Mason Appleton – McKeen's Hockey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boston Bruins

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

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

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

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

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

Columbus Blue Jackets

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

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

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

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

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

New York Islanders

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

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

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

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

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

San Jose Sharks

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

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

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

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

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

Tampa Bay Lightning

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

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

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

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

Toronto Maple Leafs

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

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

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

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

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

Washington Capitals

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

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

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

Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Team Preview

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 16:00:13 +0000

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

The Jets won their last eight games of the regular season to not only make the playoffs, but finish in second place in the Central Division with 110 points (52-24-6). They entered the season with uncertainty and exceeded expectations all the way. At least they were exceeding expectations before they were bounced from the playoffs in five games by the Colorado Avalanche. The Jets were a solid possession team, controlling 51.9% of shot attempts and an equivalent 51.9% of expected goals during five-on-five play. Combining that with the top goaltender in the league unsurprisingly brought excellent results. The Winnipeg power play struggled, scoring 6.50 goals per 60 minutes, which was tied for 23rd. Penalty killing was not great either, as 8.11 goals against per 60 minutes ranked 21st, so the 2024-25 Jets will need to improve on special teams if they are going to take a step forward.

WHAT’S CHANGED? The main change is that head coach Rick Bowness retired, replaced on the bench by Scott Arniel, who had filled in admirably when Bowness needed to take a personal leave from the team during the season. Trade deadline acquisitions Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli both left in free agency, with Monahan going to Columbus and Toffoli to San Jose. On the blueline, Brenden Dillon signed in New Jersey and the Jets bought out Nate Schmidt, who then signed in Florida. Backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit signed in Chicago and the Jets replaced him on the roster with Kaapo Kahkonen, who finished last season in New Jersey. The Jets have the personnel to handle these departures, but it means that there could be better opportunities awaiting some of the club’s top prospects.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? The Jets are in a difficult situation because the Central Division has very strong teams at the top. Dallas and Colorado are among the top teams in the league and Nashville loaded up this summer. After reaching the playoffs last season, that certainly has to be the expectation again in 2024-25 but winning at least one round in the playoffs would bring a greater sense of accomplishment.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Depth was a strong suit for the Jets last season, but the team has practically hitched its wagon to Connor Hellebuyck so if anything happens to the best goaltender in the league, it will be a problem. The first-round loss to Colorado showed what can happen to the Jets if Hellebuyck is off his game. It’s not pretty. As the Jets retained most of their core players, there is reason to be optimistic, but that presents a different challenge. Last season, there was plenty of skepticism and the Jets exceeded expectations. A lot of that had to do with Hellebuyck, who earned a well-deserved Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, but the Jets’ underlying numbers would have at least suggested that they should be competitive. If they deliver the same season and Hellebuyck is a league average goaltender, the Jets would probably be locked in a battle for a playoff spot, and if they fall on the wrong side of that bubble, that will be hard to take following a 110-point season.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: There could be openings on the Jets roster for prospects like right winger Brad Lambert and defenceman Ville Heinola but, for the second year in a row, Cole Perfetti is the breakout candidate to watch out for. He started last season by putting up 29 points in 40 games – well on his way to a breakout campaign – but he slumped, was moved down, and then right out of the lineup. The skill remains and Perfetti is an important piece for the Jets if they are going to maintain this competitive squad.

FORWARD

Mark Scheifele

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	28	42	70	0.88

There has been a relentless consistency to Mark Scheifele’s production. Across the past nine seasons, he has accrued 633 points in 641 games. His 0.99 points per game since 2015-2016 ranks 21st among skaters that appeared in at least 100 games. His 268 goals rank 12th. His shooting percentage (18.0) ranks fifth. There have long been rave reviews about Scheifele being a hockey nerd, a student of the game. He has been a mediocre play driver for most of his career, but that declined quite a bit in 2023-2024, when he had 48.5 percent Corsi and 46.0 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play. Although Scheifele’s offensive play is at a similar level based on possession, production, and expected goals, his defensive metrics have declined, and it hurts his overall contribution. There are lots of times that a player has declining metrics and it can be considered yet another case of Father Time keeping his winning streak alive, but Scheifele is 31 – there is no reason that he has to see his defensive play decline so tangibly. He has not become even average at the faceoff dot, winning 48.1 percent of his draws last season, increasing his career mark to 46.6 percent. While those would be areas for improvement, Scheifele is going to be Winnipeg’s No. 1 centre next season, with expectations that he could contribute 30 goals and 70 points.

Kyle Connor

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	37	35	72	0.94

Connor is a fascinating player. On one hand, he is a game-breaking offensive winger who has scored 176 goals and 357 points in 353 games across the past five seasons. He is an exciting thrill ride when he gets the puck in open space with room to get creative. He is also highly suspect away from the puck so even though he is averaging better than a point per game across the past five seasons, the Jets have been outscored by five goals across the past five seasons during five-on-five play while Connor is on the ice. That’s giving back a whole lot of the offensive gains that Connor generates and while Connor might be very fun, he also might be a player who prevents this team from winning when it matters. It might be too late to expect 27-year-old Connor to change his game significantly, but if he could even get to being neutral defensively, his offensive impact would create strong net value. The question is whether Connor even has average defensive ability inside him, waiting to be unleashed. He actively avoids contact as a defensive player, recording just 14 hits last season, and is one of the least penalized players in the league. Connor had just six penalty minutes last season and in 2021-2022 he won the Lady Byng with 93 points and just four penalty minutes. Defensive concerns aside, Connor should still be a vital contributor for the Jets and should produce 35 goals and 70 points.

Nikolaj Ehlers

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	28	39	67	0.82

Bizarrely, after under-utilizing him for the past two seasons, the Jets still did not move Nikolaj Ehlers this summer. An electrifying skater who has seven seasons with at least 20 goals, Ehlers finished with 61 points, his highest total since 2016-2017. Ehlers routinely puts up excellent possession numbers and the Jets outscored opponents 62-33 with him on the ice for five-on-five play last season. That seems like a player who should be playing more than the 15:52 that Ehlers played last season. With Scott Arniel taking over behind the bench, will that be the change that Ehlers needs to remain part of the long-term plan in Winnipeg? When Arniel stepped in as the interim head coach while Rick Bowness was away due to family reasons, Ehlers contributed six goals and nine points in 14 games, averaging 14:47 of ice time per game. Ehlers’ most common linemate last season was Mark Scheifele, who had a Corsi of 55.8 percent and controlled 54.9 percent of expected goals when he skated with Ehlers at five-on-five. How did Scheifele manage away from Ehlers? That would be a 44.5 percent Corsi and 40.9 percent of expected goals. If the Jets are going to make the most of Ehlers’ talents, something that has not been a clear objective for several seasons, giving Ehlers an extra three minutes per game could be an easy way to improve the team. Health has been an issue in recent seasons, but with decent health, Ehlers should pick up 25 goals and 60 points.

Gabe Vilardi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	27	29	56	0.86

When the Jets dealt Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings last summer, the popular opinion was that the Jets made out okay, but also it really hurt to lose the best player in the trade. After Dubois flamed out in Los Angeles, the question of who is the best player in that trade is up for debate and Vilardi could warrant consideration, at least when he is healthy. Injuries have been a regular part of Vilardi’s career, and he played 47 games last season after playing in a career-high 63 games the year before. But in those 47 games, he scored 22 goals and 36 points. He has scored on nearly 19 percent of his shots across the past two seasons, so it would be fair to expect Vilardi to see some regression in that area, but he could play more games and continue to play a bigger role after his ice time jumped to a career-high 17:00 per game last season. Vilardi often found himself skating on the right side of the Jets’ top line, with Scheifele and Connor, which is a great spot for point production, a little more questionable when it comes to sound defensive play. Dealing with the likelihood that Vilardi will miss some time next season, he could still be expected to score 25 goals and 45 points, with the hope that he could stay healthy and bust out for even more.

Cole Perfetti

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	24	31	55	0.71

Another player who could not escape Rick Bowness’ doghouse, Perfetti is a talented young player who apparently was not reliable enough defensively to keep getting chances to play on Winnipeg’s second line. In a completely unrelated story, the Jets forward with the lowest Corsi against and lowest expected goals against per 60 minutes was Perfetti. In the first 40 games of the season, Perfetti contributed 29 points and looked like he was finally on track for a breakout season. In the next 23 games, he had no goals and two assists, and by the time the playoffs rolled around, he saw action in just one game. Perfetti is still just 22-years-old, so he should be a primary focus for Arniel. The player who Perfetti was in the first half of last season is important to develop for the long-term sustainability of this team and whatever flaws he might have as a hockey player, Perfetti should be an integral part of this Jets team. If not, then he should be traded for someone that will be an integral part of this team. Perfetti’s most common linemate last season was Vladislav Namestnikov and the duo controlled 55.7 percent Corsi and 55.8 percent of expected goals. Presuming that Perfetti can find a decent spot in the Winnipeg lineup, say with Namestnikov and Ehlers, he should continue his career ascent with 15-20 goals and 45 points.

Vladislav Namestnikov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	13	25	38	0.48

The versatile veteran forward has moved around quite a bit but seems to have found a home in Winnipeg. Namestnikov finished last season with 37 points, a total that he has exceeded once in his career in 2017-2018. The Jets tried to use Namestnikov at centre and the last time that he took more faceoffs was during the 2017-2018 season. However, he also won just 36.3 percent of his draws, so Namestnikov might make more sense on the wing. He is a steady pro and that earns him a certain degree of trust. Since joining the Jets, Namestnikov has delivered a 53.1 percent Corsi and 54.0 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play. Those numbers will typically earn a player more ice time and even though Namestnikov does not tend to put up big numbers, he is a stabilizing presence in the lineup. It is worth noting that when Namestnikov played with Cole Perfetti and Alex Iafallo, they controlled 63.5 percent of expected goals. Because of Namestnikov’s versatility, he gets moved around the lineup, from wing to centre, from second line to fourth, which can make it difficult to be too optimistic about his offensive output. It’s fair to expect maybe a dozen goals and 30-35 points from Namestnikov in 2024-2025.

Nino Niederreiter

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	21	16	37	0.46

A powerful winger who has seven 20-goal seasons in the NHL, Niederreiter’s ice time decreased last season but he found a comfortable line with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. Niederreiter has been an excellent possession player throughout his career, and his line with Lowry and Appleton not only controlled 59.1 percent of expected goals but outscored opponents 23-15 during five-on-five play. They did this while starting most of their shifts in the defensive zone, so they were frequently fighting uphill, and they were winning those battles anyway. With his experience, Niederreiter has good instincts about where to go in the offensive zone and, just as importantly, when to get there so that he is open for a scoring chance. When he’s cooking, it’s easy to see why Niederreiter can go on hot streaks because he goes hard to the net, ready to finish the play. Niederreiter can play a physical game and excels along the boards. He has recorded 165 hits in 99 games since he was acquired by the Jets. As strong as that line was at even strength, Niederreiter does not have a significant power play role so that puts a limit on just how high his point total will climb. Even so, 20 goals and 35-40 points is still within range for Niederreiter in 2024-2025.

Adam Lowry

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	11	22	33	0.41

Averaging a career-high 16:06 of ice time per game last season, Lowry is an enormous physical checking centre. He had 181 hits last season, the eighth time in his career that he topped 160, and he chipped in a dozen goals and 35 points, one point of his career high set the previous season. Centering a line with Niederrieter and Appleton, Lowry enjoyed some relative offensive success, but the trio was very effective at driving play and for a third line to be able to control play even when tasked with defensive zone starts was a big difference maker for the Jets. Despite playing a bruising physical game, Lowry has been durable lately, missing a total of eight games across the past four seasons. With his defensive focus, Lowry is not a big shot generator and that puts a ceiling on his offensive production. Considering that the past two seasons have been the biggest offensive output of his career, it’s difficult to expect too much more than that from the 31-year-old centre. That means that a dozen goals and 35 points is a solid outcome for Lowry, which does not hold much appeal in standard leagues, but once his hit totals get added to the mix, that could be enough for deep or banger leagues.

Mason Appleton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	15	23	38	0.46

After wrist surgery caused him to miss half of the 2022-2023 season, Appleton rebounded in a big way in 2023-2024. He found the right fit alongside big and physical players, Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry, and ended up with career highs in goals (14), assists (22), and points (36), as well as hits (107). He also averaged a career-high 16:03 of ice time per game. Appleton had been making steady progress in his career, proving that he could handle a role in Winnipeg’s top nine but the 2023-2024 season was more a case of Appleton and his linemates thriving in their situation. That line sure seemed to be a case of the collective value of the trio was more than just the sum of their parts. They are good, solid NHL players individually, but together, they were a dominant play-driving line that made it possible for the Jets to be a playoff team. Can they catch lightning in a bottle again? It’s a big ask for them to duplicate that impressive season, but Appleton should be able to score at least a dozen goals and contribute 30-35 points. If he does that while his line controls play and outscores the opposition, that will have to be considered a successful season.

Alex Iafallo

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	14	20	33	0.41

Getting traded to Winnipeg as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois deal was not exactly a career boost for Iafallo, who had spent quite a bit of time skating on the top line in Los Angeles and then was shuffled to the lower half of the Jets’ depth chart. He averaged 15:19 of ice time per game, his lowest since his rookie season in 2017-2018. Iafallo finished with 11 goals and 27 points, his lowest point total since his rookie season, too. Iafallo has good speed and that allows him to play a strong complementary role. In most situations, that would mean fitting into a team’s middle six forwards, but the way the lines were shaking out in Winnipeg, Iafallo got first-line minutes with Scheifele and Connor when Vilardi was injured but was shuffled all around the lineup the rest of the time. Iafallo did have success playing with Sean Monahan late in the season, controlling 65.7 percent of shot attempts and 61.4 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play in more than 120 minutes together but, with Monahan gone, it looks like Iafallo is going to be hard-pressed to crack Winnipeg’s top nine. This probably depends a lot on Perfetti. If Perfetti is the one on the outside looking in, then Iafallo could play with Ehlers and Namestnikov on the second line, but if Perfetti stays there, it becomes more challenging because Winnipeg seems quite settled on what their first and third lines should look like. It is reasonable to expect 12-15 goals and 30-35 points from Iafallo, even if it is a little hard to see entering the season.

DEFENCE

Josh Morrissey

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	12	53	65	0.81

In the past two seasons, Morrissey has taken his game up a level, or two. He has matured from a good NHL defenceman into one of the best all-around blueliners in the league. He had never scored 40 points in a season before going for 76 points in 2022-2023 and 69 points in 2023-2024. That led to him finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in Norris Trophy voting. His 145 points in the past two seasons is tied with Adam Fox for fourth among defencemen, behind Quinn Hughes, Erik Karlsson, and Cale Makar. As great as Morrissey’s breakthrough season was in 2022-2023, he might have been even better last season, when he played primarily with Dylan DeMelo. Morrissey had better possession numbers and, benefiting from a .940 on-ice save percentage, the Jets outscored opponents 83-47 when Morrissey was playing at five-on-five. Morrissey’s own shot rate reached a career-high of 2.42 per game. There has been a trade-off as Morrissey has become a more impactful offensive player and that is that he does not hit as often as he did before, falling below 100 hits in back-to-back seasons after recording 150 hits in 2021-2022. Morrissey has set a new baseline for himself so expectations will be higher. That means he could very well deliver a dozen goals and 65-70 points, which would probably keep him among the players receiving Norris Trophy votes.

Neal Pionk

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	4	28	32	0.40

In the past four seasons, Pionk’s point totals have ranged between 32 and 34 points. He only played 54 games in that 32-point season, so it’s not all the same, but he has had a very tight range in recent years. Throughout his career, Pionk has experienced ups and downs and has yet to have a season in which he was on the ice for even 49 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play. He was perhaps surprisingly successful in his first couple of seasons with the Jets but has stumbled bit more in recent seasons. When he is on his game, Pionk has a heavy shot from the point, and even if he is not big, he plays an aggressive physical game. In 2023-2024, he recorded a career-high 221 hits. Pionk has also been exceptionally durable. In five seasons with the Jets, he has missed just seven games. After spending most of last season partnered with Brenden Dillon, Pionk will have a new partner in 2024-2025. Dylan Samberg would seem to the natural fit as they did have some success together, including 56.3 percent of expected goals, in 154 five-on-five minutes. It practically goes without saying at this point that Pionk should range between 32 and 34 points and when combined with his growing hit totals, that does make him a viable option for fantasy managers.

Dylan DeMelo

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	4	26	30	0.37

Sometimes being partnered with the team’s best defenceman is enough to make a blueliner relevant for fantasy purposes. DeMelo played with Morrissey and that brought him a career high average ice time of 21:44 per game, while he recorded a career-high 31 points. On top of that, DeMelo recorded 139 blocked shots and 167 hits, both of which were new career highs and those peripheral stats in addition to his respectable point production suddenly made him a useful fantasy defender. The 31-year-old has long established his place as a no-frills defenceman who plays very sound positionally, is reliable for his partner, and is willing to lay his body on the line to prevent a goal and all of those positives are merely enhanced now that he is playing on the Jets’ top defence pairing. Some of that is due to being a sixth-round pick, because the work ethic required to survive and climb through the prospect pool just to reach the league has not gone away. DeMelo is not a huge offensive threat, but his reliability makes him a nice complement to Morrissey and being the partner of a Norris Trophy contender can bring some residual value. Another 30-point season is still possible for DeMelo because of his increasingly important role on the team. Paired with hits and blocked shots, that could make him a late-round fantasy contributor.

GOAL

Connor Hellebuyck

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
61	34	22	5	5	0.918	2.42

The NHL has fully entered the era of goaltending tandems, with most teams across the league carrying two quality goaltenders and splitting starts to manage workloads. The Winnipeg Jets, however, seem content to let Connor Hellebuyck take control of the crease as often as he wishes. He's played a mind-blowing 505 regular season games in just nine NHL seasons since going pro, averaging over 56 starts per year without even taking into account his playoff appearances or the two seasons - his rookie year split between Winnipeg and the minors, and the covid-shortened lockout year - that he was only in the NHL for part of a full campaign. Even with quality backups coming and going, Hellebuyck spends more time in the starter's crease than any other goaltender league-wide by an astounding margin.

And yet, if the wear and tear of his workload is starting to get to him, no one can tell. His numbers, if anything, just seem to keep getting stronger. He led the league in Goals Saved Above Average, finished second in shutouts, and had the best raw save percentage of any goaltender with more than 30 recorded starts; he didn't start to show any fatigue until the postseason, and he certainly wasn't alone on the team in looking lackluster during their brief playoff appearance. This year should be the true test, though. One year of poor postseason performance from an elite netminder can be chalked up to other factors, but two years in a row could be a sign that Winnipeg won't truly become a contender until they figure out how to leave enough gas in the tank for Hellebuyck to lead the team through another 20-plus games in a deep postseason run.

2024 NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Winnipeg Jets v. Colorado Avalanche

Jesse Marshall — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:50:43 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 13: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) stickhandles during the Colorado Avalanche versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on February 13, 2024 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Winnipeg Jets v. Colorado Avalanche

This first round match-up brings us the classic case of an unstoppable force meeting an immoveable object. To the party, Colorado brings its high-powered offense featuring Nathan MacKinnon on the hunt for another Stanley Cup for his trophy case. The Avalanche’s offense is not only multi-faceted in its attack, but it also has no preference in terms of what tempo the game is played at. We’ve seen the Avalanche get north in a hurry with quick, lightning-fast breakouts. We’ve also seen them get into grind-it-out slugfests that require skills in winning puck battles in tough areas and elongating shifts in the offensive zone with a strong cycle. On the flip side, there’s a Winnipeg Jets team featuring the uncontested best goaltender in hockey, a staunch defensive style of play with a bonified shutdown center on the third line, and home ice advantage.

The question is which of these teams can exert their will at even-strength. In the regular season, Colorado ranked first in even-strength goals for rate and Winnipeg was first in even-strength goals against rate. Winnipeg doesn’t sit back and invite pressure. There’s no excessive neutral zone clogging going on. Their strength is their in-zone defense. Once teams establish possession, Winnipeg does a fantastic job of keeping things to the perimeter of the ice and forces teams to get creative to generate open space. On top of all of that, Connor Hellebuyck looms large in goal, boasting the highest goals saved above expectation numbers in the league.

Despite the defense and the goaltending, the sports books have opened favoring Colorado on the road by the slightest amount. Star power makes the world go-round, and MacKinnon’s play down the home stretch of the regular season was nothing short of dominant. His skating and center drive are the highlights of his skillset right now and he’s cutting to the net with authority. Combine that with some added depth and some faces that really gave them a bump post-trade deadline and Colorado will be looking to position themselves as an extremely tough out. Things only got more difficult to manage for opponents when Casey Mittelstadt found his way to Colorado at the deadline. The bolster of strength down the middle of the lineup was critical for the Avalanche, and Mittlestat has found his scoring groove quickly in Colorado.

That said, the Jets swept the season series three games to zero and are coming into the playoffs with an eight-game win streak. That streak includes a 7-0 drubbing of the Avalanche. No matter how you look at it, this series is as close to a coinflip as it gets.

KEY MATCHUPS

Nathan MacKinnon vs. Adam Lowry

I put this here because looking at the season’s shift charts, it’s clear that the Jets want this match-up and the Avalanche want MacKinnon going blow for blow with the Jets top line featuring Mark Schiefele. The Jets third line (also featuring Mason Appleton and Nino Niederrieter) controls an impressive 58% of the even-strength expected goals. They do an excellent job of keeping the puck out of the defensive zone and playing on the forecheck. The best way to stop MacKinnon is to force him to play defense. If Lowry’s line can hold the fort at home and sneak in a few match-ups on the road, they will undoubtedly make MacKinnon’s path to the scoring column harder. I expect the coaching match-up to focus on this game of cat and mouse quite a bit and it’s one area where the Jets having home ice plays a significant advantage in having the first change at home.

Alexandar Georgiev vs. Jets Offense

While the Jets may be known for their defense and goaltending, they are no slouches offensively. This is not an ineffectual team in possession as they were a top ten team in both even-strength goals for and even-strength chances created. They also scored on a higher rate of rebounds and deflections than anyone in the league. Georgiev finished the year with a sub-900 save percentage and his inconsistencies are well-documented. He has to play to expectation and avoid costly mistakes to keep from gifting the Winnipeg offense any extra life in this series. Among goalies with at least 500 minutes at even-strength this season, Georgiev ranked 56^th in high-danger save percentage. He has to be better in that bucket given how well Winnipeg will attack the net.

Cale Makar vs. Jets Forwards

Makar is a completely dominant force in every phase of the game and commands a ton of respect when he carries the puck in transition. Clicking at over a point per game pace in the playoffs for his still-young career, Makar will be a must-mark for the Jets forwards as he attempts to both carry the puck in transition and sneak into scoring areas from the blueline. Failure to maintain a check and balance on Makar will spell disaster for the Jets. Makar has the ability to win a series single-handedly.

X-FACTOR

Winnipeg Jets: The Jets special teams have generally been anything but that, with both the penalty kill and power-play units ranking sub-20^th in the NHL. They will need some big performances in both buckets if they want to advance to the next round. Part of that is capitalizing on the chances that come your way, but the other part is staying disciplined and keeping the gamete of Avalanche scorers from having too many opportunities to get high-quality looks at Hellebuyck. When those opportunities arise, the Jets have to show some improvement from the perspective of supporting their netminder.

Colorado Avalanche: The rise of Jonathan Drouin has been remarkable this season. He has returned to being a bonified scoring threat that can be lethal when left unmarked and can also create more for himself now than in more recent years. The now-Masterson nominee has revitalized his game after landing in Colorado on a one year, “prove it” style contract. A staple on the top line next to MacKinnon, he provides an added layer of scoring threat to an already lethal combination of players. He did exit the game early against the Oilers in the regular season finale, so keep an eye on his health as this series moves closer to opening.

FANTASY PLAYERS TO TARGET

Connor Hellebuyck is the obvious answer as a quality netminder if you can get your hands on him. Beyond that obvious call-out, Josh Morrissey is coming off a huge year where he was an integral part of the Jets breakout and overall offense. I expect that to stay the same in this series and for him to be a huge contributor to anything the Jets accomplish offensively. From a depth perspective, I think the pace of this series will perfectly match the skill set of Nikolaj Ehlers. Ehlers shifty skating and penchant for sneaking into open space will test the Avalanche defense and their goaltender. He could be set up to have a significant impact in the Jets offensive output this series.

I have to go back to Mittlestadt for the Avalanche. He’s got no shortage of ice time available to him and he’s found the scoresheet several times heading into the playoffs. His linemate, Mikko Rantanen is another forward that could provide some great value. Rantanen figures to get a potential match-up of Brendan Dillon and Neal Pionk. His speed, stickhandling, and ability to transition quickly create a nightmare of a match-up scenario for those defensemen should things shake down that way. In fact, the whole of the Avalanche second line seems like great options from a fantasy perspective when you include Val Nichushkin’s output this season in that conversation.

PREDICTION

This really is a series that is too close to call. I think the Jets offense generally gets underrated and could pose a serious problem for Georgiev, but I also expect the Colorado staff to be closely monitoring that situation and switching over to Justus Annunen if trouble seems to be brewing. Colorado’s star power has me giving them the edge in a seven-game war of a series.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Perfetti, Mittelstadt and Tippett stepping up – Vasilveskiy returns + plus much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 17:03:03 +0000

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 19: Casey Mittelstadt #37 of the Buffalo Sabres brings the puck up ice during the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on November 19, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Cole Perfetti, Casey Mittelstadt, and Owen Tippett are among the forwards elevating their play, Andrei Vasilevskiy nears his return, and a couple of Masons are offering up solid production.

#1 As a rookie last season, Winnipeg Jets winger Cole Perfetti contributed 30 points (8 G, 22 A) in 51 games, before he was sidelined by an upper-body injury. His 0.59 points per game ranked third among rookies and that appears to be the launching pad because he has continued his career ascent in his second season. He has 13 points (5 G, 8 A) and 29 shots on goal in his past 13 games. He is skating with Nikolaj Ehlers and Vladislav Namestnikov on the second line, but Perfetti is also in a reliable role on Winnipeg’s top power play unit.

#2 With Tage Thompson out, the Buffalo Sabres need others to step up offensively, and Casey Mittelstadt is an interesting option. He has 13 points (2 G, 11 A) in his past 15 games and played a career high 23:21 in Buffalo’s overtime loss at Washington on Wednesday. Mittelstadt is working with Buffalo’s promising young wingers, with sophomore J.J. Peterka and rookie Zach Benson on his flanks.

#3 Last season was a breakout campaign for Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett, as he put up 49 points (27 G, 22 A) in 77 games, finally realizing his potential as a shot generating goal scorer. In his past six games, Tippett has put up eight points (5 G, 3 A) with 19 shots on goal. He is on the top power play but has an interesting line combination in Philadelphia, with Cam Atkinson on the right side and Ryan Poehling at centre. Poehling, who has been a fourth line centre for most of his NHL career, is taking advantage of this opportunity and suddenly has five points (2 G, 3 A) in the past four games.

#4 The Tampa Bay Lightning have stated that goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is on the brink of a return from back surgery. He is ahead of the initial timeline of 10 weeks that was announced in late September, but Tampa Bay has managed to tread water with Jonas Johansson as the starting netminder. Johansson recorded back-to-back shutouts in late October, and it looked like he was somehow more effective than anyone could have anticipated, posting a .925 save percentage in seven starts. As his sample size increased, however, it became more apparent that Johansson was not up to handling a starter’s role. In 10 starts since those shutouts, he has a .871 save percentage, so the Lightning will surely be happy to get Vasilevskiy back between the pipes. At the same time, since he is recovering from back surgery, the Lightning might not be able to lean on Vasilevskiy as much as they have in previous seasons. Since the 2019-2020 season, Vasilevskiy has started 217 games. Only Connor Hellebuyck (245) and Jacob Markstrom (220) started more games in that time.

#5 Seattle Kraken right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand had a respectable first season in Seattle in 2022-2023, but his 45 points in 81 games (0.56 points per game) was a dip in per-game production compared to his previous three seasons in Columbus. It appears that the pendulum is swinging back in Bjorkstrand’s favour as he has tallied 18 points (7 G, 11 A) in his past 17 games. On a Kraken team that depends on depth, Bjorkstrand is a valuable complementary scorer, so valuable that he is now leading the Kraken with 19 points in 21 games.

#6 After signing as a free agent in Dallas, left winger Mason Marchment struggled last season, finishing with 31 points (12 G, 19 a) in 68 games. He didn’t exactly burst out of the gate this season, either, with zero points in his first five games, but he has found his range since then, contributing 10 points (4 G, 6 A) and 27 shots on goal in 13 games. There are some limits to Marchment’s offensive upside, in part because he does not have a role on the power play, but he is making the most of his even-strength minutes on a line with veteran scorers Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin.

#7 A third-line winger does not typically provide a lot of fantasy value, though in deep leagues that mileage may vary. Winnipeg’s Mason Appleton has been thriving on a line with Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry and it is resulting in more offence than Appleton has typically provided in his career. In his past 13 games, Appleton has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) and 25 shots on goal. He is also playing 17 minutes per game over that stretch, which is a step up from previous seasons – he played a career-high 16:01 per game last season.

#8 Although he has bounced around a lot in recent seasons, New York Rangers defenceman Erik Gustafsson seems to have found a nice fit on Broadway. Known primarily as a power play quarterback and puck moving defenceman, Gustafsson has excellent possession numbers (53.8 CF%) to go with 12 points (3 G, 9 A) in 17 games. This is not altogether unusual for him – he had 42 points in 70 games with Washington and Toronto last season – but Gustafsson seems to have what the Rangers need in a depth defenceman. While many teams seek out bangers to handle third pair minutes, Gustafsson is decidedly not that kind of player, and that could contribute to why he has moved around so much, but he has been very effective with the Blueshirts.

#9 Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the three-way deal sending Ivan Provorov to Columbus, Sean Walker has maximized the opportunity presented to him in Philadelphia. Walker tore his ACL in 2021-2022, playing just six games, and when he returned last season, he was stuck in a part-time role with the Kings. Moving to Philadelphia, however, has opened the door for Walker to handle much more responsibility. He is averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game, and has six points (1 G, 5 A) with 14 shots on goal in his past five games.

#10 There are some tough times in Chicago right now. Rookie Connor Bedard is living up to lofty expectations, scoring 16 points (10 G, 6 A) in 17 games, but his veteran supporting cast has been decimated. Taylor Hall is out for the season with a torn ACL, Andreas Athanasiou is on the injured list, and Corey Perry was scratched for vague “organizational reasons”. Lukas Reichel and Philipp Kurashev are the latest to get a look on Bedard’s wings and Kurashev is an intriguing option, as the 24-year-old forward has put up 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in 11 games this season.

#11 Gustav Nyquist is riding a six-game point streak for Nashville, scoring eight points (1 G, 7 A) in the process. He is in an excellent place to produce, skating on the top line, with Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg, as well as holding down a spot on Nashville’s top power play unit. He is a skilled offensive player who succeeds in a supporting role. In a small sample with Minnesota late last season and into the playoffs, he had 10 points (1 G, 9 A) in nine games. Given the opportunity to play with quality talent in Nashville, 34-year-old Nyquist is showing that he still has the playmaking chops.

#12 Predicting goaltending performance is a challenge at the best of times, but 38-year-old New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick is making a mockery of the idea that past performance or aging curves have a place in the game. Over the previous five seasons, Quick had a .897 save percentage in 197 games. He had established that he was a below-average goaltender most of the time. In seven games for the Rangers this year, he has a .940 save percentage and a 5-0-1 record. It’s hard to gain a ton of value from a goaltender that is very clearly the backup on his team, and it’s risky enough to take a shot on a 38-year-old riding a hot streak, but in desperate times, it might be worth considering Quick, no matter how unlikely that might have seemed at the start of the season.

#13 A slow start puts the Calgary Flames’ season in peril, but it looks like Nazem Kadri is doing his part to help the Flames climb out of their early season hole. Kadri had zero goals and one assist through eight games to open the season, but has 11 points (3 G, 8 A) with 33 shots on goal in 11 games since. He is currently on a line with Dillon Dube and rookie Martin Pospisil, which is not exactly a surefire path to success, but it should be noted that Pospisil has five points (3 G, 2 A) and 26 shots on goal in his first nine NHL games.

#14 Seattle Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen is another player who started slowly but has turned things around. He had zero goals and two assists through eight games but has been scoring at a point-per-game clip since, registering 13 points (5 G, 8 A) with 34 shots on goal in the past 13 games. He seems to have found a good place, skating on the left wing with Yanni Gourde and Bjorkstrand.

#15 Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov is obviously one of the premier offensive players in the game, but the 30-year-old playmaker has added a new dimension to his game – he is shooting and scoring a lot more. In November, Kucherov has recorded 51 shots on goal in 10 games, scoring seven times. His 13 goals in 19 games this season is the highest per-game (0.68) goal scoring rate of his career.

#16 Looking to buy low on players that are getting the shots but can’t seem to find the net? Matthew Tkachuk, Nathan MacKinnon, Cole Caufield, Adam Fantilli, and Jakub Vrana are all averaging at least three shots on goal per game in November, while scoring on less than six percent of their shots. Obviously Tkachuk and MacKinnon are going to carry a lot of value already, but their goal-scoring slumps could help make their acquisition cost more palatable. Fantilli is interesting because the Blue Jackets have been a mess lately, but he is still generating chances and that should start to materialize into goals as he continues to mature.

#17 There are four defencemen that have recorded at least 20 hits and 20 blocked shots in November: Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, Moritz Seider, and Mackenzie Weegar. Tyler Myers has 19 hits and 25 blocked shots, so he just missed the cut off. Gudas has also added four points (2 G, 2 A) in his past six games.

#18 Colorado Avalanche centre Ross Colton has picked up five points (3 G, 2 A) in the past five games. He has limited upside given his role with the Avalanche but has scored 38 goals in the previous two seasons and has six goals in 18 games this season. In deep leagues, that might be enough, at least when he is riding a hot streak.

#19 After seeing Nicklas Backstrom step away from the Washington Capitals, it’s fair to wonder whether T.J. Oshie is going to be able to get back to his previous form. The 36-year-old winger scored Wednesday against Buffalo to snap a nine-game scoreless drought, during which he had just 14 shots on goal. Oshie is still averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time per game, and still has his role on Washington’s top power play unit, so he is getting opportunities, but the production is lagging.

#20 Carolina’s Michael Bunting has zero goals and two assists in his past seven games and has been dropped to the fourth line. He played a season-low in 9:22 in Carolina’s win over Edmonton on Wednesday, and it’s not easy to climb that Hurricanes depth chart, with Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov holding down spots on the top two lines and Jordan Martinook excelling in a checking role on the third line. For the time being that might make it prudent for fantasy managers to let Bunting go and circle back around if his situation improves.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Karlsson continues to shine in Vegas – Vatrano raising his game in Anaheim – Byfield picking up the pace in LA, and much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:42:42 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

Los Angeles Kings Quinton Byfield (55) l(Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make better fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Willam Karlsson continues to shine in Vegas, Frank Vatrano is raising his game in Anaheim, Quinton Byfield is picking up the pace in Los Angeles, and much more!

#1 William Karlsson was a standout on Vegas’ run to the Stanley Cup last season, scoring 11 goals in 22 playoff games, and he has continued to play at a high level early in the 2023-2024 season, putting up 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in his past 10 games. Karlsson does so much of his damage at even strength, with 10 of his 13 points this season coming at evens, and his most common linemates have been rookie winger Pavel Dorofeyev and Michael Amadio, so Karlsson is the one driving those results.

#2 Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano delivered 22 goals and a career-high 41 points last season, his first in Southern California, but has stepped into a bigger role this season. Vatrano’s ice time is up nearly two minutes per game compared to last season and he has scored nine goals while launching 35 shots on goal in 10 games. Vatrano has always been a quality shot generator, but often in a limited role. Now that he is playing more than 18 minutes per game, his per-game shot rate is soaring.

#3 Progress has been gradual for Quinton Byfield, the Kings winger who was the second overall pick in the 2020 Draft who had a modest career high of 22 points (3 G, 19 A) in 53 games last season. Byfield has suddenly picked up six points (1 G, 5 A) in his past five games and with a continued role on the Kings’ top line, alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, Byfield is getting the opportunity to develop his offensive game.

#4 Coming into the season, there were relatively high expectations for Pavel Zacha, the Boston Bruins centre who appeared to be due for a bigger role with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retiring. He had just one assist in five games but has rebounded from that slow start, contributing six points (4 G, 2 A) with 14 shots on goal during a five-game point streak. David Pastrnak has been Zacha’s most common linemate, and that is obviously a good sign, but Zacha has also shifted to left wing, with rookie Matthew Poitras getting a look on Boston’s top line.

#5 Buffalo Sabres defenceman Owen Power, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 Draft, is starting to find his range offensively, riding a four-game point streak, during which he has produced four points (1 G, 3 A) and seven shots on goal. Power’s upside for fantasy managers runs into a ceiling because Rasmus Dahlin is the quarterback on Buffalo’s top power play unit and that doesn’t figure to change anytime soon, but Power has the offensive skills to be productive even as the No. 2 option on the Buffalo blueline.

#6 Veteran New York Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri has been a serviceable secondary scorer since he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils, but has taken on a bigger role this season, tallying eight points (3 G, 5 A) in his first nine games. He is skating with Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson on the Islanders’ second line, but Palmieri does get first unit power play time, so there is an opportunity for him to hit 40 points for the first time since 2019-2020.

#7 Following a standout rookie season in which he tallied 24 goals, Dallas Stars centre Wyatt Johnston has continued his upward trajectory. In his past six games, Johnston has produced six points (3 G, 3 A) with a dozen shots on goal as Johnston maintains his familiar spot between Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov.

#8 Seattle Kraken right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand got off to such a slow start last season, managing 14 points (3 G, 11 A) in his first 31 games and while his production got better, he was really chasing after such a poor start. The good news for Bjorkstrand and the Kraken is that it does not appear to be happening this season. With his goal Thursday night against Nashville, Bjorkstrand has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past seven games. After recording 10 power play points last season, Bjorkstrand already has four power play points this season.

#9 After missing all of last season while he recovered from neck and triceps injuries, Flyers right winger Cam Atkinson has already shown that he has not forgotten how to finish. In his past seven games, Atkinson has tallied eight points (5 G, 3 A) with 21 shots on goal. Getting that kind of production from a 34-year-old who just missed an entire season certainly helps lift the Flyers to a more competitive place and he has moved to play alongside Sean Couturier, the veteran centre who also missed all of last season. While the playoffs might still be a longshot, having Atkinson and Couturier healthy does change that calculation somewhat.

#10 Seattle Kraken left winger Jaden Schwartz has had an interesting career, with quality production mixed in with some injury-plagued seasons. He is off to a fine start this year, and has put up seven points (2 G, 5 A) with 19 shots on goal during a five-game point streak. Schwartz is skating on a line with Alexander Wennberg and Jordan Eberle, but has been a power play threat, with four of his nine points this season coming with the man advantage.

#11 New York Rangers star defenseman Adam Fox suffered an apparent leg injury Thursday after a leg-on-leg hit from Carolina Hurricanes centre Sebastian Aho. A Fox injury would leave a large hole on the Rangers blueline. He has 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in 10 games this season and has finished in the top five in Norris Trophy voting in each of the past three seasons, winning in 2020-2021. If Fox is going to be out of the lineup, Erik Gustafsson would be a logical replacement as the power play quarterback but K’Andre Miller might also be an option for more power play time, too.

#12 For managers in deep or banger leagues, Arizona Coyotes centre Jack McBain is producing enough to generate interest. In his second season, McBain has six points (4 G, 2 A) in the past five games, but that is also not likely to be sustainable since he is a fourth liner playing about 12 minutes per game. Nevertheless, McBain’s fantasy appeal is tied to his physical play as he had 304 hits last season and has 28 hits through 10 games this season. If he gets his offensive production to even passable levels, there is a path to fantasy value.

#13 It appears that the Winnipeg Jets have found something in their physical third line of Nino Niederreiter, Adam Lowry, and Mason Appleton. Appleton has five points (2 G, 3 A) in the past five games and the trio has controlled 62.7% of five-on-five shot attempts and 60.3% of expected goals this season. There may be an offensive ceiling for these players but dominating five-on-five play to this degree at least indicates that they will be getting scoring chances.

#14 There are a couple of rookie defencemen forcing their way into the fantasy conversation. New Jersey’s Luke Hughes has six assists and 12 shots on goal in the past four games, and four of those assists have come on the power play as Hughes is getting a look on the Devils’ top power play unit, with Dougie Hamilton sliding to the second unit. Across the country, in Anaheim, Ducks defenceman Pavel Mintyukov has five assists in the past five games and while he is getting a chance on the Ducks’ No. 1 power play unit, Mintyukov has just one power play point this season.

#15 The Philadelphia Flyers lost goaltender Carter Hart to a “mid-body” injury this week and it seems that they will be without him for a while. Samuel Ersson is next in line and the Flyers have recalled Cal Petersen from the American Hockey League, but none of this precludes Felix Sandstrom from potentially seeing action in the Flyers net as well. Ersson has had an incredibly poor start to the season, allowing 14 goals on 59 shots (a .763 save percentage!), while Petersen has a .884 save percentage in four AHL games this season. Although the goaltending could be a major question mark, the Flyers deserve credit for playing a stronger team game this season as they have earned 54.8% of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals during five-on-five play, which puts them in the top ten in that category.

#16 Ottawa Senators rookie centre Ridly Greig was hurt early in Thursday’s defeat against the Los Angeles Kings and that is going to test the Senators for the time that Greig is out. With Shane Pinto suspended, Greig was an important part of the lineup, contributing seven points (2 G, 5 A) in eight games prior to Thursday as Ottawa’s third line centre. As a short-term fix, Rourke Chartier could move up the depth chart, but the journeyman pivot has two points (1 G, 1 A) in 28 career games, so he may not be a viable answer if Greig is going to miss significant time.

#17 Alexander Barabanov is out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger and that creates an opening on San Jose’s top line alongside Tomas Hertl and Anthony Duclair. San Jose is hardly the source for great fantasy production, as the Sharks are getting buried on a nightly basis, but in deep leagues keep tabs on Fabian Zetterlund, who is getting that chance and is averaging nearly 16 minutes per game over the past five.

#18 While it was understood that veteran right winger Blake Wheeler had seen his better days, the 37-year-old still had 55 points (16 G, 39 A) in 72 games for the Winnipeg Jets last season. He has started a new phase with the New York Rangers in the worst way, going without a point in his first 10 games, and he is playing just 12 minutes per game, his lowest time on ice average of his career. Without a role on the Blueshirts’ power play, Wheeler is going to be hard-pressed to get his production back to fantasy relevant levels unless there is a dramatic shift in the situation.

#19 After a strong finish to last season, when he was between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz on Arizona’s top line, Barrett Hayton was in a good spot to continue his career ascent. He is still centering that top line, and getting power play time, but has yet to record a point through 10 games this season. Hayton has 25 shots on goal and is playing a career-high 19:31 per game, so he might be a decent buy-low candidate, but his value has taken an unexpected hit due to his lack of production.

#20 Ongoing health issues have forced Washington Capitals centre Nicklas Backstrom to step away from the game and while his announcement did not have a final decision, it appears that the 35-year-old could be headed for retirement. An elite player from 2007-2008 through 2020-2021, Backstrom has been hampered by hip issues and it has been a tough road coming back. Since returning last season, Backstrom has 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 47 games and the Capitals have been outscored 31-16 with him on the ice during five-on-five play. He just isn’t the same player who was nearly a point-per-game scorer in his first 1,000 games in the league and, at his peak, was in the Selke Trophy discussion. With Backstrom out, that does provide more opportunity for Dylan Strome, whose ice time has been climbing and has six goals in his past six games.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Early Standouts – Significant early injuries – Who benefits from opportunity

Scott Cullen — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 22:14:31 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, a look at a new Panthers winger plus lots of early injuries including to significant players like Sebastian Aho, Gabriel Vilardi, Kirby Dach, Viktor Arvidsson, Matthew Boldy, Pavel Buchnevich, and more. That means new opportunities for others looking for a bigger role.

#1 In the past couple of seasons, Evan Rodrigues has proven to be a premier shot generator who could thrive in a supporting offensive role. In those two seasons – one with Pittsburgh and one with Colorado – he put up 82 points (35 G, 47 A) in 151 games while generating 2.85 shots on goal per game. That was something of a late breakthrough for the now 30-year-old forward who is looking at an even better opportunity this season in Florida. Rodrigues has opened the season skating on Aleksander Barkov’s wing and is averaging 18:54 time on ice per game, which would be a career high, on the way to producing five points (2 G, 3 A) and 17 shots on goal in his first four games. It is obviously a very small sample, but Rodrigues has the underlying numbers to make his production more sustainable. For a player that has never had 20 goals and 50 points in an NHL season, Rodrigues should be looking to exceed those numbers this season.

#2 Entering the season, there did not seem to be a lot of buzz surrounding new Ottawa Senators right winger Vladimir Tarasenko, a six-time 30-goal scorer who signed with the club as a free agent. The veteran winger has opened his Sens tenure with six points (2 G, 4 A) in four games, but that doesn’t alleviate the concerns about him entirely, either. He is averaging just 13:38 of ice time per game, which would be his lowest since his rookie season in 2012-2013, and he only has six shots on goal through four games. Although Tarasenko has been skating with rookie Ridly Greig at center, with Josh Norris returning to the Senators lineup, that could eventually help Tarasenko get more offensive opportunities, but the ice time and shot rate bear watching.

#3 It is not easy for Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson to get power play time on a team with Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun already, which is not to say that it never happens, only that he ranks second among Sens defencemen in five-on-four ice time behind Chabot. Even so, Sanderson is off to a stellar start, producing five points (2 G, 3 A) in four games. He only has five shots on goal, which is not encouraging, but Sanderson is going to get quality ice time, even if he is not always going to be quarterbacking Ottawa’s top power play unit.

#4 A lot was made of the decline in performance last season from Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman, but it might be premature to start the 32-year-old blueliner into a heavy decline phase of his career. Hedman has contributed five points (1 G, 4 A) and 13 shots on goal through five games, which is a promising start, but the Lightning have been getting outshot with Hedman on the ice (46.2 CF%), too, and that hasn’t happened for more than a decade.

#5 Carolina Hurricanes centre Sebastian Aho has been out for a couple of games and while his injury is thought to be a day-to-day thing, his absence is still felt. Through a couple of games, the Hurricanes were getting 79.1% of expected goals with Aho on the ice during five-on-five play, In Aho’s absence, Teuvo Teravainen has moved into the first line centre role and Teravainen has scored four goals in five games to start the season. Additionally, the Hurricanes have better depth down the middle as Jesperi Kotkaniemi continues to develop. The 23-year-old has started his sixth NHL season with five points (2 G, 3 A) and 14 shots on goal in five games, averaging a career-high 15:51 of ice time per game.

#6 In a move that didn’t make a huge offseason splash, the Detroit Red Wings brought in puck-moving defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere. While he does not have a huge role, averaging 18:53 of ice time per game, Gostisbehere is getting first unit power play time alongside Moritz Seider and Gostisbehere already has four points (1 G, 3 A) in four games with the Red Wings controlling play (53.2 CF%) in Gostisbehere’s five-on-five minutes.

#7 Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews is the early leader in all-situations expected goals (3.76), ahead of Matthew Tkachuk (3.23), Connor Bedard (3.10), Artturi Lehkonen (2.85), Filip Forsberg (2.74), and Jack Eichel (2.64). Bedard is obviously playing a lot for Chicago and creating chances, but they have yet to materialize into goals. For a player who enters the league with a legendary release, Bedard’s ability to generate high-quality shots bodes well for his future production. It’s also encouraging to see Eichel playing at such a high level. He had an outstanding playoff, but it appears in the early going that Eichel is going to continue at an elite level. He leads the NHL with 28 shots on goal in five games, though Nathan MacKinnon (27) and Auston Matthews (26) are close behind while playing just four games.

#8 Winnipeg Jets RW Gabriel Vilardi is out for four-to-six weeks with a sprained MCL, which is a tough situation for a player who was averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game through two games. Vilardi was also rocking a 73.3 CF%, but now the Jets will need to find someone to fill those minutes. It looks like Mason Appleton will get first crack alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele and that is a big opportunity for a 27-year-old who scored a career-high 25 points (12 G, 13 A) in 56 games in 2020-2021.

#9 Montreal lost centre Kirby Dach to a torn ACL, ending the 22-year-old’s season prematurely. He had two assists and 70.4 CF% in two games before getting hurt. Alex Newhook will slide into the middle of the ice to fill the hole created by Dach’s absence, while Tanner Pearson will move up the depth chart to take Newhook’s spot on left wing. Pearson, who played just 14 games last season, has two goals in three games to start his Habs career.

#10 On the Florida Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, Sam Bennett was an impact player at centre, between Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk. Bennett has yet to play this season because of a lower-body injury, so Eetu Luostarinen is getting that opportunity. Unfortunately, he has yet to record a point and has just one shot on goal in four games. That is not making the most of the situation.

#11 Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson has been an excellent and sometimes underrated contributor, but he is out long term after undergoing back surgery, which means new opportunities on the right side in Los Angeles. Arthur Kaliyev is skating in Arvidsson’s typical spot, alongside Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore, while rookie Alexis Laferriere has landed a prime spot on the wing with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kevin Fiala. Kaliyev may have the higher upside as a scorer, as he has shown a strong ability to generate shots, even in limited ice time. Arvidsson’s injury should help ensure that Kaliyev sees a good jump in ice time this season, opening the door for a breakout season.

#12 Injuries have hit the Minnesota Wild hard early in the season. Rising star winger Matthew Boldy and defencemen Jared Spurgeon and Alex Goligoski are all out of action for Minnesota and they are not easily replaced. Taking Boldy’s spot is Samuel Walker, a 24-year-old who has two points (1 G, 1 A) in 10 career NHL games and did not have any points in two AHL games this season, but he did produce 48 points (27 G, 21 A) in 56 AHL games last season, so this is a real chance to Walker to show his stuff at the NHL level. Spurgeon’s absence also gives Calen Addison the role of first unit power play quarterback, which is an area in which the young defenceman has excelled, with 18 of his 29 points last season coming with the man advantage.

#13 While fourth lines are not going to bring big fantasy appeal, it’s worth noting what is happening in Detroit, where Christian Fischer (83.7 xGF%) and Klim Kostin (80.2 xGF%) are dominating play to a ridiculous degree. Austin Czarnik has played only two games, but Detroit has controlled 86.3% of expected goals during five-on-five play with Czarnik on the ice.

#14 Staying in Detroit, veteran winger Robby Fabbri made it through one game before suffering another injury and Fabbri’s injury presents an opportunity for Michael Rasmussen to climb up the depth chart. Rasmussen had a career-high 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 56 games last season, but his average ice time has increased by more than a minute per game in the early going this season and he has a couple of points (1 G, 1 A) in four games.

#15 Although he can get overshadowed by the top two centres on the Devils roster, Erik Haula’s upper body injury is notable for a team that thrives on its depth. With Haula out, Michael McLeod moves from the fourth line centre to third line centre and while McLeod has established that he is a solid fourth liner, his offensive production has kept him in that role. He has just 10 goals in 157 games over the past two seasons, so if McLeod is ever going to shake his fourth-line label, he will need to take advantage when he gets the chance to play in the top nine.

#16 Expectations were already very low for the San Jose Sharks coming into the season, but it has been made even more difficult with veteran centres Mikael Granlund and Logan Couture out of the lineup. Rookie Thomas Bordeleau and veteran Luke Kunin are handling the middle six centre roles for the Sharks. Bordeleau has managed one goal and five shots on goal through four games while he has been caved in when it comes to puck possession (31.1 CF%). Kunin has yet to record a point and is not much better at driving play (33.0 CF%). This should come as little surprise, but it reveals how much of an uphill fight it is for San Jose right now.

#17 St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich suffered an upper-body injury when crushed into the boards by Seattle Kraken defenceman Jamie Oleksiak, and while Buchnevich has been out, the opportunity has fallen to 21-year-old Jake Neighbours, who has managed zero points and two shots on goal in three games this season. A chance to play in St. Louis’ top six is not bad, but it is up to Neighbours to show that he deserves to stay in a significant role over the long term.

#18 It is still super early, but there are some forwards raising red flags with their early struggles. Timo Meier was benched for the third period against Florida and has zero points and four shots on goal in three games. Meier has always been able to generate shots, so that is a notable concern with his game in New Jersey, but he really should be able to figure it out.

#19 When he returned to action last season following hip resurfacing surgery, Washington Capitals centre Nicklas Backstrom struggled, to a degree that he never really had in the NHL before. With a fresh start this season, 35-year-old Backstrom is still struggling to find his way. He has zero points in three games and is averaging 15:45 of ice time per game, which would be the lowest rate of his career. Backstrom is still getting top unit power play time but is skating between Sonny Milano and Tom Wilson at even strength, so he is not nearly the dangerous scoring threat that he was during his prime.

#20 After getting bought out by the Winnipeg Jets, 37-year-old right winger Blake Wheeler landed with the New York Rangers. Through four games with the Blueshirts, not only does Wheeler not have any points, but he is playing just 12:26 per game, which would be the lowest time on ice of his career. He is skating on a line with centre Vincent Trocheck and rookie left winger Will Cuylle. While Wheeler’s all-around game has declined in recent seasons, he still produced 55 points (16 G, 39 A) last season and early returns suggest that he will not be continuing at that level this season.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Player Profiles + Team Preview – Scott Cullen, Goaltending – Catherine Silverman — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 15:14:06 +0000

Review: The Jets bounced back from missing the playoffs in 2021-2022 to earn a postseason berth last season, but they were bounced in five games by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights. Winnipeg finished the season with a 46-33-3 record, qualifying for the second Wild Card berth in the Western Conference. The Jets were tied for seventh with 2.74 goals against per game, thanks in large part to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who had 32.94 Goals Saved Above Expected, which ranked fourth. For all of the skill on the Jets roster, they did have trouble scoring goals, finishing 21^st with 3.00 goals scored per game. While it was a bounce-back season, they had to lean heavily on Hellebuyck, and it is risky for any team to pin so much on their netminder.

What’s Changed? While there was concern about the Jets blowing up the roster in the offseason, they traded Pierre-Luc Dubois and bought Blake Wheeler out of the last year of his contract. Those are departures of the team’s fourth and fifth ranked scorers from last season, so they are not insignificant moves, but there are still a lot of familiar faces in place. Trading Dubois to Los Angeles brought in Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iaffalo, and Rasmus Kupari, which at least serves as an upgrade on the team’s forward depth. In goal, they welcomed back Laurent Brossoit to fill the backup role behind Hellebuyck after Brossoit contributed to Vegas’ Stanley Cup run with strong play late in the season before making eight playoff starts.

What would success look like? The Jets had a positive goal differential a year ago and another playoff berth is still a conceivable outcome, even if it may not be the most likely scenario. If Hellebuyck remains at the top of his game, he will give the Jets a chance to be competitive. There are enough quality forwards in place that they should be able to score. Between Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Nino Niederreiter, Cole Perfetti, Gabe Vilardi, and Alex Iaffalo, there are the makings of a quality attack. They also have a competent core of defensemen. They have room to improve, but Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk, Brenden Dillon, Dylan DeMelo, and Nate Schmidt are the foundation of a capable veteran group that can keep the Jets in the hunt.

What could go wrong? With so many rumors about the Jets cleaning house after last season, there are still a lot of significant Jets that are heading into the last year of their contracts. That includes goaltender Hellebuyck, DeMelo and Dillon on defense, and Scheifele and Niederreiter up front. If the Jets falter in any way, they could easily become sellers and those five would be the leading candidates to get moved out. The Jets were an average possession team last season, so if Hellebuyck is anything less than great, that could also prompt Winnipeg to shift their focus towards the future. There is too much talent on this roster to bottom out, but not enough to assume they will return to the postseason.

Top Breakout Candidate: Although his rookie season was shortened by injury, Cole Perfetti was starting to live up to the potential that was expected of him when he was drafted 10^th overall in 2020. He is a skilled and creative player, who is capable of handling more responsibility, and the Jets probably need him to take another step forward. The emergence of a player like Perfetti could go a long way towards determining if the Jets are going to remain playoff contenders or if they are going to find a spot on the wrong side of the playoff bubble.

Forwards

Kyle Connor

A dynamic offensive winger, who darts in and out of open ice in the blink of an eye, Connor has put up 173 points (78 G, 95 A) in 161 games over the past two seasons. As brilliant as Connor can be offensively, creating scoring chances out of seemingly nowhere, he can be a defensive liability, though he was a smaller liability on that end last season than he was the season before. That is hardly unique among high scoring wingers, but it can put a limit on how big his overall impact will be on the game. When he is cooking, Connor can do some serious damage. From the start of November through January 13th, he produced 49 points (20 G, 29 A) with 108 shots on goal in 34 games. A declining shot rate last season contributed to Connor’s goal-scoring dip. Since Connor’s most common linemate last season was Pierre-Luc Dubois, there is going to be a change this season and he was better with Dubois than Mark Scheifele, when comparing shot, goal, and expected goal percentages, so that could temper any enthusiasm for Connor’s production. At the same time, Connor had some success with Nikolaj Ehlers on the opposite wing, so maybe the Jets explore that phenomenon a little more. That uncertainty is what casts enough doubt on Connor’s production for 2023-2024. Still, 35 goals and 80 points remains within his grasp.

Mark Scheifele

Despite scoring a career-high 42 goals last season, Scheifele’s name was in plenty of trade rumors in the offseason, but he remains on the Jets roster heading into the 2023-2024 campaign. Scheifele has played more than 20 minutes per game in each of the past seven seasons, and he is a consistently productive offensive performer. Unfortunately, his play without the puck is not strong, so his scoring tends to get offset by the chances that the opposition generate when he is on the ice. Over the past five seasons, the Jets have outscored opponents by a total of four goals with Scheifele on the ice during five-on-five play. Over the course of those same five seasons, Scheifele has scored 45 power play goals, which ranks 20^th, one goal behind Connor. Over that five-year period, Scheifele scored on 18.5% of his shots, ranking third, behind only Leon Draisaitl and Brayden Point. Scheifele’s scoring pace slowed as last season progressed and he had 20 points (10 G, 10 A) in his last 28 games before contributing one goal in four games against Vegas in the first round of the playoffs. Scheifele has some lineup uncertainty, too. He played a lot with Connor last season, but others that he skated with most include the since-departed Blake Wheeler, Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton, and Nikolaj Ehlers. If he plays with Connor and Ehlers, Scheifele would be in a good spot to keep scoring a bunch. Otherwise, there will some concern about whether he can create enough chances at evens. Still, Scheifele’s consistent offensive production suggests that 30-plus goals and 75 points are still reasonable targets.

Nikolaj Ehlers

For some reason, Jets head coach Rick Bowness played Ehlers a career-low 15:39 per game last season. He managed 38 points (12 G, 26 A) in 45 games, despite scoring on 9.1% of his shots, his lowest rate since his rookie season. Ehlers is an elite play driver so for a Jets team with mediocre possession numbers, it makes no sense not to play Ehlers as much as possible. His outstanding speed makes it easy for him to carry the puck through neutral ice and drive opposing defenders back, and it also means that he can have a positive effect on driving play, even with lesser linemates. After missing more than 10 weeks following surgery for a sports hernia, Ehlers returned and put up 14 points (4 G, 10 A) with 32 shots on goal in his next 10 games, but then his production tailed off. If the Jets are going to remain competitive, it would make a lot of sense to play Ehlers more, simply because the puck is going the right way when he is on the ice. Ehlers has two 60-point seasons in his career, but none since 2017-2018. If he stays healthy, another 60-point season should be in his sights.

Nino Niederreiter

A power forward who drives play and is physical force along the boards, Niederreiter is coming off his second consecutive 24-goal season. He was acquired from Nashville at the trade deadline and was a nice fit, contributing 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 22 regular-season games then adding four points (1 G, 3 A) in five playoff games. The Jets controlled 56.7% of shot attempts with Niederreiter on the ice during 5-on-5 play, the highest mark on the team. Niederreiter averaged 2.32 shots on goal per game last season, the high-water mark for his career. Although he can run hot and cold in small samples, Niederreiter has found consistency on a season-to-season basis, scoring between 20 and 25 goals seven times in his career. The upside for Niederreiter in Winnipeg is that he played 16:54 per game for the Jets and Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele were his most common linemates after arriving in a trade from Nashville. If that is the role that Niederreiter has waiting for him in 2023-2024, then he should be able to contribute at least 45-50 points.

Gabe Vilardi

Part of the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Los Angeles, Vilardi is coming off the best season of his career. Not only did he hit career highs with 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games, but his defensive play was strong, too. That is a tantalizing combination, provided that Vilardi can stay healthy, something that has not come easily for him to this point in his hockey career. At the very least, Vilardi should provide the Jets with competent secondary scoring and that will help them remain competitive even as the franchise transitions away from their previous core. The Kings controlled 57.6% of expected goals during five-on-five play with Vilardi on the ice last season and that was the best rate among Los Angeles forwards. After struggling to secure a spot in the NHL previously, he jumped out to a quick start last season with 15 points (10 G, 5 A) and 40 shots on goal in his first 15 games. He could not maintain that pace but that set Vilardi on the path to his most productive NHL season. Health is going to be an issue until he establishes that he can play a full season, but 40 points should be a reasonable target for Vilardi, with room for him to exceed that if, suddenly, he ends up playing 70-plus games.

Cole Perfetti

A shoulder injury cut short what had been a promising rookie season for Perfetti, who chipped in 30 points (8 G, 22 A) in 51 games before he was shut down. The 10^th pick in the 2020 Draft, Perfetti is a playmaker with excellent hockey IQ and that should make him a strong complementary piece up front for the Jets. In a small sample size, his defensive numbers were solid during his rookie season, too, which is an encouraging sign. It took Perfetti some time to get going and he slumped a bit before getting hurt, but in a two-month span from November 25th through January 25th, he contributed 20 points (4 G, 16 A) in 26 games. He saw regular playing time with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, so he was getting a quality opportunity to be productive in his rookie season. As the Jets turn over their roster, there is obviously a hope that Perfetti can be a cornerstone piece for the next core of the Jets. As it is right now, he should be a good candidate to provide secondary offense, and 45 points would be a fair target, with more upside if he finds himself skating on the top line.

Alex Iaffalo

Acquired from Los Angeles as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois deal, Iafallo is a speedy winger who has ranged between 13 and 17 goals in each of the past five seasons. He missed 23 games last season with a lower-body injury and lost some ice time, averaging 16:18 time on ice per game, his lowest since his rookie season. He had an expected goals percentage of 54.4% last season, ranking third among Kings forwards, behind Gabe Vilardi and Trevor Moore. Iafallo started last season with the Kings by producing 14 points (6 G, 8 A) with 32 shots on goal in his first 16 games, and he has spent significant time on the first line in L.A., so Iafallo should be expected to contribute. In Winnipeg, Iafallo’s reliable two-way play and ability to move around the lineup should make him a valued winger. If he scores 35-40 points, that would be consistent with his track record in Los Angeles.

Adam Lowry

A mammoth checking center, Lowry scored a career-high 36 points (13 G, 23 A) last season, and had more than 160 hits for the fourth time in the past five seasons. His offensive production is limited, and it would seem unlikely that he would duplicate his career-best season, but Lowry’s physical presence makes him a valuable contributor. With limited scoring, he did have some success with Morgan Barron and Mason Appleton on his wings, but that is not a line that is going to unleash an offensive onslaught. Even in the best offensive season of his career, Lowry had a 20-game stretch from early January through the end of February in which he managed just two assists in 20 games. That happened in the middle of a 35-game goal-scoring drought, so placing offensive expectations on Lowry would seem to be a fool’s errand. If that’s the case, then a 30-point season would have to be considered a relative success.

Vladislav Namestnikov

Acquired from Tampa Bay, Namestnikov was an underrated addition for the Jets. He contributed a modest 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in 20 games for Winnipeg, and it was broken up like this: five points (2 G, 3 A) in his first four games for the Jets and five assists in his next 16 games. Namestnikov’s ice time was up to nearly 15 minutes per game and his most common linemates were Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler, which is a strong situation for a middle-six center. Namestnikov is a reliable two-way player, which made him a valuable, albeit low-key, addition last season and Winnipeg was all too happy to sign him to a new contract but will be interesting to see if he can handle second-line center responsibilities because that has not typically been how he has been deployed with his previous six teams in the NHL. As a result, it is tough to forecast Namestnikov for much more than 30 points.

Defense

Josh Morrissey

Head coach Rick Bowness received lots of credit for turning Morrissey loose on his way to a career-high 76 points (16 G, 60 A), more than doubling his previous career high. At the same time, Morrissey was hardly dominant during 5-on-5 play, which does not reflect well on his finishing fifth in the Norris Trophy voting. He is not the first, nor will he be the last, defenseman to receive votes based on his point totals. It is not that Morrissey is incapable of playing solid defensively, because he certainly has in the past, but last season was much more about his offensive contributions, and it may not have produced results as positive as his point totals would suggest. Morrissey had an astonishing 46 points (7 G, 39 A) in his first 39 games last season, scoring on 11.1% of his shots. It would incredible if Morrissey matched last season’s numbers, considering he had never been close to that production before, so a more reasonable expectation looks like 55-60 points.

Neal Pionk

After surprisingly strong results in his first couple of seasons with the Jets, Pionk has faltered in the past two seasons and that has led to inconsistent results. He is a capable puck mover who can quarterback a power play, but his shaky defensive play is posing a challenge for Winnipeg because Pionk played nearly 22 minutes per game last season. It is tough to overcome a defenseman playing big minutes and getting crushed in those minutes. Pionk had some shaky seasons with the Rangers early in his career but improved upon moving to Winnipeg. However, he has 2.97 expected goals against per 60 minutes in each of the past two seasons, and that is the highest rate of his career, so there has been a slippage in his performance. Pionk has recorded more than 30 points in four straight seasons, and he should be able to keep that going. Even if he loses some ice time due to his questionable defensive play, Pionk is still the second-best defender to run the Jets power play, so there are going to be special teams opportunities available to him.

Dylan DeMelo

An excellent defensive defenseman, DeMelo produced a career high 27 points (6 G, 21 A) last season, and he has had back-to-back seasons with more than 100 hits and 100 blocked shots. He does not have a big and flashy game, it’s more about making smart decisions and playing positionally sound, which may not attract the most attention, but DeMelo’s team typically fares better when he is on the ice. DeMelo had what for him would be considered an offensive explosion at the end of the regular season, contributing five points (2 G, 3 A) in the last seven games. It is certainly possible that DeMelo could push last season’s point total, but a more likely scenario would bring him in around 20-25 points. Scoring is not really his role, and, at this stage of his career, it would be a surprise to see that change.

Brenden Dillon

A veteran defenseman who has earned his way into a top-four role and not only did he fill that role for the Jets last season, but Dillon was outstanding. He finished with a career-high 23 points (2 G, 21 A) while playing 19:35 per game, his highest time on ice since 2013-2014. While Dillon is adequate offensively, he performed at a high level defensively, and that should not be overlooked. He is a physical defender who can skate and has racked up 410 hits in the past two seasons. An oddity for Dillon last season is that he had strong possession numbers, over 53.0% Corsi and expected goals, and yet the Jets were outscored 52-46 with him on the ice during 5-on-5 play. The main issue was his low on-ice shooting percentage (6.9%), so there could be some regression working in his favor. Even if that is the case, the most likely outcome is still going to have Dillon falling in the range of 20-25 points.

Goaltending

Connor Hellebuyck

It seems less and less likely that the Winnipeg Jets will finish out the upcoming season with Connor Hellebuyck still on their roster. But for the time being, they’re throwing it back a few seasons and giving their starter the most successful environment he’s had in years; the Jets will enter the final year of their starter’s contract reuniting him with his most effective tandem partner in Laurent Brossoit, likely hoping to recreate some of the magic the two were able to produce when the Jets were wondering just how far the American-born goaltender could take them.

The Jets had been in a state of decline when they entered the 2022-23 season, but they managed to bounce back and sneak into the postseason on the backs of an elite year for Hellebuyck – who might have shouldered more than his fair share of the workload for yet another season, but he certainly delivered in the process. The rest he got in the 2022 off-season seemed to pay off; after failing to receive even a single Vezina vote last summer for the first time in his NHL career, Hellebuyck came back with a vengeance and finished as a finalist in voting for his incredible performance dragging his team back into relevance and contention. The hope, undoubtedly, is that the return of Brossoit – someone who plays a similarly long-limbed style to Hellebuyck and keeps things consistent in net for the team when the pair are able to switch out night after night – will further ensure that Hellebuyck is able to keep the team on the rise and maybe even give them a reason to keep him around for a postseason run. But with rumors constantly swirling that shed doubt on him sticking around, Winnipeg will have to work twice as hard to maintain their focus if they want to forge ahead of the other Central teams and make it worth Hellebuyck’s while to stick around.

Projected starts: 65-70

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:27:36 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) stickhandles across the blue line during the Winnipeg Jets versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on January 18, 2022 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Mark Scheifele

Winnipeg’s No.1 center has questionable defensive impacts, and that might be the kind way to put it, but he is also an elite point producer, scoring at least one point per game in each of the past six seasons. Scheifele has played more than 20 minutes per game for six straight seasons as well and even if his defensive play is not ideal, the Jets have outscored opponents by 29 goals with Scheifele on the ice during 5-on-5 play over the past six seasons, though Scheifele was outscored last season at 5-on-5 for the first time in his career. He is a high percentage finisher, scoring on 18.3% of his shots in the past six seasons, the fifth highest shooting percentage in the league among players that have appeared in at least 100 games over that time. Considering how consistently Scheifele has surpassed a point per game, that is a fair expectation for him this season. Maybe he won’t play in every game, but 75 points would be a sensible target.

Kyle Connor

One of the premier goal-scoring wingers in the league, Connor had 47 goals last season and he generated more than four shots on goal per game last season for the first time in his career. A quick and creative winger, Connor can either drift into soft spots in the zone to find openings from which to unleash a quick wrist shot, or he can dart into open space and score in transition. He is an equal opportunity finisher. In the past five seasons, Connor has accrued 176 goals, which ranks sixth in the league, so he has established that he is an elite goal-scorer. The trouble is that his offensive contributions get mitigated by subpar defensive results. For all of the goals that Connor scores, the last time the Jets outscored the opposition at 5-on-5 with Connor on the ice was in 2017-2018. Although he is lean and not physically imposing, Connor’s defensive play could be improved with better focus and commitment to positioning. He did win the Lady Byng Trophy last season, recording just four penalty minutes in 79 games. There are defensive issues when it comes to evaluating his game as a whole, but Connor is a game-breaking offensive performer, a reasonable bet to score 40 goals and 80 points this season.

Nikolaj Ehlers

A spectacular skater who drives play like few other wingers in the league, Ehlers has surpassed 20 goals for six straight seasons, and the Jets have outshot and outscored the opposition every year of Ehlers’ career. He generated a career-high 3.95 shots per game last season and while his scoring totals are not tops on the team, Ehlers is the most dangerous player on the Jets and does not pad his numbers on the power play. He scored 46 of his 55 points last season at even strength and has never had more than 13 power play points in a season. But Ehlers is dominant at evens. There are 218 forwards that have played at least 2000 5-on-5 minutes in the past three seasons. From that group, only the Boston Bruins duo of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand have a better relative Corsi percentage than Ehlers’ +6.6 CFRel%. In addition to dominant possession numbers, Ehlers should be in the range of 30 goals and 60 points this season.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

While there was some drama in the offseason relating to Dubois’ future in Winnipeg, he is still with the Jets and that gives the team a chance to be competitive this season. He just scored 28 goals and 60 points with strong possession numbers. Dubois, who scored a total of four power play goals in the previous four seasons, tallied 15 goals with the man advantage in 2021-2022. He is an impact player and could produce even more considering that his 5-on-5 shooting percentage last season was 5.6%, easily the lowest mark of his career. A 6-foot-3 center who is a strong skater and enough of a physical presence to dominate along the boards when he is on top of his game, Dubois drew 50 penalties last season, tied with Connor McDavid for most in the league. He could push 60 points again and it would be another very successful season.

Blake Wheeler

Even at 35 years old, Wheeler continues to contribute offensively. The 6-foot-5 winger had 60 points in 65 games last season, but the Jets have not outscored the opposition during 5-on-5 play with Wheeler on the ice since 2017-2018. Since 2017-2018, Wheeler has 111 power play assists, which is tied with Jonathan Huberdeau for second among forwards, behind only Connor McDavid. The challenge for the Jets would seem to be managing Wheeler’s ice time, as he played 19:32 per game last season, a higher average time on ice than he had in the prior two seasons and a possible indictment of Winnipeg’s forward depth. While Wheeler is not the impact player that he was during his peak years, he remains a productive scorer, and has scored at least 60 points in eight of his past nine seasons, with the shortened 2020-2021 season the only exception, so Wheeler could still be expected to produce points at that level this season.

Adam Lowry

At 6-foot-5, Lowry is a physically imposing checking center, who has won 54.4% of his faceoffs in the past five seasons. He uses his size effectively and has gone over 200 hits four times in his career. Lowry’s offensive contributions are limited, however, as he has never scored 30 points in an NHL season, and it might even be optimistic for the 29-year-old to hit that mark. Limited scoring and big hit totals are the expectation for Lowry, and he knows his role, so that’s what he provides.

Mason Appleton

The Jets traded to get Appleton back from the Seattle Kraken after losing him in the expansion draft and the 26-year-old winger played more than 16 minutes per game after returning to Winnipeg, though he managed just four points in 19 games. While the production wasn’t there, it might be encouraging for Appleton’s role with the Jets that he was playing that much down the stretch last season. He is a checking winger who helps to drive play and has a positive goal differential despite starting more of his shifts in the defensive zone. Appleton has enough skill to contribute secondary offense and that could mean 12-15 goals and 25-30 points.

Dominic Toninato

A 28-year-old journeyman forward, Toninato appeared in a career-high 77 games for the Jets last season, contributing a career-high seven goals and 14 points. Among the 245 players to appear in at least 75 games last season, Toninato had the lowest average time on ice (8:24). Extremely one dimensional, Toninato can hold his own defensively but contributes so little offensively that he is a prime candidate to get replaced in the Jets lineup whenever a prospect is deemed ready for the job.

Jansen Harkins

Another checking winger who can fill a defensive role but with little offensive contribution, Harkins is a high-energy player who played a career-high 77 games last season but, like Toninato, is a candidate to get replaced in the lineup unless he finds a way to offer a greater contribution. Harkins has never been a big goal scorer but has had some moments of point production with a disproportionate number of assists. In the NHL, though, he is not going to get the opportunity to play with players that will notably increase his scoring totals.

DEFENSE

Josh Morrissey

After a down season in 2020-2021, Morrissey rebounded last season with the most productive season of his career, re-establishing his place atop Winnipeg’s defensive depth chart. He had a career high 12 goals and 37 points while registering a career high 150 hits and playing a career-high 23:40 per game. It was his fourth straight season logging more than 22 minutes per game on the Winnipeg blueline. His defensive results bounced back significantly from a 2020-2021 season in which he had the worst defensive impacts of his career. Given his role on the Jets power play, where he scored 15 points with the man advantage last season, Morrissey could still be counted on for 35 total points this season.

Neal Pionk

The right-shot defenseman was surprisingly effective in his first two years with the Jets but struggled last season, his game seemingly slipping after an early December game against Toronto when Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza caught him in the head with a knee. Pionk had 16 points in 24 points at that stage of the season and then managed three assists in his next 20 games. Overall, Pionk still finished with 34 points, but his possession numbers were easily the worst of his three seasons in Winnipeg. While he is not big, listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds, Pionk plays a robust physical game, registering more than 130 hits in four consecutive seasons, including the shortened 2020-2021 campaign. If Pionk can re-group, he can still be a productive part of the Winnipeg blueline, as he has proven he can handle a significant role and a 40-point season could still be within reach for the 27-year-old blueliner.

Nate Schmidt

For the fifth straight season, Schmidt logged more than 20 minutes per game and finished with 32 points, the fourth time in the past five seasons that he scored at least 30 points. He has been moving around in recent seasons, with stops in Vegas, Vancouver, and Winnipeg after starting his career in Washington. Schmidt is very well mannered on the ice, never having exceeded 16 penalty minutes in any of his nine NHL seasons. He saw a spike in offensive zone starts with the move to Winnipeg, with 56.2% offensive zone starts for the Jets after 35.2% offensive zone starts in Vancouver the year before. That deployment naturally worked in his favor and his possession results improved even if Schmidt’s 5-on-5 goal differential (-13) was the worst of his career. The 31-year-old is a strong skater who can move the puck and, even if he has some defensive deficiencies, Schmidt should contribute 30 points this season.

Brenden Dillon

A thumper on the Jets blueline, Dillon recorded 20 points for the third time in his career, but the 6-foot-4 31-year-old defender also delivered a career-high 212 hits. That physical presence, combined with good mobility for his size makes Dillon a solid contributor on the Jets blueline. Dillon’s track record as a defender is excellent but his first season in Winnipeg brought relatively mediocre defensive results. He barely gets involved offensively – his 1.08 shots on goal per game last season was his highest per-game rate since 2017-2018 – so those defensive results need to be better, but the Jets should give Dillon a chance to bounce back and if he provides 20 points along with better defensive results, that would be of serious value to a Jets team that is still seeking stability on the blueline.

GOALTENDING

Connor Hellebuyck

The Winnipeg Jets paid a lot of lip service to the premise of a tandem in net over the first half of starter Connor Hellebuyck’s career. But with each passing year, they’ve abandoned the idea more – and by the 2021-22 season, the 29-year old Michigan native was one of the most heavily-deployed goaltenders in the entire NHL.

Part of that is a casualty of the team’s decline on paper; they’ve gone from looking like a legitimate threat to a team that doesn’t seem to be much of a surefire guarantee to make the playoffs at all, and their need to grind out points in as many games as they can has left them desperate to utilize Hellebuyck’s game-changing style as often as they possibly can. But the toll certainly seems to show up the more often the Jets rely upon Hellebuyck without giving him time to recover, and his numbers last year reflected that. For the first time since the 2016-17 season, Hellebuyck failed to finish last year among the league’s most successful performers; for just the third time since becoming a full-time NHL starter, he didn’t receive a single Vezina vote. It sees all too apparent that he plays his best when he’s able to give each game his all; he thrives on being able to utilize his unique physical build to reach shots that other goaltenders wouldn’t be able to, particularly when his defense misses the mark in front of him, and that becomes significantly more of a challenge when he’s even a beat slower or forced to play even a hair more conservatively. It still speaks volumes about him that even his ‘bad’ seasons are ones that a number of other teams around the league would covet, and his ‘bad’ games are most often the fault of the defense in front of him rather than his own unforced errors. But even so, the Jets have built their team around his game – and with an inconsistent David RIttich as his new backup for the upcoming year, it appears that Jets fans will have to hope that the off-season was long enough to give Hellebuyck a chance to get himself back to one hundred percent.

Projected starts: 65-70

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fallout from the NHL trade deadline, not just from the players that moved, like Claude Giroux, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Giordano, and Max Domi, but also those that remain with potentially new opportunities

Scott Cullen — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 13:30:46 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

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

In this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points, fallout from the NHL trade deadline, not just from the players that moved, like Claude Giroux, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Giordano, and Max Domi, but also those that remain with potentially new opportunities for the rest of the season.

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 24: Florida Panthers right wing Claude Giroux (28) plays the puck during the Florida Panthers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on March 24, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

#1 The big ticket forward to move prior to the deadline was Claude Giroux, who has been a premier scorer in Philadelphia for a long time, surpassing 1,000 games with the Flyers just last week. Giroux is going to score. Since 2010-2011, there are three players with more points than Giroux’s 828 points (in 875 games): Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin. He has moved to the right wing on Philadelphia’s top line, skating with Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe, a good opportunity to keep the points flowing. Owen Tippett went to Philadelphia in this deal, and it should give him a better opportunity to play regularly as he auditions this season for a spot with next year’s team. Tippett had 33 points (14 G, 19 A) in 94 games for Florida, averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time per game. In three games with Philadephia, Tippett has averaged 17 minutes per game.

#2 With Giroux gone to Florida and Sean Couturier out for the season with a back injury, Kevin Hayes is the No. 1 center in Philadelphia. He has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 15 shots on goal in the past six games and has played more than 20 minutes in three of his past four games.

#3 The Toronto Maple Leafs turned to Seattle for veteran defenseman Mark Giordano and right winger Colin Blackwell. Giordano had 23 points in 55 games for the Kraken, but that included a team-leading eight power play assists. Vince Dunn, who leads Seattle defensemen with 27 points (7 G, 20 A), is the top candidate for more power play time on the point in Seattle. In Toronto, Giordano started playing with Timothy Liljegren but there is always the potential of Giordano getting reunited with T.J. Brodie, with whom he was frequently partnered when both were with the Calgary Flames. As for Blackwell, he was not playing a lot in Seattle and started on the fourth line in Toronto, but he is a depth forward with some upside. He ranked sixth among Seattle forwards with 1.70 points per 60 minutes of 5v5 play this season and had shown in spurts with the Rangers last season that he can contribute offensively.

#4 There was some doubt about whether goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury would even want to move but he gave the green light for his trade from Chicago to Minnesota and that does make Fleury more appealing than he was with a Blackhawks team that was not winning a whole lot. In Minnesota, Fleury gets to play behind a stronger team and the wins should come more easily. Fleury’s arrival in Minnesota does put a limit on the appeal of Cam Talbot, who had been the Wild starter in net but then he effectively slumped his way out of the job. Talbot will likely play more than a run-of-the-mill backup but also probably less than a standard starting goaltender, which could sewer his fantasy value. With Fleury leaving the Windy City, Kevin Lankinen should get most of the starts for Chicago the rest of the way but that’s not going to be a big help to the Blackhawks. Lankinen had a .931 save percentage in his first dozen games for Chicago last season and in 43 games since then, his save percentage is .896.

#6 With the Wild shuffling goaltenders, that left Kaapo Kahkonen as the odd man out and he was dealt to San Jose for defenseman Jacob Middleton. Kahkonen had a .907 save percentage in 54 games for the Wild across the past three seasons, but the 25-year-old might have a chance to earn a long-term role in San Jose. Veteran James Reimer is still San Jose’s starter but with Adin Hill injured, Kahkonen can establish himself and maybe get a leg up on a competition for the starting job next season, especially if Reimer gets moved.

#7 The Carolina Hurricanes brought in Max Domi from Columbus and while the idea is that he might be able to offer some secondary scoring, he started his time with the Hurricanes skating alongside Derek Stepan and Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Carolina’s fourth line. Not ideal for his fantasy value. With Domi gone, there might be more of an opportunity for wingers Yegor Chinakov and Emil Bemstrom, as well as Alexandre Texier when he returns from a finger injury.

#8 Having lost their entire third line in the offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning were not afraid to pay a big price at the deadline to shore up those holes in the lineup. Tampa Bay made a trade with Chicago for Brandon Hagel and with Ottawa for Nick Paul. Although Paul scored in his Lightning debut and has a career-high 12 goals this season, he is not likely to have much fantasy appeal. Hagel is more interesting. The 23-year-old has erupted for 21 goals in 57 games in his second NHL season, but that goal total should come with a massive grain of salt. Hagel has scored on 22.1% of his shots this season and that is unlikely to last for even the greatest snipers and, with all due respect, Hagel is not one of the all-time greatest snipers.

#9 The wingers going to Chicago in the Hagel trade, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, will get a chance to prove that they are NHLers. Raddysh is a 24-year-old power forward who had 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 53 games for the Lightning but has scored four points (2 G, 2 A) in his first three games with the Blackhawks. Katchouk was a part-time player for Tampa Bay, contributing six points (3 G, 3 A) in 38 games. He is still battling for a regular spot in the lineup, but that opportunity is better for him in Chicago than it was in Tampa Bay.

#10 A proven shot generator whose shooting percentage finally started to come around this season, Rickard Rakell is a major addition to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. Since 2017-2018, Rakell has averaged 2.83 shots on goal per game, which ranks 44^th in the league. In the past three seasons, though, Rakell had trouble converting, scoring on just 8.0% of his shots, before percentages turned back in his favor this season and he had 16 goals in 51 games for the Ducks, scoring on 11.8% of his shots. The expectation is that he will ultimately have a chance to skate alongside Evgeni Malkin on the Penguins’ second line, but in his first couple of games with the Penguins, Rakell has played more with Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen, also seeing some time on Sidney Crosby’s wing. In a depleted Ducks lineup, after Rakell’s departure, Derek Grant and Dominik Simon were skating on Trevor Zegras’ wings while Zach Aston-Reese and Gerry Mayhew were on the flanks of Adam Henrique. None of those wingers are particularly appealing for fantasy purposes, even with suddenly bigger roles.

#11 The Ducks were busy, also dealing defenseman Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. Lindholm had 22 points (5 G, 17 A) in 61 games for the Ducks, and his career high was 34 points in the 2014-2015 season, he still played a major role on the Anaheim blueline and those minutes will have to get absorbed, so Simon Benoit and Brendan Guhle are candidates for more playing time. In Boston, Lindholm has joined Charlie McAvoy on the Bruins’ top pair.

#12 The Washington Capitals dipped into their past, acquiring Marcus Johansson from the Seattle Kraken. Johansson started his career in Washington, from 2010-2011 through 2016-2017 but he has played for five more teams since. Johansson had 23 points (6 G, 17 A) in 51 games for Seattle this season but with T.J. Oshie out of the Washington lineup, Johansson landed on the right wing with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznestov. That might not last but, in the short term, it’s a pretty good place to be.

#13 With Johansson one of several departures from Seattle, there will be chances for players to prove their value as NHLers. Daniel Sprong was part of the deal going to Seattle and he has flashed talent, on his way to 41 goals in 187 career games. He scored in his first game for Seattle, recording five shots on goal in just 11:24 of ice time. Karson Kuhlman, Kole Lind, and Morgan Geekie are other Seattle forwards that should see an uptick in ice time down the stretch.

#14 Enjoying a strong season in Montreal, Artturi Lehkonen was an attractive trade candidate, and the Colorado Avalanche were willing to pay for his services, expecting Lehkonen to solidify their middle six forwards. With 29 points (13 G, 16 A) in 58 games for the Canadiens, Lehkonen is just two points off of his career high, set in 2018-2019. With Lehkonen departing there is more room for a veteran forward like Paul Byron to fit into the Montreal lineup but that does not offer much fantasy appeal.

#15 Montreal did secure the services of defenseman Justin Barron from the Avalanche in the Lehkonen trade. A first-round pick in 2020, Barron appeared in two games for the Avs earlier in the season and had 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 43 AHL games. Barron will have a chance to become a big part of the Montreal blueline.

#16 One of the most sought-after pending free agent forwards was acquired by the New York Rangers, as they picked up Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets. Copp’s offensive game started to break through last season when he put up a career-high 39 points in 55 games, but he had 35 points (13 G, 22 A) in 56 games for the Jets before the trade and then he had a couple of assists in his Rangers debut. Copp started his Rangers career on a line with Filip Chytil and Dryden Hunt but finished that first game on right wing with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers also acquired energy winger Tyler Motte from Vancouver and while Motte does not score enough to generate a bunch of fantasy interest, but he does have a very specific fantasy value tied to his hit totals, averaging 2.80 hits per game across the past four seasons.

#17 Even though the Jets decided to trade Copp, they did not give up on their playoff push, however unlikely it might be. The Jets brought back right winger Mason Appleton who was claimed by Seattle in the expansion draft, and the Jets also acquired Zach Sanford from the Ottawa Senators. Neither of these players is as valuable as Copp, but the two wingers are established NHL talent that can play in Winnipeg’s top nine.

#18 Veteran forward Derick Brassard was a low-key addition by the Edmonton Oilers from the Philadelphia Flyers. He had a modest 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 31 games for the Flyers but might have a little more offensive upside in Edmonton as he started his Oilers career on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi.

#19 The St. Louis Blues were looking to shore up their blueline and landed veteran puck mover Nick Leddy from Detroit, sending Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Walman to the Red Wings. Leddy can quarterback a power play, if necessary, and it might be necessary for the Blues as Torey Krug is injured. If Krug is out long-term, that might give Leddy an opening into a bigger role for the Blues. Sundqvist and Walman may not be stars but they are entirely capable of filling regular roles for the Red Wings.

#20 One more Detroit deal. The Red Wings sent versatile forward Vladislav Namestnikov to Dallas. Namestnikov is still going to have to battle for ice time with the Stars, but his departure does help open up ice time for younger options in the Detroit lineup. Joseph Veleno, Michael Rasmussen, and the recently promoted Taro Hirose are some candidates for bigger roles in Detroit.