Logan Stankoven – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – PLAYOFF EDITION – Less obvious players to target

Scott Cullen — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:49:24 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, a look some less obvious players to target for playoff pools.

1 It’s not like a top scorer on the Stanley Cup favourites is going to be some bargain, but Martin Necas heads into the playoffs on a tear. Necas came out of the Olympic break producing on a higher level, scoring 38 points (16 G, 22 A) with 82 shots on goal in 26 games down the stretch. He’s riding shotgun with Nathan MacKinnon and Arttur Lehkonen on the top line and obviously getting first unit power play time, too. Not a surprise pick, but more a reminder not to overlook how great this player has been this season.

2 While the Los Angeles Kings keep getting beat out in the first round of the playoffs and they have the daunting matchup against the Avalanche in the first round, but Adrian Kempe is a consistent stud in the playoffs. Since the Olympic break, Kempe has 27 points (16 G, 11 A) and 70 shots on goal in 25 games. In the past four playoffs, he has put up 29 points (15 G, 14 A) with 106 shots on goal in 24 games. He has been an elite playoff performer, and it gets overlooked because it only comes in one round bursts.

3 The Minnesota Wild have tried time and again to find a different centre for their top line, but they have returned Ryan Hartman to that role, skating between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, and he finished the regular season with 15 points (8 G, 7 A) and 39 shots on goal in the last 13 games. That’s already encouraging but consider that he has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) and 42 shots on goal in 17 games across his last three playoff appearances. The Wild have a tough matchup against Dallas in the first round, but Hartman is an intriguing player to watch in the postseason.

4 Future Hall of Famers don’t tend to get overlooked, but it’s always worth noting when a player has taken their game to a new level. Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson came back from the Olympics and delivered 31 points (11 G, 20 A) with 68 shots on goal in 24 games. Insane production from a 35-year-old. He has 34 points (4 G, 30 A) with 104 shots on goal in 38 games across his last two playoff appearances, though this will be his first postseason appearance since 2018-2019.

5 One of the most exciting young teams in the league, the Montreal Canadiens have a tough matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, but it’s not going to be an easy path for the Lightning, either. Since the Olympic break, captain Nick Suzuki ranks fifth in the league with 36 points (11 G, 25 A) in 25 games, Cole Caufield leads the league with 19 goals in 24 games, and Juraj Slafkovsky is tied for 18th with 28 points (9 G, 19 A) in 25 games. It’s early in the team’s trajectory for the Canadiens to go on a long playoff run, especially considering their mediocre possession numbers, but if their young stars show up, they could do some damage.

6 The Utah Mammoth are making their first playoff appearance and, like the Canadiens, have a group of skilled forwards that can make a difference. Clayton Keller had 34 points (9 G, 25 A) in 25 games after the Olympic break, Dylan Guenther added 26 points (25 G, 11 A) and 64 shots on goal in 24 games, and Logan Cooley, Nick Schmaltz, and Mikhail Sergachev each had at least 20 points. They may not have the playoff experience of the Vegas Golden Knights, but the Mammoth have some players who could make the first-round series very interesting.

7 One of the more remarkable parts of Boston’s strong finish to the regular season was the production that they received from veterans Pavel Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson, two players who have had very solid careers but performed like stars down the stretch. Zacha finished the regular season with 28 points (15 G, 13 A) and 44 shots on goal in 24 games. That is dependent on an inflated shooting percentage, but it’s fantastic production from a player who is not a star. Similarly, Arvidsson had 26 points (11 G, 15 A) with 51 shots on goal in his last 24 games.

8 While Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin draw most of the attention in Pittsburgh, the wingers in the supporting cast should not be ignored, especially since the Penguins have a chance to advance beyond the first round. Bryan Rust tied his career high with 65 points (29 G, 36 A) this season, finishing with 25 points and 57 shots on goal in 23 games after the Olympic break. He’s not the only one. Rickard Rakell played a bunch of centre, especially when Crosby was injured, and he had 23 points (13 G, 10 A) with 53 shots on goal in his last 20 games.

9 Two of Kyle Dubas’ best acquisitions in the past year played a big part in Pittsburgh reaching the postseason. Egor Chinakhov flashed potential with the Columbus Blue Jackets a couple of years ago, when he had 29 points (16 G, 13 A) in 53 games, but he struggled to get going at the start of this season and the Penguins swooped in, getting him for a second-round pick. They watched him grow into a role as a legitimate scoring winger who tallied 32 points (15 G, 17 A) with 86 shots on goal in his last 33 games.

10 A 20 Fantasy Poins favourite, Anthony Mantha played just 13 games last season in Calgary before tearing his ACL. The Penguins signed him as a free agent, to a one-year, $2.5 million deal that was almost assuredly intended to make him very tradeable once he proved that he could still play. He did that quickly, generating 11 points (6 G, 5 A) with 23 shots on goal in his first 12 games and then, as the Penguins continued to win, it became apparent that there would be little upside to trading a winger who was filling the net. He finished the season by scoring 19 points (12 G, 7 A) in his last 19 games on his way to career highs of 33 goals and 64 points. He has zero goals in 14 career playoff games, so this year presents a prime opportunity for Mantha to net his first postseason goal.

11 Dallas Stars veteran Matt Duchene suffered an upper-body injury early in the season, and he struggled, but once he got healthy, and then the Stars needed him to play a bigger role as injuries decimated their forward group. Duchene finished the season with 34 points (12 G, 22 A) and 54 shots on goal in his last 31 games. The shot rate is not ideal, but his role on the top power play unit and skating between Jason Robertson and Mavrik Bourque on the Stars’ second line is very encouraging. Bourque is starting to unlock his potential, too, putting up 18 points (9 G, 9 A) with 44 shots on goal in 23 games since the beginning of March.

12 The Ottawa Senators have the profile of a contending team, so even though they are facing a relentless Carolina Hurricanes squad, they should not be considered pushovers. Part of the reason to like the Sens is their scoring depth. Since the Olympic break, Drake Batherson has put up 22 points (14 G, 8 A) with 55 shots on goal in 25 games, lifting him to career highs of 33 goals and 71 points on the season.

13 Everyone is aware of Boston Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy. He played for Team USA at the Olympics and has been in the Top 10 of Norris Trophy voting three times in his career, but part of what he is known for is being a standout defender who does not pad his production with power play points. It’s not that he never played the power play, but it wasn’t the foundation of his production like it is for some other defenders. In the second half of the season, as the Bruins pushed for a playoff spot, McAvoy turned into one of those point-producing blueliners. In his last 41 games, McAvoy accrued 42 points (10 G, 32 A) with 66 shots on goal and 14 of those 42 points came on the power play.

14 The Philadelphia Flyers made a late charge to get into the playoffs, in part fueled by 2025 No. 6 pick Porter Martone, who scored 50 points (25 G, 25 A) in 35 games as a freshman at Michigan State then signed with the Flyers when his collegiate season was done. Martone did not waste any time upon turning pro, as he produced 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 32 shots on goal and 16 hits in nine games. He’s a ready-made power forward and is one of the biggest reasons for the Flyers to be a threat against the Penguins in the first round.

15 The Carolina Hurricanes put pressure on their opponents from the drop of the opening puck and part of what makes it work is that they get contributions from secondary players. Look at the line of veteran left winger Taylor Hall skating with younger players Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven. Hall has 21 points (6 G, 15 A) and 42 shots on goal in 23 games since the Olympic break, Stankoven finished the regular season with 11 points (7 G, 4 A) and 19 shots on goal during an 8-game point streak, and Blake had 13 points (3 G, 10 A) with 32 shots on goal in his last 14 games.

16 Anaheim Ducks defenceman Jackson LaCombe has seen his stock rise in the past few seasons, but this will be his first appearance in the playoffs. In the second half of the season, LaCombe contributed 35 points (4 G, 31 A) with 66 shots on goal in 41 games. The arrival of John Carlson at the trade deadline didn’t hurt LaCombe either, as he had 17 points (4 G, 13 A) in 21 games after the trade.

17 The Los Angeles Kings are fighting uphill, facing the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, but if they are going to have success, they may need a breakthrough performance from centre Quinton Byfield, who struggled to score consistently this season, but then finished with 16 points (11 G, 5 A) and 45 shots on goal in his last 16 games. Byfield’s right winger, Alex Laferriere brings the heavy physical game that should work in the postseason and Laferriere had 15 points (5 G, 10 A) with 47 shots on goal and 60 hits in his last 16 games of the regular season.

18 Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Sean Walker has surged offensively down the stretch. Since the Olympic break, Walker has 17 points (5 G, 12 A) with 55 shots on goal in 24 games, and he doesn’t depend on the man advantage to get his points as only one of his 31 points this season came via the power play.

19 Heading into the playoffs, here are some goaltenders that finished the season strong. Since the Olympic break, Montreal’s Jakub Dobes was 11-5 with a .916 save percentage. Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood was 11-2-1 with a .945 save percentage, which becomes interesting because Mackenzie Blackwood struggled. Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was 11-2-1 with a .920 save percentage, and Boston’s Jeremy Swayman was 9-6-1 with a .918 save percentage. Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg was 7-5 with a .914 save percentage, which is notable because Darcy Kuemper also had trouble down the stretch.

20 On the other hand, these goaltenders had trouble late in the season that could pose challenges in the playoffs. Utah’s Karel Vejmelka 11-6-1 but his save percentage was .883. Mackenzie Blackwood was 7-5-1 with a .884 save percentage. Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has had a tough season and finished with a 9-4 record but a .879 save percentage in his last 13 games. Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal was 9-7-2 with a .868 save percentage down the stretch. Kuemper was 5-3-6 with a .867 save percentage and Carolina’s Brandon Bussi was 8-3-1 with a .865 save percentage.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – With the final week of the regular season approaching, here is a look at some players offering late-season value as well as a look at some players that might be worth targeting for next season

Scott Cullen — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:10:16 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Flyers right wing Porter Martone (94) waits for a face-off during his first NHL debut game during the Philadelphia Flyers versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on March 31, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. With the final week of the regular season approaching, here is a look at some players offering late-season value as well as a look at some players that might be worth targeting for next season.

#1 The Philadelphia Flyers have surprisingly vaulted into the playoff picture with a strong April, and they received a significant boost to their lineup when they signed 2025 No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone once his college season was completed at Michigan State. Martone had 5 0points (25 G, 25 A) in 35 games at Michigan State and contributed nine points (6 G, 3 A) as the captain of Team Canada at the World Juniors. A 6-foot-3 power forward, Martone has hit the ice in the NHL going at full speed, delivering six points (2 G, 4 A) with 25 shots on goal and 10 hits in his first six games. He is getting second unit power play time and skating on a line with veterans Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny at even strength and the Flyers are controlling nearly 62 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play with Martone on the ice. For fantasy managers and the Flyers alike, Martone appears to be an instant star.

#2 The New York Islanders made a surprise late-season coaching change, dismissing Patrick Roy and replacing him with Peter DeBoer. The Islanders have slipped out of a playoff spot but are still within striking distance, so DeBoer will need to make a difference quickly. Working in the Islanders’ favour is that they are getting strong play from rookie Calum Ritchie late in the season. Ritchie, who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in last year’s Brock Nelson trade, has produced 14 points (6 G, 8 A) with 21 shots on goal in 16 games since the trade deadline and seems to have a good thing going on a line with Mathew Barzal at centre and Brayden Schenn on left wing, a trio that also skates on the Islanders’ top power play.

#3 Utah Mammoth centre Logan Cooley missed more than a couple of months due to a lower-body injury and that absence, combined with a slump in March, probably contributed to his being more available than he should be in fantasy leagues. Right now, he is cooking, with 11 points (6 G, 5 A) and 14 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. It’s obviously not sustainable to keep scoring on more than 40 percent of his shots, and he is scoring on a league-leading 24.0 percent of his shots for the season, but Cooley’s speed does allow him to create chances and he is working well with wingers Kailer Yamamoto and Dylan Guenther in addition to getting first unit power play time for the Mammoth.

#4 While he has been maligned recently for taking a terrible penalty in a loss to the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings veteran right winger Patrick Kane has been turning back the clock in terms of point production. Even as the Red Wings have been struggling, falling outside the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, Kane has put up 23 points (6 G, 17 A) with 50 shots on goal in 16 games since the trade deadline.

#5 The Minnesota Wild have been a strong team all season and after trading for defenceman Quinn Hughes, it seems that their championship expectations had elevated. While Hughes and star forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matthew Boldy have been the obvious leaders, players in the supporting cast have been valuable, too. The Wild keep trying other options at centre on the top line, but they keep coming back to Ryan Hartman, the veteran agitator who is sizzling hot right now, with 12 points (7 G, 5 A) and 22 shots on goal during an eight-game point streak. Similarly, veteran Wild playmaker Mats Zuccarello just keeps putting up numbers. He is 38 years old and has 15 points (3 G, 12 A) with 26 shots on goal in his past 12 games, skating on a line with Hartman and Kaprizov in addition to getting top unit power play time.

#6 It appears that the San Jose Sharks’ push for the playoffs is going to fall short, but they have received a strong contribution from veteran centre Alexander Wennberg down the stretch. Wennberg has been a reliable two-way centre throughout his career, though one whose skill level would suggest he could provide more offence, and that’s what has happened this season. In his past 16 games, Wennberg has 15 points (6 G, 9 A) with 20 shots on goal, lifting him to 54 points, his highest point total since 2016-2017.

#7 One of the most frequently mentioned players in 20 Fantasy Points this season, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha has had the best season of his career yet remains available in a decent percentage of leagues. Since the trade deadline, Mantha has 16 points (10 G, 6 A) and 34 shots on goal in 18 games, bumping him up to career highs of 31 goals and 61 points. In addition to second unit power play time, Mantha is skating on a line with rookie Ben Kindel at centre and Justin Brazeau on right wing.

#8 The Carolina Hurricanes have a relentless approach and part of the reason for success is that they get contributions throughout the lineup. Logan Stankoven, who was acquired from Dallas in the Mikko Rantanen trade last season, transitioned to centre this year and he is finishing this season strong, with nine points (7 G, 2 A) during a six-game point streak. On Stankoven’s left side, veteran winger Taylor Hall has 10 points (3 G, 76 A) with 16 shots on goal in his past eight games. Hall is up to 48 points on the season, his highest total since 2021-2022.

#9 It has been a challenging second season for Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov and while it’s been a rocky road for much of the season, he does appear to be contributing to the Flyers’ playoff push. In his past 13 games, Michkov has 12 points (1 G, 11 A) with 19 shots on goal. That’s not an ideal shot rate and Michkov scoring one goal in a 16-game span is hardly the ideal scenario, it’s better than the sporadic production that he has had in 2025-2026. He is getting first unit PP time while skating on a line with Noah Cates and rookie Alex Bump at even strength.

#10 An underrated development for the Edmonton Oilers this season has been the progress shown by left winger Vasily Podkolzin, who has six points (3 G, 3 A) in his past seven games, lifting him to career highs of 19 goals and 37 points. Even though he is not a factor on the power play – 34 of his 37 points have come at even strength – Podkolzin is getting time on the top line with Connor McDavid and that’s not a bad place to play.

#11 Montreal Canadiens rookie right winger Ivan Demidov does not look like he will win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year because Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer has had an historically great freshman campaign, but Demidov is living up to all of the hype that surrounded him entering the season. In his past 10 games, Demidov has recorded nine points (4 G, 5 A) with 17 shots on goal, and while that shot rate could use a little boost, he has been such a creative force that the Habs will expect even more in the future. One caveat there: Demidov has an on-ice shooting percentage of 14.9 percent which ranks third behind only Gage Goncalves and Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning, among skaters to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes this season. Demidov is likely going to have a higher on-ice shooting percentage throughout his career, but pushing 15 percent is unsustainable for even the most dangerous offensive players. Just for comparison, the players with the highest on-ice shooting percentage across the past three seasons, minimum 1500 five-on-five minutes: Goncalves (13.7%), Nikita Kucherov (12.6%), Point (12.5%), Mantha (12.2%), Lane Hutson (12.0%).

#12 Getting traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets marked a massive turnaround for left winger Mason Marchment, who started the season with a modest 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 29 games for the Seattle Kraken. Since arriving in Columbus, though, Marchment has 29 points (13 G, 16 A) in 36 games, including eight points (2 G, 6 A) with 17 shots on goal in his past eight games. He is playing with Boone Jenner and Danton Heinen at even strength, but Marchment is also getting time on PP1.

#13 As the Washington Capitals make a final push for the playoffs, rookie winger Ryan Leonard is stepping up his game, putting up six points (3 G, 3 A) with 18 shots on goal in his past six games. That gives him 42 points (18 G, 24 A) in 72 games, which is a solid rookie season, but also feels like it’s just scratching the surface on what he will be able to contribute as he grows into a bigger role with the Capitals. Leonard is enjoying this late-season success skating on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Connor McMichael in addition to getting top unit power play time.

#14 With an early look ahead to next season, don’t forget about Los Angeles Kings right winger Kevin Fiala, who broke his leg at the Olympics. He had 40 points (18 G, 22 A) in 56 games before getting hurt and this while managing an on-ice shooting percentage of 6.5 percent, his lowest since his rookie season in 2016-2017. The Kings aren’t exactly known for their high-scoring ways, but Fiala should expect a better on-ice shooting percentage since his career mark is around 8.3 percent.

#15 The Calgary Flames have been low shooting percentage team this season, ranking 31st with a five-on-five shooting percentage of 7.8 percent, so several Flames could reasonably expect to receive better puck luck next season. Matt Coronato might be a good one to target as he has scored on 8.9 percent of his shots this season, after scoring on 13.3 percent last season, and Coronato’s on-ice shooting percentage is just 6.8 percent this season. For a player who leads the Flames with an extremely modest 42 points, Coronato should have the opportunity to play a big part in the Flames’ rebuilding effort.

#16 If the Flames rank 31st in five-on-five shooting percentage, which team has been worse? The New Jersey Devils. Thus, there may be some value to be found in targeting the likes of Jesper Bratt, whose on-ice shooting percentage is below 7.3 percent, down more than three percent from last season. Following back-to-back seasons with more than 80 points, Bratt has 68 points (20 G, 48 A) in 79 games this season, despite generating shots and expected goals at a higher rate this season.

#17 Another Los Angeles Kings forward to consider for a bounce back next season is centre Quinton Byfield, who has 44 points (20 G, 24 A) in 75 games, his production down even though he is playing a career-high 20 minutes per game. Last season, Byfield’s on-ice shooting percentage is 7.9 percent this season, compared to 10.7 percent last season. With Anze Kopitar heading into retirement, there should be prime opportunity for Byfield to play with skilled linemates who can raise his offensive ceiling.

#18 While Nashville Predators right winger Luke Evangelista has a reasonable on-ice shooting percentage (8.9 percent) this season, his own shooting percentage, in all situations, is a paltry 6.0 percent, with just 10 goals on 168 shots. His ice time has jumped 2:45 per game from last season, up to 16:37 per game and he has set career highs with 41 assists and 51 points, but he has been underperforming as a shooter. Prior to this season, Evangelista scored on 9.2 percent of his shots, which is still not amazing for a skilled winger, but it’s more than 50 percent better than what he has delivered this season.

#19 One more potential Devils bounce-back note, sort of. Devils defenceman Dougie Hamilton has an on-ice shooting percentage of 6.9 percent this season. Among the 138 defencemen that have played at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes, that ranks 136th, so even if Hamilton has tended towards lower on-ice shooting percentages (and higher volumes), it doesn’t have to rank at the bottom of the pile either. Of course, if the rumour mill is to be believed, Hamilton might be plying his trade with a new team in 2026-2027, and a fresh start could help bring along better percentages for the veteran blueliner.

#20 Finally, some players that have increased their production since the Olympic break: After scoring the gold-medal winning goal, Devils centre Jack Hughes has 35 points (14 G, 21 A) in 20 games since the break to lead all scorers. Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson has 31 points (11 G, 20 A) in his past 22 games. Bruins centre Pavel Zacha has 27 points (15 G, 12 A) in 21 games, Blues centre Robert Thomas has 25 points (11 G, 14 A) in 18 games, Penguins winger Rickard Rakell has 24 points (14 G, 10 A) in 22 games, Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad has 24 points (10 G, 14 A) in 21 games, Rangers defenceman Adam Fox also has 24 points (5 G, 19 A) in 21 games, Blues left winger Dylan Holloway has 24 points (9 G, 15 A) in 20 games, Bruins winger Viktor Arvidsson has 23 points (8 G, 15 A) in 21 games, Penguins winger Egor Chinakhov has 23 points (9 G, 14 A) in 22 games, Red Wings defenceman Moritz Seider has 21 points (3 G, 18 A) in his past 20 games, and Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy has 20 points (7 G, 13 A) in 21 games. This is not an all-encompassing list, obviously, but some interesting players who have picked up their production either while their teams are battling for playoff spots or, for others, while the season slips away from them.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Veterans who are elevating their play, including Zach Hyman, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Hartman, Claude Giroux, David Perron, and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 16:22:00 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, veterans who are elevating their play, including Zach Hyman, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Hartman, Claude Giroux, David Perron, and so much more!

#1 Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman was not ready to start the season, as he recovered from wrist surgery, so he didn’t get into the lineup until mid-November and even then it took him some time to get up to speed. It does appear that he’s starting to cook. In his past 11 games, Hyman has 15 points (9 G, 6 A) and 34 shots on goal. He’s getting first unit power play time and skating on the Oilers’ top line with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, so Hyman should be in a prime position for the rest of the season.

#2 In his first 29 games this season, Nashville Predators right winger Steven Stamkos had 11 points (8 G, 3 A) and when that happens to a player in his mid-30s, it can look like the end is near. He has turned back the clock recently, however, putting up 11 points (7 G, 4 A) with 29 shots on goal in his past seven games. He’s skating on a veteran line with Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg and the key is that Stamkos is generating shots on goal. In his first 29 games, he had just 58 shots on goal, so to go from two shots per game to more than four shots per game in this recent uptick in his performance shows that he can still be a legitimate offensive threat.

#3 Ryan O’Reilly has been a huge part of the Predators’ resurgence. In the past 14 games, the Preds are 10-4 and O’Reilly has 19 points (5 G, 14 A) in those 14 games. He has just 23 shots on goal, and a low shot rate is a concern for offensive sustainability, but O’Reilly is a consistent play driver year after year and that has continued this season in Nashville, with a 55.8 CF%, which would represent the best Corsi percentage of his career.

#4 Although he moves around the Minnesota Wild lineup quite a bit, there is usually reason to like when Ryan Hartman gets his turn playing on the top line. With Marco Rossi dealt to Vancouver in the Quinn Hughes trade, Hartman has moved in between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, with Hartman putting up seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games, after he had eight points (4 G, 4 A) through his first 29 games this season.

#5 The Ottawa Senators are getting quality production from veteran wingers Claude Giroux and David Perron. Giroux has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 11 shots on goal in his past seven games while Perron has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past seven games. They are getting second unit power play time and, for a pair of 37-year-olds, they are still providing reliable secondary scoring for the Sens. As with many of the veterans in this week’s article, they are not producing at the level of their best career performance but in their mid-30s that’s not a reasonable expectation and it is part of the reason that these players are more widely available.

#6 When he was acquired by the Ottawa Senators from the San Jose Sharks last season, Fabian Zetterlund responded with a meagre five points (3 G, 2 A) and 40 shots on goal in 20 games. He followed that up by starting this season with four points (1 G, 3 A) and 28 shots on goal in his first 20 games, but he has turned the corner and is now a solid offensive contributor on a talented Senators squad. In his past 16 games, Zetterlund has 12 points (8 G, 4 A) and 38 shots on goal, and appears to have secured a regular spot on the top line alongside Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk.

#7 With injuries decimating the Tampa Bay Lightning blueline, Darren Raddysh has been the primary beneficiary from an offensive standpoint, as he is quarterbacking the top power play unit and producing at an elite level. His partner, J.J. Moser, has been making inroads recently, with five points and 16 shots on goal while averaging 23:32 of ice time in his past six games. Moser only had seven points (1 G, 6 A) and 34 shots on goal in his previous 28 games, but he does seem equipped to provide more offense than that.

#8 Although he is getting surpassed by his younger teammates in San Jose, Sharks right winger Tyler Toffoli has put up 13 points (5 G, 8 A) and 38 shots on goal in his past 13 games, recording two four-point games in the process. Toffoli is skating on San Jose’s second line, alongside William Eklund and Alexander Wennberg, while also getting time with the top power play unit.

#9 At this stage of his career, 40-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns is not the focal point for offense on the blueline, but he hasn’t abandoned those parts of his game, either. In his past 12 games, he has delivered eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 26 shots on goal, while averaging 19:44 of ice time per game. Only one of Burns’ 19 points this season have come on the power play, so there is a limit to his offensive contribution, but he remains a contributor for an Avalanche team that is steamrolling the rest of the league.

#10 Staying on the Colorado blueline, Samuel Girard has suddenly started to provide offense. In his past six games, Girard has six points (2 G, 4 A) and eight shots on goal, but he had just two assists in the 15 games that he played before that. Like Burns, Girard is not getting power play time in Colorado, but the Avs are so good that it could be worth considering these guys in deeper leagues.

#11 Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron has never scored more than 21 points in an NHL season, but that could change this season. He has found a role on Winnipeg’s third line, alongside Adam Lowry and Alex Iafallo, and in his past six games, Barron has five points (4 G, 1 A) and a dozen shots on goal. He is up to 12 points (7 G, 5 A) in 29 games this season, so he has a real chance to set a career high in point production. For fantasy managers, his appeal is mostly in very deep leagues, though his offensive surge coupled with 67 hits in 29 games does give him some added fantasy value.

#12 It seems as though Oliver Bjorkstrand has been underutilized in Tampa Bay, as he is playing just 14:23 per game, which would be his lowest average time on ice since 2018-2019. However, in his past seven games, Bjorkstrand does have seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 12 shots on goal while playing 15:32 per game. He is currently on the Lightning’s second line, with Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel.

#13 Buffalo Sabres left winger Zach Benson was having a hard time finding the back of the net, going without a goal in his first 17 games of this season, but he has started to put it together recently. In his past six games, Benson has five points (3 g, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal, As the Sabres are making a concerted effort to turn their season around, Benson is getting first unit power play time while skating on a line with Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn at even strength.

#14 After a slow start to the season that saw him demoted to the fourth line, Carolina Hurricanes left winger Andrei Svechnikov does seem to be back on track. In his past nine games, Svechnikov has 10 points (2 G, 8 A) and 20 shots on goal. He’s now skating on a line with Jordan Staal and Jackson Blake, which is more of a two-way line than usual, but Svechnikov is delivering results.

#15 The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired left winger Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken after the consensus was that Marchment’s time in Seattle was just not a good fit. After he had 13 points (4 G, 9 A) with 46 shots on goal in 29 games, which was not the kind of production that he was providing in his previous seasons with Dallas. Early returns in Columbus are more promising, as he has been playing with Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko and Marchment has three goals and seven shots on goal in his first two games with Columbus. He is still more of a deep league option for fantasy managers, but he has a chance to provide value.

#16 The Buffalo Sabres are turning around their season and goaltender Alex Lyon is putting up great results. He has won each of his past six starts, posting a .922 save percentage. When the Sabres’ season looked like it was getting away from them, it was looking more likely that Lyon or Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen could get traded, but now that the Sabres have moved to within two points of a Wild Card playoff spot, they are more likely to stick with their tandem.

#17 While the Seattle Kraken are battling to stay in the playoff hunt, currently three points back of the second Wild Card spot, they are getting quality play from goaltender Joey Daccord. In his past five starts, Daccord has won three while posting a .934 save percentage. On the season, Daccord has 4.14 Goals Saved Above Expected, which is the kind of goaltending that can keep a team in the playoff race and it might make him a viable fantasy option.

#18 When looking for players who might be ready to bust out offensively, consider those that have not been living up to their underlying numbers. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, for example, has just one goal in 11 games this month, despite having 5.70 individual expected goals in all situations. Some other players whose goal numbers have been below expected goals in December: William Eklund (-4.25), Anthony Cirelli (-4.04), Chris Kreider (-3.88), John Tavares (-3.61), Rickard Rakell (-3.36), Logan Stankoven (-3.21), Jake DeBrusk (-3.20), Nico Hischier (-3.12), Tom Wilson (-3.11), and Jake Guentzel (-2.83).

#19 With Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar injured, the Chicago Blackhawks have veterans Jason Dickinson and Ryan Donato holding down their top two centre spots. Donato played a season-high 21:35 in the last game before the break and does have a goal and an assist in his past two games, so he may have some short-term appeal while the Blackhawks are in the tough situation of missing their top two centres.

#20 Newly acquired Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry suffered a lower-body injury that should keep him out for a couple of weeks and that has opened the door for Connor Ingram, who has won his first couple of starts with Edmonton, stopping 92.0 percent of the shots that he faced in the first two games. He had a .856 save percentage in 11 AHL appearances, so it’s not like he was forcing his way back into the NHL with his play, but the Oilers are playing better and if it means that Ingram can get comfortable in the NHL again, he could at least have short term appeal for fantasy managers.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – CAROLINA HURRICANES – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 19:16:32 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - MAY 07: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) looks on during Game 3 of an Eastern Conference Second Round playoff game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils on May 7, 2023, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

After a few seasons of coming up short in the playoffs, the Hurricanes were able to finally get back to the Eastern Conference Final last year. The pressure has been on Carolina to get further and while the stress on them isn’t as high as it is in other cities, internally the knowledge they can be so much better dictated they had to get beyond the second round. Carolina finished with 99 points and landed in second place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Washington Capitals. They continued to be a headache on ice for opponents with the way they’re able to dominate in shot attempts and scoring chances. They were the best team in the league at five-on-five in CorsiFor percentage (59.1) and expected goals for percentage (55.9). Playing against Carolina means having to weather the storm of pucks they send to the net and doing the best you can to counterattack. The science used to build the roster, and their game plan hasn’t gotten them to the Stanley Cup Final yet, but piece by piece they’re figuring out how to do it.

What’s Changed?

When the Hurricanes had to move on from Mikko Rantanen last season 13 games after they acquired him from Colorado, it reopened their desire for a top-flight scoring winger. They found him in free agency with Nikolaj Ehlers. Carolina signed Ehlers, arguably the top free agent available, to a six-year, $51.5 million contract and will most likely slot the 29-year-old Dane next to Sebastian Aho on the top line. They also bolstered their blue line acquiring K’Andre Miller from the New York Rangers for prospect Scott Morrow and 2026 first and second-round picks. Miller signed an eight-year, $60 million extension with the Rangers as part of the sign-and-trade deal and he figures to partner up with Jaccob Slavin. They added further defensive depth with a one-year deal for Mike Reilly.

What Would Success Look Like?

The goal for Carolina is to win the Stanley Cup. Although getting to the Stanley Cup Final would be the right gradual step forward after reaching the East Final last season, this is a team designed to win it all. The days of being satisfied making the postseason and winning a round or two are long gone and after years of sustained success, anything less than winning it all is a disappointment. Adding Ehlers and Miller are meant to make them better and more stout in their own end and the addition of Logan Stankoven in the Rantanen trade with Dallas also gave them more young talent to work with.

What Could Go Wrong?

Although one of the areas that’s appeared to hold them back the past few years has been goaltending, whether it was health or performance, Carolina is running it back again with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. Andersen played well in the playoffs last year until they ran into Florida. If their goaltending duo can’t help them get over the hump, something would have to give, right? The Hurricanes are built well and slow starts the past two seasons allowed other teams in the Metropolitan Division to get out ahead of them to stay. Getting home ice throughout the postseason should be a priority, but if they have to play from behind again, it could feed back into the mental loop that they can’t get it done. Their time to win is now and has been.

Top Breakout Candidate

While K’Andre Miller will get a lot of attention on defence for Carolina, the player to keep an eye on is Alexander Nikishin. He was their third-round pick in 2020 and came over from Russia late last season in time to join the Hurricanes for the playoffs. He got four games in the postseason and is poised to be a key member of the defence corps this season. He was a big-time offensive weapon on the blue line for St. Petersburg SKA in the KHL. In 193 games with SKA, he had 45 goals and 112 assists (157 points). He skates well with the puck and at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he’s got plenty of size to handle the NHL.

FORWARDS

Sebastian Aho

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	33	51	84	1.06

“What about Sebastian Aho?” should be the reply to anyone asking when the Hurricanes are going to add an elite goal scorer. Carolina’s start player has never scored fewer than 24 goals in a season over his entire career, finding sneaky ways to get himself open around the net both at even strength and the power play. He also carries the team’s shoot-first mindset with him, always looking at the net first to see if he can get the puck there before deferring to someone else. It’s not the main thing he’s known for because he does so many other things well, but if the Canes need a goal, he’s usually the first one to step up. Last year was somewhat of a down season due to a shooting percentage dip and power play production. Aho also acted as more of a playmaker with his linemates starting to find the back of the net more. Helping Seth Jarvis have a career season, Jack Roslovic scoring 20 goals and setting up Mikko Rantanen during his brief spell with the team. He’s also one of the most dangerous players in the league shorthanded; he and Jarvis are always looking to break the other way when they’re on the penalty kill. The potential fit with newcomer Nikolaj Ehlers is exciting to think about, as that’s another top caliber linemate for the Hurricanes star forward and could be enough to get him back over the point-per-game hump. There is always the question of what he can do to break into that elite category of centers because he’s always considered just in the tier below. Some are still waiting for him to have that one truly elite season where he puts up close to 100 points. That day may not ever come, but the Hurricanes will go as far as Aho can take them.

Nikolaj Ehlers

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	27	35	62	0.84

Ehlers’ career in Winnipeg can be summed up as “great but could have been more.” You could argue he was the most talented player on the roster during his run there and had stretches where he was the best player on the ice. He just never produced at a superstar level and while that’s an arbitrary definition, the Jets never played Ehlers like he was one of their best players. He was always on the second line, separate from Mark Scheifele, while also playing on the second power play unit. Scheifele’s chemistry with Kyle Connor, Winnipeg’s desire to spread the wealth and the lack of trust in Ehlers to play 20+ minutes a night being the main reasons. Only used on the first line in a “break glass in case of emergency” situation. It’s not automatic that Carolina will play him like a superstar, but he does check a lot of the boxes they need. Ehlers is an electrifying talent, effortlessly gains the zone to back the defence up, creates high danger chances by dominating the perimeter, getting the defence to breakdown by cycling them to death and, most importantly, he can score. His sneaky wrist shot is dangerous from all over the offensive zone, mostly because of his release and how much traffic the other forwards create from Ehlers keeping the defence focused on him patrolling the outside. It’s an ideal fit for a Carolina club looking for more game-breakers. They’re taking a risk on elite production following Ehlers if he gets the ice time, neither is a sure thing. If he isn’t, he adds to Carolina’s assortment of great players who are just shy of being considered elite.

Andrei Svechnikov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	31	35	66	0.86

Last season was Svechnikov’s first true down season. He produced at his lowest rate since his rookie season with half of his 20 goals coming on the power play and another four being empty net goals. It’s not what you want to see from a player touted for his goal-scoring prowess going back to his draft year. It’s the one area where he’s really stagnated the last few seasons, his goal scoring rate steadily declining since his 30-goal season in 2022. He was on the scoresheet more often for taking penalties than anything else. Svechnikov salvaged this with a remarkable playoff run, where he scored eight goals and was team’s best player through the first two rounds. It was there you saw him look like the sniper and the power forward the team has been waiting to show up for almost six years now. He is a talent you keep betting on because even in a down season you saw what makes him a difference maker. He is a scoring chance machine with a hard shot who can win a few games for you on his own when he’s dialed in. Also, very lethal as a playmaker, as teams caught onto his shot early and he had to add more of a passing dimension to his game. The issue is Carolina doesn’t see this version of him often enough. It keeps him from breaking into that upper echelon of players but he’s still young enough to not assume his best days are behind him. Svechnikov has everything it takes to be the Hurricanes best player, he just needs to show it more often.

Seth Jarvis

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	36	41	77	0.94

While Necas carried the Hurricanes offence in the first half with his torrid start, Jarvis was not far behind. He was arguably the team’s best player in the second half of the season, kicking things off strong with 11 goals in the month of January and recording back-to-back 30 goal seasons. The ideal Carolina forward, Jarvis brings a lethal combination of skill and grit, always playing with a high level of intensity and his offence has reached another level the last couple of seasons. His game is all about hustle, but what’s made him more dangerous now is the level of detail in his skill game, always buying himself an extra second or two with the puck to get more on his shot or pick a corner. He’s also more comfortable with commanding the offence, using his teammates better and improving his playmaking game, whereas in previous seasons he was more of a straight-line player who would always take the puck to the net on first instinct. That is still a huge part of his game, as he’s incredibly strong on his skates while battling for position and he’s one of the team’s best finishers on breakaways. It helps him on both sides of the puck, as Jarvis excels at the keep-away style of defence with constantly chipping pucks out of the zone and disrupting plays to the point. It is also a reason his penalty killing unit with Aho is one of the most dangerous in the league, frequently creating more scoring chances shorthanded than the power plays they go up against. He might be the one Hurricanes forward who is closest to breaking into that elite tier.

Logan Stankoven

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	21	27	48	0.59

It is hard to not notice Stankoven’s size, or lack thereof. It’s usually the first thing anyone points out with him looking every bit of 5-foot-8, 170 pounds. He is also quick to make it an afterthought with how relentless he plays the game. Stankoven is a dog on a bone when going after pucks, using that lower center of gravity to get the inside track on defencemen and he’s also a lot stronger than he looks, as he’s very hard to get off the puck. It made him a valuable player to have in front of the net both in Dallas and Carolina, being able to locate loose pucks and take a beating from defencemen despite being undersized. The finishing he showed in juniors and the AHL hasn’t quite blossomed in the big league yet, effective at getting to the net but struggling to score from distance. Some parts of Stankoven’s offensive game are a bit rushed, as he’s very quick to get his shot off with the defensive pressure ramped up. Figuring out how to add that finesse he showed at the lower level is the key to unlocking his next level. Although his current track record is fantastic as a play-driving forward with a lot of upside, which the Hurricanes certainly believe in as they signed him to a six-year deal in the off-season. We saw glimpses of how high his potential is in the post-season, especially as a goal-scorer so they’re expecting this deal to become a bargain very soon.

Jackson Blake

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	22	25	47	0.57

As a smaller forward, Blake has done nothing but shatter expectations in his young career. Completely bypassing the AHL after a superstar season at North Dakota, he made the Hurricanes roster out of camp, starting on the fourth line with limited power play time and becoming a regular player on the first line with Sebastian Aho by the end of the year. Blake’s relentless pursuit of the puck on the forecheck made him a natural fit on the Hurricanes and he is fearless with cutting to the middle of the ice with the puck. Not the fastest player but can weave through traffic better than most when he gets the motor going. This is especially noticeable in the neutral zone, where he adds another dimension to how the Hurricanes zone entry scheme as a grittier player who can also make plays with the puck at the blue line. The learning process was tough for Blake, going through a mid-season scoring drought but finishing on a strong note with five goals in his last seven games. Blake’s stick-handling ability made him a great fit on the top line but did get outmatched by stronger defenders when trying to take it to the net. This led to him frequently deferring to his linemates when he had shooting opportunities and limiting some of his game. All part of the process in your first NHL season. The Hurricanes saw enough to make him part of their core long-term with a six-year extension.

Taylor Hall

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	16	22	38	0.51

At this point in his career, having a player like Taylor Hall on your top line isn’t ideal but he’s a luxury in the middle of your lineup. Transitioning into more of a role player, Hall can still have the odd game where he’s the best player on the ice. His puck-carrying skill is still unmatched, being able to find lanes through defensive coverage and setup shop in the offensive zone. The speed might not be there anymore, but his skating is still fluid and effortless. He can flip possession without needing to move his feet much and it takes some pressure off his linemates. His offensive game has shifted from where it used to be, no longer a pure playmaker and taking on more of a shooting role after joining the Hurricanes. He didn’t score as much as you’d hope with how impressive he was by the eye test, having most of the offence go through him on cycles and helping his lines heavily tilt the ice in Carolina’s favor. This might be the new normal for him as a highly skilled second liner who is more known for setting the table rather than scoring the goals himself. An interesting player for Carolina to build their depth around as he gets older. They have some intriguing prospects knocking on the door and Hall is a good player to help them get acclimated to the NHL game.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	13	26	39	0.48

Stuck in neutral is the best way to describe Kotkaniemi’s career with the Hurricanes. The last few years he began the roster as the team’s second line center, mainly played an off-puck support role with Martin Necas. He’s a reliable enough player to help set the table for high-skilled linemates, making small connecting plays up the ice and sometimes making that one final pass to set up a scoring chance. He is just overly reliant on his linemates to see any production for how he plays, and sometimes it’s not always the case with how points are rewarded. The lack of assertiveness in Kotkaniemi’s game is the main thing that holds him back. He waits too often for the perfect shot to develop, doesn’t trust himself with carrying the puck up the ice and will defer to someone else quickly if there’s any pressure. He might start as the 2C in October, but he is usually shuffled onto the fourth line when the playoffs roll around. His strengths are somewhat redundant with Jordan Staal still on the team and his offensive game developing to the point where he’s a 2C hasn’t blossomed like the Hurricanes had hoped. If he was the third line center, it’s a moot point but Kotkaniemi is regularly slotted higher in the lineup in hopes that he can at least hold the fort down in a top six spot. With off-season rumors swirling about wingers Seth Jarvis or Logan Stankoven moving over to center, Kotkaniemi’s days of playing in the top six might be numbered.

Jordan Staal

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	10	25	35	0.49

Even at his age, Jordan Staal is still somewhat of a pillar for the Hurricanes. He can go long stretches without getting on the scoresheet, but it’s never part of his job description holding the team’s defensive structure in place as the shutdown center. Last year was one of his better recent ones in terms of point production, partially thanks to linemate Jordan Martinook having a career season. Staal defends best in the offensive zone, using that big body to jam up opponents breakout attempts and keep everything along the wall. Built like an NFL linebacker with a condor wingspan, Staal is going to stay an effective NHLer as long as his legs still work. He doesn’t need to take many strides to catch up to forwards or get a stick on a puck to deflect a pass. This is why he still gets heavy minutes despite his weak offensive production, sometimes leading forwards in ice time if the Canes have to defend a lead. His presence is both a positive and a negative because his defensive game is part of the team’s identity but it becomes noticeable how much of a drain on the offence he is when his ice time gets bumped into the 17-18 minute range. The third line center spot is his to lose, even at 37 years old.

DEFENCE

Jaccob Slavin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	4	20	24	0.20

Every year the Norris gets awarded, there becomes a side conversation for “best defensive defenceman” and Jaccob Slavin’s name is usually first on the list. Known for having the best defensive stick in the game, Slavin holds the Carolina defence corps together. Playing an ultra-aggressive style with his shifty footwork bailing him out of most tough situations. His style of defending is somewhat unorthodox, using all parts of his body to block shots, often sprawling onto the ice to block passing lanes and attacking forwards from an angle rather than head-on in a defensive posture. It doesn’t work for everyone, but Slavin has mastered his craft of being the Hurricanes “problem solver” in the defensive zone. He has the skillset to be a contribute offensively, but it’s where his game lacks some dynamic ability. He has an explosive first stride and is sneaky with getting his shot through but very deliberate with his decision-making, so it doesn’t make him the best offensive blue liner. This year will be a little different, with his defence partner from the last three seasons leaving in free agency and the team short on right-handed options, it’s been reported that Slavin could be playing his off-side next season. He has experience doing this, but you have to go all the way to his brief AHL stint in 2014 to find the last time he played this role regularly. Slavin is no stranger to having the pieces around him changing, but shifting to his off side will be a new challenge for him and the Hurricanes overall team defence hinges on his performance.

K'Andre Miller

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	8	28	36	0.47

Looking to fill a long-term hole, Carolina made one of the biggest trades of the off-season, acquiring K’Andre Miller in a sign-and-trade deal with the Rangers. They paid heavily for the defenceman and are paying him like a top-pair guy, so one would think he is going to be penciled into that role opening night. Miller is the complete package in terms of raw skill. He’s a very tall, mobile defenceman with a long reach and great instincts with the puck. Spending the last few years patrolling the Rangers shutdown pair alongside Jacob Trouba, it’s been somewhat of trial by fire, as he had to be the safety valve for Trouba’s aggressive play. He got a brief run with Adam Fox at the start of last season before being stapled to physical defenceman Will Borgen for rest of the year and Miller continued to play the safety valve role. Excellent at leading breakouts but not carrying the puck much and his offensive contributions took a dip, playing heavy minutes on the penalty kill with minimal usage on the power play. Also had his worst season at defending entries, giving up more chances off controlled entries than any other Rangers defenceman. Carolina has a good recent track record of getting the most out of skilled defenceman and Miller is going to be a major project for them. There’s a natural home for him alongside Slavin if the Canes veteran blue liner moves to his off side. Power play time is also open for him as the longtime Ranger has a fresh start in Raleigh.

Sean Walker

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	6	13	19	0.23

The combination of moving to a new team and having a clean bill of health did wonders for Sean Walker’s career. His first season in Carolina was mostly spent on the third pair with not much defensive trust placed in him. Whether that’s from being paired with offensive defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere or the coaches being worried about his size is up for debate, but something changed late in the season and carried into the playoffs. Walker became a regular 20+ minute defenceman by the end of the season and even got spot duty alongside Slavin in the Washington series. Walker was arguably the fastest and most explosive defenceman on the roster last season, not afraid to carry the puck and one of the best at generating controlled zone exits. Used his smaller height well to negate entries with his stick and lower body. Not having him available for most of the Florida series was more of a blow than it appeared from the outside. Even if you think he’s just a third pair guy, Walker dominated those minutes and that’s nothing to scoff at. He is someone who could ascend in the lineup next season depending. He got a brief audition with Slavin and the two looked like they had natural chemistry, but it’s likely some of the more higher profile pieces like Miller and Nikishin get first crack at trying out for the top pair.

Shayne Gostisbehere

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	7	37	44	0.58

The one pure offensive defenceman on the Hurricanes blue line, Gostisbehere feasted on the power play early in the season but saw his production dwindle as the year went on. Losing his top power play spot to Brent Burns in the middle of the season while the team was struggling. The Canes used him well at five-on-five, forming a dominant third pair with Sean Walker with heavy offensive zone deployment. Gostisbehere could play his game and attack the zone on resets and reloads in the neutral zone and quarterbacked the offence from the blue line well. He’s excellent at getting the high forward to miss and get a better shot from closer to the faceoff circle or find a pass from the middle of the ice. There isn’t much that has changed about his game going back to rookie season in Philadelphia, his feet are quick, and his offensive skillset is dynamic. Not the most physical player in the world, but the Hurricanes have no shortage of penalty killers on their roster. The full-time addition of Alexander Nikishin could impact Gostisbehere’s production depending on who wins the top power play spot. Gostisbehere has somewhat of an edge because of seniority but if Nikishin is all he is hyped to be, there will be some pressure for him to take that spot.

Goal

Frederik Andersen

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
36	22	9	2	2	.902	2.42

There are plenty of exciting names sitting in the wings for the Carolina Hurricanes in net. But for at least one more year, expect the coastal team to hold the course and run it back with what they already know; for better or for worse, Carolina will start the 2025-26 season with both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov as their tandem once again. It's an intriguing choice, given that neither goaltender was particularly stellar last year - but interestingly enough, despite neither Kochetkov nor Andersen surpassing league-average performances on the year, the team ended up looking on paper like one of the most dominant forces in the East. And given that the roster has grown so accustomed to Andersen and Kochetkov over the last few seasons, it actually might not be a bad tactic on the team's part. It should prevent the coach staff from needing to adjust any defensive strategies to accommodate for a new goaltender in the building, while running out the last year of Andersen's contract and potentially even evaluating which of Cayden Primeau or Amir Miftakhov could be his successor. The only minor concern is how Kochetkov performed with a fairly heavy workload last year - but if Primeau is able to shoulder some of the workload that Andersen can't, it could be a best-case situation for Carolina as they continue to fight for a cup during their prime window.

NHL: DADOUN – TRADE DEADLINE ROUND UP – What we can expect from some of the bigger players now?

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 18:58:23 +0000

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 27: Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders on February 27, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Friday’s trade deadline has to stand out as one of the best in recent memory. Over the last week, 45 trades occurred with almost $170 million worth of cap hit changing hands, per PuckPedia. More than just the quantity, though, was the quality.

Brock Nelson, a man who has breached the 30-goal milestone in each of the previous three campaigns was added by Colorado, while Seth Jones, a top four defenseman signed through 2029-30, was acquired by Florida in the leadup to deadline day, and yet neither of them ended up being the headline additions of this trade season. Jones didn’t even end up being the biggest name to join the Panthers.

Instead, Florida shocked the hockey world with its last-minute addition of Brad Marchand. Granted, Marchand is 36, in the final season of his contract and dealing with an upper-body injury, so there are some big caveats to consider when assessing his impact, but still, it’s Brad Marchand. There aren’t many active players out there who are so heavily linked to the team they play for than he is. To see him with the Panthers will be weird, to say the least.

Of course, he might just be a rental, so we’ll see what happens this summer. One star player who opted not to go to free agency, though, is Mikko Rantanen. The Hurricanes were clearly hoping to lock him up long term -- it's fair to say they wouldn’t have acquired him from Colorado if they didn’t think they had a shot -- but in the end, terms weren’t agreed upon, so Carolina cut its losses by sending Rantanen to Dallas, which promptly signed him to an eight-year, $96 million contract.

It's a huge payout, but a justified one with the cap going up. Rantanen recorded over 40 goals and 100 points in each of the previous two seasons and has 27 goals and 70 points in 62 appearances this campaign. Dallas has now set itself up to enjoy a duo of Rantanen and Jason Robertson for years to come, which should make the Stars one of hockey’s best teams in the medium term.

That’s just scratching the surface of what happened today, so let’s start digging deeper. Typically, I highlight teams based on what their upcoming schedule is like with a bias towards teams that will be playing a lot or facing favorable opponents in the week to come. This week, I’ll be highlighting the squads I feel had the most interesting trade deadline -- including the days leading up to it -- so that I can discuss what’s changed and how this might impact various players for the remainder of the campaign.

Boston Bruins

It’s not overly dramatic to suggest that trading Marchand to Florida marked the end of an era for the Bruins. Sure, they still have David Pastrnak, but if you look back at the 2018 Bruins who made it to the Stanley Cup Final, Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are the only ones remaining.

No more Marchand. No more Patrice Bergeron. No more David Krejci. Torey Krug is gone. So are Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask. Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle were members of the Bruins’ 2018-19 squad, but they were traded to Toronto and Colorado, respectively, on Friday.

Of course, the Bruins of old have been fading away for a while. Boston was able to maneuver with a series of trades and signings to extend their dominance for a long time, but if you look at the Bruins’ recent drafting history, you can see why this decline happened. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman, despite his struggles this campaign (18-21-6 record, 3.00 GAA and .896 save percentage in 45 appearances) has proven to be a steal for a fourth-round pick, but he was taken back in 2017. From 2018 to the present, no Bruins draft pick has logged 150 or more games, and the only players over the past four drafts to even make it to the NHL among Boston’s picks are Matthew Poitras and Fabian Lysell -- the latter of which has played in just one game.

Of course, part of that was the Bruins suffering from success, which led to late draft picks, but it is nevertheless at the heart of why Boston couldn’t replenish fast enough as its old guard left.

Still, the Bruins’ moves suggest they’re looking to retool rather than rebuild. While Boston did stock up on draft picks, including a conditional first-round pick from Toronto and a conditional second rounder from Florida, the Bruins also picked up Fraser Minten, who is a 20-year-old prospect who might factor into Boston’s roster on a regular basis next year, and Casey Mittelstadt, who is in the first season of a three-year, $17.25 million contract and is a solid option up the middle.

Boston also has to keep in mind that it’ll get Hampus Lindholm (kneecap) back next season after the top four blueliner was limited to just 17 appearances in 2024-25, and there’s also the likelihood that Swayman will do better next campaign. In other words, Boston fans might not have to go long between playoff appearances.

In the meantime, though, Cole Koepke and Mark Kastelic might get top six minutes, even though neither is particularly suited for the role. We also might see them get ice time on the second power-play unit, and Nikita Zadorov could feature there as well. Boston still has one strong line in Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Pastrnak, but the team’s offense overall figures to be dreary, and as a result, Boston might slip even further than its current 28th rank in goals per game (2.69).

Carolina Hurricanes

Losing Rantanen hurts, especially after Carolina gave up a package that included Martin Necas to pry him from Colorado. At least the return from Dallas was strong: The Hurricanes got Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-round selections. It’ll be years before we know how good or bad those draft picks are for the Hurricanes, but Stankoven is an interesting piece to get in the meantime.

The 22-year-old is playing in his sophomore campaign and had 29 points (nine goals) in 59 appearances with Dallas before the trade. He didn’t have consistent linemates, which might have made the task of adapting to the NHL a little more challenging. Stankoven did show a ton of potential in the minors, though, supplying 24 goals and 57 points in 47 outings with AHL Texas in 2023-24.

Stankoven figures to get a top six role with Carolina as well as power-play time. The tricky thing is that the Hurricanes don’t have any high-end forwards outside of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov, who might end up spending a fair amount of time together on the top line. When Carolina opts to take that path, that would leave Stankoven on a rather barren second unit. It’s a similar situation to the one Taylor Hall finds himself in. Since joining the Hurricanes from Chicago, Hall has just a goal and three points in 13 outings while averaging 14:32 of ice time. Part of that’s because the 33-year-old Hall has declined in recent years, but he’s also finding himself alongside Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jackson Blake, neither of whom have reached the 15-goal or 30-point marks this season.

With that in mind, Stankoven might not be much of an offensive force for the remainder of the season.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado has been extremely busy on the trade front all year -- in addition to the Rantanen trade back in January that got the Avalanche Necas, Colorado also has an entirely different goaltending duo than the one it began the campaign with -- and the Avalanche didn’t slow down as the trade deadline approached.

Colorado added Brock Nelson from the Islanders, Coyle from the Bruins and Erik Johnson from Philadelphia this week. It did cost the Avalanche -- in addition to draft picks and prospects, Colorado also parted ways with Mittelstadt – but Colorado looks like a major Cup contender.

Nelson and Coyle make the Avalanche extremely talented up the middle. We’ll probably see Nelson assume the second-line center spot. Although that would keep him out of the enviable position of skating alongside Nathan MacKinnon or Necas, Nelson would still have plenty to work with alongside Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin. It wouldn’t be surprising if Nelson largely maintained his scoring pace in Colorado after contributing 20 goals and 43 points across 61 appearances with the Islanders in 2024-25 before the trade.

That would leave Coyle on the third line. He’d see a meaningful decline in his workload compared to his average of 17:38 of ice time, including 1:55 with the man advantage, with Boston this season, but he kind of deserves that dip after collecting just 15 goals and 22 points in 64 outings. He did exceed the 40-point mark in three consecutive seasons from 2021-22 through 2023-24, so having him on the third line is a nice luxury to have, but he’s unlikely to challenge Nelson for the top-six spot, and it’s also not a given that Coyle will get regular time on the power play.

Jack Drury will probably center the fourth line. He doesn’t bring much offensively to the table anyway (seven goals, 13 points in 53 outings this season), but he is effective on the draw (57.1 conversion rate) and helps kill penalties, so Drury still has a clear role. The biggest loser in this will probably be Parker Kelly, who might spend a fair amount of time in the press box after dressing in the Avalanche’s first 63 games.

Speaking of the press box, I don’t expect Johnson to play much. It’s nice to see him back in Colorado, but unlike his first stint with the team, there isn’t really a clear role for him. Maybe if the Avalanche are forced to deal with injuries, the 36-year-old will get some work, but that’s about it.

Dallas Stars

Dallas made only one trade this month, but it was a huge one. As already noted above, the Stars acquired Rantanen in exchange for picks and Logan Stankoven. Dallas also signed Rantanen to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension.

Rantanen didn’t look great in Carolina, recording just two goals and six points in 13 appearances, but he still has 70 points (27 goals) in 62 outings this campaign, and his resume is fantastic. He should do great in Dallas, likely on the first line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.

Hintz and Robertson have typically played together this campaign, but the third member of that trio hasn’t been consistent. Wyatt Johnston has gotten a fair amount of work in that role, though, and that’s likely at an end. Johnston might not be on the second unit either given that Mason Marchment, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund have done well together. Instead, Johnston might primarily center the third unit. That’s an odd position for a player with 23 goals and 59 points in 62 outings, but Dallas isn’t a typical team, and that would still leave him to play with Jamie Benn, who remains a solid contributor at the age of 35 (15 goals, 39 points).

Johnston may see a bit of a decline in his production down the stretch, but Dallas should remain happy given that it will be rolling out three very effective lines. The Stars’ embarrassment of offensive riches will get even better if Tyler Seguin (hip) is available for the playoffs. He was fantastic early in the campaign with nine goals and 20 points in 19 appearances. Maybe he’ll end up alongside Benn and Johnston.

Florida Panthers

The Marchand trade was jaw-dropping, especially given that the price was just a conditional second-round pick, which will turn into a first-round selection only if Florida wins at least two rounds and Marchand participates in a minimum of 50 percent of those playoff games. The latter condition speaks to Marchand’s health -- before the trade, he missed Boston’s past three games. Florida GM Bill Zito thinks Marchand will be out for a couple more weeks, but he also added that the team doctors will look at him, per Florida Hockey Now, so we’ll see.

Presuming that Marchand returns before the end of the regular season, it will be very interesting to see how he fits into the lineup. Will he play alongside another talented troublemaker in Sam Bennett? They did see some work together on Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Matthew Tkachuk (groin) is done for the remainder of the regular season, but should he return for the playoffs, he might join that duo to form a line that no one would want to play against.

Perhaps Florida will attempt to balance out the grit by separating the trio of Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Maybe we’ll have something like Bennett-Verhaeghe-Tkachuk and then Marchand-Barkov-Reinhart. Whatever they decide to do, that will be a strong top six. While Tkachuk and Marchand are out, Mackie Samoskevich and Evan Rodrigues will see increased roles, but that duo is likely to serve strictly in the bottom six when everyone is healthy. Samoskevich in particular might see a drop in usage once Marchand is back, but for now, he’s enjoying the extra work -- Samoskevich has three goals and four points across his past six appearances while averaging 15:30 compared to eight goals and 17 points in his first 48 outings with an average of 11:41.

On the back end, Jones logged 20:40 of ice time over his first two appearances with the Panthers. Aaron Ekblad seems to have maintained his spot on the top power-play unit and has cashed in with a power-play assist in each of his past two outings. If Jones’ role with the man advantage has been diminished by the move to Florida from Chicago -- and that seems to be the case -- then his fantasy value will take a significant hit. Of his 27 points in 2024-25, 15 have been recorded on the power play.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay loves first-round picks, and sometimes when you love something, you have to let it go. The Lightning have drafted in the first round just once dating back to 2020 -- Isaac Howard (31st overall) in 2022 -- and it seems they’ll be waiting a while before doing so again. The Lightning gave their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to Seattle in a three-team trade that brought Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde to Tampa Bay. The Lightning were already missing their 2025 first-round pick as part of the Tanner Jeannot trade back in 2023.

While that’s a significant cost, the Lightning are looking like a well-rounded team going into the playoffs. Obviously, they already had the trio of Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov as their headline unit -- Guentzel has two hat tricks this season and still might be the worst player on that line, which is wild -- and that’s complemented by a strong second line in Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul.

Now Bjorkstrand and Gourde can man the third line, perhaps alongside 24-year-old rookie Gage Goncalves. Bjorkstrand has 17 goals and 38 points in 62 outings while Gourde has done worse this season (six goals, 18 points in 37 appearances) but has recorded over 30 points in each of his previous seven seasons. That doesn’t give the Lightning the same level of forward depth that Dallas is rocking, but that’s still really good.

These moves also probably cost Mitchell Chaffee his spot on the power play. That’s not a huge deal, but four of his 12 goals in 2024-25 have been scored with the man advantage.

Toronto Maple Leafs

There was an arms race in the Atlantic Division. Florida and Tampa Bay both made significant additions leading up to the deadline, and Toronto made some maneuvers too. The Maple Leafs acquired Brandon Carlo from Boston and Scott Laughton from Philadelphia, though in the process, Toronto surrendered, among other things, two first-round picks as well as prospects Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten.

At a glance, those sacrifices would suggest Toronto is going all in, and while it’s undeniable that the farm system has taken a hit, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Carlo is signed through 2026-27 and Laughton is under contract through 2025-26, so these aren’t just rentals.

In terms of what they bring to the table, it’s nothing headline-grabbing, but it is important. Laughton is a solid third-line center, which will allow Max Domi to shift to the wing. His presence might also push Nicholas Robertson out of the top nine, though Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann might also occasionally shift down in the depth charts, especially when Max Pacioretty (undisclosed) is able to return.

Carlo might end up being a good shutdown partner for the offensive-minded Morgan Rielly. He might even enable Rielly to take more chances and bolster his scoring pace down the stretch. The 30-year-old Rielly has seven goals and 32 points in 62 appearances in 2024-25, which is down from 58 points in 72 outings last year.

Philippe Myers, who has gotten some looks alongside Rielly lately, probably won’t be a consideration for that role going forward. Instead, Myers will probably shift to the third pairing, and once Chris Tanev (upper body) is back, Myers might find himself competing with Simon Benoit to stay in the lineup.

Toronto’s xGA/60 in 2024-25 has been 3.19, which ranks 23rd in the league. That suggests the Maple Leafs have made life somewhat hard on their goaltenders this season with their defensive play. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have mostly been able to make up the difference, but their work should be easier after Toronto’s recent moves.

Vegas Golden Knights

It’s weird for Vegas not to be the one making a blockbuster trade. In fact, the Golden Knights didn’t make any move Friday, but they did pick up Reilly Smith from the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round pick.

It’s not earth-shattering, but it’s a nice bit of business. Although Smith has underwhelmed this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points in 58 appearances in 2024-25, he had some amazing campaigns with Vegas. In particular, Smith provided 26 goals and 56 points in 78 regular-season games in 2022-23 and went on to supply another four goals and 14 points across 24 playoff outings to help Vegas win the Cup in 2023.

This change of scenery might be what Smith needs to rebound. He’s not too old at 33, so he still should have something left in the tank. However, the Golden Knights are a deep team. Even with William Karlsson (lower body) and Victor Olofsson (lower body) out, Smith might still find himself in a bottom-six role, and when everyone is healthy, it’s inevitable that Vegas will have to make a healthy scratch out of someone who would play regularly on most teams. Perhaps that will be Brandon Saad on occasion, but Nicolas Roy and Smith are also on that bubble.

For that reason, I recommend tempering your expectations when it comes to Smith’s reunion tour.

NHL: 20 FANTASY POINTS – TRADE DEADLINE EDITION – Rantanen, Marchand, Nelson, Cozens, Jones, and much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 16:14:05 +0000

RALEIGH, NC - FEBRUARY 27: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) talks to a Buffalo Sabres player during the NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes on February 27, 2025 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, a look at the movers and shakers from the NHL trade deadline, including Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand, Brock Nelson, Dylan Cozens, Seth Jones, and much more!

#1 The biggest blockbuster of deadline day saw the Carolina Hurricanes trade Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars for Logan Stankoven and a couple of first-round picks. Rantanen has been massively productive, ranking eighth in the league with 649 points in 548 games since the start of the 2017-2018 season, but he did struggle in his short stint with Carolina, managing just six points (2 G, 4 A) in 13 games. Rantanen certainly should be a premier scorer in Dallas, where he could skate with fellow Finn Roope Hintz on the Stars’ top line, and Hintz is cooking, with 16 points (3 G, 13 A) in his past seven games. If he does recapture the form he showed in Colorado, Rantanen will raise the Stars’ offensive ceiling. Going the other way, Stankoven is officially a rookie and has 43 points (14 G, 29 A) in 83 career NHL games. He ought to have a regular spot in Carolina’s top six and it would not be a stretch to imagine an extra minute or two of ice time per game for the new Hurricanes winger.

#2 It is the end of an era in Boston, as the Bruins have traded captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. He is out of the lineup for three-to-four weeks with an upper-body injury, so that time frame means Marchand is likely of little value to fantasy managers. When he is healthy, Marchand could join Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk on a line that could wreak havoc in the postseason.

#3 The Colorado Avalanche made a big push to upgrade their roster, acquiring Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders and Charlie Coyle from the Boston Bruins. Nelson has 43 points (20 G, 23 A) in 61 games, marking the ninth season of his career in which he has recorded at least 20 goals. He is playing a career high 19:21 of ice time per game and that ice time could fall a little in Colorado, but Nelson should have better linemates with the Avalanche, so he may have a little more upside with his new team.

#4 In addition to Nelson, the Avs added Charlie Coyle, sending Casey Mittelstadt to Boston. After scoring a career high 60 points for the Bruins last season, Coyle has stumbled to 22 points (15 G, 7 A) through 64 games this season. He is likely going to fill the third-line centre role for the Avalanche, which doesn’t make him that appealing in most fantasy leagues. Mittelstadt is looking for a fresh start after putting up just 34 points (11 G, 23 A) as Colorado’s second line centre this season. Given the situation in Boston, where the Bruins are clearly rebuilding, it’s not the ideal scenario for Mittelstadt to enjoy a big finish to the season.

#5 The Buffalo Sabres dealt centre Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators, bringing back centre Josh Norris as part of the return. Cozens had career highs of 31 goals and 68 points in 2022-2023 but he has not approached those numbers since and has a modest 31 points (11 G, 20 A) in 61 games this season. He is likely to see some improvement in shooting percentage, as his current rate of 7.9 percent is below his career mark of 10.0 percent, but moving to Ottawa does not suddenly mean an offensive breakout is coming. That’s the challenge for the Senators, to figure out if they can get Cozens back to his level of production from a couple of years ago. Norris has shown that he can put the puck in the net, scoring 77 goals in 173 games across the past four seasons. His biggest issue has been recurring shoulder injuries that have cost him playing time. The opportunity in Buffalo isn’t necessarily going to be that different for Norris, and the Sabres have enough quality to surround him with skilled wingers, but his fantasy appeal will be tied largely to how consistently he stays in the lineup.

#6 Defenceman Seth Jones had made it clear that he was ready to move on from the Chicago Blackhawks, so they traded him to the Florida Panthers. While Jones will probably not be required to play as much in Florida as he did in Chicago, where he averaged more than 25 minutes of playing time over the past four seasons, there will be a clear upgrade in talent around him. At least initially, it’s possible that Jones could have less appeal as a scorer in Florida, because he is on the Panthers’ second power play unit and 15 of his 27 points (7 G, 20 A) this season have come via the power play.

#7 Going the other way in that deal was goaltender Spencer Knight, the 13th pick in the 2019 Draft who missed all of last season, but has rebounded nicely in 2024-2025. Knight had a .907 save percentage in 23 games for the Panthers and has stopped 77 of 81 shots in his first two starts for Chicago. Knight is just 23 years old and should be Chicago’s goaltender of the future and even the goaltender of the present after the club dealt Petr Mrazek to Detroit. While the Blackhawks aren’t winning enough to make Knight especially valuable this season, he could grow into a star goaltender as the team in front of him improves.

#8 Dealing with some injuries in their forward group, the Minnesota Wild added wingers Gustav Nyquist and Justin Brazeau in separate trades with the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins, respectively. Nyquist returns to Minnesota, where he had a solid stint late in the 2022-2023 season, contributing 10 points (1 G, 9 A) in nine regular-season-plus-playoff-games after he was acquired from Columbus. The veteran winger had a career-high of 75 points (21 G, 54 A) last season, but had managed just 21 points (12 G, 9 A) in 57 games for the Predators before the trade. Brazeau is a late bloomer who is playing his first full NHL season at age 27. The 6-foot-6 winger has 20 points (10 G, 10 A) in 57 games and while that does not scream offensive production, both Nyquist and Brazeau are capable of playing in Minnesota’s top nine and contributing secondary offense.

#9 The Tampa Bay Lightning turned to Seattle to add right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand and centre Yanni Gourde, bolstering a Lightning lineup that was already starting to make a strong push towards the postseason. Bjorkstrand is a five-time 20-goal scorer who had a career high of 59 points last season. He had 37 points (16 G, 21 A) in 61 games for Seattle and scored a goal in his first game for the Lightning. Gourde returns to Tampa Bay, where he was an integral part of their 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup teams. He is feisty and can contribute offensively, though he has just 18 points (6 G, 12 A) in 37 games after recording an assist in his return to the Tampa Bay lineup. Winger Michael Eyssimont was part of the deal going to Seattle and while he has struggled this season, he showed some potential last season and there could be a more consistent role for him in Seattle for the rest of the season.

#10 The Pittsburgh Penguins were busy shedding forwards to stockpile draft picks. They sent Michael Bunting to Nashville, and he has scored 79 goals across the past four seasons, making him a useful secondary scorer, in addition to his ability to agitate the opposition. In the short term, he is recovering from an appendectomy, so his contributions will have to wait. The Penguins also sent Anthony Beauvillier to Washington, and he has bounced around a lot since leaving the Islanders in 2022-2023. Beauvillier has 20 points (13 G, 7 A) in 63 games this season and it’s not likely that he will see much of an increase in playing time upon arriving in D.C. to join his new team, so his fantasy appeal will be limited. Cody Glass was traded to New Jersey, and he will give the Devils some additional help up front in the wake of Jack Hughes’ season-ending injury, but it’s not like Glass is going to fill the void created by Hughes’ absence. The sixth pick in the 2017 Draft, Glass had career highs of 14 goals and 35 points for Nashville in 2022-2023, but had just 15 points (4 G, 11 A) in 51 games for the Penguins at the time of the trade.

#11 It wasn’t all sending players away from Pittsburgh, as the Penguins brought in Tommy Novak from Nashville in the Bunting deal. After back-to-back seasons with more than 40 points, Novak looked like he could be on his way to holding down a second line centre spot, but this has been a challenging season and he had just 22 points (13 G, 9 A) in 52 games. Novak is one of the players who moved at the deadline who should see an uptick in ice time. He averaged 13:14 per game for Nashville, but it would be entirely reasonable for the Penguins to bump Novak up to 16 minutes per game to see if he can fulfill the role of the bona fide second line centre.

#12 Looking to add some depth to their roster, the Edmonton Oilers traded for Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic and San Jose Sharks defenceman Jake Walman. Frederic hit career highs with 18 goals and 40 points last season but has just 15 points (8 G, 7 A) in 57 games this season. He is a big physical presence and could have some sneaky appeal in the playoffs, but his injury makes it seem likely that Frederic is not going to make a major difference during this regular season. Walman is an unheralded blueliner, yet one who produced a career high of 32 points (6 G, 26 A) in 50 games for the Sharks. He is a quality puck mover who has had some strong defensive numbers in the past when he played for Detroit. It's more difficult to put up strong defensive numbers in San Jose. Walman may see his ice time dip a little from the 23 minutes per game that he is averaging, but he should still hold a top four role and get second-unit power play time.

#13 Veteran winger Reilly Smith tallied a career high 26 goals on his way to 56 points in 2022-2023 and the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. Smith has struggled in two seasons since then, first with Pittsburgh and, this season, with the New York Rangers. Going back to Vegas, Smith could fulfill a secondary scoring role for the Golden Knights, though it also could be more challenging for him to secure a regular spot in Vegas’ top nine.

#14 The Toronto Maple Leafs, looking to improve their centre depth, brought in Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers. Laughton has limited offensive upside, hitting a career high of 43 points (18 G, 25 A) in 2022-2023, and with two points in his past 12 games, Laughton has 27 points (11 G, 16 A) in 60 games this season. However, he does have 129 hits in 60 games, so if he is contributing even a little bit offensively, there is a chance that Laughton will provide enough value to draw fantasy appeal in deep or banger leagues.

#15 After contributing five points (2 G, 3 A) in seven games for the Philadelphia Flyers following his trade from Calgary, winger Andrei Kuzmenko is on the move again, joining the Los Angeles Kings. Kuzmenko had career highs of 39 goals and 74 points for Vancouver in 2022-2023 but has been nowhere near that level of production in two years since then. He comes at a low cost for the Kings and Kuzmenko has enough skill that he could help upgrade the Kings’ offense. It looks like he could join Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, which would certainly be a quality situation for him, and might make him a fantasy sleeper at this stage of the season, but if Kuzmenko doesn’t produce in that spot, he could quickly lose relevance.

#16 For a player with little offensive output, Luke Kunin does hit enough to put him on the radar of fantasy managers. Acquired from the San Jose Sharks by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kunin has 18 points (11 G, 7 A) in 63 games but he also has 163 hits in 63 games, so there is at least a chance that if Kunin plays in a top nine role for Columbus, that he might be able to contribute enough to earn some deep league fantasy attention.

#17 The Ottawa Senators made another move to address their goal-scoring woes, picking up Fabian Zetterlund from the San Jose Sharks. Zetterlund had 36 points (17 G, 19 A) in 64 games for the Sharks this season, playing nearly 17 minutes per game for the team with the worst record in the NHL. If he moves to a line with, say, Cozens and Drake Batherson, that should give Zetterlund a good chance to provide secondary scoring.

#18 Although he has just five points (2 G, 3 A) in 19 games this season, Daniel Sprong has shown that he can score in limited opportunities, scoring 39 goals in his previous two seasons despite playing fewer than 12 minutes per game. The Devils are reeling, with injuries knocking out centre Jack Hughes and defencemen Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler, but if Sprong gets a chance to play consistently, he could be worth tracking.

#19 Even if Fraser Minten isn’t likely to play much for the Boston Bruins down the stretch, after he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenceman Brandon Carlo, Minten is an intriguing long-term pickup. A second-round pick in 2022, Minten contributed four points (2 G, 2 A) in 15 games for the Maple Leafs this season and 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 26 games for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. On a Bruins team that is going through a rebuilding process, Minten could have a real shot to play in the NHL next season.

#20 The Chicago Blackhawks decided not to move veteran forward Ryan Donato, who has set career highs with 23 goals and 47 points in 61 games. The 28-year-old second generation NHLer is on a seven-game point streak and has 18 points (8 G, 10 A) in his past 12 games. Expect the Blackhawks to ink Donato to some kind of contract extension, giving him a chance to remain in a bigger role than he has typically been afforded at other stops in his NHL career.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – A look at the rookie race at mid-season – Favourable schedules and player to target

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:20:08 +0000

I haven’t spent any time talking about the rookie race this campaign. Macklin Celebrini did miss 12 games early on due to a lower-body injury, which mitigated the early attention he might have otherwise had, but he’s been healthy for a while and has looked fantastic, providing 13 goals and 28 points through 32 appearances.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

At this stage, though, the reason why I haven’t dipped into the Calder Trophy race is because there’s not a lot to chew on there. Celebrini does have direct competition with Matvei Michkov, but Michkov is just one point ahead of Celebrini despite having played in eight more outings, so barring a change in the second half of the campaign, Celebrini seems like the clear favorite between them. Beyond that, the main competitors are defenseman Lane Hutson, who has three goals and 31 points in 41 outings, and goaltender Dustin Wolf, who is 13-6-2 with a 2.60 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 21 starts.

Comparing Celebrini, Hutson and Wolf is mostly subjective because they bring completely different things, so while a judgment call can and will be made by the end of the season which of them -- or Michkov if he does surprise me -- should get the trophy, comparing them in an article setting feels like evaluating apples and oranges.

Still, we might be able to glean something by evaluating how each of them compares to previous rookies at this stage of their careers. For Celebrini, we’ll compare his start against other forwards, and Hutson will be evaluated against defensemen. I’ll simplify things a little by making the comparisons based on games played (in other words, Connor Bedard’s first 32 games played will be measured against the Sharks rookie) to factor out Celebrini’s injury.

In the case of Wolf, I’m not going to break it down because the odds of him winning the Calder Trophy seem slim. While I think he deserves to be in the conversation to become one of the finalists, the last goaltender to take the trophy was Steve Mason back in 2008-09, and he was unreal that campaign with a 33-20-7 record, 2.29 GAA and .916 save percentage along with 10 shutouts. To put that into the context of that campaign, Mason also finished second in Vezina Trophy voting and fourth in the Hart race. With all due respect to Wolf, he’s not doing anything that measures up to that -- at least, he hasn’t yet.

With that in mind, let’s look at Celebrini’s recent comparables:

Alex Ovechkin, 2005-06, 19-19-38

Connor McDavid, 2016-17, 13-21-34

Sidney Crosby, 2005-06, 13-19-32

Patrick Kane, 2007-08, 8-23-31

Connor Bedard, 2023-24, 12-17-29

Macklin Celebrini, 2024-25, 13-15-28

Auston Matthews, 2016-17, 16-9-25

Paul Stastny, 2006-07, 8-14-22

You can see that his pace is a step below that of Ovechkin, McDavid, Crosby and Kane (note that McDavid missed roughly half of his rookie season and consequently missed out on the Calder), but he’s doing about as well as Bedard did last year.

Matthews and Stastny are there to remind us that we need to take these numbers with a grain of salt. Matthews is an amazing goal scorer who began his career with a four-goal game, but he had an extended quiet period from Oct. 27-Nov. 22 (0-3-3 in 13 games) during his rookie campaign, which diminished his early returns. In the case of Stastny, he finished with 28 goals and 78 points in 82 appearances in his first campaign, but he got off to a slow start.

These are ultimately still small sample sizes, but it does at least show that Celebrini is off to a respectable start when measured against the biggest stars of the salary cap era.

Still, Hutson looks even better:

Cale Makar*, 2019-20, 11-26-37

Shayne Gostisbehere*, 2015-16, 12-22-34

Lane Hutson*, 2024-25, 3-28-31

Quinn Hughes*, 2019-20, 4-26-30

Moritz Seider, 2021-22, 3-23-26

Zach Werenski, 2016-17, 6-20-26

Luke Hughes*, 2023-24, 7-16-23

Tyler Myers, 2009-10, 3-19-22

Brock Faber*, 2023-24, 2-18-20

You’ll notice a number of defensemen on this list with asterisks, which indicates that I took the first 41 games of their Calder season, not their first 41 games overall. For example, I didn’t count Makar’s 10 playoff appearances before 2019-20 or Quinn Hughes’ five regular-season outings in 2018-19. Hutson’s two appearances in 2023-24 weren’t factored in either, not that it would have hurt him -- he finished last season with a pair of assists.

That aside, Hutson is off to a remarkable start compared to other defensemen of the salary cap era. Faber did well enough to finish second in Calder Trophy voting last campaign with 47 points, and Hutson is well ahead of him. Moritz Seider is the last blueliner to win the award, and Hutson is outpacing the Red Wings defenseman as well.

Hutson is behind Makar and Gostisbehere, but Makar logged just 57 games as a rookie, consequently finishing with 50 points, and Gostisbehere didn’t play a full campaign either, finishing with 46 points in 66 outings. Hutson is currently on a 62-point pace. That would surpass Nicklas Lidstrom’s 60 points in 1991-92 and be the most since Brian Leetch’s 71 points in 1988-89.

Again, it’s apples and oranges between Celebrini and Hutson, but if you’re just talking about who is on track to leave the bigger mark on history for a rookie in their position, then so far that’s clearly Hutson.

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue vs PHI, Thu vs SJS, Sat @ NYR)

At this point, it seems very likely Buffalo’s playoff drought, which dates back to 2011, will continue, but another franchise’s bid to re-enter the postseason might be successful. The Blue Jackets are in the mix for a Wild Card spot with some favorable games ahead of them. They’ll play in home against Philadelphia and San Jose on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before visiting the Rangers on Saturday. At the time of writing, none of those three adversaries have a winning record.

The Blue Jackets are no strangers to injuries this campaign, but they are facing arguably their biggest challenge on that front with Sean Monahan on the injured reserve list due to a wrist issue. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out for, but he was placed on IR rather quickly after sustaining the injury Tuesday, which probably isn’t a great sign.

Before the injury, Monahan had 14 goals and 41 points through 41 appearances in 2024-25 while playing primarily on the Blue Jackets’ top line and first power-play unit. His loss will be felt, but if there is any silver lining at all, it’s that Columbus had a promising young forward waiting in the minors for his opportunity.

Luca Del Bel Belluz has excelled with AHL Cleveland in 2024-25, providing 17 goals and 37 points in 34 outings. The 21-year-old was summoned due to Monahan’s absence and was a standout performer in Thursday’s 6-2 victory over Seattle, collecting a goal and an assist in 11:16 of ice time. It’s reasonable to believe that his playing time will increase as he settles in, and he seems like a nice short-term grab to me -- short term because he might return to the minors once Monahan recovers.

Adam Fantilli is likely to be another player leaned on during Monahan’s absence. He logged 18:41, including 1:42 with the man advantage, Thursday and registered an assist to extend his scoring streak to four games. The 20-year-old’s nine goals and 20 points in 42 appearances in 2024-25 is nothing to write home about, but the 2023 No. 3 overall pick has tremendous upside that makes him worth keeping a very close eye on.

Dallas Stars (Tue @ TOR, Thu vs MTL, Sat @ COL, Sun vs DET)

Dallas has won its past six games, pushing its record to 26-13-1 in 2024-25. Although the Stars are having an incredible season, they’re still not in position to have the home-ice advantage in the first round because of the tough division they play in. Consequently, the Stars need every point they can get. They’ll try to stay strong in Toronto on Tuesday before hosting Montreal on Thursday. Dallas then has a back-to-back set over the weekend, playing in Colorado on Saturday and at home against Detroit on Sunday.

Jason Robertson’s resurgence has been a major part of the Stars’ winning streak. He was playing well below his potential early in the campaign, recording four goals and eight points across his opening 17 outings. Since then, he hasn’t been held off the scoresheet in consecutive games and has been especially effective recently, supplying three goals and 11 points over his past six outings. To put that into perspective, he leads all players in scoring from Dec. 29-Jan. 9 -- Zach Werenski and Mitch Marner are tied for second with nine points each.

Matt Duchene has also been on a roll. Although he’s having a strong campaign overall, Duchene had a slow stretch from Dec. 4-27 in which he was limited to a goal and an assist over 10 contests. He’s since rebounded with three goals and eight points across his past six outings.

The best part for Dallas is Duchene and Robertson typically play on separate lines, so this isn’t a case of one player’s hot streak simply feeding into the other’s, they’re both gelling at the same time independent of each other, which helps spread out the offense. That said, Duchene’s linemates Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn are looking good as well with eight and seven points, respectively, across Dallas’ past six games. Robertson’s linemates Evgenii Dadonov and Roope Hintz are also enjoying strong stretches with six and five points, respectively, over the same span.

The only downside is Logan Stankoven, who serves on the third line, hasn’t been doing much. He has the most offensive potential among the forwards outside of the top six, but the 21-year-old has been a mixed bag this campaign with four goals and 19 points in 38 outings, and that’s despite an amazing start of the season in which he had four goals and 14 points over his opening 15 games. He’s worth monitoring to see if he gets hot again, but he’s too streaky to be an everyday option in fantasy.

Florida Panthers (Mon @ PHI, Tue @NJD, Thu vs DET, Sat vs ANA)

The Panthers have a real shot of reaching the 100-point mark for the third time in four seasons -- and they played at a 100-point pace in the shortened 2021 campaign (37-14-5) -- but they’ve been going through something of a rough patch with a 3-4-0 record from Dec. 23-Jan. 8. Florida will attempt to correct course on the road against the Flyers on Monday and the Devils on Tuesday. The Panthers will then return home to host Detroit on Thursday and Anaheim on Saturday.

Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart typically drive Florida’s offense, but none of them have been especially noteworthy lately -- each of them has no more than one goal and three points across Florida’s past five outings. Instead, Jesper Boqvist has been the unlikely leader recently, collecting four goals and six points over that five-game span.

This won’t last -- the 26-year-old has never recorded more than 23 points in a single campaign -- but you can enjoy this while it lasts. If nothing else, the timing of it has taken a touch of pressure off the Panthers’ major forwards during one of their quieter stretches.

One forward who might be feeling the pressure regardless, though, is Sam Bennett. He was amazing at the start of the campaign, supplying 13 goals and 26 points across his opening 27 appearances, which made it look like he might earn a big payday in the final season of his four-year, $17.7 million contract. Some decline was likely inevitable, but rather than slow, he’s collapsed, recording just one assist over his past 13 outings.

If there is a silver lining, Bennett is still firing the puck at a decent rate, accounting for 25 shots in his past eight outings, and his role with the team alongside Tkachuk and Verhaeghe seems largely intact. It seems just a matter of time before he breaks out of his recent slump, but he probably won’t have another stretch like he did in the early portion of 2024-25.

Montreal Canadiens (Tue @ UTA, Thu @ DAL, Sat vs TOR, Sun vs NYR)

Montreal wasn’t terribly impressive early in the campaign, owning an 11-16-3 record through Dec. 14, but the Canadiens have gone on a 9-2-0 run since. That’s put them into the mix for a playoff spot going into next week’s action. Montreal will begin on the road with games in Utah on TuesdayJack Hughes, and Dallas on Thursday. The Canadiens will then host the Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Rangers on Sunday.

A key factor in Montreal’s recent success has been its offense. The Canadiens have averaged 3.82 goals per game across their past 11 contests, which is a huge spike from their 2.70 goals per game over their first 30 outings.

Interestingly, there’s very little overlap with Patrik Laine’s success after returning from a knee injury and Montreal’s run. He did have an incredible eight goals and nine points in nine outings, but that was from Dec. 3-21, so mostly before Montreal took off. He then had no goals and an assist in four appearances from Dec. 23-31 and has missed the Canadiens’ last four outings due to an illness. You could absolutely make an argument that his hot return helped get the ball rolling, but he’s not what’s sustained it.

Cole Caufield has been an offensive leader over that stretch with six goals and 13 points through 11 outings, but that’s nothing new for him -- he has 23 goals and 40 points in 41 games overall -- so while he’s an important part of the Canadiens’ offense, he’s not what changed. The same goes for Nick Suzuki, who has two goals and 12 points across his past 11 appearances, giving him 13 goals and 42 points in 2024-25.

If you want the secret sauce, it’s been depth players stepping up. Joel Armia, Juraj Slafkovsky, Emil Heineman and Jake Evans have each had 15 points or fewer over Montreal’s first 30 outings, but those four have each collected seven or more points over the past 11 games.

Meanwhile, we’ve seen some promise from Jakub Dobes. He’s made three starts so far and is 3-0-0 with a GAA and a save percentage of 0.97 and .959, respectively. Granted, that’s a small sample size, but those matches were against Florida, Colorado and Washington -- all on the road -- so the Canadiens have given him tough competition, and he’s risen to the occasion.

Sam Montembeault has been largely hit-and-miss this campaign, including from Dec. 17 onward. He does have a 6-2-0 record over that stretch, but he also has a 2.78 GAA and an .890 save percentage. With that in mind, there’s a chance Dobes could see his workload begin to increase.

New Jersey Devils (Tue vs FLA, Thu @ TOR, Sat vs PHI, Sun vs OTT)

The Devils recent mediocre play has been due to a cold spell offensively. New Jersey has been strong overall, ranking 11th in goals per game with 3.16 goals per game, but the Devils have averaged just 2 goals per game across their past seven outings.

Forwards Jack Hughes (two goals, six points), Jesper Bratt (one goal, five points) and Ondrej Palat (three goals, four points), as well as defenseman Dougie Hamilton (five assists), are the only players who have made notable contributions on offense during that seven-game stretch. Timo Meier (one goal, two points) and especially Nico Hischier (one goal, two points) stand out as having been unusually cold in that span.

It's just a matter of time before the Devils start scoring again, though, so I wouldn’t be overly worried. It’s also worth remembering that six of New Jersey’s past seven outings have been on the road, so perhaps that worked against the Devils.

For his part, Markstrom hasn’t been amazing recently, but he also hasn’t been the issue. He’s limited the competition to two or three goals in each of his past five starts, which would be good enough under normal circumstances. He’s also still putting up strong numbers overall with a 21-8-3 record, 2.19 GAA and .911 save percentage across his past 32 appearances.

So, if you have New Jersey players on your team, my recommendation would be to hold firm and anticipate better times ahead.

Ottawa Senators (Tue @ NYI, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs BOS, Sun @ NJD)

Ottawa is going through a four-game schedule in the week of Jan. 6-12, and it has another full slate ahead. The Senators will begin next week with a road matchup against the Islanders before hosting Washington and Boston on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The Senators will then conclude the week in New Jersey on Sunday. With those final two games, the Senators will have played in five back-to-back sets, totaling 10 matches, in the span of 12 contests.

Ottawa has suffered four straight defeats to start January and is 1-5-1 across its past seven outings. With Montreal and Detroit both trending in the right direction, the Senators are in danger of slipping to seventh in the Atlantic Division and seeing their playoff chances fade further.

Brady Tkachuk, who is 25 and in his seventh NHL campaign without making his postseason debut, is doing his best to keep the Senators afloat, recording two goals, five points, 21 PIM and 20 hits over that seven-game span. He’s been Ottawa’s top offensive power during that stretch, but the other forwards the Senators typically rely on for offense -- Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson -- have each recorded two or fewer points over that stretch.

Though, perhaps it’s inaccurate to say that the Senators are relying on Giroux for offense, or at least they shouldn’t be at this point. Giroux was still a strong top-line scoring threat when he joined the Senators in 2022, but he seems to have declined substantially at the age of 36, supplying nine goals and 24 points through 40 appearances this campaign. Clearly, he still has something to offer, but those are numbers that would be more in line with a third line forward on a strong team.

Perhaps there’s a strong team out there that would want him in such a role. Giroux is in the final campaign of his three-year, $19.5 million contract, and if the Senators don’t rebuild soon, it would make sense for them to shop the veteran forward. He does have a no-movement clause, so Giroux has complete control over that situation, but his career is winding down, and he hasn’t won the Cup yet, so if presented with the opportunity to play for a serious contender, he’d likely take it.

He'd easily be the Senators’ biggest trade chip if it came to that. Travis Hamonic would also likely have appeal as a third-pairing blueliner, while Nick Cousins and Adam Gaudette might be grabbed to provide playoff-bound teams with forward depth, but if you’re a Senators fan and the team doesn’t turn things around soon, then Giroux rumors are the ones you’ll want to pay attention to.

Philadelphia Flyers (Mon vs FLA, Tue @ CBJ, Thu @ NYI, Sat @ NJD)

The Flyers endured a tough road stretch from Dec. 23-Jan. 5 in which they went 2-3-1. They’re back at home now, but rather than reverse the trend, they’ve dropped their past two games. Their home stint will conclude Monday against the Panthers. After that, they’ll go on a three-game trip involving games against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the Islanders on Thursday and the Devils on Saturday. Philadelphia will look to do better in that stretch while attempting to make up ground in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

Like Ottawa, Philadelphia’s recent struggles has caused its playoff hopes to drastically diminish, but with half the season left, a comeback can’t be ruled out. It’s unfair to put this on the rookie, but a stronger showing out of Matvei Michkov would go a long way toward making that happen.

I noted Michkov’s overall success this season up top, but what I didn’t mention is how cold he’s been recently, recording a goal, an assist and a minus-17 rating across his past 13 appearances. Plus/minus is always a stat that needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but his minus-17 rating from Dec. 14-Jan. 9 is by far the worst in the NHL. The next worst in the NHL during that time period are Brandon Montour and Mikhail Sergachev, who are tied at minus-12. Jamie Drysdale is the next worst member of the Flyers at minus-11 while the next worst Flyers forward is Morgan Frost at minus-9.

Michkov was a healthy scratch for two games from Nov. 7-9 and followed that with an amazing stretch from Nov. 11-Dec. 10 in which he had seven goals, 17 points and a plus-13 rating across 14 outings. I do wonder if maybe another scratch is in Michkov’s future to give him a chance to regroup. Either way, he’s a talented rookie, and it’s not uncommon for rookies to grow through stretches like this -- for one of countless examples, you might recall the Auston Matthews rookie slump I highlighted earlier -- so there’s not much cause for concern about Michkov’s future. In the long run, he should grow from this.

In contrast to his cold spell, Tyson Foerster had an incredible run of six goals and nine points in nine outings from Dec. 18-Jan. 5, but he was held off the scoresheet in Philadelphia’s past two games, so the good times might be over. He’s more of a streaming option given his streaky nature and middle-of-the-road stats (12 goals and 19 points in 41 games). For that reason, it’s best to move on when he shows signs of cooling.

If you’re looking for a hot member of the team, that’s Travis Konecny. He’s having an amazing campaign overall too with 20 goals and 46 points in 42 outings, but he’s been especially productive on the goal front recently with four markers across his last five appearances. His shooting percentage of 19.0 is well above his career average of 13.0, which is a potential warning sign, but that’s been skewed upwards by his power-play goals (a career-high eight). His 5-on-5 shooting percentage of 9.8 is actually a bit low for him (he finished with a 5-on-5 shooting percentage in the double digits in five of his previous seven campaigns), so there might still be some upside in that regard.

Utah HC (Tue vs MTL, Thu vs NYR, Sat vs STL)

Utah is having a streaky season, and lately, the squad has been trending in the wrong direction, going 2-6-2 from Dec. 22-Jan. 10. Fortunately, next week, the team will be at home against adversaries that presently don’t occupy a playoff position. Utah HC will face the Canadiens on Tuesday, the Rangers on Thursday and the Blues on Saturday.

Utah got Connor Ingram back from an upper-body injury, but at the time of writing, he hasn’t drawn into a game since returning, and it’s likely he’ll be used sparing. He didn’t impress before the injury, posting a 6-4-3 record, 3.61 GAA and .871 save percentage in 13 outings. Perhaps the time off has given him a chance to reset, but given Karel Vejmelka’s success -- although he has a 10-11-3 record, he’s stellar in terms of GAA (2.38) and save percentage (.916) -- so there isn’t much motivation to use Ingram except when Vejmelka could use a breather. Then again, the winds with this duo have changed before, so nothing is certain. Vejmelka was the starter in 2022-23, but that role was taken by Ingram last season. Ingram also entered 2024-25 with the No. 1 gig that now belongs to Vejmelka.

Neither has a track record of success long enough to be called a safe bet. The closest thing to that in Utah is Clayton Keller. The 26-year-old forward has been remarkably consistent this campaign, being held off the scoresheet in consecutive games just once in 2024-25 (Oct. 22-24). That steady stream of offense has resulted in him recording 14 goals and 41 points through 40 appearances, putting him well on his way toward reaching the 75-point mark for the third straight campaign.

It's just a shame that the forward corps around him is nothing special. Logan Cooley (11 goals, 35 points), Dylan Guenther (16 goals, 34 points) and Nick Schmaltz (seven goals, 30 points) have all been fine, but no other member of the squad has even reached the 20-point mark. In the long run, Utah does have Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin and Daniil But, who could make a significant impact in a couple of years, but none of those young forwards are in a position to help now.

Josh Doan is much closer, but after the 22-year-old turned heads by providing five goals and nine points in 11 games with Arizona in 2023-24, he was quiet during an NHL stint from Oct. 8-26 this campaign, supplying a goal and an assist across nine outings before being sent to AHL Tucson. He did seem to find his way in Tucson, though, contributing eight goals and 21 points over 25 contests, and was recalled Friday as a result. He had three shots in 14:18 of ice time during Utah’s 2-1 win over San Jose.

As already noted, Utah isn’t swimming in offensive depth, so with Keller, Cooley and Schmaltz sharing a line and Dylan Guenther (lower body) out indefinitely, Doan doesn’t have great linemates to play off. He’s at least worth keeping an eye on, but I wouldn’t jump to take him yet.

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: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Young Players Getting Exciting Opportunities

Scott Cullen — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:42:36 +0000

_{PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 28:Buffalo Sabres center Jiri Kulich (20) skates with the puck during the second period in the NHL preseason game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres on September 28, 2023, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)}

Each week, I’ll dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. With so few games played, this week will look at some players getting exciting opportunities to start the year, including Dylan Guenther, Alex Laferriere, Matvei Michkov, and more!

Here is this season’s first edition of 20 Fantasy Points:

#1 Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was helped off the ice after suffering an apparent injury in Ottawa on Thursday night. If Barkov misses any time, Anton Lundell could be an intriguing addition for fantasy managers. Lundell is in his fourth NHL season and while he has not yet matched the 44 points that he had as a rookie, he did have 17 points in 24 playoff games last season. Lundell has one assist and nine shots on goal through the Panthers’ first two games.

#2 It has been a whirlwind year for Utah Hockey Club right winger Dylan Guenther, who finished last season with a flourish, putting up 23 points (12 G, 11 A) in his last 23 games. That earned him a contract extension in the summer. The 8-year, $57.14 million contract seemed like a lot given his lack of NHL experience, but it might already be a bargain. Teammates gush about Guenther’s shot and he has started this season with four goals in his first two games. As great as Guenther’s shot is, he is not going to keep scoring on 50 percent of his shots on goal, but there are early indications that Guenther and centre Logan Cooley are poised to have breakthrough seasons for Utah, with both skating on the second line and getting top unit power play time.

#3 Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov is the betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy, and it’s not merely based on his track record in Russia, which is admittedly excellent. Michkov had 41 points in 48 KHL games last season and the 19-year-old is starting his NHL career on Philadelphia’s top line and first power play unit. The Flyers are opening the season with Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale getting first crack at quarterbacking the Flyers’ power play. Drysdale is a smooth skater who has tallied 15 of his 50 career points on the power play.

#4 Former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier was traded to Anaheim last season and the Ducks are putting Gauthier in position to succeed, giving him time on the first line (with Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn) and top power play right out of the gate. Gauthier had 65 points (38 G, 27 A) in 41 games as a sophomore at Boston College last season and he has impressive international credentials too, scoring nine points (7 G, 2 A) in 10 games at the 2023 World Championships and 12 points (2 G, 10 A) in seven games at the 2024 World Juniors.

#5 Second-year Los Angeles Kings left winger Alex Laferriere is starting the season on the Kings’ No. 1 line and top power play unit. Laferriere had 23 points (12 G, 11 A) as a rookie. He produced 73 points (35 G, 38 A) in 69 games in two seasons at Harvard, so there could be some offensive upside there, but with limited pedigree, he may be in a precarious position if he hits a slump.

#6 Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is out month-to-month after breaking his ankle in the preseason, so the expectation was that Brandt Clarke would move up to play on the Kings’ top power play unit. In Los Angeles’ first game, however, Jordan Spence played 4:26 on the power play for the Kings, compared to Brandt’s 3:34, so that is a situation worth keeping an eye on to see how it shakes out.

#7 With winger J.J. Peterka getting hurt in Prague, the Sabres have inserted top prospect Jiri Kulich into the lineup, taking Peterka’s place on Buffalo’s top line. Kulich was a first-round pick in 2022, and the 20-year-old winger has already played two seasons in the AHL, putting up 91 points (51 G, 40 A) in 119 games for Rochester.

#8 Montreal Canadiens rookie defenceman Lane Hutson is not quarterbacking Montreal’s top power play, but it may only be a matter of time. Hutson had a pair of assists against Boston on Thursday, giving him four assists in his first four NHL games, going back to last season. He produced 97 points (30 G, 67 A) in 77 games across two seasons at Boston University.

#9 A late summer free agent signing, Jack Roslovic is getting a chance to play on Carolina’s top line, with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Roslovic set career highs of 22 goals and 45 points in 2021-2022, but if he is playing on Carolina’s top line, he could challenge those numbers.

#10 The Calgary Flames are entering a rebuilding process and part of that is giving young players significant opportunities. Samuel Honzek, a 2023 first-round pick has not only made the team, but he is getting a look on Calgary’s top line, alongside Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. Honzek, a 6-foot-4 winger, does not have a power play role yet, so his fantasy appeal is limited, but is very interesting as a long-term prospect. Connor Zary, a 2022 first-round pick, is taking on a bigger role in his second NHL season. Zary had 34 points (14 G, 20 A) in 63 games as a rookie last season and is getting first unit power play time to start this season. He scored a beauty in overtime to help the Flames to a win in Calgary on opening night and that should only fuel his confidence.

#11 There are times that it seems like there is a revolving door on Sidney Crosby’s wings in Pittsburgh, so don’t necessarily dive head-first into supporting these players, but Anthony Beauvillier and Drew O’Connor are skating on Sidney Crosby’s wings, at least while Bryan Rust remains out of the Penguins lineup. Beauvillier is coming off a down season, in which he scored just 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 60 games, but he did net a pair of goals in Thursday’s win at Detroit. O’Connor had 33 points (16 G, 17 A) in 79 games last season and added a goal against Detroit.

#12 Opportunity is knocking in St. Louis for Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours, who are skating on a line with Robert Thomas, the Blues’ brilliant playmaking center. Holloway, who was signed to an offer sheet to lure him away from Edmonton in the summer, has one assist while averaging 15:02 ice time per game in his first two games with St. Louis. He averaged 10:21 of ice time per game in 89 games with the Oilers over the past two seasons. Neighbours broke through with a 27-goal season, including eight on the power play in 2023-2024 and should continue to play an even more prominent role in the Blues’ attack.

#13 Still eligible for the Calder Trophy after scoring 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in 24 games for the Dallas Stars last season, Logan Stankoven is starting the 2024-2025 season on Dallas’ top line, skating on the right side with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. Stankoven only played 12:29 in a season-opening win at Nashville on Thursday, but he also put up three assists, so that should keep him in a prime position.

#14 The New York Islanders signed Russian winger Maxim Tsyplakov as a free agent after he had 47 points (31 G, 16 A) in 65 games for Moscow Spartak in the KHL last season. The 26-year-old forward scored in his NHL debut against Utah on Thursday, and played an eye-popping 20:46, including 7:38 on the power play. Getting first unit power play time with the Islanders is a great opportunity for Tsyplakov to build on last season’s career-best results in the KHL.

#15 After scoring 40 points (21 G, 19 A) in 82 games as a rookie last season, Marco Rossi is centering Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello on Minnesota’s top line to start the 2024-2025 season. He is not getting first unit power play time – that goes to Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, and Brock Faber – but if Rossi can stick alongside Kaprizov long-term, that will raise his offensive ceiling.

#16 Oft-injured Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris is healthy to start the season and getting a prime opportunity to skate on the Sens’ to power play, ahead of veteran Claude Giroux. Norris had 55 points (35 G, 20 A) in 66 games in 2021-2022, but has managed 33 points (18 G, 15 A) in 55 games across the past two seasons since then while dealing with persistent shoulder problems. Norris played more than 18 minutes in Ottawa’s season-opening win against Florida, recording an assist while skating on a line with Ridly Greig and Drake Batherson. If he’s healthy, Norris could offer quality fantasy value.

#17 With Florida Panthers defenceman Adam Boqvist out of the lineup after taking a puck in the face during the Panthers’ opening game, Aaron Ekblad is listed on Florida’s top power play unit, though Uvis Balinskis saw more power play time in Thursday’s loss at Ottawa. Ekblad is likely to play a big role on the Panthers’ blueline and has frequently been a contributor on the power play, with 111 of his 348 career points coming via the man advantage. Last season, he had just four power play points while delivering 18 points (4 G, 14 A) in 51 games, but with Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson departing via free agency, there are minutes to be earned on the Panthers power play. A healthy Boqvist might have the inside track, but Ekblad’s experience should not be overlooked.

#18 The Nashville Predators were movers and shakers in free agency and the arrival of 40-goal scorers Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault bumped Gustav Nyquist off Nashville’s top power play unit. Nyquist recorded a career-high 75 points last season, including 24 points on the power play, but he is not the same kind of proven scoring option, so that leaves Nyquist on the second power play unit in Nashville.

#19 Stamkos’ old team, the Tampa Bay Lightning are sorting out their own power play set up in his absence. To start the season, the Lightning are running two defencemen – Victor Hedman and Darren Raddysh – on their top power play unit, which is very unusual these days. Hedman has been a power play threat throughout his career, including last season when 31 of his 76 points were accrued with the man advantage. Raddysh, the 28-year-old blueliner, is something of a late bloomer, but he did have 33 points, including 11 on the power play, last season, which was his first full NHL campaign. It will be interesting to see how the Lightning play this going forward, whether they stick with the two defencemen or whether someone like Brandon Hagel or Nick Paul finds a spot on the top power play unit.

#20 After going through some tough seasons, including spending time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Jakub Vrana has returned to Washington, where his NHL career began, and earned a contract with the Capitals. Vrana, 28, has been an outstanding five-on-five scorer. Sincer 2018-2019, Vrana has scored 1.41 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. Among players that have played more than 50 games, there are only two – Auston Matthews (1.66) and David Pastrnak (1.41) – who rank higher than Vrana in that metric, and Pastrnak and Vrana are virtually tied. This doesn’t mean that Vrana is automatically going to provide fantasy value, as he has rarely been a power play performer, but for a player who was on the verge of washing out of the league, he is getting a fresh start and has the track record to suggest that he could be a productive secondary scorer for the Capitals.

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – DALLAS STARS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #17

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 18:00:42 +0000

_{DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 05: Dallas Stars Center Mavrik Bourque (22) passes the puck during the game between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues on October 5, 2023 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 17th (Previous Rank - 10th)
GM: Jim Nill Hired: April 2013
COACH: Peter DeBoer Hired: June 2022

The Dallas Stars have consistently been praised for their drafting ability, and for good reason. Not only has their track record of hitting on picks held up, but they also manage to keep the team competitive while retaining first-round picks. It appears that GM Jim Nill follows a fire safe strategy of sticking with the high probability draft picks, while leveraging the rest. Since his hiring in 2013, Nill has only missed the first round once (in 2023) and has now carved out quite the significant list of “hits”.

Those first and second-round picks have now formed the backbone of the Stars' high-end and relatively young core, highlighted by the incredible haul in 2017 of Miro Heiskanen, Jake Oettinger, and Jason Robertson. They are now being complemented by more recent finds, including Wyatt Johnston (2021 first round) and Logan Stankoven (2021 second round), as well as Thomas Harley (2019 first round), who enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2023-24. Don’t forget about 2015 second-rounder Roope Hintz, who has also blossomed into a well-versed heavy hitter on this team’s top six installment.

Logan Stankoven, currently ranked as McKeen’s seventh overall prospect, hasn’t technically graduated yet but is expected to make the jump out of training camp full-time. Fresh off of a Rookie of the Year-worthy campaign in the AHL, scoring 57 points in 47 games, Stankoven said goodbye to his minor league career with a strong showing during the final regular season stretch and Conference Final run.

Beyond Stankoven, the Stars' top prospect group includes Mavrik Bourque (34th), who has transitioned to the AHL seamlessly, firing at nearly a point-per-game pace with 129 points in 147 games for the Texas Stars. On defence, Lian Bichsel (ranked 76th) and Christian Kyrou (ranked 170th) are developing well and look set to follow in Thomas Harley’s footsteps as key pieces of the Stars’ backend over the next few seasons.

With a young core, and a few more midrange-pedigree names on the way, the window looks wide open for the Stars to remain competitive for the foreseeable future.

Dallas Stars Top-15 Prospects

1. Logan Stankoven

From the first few shifts of his very first NHL game, it was abundantly obvious that Stankoven was never going back to the AHL ever again. As exceedingly rare as it is to see someone of his size step into the sport’s best league and immediately start making an impact, those who have closely followed “Stank” over the past few seasons weren’t surprised one bit, because there haven’t been any challenges that he’s faced where he hasn’t been fit for the task. He’s a Tasmanian Devil who never quits on plays or takes a shift off, but he combines that energy with elite hockey sense and play tracking, making him a delightfully chaotic entity who is constantly disrupting enemy possessions and creating bang-bang scoring chances. He’s a truly special kind of player, and is already quite unique from everyone else in the entire NHL.

2. Mavrik Bourque

Bourque’s full-time arrival in the NHL was delayed, understandably, by his AHL teammate Stankoven grabbing a spot within the deep Dallas forward corps first. He won’t have to wait long, however, because he’s already proven himself more than worthy of receiving that opportunity. And spending more time down on the farm with the Texas Stars allowed him to keep racking up points, which eventually led to him finishing with the distinction of being the league’s top scorer and thereby winning the corresponding John B. Sollenberger Trophy, which is one heck of a consolation prize. His game is built around blending high-end smarts, vision, playmaking ability, and character, and the fact that he is a center who looks casually comfortable in all three zones is delicious icing on the cake. How high his ceiling will reach as an NHLer will depend on how much more speed he can add to his game.

3. Lian Bichsel

In a prospect pool largely consisting of players who are on the smaller side, Bichsel stands out in a big way — literally. In fact, there aren’t many top prospects across the entire hockey world who are as physically imposing as the substantial Swiss. Making matters even more enticing, he is fully aware of how he can use his enormous size to his advantage, and clearly gets a vexatious kick out of inflicting severe punishment on opponents in ways that help his teams win games. He’s also a powerful and technically proficient skater, and once he gets some wind under his sails it can be jaw-dropping to watch him fly down the ice. His puck control and the decisions he makes with it are spotty at times, but they’re both improving nicely. It’s only a matter of time before he’s a force of nature at the NHL level.

4. Emil Hemming

The Stars said that they had Hemming higher on their draft list than where they picked him, and it's easy to understand why. His game is readily projectable to the NHL level, and he also shows occasional flashes that he can eventually become a high-end performer and difference-maker. He was dominant early on last year at the Finnish junior level, and while he didn't shine quite as much in the Liiga after getting called up full time, he still held his own and already looked like he belonged playing against men. He's a dangerous shooter, especially with his one-timer, and he can drive play forward with his physicality and straight-line speed. If he can't reach his ceiling as a scoring-line winger, his game is well-rounded enough that he should be able to find a spot or role elsewhere in the lineup.

5. Christian Kyrou

There’s no denying that Kyrou is a prospect with an enviable amount of pure skill, as evidenced by his ability to create points and highlight-reel plays during his OHL days. The challenge for him since then, however, has been adjusting his style of play in a way that is more conducive to success at the AHL level. His riverboat gambler ways of old, where he hung onto pucks for extended periods of time as he looked for ways to dance around opponents or make other fancy plays, simply don’t work as well within the structured confines of the pro leagues. He also doesn’t have the size, reach, or athleticism needed to readily help him clean up his own mistakes when they happen. The foundation of an NHL powerplay quarterback is still buried deep somewhere inside of him, but it might take an archaeologist’s patience and precision to unearth it.

6. Matej Blumel

Blumel didn’t get to see any action with the big club last season after a six-game cup of tea the year before, and getting inarguably bumped down the organization’s forward depth chart certainly has to sting, but producing a 30-goal season in the AHL as a 23-year-old is nothing to sneeze at. There will always be interest in players who have a knack for filling the back of the net, and he’s proven over the course of his young career so far, across different leagues and levels, that he’s one of those guys. The elusive part for him has been showing exactly what else he can do really well. Nothing else in his game grades out all that highly, which raises concerns about how he’d handle the workload of a full NHL season. His goal-scoring prowess can only buy him so much time if he doesn’t add something else notable with it.

7. Tristan Bertucci

It was a trying season for Bertucci, who was one of the few competent defensemen on a terrible Firebirds squad, and on top of that, also played through injury down the stretch. He was asked to do a lot of heavy lifting for his club, probably more than he was ready for. However, the Stars must have been impressed by how well he handled his challenging circumstances, because they signed him to his entry-level contract this March, a full season sooner than they needed to. The impressive tools that give him NHL potential - and led to Dallas using a 2nd-round pick on him - are still there: the reach, the fluid four-direction mobility, the smooth puck control in motion, and the vision in the offensive zone. If his difficult situation has wizened up some of the immature tendencies in his game, then it will have been worth it in the long run.

8. Antonio Stranges

The question about Stranges has always been whether or not he can become more than a one-trick-pony, and as we near the four-year mark of his draft day that question is still very much unanswered. In all fairness, his trick — the 10 & 2 or “mohawk” skating style — is pretty darn impressive, and there are still times where he can use it to make magic happen. The problem is that having to rely on it makes him more predictable, and predictable forwards are easier to defend. So, what else does he have to work with? His pucks skills can be pretty slick at times, and his wrist shot is sneakily dangerous. He blended these tools to flash more offensive pop in the OHL than has been seen so far in the AHL, so maybe there’s still more potential in here somewhere that can still be unlocked.

9. Ayrton Martino

It seems like the NCAA keeps partitioning further and further into the haves and the have-nots due to its loose recruitment rules, and that has to make things harder for prospects like Martino, who are plenty talented but don’t receive a ton of support around them. The good news for the Stars is that while Clarkson University might not be the best place for a prospect’s development, talent doesn’t usually just disappear if it isn’t nurtured in the most ideal of environments, and Martino sure has a lot of talent at his disposal. He is blazingly quick with both his hands and his feet, which allows him to create separation space for himself and then make complicated plays at his top speed. He’ll be heading back to college for his senior year, and once that’s wrapped up Dallas will surely be waiting with a contract and a pen.

10. Aram Minnetian

Minnetian is a sneakily good young blueliner. He doesn’t always get the attention or credit that he deserves because he doesn’t put up gaudy point totals or get crowds roaring by landing big hits. What he does do, however, is keep tight gaps against opposing forwards, retrieve pucks deep in his own end, evade oncoming forecheck pressure, and exit the defensive zone cleanly with possession by skating it out or passing it out. And he does all of those things with advanced precision and dependability. It’s not a coincidence that both the NTDP in 2022-23 and Boston College in 2023-24 were highly successful teams while using him as one of their go-to defenders. Minnetian will still need to find another gear in his game and evolve from being a good defender into a great defender to stand out enough to win an NHL roster spot, but things are moving in the right direction.

11. Kyle McDonald

McDonald is an interesting prospect because the strengths and weaknesses of his game are both so pronounced. First, the good: he is an excellent net-front presence. He's so big and strong that he can bully his way to the enemy crease. The bad is, well, almost everything else. His skating is slow and clunky, and he doesn't drive play. The only achievable NHL pathway for him is as a depth winger and powerplay specialist, but it’s a realistic possibility.

12. Chase Wheatcroft

Wheatcroft had a fantastic season in 2022-23, earning the contract that Dallas offered him as an undrafted free agent. However, the transition to the professional level wasn't immediately smooth. That said, during his WHL days he was a late bloomer who went through a bumpy development, so these kinds of trials aren't new to him. The key for him now will be to forge a clear identity as a two-way forward who can chip in work wherever his team needs it.

13. Justin Ertel

Ertel needed a big 2023-24 season to turn things around and earn his entry-level contract, and he delivered emphatically. He really leaned into his role on North Bay as a penalty killer, pest, and physical presence and got great results from it, especially during the playoffs. That’s an encouraging sign, because that kind of specialization, although not glamorous, is his best ticket to playing in the NHL one day.

14. Gavin White

After winning back-to-back OHL championships White had some wind under his sails coming into his first professional season. He handled the difficulty level of the AHL just fine when he played but got caught in a bit of a numbers game on the crowded Texas blueline and didn't always get to dress for games, usually through no fault of his own. He drives puck possession effectively using his feet, though it doesn't often result in producing points.

15. Connor Punnett

From his hits to his shots, everything that Punnett does is strong and heavy. And that's a good thing for him, because it set him apart from other young, undrafted defensemen so much that Dallas wanted to sign him as a free agent prospect. He's a tough customer who’s not afraid to stick up for his teammates, and that leadership trait was part of why Barrie named him their captain this season.