaign goes on -- he certainly can’t get much worse.

That all aside, Colorado’s injuries have created opportunities for other players to step up. Ross Colton has gone from recording 40 points (17 goals) in 80 regular-season games while averaging 13:43 of ice time in 2023-24 to contributing two goals and three points while averaging 18:42 this year. Given the Avalanche’s situation, Colton should continue to get plenty of work in the upcoming week, and his production should remain respectable as a result.

Casey Mittelstadt is the second-line center, which would remain the case even if everyone was healthy, but those injuries have led to him playing on the top power-play unit. He’s supplied three goals through four games, including one with the man advantage.

Unfortunately, Colorado’s younger cast of Calum Ritchie, Nikolai Kovalenko and Ivan Ivan haven’t been able to step up in the face of the Avalanche’s injuries. They’re still worth keeping an eye on, but none of them have done enough yet to warrant a roster spot in standard fantasy leagues.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings will split next week between road and home games. They’ll play the Islanders and Sabres on the road Tuesday and Saturday, respectively, and host the Devils and Oilers on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. It’s a mixed bag as far as the level of competition goes, but it’s still worthy of mention based on how full Detroit’s schedule is.

The Red Wings got off to a 1-3-0 start. The most noteworthy thing to happen during that span was Ville Husso allowing four goals on 14 shots in 25:28 minutes of action en route to a 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Oct. 10. Just like that, Husso promptly changed from Detroit’s Opening Night starter to an AHLer, leaving Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot on the NHL roster. Neither goaltender is the clear-cut No. 1 at this time, so don’t be surprised if they split next week’s starts evenly.

Up front, Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko have gotten off to a slow start, each recording just one point through four appearances. The duo got a look together, but they’ve been split with Kane now playing alongside his old Blackhawks buddy in Alex DeBrncat while Tarasenko is getting a look with Lucas Raymond. That shakeup might help spark both of those veteran forwards.

On defense, the biggest surprise is Erik Gustafsson spending two of Detroit’s first four games as a healthy scratch. He did register a power-play assist in the Red Wings’ Opening Night and picked up another one when he re-entered the lineup for Detroit’s 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Oct. 17. Gustafsson looked like a potential replacement for Shayne Gostisbehere, who is now with Carolina, on Detroit’s top power-play unit, and that still appears to be Gustafsson’s role when he’s in the lineup. However, if the blueliner isn’t going to play consistently, then obviously his fantasy value will suffer dramatically.

Nashville Predators

The Predators will kick off the week with a tough home contest against Boston, but things will get easier afterward with a road clash versus Chicago on Friday before the Predators host Columbus on Saturday.

With the Predators winless at the time of writing, Stamkos needs to get going. As noted above, though, that should happen. A degree of transitional pain isn’t shocking given Stamkos not only spent his entire NHL career to this point with Tampa Bay but doesn’t even have much experience at the top level adjusting to a new head coach -- Jon Cooper has been running the show in Tampa Bay since he took over during the 2012-13 campaign. Still, Stamkos has also just had some bad puck luck, and things should even out eventually.

One player who hasn’t needed time to get going is Roman Josi. He already has three assists through four outings this year. As a fun aside, the Predators captain is now just 11 points from becoming the first player in Predators history to accumulate 700 points with the franchise -- the 34-year-old defenseman has spent his full career in Nashville.

Filip Forsberg ranks second on that chart with 609 career points. He accumulated 48 goals and 94 points across 82 regular-season contests in 2023-24 and is off to a strong start this campaign with two goals and four points through four games. Playing alongside Forsberg is the best assignment Nashville can offer, and it will be interesting to see if Stamkos or fellow newcomer Jonathan Marchessault get much of a look alongside him. So far Forsberg has mostly played alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist at even strength, which to be fair is a line that worked great last season and seems to be continuing to pay dividends, so Nashville doesn’t have much motivation to mess with that.

New Jersey Devils

Through Thursday’s action, no team has played more games than New Jersey. The Devils have already logged seven contests while Carolina has gotten into only two games (albeit that’s after the Hurricanes-Lightning game that would have been played Oct. 12 got postponed). The schedule isn’t getting any lighter for the Devils next week: They’ll host the Lightning on Tuesday, play in Detroit on Thursday and then wrap the week with home games against the Islanders and the Ducks on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The Devils won five of their first seven games, putting them in a strong opening position after missing the playoffs last season. Although he’s been far from perfect, Jacob Markstrom has evened out to be a good acquisition thus far, posting a 3-2-0 record, 2.42 GAA and .918 save percentage through five starts. Credit also needs to go to Jake Allen, who has been masterful in his two starts, saving a combined 37 of 38 shots en route to two victories. Allen should be expected to play at least one game next week, likely either against Detroit on Thursday or the Islanders on Friday.

On defense, Brett Pesce (leg) and Luke Hughes (shoulder) remain out, and there’s no indication that either’s return is imminent. That should allow rookie Seamus Casey to continue to play regularly. Casey has averaged just 12:35 of ice time, but that includes a role on the second power-play unit, which has paid off. He has three goals and four points across seven appearances, including two markers with the man advantage. I’m not confident Casey will remain with the team long-term, but he’s not a bad short-term pickup, especially with how heavy the Devils’ schedule is.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will open the week with a contest in Montreal on Tuesday before heading home to host the Panthers on Thursday and the Ducks on Saturday. While Florida is a difficult adversary, Montreal and Anaheim are rebuilding squads.

While you never want to get overly excited over four games, Artemi Panarin has been unreal with five goals and 11 points in that span. Panarin set career highs in 2023-24 with 49 goals and 120 points in 82 regular-season outings, and he may put up similar numbers this year.

That’s great for Alexis Lafreniere, who has played almost exclusively alongside Panarin at even strength so far this season. Lafreniere has two goals and five points through four appearances, and Panarin has been involved in all of Lafreniere’s offense. It took the 2020 No. 1 overall pick a few seasons to get going, but he set personal bests with 28 goals and 57 points last campaign, and that might be just a taste of what his career has in store.

By contrast, Kaapo Kakko, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, still hasn’t managed to find his way. He showed promise in 2022-23 with 18 goals and 40 points in 82 regular-season outings, but he faltered last season, managing just 19 points in 61 appearances. He’ll try to rebound this campaign, and he does already have a decent two assists across four games, but Kakko seems limited to third-line duties alongside Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil, which limits his potential.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins will start next week with a home-and-away series against Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday followed by a second back-to-back set over the weekend in which Pittsburgh will host Minnesota on Saturday and Montreal on Sunday.

Like the Rangers in Panarin, Pittsburgh has a red-hot forward. Evgeni Malkin has accumulated two goals and 11 points through five appearances this year -- not bad for a 38 year old. That run includes his 500th career goal, which was tallied in Pittsburgh’s 6-5 overtime victory over Buffalo on Wednesday.

It hasn’t been all good news for the Penguins, though. Tristan Jarry is another netminder off to a disastrous start, posting a 1-1-0 record, 5.45 GAA and .836 save percentage through three outings. That’s particularly discouraging following his disappointing 2.91 GAA and .903 save percentage across 51 appearances last year.

Alex Nedeljkovic started the season on injured reserve due to a lower-body issue, which gave Jarry an opportunity to make his case for the starting gig after losing it in the final weeks of 2023-24. Instead, Pittsburgh has every reason to give the job to Nedeljkovic once he’s healthy. Nedeljkovic was taken off IR and moved to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday for conditioning, so he probably will be back with the Penguins in the near future.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto doesn’t have an easy week ahead, but it is at least one with plenty of actions. The Maple Leafs will host Tampa Bay on Monday, play in Columbus on Tuesday, return to Toronto to face the Blues on Thursday, and then conclude the week with a game in Boston on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs made a three-year, $11 million commitment to Joseph Woll over the summer that will begin with the 2025-26 campaign. That contract might prove to be favorable to the Maple Leafs if the 26-year-old develops into the starting goaltender Toronto is hoping he can be, but it might be soured due to injuries. Woll dealt with health problems last season and hasn’t played yet in 2024-25 due to a lower-body issue, though his time on the shelf might be coming to a close after taking part in Friday’s practice.

When he does return, he might find himself as the understudy. Although the situation remains fluid, Anthony Stolarz has at least for now forced the Maple Leafs to see him as the No. 1 option after posting a 2-1-0 record, 1.69 GAA and .940 save percentage across three appearances this season. Dennis Hildeby looked solid in his NHL debut too, stopping 21 of 23 shots en route to a 4-2 win over New Jersey on Oct. 10, but he’ll nevertheless report to the AHL once Woll is healthy.

Up front, John Tavares’ situation is arguably the most interesting one to watch. Although he has seen a significant amount of time on the second line alongside Max Domi and William Nylander, the Maple Leafs have also experimented with using Tavares on the third unit with Pontus Holmberg and Nicholas Robertson. Part of that is enabling the Maple Leafs to spread out its offense more evenly, but it might also be a bit of a reflection of Tavares’ age. To be fair, he has two goals through three appearances, so his early production has been nothing to complain about, but it will be interesting to see how he’s utilized throughout the season.

Tavares’ use also ties in with Bobby McMann, who stands to gain a top-six spot if Tavares ends up spending regular minutes on the third line. McMann has provided three goals across three outings after being a surprise healthy scratch in Toronto’s opener.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights will play at home next week, hosting the Kings on Tuesday, the Senators on Friday and the Sharks on Saturday.

Vegas was a team that thrived at home last season, posting a 27-12-2 record at T-Mobile Arena versus 18-17-6 on the road. That trend has continued into the early portion of 2024-25 -- the Golden Knights have a 3-0-0 home record and are 0-2-0 away. If the split continues to be noticeable, it will be worth skewing towards Vegas players when the squad is at home and shying away from the Golden Knights a bit in other locations.

Not that the top line has shown any care for where the squad is playing. Jack Eichel has begun the campaign on a five-game scoring streak in which he’s provided two goals and 10 points. Linemates Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev are right behind him with nine and eight points, respectively. Defenseman Shea Theodore has also been a standout performer with a goal and seven points across five outings.

As a group, Vegas has little to complain about offensively. Adin Hill has left something to be desired, though, allowing at least three goals in each of his first four games. That offense has allowed him to escape that stretch with an okay 2-2-0 record, but in the long run, Vegas will need more out of him. Otherwise, there will be an opportunity for Ilya Samsonov. The 27-year-old backup stopped 22 of 23 shots en route to a 3-1 win against Anaheim on Sunday, but he otherwise hasn’t been tested this season. Samsonov has been a mixed bag in his career, and it’s hard to know what to expect from him this time around. If you did draft Hill, though, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hedge your bets by grabbing Samsonov.

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.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Quinton Byfield is making his presence felt, a surprising source of offense for the Maple Leafs, Columbus’ All-Star is scoring, and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:42:21 +0000

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 30: Los Angeles Kings Center Quinton Byfield (55) looks on during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings on January 30, 2022, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Quinton Byfield is making his presence felt, a surprising source of offense for the Maple Leafs, Columbus’ All-Star is scoring, and much, much more!

#1 Drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2020, Quinton Byfield took some time to get up to speed in the National Hockey League. Coming into this season, he had 8 goals and 33 points in 99 games, so he was not exactly busting down the door to stardom. He did start to show potential last season, though, and the Kings gave him a lot of ice time on the top line to start this season, skating on a line with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. More recently, Byfield has moved down the depth chart to join Pierre-Luc Dubois and Byfield continues to produce. In his past 10 games, Byfield has tallied 12 points (6 G, 6 A) with 25 shots on goal.

#2 Throwing Byfield with Pierre-Luc Dubois offers a chance for Dubois to shake out of his season-long slump. Since the Kings replaced Todd McLellan with Jim Hiller as head coach, Dubois has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 14 shots on goal in seven games. That improved production comes on the heels of Dubois managing just one point (1 G, 0 A) in the previous eight games.

#3 A 27-year-old winger who had played all of 10 games in the NHL prior to this season, Bobby McMann has become an unlikely contributor for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his first 26 games for the Maple Leafs this season, McMann had just seven points (2 G, 5 A) but it was understandable, he played less than 10 minutes in 18 of those 26 games. McMann broke through on February 13, recording a hat trick in a 4-1 win against St. Louis and that earned him a bump up the depth chart. He has most recently found himself on a line with John Tavares and Nick Robertson and has 10 points (7 G, 3 A) and 17 shots on goal in the past six games. Suddenly, McMann is changing the perception of what he might be able to offer as an NHL player, from fringe NHLer to possible top-six winger.

#4 Getting Connor Bedard back in the lineup has helped Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev who has eight points (1 G, 7 A) in seven games since the All-Star break, which includes four points (1 G, 3 A) in four games since Bedard returned from his broken jaw. Prior to the break, Kurashev had just two points (1 G, 1 A) during a 14-game stretch, and yet he is still second on the Blackhawks in scoring with 32 points (9 G, 23 A) in 50 games.

#5 Columbus’ All-Star representative this season, centre Boone Jenner has emerged from the break on a five-game point streak, during which he has accrued eight points (5 G, 3 A) with 22 shots on goal. Jenner juices up his fantasy appeal with physical play, too, and has 17 hits in those five games. He is skating between Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Roslovic, both of whom are also picking up the pace offensively. Gaudreau is in full set-up mode lately, with 15 points (1 G, 14 A) and 33 shots on goal in his past 13 games. Roslovic has upped his production more recently, with five points (1 G, 4 A) and 14 shots on goal during a four-game point streak which started when he joined Jenner and Gaudreau on Columbus’ top line.

#6 Winnipeg Jets right winger Gabriel Vilardi got off to a strong start with his new club, contributing 20 points (11 G, 9 A) in 25 games, but he did miss some time due to injury and went through a six-game scoreless drought around the All-Star break. He’s making up for it, though, with eight points (4 G, 4 A) and 12 shots on goal during a three-game point streak. Vilardi is skating on the Jets’ top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, which is a pretty great opportunity for a young player looking to become a more consistent scoring threat.

#7 Although he was held off the scoresheet in Thursday’s 1-0 win against Florida, it was only the third time in the past 16 games that Carolina Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis did not record a point. He has 18 points (4 G, 14 A) and 34 shots on goal in that span, giving him a career-high 46 points in 56 games. Jarvis isn’t the only Hurricanes winger who has picked up his scoring pace. Martin Necas has 15 points (8 G, 7 A) and 50 shots on goal in his past 14 games.

#8 The third pick in the 2021 Draft, Anaheim Ducks centre Mason McTavish has had some ups and downs in his second NHL season, but his talent is undeniable, and he does have seven points in his past four games. While fantasy managers, especially those in banger leagues, might love that McTavish has 30 penalty minutes in his past 10 games, those frequent trips to the penalty box could start to cost him ice time.

#9 Florida Panthers centre Anton Lundell tallied 44 points as a rookie in 2021-2022 and has not been able to match that pace since, in part because his shooting percentage has fallen off, from 14.4 percent two seasons ago to 7.2 percent this season. Nevertheless, Lundell has shown some signs of life offensively, producing six points (4 G, 2 A) and nine shots on goal in his past five games. The Panthers have been excellent this season, and they have not received a huge contribution from Lundell, so if he can pick up the pace down the stretch, that would go a long way for a team that is a Stanley Cup contender.

#10 Minnesota Wild rookie centre Marco Rossi has moved into a tie with teammate Brock Faber as the second leading rookie scorer in the league behind Chicago’s Connor Bedard, who has 39 points (17 G, 22 A) in 43 games. Rossi has five points (4 G, 1 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past five games, which gets him to 33 points (17 G, 16 A) in 56 games. Rossi’s ice time is down, so tread carefully about adding him now. His improved scoring pace does offer hope that Rossi will have a bigger role both in the near and more distant future.

#11 New York Rangers right winger Kaapo Kakko missed nearly two months of action but is starting to get back into the groove. In his past six games, the 23-year-old forward has put up five points (2 G, 3 A) along with 12 shots on goal. It may be too soon to offer a full-throated recommendation for Kakko, but it’s worth keeping an eye on him. Progress has been gradual, and he is already in his fifth NHL season, but he has flashed potential.

#12 Consistent offensive production does not come easily for Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway, who scored a career high 32 points (9 G, 23 A) in 56 games for the Minnesota Wild during the 2020-2021 season. However, every now and then, he heats up and suddenly becomes an intriguing fantasy option, even if it is for short-term purposes. Over the past month, Greenway has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 16 shots on goal in 10 games. Injuries have opened the door for Greenway to get more ice time in Buffalo and he has landed on the second line, alongside Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens, two skilled players who can help extend Greenway’s offensive good fortune.

#13 At this stage of his career, 38-year-old Corey Perry tends to not offer a lot of fantasy value during the regular season. He plays on the lower half of the depth chart and while he contributes some, it is usually only enough for consideration in the deepest of leagues. While all of that may be true, Perry does have four points (3 G, 1 A) with eight shots on goal and 16 penalty minutes in the past four games and that might warrant a little bit more attention. He is getting second unit power play time and is skating with Dylan Holloway and Mattias Janmark at evens.

#14 Goaltending has been a question mark for many teams this season and those questions have lingered in Carolina for much of the season. The answer may be found within the Hurricanes’ own dressing room, as Pyotr Kochetkov has hit a hot streak and that might be enough to solidify the play in Carolina’s crease, at least for the time being. After a sparkling 44-save shutout Thursday against Florida, Kochetkov has a .969 save percentage across his past four starts. Of course, in his previous four appearances, Kochetkov’s save percentage was a ghastly .851, so he has been offering quite the thrill ride with plenty of ups and downs.

#15 One of the primary challenges when seeking fantasy hockey answers in goal is finding goaltenders that play enough. St. Louis Blues backup goaltender Joel Hofer, for example, has been excellent lately with a .928 save percentage across his past nine starts, but that goes back to before Christmas, so Hofer still offers value in deeper leagues. If something were to happen that would give him a greater share of the starts in St. Louis, the 23-year-old could see his value soar.

#16 After lighting up the Vancouver Canucks for four points (1 G, 3 A) in Thursday’s victory, Seattle Kraken centre Jared McCann has a six-game point streak and has put up 22 points (11 G, 11 A) with 44 shots on goal in his past 15 games. McCann is coming off a career-best season in which he scored 40 goals and 70 points, but his recent production is getting him back into that stratosphere again.

#17 In his past seven games, Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar has zero points. This stretch is the first time – in his career! – that he has gone more than three consecutive games without recording a point. It’s not like this is no reason to trade Makar. He has 20 shots on goal in those seven games and has 60 points (13 G, 47 A) in 53 games this season, but an unprecedented slump from the most prolific scoring defenceman in the league at least bears watching.

#18 Since the All-Star break, the leaders in all situations expected goals: Nico Hischier (5.57), Nathan MacKinnon (5.54), Auston Matthews (5.21), Chris Kreider (4.91), J.T. Miller (4.88), Kirill Kaprizov (4.66), Zach Hyman (4.55), Jack Hughes (4.45), Brady Tkachuk (4.37), Joel Eriksson Ek (4.32), Boone Jenner (4.25), Kyle Palmieri (4.25), Evander Kane (4.23), Nazem Kadri (4.22), and Cole Caufield (4.18). While these are a lot of expected names, it’s interesting to see Hischier at the top of the list, and players like Jenner, Palmieri, and Kane are likely higher than their overall production might suggest.

#19 There are 36 players that have recorded at least seven power-play points since January 1. That list includes Juraj Slafkovsky (9), Jonathan Huberdeau (7), Frank Vatrano (7), Morgan Frost (7), and Jake Neighbours (7). Again, a lot of the names at the top of the list are to be expected – Matthew Tkachuk leads with 14 five-on-four points in 2024 – but some less established players are starting to make a difference with the man advantage, too.

#20 With Mark Stone injured, joining Jack Eichel on the shelf, the Vegas Golden Knights are getting rather thin up front, so maybe consider Michael Amadio as a short-term fix. The 27-year-old forward has scored a goal in four of the past five games, putting a dozen shots on goal while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game. Amadio finished with a career-high 27 points (16 G, 11 A) in 67 games last season and has 21 points (11 G, 10 A) in 50 games this season, so he is not necessarily a long-term answer but, right now, he has an opportunity to play a more significant role.