Kent Johnson – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:04:12 +0000

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 01: Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan (23) on the ice during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets on November 1, 2024 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

It was a season spent in agony mourning the sudden loss of Johnny Gaudreau, but that tragedy led to inspiration for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they inserted themselves into the playoff picture out of nowhere in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets went from 66 points in 2023-2024 to 89 and a fourth-place finish in the Metropolitan Division in 2024-25. Two years ago, Columbus had a minus-63 goal differential and flipped that to a plus-5 last year. By scoring more goals and allowing fewer, they were able to take advantage of a weaker-than-usual division and finished two points out of the final wild card. New head coach Dean Evason helped turn things around with his more disciplined system and despite being without captain Boone Jenner for most of the season (28 games played) and going without Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson for long stretches, it was an encouraging season to build on. Norris Trophy finalist Zach Werenski provided the kind of leadership and play from the blue line they haven’t had before and if that’s a sign of things to come, Columbus is in a good place moving forward.

What’s Changed?

The Blue Jackets improved their forward depth adding Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from Colorado and gave up prospect Gavin Brindley to make it happen. That’s a tough cost, but Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell recognized they’re in a spot to compete for the playoffs now. They also re-signed defencemen Dante Fabbro (four years, $16.5 million) and Ivan Provorov (seven years, $59.5 million) to long-term deals and re-signed Dmitry Voronkov to a two-year, $8.35 million bridge deal. They also added further depth to their forward group signing Isac Lundestrom (two years, $2.6 million) and Hudson Fasching (one year, $775,000). Columbus also traded goalie Daniil Tarasov to Florida which opens up the backup job to Jet Greaves.

What Would Success Look Like?

If the Blue Jackets can build off of what they started last year, they’ll be in position for the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division as well as the wild card. Giving goalie Elvis Merzlikins more of a break with Greaves challenging for more starts is the kind of thing that should work out well, especially since Greaves was outstanding in the AHL and in a handful of NHL starts last season. The emergence of Werenski as an elite No. 1 defenceman is vital to steadying out the defence group but also gives them a high-end power play quarterback. The growth of Kirill Marchenko as a dangerous high-skill scorer, Adam Fantilli as an all-around scoring threat and Kent Johnson’s playmaking and scoring can help their offence take another step. With Sean Monahan’s solid play and leadership and the continued growth of Cole Sillinger and evolution of Mathieu Olivier’s game, the Blue Jackets can beat teams in a lot of ways. Getting to the playoffs would be a massive accomplishment.

What Could Go Wrong?

If classic Columbus fumbling happens, it could quickly become another season in the draft lottery. You could argue the Blue Jackets won games despite the play of Merzlikins last season (.892 save percentage) and if he struggles again, it’ll put more stress on the rest of the team to outscore the tougher nights. The Blue Jackets had five players score 20-or-more goals last season and two of them had 30-plus (Marchenko, Fantilli) and one of them was a defenceman (Werenski, 23). As wide of a swath of offence that is, they only had four other players reach double-figures in goals. Being that top-heavy leads to teams loading up against the top guys to shut them down. If Columbus’ attack doesn’t diversify, it’ll be more of a slog for them and against the best teams in the East, that’ll make for much harder nights.

Top Breakout Candidate

While we’ve seen many of the Blue Jackets’ young forwards have breakout years recently, it’s goalie Jet Greaves who’s worth keeping an eye on. At 24 years old, he’s been heavily tested in the AHL with 158 regular season games played for Cleveland along with 19 playoff appearances. His .909 save percentage in the AHL is skewed by his play in his first two seasons, but the past two years he’s posted .910 and .920 save percentages. He’ll start the season as Elvis Merzlikins’ backup, but with how well he played in Columbus in limited action (11 GP; 7-2-2, .938 save percentage, 1.91 goals-against average, two shutouts), the opportunity to take the starting job is there.

FORWARDS

Sean Monahan

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
60	20	38	58	0.97

Considering all that Sean Monahan went through last season, it’s hard to call his results anything but successful. Monahan stepped into a leadership position with the team after they suffered the loss of a close friend, Johnny Gaudreau, before the start of the year. Despite the circumstances and missing 26 games with a wrist injury, Monahan delivered one of his most productive seasons in years. He rounded out the season with 19 goals and 57 points in 54 games played. His even-strength offensive Wins Above Replacement put him in the 92^nd percentile of NHL forwards. His 1.06 points per game lead Columbus forwards, and he also paced that group in puck-possession share and expected goal share at even-strength. Monahan blended veteran poise with creative playmaking, especially on the power play, where he was a key distributor on the Blue Jackets’ top unit. His leadership on and off the ice was crucial, particularly in the emotional wake of Johnny Gaudreau’s death. For his impact with the team, Monahan won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Entering his age-31 season, Monahan is expected to retain his top six role and continue driving play offensively. He’ll likely continue to log heavy power play minutes and take on a mentorship role as the organization looks to shepherd its young core.

Kirill Marchenko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	34	42	76	0.93

The 24-year-old Kirill Marchenko burst into stardom during the 2024–25 season, delivering a true breakout campaign. In 79 games, he tallied 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points. His even-strength goal output put him in the 97^th percentile of NHL forwards. His two-way play was reflected in his team-best +27 ranking that put him in the top 20 of NHL forwards. Marchenko combines a lethal release with excellent off-puck instincts, consistently finding soft areas in coverage to turn passes into scoring chances. Additionally, he ranked in the 90^th percentile of NHL forwards concerning his ability to exit the defensive zone with possession of the puck. Marchenko played with a combination of power and skill that made him a difficult player for NHL defensemen to manage. He was struck with a puck in the face and broke his jaw, missing only three games as he played with his mouth wired shut. Now entering his age‑25 season under a three-year deal signed in July 2024, Marchenko looks poised to take the next step as Columbus’s premier goal threat. Barring injury, a 30–35 goal, 80–85 point projection is realistic. His two-way strengths and high-end upside make him the core building block around which Columbus will continue to shape its offense. Expect him to remain a top six fixture while also seeing time on the power play.

Adam Fantilli

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	34	34	68	0.83

Adam Fantilli emerged as a bona fide offensive force in his first full NHL season. In 82 games, the 20-year-old tallied 31 goals and 23 assists for 54 points, tying for the team lead in goals with Kirill Marchenko. Fantilli was crucial to the Blue Jackets’ postseason push, netting seven goals in his final six games as Columbus sought to make a charge. At 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds, Fantilli blends scoring touch with explosiveness and smart two-way instincts. He excels in traffic with his ability to find soft spots on the ice and deliver quick-release shots from high-danger areas, shows strong edge work on both ends, and projects as a high-IQ forward who can drive play in any situation. His even-strength goals output put him in the 98^th percentile of NHL forwards. There’s an opportunity for him to improve his puck distribution in the coming year and he’ll need to continue to find ways to extend possessions in the offensive zone. Now with a full season under his belt, Fantilli enters the 2025–26 campaign positioned to be a leader for the Blue Jackets’ offense. Expect a target of 35–40 goals and 70–75 points as he continues to gain confidence and experience. The expectation is for continued growth, a more prominent role, and to push Sean Monahan for the top center spot.

Kent Johnson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	27	39	66	0.86

Kent Johnson’s 2023-24 campaign left him with a lot of question marks heading into last season, and he answered almost all of them. In his third full NHL season, Johnson produced his best work yet: 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points in 68 games, matching Sean Monahan in scoring and landing among the team’s top offensive catalysts. While he can be a streaky scorer, Johnson’s overall finishing ability bucketed him in the 99^th percentile of NHL forwards. While he likely won’t shoot at a 19 percent success rate perennially, Johnson’s ability to create scoring chances from his passing in the offensive zone and off the rush put him in the 77^th and 74^th percentile of NHL forwards, respectively, a testament to his dual-threat nature offensively. Defensively, he had the lowest rate of shot attempts against per hour of any Columbus forward. Now locked into a three-year deal, Johnson enters his age-23 season poised to be a critical piece of the Blue Jackets’ top six forward group. Expect even higher usage in key moments, with a projection of 25–30 goals and 65–70 points, especially as he continues to build chemistry with players like Adam Fantilli, and the continued evolution of his decision-making and consistency could firmly position him as a centerpiece in Columbus’s offensive identity.

Boone Jenner

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
60	18	20	38	0.63

Boone Jenner enters the 2025-26 campaign hoping for good health. Limited to just 26 games last season after being sidelined with shoulder surgery before the season even began, Jenner was still able to pack a lot into a short period. He returned after the Four Nations Faceoff and put together a respectable run down the stretch that aided the Blue Jackets in their push for the postseason. Jenner played a variety of roles with a variety of linemates upon his return, but mainly was found alongside Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson, acting as a space creator for both young forwards. Jenner was his usual, physical self on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. He registered seven goals and 12 assists for a total of 19 points in 26 games. He finished third among Blue Jacket forwards in puck possession share and was fourth among Blue Jacket forwards in expected goal share at even-strength. A core leader of the team, Jenner will be entering the final year of his team-friendly contract and will be looked upon as an influence on the younger crop of forwards. While he may shift to more of a bottom six role this season, expect him to receive a good number of defensive assignments and plenty of time on the penalty kill. He’ll also feature on the second power play unit in a net-front role. While another 60-point pace might be a stretch, expect Jenner to land around his usual 45 points.

Dmitri Voronkov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	25	27	52	0.67

In his second NHL season (2024–25), the 24-year-old Voronkov made significant strides in stepping into a steady, impactful role offensively. He was featured for a good portion of the season on the top line with Kirill Marchenko and Sean Monahan, where he played a simple, straightforward role of space creation and effective finishing. Standing at 6-foot-5 and built at 227 pounds, Voronkov brings a physical power-forward element; he’s effective in board battles and in front of the net. He appeared in 73 games, tallying 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points, the best single season scoring effort of his young career. Voronkov finished in the 89^th percentile of forwards in offensive Wins Above Replacement but was in the fourth percentile of NHL forwards in defensive Wins Above Replacement. Now under a freshly signed two-year deal with a $4.175 million cap hit, Voronkov enters a key period in his development where he’ll be expected to solidify his top six forward status. With growing experience and minutes, a projection of 25–28 goals and 50–55 points is realistic. His size, net-front presence, and physical edge make him a natural asset on the power play and in traffic-heavy situations. Continued upward trajectory could see him emerging as a formidable middle six force and a potential building block in Columbus's forward core.

Charlie Coyle

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	15	24	39	0.48

Charlie Coyle is reunited with Head Coach Dean Evason, who is familiar with and a big fan of Coyle’s work from their time together in Minnesota, where Evason served as an assistant coach during Coyle’s time there. Acquired along with Miles Wood in a trade with Colorado for a prospect and two draft picks, Coyle is coming off a 17-goal and 18-assist performance, having split time between Boston and Colorado. Coyle’s strengths lie in his two-way reliability, strong faceoff play, net‑front presence, and physicality in puck battles. His ability to generate shots off of his high danger passes put him in the 94^th percentile of NHL forwards. A reliable penalty killer, his results between both teams put him in the 80^th percentile of NHL forwards in limiting power play shots and scoring chances. Slated to start as Columbus’s third‑line center and see time on the second power play unit, Coyle brings flexibility as he’ll be able to slide up the lineup as needed. Expect a 35–45 point projection, anchored by his role at both ends of the ice and his league-veteran savvy. His presence will be a key glue-piece, bridging the gap between seasoned forwards and emerging talents like Fantilli and Marchenko. This season is the final of Coyle’s six-year contract, making it a critical period for him as he looks to make a strong case for his next deal.

Cole Sillinger

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	12	22	34	0.45

Cole Sillinger played up and down the lineup for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024-25. Used in a variety of fashions, head coach Dean Evason did not hesitate to put Sillinger into a blender as far as roles and linemates go, but it didn’t hamper him from finding success. It’s easy to forget that Sillinger is only 22 years old, having already completed four full NHL seasons. Sillinger posted 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 66 games, hitting the 30-point threshold again, marking his third such season to do so despite missing 11 games with a shoulder injury. Sillinger thrives in the battle areas of the ice and is comfortable exiting the defensive zone with the puck, as he finished in the 94^th percentile of NHL forwards. Sillinger has a great work ethic and excels in the battle areas of the ice but lacks critical edge work and agility in his skating, which prevents him from contributing more offensively. Overall, his offensive and defensive Wins Above Replacement were below the 10^th percentile of NHL forwards. Heading into the final year of his contract, expect 10–13 goals and 33–35 points, assuming health and a more regular deployment. Given organizational depth, he may also emerge as a trade candidate should Columbus seek roster flexibility before the 2026 deadline.

Yegor Chinakov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	16	21	37	0.49

Chinakov lands here now but note that a formal trade request was submitted on his behalf earlier this summer. After a promising 2023–24 breakthrough (29 points in 53 games), Chinakhov’s 2024–25 season was derailed by a back injury that sidelined him for 39 games. He returned to tally seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 30 games and spent some time as a healthy scratch after coming back. Over his NHL career, the former first-round pick (2020, 21st overall) has accumulated 71 points (34 goals, 37 assists) in 175 games. While he’s shown the ability to impact games with his dynamic hands and size, he lacks consistency. When he isn’t playing with pace and engagement offensively, he doesn’t bring much else to the lineup, and there are certainly gaps in his level of performance. His shot is quick and accurate, and he flashes playmaking flair when fully engaged. He is a handful when he uses his size, but it isn’t a regular part of his game. With one year left on a two-year, $2.1 million AAV deal and arbitration rights looming, Chinakhov enters an important season. If he remains in Columbus and healthy, 15–20 goals with 35–40 points is reasonable, assuming stability in role and minutes. Ongoing tension with coaching staff and limited availability may continue clouding his trajectory.

DEFENCE

Zach Werenski

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	20	55	75	0.93

The 2024-25 campaign was one of Zach Werenski’s best of his career, if not the best. It’s clear head coach Dean Evason’s system is designed to allow Werenski the freedom to impact the game based on reads and hockey IQ. In 81 games, he shattered franchise records for a defenseman with 23 goals, 59 assists, and 82 points, the second-most among NHL blueliners behind only Cale Makar. He led Columbus in assists and total points and logged a remarkable 26:44 average ice time, the highest in the league, while also ranking third in total shots on goal among defensemen. His offensive Wins Above Replacement at even-strength was in the 100^th percentile of NHL defensemen. His total assists on primary scoring chances put him in the 99^th percentile of NHL defensemen. A smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman with exceptional vision, Werenski thrives under pressure and proved he is capable of tilting the ice at both ends. Entering his age-28 season in the fourth season of a six-year deal ($9.58M AAV), Werenski remains Columbus’s most indispensable player. Expect him to continue anchoring the top pairing while serving as the quarterback on the power play. Barring injury, another 75+ point season is realistic, especially if he sustains that workload of elite minutes. The road to Columbus qualifying for the post-season goes directly through the performance of Werenski and it’s clear he has the complete trust of the coaching staff.

Dante Fabbro

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	8	23	31	0.40

Dante Fabbro’s performance was an underrated part of the Blue Jacket’s push for the playoffs last season. Picked up via waivers in November 2024, Fabbro revitalized his career by forming a formidable top pairing with Zach Werenski, playing over 1,000 minutes together at even-strength. That pairing immediately clicked, and the duo maintained a 54.4% expected goals share at even-strength, signaling elite two-way chemistry and control of the game. In 62 games with Columbus, Fabbro posted nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points. His even-strength goals total was in the 92^nd percentile of NHL defensemen. He put up a strong performance defensively as well, evidenced by his even-strength defensive Wins Above Replacement putting him in the 76^th percentile of NHL defenders. Fabbro brings a calm, composed presence on the ice. He makes sound, high-percentage plays under pressure, making him the perfect complement to Werenski’s chance-taking nature. Fabbro solidified his place in Columbus with a four-year, $16.5M extension ($4.125M AAV) signed in June. As Werenski’s long-term defensive partner, he is poised to remain a top-pair fixture and power play contributor. Another season in lockstep with Werenski could translate to 30–35 points, anchored by his positioning and transition play. The continuity and trust in their pairing make Fabbro a quiet but critical building block as Columbus pushes toward competitive relevance.

Ivan Provorov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	6	26	32	0.39

In the 2024–25 season, Ivan Provorov appeared in all 82 games, delivering seven goals and 26 assists for 33 points, a performance good enough to earn him a seven-year contract extension from Columbus in July. Provorov is the definition of reliability, as eight of his nine seasons in the league have seen him play every game on the schedule, a remarkable feat with the rigours of today’s league. His ability to quarterback play from the back end, make smart outlet passes, and maintain strong defensive positioning makes him a true all‑situation defender. Statistically, he was a mixed bag and mostly fell under the “good but not great” category, evidenced by his zone exit success rate being in the 66^th percentile of NHL defenders. He did his best work in the neutral zone, acting as a conduit between the defense and forward groups. Provorov enters his age‑28 season as a cornerstone on the back end, signed through the 2031‑32 season via a seven-year deal with an $8.5 million cap hit. Expect him to continue anchoring the top pairing and power play unit, with another 30–40 point performance within reach. An important piece who steadies the blue line for a club focused on taking the next step. His edge in decision making and puck management makes him a quiet leader, essential for transitioning Columbus from contender to playoff presence.

Denton Mateychuk

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	6	26	32	0.41

A first-round pick in 2022, Mateychuk made an immediate impact after his NHL debut on December 23, 2024. He played in 45 of Columbus’s final 48 games, logging the second-most ice time among rookie defensemen over that span and bumping Damon Severson out of the lineup. He recorded four goals and nine assists for 13 points and earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie team for the year. Mateychuk stands out as a mobile, intelligent two‑way defender with strong positional awareness and smooth transitions through all three zones. He’s a strong puck‑mover with a hard, accurate shot—though he’s still adjusting to the physical rigours of the professional game. Despite needing improvement in board work, he doesn’t turn the puck over under duress. He found immediate success and chemistry with Ivan Provorov on the second defensive pairing. He averaged 18:02 per game, a testament to the staff’s increased trust in him. Entering his age-22 season under a standard entry-level contract (cap hit just under $900,000), Mateychuk is poised to solidify himself as a top four defenseman. Expect continued growth in physical engagement and reliability—projecting a 35–40 point season with steady minutes across all situations. A truly homegrown talent that rose through the Blue Jackets system, a leap forward in development for Mateychuk would be invaluable to the Blue Jacket’s push for the post-season.

Goal

Elvis Merzlikins

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
48	24	19	4	2	.901	3.02

It seems hard to believe that the Columbus Blue Jackets still won't give Elvis Merzlikins any help. But unless things change drastically in the early weeks of the season, expect Columbus to continue making Merzlikins earn every cent of the massive contract extension he inked following his exciting NHL debut - something he's been struggling to live up to ever since.

At this point, it's hard to really know if the Merzlikins who dazzled NHL fans as a surprise standout rookie in 2019 still exists. His game has suffered both rhythmically and from a decision-making standpoint, and while he hasn't struggled nearly as much in the last two years as he did during his 2022-23 campaign, he still sits as one of the league's least reliable starting options overall. And perhaps most surprisingly, the Blue Jackets moved out his tandem partner from last year, Daniil Tarasov - but didn't bring in a voice with veteran experience to help shoulder the workload and potentially bolster locker room culture among the team's goaltending depth chart. He'll be backed up by a highly-promising Jet Greaves, but the Blue Jackets will need to ensure that Greaves - who plays a game that chameleons to mimic what the defence in front of him is doing, but lacks some of the top-tier reaction timing that made Merzlikins such a standout - doesn't get overworked in a way that could cause his regression before the team is ready to make him their clear number one.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Holloway paying dividends for streaking in St. Louis – Teams and players to target this week

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 14:00:11 +0000

St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway (81) (Photo by Keith Gillett/IconSportswire)

Has a team ever benefited so greatly and immediately from a player they snagged away from an adversary via an offer sheet as St. Louis has with Dylan Holloway? The two-year contract worth roughly $4.58 million was too rich for the Oilers when the Blues made a move against the RFA this summer, and to be fair to Edmonton, Holloway had just nine goals and 18 points in 89 regular-season appearances as well as five goals and seven points in 26 playoff games at that point. For a team in a cap crunch, Edmonton didn’t feel comfortable offering that kind of salary to a player projected for its bottom six.

Whatever the rationale was, though, Holloway has thoroughly demonstrated that Edmonton could not have been more wrong in its decision. Holloway scored tow goals to lead St. Louis to a 3-2 victory over Nashville on Thursday, bringing him up to 26 goals and 62 points in 74 outings this campaign. What once looked like a rich contract is now unquestionably one of the league’s biggest value signings.

He's provided the Blues, who tied for 24th in goals per game (2.85) last year with some much needed offensive depth, and he’s stepped up down the stretch, providing 10 goals and 22 points across 18 appearances since the 4 Nations break. Though, he does have plenty of company in that regard.

St. Louis as a whole has excelled since the tournament. That win against Nashville was the squad’s eighth straight, and the Blues are 14-2-2 since the time off. That’s the best record in the NHL over that span, and they’ve led the league in goals per game with an eye-popping 4.00. In addition to Holloway, Robert Thomas (six goals, 25 points), Jordan Kyrou (eight, 18), Jake Neighbours (six, 17), Brayden Schenn (six, 16) and defenseman Cam Fowler (two, 14) have been major factors.

The goaltending has been there too. Since leading Canada to victory, Jordan Binnington has posted a 9-2-0 record, 2.19 GAA and .912 save percentage across 11 outings, while Joel Hofer is 5-0-2 with a 1.98 GAA and a .910 save percentage across his last nine appearances.

The result is St. Louis has gone for a team that was set to miss the playoffs to one that’s sitting in a wild-card spot. To an extent, there’s shades of 2018-19 when the Blues got off to a disastrous start only to get hot, make the playoffs and then battle all the way to a championship. The Blues even made a midseason coaching change this year, replacing Drew Bannister (9-12-1) with Jim Montgomery (30-16-6). Obviously, just because the Blues had a magical run in 2019 doesn’t mean history will repeat itself this year, but with the way St. Louis is playing, it will be a dangerous team to face in the postseason.

Boston Bruins (Tue vs WAS, Thu @ MTL, Sat vs CAR, Sun @ BUF)

While the Blues have surged, Boston has faded, making already long odds to secure a playoff berth now look all-but impossible. Boston had a 3-12-3 from Feb. 5-March 26 and suffered its seventh straight loss (0-6-1) against the Ducks on Wednesday. Will the freefall continue next week? Boston will start by hosting Washington before playing in Montreal on Thursday, returning home to face the Hurricanes on Saturday and then playing in Buffalo on Sunday.

Boston has managed just 2.22 goals per game over the aforementioned 18-game stretch, and that’s despite David Pastrnak still doing really well with eight goals and 19 points in that span. Pastrnak has 35 goals and 85 points in 73 appearances, giving him a shot of reaching the 40-goal and 100-point marks for the third straight campaign. He’s one of the few Bruins who has largely lived up to expectations in 2024-25.

Morgan Geekie has also been something of a silver lining during Boston’s dreadful stretch. He’s provided four goals and six points across his past five games. That brings him up to 26 goals in 68 appearances this season, shattering his previous career high of 17 from 2023-24. One word of warning, though: His shooting percentage of 19.7 is a substantial jump compared to his career average of 11.4 going into the campaign, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Geekie saw a decline in goal production next season.

On another team, Geekie’s strong showing this season would have been a pleasant surprise that might have elevated the squad, but Boston is so devoid of scoring options that it barely moves the needle. Aside from Geekie and Pastrnak, no other player has recorded even five goals for Boston over the past 18 games, and to put that into context, five goals in 18 outings would amount to only a 23-goal pace over 82 games. Looking at the Bruins’ season as a whole, Pastrnak and Geekie will probably be the only players to finish with at least 22 goals. Brad Marchand will almost certainly finish the campaign third in goals for Boston with 21 despite being traded. Charlie Coyle, who was also dealt, currently ranks fourth in goals with 15 during his time with the Bruins.

Boston did acquire Casey Mittelstadt from Colorado, but so far that hasn’t paid dividends. Mittelstadt has two goals and four points in nine appearances with the Bruins despite averaging a healthy 17:28 of ice time and seeing minutes alongside Pastrnak. Mittelstadt’s 5v5 CF% rel and 5v5 FF% rel are minus-8.4 and minus-5.6, which suggests that, for as bad as Boston has been recently, the Bruins have performed even worse when Mittelstadt is on the ice.

This is a season that can’t end soon enough for the Bruins, but maybe with the season already essentially lost, Boston will feel the pressure lift and settle into a spoiler role. The Bruins do have a chance to make things harder for Montreal, and Boston is 2-0-0 against the Canadiens this season, so if you’re looking for a game where the Bruins might pleasantly surprise, that seems like a good candidate.

Calgary Flames (Mon @ COL, Tue @ UTA, Thu vs ANA, Sat vs VGK)

For a time, it looked like Calgary might squeak into the playoffs despite its lack of offense, but the rise of the Blues has made that unlikely. Still, the Flames have an outside chance should they have a strong week. Calgary will start the week on the road in Colorado on Monday and Utah on Tuesday. The Flames will then return home to face the Ducks on Thursday and the Golden Knights on Saturday.

For much of the season, Calgary was competitive thanks in large part to rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old has hit a rough patch, posting a 2-3-1 record, 3.65 GAA and .869 save percentage across his past six appearances. That’s reduced him to a 24-15-5 record, 2.67 GAA and .909 save percentage in 44 outings overall. It’s still been a good campaign for him, but I think his recent decline is likely enough to take him out of serious competition for the Calder Trophy, barring an unbelievable finish. Montreal’s Lane Hutson has a shot to reach 60 points as a defenseman, and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini has been averaging near a point per game, so in my mind the competition is just too strong for Wolf to still grab the trophy.

Of course, it’d be unfair to suggest Wolf’s struggles down the stretch cost Calgary a potential playoff berth. Calgary ranks 31st in goals per game with 2.61, which is what the real problem is. If there is a silver lining to be found among the Flames forwards, though, it’s been Jonathan Huberdeau. The first two years of his tenure with the Flames looked like a disaster, but he’s been solid this campaign with 27 goals and 58 points through 71 appearances. He’s also red hot with five goals and 12 points over his past eight outings. He’s still not warranting his $10.5 million cap hit, but at least he’s not fading away.

Nazem Kadri is also doing his part, even at the age of 34. He’s on a five-game goal-scoring streak in which he’s found the back of the net seven times. That’s rocketed him to 30 markers, which is his most since 2017-18 with Toronto, and just two goals away from his career high. I wouldn’t count on that goal streak carrying into next week, but he’s certainly one of the Flames’ best forward options.

Matthew Coronato is also giving the Flames some hope that there are better days ahead on offense. The 22-year-old has four goals and six points across his past five appearances, bringing him up to 20 goals and 39 points through 66 games this season. He’s getting tons of playing time -- 19:36 per game, including 3:21 with the man advantage, over his past five outings -- which puts him in a solid position to finish the campaign on a high note. Just keep in mind that young players can be particularly streaking, and Coronato has shown that he’s no exception. He had just two goals and three points in 12 appearances from Feb. 8-March 17, just to cite the latest example of his offense drying up.

Colorado Avalanche (Mon vs CGY, Wed @ CHI, Thu @ CBJ, Sat @ STL)

Colorado is cruising toward the end of the campaign with a 12-1-1 record over its past 14 games. The Avalanche will attempt to maintain that level of extreme success next week, starting with a home game against the Flames. They’ll then hit the road to play in Chicago on Wednesday, Columbus on Thursday and St. Louis on Saturday.

The Avalanche have a 45-25-3 record, which gives them the third spot in the Central Division. Even with their recent success, Colorado is still five points shy of the second-place Dallas Stars despite Colorado having played in one extra game. The Avalanche also have a six-point lead on Minnesota, which is pretty healthy this late in the season. In other words, Colorado is unlikely to move up or down from its current third-place seed, and I do wonder if a sense that the stakes are low will cause Colorado to ease up on the gas a little over the final games off the season, potentially ending the hot streak.

Then again, it’s hard to envision Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar giving suboptimal performances for any meaningful length of time. They’re just so reliable. Plus, MacKinnon has some added personal motivation as he looks to win the Art Ross Trophy -- MacKinnon leads the pack with 108 points in 73 appearances, but Nikita Kucherov isn’t far behind with 105 points in 68 outings -- and bolster his bid for the Hart Trophy. Meanwhile, Makar would set a new career high of 91 points if he collects at least seven more in Colorado’s final nine games -- a very doable task for the elite blueliner.

MacKinnon and Makar have unsurprisingly led the charge during the Avalanche’s past 14 games, providing 21 points and 20 points, respectively, but Martin Necas hasn’t been that far behind with six goals and 16 points in 14 appearances. Necas has worked out superbly alongside MacKinnon, which has led to him recording 26 goals and 80 points across 73 outings between Carolina and Colorado this campaign. Given that I don’t think MacKinnon is likely to slow, Necas should have a strong end to the campaign too.

I’m more uncertain about the sustainability of Brock Nelson. He has three goals and six points across his past four appearances, but can be fairly streaky, and he doesn’t have the luxury of regularly playing with MacKinnon at even strength, so if Colorado slows a bit during its final games, Nelson might be part of that.

Regardless of what the Avalanche do collectively, Charlie Coyle probably won’t factor in much on offense. He has just two assists in 10 games since joining Colorado from Boston, but more importantly, he’s averaging just 13:32 of ice time. Unlike Boston, the Avalanche are deep up front, especially when it comes to centers, so Coyle seems stuck on the third line, barring an injury. There’s no reason to put much stock in Coyle, given that role.

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue vs NAS, Thu vs COL, Sat @ TOR, Sun @ OTT)

Columbus battled to its second straight shootout win Friday, improving to 33-29-9 on the campaign. Through March 28, the Blue Jackets hold the second wild-card seed, but their position couldn’t be more precarious: Although Columbus has the edge in games left (11), Montreal and the Rangers are tied with the Blue Jackets in terms of total points (75). Every point is critical for Columbus, and in that context, the Blue Jackets have a huge week ahead of them. They’ll host Nashville on Tuesday and Colorado on Thursday before hitting the road to visit Toronto and Ottawa on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The fact that Columbus even has a shot this deep into the season is a story that isn’t getting enough coverage nationally. This is a team that was projected to be closer to Chicago (21-43-9) and San Jose (20-42-9) than a playoff berth.

Getting Boone Jenner, Sean Monahan and Cole Sillinger back from injuries has given the Blue Jackets a huge boost that might push them over the edge. Since making his Feb. 22 season debut, Jenner has supplied four goals and 14 points in 15 appearances, and he’s only been getting better, supplying four goals and five points over his past three outings. Meanwhile, Monahan returned Monday after missing 28 games due to a wrist injury and went right back to work with three helpers over his past two outings, and Sillinger (shoulder) played Friday for the first time this month, contributing an assist in his return.

Monahan is centering the top line between Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko, while Boone Jenner is on the second unit with Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson. Sillinger helps round out the top nine by playing alongside Justin Danforth and Mathieu Olivier. Now that Columbus’ forward corps is relatively healthy, James van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch Friday, and he’ll probably find himself moving in and out of the lineup the rest of the way. Olivier is also going to have a tougher time getting minutes, he averaged just 11:40 of ice time Friday despite recording a goal and an assist, which is a significant drop from his average of 14:58 from Feb. 22-March 24.

A healthy group also makes things better for defenseman Zach Werenski on offense. He’s having a career year with 20 goals and 70 points in 70 outings, but he went through a six-game scoring drought from March 13-24. Werenski collected a power-play assist on one of Jenner’s goals to end that slump Friday, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 27-year-old defenseman end the campaign on a high note.

Dallas Stars ( Mon @ SEA, Thu vs NAS, Sat vs PIT, Sun @ MIN)

Dallas earned a 5-2 victory over Calgary on Thursday to improve to 4-1-1 over its past six games. The Stars seem secure as the Central Division’s second seed given their 47-21-4 record, and there’s still an outside shot of catching up to the 49-19-4 Jets to win the division. Dallas will attempt to pull that off with another strong week, starting in Seattle on Monday. The Stars will then host the Predators on Thursday and the Penguins on Saturday before playing in Minnesota on Sunday.

Defenseman Thomas Harley has found another gear lately, scoring five goals and 16 points across his past 14 appearances, rocketing him up to 15 goals and 47 points in 70 outings this campaign. The 23-year-old’s recent success is in part due to the power play -- he has eight points with the man advantage over his last 14 games, compared to just six power-play points across his first 56 outings in 2024-25. Miro Heiskanen (knee) hasn’t played since Jan. 28, which has resulted in Harley averaging 3:24 of power-play ice time since the injury compared to his season average of 2:11, which helps explain why Harley has see that spike in power-play success. Heiskanen is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season as well as the first round of the playoffs, so the current arrangement will persist for a while longer.

While Heiskanen won’t be back any time soon, Tyler Seguin might rejoin the team before the end of the regular season. Keep him in mind for playoff pools. He has nine goals and 20 points in 19 appearances before getting hurt, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him reunite with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment when he’s healthy. Mikael Granlund will make that a difficult decision for the Avalanche, though. Granlund is their current linemate and has done well recently with four goals and eight points across his past 10 outings.

One alternative would be to keep Dallas’ current second line of Duchene, Marchment and Granlund intact, and instead have Seguin play alongside Jamie Benn. That might help the 34-year-old Benn, who has been good, but not great this campaign with 16 goals and 45 points in 72 outings this season. Benn has also been productive recently, supplying five assists in his past seven games despite averaging just 13:14 of ice time due to the Stars’ offensive depth.

Whatever happens, it’s a good problem for Dallas to have. The Stars already have a really strong top nine, and adding a healthy Seguin to that mix would make it truly special.

Montreal Canadiens (Tue vs FLA, Thu vs BOS, Sat vs PHI, Sun @ NAS)

The battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference might come down to the wire. Columbus won while Montreal suffered a loss Friday, leaving the Canadiens tied with Columbus in terms of points (75) for the second wild-card spot, but Montreal is at a disadvantage with one fewer game left on its schedule. The Rangers are also tied with 75 points while the Islanders are at 74. Montreal has been faltering lately, and the Canadiens need to stop the bleeding to stay in the mix. They’ll host the Panthers on Tuesday, the Bruins on Thursday and the Flyers on Saturday. Montreal will then conclude the week with a road match in Nashville on Sunday.

Sam Montembeault deserves some of the blame for Montreal’s recent struggles. He’s 0-2-2 across his past four outings while posting a 4.04 GAA and an .864 save percentage in four appearances. His overall numbers also don’t look great – he has a 25-23-6 record, 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage through 54 appearances. However, there is a caveat to consider: His goals saved above expected is plus-14.5, per Moneypuck, which is actually the 14th best in the league. That’s because Montreal’s xGA/60 ranks 26th at 3.30. In other words, the Canadiens haven’t made things easy for him, and when it comes to this summer, adding players who could help shore up the defense should be a priority.

In meantime, Montreal’s best hope of making the playoffs might be through brute forcing with overwhelming offense. It helps that Patrik Laine has been clicking lately, supplying four goals and seven points over his past eight appearances, however, he’s been held off the scoresheet in two of his past three games, so it’s possible that run is petering out. Laine has traditionally had extreme hot and cold spells, so be weary of the other shoe dropping.

If he does fade, maybe that will be counterbalanced by Cole Caufield getting hot again. Caufield has been a touch quiet lately with a goal and two points across his past five appearances, but he’s having a great season overall with 34 goals and 63 points, and I don’t expect him to be held back for long.

Brendan Gallagher is also worthy of note. He’s enjoying one of his best stretches of the campaign with two goals and seven points in his last six outings. Just keep in mind that he’s still averaging a modest 13:55 of ice time, and he’s not going to be one of Montreal’s main scoring threats overall.

Ottawa Senators (Tue vs BUF, Thu vs TBL, Sat vs FLA, Sun vs CBJ)

Ottawa has merely treaded water recently, winning two of its past five games, but thanks to a 7-0-1 run from March 1-15, the Senators hold the first wild-card spot. Ottawa will look to maintain that lead this week and will have the benefit of remaining at home for the entire duration. The Senators will host Buffalo on Tuesday, Tampa Bay on Thursday, Florida on Saturday and Columbus on Sunday.

The Senators are 20-10-2 at home versus 18-18-3 on the road, so fantasy managers do tend to get a boost when deploying their players in Ottawa. That said, not all players have a dramatic home/road split. One who does is Tim Stutzle. He’s collected 13 goals and 43 points across 32 outings in Ottawa but is a less effective eight goals and 28 points in 39 appearances on the road. To put that in perspective, Stutzle’s home pace amounts to 33 goals and 110 points per 82 games, so that’s the kind of player you’d be deploying if you use him this week.

Drake Batherson is another player who tends to step up in front of the home crowd. He has 14 goals and 34 points in 32 outings at the Canadian Tire Centre this campaign versus six goals and 24 points in 39 games on the road. Batherson has also been hot lately, supplying four goals and nine points over his past eight appearances.

One more player who has a dramatic split is defenseman Jake Sanderson, who has supplied four goals and 30 points in 32 home games compared to three goals and 18 points on the road. However, not every player sees significant benefit from playing at home. Brady Tkachuk does have a higher point per game at home (26 points in 30 outings), but it’s a more muted jump compared to the road (29 points in 39 appearances) than we’ve seen with some other players. The same can be said for Claude Giroux (22 points in 32 games at home; 24 in 39 on the road). Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark actually seems to do a bit better away from Ottawa (2.68 GAA, .911 save percentage) than at home (2.91 GAA, .906 save percentage), so keep that in mind.

Washington Capitals (Tue @ BOS, Wed @ CAR, Fri vs CHI, Sun @ NYI)

The Capitals will spend most of the week on the road, playing in Boston on Tuesday, Carolina on Wednesday and the Islanders on Sunday. That leaves the Capitals with just one home game -- a match against Chicago on Friday. Washington was a borderline team to include because of that skew toward road games, but I couldn’t resist highlighting them given Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s record.

Ovechkin has 36 goals and 60 points in 56 appearances this campaign, putting him at 889 career goals, five shy of matching Gretzky and six away from beating him. Washington has 10 games left in the schedule for Ovechkin to accomplish that feat. In other words, it’s likely going to come down to the wire, but given Ovechkin’s recent pace of 14 goals in his past 22 games, it seems doable.

One x-factor is weather Ovechkin will get rested before the end of the season. To do so when he’s closing in on the record seems insane, but if you take a step back from that, he’s a 39-year-old on a team with Cup aspirations. Under normal circumstances, giving Ovechkin a game or more off at the end of the season would be a no brainer, and not doing so arguably could hurt Washington a bit in the playoffs. To some extent, it’s the same dilemma Toronto faced last year with Auston Matthews. Resting Matthews before Toronto’s first-round series against Boston might have been the smart play, but Matthews had a shot at a 70-goal season, so Toronto decided to keep him in the lineup and even log 21:03 of ice time against Tampa Bay in the season finale despite that game not even mattering from a playoff seeding perspective.

Still, Ovechkin didn’t play in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he missed 16 games from Nov. 21-Dec. 23 due to a fractured fibula, so unlike Matthews, who logged 81 regular-season games last season, Ovechkin has already had time off, so perhaps he doesn’t need the break as much as you might assume. Either way, it seems unlikely that Washington will rest him unless Ovechkin has already secured the record -- and the plus side in all this is it gives the Capitals something to play for even at this stage when they’ve already basically secured the top spot in the Conference with their 47-16-9 record.

Ovechkin’s pursuit should also help Aliaksei Protas finish his breakout campaign on a strong note. Protas has six goals and 13 points across his past 10 outings, bringing him up to 29 goals and 64 points in 72 outings. It’s going to be challenging for Washington to maintain its current level once Ovechkin eventually retires, but the 24-year-old Protas does give the Capitals hope for the future as well as the present.

NHL: 20 FANTASY POINTS – 4 Nations fallout – Tkachuk, McAvoy, Harley, Bennett, Theodore plus Kadri, Danault, Donato and much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:41:48 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 15: Team Canada forward Sam Bennett (9) plays the puck against Team USA defenseman Charlie McAvoy (25) during a 4 Nations Face-Off game between Team USA and Team Canada on February 15, 2025, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, fallout from the 4 Nations Face-Off, including Matthew Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy, Thomas Harley, Sam Bennett, and Shea Theodore plus Nazem Kadri, Phillip Danault, Ryan Donato and much more!

#1 Coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk could be missing some time. He played just 6:46 against Canada in the final game of the tournament, and given the emotional stakes involved, it seems fair to expect that he will miss some NHL regular season action. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, Tkachuk had been playing his best hockey of the season, piling up 16 points (8 G, 8 A) in his last eight games before the 4 Nations. If Tkachuk is out, someone like Eetu Luostarinen could find his way up to the Panthers’ top six to fill in.

#2 The other issue related to a Tkachuk absence is that he typically skates on the wing of centre Sam Bennett, who had an excellent showing in the final games of the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring a goal and leading Canada with six shots on goal. Bennett is a difficult player to project coming out of that tournament because he has established that he can turn up his game in the big moments, performing better in the playoffs than in the regular season, so it’s not like he can automatically be assumed to be ready to shred the NHL after his impressive play for Canada and even more so if Tkachuk is going to miss time. While Bennett had seven points (4 G, 3 A) in his last 12 games before the tourney, he also recorded 59 shots on goal in that time. If he is putting up nearly five shots on goal per game, production will follow.

#3 A pleasant surprise for Team Canada at the 4 Nations, Stars defenceman Thomas Harley was called to action when Shea Theodore was injured, and Cale Makar was sick. Prior to the tournament, Harley was already pushed into a bigger role on the Dallas blueline because of the lower-body injury suffered by Miro Heiskanen and Harley had six points (2 G, 4 A) in five games after Heiskanen was injured. Harley has 29 points this season, but only five points on the power play. With Heiskanen out, Harley does have a bigger role on the Dallas power play and the 23-year-old blueliner could be even more confident after his success playing in a best-on-best tournament.

#4 Boston Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy suffered a shoulder injury for Team USA at the tournament and the ensuing infection should keep him out on a week-to-week basis, which is a big loss for the Bruins, obviously. While McAvoy is the number one defenceman in Boston, he has not been the primary blueliner on the power play. That role has gone to Mason Lohrei, who does have 10 power play assists this season, but has just one goal and six shots on goal in his past nine games.

#5 Team Canada lost defenceman Shea Theodore to an injury in its first game against Sweden. Theodore will be out week-to-week with an upper-body injury and that should open the door for Alex Pietrangelo or Noah Hanifin to get more power play time. Hanifin may be the better option right now as Pietrangelo skipped the 4 Nations so that he could be healthy for the stretch run and has not recorded a power play point all season. With 25 points, Pietrangelo ranks second among defencemen for the most points without a power play point all season. Colorado’s Devon Toews has 27 points to lead, while Damon Severson (22), Gustav Forsling (21), and Simon Edvinsson (21) round out the top five.

#6 Even players who were not involved in the 4 Nations could bring injury news during the break and that happened with Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Demko has not had a great season, even when healthy, managing a .891 save percentage in 17 games, but now the Canucks will lean on Kevin Lankinen, who has a .905 save percentage in 34 games. The workload could become an issue, as Lankinen has never played more than 37 games in an NHL season, but Vancouver doesn’t have much choice but to run with him and maybe spot in Arturs Silovs when they can.

#7 Journeyman Chicago Blackhawks winger Ryan Donato is enjoying the best season of his career, with career highs of 19 goals and 37 points in 53 games. He has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game in his past 10 games, finding a good groove on a line with Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. Tread carefully on adding Donato, though, because with an expiring contract, he is a prime candidate to get traded at the deadline and he almost certainly would not receive the same quality of ice time on a contending team. That could mean that Donato’s fantasy appeal is only for a couple more weeks, unless he signs a contract extension to stay in Chicago.

#8 Keeping the Calgary Flames in the playoff hunt, centre Nazem Kadri has produced 11 points (4 G, 7 A) and 30 shots on goal in his past 10 games. He ranks second on the Flames with 40 points, one behind Jonathan Huberdeau. Kadri has an on-ice shooting percentage of 5.5 percent, which ranks 304th out of 310 forwards that have played at least 500 five-on-five minutes. That would represent a career low percentage for Kadri, whose on-ice shooting percentage last season was 9.8 percent, so he could be a prime buy-low candidate who is due for positive regression. As a bit of an interesting statistical side note, Kadri has won 47.9 percent of his faceoffs in 219 games with the Flames, after winning 52.5 percent in 178 games for Colorado. Were his Avalanche wingers that much better at helping to gain possession off the draw?

#9 Skating on a line with Kadri and Huberdeau, second-year right winger Matt Coronato has been making the most of his opportunity. He has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past six games and has played more than 20 minutes twice in that six -game span. That’s a threshold that Coronato has crossed just five times all season, so he is ascending and playing with two proven performers does give him a better chance to keep this going through the end of the season.

#10 Although he has just five goals this season and his offensive production has not been up to previous levels, the Kings’ Phillip Danault does have five points (1 G, 4 A) in his past four games. He continues to be an excellent possession player, with a 57.4 percent Corsi, and the Kings are outscoring opponents 31-23 during five-on-five with Danault on the ice, so he is going to keep playing in the range of 18 minutes per game. He could present a bit of a buy-low option since he has scored on just 6.4 percent of his shots this season, which would be his lowest since his rookie season in 2015-2016.

#11 To be kind, it has been an uneven season for Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook, who has just 18 points (10 G, 8 A) in 56 games after finishing last season with 34 points (15 G, 19 A) in 55 games. His ice time is down by 1:41 per game and he is a terrible shot generator, managing 74 shots on goal in 56 games. Newhook had five points (1 G, 4 A) in five games before the 4 Nations, but still only managed three shots on goal, so it’s difficult to get excited about his chances of sustaining his point production until his shot rate improves.

#12 Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kent Johnson has thrived during a breakout season, tallying 36 points (17 G, 19 A) in 42 games. He has 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in his past 12 games and has averaged 1.50 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which ranks third among NHL players, behind only Buffalo’s Tage Thompson (1.77) and Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen (1.51).

#13 Veteran Winnipeg Jets centre Vladislav Namestnikov can get taken for granted because he is a flexible player who can move around the roster as needed. Sometimes, he is on a scoring line, but at other times, he might even be on the fourth line, and he’s savvy enough to be effective in both roles. While the Jets might still be looking for an upgrade before the trade deadline, Namestnikov has been thriving as the second-line centre, skating between Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti. In his past eight games, Namestnikov has nine points (1 G, 8 A) with 18 shots on goal. The Jets have also outscored opponents by a margin of 27-17 with Namestnikov on the ice during five-on-five play.

#14 New York Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov has found his way into the top six and went into the break with six assists in his last six games and played 18:00 in his last game before the 4 Nations, his most ice time in a game in two months. For as long as he can keep a spot alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, Tsyplakov might hold some fantasy appeal.

#15 Utah Hockey Club rookie right winger Josh Doan is pushing his way into a regular role. He put up 26 points (11 G, 15 A) in 28 AHL games and was recalled to the big club on January 10. He has four points (1 G, 3 A) in his past three games and has a solid opportunity in Utah’s top nine, skating with Jack McBain and Lawson Crouse both at even strength and on Utah’s second power play unit.

#16 Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad has been quietly productive, contributing six points (1 g, 5 A) and 18 shots on goal while playing more than 23 minutes per game in his past eight games. Nine of his 26 points this season have come on the power play, and he is the Panthers’ top defence option with the man advantage, especially after they waived Adam Boqvist, who was claimed by the Islanders.

#17 A focal point on the Anaheim Ducks’ power play, defenceman Jackson LaCombe is quick to pull the trigger on point shots. Lacombe’s role was expanded earlier in the season and since the beginning of December he has 20 points (7 G, 13 A) with 77 shots on goal while playing more than 22 minutes per game in 31 games. There are 67 defencemen that have played at least 50 minutes with a five-on-four advantage this season and only the Islanders’ Noah Dobson (16.62) has a higher rate of five-on-four shots per 60 minutes. LaCombe is at 15.43, followed by Dougie Hamilton (15.24), Zach Werenski (14.18), Brent Burns (12.36), and Vince Dunn (12.33).

#18 Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Gage Goncalves watched linemates Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel play key roles for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Goncalves had five assists and 11 shots on goal in the last six games before the break in the schedule. He has toiled for quite a while in the American Hockey League, putting up 163 points (48 G, 115 A) in 226 games. The 24-year-old had just two points (1 G, 1 A) in his first 27 games for the Lightning this season, but his sudden scoring surge makes him worth keeping an eye on.

#19 Utah Hockey club defenceman Sean Durzi is set to make his return after suffering a shoulder injury on October 14. While Mikhail Sergachev remains the quarterback on Utah’s top power play unit, Durzi has established that he can run a power play, recording 41 power play assists in 216 career games, and he had two points in four games before getting hurt. Durzi’s return to action could cut into power play time for second-year blueliner Michael Kesselring, the second-year defender who ranks seventh on the team with 22 points (6 G, 16 A) in 56 games.

#20 Ottawa Senators right winger Drake Batherson has managed five points (2 G, 3 A) while registering 27 shots on goal in his past 11 games and three of those five points happened in a 6-0 rout over Minnesota. This relative slump highlights Batherson’s poor luck during five-on-five play as he has an on-ice shooting percentage of 5.4 percent, far below the 8.7 percent that he recorded during the 2023-2024 season. Batherson’s most common linemate this season has been Josh Norris, who is currently injured, so Batherson is lined up with Ridly Greig and David Perron while also holding a spot on the Senators’ top power play unit.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Tric

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Wolf making Calder case, Johnson rebounding and much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 19:02:34 +0000

_{VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 25: Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in net during their preseason NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on September 25, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)}

Each week, I’ll dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Dustin Wolf is howling in Calgary’s net, Mason Marchment is delivering for Dallas, Kent Johnson returns to the Blue Jackets lineup and much more!

#1 When the Calgary Flames made room for goaltender Dustin Wolf last season, after he had been dominant in the American Hockey League, Wolf had a .893 save percentage in 17 games, which did not exactly bust down the door to his NHL career. The Flames then traded Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey in the offseason, giving Wolf the opportunity to share the crease with Daniel Vladar. Wolf has stopped 112 of 116 shots (.966 save percentage) while winning his past four starts, giving him a .926 save percentage in 11 games this season. He is gaining the edge on Vladar in Calgary’s crease competition and has a case to make for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

#2 Dallas Stars power forward Mason Marchment has been thriving on a line with veterans Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin. In the past five games, Marchment has produced 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 14 shots on goal. He also leads the Stars with 31 hits in 17 games, so the 6-foot-5 winger brings broad fantasy appeal. Marchment does have an on-ice shooting percentage of 13.0 percent, which is likely due for some regression, but it’s not unreasonable to expect him to keep producing offensively while skating with Duchene and Seguin.

#3 Last season was such a washout for Kent Johnson, the Columbus Blue Jackets winger who was the fifth pick in the 2021 Draft. Johnson has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in 42 games and was demoted to the American Hockey League, which was a major disappointment for a player of his considerable gifts. With a new coach, Dean Evason, on the Blue Jackets bench, Johnson got a fresh start this season and is making the most of it. He missed more than a month with a shoulder injury, but Johnson returned to action Thursday and scored a pair of goals against Tampa Bay, giving him seven points (4 G, 3 A) in five games.

#4 When veteran centre Sean Monahan signed with Columbus as a free agent in the offseason, he was surely looking forward to the chance to play with Johnny Gaudreau. When tragedy struck, Monahan stepped up to be a leader on his new team, and after a four-point night against Tampa Bay on Thursday, he has 19 points (7 G, 12 A) with 57 shots on goal in 19 games. It would be the first season of his career in which he has averaged at least three shots on goal per game.

#5 While the San Jose Sharks endured a miserable 2023-2024 season, William Eklund did contribute 45 points (16 G, 29 A) in his first full NHL season. He has built on that this season, with his average time on ice climbing over 20 minutes per game. Eklund has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in 21 games. His shot rate could use some improvement, but Eklund is skating on a line with Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund while getting first unit power play time, so there is reason to expect his production to continue.

#6 When the Sharks acquired defenceman Jake Walman from Detroit, it seemed like a good deal at a reasonable price, but he just had a career-high 21 points (9 G, 12 A) in 63 games, so it’s not like he came to San Jose with huge offensive expectations. Nevertheless, he is proving that he can chip in offensively, including 10 points (2 G, 8 A) with 25 shots on goal in the past eight games. He is playing a career-high 22:41 per game and thriving in that role.

#7 Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Travis Sanheim had a career-high 44 points (10 G, 34 A) last season and is being pushed into an even bigger role this season. He is playing 25:33 per game, surpassing 30 minutes in three of his past six games. In those six games, Sanheim has six points (2 G, 4 A) with 19 shots on goal and with Cam York and Jamie Drysdale injured, there is time for Sanheim on the Flyers’ top power play, too.

#8 Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen got a late start to the season as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery, but the ever-reliable forward has found his place in the Avalanche lineup. In eight games since rejoining the active roster, Lehkonen has six points (3 G, 3 A) with 21 shots on goal while playing a career-high average of 22:51 per game. The only forward in the league with a higher average time on ice is Nathan MacKinnon (23:16) and Lehkonen is skating on a line with MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, a spot that ought to allow for continued offensive production.

#9 With an uncomfortable history of shoulder injuries, Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris has managed to stay healthy and relatively productive to start this season. In his past six games, he has five points (4 G, 1 A) and 13 shots on goal. He is one of five Sens (Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, and Adam Gaudette are the others) with eight or more goals this season and Norris does hold a spot on Ottawa’s top power play unit.

#10 An injury to Brayden Point opened the door for Anthony Cirelli to get a shot at centering the first line for the Tampa Bay Lightning and it worked well for him. In his past six games, Cirelli has averaged 21:54 of ice time per game, while contributing seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 10 shots on goal. He had a career-high 45 points (20 G, 25 A) last season but if he is going to keep getting time with Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov, Cirelli should be able to fly past that point total.

#11 Dallas Stars rookie right winger Logan Stankoven is tied with the Flyers’ Matvei Michkov for the rookie scoring lead, as both have 15 points. Stankoven has five points (3 G, 2 A) in his past seven games but, more impressively, has 26 shots on goal while playing 15:25 per game. That kind of shot production in that ice time is a very encouraging sign. In the past two weeks, Stankoven has 14.26 shots on goal per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which ranks fifth (minimum 60 minutes) behind Brady Tkachuk, Jesse Puljujarvi, Bobby McMann, and Zach Aston-Reese.

#12 Last season, when he was playing for the Los Angeles Kings, Pierre-Luc Dubois saw his reputation take a serious hit as he finished with 40 points (16 G, 24 A) in 82 games and had his effort frequently and very publicly questioned. He has six points (1 G, 5 A) in his past six games and while his shot rate is still way down, the Capitals are enjoying success with Dubois on the ice, outscoring the opposition 18-10 during five-on-five play, as he is making the most of his opportunity to play with Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson. With Alex Ovechkin out for the next 4-6 weeks with a broken fibula, the Capitals will need Dubois, McMichael and Wilson to help fill the offensive void. Andrew Mangiapane is getting the first opportunity to fill Ovechkin’s spot on the line with Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas.

#13 Blue Jackets winger Dmitri Voronkov started the season slowly but is starting to find his groove on the top line with Monahan and Kirill Marchenko. In the past four games, Voronkov has five points (3 G, 2 A) with 12 shots on goal. Considering his production last season, when he had 34 points (18 G, 16 A) in 75 games as a rookie, Voronkov might be a decent buy-low option on a Blue Jackets team that is possibly more competitive than they were expected to be coming into the season.

#14 With Auston Matthews still out of the lineup, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seen that Bobby McMann can play a strong complementary role alongside John Tavares and Mitch Marner on the Leafs’ top line. In his past four games, McMann has scored goals while launching 20 shots on goal and playing more than 17 minutes per game. He only has one assist in 19 games, so he is not filling every category, but McMann also has 31 hits in 19 games, so he can contribute in that way as well, making him a useful option in deeper leagues, even if it’s in a short-term role.

#15 Hard driving New York Rangers left winger Will Cuylle is growing into a more significant presence in his second NHL season. He had 21 points (13 G, 8 A) and 249 hits in 81 games last season, but now has six points (3 G, 3 A) in his past five games, lifting him to 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in 18 games. On top of that, he has 75 hits, ranking third among forwards with 4.17 hits per game. That makes Cuylle a very valuable piece for fantasy managers.

#16 Veteran Seattle Kraken left winger Jaden Schwartz has enjoyed a long career of providing solid secondary scoring and he is continuing in that role for the Kraken. In his past five games, he has taken on a more prominent role with greater production, including four points (1 G, 3 A) and 17 shots on goal, while playing an average of 19:19 per game. Schwartz is playing with Chandler Stephenson and Daniel Sprong at even strength and the trio is all part of Seattle’s top power play unit.

#17 While his production has not taken off yet, Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano is showing positive signs. Last season, he set career highs with 37 goals and 60 points while playing a career-high 18:21 per game. Through 17 games this season, he has just two goals and seven points, but he has 26 shots on goal (with 18:26 ATOI) in his past six games, as he skates with veteran Ryan Strome and Troy Terry at evens and holds a spot on the Ducks’ top power play. Vatrano has been a consistent shot generator throughout his career, it’s a matter of him getting enough opportunities to turn those shots into production.

#18 Injuries have also provided a bigger role for Ducks right winger Brett Leason, a 6-foot-5 forward who had a career-high 22 points (11 G, 11 A) last season. In his past five games, Leason has seven points (2 G, 5 A) while averaging more than 14 minutes of ice time per game. This is a small sample, of course, but if he can continue to make offensive contributions, Leason could force his way into the Ducks’ top nine.

#19 With Samuel Ersson injured, Ivan Fedotov is getting more of an opportunity in the Philadelphia Flyers’ net. The 27-year-old netminder struggled early in the season, but in four starts in November, he has three wins and a .910 save percentage. That might not be enough to trust your fantasy goaltending situation to him, but if you’re in desperate shape, he just might be able to solve the issue in the short term. If not Fedotov, consider Utah’s Karel Vejmelka, who has just one win in eight appearances, but his .922 save percentage suggests that he deserves better.

#20 Another deep league goaltending consideration could be Montreal Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault, who appears to be emerging from a bit of a rough patch. He has a .906 save percentage in XX games, but that has decidedly improved over the past three starts when he stopped 80 of 83 shots for a .964 save percentage. Montembeault also has the likelihood of playing more games since Cayden Primeau is struggling, with a .845 save percentage in seven games. If Primeau doesn’t get significantly better, then there is no reason for Montreal to run their goaltending in a tandem style rather than a clear No. 1 and clear No. 2 between the pipes.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (October 28th to November 3rd) – Jets’ Perfect Start, Sharks’ Slow Start

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 18:00:14 +0000

_{DENVER, CO - APRIL 17: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) makes a pass during a Western Conference match-up in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 17, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. (Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire)}

Last week I noted the Avalanche and Predators’ 0-4-0 start and focused quite a bit on Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev’s disastrous play, so it seems only fair to check back in with those teams, beginning with the Avs.

Colorado has done a full 180, winning its last four games to reach 4-4-0. As noted during the Avalanche section of that article, Colorado’s recent schedule has been favorable (the Avalanche have beaten Anaheim, San Jose, Seattle and Utah), which has doubtlessly aided in the turnaround, but credit still needs to go to Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. With the team’s depth gutted by injuries, those three have driven the offense. Makar leads the league -- not just defensemen -- with 15 points (three goals) through eight contests. MacKinnon and Rantanen aren’t far behind with 13 points each.

As for Georgiev, he hasn’t been in net since allowing three goals on just 19 shots against Anaheim in the Avalanche’s 4-3 overtime win Oct. 18. Justus Annunen has taken over the starting gig, saving a combined 75 of 79 shots (.949 save percentage) across the Avalanche’s past three victories. Georgiev is going to get other opportunities but given that the veteran netminder struggled last season as well as this one, it’s entirely plausible for Annunen to wrestle away the No. 1 job long-term, provided he remains solid.

Nashville hasn’t enjoyed the same turnaround, but the Predators finally earned their first victory Tuesday with a 4-0 showing against Boston. Steven Stamkos’ cold start has continued with a goal and no assists through six appearances, so we’ll have to see where that leads.

While the Predators’ slow start has been surprising, probably the biggest shock in the early going of the campaign is Minnesota’s 5-0-2 start. The Wild missed the playoffs last year with a 39-33-10 record, and it was expected that this would be another challenging campaign, in large part because they still have over $14 million of dead cap space due to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts (though that crashes to just a combined $1,666,666 beyond this campaign).

Goaltending has been a big part of that turnaround. Filip Gustavsson disappointed last year with a 20-17-5 record, 3.06 GAA and .899 save percentage in 45 outings, but he’s rebounded in the early part of 2024-25, posting a 4-0-1 record, 1.40 GAA and .952 save percentage through five outings. It’s still early, but Gustavsson is still a relatively young goaltender at 26 and demonstrated in 2022-23 that he can be a high-end option, so it wouldn’t be completely out of nowhere if he goes on to have a great season.

Boston Bruins

One goaltender who isn’t having a great campaign thus far is Jeremy Swayman, who missed training camp but joined the Bruins after being presented with 66 million reasons for doing so. Perhaps because he didn’t get any preseason action, Swayman hasn’t been able to find a rhythm, posting a 2-3-1 record, 2.99 GAA and .904 save percentage through six appearances in 2024-25. Jonas Korpisalo hasn’t shown himself to be a good alternative, though, allowing nine goals on 60 shots (.850 save percentage) across two starts.

The good news is the Bruins don’t have the best of scoring teams on the docket for the upcoming week. Boston will host the Flyers on Tuesday before a two-game road trip that will see the Bruins play in Carolina on Thursday and Philadelphia on Saturday. They’ll return home to play the Kraken on Sunday. The Flyers rank 29th offensively with 2.29 goals per game while Carolina and Seattle are in the middle-of-the-pack in scoring.

Swayman isn’t the only Bruins player who has underperformed. While David Pastrnak is tied for the team lead offensively with six points (five goals), that’s less than you’d expect from him through eight appearances. Brad Marchand has fared worse though, providing no goals and four assists across eight outings.

Pastrnak should rebound, but is there reason to be more concerned about Marchand given that he’s 36 years old? It’s a little early to say, but there’s nothing that stands out to me as terribly wrong thus far. His skating hasn’t declined, and his shots/60 is largely unchanged from last year. His shots are perhaps less concentrated in front of the net compared to last year, but we’re also comparing a large sample size to a relatively small one. He merits monitoring, but not panic yet.

On the other end of the spectrum, Cole Koepke has impressed with three goals and six points through eight appearances. I recommend caution when evaluating him, though. Despite his strong start, he’s averaging just 11:04 of ice time, and that includes almost no work on the power play. He’s also been held off the scoresheet in Boston’s past two games, so the hot streak appears to be over. Don’t put high expectations on the 26-year-old.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets entered the campaign the low expectations of being projected as a team likely to be in the running for the first overall draft pick, but so far Columbus has held its own with a 3-3-0 record. We’ll see if the Blue Jackets will be able to keep that going amid a busy week that will involve a home stretch against Edmonton on Monday, the Islanders on Wednesday and Winnipeg on Friday and conclude with a road game in Washington on Saturday.

Columbus’ early success has been in no small part thanks to Kirill Marchenko and free agent signing Sean Monahan developing chemistry on the top line. Marchenko took a step forward as a sophomore in 2023-24 with 23 goals and 42 points across 78 appearances, and he seems to be destined for greater heights this season after starting with three goals and eight points through six outings. Monahan has collected three goals and seven points of his own with the duo showing up on the scoresheet together five times so far.

Yegor Chinakhov is giving the Blue Jackets some offensive depth from the second line. The 23-year-old has supplied three goals and seven points through six appearances after finishing 2023-24 with 29 points (13 goals) in 53 outings. The 22-year-old Kent Johnson also looked good early on with two goals and five points in four appearances, but unfortunately, he sustained an upper-body injury and is expected to be unavailable for a significant chunk of time.

He had been playing alongside Mikael Pyyhtia and Cole Sillinger, and due to Johnson’s absence, that line was broken up with Sillinger now joining Marchenko and Monahan, while Pyyhtia is with Chinakhov and Adam Fantilli, who has just two points (both goals) in six games this year but is averaging an encouragingly high 17:49 of ice time.

There’s a lot of potential with this Blue Jackets team, but young forwards tend to be streaky, so don’t be surprised if Columbus deals with a lot of inconsistency in 2024-25.

New York Islanders

As noted above, the Islanders will play Columbus on the road Wednesday. That’s part of the start of a three-game road trip for the Islanders that will also feature games in Buffalo on Friday and against the Rangers on Sunday. However, the Islanders will host Anaheim on Tuesday before that trip begins.

New York is off to a 2-2-2 start despite allowing just 2.50 goals per game. The offense just hasn’t been there, though. Noah Dobson leads the team with just four assists and no Islanders player has more than two goals.

Scoring was an issue for the Islanders last year too -- they ranked 22nd with 2.99 goals per game -- so this isn’t a completely shocking development. They did sign Anthony Duclair over the summer in the hopes of at least bolstering their secondary scoring, but after providing two goals and three points through five outings, Duclair suffered a leg injury, and the team announced Thursday that he’ll be out for the next 4-6 weeks.

Duclair was playing alongside Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal on the top line, and due to the injury, Simon Holmstrom is projected to take that first unit spot. However, Holmstrom had just 15 goals and 25 points in 75 regular-season games in 2023-24, so while playing on the top line should provide him with some additional opportunities, he’s probably not worth a pickup in most fantasy formats even with his new role.

The Islanders' other new forward is Maxim Tsyplakov, who is making the transition to the NHL after scoring 31 goals and 47 points across 65 regular-season appearances with the KHL’s Moscow Spartak in 2023-24. Tsyplakov has been okay, but not special so far, supplying a goal and three points through six outings. He has gotten looks on the top power-play unit, which is interesting, but for now, I’d recommend just keeping an eye on him rather than grabbing him if you’re in a standard fantasy league.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are winless through eight games (0-6-2), but perhaps they’ll finally get a victory in the upcoming week. They’ll start on the road against Utah on Monday before heading home to host the Kings on Tuesday, the Blackhawks on Thursday and the Canucks on Saturday.

San Jose’s fairly is largely because it ranks dead last offensively with just 1.88 goals per game. Macklin Celebrini, who was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, would have been a major help there, but after scoring a goal and an assist in his NHL debut, he sustained a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup. It was announced Monday that he would miss at least two more weeks, so don’t expect him to make his return at any point during the four-game stretch mentioned above.

Things might be even grimmer for captain Logan Couture. There haven’t been any updates on the status of his groin injury since the start of the season, which leads me to believe he’s still a ways off from playing. If they were both healthy, Couture and Celebrini would probably comprise two-thirds of the first line. Instead, Mikael Granlund, Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund are the top unit.

You could do worse than that trio. Granlund has exceeded expectations with three goals and nine points through eight contests while Toffoli and Eklund have made their presence felt with seven and five points, respectively. However, while San Jose can still ice a viable first line without Couture and Celebrini, the Sharks can’t do much else. No other player on that team even has four points through eight games. Daniil Gushchin has gotten looks on the second line and with the man advantage despite the 22-year-old having no points and five shots through five appearances. Gushchin did record 20 goals and 54 points in 56 AHL outings in 2023-24, so I don’t want to pick on him, but he’s not currently a great option on the top six.

Meanwhile, Will Smith is experiencing some growing pains. He looked amazing with Boston College in 2023-24, supplying 25 goals and 71 points across 41 games as a freshman, but he has no points, a minus-4 rating and nine shots across six appearances with the Sharks this season. In the long run, he should be a big part of the Sharks’ core group, but for now, he’s another reason why San Jose’s offense is floundering.

Tampa Bay Lightning

One team that has had no problems scoring is Tampa Bay, and the Lightning will try to keep that going next week when they host Stamkos and the Predators on Monday. The Lightning will then go on the road to play in Colorado on Wednesday, Minnesota on Friday and Winnipeg on Sunday.

Letting Stamkos walk couldn’t have been an easy decision after everything he brought to the franchise, and while Stamkos hasn’t impressed early in his Predators tenure, it’s way too early to say if passing on him was the right decision. If nothing else, though, Jake Guentzel, who the Lightning could afford to sign with Stamkos gone, has meshed well on the top line with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.

Guentzel has two goals and seven points across seven games, though his early success has been overshadowed by Nikita Kucherov, who already has eight goals and 13 points across seven appearances this year. Kucherov has managed at least a point in every game thus far. In case you’re wondering, Martin St. Louis (2009-10), Stamkos (2017-18) and Kucherov (2017-18) are tied for Tampa Bay’s franchise record for the longest scoring streak to begin a campaign at 11 games, so while Kucherov isn’t close to that, he has the opportunity to reach and surpass it next week (Tampa Bay has one more clash this week, a home game Saturday versus Washington, so next Sunday’s game versus Winnipeg will be the squad’s 12th of the season).

That top line’s strong start is just part of the Lightning’s bigger offensive success -- they are tied for fifth with 4.00 goals per game -- but the squad has a middling 4-3-0 record despite that. Andrei Vasilevskiy has an amazing opening to 2024-25, but that’s been erased after he allowed 15 goals on 84 shots (.821 save percentage) across his past four appearances. He also left something to be desired last season with his 30-20-2 record, 2.90 GAA and .900 save percentage in 52 regular-season outings, but that was partially handwaved because he missed a significant chunk of the start of that campaign due to injury. However, if he’s truly no longer the elite goaltender he once was, then Tampa Bay is in trouble. Jonas Johansson isn’t a viable alternative for any significant length of time, and Vasilevskiy’s $9.5 million cap hit runs through 2027-28.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto is one of the teams that added to Tampa Bay’s recent woes with a 5-2 victory over the Lightning on Monday, but the Leafs have their own issues after suffering losses to Columbus and St. Louis, bringing Toronto’s record to 4-4-0. Toronto will try to right the ship next week, but it will have to do so while being primarily on the road. The Maple Leafs will play in Winnipeg on Monday, host the Kraken on Thursday and then conclude the week with home games against St. Louis on Saturday and Minnesota on Sunday.

Toronto’s issues mostly stem from inconsistency rather than any particular underperformance, though Auston Matthews’ three goals and five points through eight appearances are certainly less than we’d expect out of him. The team in general hasn’t been as good offensively as it has been in recent years and currently is in a three-way tie for 21st with 2.88 goals per game.

That’s been offset by Anthony Stolarz, who has a 3-2-0 record, 1.83 GAA and .938 save percentage across five appearances. Notably, he wasn’t in net for either of Toronto’s recent losses. Stolarz stopped 32 of 34 shots in that victory over Tampa Bay on Monday, so naturally, he rested Tuesday with Dennis Hildeby getting the nod. Hildeby fell short in a 6-2 loss to St. Louis, but he’s back in the minors anyway because Joseph Woll (lower body) was ready to return Thursday. Unfortunately, Woll was a mixed bag in his season debut, stopping 22 of 26 shots en route to a 5-1 loss to St. Louis.

Stolarz has earned the right to be in contention for the Leafs’ starting gig, and with the packed schedule, he should be in net for at least two of Toronto’s four games next week. I’m also interested to see what happens to Knies and Bobby McMann after Matthew Knies was taken off the first line in the third period of Thursday’s loss. It wouldn’t surprise me if Knies went right back to being the third forward on the Matthews-Mitch Marner unit, but there’s also a reasonable chance McMann gets a longer look in that spot.

Maybe Nicholas Robertson also gets another look on the left wing? Robertson hasn’t demanded preferential treatment after supplying just one point through eight outings, but Toronto’s left wing is still a work in progress, so the possibility of Robertson getting a chance to serve on the top six by shifting from the right to left remains.

Washington Capitals

Washington has jumped out to a 5-1-0 record this year and will look to keep that going with a homestand with the Capitals set to host the Rangers on Tuesday, the Canadiens on Thursday and the Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Capitals will wrap up the week with a visit to Carolina on Sunday.

After a disappointing showing with the Kings last year (16 goals and 40 points in 82 games), Pierre-Luc Dubois got off to a slow start with Washington, providing two assists through five appearances, but he had his first big night with the Capitals on Wednesday, contributing a goal and three points in a 6-3 victory over Philadelphia. So far Dubois has played almost exclusively on the second line with Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael while also seeing time on the top power-play unit. That’s not a bad gig for him and could facilitate a rebound to something resembling his 60-ish-point performances in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Meanwhile, Aliaksei Protas is doing fine on the first line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Protas has a goal and four points across six appearances but be careful about overvaluing his top-line spot. While he does play with choice linemates when on the ice, he’s still logging a modest 13:40 per game and is rarely deployed on the power play, so while the 23-year-old might surpass his 2023-24 total of 29 points, this isn’t likely to be a breakout campaign for him.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets have gotten off to an incredible 7-0-0 start. They’ll try to stay strong with their upcoming action, which features a home game against Toronto on Monday, road tilts versus Detroit and Columbus on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, and a home game versus the Lightning.

Connor Hellebuyck has unsurprisingly been a part of the early success with a 6-0-0 record, 1.66 GAA and .940 save percentage, but he’s gotten some good offensive support too. Six players (Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, Cole Perfetti, Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey) have supplied at least seven points through seven games.

That’s on top of Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton, who each have supplied six points through seven outings while playing on the third unit. That’s some tremendous depth to have, but we’ll see how long this lasts. I’m particularly skeptical of Appleton. The 28-year-old has never come close to the 40-point mark in a single season, and his early numbers are skewed due to two multi-point performances -- he's also been held off the scoresheet four times. In the long run, his offensive pace is likely to decline substantially.

Cole Perfetti’s scoring pace will probably drop too, but not by nearly as much. Although he recorded 30 and 38 points in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively, the 22-year-old has plenty of upside, and he might be starting to reach his potential. Like Appleton, he’s been inconsistent this campaign with seven of his eight points coming from just two games, but Perfetti’s offensive talent makes me more optimistic about him for the rest of the season. If nothing else, Perfetti will be nice to have on your roster while he’s hot.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Colton, Stolarz, Wolf, and More

Scott Cullen — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 13:00:21 +0000

_{CALGARY, AB - FEBRUARY 20: Calgary Flames Right Wing Jonathan Huberdeau (10) looks on during the second period of an NHL game between the Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers on February 20, 2023, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire)}

Each week, I’ll dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. Injuries are forcing changes early in the NHL season, and our sights are set on Ross Colton, Anthony Stolarz, the surprising Calgary Flames and more!

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

#1 With injuries decimating Colorado’s forward lines, the Avalanche have moved Ross Colton up to play on the left wing on Colorado’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Colton’s ice time is up nearly five minutes per game compared to last season, which was his career high, and he has five points (4 G, 1 A) with 18 shots on goal and 18 hits in five games. When the Avalanche get players back from injury, it is more likely that Colton will slide back to a third-line centre role, but with the Avs missing Jonathan Drouin short term and Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Gabriel Landeskog long term, the opportunity is there for Colton to have a bigger impact than he has to this point in his career.

#2 When Joseph Woll landed on the injured list to start the season, Anthony Stolarz was thrust into the No. 1 goaltending job for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the 6-foot-6 netminder is thriving in the early going. Stolarz has a .940 save percentage in three starts and that is just picking up where he left off last season, when he had a .925 save percentage in 27 games for Florida. Stolarz, 30, has never played more than 28 NHL games in a season, so it remains to be seen if he can handle a starter’s workload, but it’s safe to expect that he will see more action in Toronto this season than in any of his previous NHL seasons.

#3 Entering this season, Calgary Flames left winger Jonathan Huberdeau was practically considered a lost cause, with a massive long-term contract and declining production since arriving in Calgary. But what if the 31-year-old Huberdeau isn’t cooked just yet? Skating on a line with Martin Pospisil and Anthony Mantha, the trio has helped Calgary to a 4-0 start, while Huberdeau has scored three goals at even strength and added three assists on the power play.

#4 Avalanche centre Casey Mittelstadt is getting pushed into a bigger role in Colorado. He has five points (4 G, 1 A) and 17 shots on goal in five games, which is solid, but he is averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game, an increase of more than five minutes per game compared to his ice time with the Avs after he was acquired from Buffalo last season. Mittelstadt has produced 59 and 57 points in the past two seasons, respectively, and could very well exceed those totals this season.

#5 After dominating in the American Hockey League, Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf got called up last season and finished with a .893 save percentage in 17 games for the Flames – not exactly making his case to be the franchise goaltender of the future. When the Flames dealt Jacob Markstrom in the offseason, though, the door was opened for Wolf to step through and he has stopped 68 of 72 shots in his first two starts this season. If the Flames are going to get top-tier goaltending, that does have the potential to change expectations but, for now, it’s just encouraging to see Wolf performing this way at the highest level.

#6 Former Flames centre Sean Monahan signed in Columbus as a free agent, with hopes of re-connecting with Johnny Gaudreau. This summer’s tragedy halted those plans, but the veteran Monahan has stepped into a leadership role for the Blue Jackets, producing four points (2 G, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal in his first four games. His primary linemates have been Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov and the trio has been outrageously dominant in the early going, controlling 79.7 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play.

#7 The No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, Macklin Celebrini put up a goal and an assist in his NHL debut then immediately landed on the injured list due to a lower-body injury. With Celebrini out, Mikael Granlund has moved back to the middle, centering William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli on the top line. That shuffle has also opened up a spot for Klim Kostin in San Jose’s top six. Granlund does have five assists in five games and is playing more than 21 minutes per game.

#8 Seattle Kraken left winger Jared McCann has scored 69 goals across the past two seasons and yet was still available in quite a few leagues early in the season. He has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 11 shots on goal in five games and McCann and Jordan Eberle had a productive game Thursday night against Philadelphia with Shane Wright skating at centre between the two veteran wingers.

#9 Two thirds of the Utah Hockey Club’s top line is sitting out there, waiting to be scooped up on fantasy waivers. Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz are productive, and it doesn’t hurt that they get to play with a skilled winger like Clayton Keller. Hayton has six points (4 G, 2 A) in five games, already exceeding his goal total from last season when he was limited to just 33 games. Schmaltz has six assists in five games and, in this small sample, has averaged 2.60 shots on goal per game, which would represent a career high.

#10 Utah defenceman Sean Durzi is going to be out 4-5 months after surgery was required for an upper-body injury that he suffered Monday at New Jersey. Durzi had played more than 25 minutes per game through the first three games of the season before getting hurt in Game No. 4. His absence will offer an opportunity for Juuso Valimaki to get a chance on Utah’s second power play unit. Valimaki is still looking for his first points of the season and he only had 17 points (2 G, 15 A) in 68 games last season, but the year before that, he contributed 11 power play points among his 34 points overall, so there is a chance for Valimaki to recapture some of that offensive part of his game.

#11 Chicago Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen returned to the team that drafted him and where he started his NHL career when he signed as a free agent in the summer. He has been a good fit on Connor Bedard’s wing, which should be expected, given Teravainen’s playmaking ability and Bedard’s ever-dangerous shot. Teravainen has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in five games and is skating on Chicago’s top line with Bedard and Nick Foligno while also getting first unit power play time. Teravainen has topped 60 points four times in his career, hitting a career high of 76 points in 2018-2019.

#12 Penguins rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist is challenging Tristan Jarry for a bigger share of playing time in the Pittsburgh crease. The 22-year-old was a second-round pick in 2020 and has a .908 save percentage in his first four games. He had a .919 in 47 AHL games and with Jarry struggling (.836 save percentage through three games), opportunity is knocking for Blomqvist.

#13 When the Toronto Maple Leafs remodeled their blueline in the offseason, Chris Tanev was the defender that drew the most attention. Fresh off a Stanley Cup in Florida, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has moved into a prime role on the Maple Leafs blueline, quarterbacking the top power play and playing nearly 22 minutes per game. Ekman-Larsson has three assists and 15 shots on goal in four games, which is very encouraging production, particularly that shot rate, which is far higher than Ekman-Larsson has produced previously.

#14 A lower-body injury kept veteran Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust out of the lineup for the first couple of games this season, but he has returned to action and has been thrust into a big role, skating on the right side with Sidney Crosby and Anthony Beauvillier. In his first three games, Rust has two points (1 G, 1 A) and 13 shots on goal while averaging 20:31 of ice time per game. He has scored at least 20 goals in five consecutive seasons, recording more than 55 points in three of those five seasons. In the three seasons that he has finished with at least 55 points, Rust missed at least 20 games, so there is still potential for him to produce more over a full season merely by staying healthy.

#15 Drafted with the 21st pick in 2020, Yegor Chinakhov displayed his potential last season, scoring 29 points (16 G, 13 A) in 53 games, a sign that he was going to be able to contribute at this level. In the early going this season, he is taking it to another level, producing six points (2 G, 4 A) with 13 shots on goal in his first four games. Not only is he skating on the top line with Monahan and Marchenko, but Chinakhov is getting first unit power play time, too, so a breakthrough season could be on the way.

#16 The New Jersey Devils went out in the offseason and added some grit to their forward ranks, acquiring Paul Cotter in a trade with Vegas and signing Stefan Noesen, a former Devil who had been playing in Carolina. Cotter had 25 points (7 G, 18 A) in 76 games last season for the Golden Knights, but already has six points (5 G, 1 A) in seven games for the Devils. He has 15 shots on goal and 20 hits, too, which can make him a more valuable fantasy contributor and he has moved up the depth chart to skate with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt at even strength. Noesen had a career-high 37 points in 81 games for the Hurricanes last season and has started this season with six points (2 G, 4 A) in seven games and is working on a line with veterans Tomas Tatar and Erik Haula.

#17 The leading rookie goal scorer early in the season is Devils defenceman Seamus Casey, who has three goals in his first seven NHL games. Montreal’s Emil Heineman and Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov are tied for second with two goals. Casey is a smallish defender who was a second-round pick in 2022. He played two seasons at the University of Michigan, and had 45 points (7 G, 38 A) in 40 games as a sophomore last season. Casey might owe his opportunity to another former Wolverine, as Luke Hughes is recovering from shoulder surgery, opening up a spot on the New Jersey blueline to start the season.

#18 John Beecher, a first-round pick of the Bruins in 2019, has jumped out to a hot start with five points (2 G, 3 A) in five games. Beecher’s ice time is up to 13:35 per game, but he is likely still a risky player for fantasy managers. He had just 10 points (7 G, 3 A) in 52 games last season and only had 36 points in 87 AHL games, so it is difficult to project big things offensively over the long haul. As a short-term option in deep banger leagues, maybe he could have some value for fantasy managers.

#19 Seattle Kraken centre Matty Beniers saw his production fall off dramatically last season and one of the main concerns when it comes to sustainable production is that Beniers had a very low shot rate, averaging just 1.73 shots per game last season. While Beniers has just one assist through five games this season, there might be a slight reason for optimism in that he is averaging 2.60 shots on goal per game. In most leagues, it’s probably worth waiting to see some production start to materialize before assigning too much value to Beniers, but he could be a viable buy-low or waiver wire option.

#20 Blue Jackets winger Kent Johnson suffered an upper-body injury against Buffalo on Thursday, but it is worth noting that an injury to Johnson would not have caused a ripple in the hockey universe. He had just 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 42 games for the Blue Jackets and was demoted to the AHL, where he did put up 15 points (5 G, 10 A) in 10 games. Nevertheless, with a new coach and a fresh start in Columbus, Johnson has responded with five points (2 G, 3 A) in four games and had logged more than 21 minutes in the second and third games of the season before playing just six minutes against the Sabres before getting hurt. Track Johnson’s health, though, because he is a skilled player and if he is getting a legit opportunity to shine in Columbus, then he could be a fantasy sleeper.

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Team Preview

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 20:00:59 +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)}

IN MEMORIAM – JOHNNY GAUDREAU – 1993 - 2024
The hockey world was sent into shock and mourning when Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau’s lives were tragically cut short this summer at the hands of an impaired driver. Johnny Gaudreau defied the odds at every level of hockey he played at. Affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey” – the nickname was appropriate not only because of Gaudreau’s skill level, but because he was also an amazing steward of the game throughout his time in it. From the New Jersey area, to Boston, to Calgary, to Columbus, Gaudreau left a tangible, positive impact in each city he called home as evidenced by the outpouring of love and memorials outside all the arenas he’s played in. Consistently written off due to his size, Gaudreau entered the NHL in his first season and posted 64 points in 80 games, putting the world on notice that size was no longer a valid concern in analysis of his game.

Gaudreau used his speed in combination with his slick hands and puck manipulation techniques to consis- tently find open space for himself and turn that open space into high-quality scoring chances. His heads- up style of play and elite understanding of the game allowed him to consistently elevate the play of his teammates and serve them quality looks, evidenced by his average of 50 assists per season and 500 overall for his career. Aside from setting his career high in points in 2017-18, he also won the Lady Byng trophy. We join the entire hockey community in honouring the life and careers of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau and the passion and joy they brought to the game we all love.

TEAM OVERVIEW The shock and loss of their best player, for an organization that is no stranger to tragedy after losing goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks in the summer of 2021, will be a tremendous challenge for the team. New management and a new head coach in Dean Evason will have to pull together a very talented group of young players. Denton Mateychuk, Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Yegor Chinakhov, Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov and David Jiricek all have tremendous promise and are currently developing in the NHL. Chinakhov, Marchenko and Voronkov all made some noise last season, at times uniting on an all-Russian line. There are some reasons for optimism, but it was going to be another year of development for their youngsters and the playoffs were not likely in the cards.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Adam Fantilli missed 33 games last campaign with a lacerated calf. That ended what had been an encouraging rookie campaign - the 19-year-old (20 on Oct. 12) scored 12 goals and 27 points through 49 contests. He’s healthy now and primed to play on the top six and first power-play unit this season. Although Columbus probably will finish toward the bottom of the league in goals scored, Fantilli should be an offensive leader for the Blue Jackets this year.

FORWARD

Sean Monahan

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	22	35	57	0.70

Monahan arrives to the Blue Jackets via free agency having signed a five-year contract at $5.5 million AAV per year. Monahan put some of the concerns about his lengthy injury history in the rearview by playing a full season last year split between the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets and continued into the Jets brief spell into the playoffs. Monahan is still a handful in the faceoff dot, where he posted over a 55 percent win rate last year and was well into the top third of centers with regards to faceoff wins. Monahan posted modest point totals but showcased an ability to support the play in the offensive zone via rush and forecheck as well as showcase puck distribution abilities that created shot-attempts for his teammates in the offensive zone. The expectation is that Monahan will inherit the top center role alongside his former teammate Johnny Gaudreau but expect pressure through the year from the likes of Adam Fantilli to steal that spot away from him. Monahan’s shot rates in his short time with Winnipeg were good for third on the team, and the hope is his supporting play and elevation of shot rates can put Gaudreau back on the map from a goal scoring perspective. Assuming Monahan stays healthy again, he should provide a good boost to the output of his linemates.

Kirill Marchenko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	25	21	46	0.58

Marchenko had a good bit of focus on him heading into the year coming off of a strong 21-goal campaign as a rookie. His sophomore year, usually a challenging one for forwards, didn’t feature a massive regression in any one area. In fact, Marchenko’s peripheral statistics, especially defensively, saw improvements year over year. There’s an argument to be made that his overall goal scoring was not as impactful as the prior year as he only had 23 total goals in 78 games. Marchenko’s lack of boost in goal scoring was an effect felt across the entire Blue Jacket’s top line last season. His even-strength goal scoring output was good for the 60^th percentile of NHL forwards. Marchenko did not experience a dip in shot-attempts and still put up totals that place him well within the top third of NHL forwards with regards to putting pucks on net. His passing statistics and play support statistics put him in the bottom third of NHL forwards even though he saw an increase in assists last year. Marchenko’s best work comes off of the rush where he has the ability to use his size and speed to surprise NHL defenders. With a new look top line for Columbus, the hope is that Marchenko will find himself in more of those situations in the year to come.

Adam Fantilli

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	23	30	53	0.67

Fantilli’s rookie season came with a great level of expectation that was largely unrealized, but that may be because of elements outside of his control. From a linemates perspective, Fantilli’s start to the year saw him playing deep in the bottom-six for Columbus alongside players that don’t quite think the game on the same level as him. As his ice time increased north of the 12:00 mark and he began moving up the depth chart, his performance, unsurprisingly, improved along with the increase in quality of teammate. Additionally, the Columbus power-play struggled throughout the course of the year and as a result, Fantilli never had a chance to truly make his mark on that side of the puck. Offensively speaking, he was in the top third of the league’s forward group in shots, shots off the rush, and goals-scored at even-strength. He also showed a good bit of competency at carrying the puck across the blueline with possession and creating elongated offensive possession as a result of his puck-moving ability. I think there’s room for him to continue to improve on the forecheck and in the defensive zone. Expect Fantilli to make marked improvements in his off-puck habits and ultimately pressure for a role on the Blue Jacket’s top line before the season is over. There is a lot of skill here still left to showcase.

Yegor Chinakhov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	23	19	42	0.57

Despite missing a large chunk of time to injury, Yegor Chinakhov’s 2023-24 campaign is one that you can file under him cementing himself as a verifiable scoring threat and graduated NHL talent. I don’t believe there’s anything left for him to learn at the AHL level. He tortured goaltenders with his wrist shot last year, showcasing his ability to gain significant velocity from short, hard to predict releases. By the end of the season, the only forward with a higher goal scoring rate than Chinakhov was Johnny Gaudreau. One of the biggest criticisms you can make of him is that, given the value of his shot, he doesn’t use it enough. Chinakhov was in the sixth percentile of NHL forwards regarding shot-attempts at even-strength. Something that hasn’t gotten enough discussion is the reliability he showcased off-puck last season. He was on the ice for the second lowest total of shot-attempts against per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time. His overall even-strength defensive returns put him in the 82^nd percentile of forwards. Chinakhov has the ability to develop into a serious shooting threat and could get a decent boost in goals if he sees more power-play time this season. He spent time towards the end of the season with fellow countrymen Kirill Marchenko and Dimitri Voronkov. I expect that line to get more looks in the coming season and Chinakhov to see an improvement on his 16 goals from the year prior.

Kent Johnson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	18	20	38	0.53

Kent Johnson’s sophomore season was a disappointment from almost any angle you view it from. Johnson was hoping to build off a solid rookie campaign that saw him end with 16 goals and 24 assists in 79 games. However, when training camp ended for the 2023-24 season, Johnson was not a part of the roster. His camp performance was sub-par, and he never re-discovered the game that put him on the map the year prior. By the end of the season, Johnson finished with just six goals and 10 assists in 42 games played. His defensive game suffered a regression and his forechecking and engagement in the battle areas of the ice left something to be desired. After moving up and down the lineup and battling healthy scratches, Johnson was eventually injured for the final weeks of the regular season, adding extra bitterness to his sophomore slump. Johnson’s goal last year was to come into camp bigger, stronger, and more influential on the puck. That same goal needs to apply to this season if Johnson is going to put any stretch of relevant time together in the Blue Jackets forward group. Johnson is coming into his final season under his Restricted Free Agency deal. This season is tantamount to him finding a permanent place in the NHL.

Dmitri Voronkov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	21	16	37	0.47

Jackets’ fans had to wait a long time for Dmitri Voronkov, four years to be exact, but the KHL regular impressed just about everyone in his first foray onto a North American ice surface this season. Voronkov did not make the team straight out of camp but was recalled late October and went on an immediate run here he piled up goals and assists through his first fifteen games and stayed relatively consistent thereafter, earning more and more ice time as the year went on, culminating in a top six performance alongside fellow Russians Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko, forming an All-Russian line for Columbus. Voronkov’s game is predicated on using his size, reach, and physical prowess. He was a force in front of the net during his time in the KHL and that was no different in Columbus. Voronkov’s first year offensive output’s at even-strength put him in the 80^th percentile of NHL forwards, a great debut for the big talent. One area he will need to work on is his puck distribution abilities and passing in the offensive zone. He was only in the sixth percentile of NHL forwards for offensive-zone shot assists. Voronkov has the size and skating to be a continued menace in front of the net and in the battle areas of the ice. He showcased enough with puck control and puck handling that he is not a one-trick pony. It will be interesting to see how his game continues to develop in the coming years.

Boone Jenner

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
63	18	17	35	0.56

The big questions surrounding Jenner coming into this season are focused on the best suited deployment for the veteran center. It’s still evident that he can have a positive effect on the lineup given his puck-possession results and overall goal totals. While still effective, especially in the battle areas in the boards and net-front, Jenner does clash stylistically with some of the wingers in the Blue Jacket’s top six. Despite missing chunks of time to injury and personal reasons, Jenner still ended the year with 22 goals, his third straight 20+ goal campaign. Given his age and mileage, much of the discussion has shifted to his making a full switch to the bottom six forward group for Columbus. Given the signing of Sean Monahan and the rise of Adam Fantilli, that may just be where Jenner ends up. His game is still suited for a bottom-six checking role and his goal scoring rates at even-strength could provide a much needed scoring boost to the bottom-six forward group. Jenner is still an effective player on the forecheck and in front of the net but has struggled in recent years to impact transition play and assist his teammates in puck distribution efforts. Regardless of the mileage and offensive limitations, he can still score goals and remains an extremely valuable faceoff man. Expect Jenner to continue to be a force in front of the net this season and can still expect some power play time as a result

Cole Sillinger

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	15	19	34	0.43

Cole Sillinger’s 2023-24 season was about as rollercoaster of a performance as you can get. In fact, that truly summarizes his entire three-year journey through the NHL at this juncture. After a promising rookie season, Sillinger crashed out in a sophomore slump where he netted three goals and 11 points in 64 games. This season’s start, while bolstered by strong underlying numbers, was just as drought-like with regards to goals. Sillinger had one goal through his first 27 games in 2023-24 but burst onto the scoresheet after the drought to end his third professional season with 13 goals and 19 assists in 77 games. Sillinger was significantly snake-bit with his finishing ability last season. He posted returns in the 80^th plus percentile in raw shots, shots off of high-danger passes, and shots off of the rush. His finishing found its level a handful of times in the season, but always in short, sporadic bursts. Whatever the case, Sillinger didn’t pose a lot of risk defensively and was generally a low-event player on both sides of the puck. He saw a steady increase in ice time throughout the year and in a variety of deployments, a testament to his versatility as a center. Sillinger posted his highest faceoff percentage of his young career at just over 46%, but still has room for improvement in the circle. Overall, consistency will be the name of the game for Sillinger moving forward as he looks to play a critical role in the Bluejackets bottom six forward group.

DEFENCE

Zach Werenski

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	15	48	63	0.84

Werenski took the role of top defenceman for Columbus last year and was deployed in virtually every situation imaginable. From power-play to penalty kill to the biggest five on five minutes, Werenski put his best foot forward to impact the Blue Jackets outcomes as much as he possibly could. Unfortunately, it takes more than one solid performer to round out a defence and Columbus was not deep enough defensively to make Werenski’s statistics look attractive. Overall, he led the Blue Jackets in just about every statistical bucket and set a franchise record for points by a defenceman. The offensive side of Werenski’s work was great, but his even-strength results from a defensive perspective put him in the sixth percentile of NHL defencemen. Werenski’s best impacts are in puck movement and shot support. From the perspective of denying zone entries defensively or retrieving dumped pucks, Werenski found himself in the bottom third of the league. Despite the less-than-attractive results, he posted a goals-for percentage at even-strength that was seven percent higher than any of his defensive peers. He also paced at or near the top of the team in shot-attempt and scoring chance mitigation. Overall, expect Werenski to continue to play a variety of roles as the defensive leader of the Blue Jackets, his best work coming in shot-attempt boosts and help in gaining possession in the offensive zone.

Damon Severson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	6	18	24	0.30

Severson’s first season in Columbus wasn’t poor, but it also likely failed to live up to the lofty expectation garnered by the eight-year contract he signed. Severson finished his first campaign in Columbus with nine goals and 19 assists in 67 games and actually finished the year with some decent defensive numbers and paced the Columbus blue line in a number of defensive metrics. He was the only blueliner on the Columbus roster to finish with a positive result in puck-possession metrics (plus-four percent relative to teammates) and had the highest expected-goal for percentage on the team at 49 percent. His overall defensive metrics put him in the 67^th percentile of NHL defencemen. His rate at denying possession zone entries put him in the 80^th percentile of league defencemen, an oasis in a desert of poor defensive performances in Columbus. Some of his best work came in terms of shot-support in the offensive zone and working the puck out of the defensive zone via his passing skill. This wasn’t a poor debut performance by any stretch and is head and shoulders above most of his peers on the team, but with a cap hit of over six million dollars per year, the expectations were simply a little bit higher. Severson will once again be called upon in a variety of minutes to support the team as a jack-of-all-trades defenceman.

Ivan Provorov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	5	24	29	0.35

For the second year in a row, Ivan Provorov played in every single regular season game for the Columbus Blue Jackets and posted respectable numbers in doing so. The biggest boost came to his offensive game this season. He scored five more points than the previous year, but it’s the supporting metrics around his puck support and shot contributions that increased his overall offensive output from a Wins Above Replacement perspective from the 22^nd percentile for defencemen to the 41^st percentile. Provorov’s best work this season came via retrieving pucks in the defensive zone and exiting the defensive zone with possession, both areas he graded out in the top third of NHL defencemen. His returns in defending the blueline and breaking up plays as they enter the defensive zone regressed a bit year over year. Provorov is heading into the final year of his contract. Depending on his performance there may be some trade discussions around his skill set as we get closer to the trade deadline. He has weathered the overall poor defensive presence in Columbus fairly well and is a reliable middle pairing player that plays relatively low-event hockey. While there may be a ceiling to his deployment as his statistics do suffer from elevated minutes, with the right partner in the right circumstances he can be effective.

David Jiricek

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	6	18	24	0.32

Jiricek earned valuable experience last year at both the AHL and the NHL level, experiencing a bit of a baptism by fire for his rookie campaign. While the returns were likely considered disappointing, he’s only 20 years old and still developing into a professional player. Additionally, as discussed, the environment in Columbus was volatile at best defensively. Jiricek found himself in many challenging situations throughout the course of the year. When faced with odd man breaks or one-on-one situations, Jiricek’s decision making process showed room for improvement as he continues to adapt to the pro-style game. That being said, it’s also clear why he comes with the degree of pedigree he does. He is an effortless skater, and his movement will be one of the foundational aspects of his game throughout his career. Jiricek should find himself in a more stable environment this year with less back-and-forth to the AHL and healthy scratches. There’s potential for him to see an increase in power-play minutes and more time with the Blue Jackets top forwards, who will further complement his skill set. Patience is key to the development of young defencemen and Jiricek is no exception to that rule. Expect more solid returns this year with a refined sense of decision making with the puck. Hopefully, Columbus can get him into more positions to utilize some of his offensive skillset.

GOAL

Elvis Merzlikins

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
51	16	29	6	2	0.901	3.29

Daniil Tarasov

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
22	7	13	2	1	0.904	3.38

From a raw numbers perspective, Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzlikins - once touted as the team's heir apparent before stumbling in tandem with the team's seeming free-fall to the bottom of the standings - struggled as much last season as he had the year before. He once again failed to hit even league-average numbers in his fifth NHL season, a far cry from the rookie debut season that earned him fifth-place spots in both Vezina and Calder voting back in 2020. And from a visual perspective, the 29-year-old Latvian netminder still looks like he's lost that extra spark that gave him a competitive edge over his opponents. He still has plenty of agility and speed, his lateral movements look fluid and strong, and he's got fast hands that he's unafraid to use; his positioning always seemed just a little off, though, and he had trouble recovering from rebounds in a way that suggested he was reading the play as well as he's shown capable of doing in the past.

That being said, the advanced data for the 2023-24 campaign suggested that Merzlikins isn't a complete write-off. He pulled out of the nosedive that saw him record quality starts in just eight of his 30 games in 2022-23, putting up league average or better performances in just around half of his games last year. And in theory, the Blue Jackets should continue to take steps to improve this year - which puts him in a good position to continue to level his game back out again as well. And in even better news, his backup Daniil Tarasov showed proficiency in stopping sharp-angle shots and in avoiding being goaded into bad positioning. Both goaltenders will likely still face a barrage of shots in each game this year, but things are starting to level out; hopefully, that should give Merzlikins the confidence he needs to take the reins back and Tarasov the right environment to continue to develop and thrive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Vilardi proving early returns for Jets – Nichushkin doing heavy lifting – Vets picking up pace in Anaheim – Youngs guns firing in Columbus plus much, much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 22:57:00 +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 dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, the Jets must like the early returns from Gabriel Vilardi, Valeri Nichushkin is doing some heavy lifting in Colorado, veteran forwards are picking up the pace in Anaheim, young guns are starting to fire in Columbus, and the Flames are finding some top line chemistry.

#1 Right winger Gabriel Vilardi was injured in his third game with the Winnipeg Jets and missed nearly six weeks with a sprained knee. He has fully recovered now, it appears, as Vilardi has put up 10 points (5 G, 5 A) and 15 shots on goal in the past four games. With Kyle Connor out, Vilardi has joined Winnipeg’s top line, alongside Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele, and that is working out just fine. Vilardi has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 13 games this season, putting him ahead of Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 29 games for the Kings after Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a second-round pick were sent to Winnipeg in exchange for Dubois.

#2 The Colorado Avalanche have decided that they are going to lean on winger Valeri Nichushkin, and he is thriving under the heavy workload. He is riding a six-game point streak, during which he has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) and 25 shots on goal, while averaging an astonishing 25:44 of ice time per game. Obviously, skating on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen is a great situation for anyone to contribute offensively, but Nichushkin is a strong two-way player in his own right and is an excellent complement to Colorado’s elite offensive talent.

#3 With injuries down the middle of the ice, the Anaheim Ducks have turned to Adam Henrique and the veteran forward has been thriving in his role, skating on a line with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome. Henrique has not only scored seven points (6 G, 1 A) in the past six games, but he has taken 121 face-offs, winning 70 (57.9%). A 33-year-old with an expiring contract, Henrique figures to be popular leading up to the trade deadline as a proven goal-scorer who has scored at least 20 goals in six different seasons.

#4 Another veteran providing offensive production in Anaheim is Alex Killorn, the 34-year-old who was signed as a free agent in the summer after a long stay in Tampa Bay to start his career. Killorn was injured at the start of the season and struggled in his first action, managing zero goals and three assists in his first nine games with the Ducks. Since then, he has contributed nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 40 shots on goal in his past 13 games, having success alongside rookie Leo Carlsson and veteran Troy Terry. Carlsson left Thursday’s loss to Calgary with an apparent lower-body injury, which could cause further upheaval among Anaheim’s forward group.

#5 Acquired by the Flames from the Devils in the summer deal that sent Tyler Toffoli to New Jersey, Yegor Sharangovich took some time to heat up with Calgary. Sharangovich fits well alongside linemates Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane. In the past eight games, Sharangovich has tallied nine points (6 G, 3 A) and is averaging 19:51 of ice time per game. He has logged more than 20 minutes in seven of his past 12 contests.

#6 Demoted to the American Hockey League at the start of the season, 21-year-old winger Kent Johnson is showing the Columbus Blue Jackets that he belongs on the big club. In his past seven games, Johnson has accumulated eight points (3 G, 5 A) despite only registering nine shots on goal. He is skating on a line with Cole Sillinger and Emil Bemstrom and Johnson is getting opportunities on Columbus’ second power play unit.

#7 Staying in Columbus, 23-year-old Kirill Marchenko continues to boost his credentials as a finisher. Marchenko has seven points (5 G, 2 A) with 15 shots on goal in his past six games. Since the start of last season, Marchenko has recorded 34 goals and 12 assists, giving him 2.83 goals per assist, which is by far the highest rate among players that have recorded at least 30 goals in that time frame.

#8 With Barrett Hayton injured, opportunity has knocked for Arizona Coyotes centre Alexander Kerfoot, who has moved up the depth chart to skate between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz on Arizona’s top line. Kerfoot has produced 14 points (2 G, 12 A) while averaging 19:56 time on ice in his past 12 games and even for a reluctant shooter like Kerfoot, those numbers are strong enough to draw the interest of fantasy managers.

#9 One of the most snakebit players in the league at the start of the season, Montreal Canadiens right winger Josh Anderson had zero goals and two assists through 23 games. Since then, though, Anderson is heating up, putting up seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 27 shots on goal in his past nine games. On a Habs team that is thin up front, Anderson is skating with Sean Monahan and Jake Evans at evens while also taking a turn with Montreal’s second power play unit.

#10 Veteran centre Matt Duchene is enjoying a strong season in Dallas, his first season with the Stars. Centering a line with Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin on his wings, Duchene has produced 12 points (5 G, 7 A) with 22 shots on goal in his past eight games. For a Stars team that can lean so heavily on its top line, getting this kind of secondary production out of Duchene is what keeps them at the top of the Central Division.

#11 Goaltending has been a major problem for the Carolina Hurricanes this season. Starter Frederik Andersen has been injured since early November and Antti Raanta was just demoted to the American Hockey League, leaving Pyotr Kochetkov as the best option between the pipes for the Hurricanes. Since getting called up after Andersen’s injury, Kochetkov does have a .913 save percentage in 14 games. For a Hurricanes team that can still control play consistently, above average goaltending can easily bring fantasy value.

#12 Through 17 games this season, Dallas Stars defenceman Thomas Harley had a modest five points (3 G, 2 A) and 22 shots on goal while playing 17:29 per game. In 10 games since then, Harley has 10 points (6 G, 4 A) and 21 shots on goal while averaging 19:00 of ice time per game. The 22-year-old has scored on 20.9 percent of his shots, which obviously can’t continue, but increased ice time and increased shot rates can surely lead to sustainable offensive production.

#13 It has not been easy for Maple Leafs defenceman Conor Timmins, who has battled injuries throughout his career, but injuries to others in Toronto opened the door for the 25-year-old blueliner to get some regular playing time and he is making the most of it. Timmins has produced five points (1 G, 4 A) with 10 shots on goal in his past seven games. He quarterbacks the second power play unit and has generally been quite effective in his limited role. Timmins has value for those in deep leagues and is well worth watching because if he could just stay healthy for an extended period, that would be a notable development.

#14 A second-round pick by the Seattle Kraken in 2021, defenceman Ryker Evans has stepped into the Seattle lineup and looks NHL ready. He just turned 22 -years-old and has four assists in his past four games, playing more than 18 minutes in each of those four contests. Evans had 44 points (6 G, 38 A) in 71 games as an AHL rookie for Coachella Valley last season, then added 26 points (5 G, 21 A) in 26 playoff games. He started this season with eight points (2 G, 6 A) in 18 games and it was enough to earn his promotion to the big club. There is a caveat with Evans, though. He did not play in Wednesday’s win over Los Angeles and, as well as he has played, he is still competing to earn a regular spot on the Seattle blueline.

#15 Veteran St. Louis Blues defenceman Justin Faulk is not scoring like he did last season when he tallied a career high 50 points (11 G, 39 A), but he is starting to launch shots on goal at an impressive clip. While Faulk has four points (1 G, 3 A) in his past eight games, he has also put 30 shots on goal and averaging nearly four shots on goal per game is a terrific way for a defenceman to generate offensive production. Faulk’s career-high average for shots on goal per game is 3.00, set in 2016-2017 when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes.

#16 At the start of the season, as the Edmonton Oilers struggled to get on track, it sure looked like defenceman Mattias Ekholm was still battling an injury that had kept him out of action in the preseason. The veteran blueliner has steadily improved, though. In his past 21 games, Ekholm has 12 points (4 G, 8 A) and 56 shots on goal. Last season, after he was acquired from Nashville, Ekholm contributed 14 points (4 G, 10 A) and 36 shots on goal in 21 games. He has 14 shots on goal in his past three games and 19 hits in his past five games, so he has picked up the pace and as the Oilers appear to be moving in the right direction, Ekholm’s production should be enough for fantasy managers to take notice.

#17 The key for Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett is to keep generating shots. When he is putting himself in position to fire on net Tippett tends to be effective, and the goals follow. He broke through last season with a career-high 27 goals and 49 points and that has raised expectations for him this season. Although he is playing less this season, Tippett is continuing to produce. In his past six games, he has five points (3 G, 2 A) with 25 shots on goal, landing six shots on goal in each of his two most recent games. That gives him 20 points (11 G, 9 A) in 32 games and his increasing shot rate is reason to expect that the production should continue.

#18 Also in Philadelphia, goaltender Samuel Ersson has recovered from a spectacularly terrible start to the season when he allowed 14 goals on 59 shots (.763 save percentage!) in his first three appearances. Since then, the 24-year-old netminder has been more than steady, posting a 8-2-1 record and .926 save percentage in 11 starts. That is the kind of play that will give Ersson a bigger role in the Flyers crease.

#19 The Vegas Golden Knights had five different goaltenders last season, on the way to winning the Stanley Cup, so they are probably not too fazed by recent injuries to Adin Hill and Logan Thompson. Enter 24-year-old Czech netminder Jiri Patera, a sixth-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2017. Patera played one season in the USHL and two in the WHL before toiling in the minors. He has a .907 save percentage in 74 career AHL games, which does not scream NHL ready, but it’s not terrible, and he has a .909 save percentage in five career NHL appearances. If he is going to get starts behind a quality team, though, Patera might offer some short-term value for fantasy managers.

#20 What can the Toronto Maple Leafs do in goal? Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones are struggling, and Joseph Woll is hurt. It might be too soon, but would they consider giving Dennis Hildeby a shot? The 22-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2022 and had a .918 save percentage in 21 games for Farjestads in the Swedish Hockey League last season. He has a .927 save percentage in a dozen AHL games for the Toronto Marlies this season and the way things are going for the Leafs with Woll injured, they might need to consider other options in net. At the very least, Hildeby should be monitored for those in dynasty leagues because the 6-foot-7 netminder has shown promise.

BELL: 20 Prospect Points – Johnson, Michkov, Celebrini, Silayev + More

Josh Bell — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 14:20:57 +0000

Welcome to the inaugural 20 Prospect Points, a bi-weekly column where I dive into the trending prospects - drafted and draft-eligible - from around the globe.

This edition takes a look at Kent Johnson, Matvei Michkov, and Hunter Brzsutewicz are a few of the drafted prospects turning heads, while Macklin Celebrini, Konsta Helenius, and Anton Silayev are turning heads ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Drafted Prospects

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 29: Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing Kent Johnson (13) looks on during the third period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 29, 2022, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

#1 It was a little surprising to see Columbus Blue Jackets’ Kent Johnson sent down to the AHL this month, especially after putting up 40 points last season as a rookie. But it appears to be the right decision as the 2021 fifth-overall pick has been on fire, with 14 points (four goals, nine assists) through his first nine games - a 101-point pace through 65 games. Don’t expect him to stick around in the AHL for too long.

#2 At the start of last season, many rankings had Hunter Brzustewicz in their first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. By the end of the year, this wasn’t the case. He slid to the third round, 75th overall, where the Vancouver Canucks called his name. They have to be feeling pretty good about that decision now. He’s exploded out of the gate this year, putting up six goals (matching last year’s total) and 33 assists for 39 points in just 23 games. He’s on pace to smash last season’s total of 57 points. Not only is he leading all defenders in the OHL but he’s second overall in points in the league.

#3 It’s been a long road for Kieffer Bellows, being drafted back in 2016 by the New York Islanders 19th overall and never being able to break into the NHL. This season, he attended the Carolina Hurricanes training camp on a pro tryout before getting cut and signing a pro tryout with the Toronto Marlies. He’s been extremely impressive since then, putting up 12 points (six goals, six assists) in nine games with points in eight of those nine games. He’s done everything he can to earn himself a contract.

#4 At one point, there was discourse regarding Connor Bedard or Matvei Michkov for first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. Due to the contract situation and rumours of concerns surrounding him both on and off the ice, he slid to seventh overall and the waiting Philadelphia Flyers. After being loaned to HK Sochi, he’s absolutely on fire in the KHL with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 27 games. He’s on pace for 52 points right now and for what it’s worth, the U20 record in the KHL is Kirill Kaprizov’s 42 points in 2016-17.

#5 There’s been a lot of talk of Macklin Celebrini’s freshman season in the NCAA (we’ll get to that) and that’s been overshadowing another excellent rookie season - Gabe Perreault. Drafted by the New York Rangers 23rd overall in 2023 after a historic, record-setting 132 points in 63 games with the U.S. National U18 Team. He’s continued that office into his career with Boston College, already at 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 13 games. He’s currently on a nine-game point streak and shows no signs of slowing down.

#6 Another NCAA freshman that’s flying under the radar, Aiden Fink is commanding attention. Drafted 218th overall in 2013 by the Nashville Predators out of the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits (where he was league MVP), Fink is currently second in the NCAA in freshman points with 21 (nine goals, 12 assists), one behind Celebrini and four behind Massimo Rizzo for the league lead. The Predators have to be happy with their late-round pick.

#7 It’s been quite a year for Beau Akey, being drafted 56th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2023 NHL Draft and signing his NHL entry-level contract. There was a strong chance of him dressing for Canada at the 2024 World Juniors, but that’s no longer possible after undergoing shoulder surgery for a dislocated shoulder. One of the top prospects for the Oilers, he’s likely done for the season - a big blow to his development.

#8 Tough news for another player who was taking a step forward this season, Rutger McGroarty will miss the remainder of the first half of the season for the University of Michigan - at least. He was stretchered off the ice after taking a hit to the boards on November 17th. The Winnipeg Jets prospect was up to 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 13 games in his season, well on his way to passing his 39-point mark last season. This does put his spot at the World Juniors in a month in jeopardy, which would be an offensive blow to the team.

#9 Speaking of the World Juniors, it seems like we’ve seen the last of Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright on the WJC stage. Kraken general manager Ron Francis noted, “he's kind of been there done that.” Wright has participated in the World Juniors twice, although that includes the cancelled 2022 edition. But, he did captain the 2023 Canadian team to a gold medal. With his focus on carving out a permanent spot in the Kraken lineup, the decision makes sense.

#10 While we’re on the Kraken, they have to be happy with the massive step forward that Carson Rehkopf has taken this season. Drafted 50th overall in the latest draft, the Kitchener Rangers forward has been dominant this season in the OHL. He currently leads the league in goals (26) and points (45) through 25 games and is well on his way to double his draft year output of 59 points in 68 games.

Draft-Eligible Prospects

NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 1: NCAA men's hockey at Lawler Rink on December 1, 2023 in North Andover, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Gagnon)

#11 It’s safe to say that Macklin Celebrini is comfortable in the NCAA. The projected first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and the youngest player in the NCAA this season currently leads all freshmen with 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in just 13 games. His 1.69 points-per-game pace this season puts him third all-time for a U18 player in the NCAA and he should only get better as the season goes on. He’s a must-watch player this season for any hockey fan.

#12 Another player looking more than comfortable in their draft year, Konsta Helenius has simply been getting better and better. He’s carved out a top-six role for himself with the Liiga’s Jurkurit and is running with it, with 17 (eight goals, nine assists) points in his last 16 Liiga games. That doesn’t even include his tournament-leading six points (two goals, four assists) in three games at the U20 5 Nations Cup.

#13 Speaking of the 5 Nations Cup, it’s worth highlighting another Finn who also led the tournament in scoring: Emil Hemming. The right winger, who’s been impressive himself in the Liiga so far, matched Helenius’ point total with six (two goals, four assists) in one extra game played.

#14 Another tournament recently wrapped up as well, the U18 5 Nations Cup saw the USA dominate most of the event, winning three of their four matches. Cole Hutson, the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Lane Hutson, was arguably the top defender in the tournament, putting up seven points (two goals, five assists). His creativity and elusiveness were on full display at the event.

#15 However, the true story of the U18 5 Nations Cup was 2025 NHL Draft-eligible James Hagens. An early contender for the first-overall pick, the centerman put up a tournament-leading 11 points (two goals, nine assists) for the Americans, and an impressive 14 shots in the USA’s only loss in the event, a 7-6 shootout versus Sweden. Get used to hearing Hagens’ name - you’ll likely start hearing it a lot more.

#16 Another player worth highlighting from the U18 5 Nations Cup, Swedish defender Leo Sahlin Wallenius seemed to get more and more comfortable as the tournament went on, finishing with one point in every game for a total of four (one goal, three assists). But the true story is since the tournament - he’s returned to the J20 Nationell on fire, with nine points (three goals, six assists) in his first five games back.

#17 In recent years, the Chicago Steel have been a dominant force in the USHL. That doesn’t appear to be the case this season as they sit two points from the bottom of the league so far. That’s part of the reason that we haven’t been hearing the name Michael Hage as much as we should be. The Canadian centreman missed most of his DY-1 season but has been excellent so far this year, with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in as many games with the struggling Steel. Keep an eye on him as the season rolls on.

#18 You’ve likely been hearing about the 6-foot-7 defender out of Russia that has shot up draft rankings early this season. Anton Silayev, while a polarizing prospect, has been the talk of the prospect world, having broken into the KHL, shattering the U18 point record for a defender, tying the U18 points record (any position), and tying the U19 record for a defender. He currently sits with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 34 games and is on pace to double that before the season ends. Silayev should remain a topic of conversation all season.

#19 In the WHL, the play of Cayden Lindstrom is commanding attention. The forward is up to 32 points (18 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers and is on pace to more than double his rookie-year output. Standing at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds with some of the softest hands around, Lindstrom is another prospect that has forced top-10 discussion.

#20 Another WHLer who is enjoying a breakout year, Terik Parascak has entered the season as a rookie for the Prince George Cougars and shocked at nearly a goal-per-game pace. He leads all draft-eligibles in the league in goals, with 21 in 23 games while adding 13 assists for 34 points. The winger is currently outpacing Connor Bedard’s draft year and while it’s likely he comes back down to earth at some point, it’s a remarkable start for the young prospect.