New Jersey Devils – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #23 New Jersey Devils – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:04:10 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - JULY 03: Anton Silayev (52) skates during New Jersey Devils Development Camp on July 3, 2024 at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey.
(Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (Last Year - 22nd)
GM: Tom Fitzgerald Hired: July 2020
COACH: Sheldon Keefe Hired: May 2024

Following a positive 2024–25 campaign that saw the New Jersey Devils reach the postseason for just the fourth time in 15 years, the organization has taken another slight step back. Even with a talented core that includes Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Luke Hughes, and Jesper Bratt, it remains difficult to get a clear read on where the team truly stands within the competitive landscape. Their quiet approach leading up to the NHL trade deadline may reflect a similar uncertainty within the front office. The good news for New Jersey is that the club has largely resisted leveraging its long-term assets. The Devils retain all of their first- and second-round selections in the coming drafts, preserving valuable flexibility as they continue to evaluate the direction of the roster.

On the blue line, the organizational depth remains particularly encouraging. With young NHL contributors such as Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Seamus Casey (91st) already establishing themselves, the Devils possess a strong foundation on the back end. That group could soon be reinforced by Anton Silayev (41st), who is expected to make the transition to North America in the near future. Meanwhile, Ethan Edwards and Daniil Orlov hold high regard within our rankings. In goal, 2024 second-round selection Mikhail Yegorov continues to trend upward at Boston University and is widely viewed as a potential long-term solution in the Devils’ crease.

By maintaining its draft capital and avoiding major futures-based trades, New Jersey has positioned itself to continue adding young talent in the coming years. Whether that ultimately supports a quick step forward or signals a more patient retool remains to be seen, but the organization has preserved the flexibility to shape its path.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
NJ	1	Anton Silayev	D	20	6-7/210	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	61	1	2	3	10
NJ	2	Seamus Casey	D	22	5-10/165	Utica (AHL)	29	1	18	19	13
NJ	2	Seamus Casey	D	22	5-10/165	New Jersey (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
NJ	3	Mikhail Yegorov	G	20	6-5/190	Boston University (NCAA)	35	16	15	2.73	0.904
NJ	4	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	21	6-0/175	Utica (AHL)	37	10	16	26	12
NJ	4	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	21	6-0/175	New Jersey (NHL)	33	2	6	8	14
NJ	5	Ethan Edwards	D	23	5-10/175	Utica (AHL)	69	10	13	23	69
NJ	6	Daniil Orlov	D	22	6-2/180	Spartak Moskva (KHL)	66	10	18	28	27
NJ	7	Conrad Fondrk	C	18	6-0/200	Boston University (NCAA)	25	3	5	8	0
NJ	8	Ben Kevan	RW	19	6-1/180	Arizona State (NCAA)	34	4	6	10	4
NJ	9	Shane Lachance	LW	22	6-4/195	Utica (AHL)	62	10	15	25	18
NJ	9	Shane Lachance	LW	22	6-4/195	New Jersey (NHL)	1	0	0	0	0
NJ	10	Jakub Malek	G	24	6-4/190	Utica (AHL)	31	13	14	2.75	0.895
NJ	11	Mason Moe	C	19	6-2/190	Minnesota (NCAA)	33	6	6	12	4
NJ	12	Topias Vilen	D	23	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	61	4	23	27	24
NJ	12	Topias Vilen	D	23	6-1/195	New Jersey (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
NJ	13	Cam Squires	RW	21	5-11/165	Utica (AHL)	47	5	11	16	15
NJ	13	Cam Squires	RW	21	5-11/165	Adirondack (ECHL)	8	2	1	3	2
NJ	14	Kasper Pikkarainen	RW	19	6-3/195	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	45	2	4	6	18
NJ	15	Matyas Melovsky	C	22	6-2/190	Utica (AHL)	55	10	16	26	31

1. Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Tall skaters and defencemen in general usually take the longest to find their game and reach the lofty projections put on them in their draft years. Silayev happens to be both, and that slow development seems to be taking its course as his production dips and his ice time year-over-year isn’t increasing. He is still the exceptional skater and large defender that he has been, and he has added a physical edge to his game as well, laying massive hits and dominating the net front and corners. The combination of mobility and reach helps him shut down rushes and his angles when defending has improved as well, making life difficult for opposing forwards crossing the blue line. There are moments where he can be slow to anticipate play and lack the effort to get to his spots quickly, habits that should grow out of his game as he matures. He won’t be an offensive threat or involved in transition at the next level, but he keeps things simple when called upon. A bottom pair, minute eating, penalty killing specialist is a good expectation at this time, but if he continues to clean up his play and be more involved and consistent, there could be a top four shut down defender in Silayev.

2. Seamus Casey, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

After a pretty fantastic debut season of pro play, including an unexpected debut with the Devils to kick off the 24-25 season, Casey is one of the most highly anticipated prospects in the Devils’ system. Of slightly below average size, Casey has strong mobility and knows how to move the puck. Displaying a solid hockey IQ and a good read of the ice, his distribution skills have raised eyebrows while his playmaking has fans wondering if he may have it in him to become another Brian Rafalski of sorts. As incredibly promising as the Miami, Florida native’s rookie season of pro play was, even collecting eight points in 14 NHL contests, his sophomore year has been one of new challenges. He kicked things off on the IR and, in general, his Utica Comets team has struggled all season long, seeing him bear the brunt of that as not only the top scoring defenceman on the team, but also one of its major minute-munchers. Unfortunately, an early February injury has led to more time off while also costing him a spot at the AHL All-Star game. The organization continues to view him as a future piece of the puzzle and had him up again for two games when Brett Pesce went out with a minor injury.

3. Mikhail Yegorov, G, Boston University (NCAA)

For a goaltender who has been left out to dry in the majority of his starts since January, Mikhail Yegorov is doing quite well. After a spectacular season, where he joined BU mid-season and looked dominant, he has been getting almost no help from the defence in front of him this season. His athleticism and quickness have still been high notes in his game, but this has been a challenging season for a reason. Yegorov has let in some iffy goals as of late, gaining a habit of getting out of position after one quick movement to block a shot. His aggression is amazing, and he is very fluid in his motions, but he needs time to develop and will find his game again, hopefully next season as a junior. Because of his athleticism, he remains a goaltender with a very high NHL ceiling. The Devils may just have to be a little more patient with him than initially believed after the consistency issues shown this year as a sophomore.

4. Lenni Hämeenaho, RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

Pretty much the Devils’ pride and joy among forward prospects, we were very curious to see how Hämeenaho’s first season in North America would go. Drafted by New Jersey 58th overall in 2023, the righty shot winger has spent the past three seasons going from establishing himself as a regular Liiga forward to being a top scorer. His 51 points in 58 games last year even got him nominated to Finland’s World Championship squad, where he went on to collect an admirable four points in eight games. To date, he has not only spent this season showing that his hockey sense, pacing abilities, off puck reads, and full ice timing could continue rounding off his offensive package as a top six winger in the AHL, but earned him a call up to Newark where he hasn’t skipped a beat. Four points in nine games heading into the Olympic break showed he would not need any more seasoning in the AHL, finishing the season with the Devils. We believe he needs to improve his overall mobility to date, but he continues to impress as an achiever and is looking like a middle six NHL winger over the long haul.

5. Ethan Edwards, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

After spending the final season of his career at Michigan as a minute-munching defenceman with an offensive slant, the 2020 fourth rounder began his pro career on a PTO last spring and has already found himself in a role as a full-time AHL defenceman this season, suiting up for more games on the than any other blueliner thus. Entering the season, it was unsure whether he can be seen as an offensive defenceman. He pumped in ten goals and added 12 assists of the season in 58 games after having scored just five in 36 games as a senior. In fact, he was tied for the team lead in scoring among defencemen with Caled Addison as of this writing, albeit for a Utica team that has done more losing than winning this season. Being of decent, but average size, the hope is that 2-3 years of minor league experience will mold Edwards into an NHL option in the not-so-distant future. He just needs to see to it that his mild success as a rookie is but a positive step in an upwards trajectory.

6. Daniil Orlov, D, Spartak Moscow (KHL)

Year over year Orlov continues to improve. The smooth skating defencemen is blossoming into a well-rounded two-way player, with increasing production and steady defensive play. His defensive game is sound, utilizing his mobility to be aggressive in the neutral zone, maintain gaps, and angle forwards to the wall on the rush. The positioning is solid and he is a tough competitor when defending the crease. Orlov is also very effective on breakouts, again, using the skating to push the puck up ice and has a knack for joining the rush at opportune times to contribute offensively. The skill isn’t tremendous, but his ability to read play allows him to slip past defenders and create scoring chances. There is some concern over the lack of physicality along the boards, as well as inconsistencies with decision making when the puck is on his stick. Orlov plays a very projectable style for a middle to bottom pairing role as a puck mover who can defend well.

7. Conrad Fondrk, C, Boston University (NCAA)

In a rough season for all of Boston University's forwards, there has been a lot to build on in the game of Conrad Fondrk. Like with the USNTDP last season, he is showing flashes of being a very skilled two-way forward with some highlights in his shot, passing ability, and physicality. However, it would be remiss if there was no mention that these flashes can disappear for long stretches of time. Fondrk can look lost in the offensive zone at times and will occasionally fly the defensive zone before his team has possession of the puck. However, some of these immature habits can likely be attributed to the fact that Fondrk has been a Swiss Army knife, playing literally up and down the lineup with a ton of changes to his linemates. The potential that Fondrk displayed has been great, but he will definitely need at least two more years of college to reach it.

8. Ben Kevan, RW, Arizona State University (NCAA)

Kevan’s season with Des Moines in the USHL was somewhat disappointing overall, though he showed a more diversified skillset that has come alive slowly but surely for Arizona State this year. He flashes a dangerous shooting ability from time to time and could eventually become a 20-goal scorer in the NCAA at some point, if not next season. Kevan’s stickhandling and creativity with the puck also give him a ton of room to create plays in the offensive and neutral zones. Though his skating is not anything more than average, his motor has taken big steps to improving his 200-foot game. Kevan is just waiting for more ice-time and development for next season with the Sun Devils as he will be taking over for seniors, Bennett Schimek and Cruz Lucius. Additionally, he’s had a recent coming out party, too, scoring six points in the last five games. His projection will be completely tied to his ability to improve his skating further so that he can be a quality middle six piece at the NHL level.

9. Shane Lachance, LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

A 2021 late round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, the Devils liked Lachance so much that they ate up 50% of Trent Fredric’s contract and moved prospect Petr Hauser as part of a three-way deal last March to acquire him, wasting no time in signing him to an ELC this past summer after just two seasons of college play at BU. A physical specimen at 6-foot-5, 218 pounds, Shane has come to outsize his father Scott, a former NHLer and first round draft pick, and has gone from being a rough ‘n tumble customer to a player who not only patrols the slot for deflections and rebounds but can also easily complement skilled players. In the midst of his rookie pro season, his stats have been on par with expectations, but his ability to play a pro game and handle himself in the rough stuff department even earned him a debut in the NHL (7 minutes of playing time). There’s little doubt that his snarl and multifaceted game have the Devils hoping he answers some future questions on their lines, with the timeline maybe being shorter than originally thought.

10. Jakub Malek, G, Utica Comets (AHL)

A 2021 fourth rounder, the 6-foot-4 goaltender is in the midst of his first full season in North America after three seasons of an increasing workload in the Finnish Liiga, going from back-up to starter in the course of two seasons. Despite an iffy start in his new surroundings, including losses in his first five outings, what we’ve come to see is that when his positioning is up to par, he is terribly difficult to beat with any regularity. Malek can be both explosive in the crease and display exceptional control over his movements, often able to cover up for himself, even when he may misread a play along the way. Prior difficulties with tracking the puck and glove side errors seem to be fading into the past, and his adjustments have helped him with a much improved second half. A short two-game stint in the ECHL, in which both games went to overtime, seems to have done just the trick as his ascent through midseason play has come on the coattails of that assignment. The Devils continue to have every reason to believe Malek will be turning into an NHL topic, but he will need to be re-upped this summer.

11. Mason Moe, C, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

A traditional power pivot who excels in getting to the net, Moe has had an up and down freshman year at the University of Minnesota. There’s still a need to upgrade his skating, and he remains a long-term project.

12. Topias Vilen, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

Vilen looked extremely promising after his first two pro seasons with Utica, but he’s taken a step backward this year and may be running out of time in the New Jersey organization.

13. Cam Squires, RW, Utica Comets (AHL

Squires’ lack of consistency in his first pro season has led to him spending some time in the ECHL. He needs to find a way to transfer his scoring prowess at the pro level. That may take some time.

14. Kasper Pikkarainen, RW, TPS (Liiga)

Even though Pikkarainen’s offensive production has been limited this year, it’s been great to see him establish himself as a Liiga regular after last year’s injury plagued year. The big, physical winger projects as a bottom six forward.

15. Matyas Melovsky, C, Utica Comets (AHL)

After three great seasons with Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL, Melovsky turned pro this year and has had a limited impact in the AHL. The talented playmaker may just need time to adjust.

NHL: Victor Nuño – DYNASTY STOCK WATCH – New Jersey Devils Edition

Victor Nuño — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:17:42 +0000

McKeen’s Hockey: Dynasty Stock Watch

New Jersey Devils Edition

Team Outlook

The New Jersey Devils remain one of the most exciting young cores in the NHL. With Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Luke Hughes, and Simon Nemec at the center of their identity, the foundation for long-term contention is already in place. Their roster is built on speed, puck movement, and offensive creativity, and when healthy, they can outscore anyone. Injuries and thin depth have held them back at key moments, which only underscores how important continued internal development will be.

New Jersey is firmly in its contention window, and the organizational needs have shifted. The Devils no longer need bodies, they need impact. Young players must either bring high-end skill or fill defined roles with efficiency. As the roster becomes more competitive, prospects who can complement the core and contribute quickly will be the ones who rise. For dynasty managers, the takeaway is clear, prioritize players with realistic paths to meaningful NHL roles rather than those valued purely on pedigree, because opportunity still exists in New Jersey, but the margin for error is shrinking.

Buy Candidates

Mikhail Yegorov (G, 19)

Why Buy?
The Devils have been searching for long-term stability in net for years, and Mikhail Yegorov may finally be the prospect who changes that trajectory. His combination of size, poise, and technical control gives him a foundation that already looks near professional ready. He tracks pucks through layers, moves efficiently in his crease, and rarely gets rattled.

While his raw numbers at Boston University this season have dipped, he continues to outperform his expected goal metrics, which suggests this may be a buy-low opportunity for dynasty managers. The long-term path is wide open. The Devils have cycled through short-term options for years, and none have secured the crease during the team’s contention window. If Yegorov continues on his current trajectory, he has future starter upside and could be the goalie who finally stabilizes the position in the post-Brodeur era. This is a profile worth acquiring now before the price rises.

Simon Nemec (D, 21)

Why Buy?
Nemec has already shown why he was selected second overall. His composure, mobility, and high-end puck-moving ability make him an ideal fit for New Jersey’s aggressive, pace-driven style. Offensively, he reads the ice well, jumps into the rush with confidence, and has added more deception to his playmaking this season. While Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes currently share time quarterbacking the top power play, Nemec looks fully capable of producing on a second unit and could earn top-unit looks if the Devils ever want to give him that role.

His early NHL stint was uneven, and his first 90 games revealed some struggles keeping up with the pace and making quick decisions. This season, however, he looks like a different player. The confidence is unmistakable, and he is leaning into his elite skating far more consistently. His Evolving Hockey player card highlights how dramatically his offensive impacts have improved, even though he still needs support defensively. If that part of his game trends upward at a similar pace, the Devils may finally get the player they envisioned when they drafted him second overall in 2022. For dynasty managers, right-shot defensemen with this combination of skill, opportunity, and long-term upside are rare, and Nemec remains a premium asset with room to grow.

Arseni Gritsyuk (LW/RW, 24)

Why Buy?
Gritsyuk quietly developed into one of the more NHL-ready wingers to arrive from the KHL pipeline, and now that he has transitioned to North America, his game still shows the same blend of pace, skill, and competitiveness that made him stand out overseas. His surface numbers have not fully popped yet, but the underlying metrics tell a different story. His combined on-ice shooting percentage and save percentage (PDO) sits at a very low 948, a number that almost always regresses toward 1,000, suggesting better results are coming. Per HockeyViz, the Devils generate more offense with Gritsyuk in the lineup, reinforcing that the process is strong even if the finishing has lagged.

His usage has also been encouraging. Gritsyuk is getting shifts with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier, and he plays a heavy, north-south style that produces more than a hit per game in just under 15 minutes of ice time. His power play opportunities have been limited, but even a small increase in deployment could unlock meaningful scoring. For dynasty managers, he remains an ideal buy-low candidate, because the underlying play driving, the supportive metrics, and the quality of his linemates all point to a player whose production should climb as the season settles.

Sell Candidates

Seamus Casey (D, 21)

Why Sell?
Casey remains one of the most skilled offensive defensemen in the Devils’ system, with elite mobility, high end puck skills, and the creativity to quarterback play from the blue line. His NCAA production was excellent and showcased everything that made him a coveted prospect. The issue is not talent but fit. With Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec solidly ahead of him on the depth chart as New Jersey’s long term power play drivers, Casey’s path to meaningful minutes is extremely narrow. Unless he drastically adapts his game or the depth chart shifts, he is likely battling for a third pair role without the deployment that fuels fantasy upside.

The early returns at the NHL level reflect these concerns. Casey has struggled to carve out a stable spot, and his defensive impacts remain well below average, which makes it difficult for coaches to trust him in anything beyond sheltered usage. The offensive instincts are still there, and his Hockey Prospecting star potential suggests that the upside is likely still there, but the reality is that fantasy value depends on opportunity. His name value and pedigree will still attract interest in many leagues, making this the ideal moment to sell. Move him while another manager still believes in the top four outcome, before the organizational logjam and defensive limitations cap his long-term ceiling.

Anton Silayev (D, 19)

Why Sell?
Silayev’s draft year hype exploded thanks to his rare blend of size, reach, and smooth mobility. At 6-foot-7, he covers ice effortlessly and has the kind of physical profile teams dream of in a shutdown defenseman. His skating stride is fluid, he closes quickly in space, and he already looks like someone who can neutralize top competition at the NHL level. The problem for fantasy managers is that, despite all of these tools, Silayev does not naturally drive offense. He is not someone who creates scoring chances, directs play through transition, or activates meaningfully in the offensive zone. His impact is far more functional than dynamic.

While the real-life value is obvious, the fantasy translation is a different story. Silayev does post strong blocks, shots, and hits, giving him solid BASH peripherals, but those contributions are easy to find on the waiver wire. What differentiates fantasy assets is scoring, and so far, that has not been part of Silayev’s game. Across one hundred fifty-six KHL games, he has only twenty-four points. His pNHLe has cratered to five, which reflects the extremely limited offensive projection. He will almost certainly be an important piece for the Devils and play heavy minutes, but if he is not producing points, his fantasy ceiling remains low. Given the name recognition, draft pedigree, and how excited the Devils are about his role, now is the ideal moment to sell high and acquire a more impactful long-term asset.

Lenni Hämeenaho (RW, 21)

Hämeenaho is a smart and reliable winger whose mature two-way game made him an appealing draft prospect. He reads play well, supports possession, and owns a solid, NHL-level shot. Coaches trust his positioning and decision making, and he still projects as someone who can settle into a middle six role once he fully adjusts to the North American game. The challenge for fantasy managers is that his tools do not necessarily point toward strong offensive upside. He does not drive play with standout speed or high-end creativity, and his profile leans more toward steady than dynamic.

His transition to the AHL has underscored those concerns. After posting 51 points in 58 games for Ässät in Liiga last season, he has just four points in 14 games with Utica. His Fantasy Hockey Life card paints the same picture: his Fenwick looks decent, but his Corsi is low, his net expected goals impact is underwater, and he is not consistently winning puck battles or recovering loose pucks. His BASH can provide a modest peripheral floor, but if the scoring does not translate, his fantasy ceiling remains limited. Hämeenaho still carries name value and the perception of untapped upside, which makes this an ideal sell window. Move him now, before he settles into the type of depth role that delivers real world value but falls short in fantasy.

Summary

Player	Role	Key Insight
Mikhail Yegorov	Buy	Rising goalie prospect with a clear path to future NHL starts
Simon Nemec	Buy	Elite right-shot defenseman with top-four floor and PP upside
Arseni Gritsyuk	Buy	Skilled KHL winger ready to seize a top-six NHL opportunity
Seamus Casey	Sell	Offensive defenseman blocked by Hughes and Nemec
Anton Silayev	Sell	Defensive toolsy blueliner with limited fantasy ceiling
Lenni Hämeenaho	Sell	Safe middle-six projection, low fantasy upside

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:47:56 +0000

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) waits for play to begin during the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers on January 27, 2025, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire)

The Devils managed to get back into the playoffs, finishing the season with 91 points (42-33-7), but they lost in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Star centre Jack Hughes was injured and did not play after March 2nd and Luke Hughes was injured in the first game against Carolina in the playoffs, missing the rest of the series. The Devils were a quality puck possession team, ranking eighth in Corsi percentage (51.8) and 10th in expected goals percentage (51.7). Their power play ranked third in the league with 9.66 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play and their penalty killing ranked fourth with 5.70 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play. That is a solid statistical profile and with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen representing a significant improvement in goal, the Devils were a playoff team despite dealing with some major injuries.

What’s Changed?

The Devils were not overly active in the offseason, doing some tinkering, but keeping their core intact. New Jersey signed Edmonton Oilers right winger Connor Brown and Dallas Stars winger Evgenii Dadonov as free agents, and it appears that Russian winger Arseni Gritsyuk is going to make the move to New Jersey after scoring 44 points (17 G, 27 A) in 49 KHL games for SKA St. Petersburg last season. Centre Erik Haula was traded to the Nashville Predators, right winger Nathan Bastian signed a deal with the Dallas Stars, and left winger Tomas Tatar signed with EV Zug in Switzerland. Defenceman Brian Dumoulin inked a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Kings and checking centre Curtis Lazar signed with the Edmonton Oilers. Defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic is recovering from knee surgery and may not be ready for the start of the season, but the Devils are relatively deep on the blueline and should be able to handle his absence.

What would success look like?

The Devils have the makings of a legitimate contender, especially now that they have a strong goaltending tandem, but the key is keeping Jack Hughes healthy. Hughes is a game-breaking talent and, while the Devils returning to the postseason would be a baseline for success, if they have Hughes, there is a chance that they can go on a deeper run. As it is, they have won one playoff round since they reached the Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.

What could go wrong?

Injuries have been a problem for the Devils, and Jack Hughes and defenceman Dougie Hamilton missed significant time last season, and yet the team was still good enough to reach the playoffs. On one hand, that should show how they can overcome adversity, but it also reveals, through a 91-point season, that they were fortunate to get into the playoffs, so they are still dealing with a small margin between making and not making the postseason.

Top Breakout Candidate

A 24-year-old winger who has steadily improved throughout his career in Russia, Arseni Gritsyuk should have a legitimate chance to play in a top nine role with the Devils, with some power play time sprinkled in as well. He may not have an enormous impact, but on a veteran team with hopes of contending, there are not a lot of unproven options looking for the chance to break out with a big season.

FORWARDS

Jack Hughes

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	32	60	92	1.19

When healthy, Hughes is one of the few players in the league with legitimate MVP hopes. Across the past four seasons, he has accumulated 299 points (123 G, 176 A) in 251 games and his 1.19 points per game ranks 12th – behind Mikko Rantanen and ahead of Sidney Crosby – among skaters to appear in at least 200 games. On top of that, he is an excellent play driver who has a 55.8 percent Corsi in the past three seasons. While he may not be the picture of the prototypical checking center, Hughes is very effective defensively. He is a brilliant and creative offensive player who, at his best, can generate scoring chances like few others in the league. The elephant in the room is that he has been unable to stay healthy. He played 78 games in 2022-2023, recording a career high 99 points (43 G, 56 A), but he has missed 20 games in each of the past two seasons and missed 33 games in 2021-2022. He is still just 24-years-old, but that is a lot of missed time early in his career. He is also abysmal on faceoffs, winning a career best 37.6 percent of his draws last season. All told, Hughes is a very dynamic player who gives the Devils a chance to be a contender, provided he is in the lineup. The uncertainty in that regard requires tempered optimism when it comes to his projections for 2025-2026, Hughes could miss significant time, say 15 games, and still produce 30 goals and 80 points.

Jesper Bratt

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	62	87	1.06

A premier offensive threat on the wing, Bratt recorded a career-high 88 points (21 G, 67 A) last season and has 317 points (106 G, 211 A) in 321 games across the past four seasons. He has game-breaking speed that allows him to quickly attack in transition, and he uses a wide base to effectively protect the puck, especially in the offensive zone. Bratt’s shot rate dropped from 3.02 shots per game in 2023-2024 to 2.22 shots per game in 2024-2025, which is not ideal because he has a legitimately quick release that can allow him to score from distance, but he was distributing the puck enough to finish fifth in the league with 67 assists, behind only Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, and Connor McDavid. He ended up getting one fifth-place Hart Trophy vote and while that might be a tad optimistic, in terms of evaluating his play, it does reflect a player who has become a star with the Devils. While Bratt had a few strong defensive seasons earlier in his career, his recent defensive play has been less effective, allowing more chances against, but his offensive game has exploded so much that it more than overcomes the decline in his defensive effectiveness. It is reasonable to expect something in the range of a point per game for Bratt, so 80-plus points is a possibility again in 2025-2026.

Nico Hischier

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	34	42	76	0.99

New Jersey’s captain continues to deliver reliable results and Hischier scored a career-high 35 goals while playing a career-high 20:23 per game last season. He finished fourth in Selke voting, marking the second time in the past three seasons that he has earned a top five finish. He has the credentials as a top two-way center, who gives the Devils an elite 1-2 combination down the middle of the ice when Hughes is healthy. Across the past three seasons, Hischier has taken 4,818 faceoffs, ranking second in the NHL, behind only Sidney Crosby (5,500) and he has won 55.3 percent of those draws, ranking 18th out of the 88 centers to take at least 2,000 faceoffs in that time. Hischier’s most common linemates last season were Timo Meier, Stefan Noesen, and Dawson Mercer, and he controlled better than 55 percent of the expected goals during five-on-five play with the first two. Hischier is a play driver so his line combination should not play a huge part in the direction that the puck is moving, but if Meier is a sure thing on the left side, the right winger can help determine how much offensive upside the line will have. With at least 60 points in four straight seasons, Hischier seems a good bet to score 30 goals and 70 points in 2025-2026.

Timo Meier

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	30	26	56	0.73

A physically strong winger who can play a power game, Meier has surpassed 25 goals in each of the past four seasons. He has also recorded at least 140 hits in three of the past four seasons, and he tends to have success along the boards because of how strong he is on the puck. As a result, Meier is an excellent shot generator, even if not quite at the same level in New Jersey as he was during his peak seasons in San Jose. Meier is especially effective during five-on-five play. In the past three seasons, he has generated 1.09 individual expected goals per 60 minutes, which ranks sixth among the 302 forwards that have played at least 2,000 five-on-five minutes in those three seasons. Despite consistently generating high-quality scoring chances, Meier has only scored on 9.15 percent of his shots in those three seasons, which ranks 211th, so there is room for improvement if his finishing ability catches up to his ability to get into scoring position. Playing with Hischier is a good place for Meier, skating alongside a productive center who can drive play and that ensures that Meier is often in position to score. Even taking into account his less than stellar finish around the net, 30 goals and 55-60 points should be within Meier’s grasp in 2025-2026.

Dawson Mercer

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	23	19	42	0.51

Mercer has played every game in his four NHL seasons, but his offensive production has tailed off in the past two seasons. He had career highs of 27 goals and 56 points in 2022-2023 and managed 19 goals and 36 points last season. That’s not exactly the ideal trend for the now 23-year-old forward who does have the courage to get to the net in an effort to score. He doesn’t generate shots at a high enough rate, and his defensive results have been mixed, but he does have enough offensive ability and the versatility to move up and down the lineup and even capable of playing center and wing. Mercer’s most common linemate last season was Timo Meier and they were on the right side of shots and chances, and downright dominant in goal differential, with 24 goals for and nine goals against (72.7 GF%) during five-on-five play. The next two most common were Erik Haula and Nico Hischier, and forecasting Mercer’s future production tends to depend on which linemates he has in 2025-2026. The risk that Mercer might be outside of New Jersey’s top six forwards, potentially centering the third line, does put a possible limit on his scoring upside, but 20 goals and 40 points should be a reasonable expected range.

Ondrej Palat

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	12	16	28	0.37

A reliable veteran winger, Palat played in 77 games last season. The last season in which he played more games was his rookie season in 2013-2014. At the same time, he averaged just 13:45 of ice time per game, his lowest average time on ice since playing 11:44 per game while playing 14 games in 2012-2013. For years, Palat was a strong two-way winger, but last season showed statistical decline at both ends of the rink. Last season was the first time in his career that Palat was outscored during five-on-five play and his 0.36 points per game was his lowest since 2012-2013. While his individual production is not impressive, that’s also not primarily what the Devils are looking for from Palat. He played mostly with Hughes and Bratt, two of the most dangerous offensive forwards on the roster and Palat provides a defensive conscience for that line. He’s also a quality penalty killer but does not get enough time to make a real impact in those situations. Nevertheless, Palat is likely to see a regular role in New Jersey’s top six, playing a complementary role, and can be expected to contribute maybe a dozen goals and 30 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Evgeni Dadonov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
71	15	17	32	0.45

A 36-year-old winger, Dadonov hit the 20-goal threshold last season for the fifth time in his career; this despite averaging 13:32 of ice time per game, his lowest since averaging 10:03 per game for Florida in 2011-2012. Even in what was a relative depth role with the Dallas Stars last season, Dadonov used his skills and offensive instincts to generate chances. He’s older now, so maybe not quite as dynamic as he was during his best seasons with Florida, but Dadonov has a refined game that allows him to contribute at both ends of the rink, even if it’s in a lesser role. This makes him an interesting addition for the Devils because Dadonov might be a player who contributes while playing a limited role near the bottom of the depth chart, but he also could slide into a role in the top six, even if just for short bursts, because he has the skill level to fit alongside the more gifted players on the roster. Given his age and where he is in his career, expectations should be modest, so maybe Dadonov could add a dozen goals and 30 points to the Devils in 2025-2026.

Stefan Noesen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	17	21	38	0.48

After so many years of battling just to stay in the lineup or, in some cases, in the NHL, Noesen landed some security when he signed as a free agent with the Devils last summer. He responded by putting up career highs in goal (22) and points (41) while playing a career high 15:56 per game. He is not the strongest skater, but Noesen plays hard, going to the net without fear and battling effectively in corners. His blue-collar game has earned Noesen some respect but also landed him a net-front position on the Devils power play and he tallied 11 goals with the man advantage last season. Noesen is a relative late bloomer but has established that he can be a strong puck possession player and that can play no matter where Noesen is skating in the lineup. His most common linemates last season were Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, followed by Paul Cotter and Erik Haula. Naturally, he was more successful with Hischier and Meier, so it would be ideal to stay in that spot, but if he gets supplanted there, Noesen can still be a contributor even if he is in the lower half of the depth chart. As such, a reasonable expectation for Noesen this season could be around 15 goals and 35 points.

Paul Cotter

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	12	7	19	0.25

Acquired from Vegas last summer, in a deal that sent Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid to the Golden Knights, Cotter had career highs with 16 goals and 245 hits in his first season for the Devils. That is the best version of Cotter, an active physical presence who can add a little offensively. Among the 378 forwards to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes last season, Cotter ranked 69th with 0.93 goals per game. With NHL teams getting more interested in stockpiling physical players who can handle the rough going, especially in the playoffs, Cotter does appear to fit that mold, even if it’s in a lesser role. While Cotter clearly has offensive limitations, and was not a big scorer in junior with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, where he had 26 points (9 G, 17 A) in 48 games, or even with Henderson in the American Hockey League, where he had 50 points (24 G, 26 A) in 97 games, he does have soft hands and has scored some highlight-reel goals in transition. The Devils have better forward depth and that could allow Cotter to remain relatively productive. It’s fair to expect Cotter to contribute at least a dozen goals and 25 points, along with 200-plus hits during the 2025-2026 season.

DEFENSE

Dougie Hamilton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	8	35	43	0.66

A smooth-skating 6-foot-6 defenceman that can handle the puck is a rare commodity, and Hamilton brings all of those assets to the Devils. When he’s healthy, he is very effective, moves the puck well, and excels at getting shots on net, but injuries have plagued him, with significant time missed in four of his past six seasons. Hamilton’s defensive play has slipped in recent years, which cuts into his overall effectiveness, but he’s so outstanding offensively that his offensive impacts outweigh his defensive impacts, sometimes by a large margin. Across the past three seasons, Hamilton ranks ninth among defencemen with 1.41 points per 60 minutes during five-on-five play, second in shot attempts per 60 minutes (17.92), and first in shots on goal per 60 minutes (8.24). During five-on-four play, he ranked third in shots on goal per 60 minutes (12.63), so it doesn’t really matter what the situation is, Hamilton is ready to shoot. Those credentials make him a valuable defenceman, yet also one whose name is starting to get brought up in potential trades, even though he has a no-movement clause, because there are rumblings about the Devils trying to acquire Quinn Hughes from Vancouver to complete their set of Hughes brothers. In any case, until that time comes, Hamilton will be a major part of the Devils’ attack and even if he was to miss around 20 games this season, he could still produce a dozen goals and 45-50 points. If Hamilton happens to stay healthy, 60-plus points remains possible for him.

Luke Hughes

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	8	44	52	0.68

Even though his 2024-2025 season started late while he recovered from a shoulder injury, and he managed just a couple of assists in his first 13 games, Hughes had a strong finish to end the season with 44 points (7 G, 37 A) in 71 games. When Hamilton was injured late in the season, Hughes stepped up and contributed 16 points (2 G, 14 A) in 16 games then suffered another shoulder injury in the playoffs. Through two-plus seasons, Hughes has shown plenty of potential, but is also not a finished product, either. He can handle the puck and skates well, but even though he has good size, listed at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, Hughes does not play a physical brand of hockey. In the past two seasons, there are 268 defencemen that have played at least 500 minutes in all situations and only five defencemen (one of whom is his brother, Quinn Hughes) have averaged fewer hits per 60 minutes than Luke Hughes’ 0.79 hits per 60. While he is still early in what figures to be a long and productive NHL career, Hughes’ offensive upside is limited by Hamilton’s presence, because he will quarterback the top power play unit. He also has room to improve his defensive game, but he’s young enough that he can reasonably be expected to get better. Nevertheless, Hughes has surpassed 40 points in each of his first two NHL seasons and should be able to do it again this season.

Brett Pesce

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
73	3	13	16	0.22

A veteran blueliner who has a greater real-world impact compared to his fantasy impact on the game, Pesce had four seasons in Carolina in which he finished with 25-30 points. However, his last season in Carolina brought 13 points and last season, his first in New Jersey, brought 17 points (3 G, 14 A). Pesce is a steady top four defender who has averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game for nine consecutive seasons. He’s a strong skater who uses excellent positioning to control the game when he’s on the ice. Pesce had a Corsi percentage of 52.3 percent last season and that was his lowest since his rookie season in 2015-2016, so the puck tends to move the right way when he is on the ice, and he recorded 138 blocked shots last season, his most since 2016-2017. Pesce played most often with Luke Hughes last season, providing the defensive backbone that freed Hughes up to take more chances offensively. Since the Devils have several options ahead of Pesce to handle the more offensive aspects, it’s fair to expect maybe 20 points from him during the 2025-2026 season.

Simon Nemec

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
33	3	9	12	0.36

The second pick in the 2022 Draft, Nemec endured a difficult 2024-2025 season, playing just 27 games for the Devils during the regular season, spending more time in the American Hockey League, where he accrued 23 points (5 G, 18 A) in 34 games. After showing potential as a rookie in 2023-2024, Nemec got off to a slow start last season, resulting in his demotion to the AHL, but he played well there and returned just before the break for the Four Nations Face-Off. Even upon returning to the Devils, Nemec struggled on his way to a 44.2 percent Corsi while getting outscored 17-8 during five-on-five play. Inserted into the playoff lineup after Luke Hughes was injured in Game 1 against Carolina, Nemec was more effective in the four games that he played and scored the game-winning goal in double overtime of Game 3. Nemec has offensive potential just waiting to be tapped but is going to have to earn his way into the lineup to even get that chance. The Devils have a lot of proven NHL veterans ready to go, so Nemec is not going to be gifted his spot. He has the chance to be a quality NHL defencemen, but after some struggles, Nemec is now in a position where he is going to have to prove that he belongs and while that’s possible, it does acknowledge that he has some hurdles to overcome. If he is in the NHL for a full season, 25-30 points would be a reasonable expectation, and if he plays most of the games, that alone would count as progress.

Goal

Jacob Markstrom

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
50	27	16	4	5	.905	2.55

The New Jersey Devils haven't strung together two consecutive playoff berths since 2010 - which, coincidentally, marked the end of their thirteen-year postseason streak at the hands (or goaltending glove) of Martin Brodeur. It makes sense, then, that the team took a look at the trio they brought to the crease last year - veteran starter Jacob Markström, veteran tandem/backup Jake Allen, and newly graduated prospect Nico Daws - and decided they weren't going to change a thing.

They'll have some tough decisions to make in the crease next offseason, with Daws due for a contract extension in the offseason and 2021 draftee Jakub Malek finally making his way to North America this year. Their minor league crease was already a bit crowded this year, with prospect Tyler Brennan spending his entire year in the ECHL, and neither Allen nor Markström will see their contracts up for at least a few more years. But for the upcoming season, at least, they'll have the reliability of Markström - who proved last year that he's still capable of getting the job done - and the veteran presence of Allen, both of whom have plenty of playoff experience and time spent around far tougher fanbases. The only question, at this point, is how many NHL games Daws gets to experience before the year is up.

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #22

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:45:15 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - JULY 14: New Jersey Devils defenseman Seamus Casey (72) skates during New Jersey Devils Development Camp on July 14, 2023, at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 22nd (May 2025 - 15th)
GM: Tom Fitzgerald Hired: July 2020
COACH: Sheldon Keefe Hired: May 2024

After years of turbulence, the New Jersey Devils returned to the playoffs in 2024-25 for just the fourth time in 15 years. A clear sign the rebuild is firmly on track. Jack Hughes has blossomed into a bona fide star, supported by Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier. On the back end, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec have secured full-time roles, giving the Devils one of the league’s most promising young defensive tandems.

More help is already knocking at the door. Seamus Casey split time between the NHL and AHL last season, showcasing the puck-moving flair and offensive instincts that make him one of the most exciting defense prospects in the league. The question is whether there will be enough room for both Casey and Nemec to thrive in similar roles. A bit further out, 2024 10th overall pick Anton Silayev continues his development in the KHL, honing his shutdown game while offering significant long-term upside.

Goaltender Mikhail Yegorov, a 2024 second rounder, turned heads after joining Boston University midseason from the USHL. In just a few weeks, he became the backbone of the Terriers, posting an 11-6-1 record with a .927 save percentage and helping lead them to the NCAA Championship game.

The Devils didn’t have a first-round pick in 2025 but still added two notable prospects in Conrad Fondrk and Ben Kevan, both of whom immediately slot into the organization’s top 10.

With a young NHL core already producing and another wave of promising players on the way, New Jersey appears to be transitioning from a team hoping to make the playoffs to one capable of sustained postseason success. If their prospect development continues to align with the growth of their established stars, the Devils could become one of the league’s most consistent threats over the next decade.

New Jersey Devils Top-15 Prospects

1 - Anton Silayev

6-foot-7 giant Anton Silayev continued to make steady progress this season. Given an increased role on a weaker Torpedo roster, he stepped up and made an impact on a nightly basis. Defensively, he looked much more composed than the year prior, using his size better to angle off opponents and disrupt plays with his long reach. Offensively, he made slight improvements to his play, but I would lower expectations for him to be a point producer in the NHL. He scored a few nice goals by joining the rush at the right moments, but many of his points came from secondary passes and deflections off point shots. While his game still needs polish, Silayev projects as a future shutdown defenceman for the Devils. He’ll need more time to round out his weaker areas, but with another year left on his KHL contract, he has the runway to continue growing before making the jump to North America.

2 - Mikhail Yegorov

Mikhail Yegorov is a massive 6-foot-5 goalie that plays a simple, technical game. He prefers to move as little as possible, and he accomplishes this by having a wide stance and using his long legs to grab ice in short movements, moving smartly through the crease with good routes. He’s a no-nonsense goalie and is in full control, rarely scrambling. His best attribute is his tracking. He quickly follows any passes, anticipates play, and reads releases very well, tracking the puck all the way into his quick hands. He does a lot well and already has a polished game for a guy who only made the jump to the NCAA midseason as an 18-year-old proving to be elite already. His biggest concern is his rebound control. He tends to let the puck bounce off his chest a lot, and doesn’t control his stick much, giving up bad rebounds in tight that end in goals. Yegorov projects well to the NHL and has separating talents, making him a strong candidate to be a quality starting goaltender.

3 - Seamus Casey

Seamus Casey had an interesting first professional season: he started the season with the New Jersey Devils and played well, then he went down to AHL Utica and was on fire offensively to start the year, and then he battled through injuries and spent time at both the NHL and AHL levels, and even got a glimpse of action in an NHL playoff game. The hallmark of Casey’s game is his offensive ability; he’s a creative defenceman that excels at distributing the puck and making plays. He’s also a very capable skater, which complements his offensive ability and adds deception that he can use to manipulate opposing players. Casey has even worked quite hard on his own game away from the puck and does a good job engaging opposing forwards in his own zone. Casey won’t ever become the world’s best shutdown player, but he can play effectively in the defensive zone, and it won’t limit his NHL deployment. Casey should feature well this year as a full-time defenceman for the Devils.

4 - Arseni Gritsyuk

Devils fifth-round pick from 2019, Arseni Gritsyuk set career highs in assists and points this season with SKA St. Petersburg. He brings many tools to the table which make him a very dangerous threat when play is in the offensive zone. His IQ and playmaking have come a long way since his draft year, allowing him to consistently make the right reads and generate scoring chances. While his defensive game still needs work, he’s improved his physicality and compete level, addressing many of the concerns that scouts shared during his draft year. Rumors suggest Gritsyuk could be headed to North America after this season, where he may challenge for a roster spot in New Jersey. If he makes the jump, he projects as a middle six winger and a strong one-time threat on the second power-play unit.

5 - Lenni Hameenaho

Hämeenaho has shown consistent production in Finland’s Liiga since being drafted 5eighth overall by New Jersey in 2023. In 202023-24, he posted 31 points in 46 games for Ässät and added six points at the World Juniors. He elevated his game in 2024-25, notching 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 58 games, while also earning a spot on Finland’s men’s national team for the World Championship, where he contributed four points in eight games. Hämeenaho’s strengths lie in his hockey sense. His off puck reads, timing into soft areas, and ability to vary pace make him a constant scoring threat. His playmaking has improved, and he’s shown more commitment defensively. However, skating remains his biggest obstacle; mechanical inefficiencies limit his mobility, puck control in motion, and ability to handle physical pressure. Without improvement in this area, his NHL projection leans toward a depth or AHL role, but with strides in mobility, he could grow into a bottom six checking winger.

6 - Conrad Fondrk

Fondrk was the third USNTDP forward taken off the board in the 2025 draft, and New Jersey believes there is a lot to love in the St. Paul native. Fondrk passes the eye-test in every sense of the word. He is an above-average skater, a creative stick handler, and a solid distributor, especially in the offensive zone. In addition to his prowess in the face-off circle and consistent backchecking, Fondrk is a valuable two-way center in the Devils’ future. This past season for the NTDP, Fondrk was a solid center who was seeing a surge in points right before he got injured for the rest of the year in late February. If healthy, he would probably have had a similar jump in points to his teammate Cole McKinney had. Fondrk will now enter a loaded Boston University lineup next season, and, on the surface, will have limited opportunity to make a large mark for the Terriers. Don’t be surprised if Fondrk defies expectations and shows up in moments for BU.

7 - Ben Kevan

After exploding for 57 points as a 16-year-old, Ben Kevan saw a significant drop in points for a Des Moines team that did not perform great this past season. Kevan is now heading to sunny Tempe, Arizona to play with the Sun Devils, so the question becomes; What is ASU, and also New Jersey, getting in a player like Kevan? He is a speedy north-south skater and has the ability to create space for himself and his teammates. Kevan creates offence with those aspects, along with his hard shot, though he could do with a more mature shot selection. He has his moments defensively, tilting the ice in his favor, but overall, his compete is average. Kevan should find every opportunity to succeed at Arizona State and find the scoring form that he had just two years ago.

8 - Jakub Malek

For a 6-foot-4 goaltender, Jakub Malek has exceptional control over his body and significant explosiveness. Sometimes, he can make a poor read and either be in a bad position or behind the play, but with a single big push, he can get right back to where he needs to be. He does so with precision as well, not throwing his limbs around. Outside of these physical attributes, he possesses good positioning, deepening when necessary, and has a very good stance, looking like an imposing figure taking up a lot of net. Alongside poor reads though, he can struggle tracking the puck but not majorly. There has been a noticeable weakness with his glove side, where he often will get beat without having it moved, something that could be exploited in higher levels. Malek has a solid outlook to the NHL, potentially as a good backup, after three very respectable seasons in the Liiga, which he should be able to translate to the AHL seamlessly.

9 - Thomas Bordeleau

Thomas Bordeleau was a highly rated prospect just a couple of seasons ago, but he has been unable to carve out a full-time role for himself at the NHL level. Bordeleau’s speed and offensive creativity are undeniable; he’s a great playmaker, can beat opposing defenders one-on-one with his speed, and can utilize an underrated shot to beat goalies clean in-tight. It has been surprising that Bordeleau was unable to find a consistent role with San Jose given his skill, but there are also holes in his game that make his NHL deployment quite limited. Bordeleau’s not the biggest player in the world, and while he competes, there are times when he’s too easy to knock off the puck. This makes it quite difficult for a coach to trust Bordeleau with bottom six minutes at the NHL level. Bordeleau is getting a fresh start with the New Jersey Devils’ organization, but his time as a prospect is coming to an end; it appears to be now or never for the former University of Michigan standout.

10 - Cam Squires

Cam Squires was drafted 122nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2023 after producing near a point-per-game pace with Cape Breton. While he showed no glaring weaknesses aside from explosiveness, his game also lacked standout qualities, which limited his draft stock. The next season, he maintained a similar pace in the regular season but broke out in the playoffs with 20 points in 14 games, ranking sixth in overall scoring and fifth in points per game. Following this impressive run, Squires signed his entry-level contract in July with the Devils. Squires carried that momentum into the following season, leading Cape Breton with 75 points in 58 games. After another early playoff exit, he joined the AHL and impressed with four points in three games while logging north of 13 minutes every night. His style hasn’t changed much since his draft year: he finds success by playing simple, smart hockey. Squires paces around the ice, finds openings for a passing option, and with the puck, never overcomplicates the play. Though he lacks high-end creativity or skill to raise his ceiling, his intelligence and consistency give him a real chance to carve out a bottom six role with the Devils.

11 - Topias Vilen

Vilen’s value comes from being a defenceman you can plug-and-play in any role and not have to worry. He’s defensively reliable and yet is averaging almost 0.50 point-per-game in the AHL. At this point, Vilen is not going to be much more than a third-pairing guy or that seventh defenceman. If Vilen can develop into more of a shooting threat, his offence will open up and give him greater opportunities of being in the top six.

12 - Ethan Edwards

What’s a New Jersey Devils prospect pool without another offensive defenceman out of Michigan? Edwards was the Wolverines' go-to guy last season, playing over 24 minutes a night, earning 21 points in 36 games. Edwards' defence is not ready for the NHL yet because he isn’t physical enough. In Utica, he’ll need to work heavily on this area if he wants to be a regular at the pro level, let alone the NHL.

13 - Shane Lachance

Lachance is a behemoth at 6-foot-5 and is willing to plant himself in front of the net to get deflections or use his long stick to clean up rebounds. At the NCAA level with BU, he’s shown he can complement skilled guys, and there’s more to his game than just his size. He’ll be in Utica next season, where his versatility will get him used up and down the lineup and probably on the power play.

14 - Samu Salminen

Salminen has always had the smarts, but his stick skills didn’t quite match. He is a threat on the ice because he reads the game quickly and beats defenders to the most dangerous spots on the ice. Transferring from UConn to Denver last season, Salminen’s stickhandling improved and he jumped from 17 to 28 points, albeit in nine more games. If he continues to improve on the puck, he should have another good year as a middle six center.

15 - Gustav Hillstrom

Constantly scanning the ice, Hillstrom becomes a threat with his awareness and decision-making. He has a knack for putting himself in the right spot to either defuse an opponent's rush or find a soft spot in the offensive zone. He doesn’t have the flashy on-the-puck skill to be much more than a bottom six two-way center who kills penalties. He already got in games with Brynäs last season at the SHL, and for a defensively responsible center, his role will likely expand this year.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – San Jose rebuild on track – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:54:26 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 11: San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund (72) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

There are a number of teams that have effectively lost all hope of making the playoffs, but at the time of writing, only one team has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention: The San Jose Sharks.

It’s the sixth straight year without a playoff berth for San Jose, which is by far the largest stretch of failure in the franchise’s history -- from the inaugural season in 1991-92 through 2018-19, the Sharks had missed the playoffs just six times in total -- and yet there’s a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Macklin Celebrini has lived up to the hype in his rookie campaign with 21 goals and 50 points through 57 appearances, and the 22-year-old William Eklund is shaping up to be another strong member of the Sharks’ future with 15 goals and 50 points in 64 outings. They’re also seeing some preliminary success from 19-year-old Will Smith, who has provided 13 goals and 35 points in 61 appearances. We should also soon see Cameron Lund make his NHL debut after signing an entry-level contract with the Sharks on Friday. Perhaps the Sharks will try pairing Lund up with Eklund after the 20-year-old Lund supplied 18 goals and 40 points in 37 outings with Northeastern University this year.

In the long run, that young core of forwards might be backed up by 22-year-old netminder Yaroslav Askarov, who has struggled with the rebuilding Sharks (3.10 GAA, .896 save percentage in 13 outings), but has looked solid at the AHL level this campaign (2.52 GAA, .922 save percentage in 19 games).

If some of their other top prospects like Quentin Musty and Sam Dickinson work out, and the Sharks get value out of their four picks in the top two rounds of the 2025 and 2026 drafts, then San Jose could start moving in an upward trajectory quickly.

The only issue is that they have a lot of ground to gain. There’s a good chance the Sharks will finish with 60 or lower points for a third straight campaign. On the one hand, it’s a stretch that’s allowed them to put their full force into rebuilding, but there’s always the danger of falling into the Buffalo Sabres trap, where success always seems to be just around the corner.

An eventful summer might be the key for the Sharks, especially because the Sharks are currently swimming in cap space. They do need to be mindful of the big raises that Eklund, Celebrini and Smith will be due if all goes as hoped, but Celebrini and Smith won’t test the market for the first time until the summer of 2027, while Eklund will remain on his entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign, so there is a window here for the Sharks to spend. Their cap flexibility is also made a little easier by the fact that Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s $7 million contract comes off the books in the summer of 2026 and Couture’s $8 million cap hit ends after 2026-27, which will help offset some of those raises.

That will allow them to be aggressive on the UFA market, and it also opens the door for San Jose to potentially leverage some of its picks for veteran players. So, while the Sharks have some largely meaningless games ahead of them, this might end up being the summer of GM Mike Grier.

Buffalo Sabres (Tue vs OTT, Thu vs PIT, Sat @ PHI, Sun @ WAS)

It seems cruel to cite the Sabres as a cautionary tale whenever teams like the Sharks are in the midst of a rebuild, but that’s what they are. With a 27-34-6 record through Thursday’s action, Buffalo sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and is on course to miss the playoffs for a 14th straight season. That’s the longest postseason drought in the history of the league.

The Sabres will at least attempt to finish the season on a somewhat positive note. They’ll host Ottawa and Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before heading on the road to visit Philadelphia on Saturday and Washington on Sunday.

Buffalo’s single biggest issue this campaign has been an inability to keep the puck out of the net. The Sabres rank 29th in goals allowed per game with 3.52. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who managed a solid 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 54 appearances in 2023-24, hasn’t looked nearly as impressive this campaign, going 23-21-4 with a 3.16 GAA and an .888 save percentage.

It's tempting to say that the team in front of him has been the source of Luukkonen’s woes, and there’s certainly some backing for that assumption. The Sabres rank 29th in xGA/60 at 3.35, per Moneypuck, which implies that the defense has been making life miserable for the goaltenders. However, Luukkonen can’t completely escape blame. He also has a minus-4.6 goals saved above expected, which suggests that he’s been putting forth below average performances, and that’s compounded Buffalo’s already significant defensive issues. That’s also in contrast to 2023-24 when Luukkonen finished with a plus-9.4 goals saved above expected.

Buffalo has already made a long-term commitment to Luukkonen, albeit with a $4.75 million cap hit through 2028-29, which is on the low end for a veteran starter and is expected to get even more reasonable as the cap goes up. If he ends up needing to slide into a backup role, that contract will look like an overpay, but not to the point where it’s an anchor on Buffalo’s cap situation.

The ideal would be if Devon Levi lives up to the promise he showed in the NCAA, but so far the 23-year-old has left plenty to be desired in the NHL, posting a 3.29 GAA and an .894 save percentage through 39 appearances. Goaltenders tend to take longer to develop than any other NHL position, so it would be premature to write him off, but Buffalo assuming that a Luukkonen-Levi duo will eventually lead the franchise to the playoffs might be dangerous -- the potential is there, but it’s far from a sure thing.

That’s a long-term concern for Buffalo. In the short run, the Sabres can at least enjoy Ryan McLeod’s hot streak. He’s recorded a point in five straight games and has been held off the scoresheet just once over his last seven appearances, giving him two goals and seven points in that span. He’s set career highs in goals (16) and points (38) in his first campaign with Buffalo after being acquired from Edmonton, and the 25-year-old should be a solid presence for years to come while primarily centering the third line under ideal circumstances.

Detroit Red Wings (Mon @ UTA, Tue @ COL, Thu vs OTT, Sat vs BOS)

Detroit has won just two of its past 10 games, putting the Red Wings playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. They’ll need to do well next week to avoid slipping out of the postseason picture. The Red Wings will start on the road, facing Utah on Monday and Colorado on Tuesday. Detroit will then return home to host the Senators on Thursday and the Bruins on Saturday.

Buffalo’s postseason drought is the one that get the most attention, but Detroit hasn’t been to the postseason since 2016, so there are significant stakes to the Red Wings’ playoff run, especially because they’re not exactly a rebuilding squad anymore. Lucas Raymond (23 goals, 69 points) is still just 22 years old, while Dylan Larkin (28, 60) and Alex DeBrincat (31, 58) are in their late 20s, so Detroit’s core forwards aren’t old, but they’re not emerging prospects either. Two of Detroit’s top four defensemen (Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson) are under 25, but they are supplemented by aging veterans (Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry).

Detroit does still have players that will get better with time. I’m very interested to see what the future holds for 20-year-old rookie Marco Kasper, who has 13 goals, 27 points, 30 PIM and 123 hits in 63 appearances this campaign, but Detroit is beyond the point where it can just shrug and say that short-term losing is a byproduct of the process.

Patrick Kane should be in no mood to be patient at the age of 36. He exploded with a five-point effort March 12 to lead Detroit past Buffalo. Kane also had a three-point showing March 1 versus Columbus, but he’s been inconsistent recently, so don’t look at his 11 points (three goals) in nine games this month and assume he’s red hot. The truth is more nuanced. Unfortunately, Detroit has lacked a steady hand on offense recently, which is a reflection of the team’s recent struggles overall.

Petr Mrazek, who was acquired from Chicago, has been given the opportunity to take over as Detroit’s starter. He’s got the nod in each of Detroit’s past four games, but the results have been mixed. He did post an 18-save shutout over Vegas on Sunday, but he also allowed at least three goals in each of the other three starts. Overall, he has a 2-2-0 record, 2.51 GAA and .901 save percentage in four appearances since joining Detroit. Still, Cam Talbot (2.96 GAA, .900 save percentage) and Alex Lyon (2.77 GAA, .900 save percentage) haven’t given Detroit much to be happy about this campaign, so Mrazek might continue to act as the Red Wings’ primary choice going forward.

Los Angeles Kings (Tue vs NYR, Thu @ COL, Sat vs TOR, Sun vs SJS)

The Kings sit third in the Pacific Division with a 37-21-9 record, but they still have a shot at catching Edmonton (40-24-5) and maybe even Vegas (40-20-8). The Kings will need a solid week to keep those prospects healthy. They’ll start by hosting the Rangers on Tuesday before playing in Colorado on Thursday. Afterward, the Kings will return home to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Sharks on Sunday.

The Kings managed just four goals across eight games from March 13-20, so they don’t have any hot forwards. Kevin Fiala is about as close as you can find with a goal and three points over that four-game stretch, but he’s also been held off the scoresheet in seven of his past 12 contests, so his recent play is nothing to get excited over.

Meanwhile, Phillip Danault has just a goal and four points across his past 13. This is shaping up to be a disappointing campaign for him overall. He has just six goals in 66 games with a shooting percentage of 5.5, which is on course to be his lowest ever, excluding the two games he played in 2014-15. He also has no power-play points after recording 20 in 2022-23 and nine in 2023-24. On the one hand, he’s averaging 1:20 with the man advantage, the lowest of his four seasons with LA, which limits his chances, but Danault also hasn’t given the Kings much reason to use him more on the power play, so it’s a bit of a chicken and the egg issue. Either way, this campaign is looking like it’ll go down as a wash for Danault, and he certainly has been part of the issue for the Kings’ recent offensive drought, recording no points over the past four games.

This would be a bad stretch for the Kings, except Darcy Kuemper stopped 81 of 84 shots (.964 save percentage) while starting in those four games, and LA won three of those outings as a result. The 34-year-old goaltender is now 23-9-7 with a 2.13 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 40 appearances. In terms of GAA, this could be the best campaign of his career, excluding 2012-13 when he appeared in just six games. That’s quite a turnaround from 2023-24 (3.31 GAA, .890 save percentage), and it has to be said that Kuemper has a plus-15 goals saved above expected, which ranks 13th in the league, so this isn’t exclusively a case of him benefiting from strong defensively play in front of him -- though, the Kings do have a league-best 2.61 xGA/60, so the defense has been doing its part too.

Minnesota Wild (Mon @ DAL, Tue vs VGK, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs NJD)

Minnesota has a healthy edge in the battle for a wild-card spot, especially after winning its past two games. The Wild will look to build on their recent momentum when they play in Dallas on Monday. Minnesota will also host Vegas, Washington and New Jersey on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Although Minnesota is likely to make the playoffs, the extended absence of Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) has been felt. He’s appeared in just three games dating back to Dec. 27, and Minnesota is a mediocre 18-15-1 over that span while averaging just 2.50 goals per game. By contrast, the Wild went 21-10-4 while averaging 2.94 goals per game over their first 35 contests, which is a stretch when Kaprizov provided 23 goals and 50 points in 34 appearances (missing one game).

To make matters worse, Joel Eriksson Ek hasn’t played since Feb. 22 due to a lower-body injury. Coach John Hynes said Monday that Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek were progressing off ice, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News, which is mixed news. Any progress is good progress, but if they’re not skating yet, then they’re probably not close to returning. With so little time left in the campaign, I have to wonder if Minnesota is now simply looking ahead to the playoffs when it comes to Kaprizov. Maybe he’ll get into a few games toward the end of the regular season just to shake off the rust, but that might be all we can hope for.

At least Ryan Hartman is back from his eight-game suspension. He’s recorded three goals and six points in eight appearances since returning from his punishment. He also averaged 16:31 of ice time in that span, up from 15:00, as the Wild deal with injuries.

Minnesota also attempted to get help by acquiring Gustav Nyquist from Nashville on March 1, but that hasn’t moved the needle. Nyquist has registered just two assists in nine outings with Minnesota despite averaging 16:02 since the trade. He might see his role reduced once Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov are ready to return, especially if Nyquist doesn’t start heating up.

To wrap up on a somber note, we’re likely watching the final games of Marc-Andre Fleury. He hasn’t played much recently -- his last start was March 9 -- but the Wild do have a back-to-back coming Monday and Tuesday, so he’ll likely make his 885th career start and 1,048th appearance on one of those two nights. Fleury has solid backup at the age of 40, posting a 12-8-1 record, 2.73 GAA and .904 save percentage in 22 outings this campaign.

New Jersey Devils (Mon vs VAN, Wed @ CHI, Thu @ WPG, Sat @ MIN)

The Devils have been treading water lately, winning four of their past nine games. At this point, they’re unlikely to catch Carolina for the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, but the Devils are still likely to secure the third seed. In the meantime, they’ll start next week at home against Vancouver. The Devils will then hit the road, playing in Chicago on Wednesday, Winnipeg on Friday and Minnesota on Saturday.

Like Minnesota, New Jersey is dealing with some major injuries. Dougie Hamilton (lower body) hasn’t played since March 4 (he logged just 5:15 before exiting that March 4th game), and Jack Hughes (shoulder) was last in the lineup March 2.

New Jersey has gone 4-4-0 without Hamilton and Hughes, including the contest Hamilton was only briefly a part of in contrast to the Devils’ 33-23-6 record across their first 62 games. It’d be natural to assume their middling play lately has been as a result of a drop in offense, similar to what Minnesota has experienced, but the Devils have managed 2.88 goals per game over their last eight games, which isn’t much of a decline from their 2.98 before Hughes’ injury.

Instead, the problem has been at their own end. Jacob Markstrom has a 4.67 GAA and an .817 save percentage across his past five appearances. That leaky play has taken some of the shine out of the heroics from Jesper Bratt (three goals, 10 points in his past five games) and Luke Hughes (one goal, seven points in his past eight appearances).

Jake Allen has looked good, though, winning his past three starts while saving 99 of 103 shots (.961 save percentage). That contrast between New Jersey’s two goaltenders has resulted in Markstrom shifting from being the clear starter to serving in a rotation. I don’t expect that arrangement to persist for the remainder of the campaign, but it’ll probably last until Markstrom finds his footing again.

The Devils certainly have to hope Markstrom comes out of this cold patch sooner rather than later. While there is light at the end of the tunnel for Minnesota on the injury front -- albeit a distance light -- Jack Hughes isn’t expected back until training camp, and Hamilton probably won’t return until the second round at the earliest, provided the Devils make it that far. What they have now is all they can count on. Fortunately for New Jersey, Bratt, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier is still a solid forward core, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see that trio do well down the stretch, and Luke Hughes is a great alternative to Hamilton on the top power-play unit, which should result in Luke having a strong finish offensively.

New York Islanders (Mon vs CBJ, Wed vs VAN, Sat @ TBL, Sun @ CAR)

The Islanders have won their past three games, pushing them within striking distance of a wild-card spot. New York needs to stay hot next week to close the gap. They’ll start with a home game against Columbus, which is another team in the hunt for an Eastern Conference wild-card position. The Blue Jackets will also play at home against Vancouver on Wednesday before traveling to Tampa Bay on Saturday and Carolina on Sunday.

New York squeaking into the playoffs would be particularly impressive after they traded Brock Nelson to Colorado on March 6 in a where the key pieces back were prospect Calum Ritchie and a first-round pick. It’s not like the Islanders had offense to spare…or so you’d assume, but they’ve been getting help from unexpected sources lately.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau has a goal and six points while Simon Holmstrom has three goals and five points across the Islanders’ seven games since the trade. Both players are usually more complementary pieces when it comes to offense, but they do get on these kinds of hot streaks, making them nice situational pickups during times such as this.

Defensemen Noah Dobson and Anthony DeAngelo have also been major contributors during the same stretch, recording seven and six points, respectively. It’s been interesting that Dobson’s return from injury Feb. 27 hasn’t marginalized DeAngelo’s contributions. Rather than shift DeAngelo to the second power-play unit to make room for Dobson, the Islanders seem comfortable having two defensemen on their top group with the man advantage. DeAngelo has also continued to be used at even strength, averaging 22:18 of ice time in all situations since the return of Dobson.

DeAngelo’s always been a lightning rod for controversy, but it seems he’s found a good spot with the Islanders, and he should continue to be a meaningful contributor for the remainder of the campaign.

Ottawa Senators (Tue @ BUF, Thu @ DET, Sat vs CBJ, Sun @ PIT)

The Senators put themselves in a good spot by winning six straight from March 5-15, but they’ve hit a rough patch with back-to-back losses. The Senators still hold the first wild-card spot, but they can’t afford to relax. They have an opportunity to collect some key points next week against teams not currently in a playoff position. Ottawa will play in Buffalo on Tuesday, Detroit on Thursday and Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Senators will also host the Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Dylan Cozens has worked out pretty nicely in Ottawa since being acquired from Buffalo on March 7. He has three goals and six points in seven appearances with the Senators despite seeing his average playing time drop from 17:13 before the trade to 15:23 since joining the Ottawa. Cozens seems to be settling into a second-line center role with Ottawa, which isn’t surprising. He should get most of his minutes alongside Drake Batherson and David Perron for the remainder of the campaign, though Cozens is also getting work on the top power-play unit and has already provided two goals with the man advantage for Ottawa.

Batherson has been a good player to skate alongside recently. He enjoyed a four-game scoring streak from March 11-18 in which he supplied three goals and six points, but that run was snapped Thursday. The 26-year-old is up to 19 goals and 55 points in 68 outings overall, making it very likely that he’ll reach the 20-goal and 60-point marks for the third straight campaign. In fact, he still has a solid chance of besting his career high of 66 points, which he set last year.

Perron also has been solid recently with four goals and seven points in his past 10 appearances. The 36-year-old missed significant chunks of the campaign, so it’s not too surprising that he was limited to a goal and four points in 11 outings from Jan. 11 (when he returned from a 27-game absence due to back problem) through Feb. 26. Now that the veteran has been able to string together a significant number of games for the first time all season, we’re seeing steady production out of him, and there’s a good chance that’ll continue for the rest of the season, barring another exit from the lineup.

Ottawa’s top line, headlined by Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, will be the main drivers of the Senators’ offense, but don’t underestimate that second unit of Perron, Cozens and Batherson.

Toronto Maple Leafs (Tue vs PHI, Thu @ SJS, Sat @ NYR, Sun @ LAK)

Toronto has won its past three games, putting behind a rough stretch in which the Maple Leafs won just one of six contests. The Maple Leafs are competing with Florida for the Atlantic Division title. Toronto will look for an edge in that battle next week, beginning with a home game against the Flyers on Tuesday. Toronto will then go on the road, playing in San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday and Anaheim on Sunday.

Even after a run of four goals from March 15-19, Auston Matthews is still on course for career lows with his goal total of 27 and his shooting percentage of 12.4. He’s been limited to 54 games this campaign, and it seems probable he’s playing through something even now, but even Matthews at less than 100 percent is still a high-end option. It helps that he’s pivoted to setting up his teammates a little more to make up for the reduced goal scoring -- he has 34 assists, so in terms of points per 60 minutes, his 3.3 this year is a touch low by his standards, but still well within the range of what’d you’d expect from him.

There’s a good chance he’ll come back strong next season with another 40-plus campaign, and he might even hit 60 for the third time in his career in 2025-26. However, the 27-year-old has run into more injuries problems than one would like over the first half of his career, which makes projecting him somewhat difficult.

Mitch Marner has been the steadier hand in Toronto in terms of season-by-season production. This will be his fourth straight campaign with over 20 goals and 80 points. One thing he’s never managed is reaching the 100-point mark, though he came close in 2021-22 (97) and 2022-23 (99). He might be able to just barely hit it this season after supplying 21 goals and 83 points through 68 appearances.

Marner needs to get hot again to hit the century mark, but right now, he’s not the hottest member of the Leafs. Neither is Matthews, for that matter. That distinction belongs to William Nylander, who has five goals and 15 points in his last 11 appearances. That brings him up to 38 markers and 73 points in 69 outings overall.

Nylander also reached the 600-point career milestone Thursday when he assisted on a goal by John Tavares. That was career point 1,098 for Tavares, and the 34-year-old center went on to collect two more points, making it a milestone night for him as well. Tavares has 29 goals and 60 points in 62 appearances in 2024-25, bringing him up to 213 goals and 479 points in 502 games. If you had told someone immediately after Tavares signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with Toronto that he would decline over the final couple of years, they would have likely believed you. However, while Tavares did show his age somewhat in 2023-24, he’s continuing to produce at a high level even in the final campaign of that deal. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of contract he commands over the summer, because he still seems to have good hockey left in him.

Toronto’s offense revolves around that core, and unfortunately no one outside of it steps up for more than brief periods. Matthew Knies is Toronto’s next best producer with 25 goals and 45 points, but he’s going through a mediocre stretch in which he’s supplied a goal and four points over his past eight games. Max Domi and Bobby McMann have been similarly meh lately, each contributing two goals and four points over the same eight-game span. All three are worth monitoring as pickup options during hot streaks, but they can’t be counted on to put up strong numbers over a longer period.

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Ovechkin, McDavid in the hunt for Gretzky’s records – Teams and players to target this week

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:45:13 +0000

I remember almost a decade ago writing about the possibility of Alex Ovechkin someday breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. It wasn’t in the context of a prediction that it would happen, but instead, it was about it was about what would need to happen for it to be possible. While Ovechkin surpassing Gretzky seems all but inevitable at this point, it’s taken remarkably good health -- his time missed this campaign due to a fractured fibula notwithstanding -- and complete defiance of Father Time in the back half of his career to make this possible.

Ovechkin never had a campaign like Gretzky enjoyed in his prime, but Gretzky fell hard in his 30s from a goal-scoring perspective, never hitting the 40-goal milestone after the 1990-91 campaign and collecting 176 goals over his last 562 career appearances after accumulating a jaw-dropping 718 markers over his first 925 games.

However you slice it, surpassing Gretzky’s goal record is still incredible and something that would have seemed impossible for anyone when Ovechkin started his NHL career. It made me wonder, though, if Gretzky’s goal record can be overcome, is there a world in which his all-time points record could be bested too?

Gretzky was an even more dominant playmaker than a goal scorer and finished with 2,857 points. To date, no one else has even crossed the 2,000 mark with Jaromir Jagr coming the closest at 1,921. Still, we seem to be in a new age of elite forwards. From 1996-97 through 2021-22, no player recorded 130 points in a single season. In 2022-23, Connor McDavid ended that by scoring 64 goals and 153 points, and then Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and McDavid all finished with over 130 points last year -- 144, 140 and 132, respectively.

It remains to be seen if anyone will breach this mark again in 2024-25, but MacKinnon (14 goals, 60 points in 37 games), Leon Draisaitl (24, 52 in 34) and Mikko Rantanen (20, 53 in 37) all have a shot. I also wouldn’t rule out McDavid breaching that milestone for the third straight year. Although he’s behind the pack with 15 goals and 49 points through 31 outings, McDavid has found his rhythm by providing 12 goals and 39 points over his past 20 contests.

So could any of them match Gretzky? Although it’s anticlimactic, the answer is almost certainly not. McDavid is the most interesting of them, but even in his case, he’s at 350 goals and 1,031 points in his age-28 season. By the end of Gretzky’s age-28 campaign, he already had 637 goals and 1,837 points. Like Ovechkin did, perhaps McDavid will enjoy greater longevity than Gretzky, but even then, the gap is too great. Let’s assume McDavid produces at a 120-point pace over the next 13 campaigns, including 2024-25. Even in that extremely unlikely scenario, that would leave McDavid with 2,542 points -- more than 300 shy of Gretzky.

No active player is in a better position than McDavid either. MacKinnon and Kucherov are both older than McDavid and have fewer career points. The Great One’s points record appears safe for at least another generation. Still, if McDavid does stay fairly healthy and continues to perform at an elite level into his late 30s, then a run at 2,000 points might be viable. That alone would be one of the greatest achievements in hockey history.

It's also arguably harder to score now than it was in Gretzky’s day. When Gretzky set the record with 215 points in a single season in 1985-86, the league average in goals per team per game was 3.97. The best McDavid’s ever seen by that metric is 3.14 in 2022-23 (it’s down to 3.03 this year). Just for the fun of it, let’s do some back-of-the-napkin calculations to attempt to normalize McDavid and Gretzky’s offensive contributions relative to their era. Do not take this seriously as these are some incredibly simplified calculations, but I’ve regressed or enhanced the scoring of each player for each season by a percentage equal to the gap between that campaign’s league average from 3.00 goals per team per game. For example, Gretzky’s 137 points in 1979-80 when the league was scoring at a rate of 3.51 becomes 117 points.

This little experiment is unquestionably to McDavid’s benefit. I was just interested to see if taking this extremely raw approach would be enough to close the gap. The answer is that Gretzky still wins handily. Even under those circumstances, Gretzky would have recorded 1,304 points over his first nine campaigns, including six consecutive campaigns of at least 150 points from 1981-82 through 1986-87. Gretzky’s 215-point campaign is brought down to 162 points, but that still tops anything that McDavid has done, whose 153-point campaign is lessened to 146 points. For McDavid’s part, he has 993 points over his first nine campaigns (running through 2023-24) under this adjusted standard.

Gretzky’s career point total would also still stand at 2,392 (keep in mind, league scoring did begin diminishing in the latter half of Gretzky’s career, so that period wasn’t diminished as much by these calculations as his early seasons), making it difficult for McDavid to overcome.

That goes to show how good Gretzky was, even when compared against the biggest star of his generation, McDavid. There is one record McDavid could realistically take from Gretzky, though: The all-time points total in an Oilers jersey. Gretzky accumulated 1,669 points during his time with Edmonton, and if McDavid re-signs with Edmonton after his existing contract expires in the summer of 2026, which seems reasonable after the Oilers locked up Draisaitl, then McDavid should be able to eventually become Edmonton’s all-time leading scorer.

Calgary Flames

Tues vs. VAN, Thu vs. UTA, Sat vs. NSH

The Flames have a somewhat light schedule with three games next week, but they’ll spend all that time at home. Calgary will host the Canucks on Tuesday, Utah on Thursday and the Predators on Saturday. Vancouver is having a solid campaign, but Utah and Nashville aren’t currently in a playoff position.

Jonathan Huberdeau has been fantastic in recent weeks, providing six goals and 13 points across his past 10 appearances. I still don’t love him long-term, though. Even after factoring in his hot streak, his 25 points through 34 appearances isn’t special, and while his 13 goals in 2024-25 is more impressive, that’s on the back of a likely unsustainable 21.7 shooting percentage -- his career average is 12.5 -- so I think it’s just a matter of time before his scoring pace slows. With that disclaimer out of the way, he's certainly a nice player to have for now.

Matthew Coronato is also hot, supplying two goals and four assists across his active four-game point streak. Taken with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Coronato excelled with AHL Calgary in 2023-24, recording 15 goals and 42 points over 41 appearances, but he’s been somewhat hit-and-miss at the NHL level this campaign, totaling nine goals and 18 points through 29 outings. In a couple of years, Coronato might be a mainstay on fantasy lineups, but for now, he’s more of a streaming option.

If you’re making a short-term play on Coronato, it’d be worth it to consider his linemate, Blake Coleman, too. The 33-year-old Coleman has eight goals and 17 points in 34 outings, but he’s also hot with three goals and six points over his last five games.

Carolina Hurricanes

Tues @ CBJ, Thu @ FLA, Sat vs. MIN, Sun vs. PIT

The Hurricanes have a strong 21-12-1 record, but that’s due to their strong start. More recently, Carolina has been a middling 7-7-1, so the Hurricanes have room for improvement as the calendar turns to 2025. They’ll look to get going on the road against Columbus on Tuesday and Florida on Thursday. Afterward, the Hurricanes will return home to host Minnesota on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Although Carolina has won just one of its last four games, some players have been effective over that stretch. Brent Burns had a goal and an assist in Friday’s 4-2 loss to New Jersey, marking his first multi-point game since Nov. 5. He has three goals and 11 points through 35 appearances, putting him on pace to finish with less than 30 points for just the second time dating back to 2013-14.

Losing his spot on the first power-play unit to Shayne Gostisbehere has significantly hurt him. Burns had 20 of his 43 points with the man advantage in 2023-24, but he has no power-play points this campaign. In terms of 5-on-5 points, he’s probably going to end up roughly in line with his total from last season, so his drop is pretty much entirely driven by that change in his usage. That’s worth keeping in mind in case circumstances result in him getting on the first power-play unit later in the campaign.

Sebastian Aho hasn’t had any problems collecting power-play points, already accumulating 14 of them in 2024-25. He’s also been a reliable contributor, being held off the scoresheet just three times over his past 16 outings (six goals, 19 points). He has 11 markers and 36 points in 35 outings overall. As long as he stays healthy, the 27-year-old should reach the 80-point milestone for the third time in four campaigns.

Jack Roslovic isn’t going to match Aho in terms of total points this season, but Roslovic has been a regular contributor recently. He has recorded a point in four of his past five appearances (one goal, four points). Interestingly, Roslovic has also recorded over 16 minutes in each of Carolina’s past two games, well above his season average of 13:40 of ice time across his first 33 outings. We’ll have to see if he continues to get that kind of workload, or if he regresses back toward his norm.

Colorado Avalanche

Tues vs. WPG, Thu vs. BUF, Sat vs. MTL

The Avalanche have been red hot recently, posting a 7-2-0 record from Dec. 7-22. They’ll look to maintain that strong play next week in home matches against Winnipeg, Buffalo and Montreal on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Although injuries were certainly a factor in Colorado’s up-and-down play early in the campaign, goaltending was a major problem. Recently, netminding has been part of Avalanche’s strength. Scott Wedgewood has looked fantastic since joining the Avalanche from Nashville, posting a 1.93 GAA and .932 save percentage across six appearances with Colorado. Similarly, Mackenzie Blackwood has been dominant with the Avalanche with a 3-1-0 record, 2.03 GAA and .931 save percentage in four starts since being acquired from San Jose.

Colorado made a big bet towards the idea that this new combo is everything that they want it to be by inking Blackwood to a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension Friday. That’s a startling commitment to a 28-year-old goaltender with a 3.05 GAA over 219 career appearances. However, the Avalanche’s decision isn’t without merit.

While Blackwood didn’t look nearly as good with the Sharks -- he had a 3.00 GAA and .909 save percentage in 19 appearances before the trade -- he was doing well relative to the team in front of him. His goals saved above expected is plus-5.9 this campaign, per Moneypuck, which is good for 16th place. That suggests he’s been in the upper half of starters in 2024-25 when you separate him from the defense in front of him. It’s a similar story in 2023-24. He had an ugly 3.45 GAA and .899 save percentage in 44 outings with the Sharks, but San Jose was terrible, and Blackwood’s plus-2.4 goals saved above expected last campaign suggests he held his own under very difficult circumstances.

Blackwood was especially good in 2019-20. His 22-14-8 record, 2.77 GAA and .915 save percentage in 47 appearances might not scream dominant, but he ranked fifth in the league in goals saved above expected (plus-7.9) that year. It hasn’t always been good -- he struggled in that metric in 2020-21 and 2021-22, but when his career has been taken as a whole, it’s fair to say that he has been consistently put into difficult circumstances and made the most of them. Now in Colorado, which has been solid defensively, ranking 11th in xGA/60 at 2.93 this season, Blackwood is finally in a position to put up great top-line numbers in addition to solid analytics.

Dallas Stars

Tues vs. BUF, Thu vs. OTT, Sat vs. UTA

Dallas will spend the upcoming week at home, hosting the Sabres on Tuesday, the Senators on Thursday and Utah on Saturday. Of that competition, only Ottawa (18-14-2) entered Friday’s action in possession of a playoff spot.

The Stars have managed to score no more than three goals in any of their past seven games, and they’ve produced two or fewer in five of those contests. Losing Tyler Seguin (hip), potentially for the rest of the regular season, has been felt, but Matt Duchene has also fallen hard from his hot start. After scoring 12 goals and 27 points through 22 outings, the 33-year-old has just a goal and three points over his past 12 appearances. Getting Duchene going again will be critical to the Stars’ long-term success.

At least Jason Robertson has done well lately. His seven goals and 23 points through 34 games is still well below what you’d want to see out of a player of that caliber, but he does have two goals and eight points across his past eight appearances.

Roope Hintz has also found his scoring touch, netting nine goals over his past 16 outings, including four goals in four games from Dec. 16-23. Hopefully, the holiday break didn’t cool him off -- he was held off the scoresheet Friday, though he did record four shots.

The lack of offense has weighed on goaltender Jake Oettinger. He’s held the competition to 16 goals over his past seven appearances but has a mediocre 3-4-0 record over that span due to the lack of support.

New Jersey Devils

Tues @ ANA, Wed @ LAK, Sat @ SJS

The Devils are on the road next week, but the competition is favorable. They’ll play in Anaheim on Tuesday, LA on Wednesday and San Jose on Saturday.

Being on the road hasn’t been much of a problem for the Devils anyway. They have a 12-5-0 away record compared to 12-6-3 at home. Not every player has traveled well, though.

Timo Meier is a great forward to utilize in New Jersey with his eight goals and 18 points through 20 appearances, but he’s been limited to five goals and nine points on the road, so you might want to exercise caution with him next week. Ondrej Palat is a major offensive force in either scenario, but he’s also noticeably better at home (four goals and 10 points in 20 appearances) than on the road (three goals and five points in 17 outings).

On the flip side, Dougie Hamilton has been somewhat quiet in New Jersey with two goals and eight points across 21 outings, but he’s accumulated three goals and 15 points in 17 games during the Devils’ travels. Paul Cotter has held his own on the road too with five goals and nine points over 17 appearances, but his home production stands at just two goals and four points through 21 outings.

Jacob Markstrom is an interesting case. He’s 9-4-0 with a 2.09 GAA on the road and 10-2-2 with a 2.13 GAA at home, so clearly, he provides value in either scenario. However, his save percentage is starkly different at home (.898) compared to the road (.926). The Devils do allow significantly fewer shots at home (23.0) than they do away (27.6), so it seems Markstrom adjusts well to the higher workload, and his save percentage reflects that.

New York Rangers

Mon @ FLA, Thu vs. BOS, Sat @ WSH, Sun @ CHI

The Rangers have been in freefall, dropping 13 of their past 17 games. They’ll try to end the slump next week, starting with a game in Florida on Monday. New York will then host the Bruins on Thursday before playing in Washington on Saturday and in Chicago on Sunday.

If you’re looking for hot skaters, you’ll need to go elsewhere. No Rangers player has amassed more than two points over the team’s past six games. That’s just sad for a team with this much talent. Igor Shesterkin is doing well, posting a 2.63 GAA and a stellar .926 save percentage over his last six outings, but the Rangers have done so poorly offensively, that the 28-year-old netminder has just a 2-4-0 record over that span.

Outside of Shesterkin, is there anything at all here for fantasy managers? If you’re looking for help in other categories, then yes. The Rangers’ slump hasn’t impacted Vincent Trocheck on the draw, for example. He has been among the most dominant centers in that category this year, winning 393 of his 641 opportunities (61.3 percent), including 69 of 117 across (59.0 percent) the Rangers’ anemic past six games. Sam Carrick doesn’t get as many chances on the draw, but he has a 58.3 percent success rate across 283 faceoff opportunities this year and is 39-for-66 (59.1 percent) over the last six contests.

Will Cuylle is also still out there throwing his body around. He ranks fourth in hits with 127 and dished out 15 over the aforementioned six-game span. Trocheck has been even more aggressive in that span with 21 hits, bringing him up to 112 overall, which is good for 12th in the league.

Cuylle was especially good in fantasy earlier in the campaign because he was bringing offense as well as grit. He has been limited to four points (two goals) over his past 11 appearances, so the multi-dimensional aspect of his game is gone, but he has been getting tested on the first power-play unit recently, which is a rarity for him -- he basically wasn’t used with the man advantage at all over the first 16 games of the season -- and perhaps that will help spark him. If nothing else, at least he's bringing something to the table during the Rangers’ team-wide slump, which is more than could be said for some other members of the squad.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tues vs. NYI, Thu @ NYI, Sat vs. BOS, Sun vs. PHI

The Maple Leafs will begin next week with a home-and-away series against the Islanders on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. They’ll then host Boston on Saturday and the Flyers on Sunday.

Injuries have been a recurring storyline for the Maple Leafs this season, and right now there are two of great importance: Auston Matthews’ upper-body issue and Anthony Stolarz’s knee injury.

Stolarz’s knee problem is the clearer cut of them. He underwent a procedure to remove a loose body from the area on Dec. 18 and will be unavailable until mid-to-late January as a result. That puts more pressure on Joseph Woll, who has unfortunately gone cold at a bad time. Woll has allowed at least three goals in his four starts from Dec. 14-23, though he did hold the struggling Red Wings to two goals on 25 shots Friday. Matt Murray is also getting a chance to help fill the void, and he stopped 24 of 27 shots en route to a 6-3 victory against the struggling Sabres on Dec. 20.

Toronto was in a four-way tie for first in goals allowed per game with 2.55 through Dec. 12 because of how reliable the Woll-Stolarz duo has been for much of this campaign. Toronto has looks more vulnerable in terms of goaltending now, but perhaps the win against Detroit signaled the end of Woll’s cold spell. Even if it hasn’t, Stolarz should be back in the coming weeks.

The greater concern is Matthews. He missed nine straight games from Nov. 5-27 because of knee problems and those issues have pushed him back to the sidelines. By the time next week begins, Matthews will have missed Toronto’s past four games due to the injury, and it’s not clear when he’ll be back.

The priority is to get Matthews healthy for the playoffs, whatever that takes, especially because the 22-12-2 Leafs seem to be able to win even without Matthews. Still, the battle for playoff position in the Atlantic Division is fierce, and even if the absence of Matthews doesn’t cost Toronto many wins, it might still end up playing a role in the difficulty of the Leafs’ first-round matchup.

From a fantasy perspective, this is unfortunately the risk that you take with Matthews. He’s one of the best goal-scorers of his era and perhaps all time, but injuries have been a recurring problem. The 2023-24 campaign was just the second time in his career that he played at least 75 games.

Winnipeg Jets

Mon vs. NSH, Tues @ COL, Thu vs. ANA, Sat vs. DET

The Jets have a good schedule ahead of them. They’ll host Nashville on Monday, play in Colorado on Tuesday and then return home for matches against Anaheim and Detroit on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Colorado is the only one of those adversaries with a winning record.

At the top, we highlighted just how amazing Wayne Gretzky was by showing just how big the gap is between his totals and McDavid’s potential career finish, even under ideal circumstances for McDavid. In terms of goaltending, the equivalent to Gretzky is arguably Martin Brodeur. In addition to being the all-time winningest goaltender -- no one comes even close to Brodeur’s regular-season total of 691 career victories -- Brodeur won the Vezina Trophy four times and stands as the last back-to-back winner of the trophy in 2007 and 2008.

Connor Hellebuyck might be the next to achieve that incredible feat. He won the award in 2024 after posting a 37-19-4 record, 2.39 GAA and .921 save percentage across 60 regular-season games, and he’s looking even better in 2024-25. Through 28 starts, Hellebuyck has a 22-5-1 record, 2.07 GAA and .927 save percentage. That gives him a clear edge over his closest competitors, Jacob Markstrom (19-6-2, 2.11 GAA and .914 save percentage) and Filip Gustavsson (16-5-3, 2.26 GAA and .922 save percentage). Hellebuyck also won the trophy in 2020, so he’d be just one behind Brodeur overall.

The 31-year-old Hellebuyck has continued to cruise as the campaign progresses, posting a 7-0-1 record, 1.85 GAA and .929 save percentage over his past eight games. It helps that the Jets have given him plenty of support offensively (they rank second in goals per game with 3.69) and are adequate defensively (they rank 15th in xGA/60 at 2.96).

On the offensive side of things, the top line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi is on fire, supplying nine, eight and seven points, respectively, over the past four games. Connor is having the best campaign among those three overall with 21 goals and 47 points through 36 games, though Scheifele isn’t far behind with 21 goals and 42 points across 36 outings. There has been a bit of inconsistency with this unit in terms of its offensive production, but not to the extent where it’s been a meaningful problem. As long as the trio stays healthy, which was an issue last season, those three should go down as one of the top lines of 2024-25.

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – What to make of the Buffalo Sabres – Teams and players to target this week

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 16:41:42 +0000

_{ST. LOUIS, MO - FEBRUARY 25: Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) during a NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues on February 25, 2022, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire),}

How should we define the 2024-25 Buffalo Sabres? On paper, they’re not a terrible team. Tage Thompson is an elite goal scorer, and Alex Tuch is a good first-line forward and well suited to being Thompson’s accomplish. Rasmus Dahlin, though currently out with a back injury, is a high-end offensive blueliner, and the Sabres also have two promising young defensemen on the rise in Owen Power and Bowen Byram. In net, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has shown that he can be a solid option.

This isn’t a good team either, though. The Sabres do have some offensive depth, especially with Jason Zucker enjoying a comeback campaign (seven goals and 20 points through 29 appearances), but their overall scoring still isn’t anything special. The blueliners do have a mixture of talent and promise, but as a squad, the Sabres have struggled on defense, as evidenced by the team ranking 22nd in xGA/60 (3.13) per Moneypuck. Those shortcomings have trickled down to Luukkonen, who has an 8-8-3 record, 2.79 GAA and .903 save percentage in 20 starts despite a passable plus-2.6 goals saved above expected.

More than anything, Buffalo is inconsistent. Sometimes this group can click, which led to Buffalo looking like a potential contender for a playoff spot earlier in the campaign, but other times they fall apart. Buffalo has lost its last eight games, dropping its record to 11-14-4.

That kind of inconsistency would be more forgivable if Buffalo was a rebuilding team, but is that still an appropriate definition for the Sabres? They certainly do still have younger players like defensemen Power and Byram, forwards Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson as well as goaltender Devon Levi honing his game in the minors. None of those five have celebrated their 24th birthday yet, so it’s reasonable to believe their game will continue to grow.

At the same time, Tuch and Thompson are already in their prime, albeit in the early stages at 28 and 27 years old, respectively. Dahlin is still young but also in his seventh campaign, so ideally this is a foundation that should have started to get results by now.

But those results never come. You could easily make an argument that this is a rebuilding team even with those three either in or approaching their prime, but you could have made the argument that basically every Sabres team over the last decade has been a rebuilding squad. At some point, you need to transition from rebuild.

It’s been nine years since Jack Eichel was selected as the No. 2 overall pick to be the Sabres’ future. It’s been six years since Dahlin was selected as the No. 1 overall pick to headline Buffalo’s defense. It’s been four years since Power was taken with the top pick, giving the Sabres a potentially amazing blue-line duo. It’s been three years since that relationship soured to the point where Buffalo traded him to Vegas.

Buffalo hasn’t participated in a single playoff game over that span. That’d be bad enough, but the drought dates back even further. When Buffalo was last a playoff team in 2011, Tomas Vanek was the Sabres’ leading scorer and Thompson’s age. Tyler Ennis was among the team’s promising young forwards while Tyler Myers was a sophomore coming off a Calder Trophy-winning campaign. Ryan Miller was in his prime, having won the Vezina Trophy the previous year. Lindy Ruff was the bench boss… well, actually, that’s true now too… but there were six bench bosses for Buffalo between Ruff’s tenure with the team that ended during the 2012-13 campaign and his current assignment with the team.

The Sabres’ playoff appearance drought is the longest in NHL history. That’s got to way on the team, and you have to wonder if it will eventually lead to talented players getting frustrated in Buffalo as it has for others in the past. Still, it’s not as if this is a doomed team.

As stated at the top, there are positives to be found in this roster, and the place we’re judging the Sabres from now might be at or near their low point. There’s still season enough for them to turn this thing around. If they don’t, there is still hope for the future with this young group…even if that promise feels a little hollow after so many other failed rebuild attempts.

Calgary Flames (Tue vs. BOS, Thu vs. OTT, Sat vs. CHI)

The Flames have just three games scheduled for next week, but all those contests are at home, and it’s a pretty favorable schedule. Boston, which the Flames will host Tuesday, did have a 7-2-0 stretch from Nov. 21-Dec. 7, but the Bruins’ have fallen back after big losses to Winnipeg and Seattle over their past two games. After facing the Bruins, Calgary will host Ottawa and Chicago on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Neither of those adversaries are in a playoff position.

Jonathan Huberdeau’s eight-year, $84 million contract is looking like it might go down as one of the worst contracts in recent memory, but he’s at least hot at the moment, providing four goals and nine points across his past six appearances. Will he keep that up? It’s possible, but it’s hard to get too excited. His 11 goals and 21 points through 30 outings overall still puts him on pace to get 57 points, which isn’t bad, but it’s well below the type of numbers he put up in Florida. Additionally, he has a 21.6 shooting percentage compared to his career average of 12.5, so if anything, Huberdeau’s benefited from some good puck luck and is more likely to slow as the campaign progresses than maintain that overall scoring pace.

If Huberdeau has potentially overperformed, would Andrei Kuzmenko be at the other end of the spectrum? No one expects him to repeat his 39-goal, 74-point performance from 2022-23, but is his goal and 10 points through 28 outings in 2024-25 simply the result of bad luck? His 3.3 shooting percentage is unusually low, but I’m more concerned about his decline in shots. He’s averaging just 4.1 shots/60, down from 6.8 last year.

Of his 30 shots this campaign, 19 have been fired from high-danger locations, which does put him ahead of the league average for forwards of 12.8, so that is a little bit of a silver lining. He’s on track for 52 high-danger shots this campaign, which would be down from 60 last year, a drop of 13.3 percent, whereas his overall shot total is on track to finish at 82, compared to 121 in 2023-24, a decline of 32.2 percent. So a deeper dive suggests things might not be quite as bad as they seem -- at least in terms of shot quality -- but it’s still not good, just less bad.

It's fair to believe that Kuzmenko’s shooting percentage will climb as the campaign progresses, but unless he starts getting a bit more aggressive with the puck, I wouldn’t count on him putting up numbers sufficient to give him relevance in the majority of fantasy leagues.

We might see better from Nazem Kadri, though, at least relative to his current point pace. He has 10 goals and 19 points in 30 appearances this campaign, which is a far cry from his 75-point showing in 2023-24. Kadri has been a steady contributor recently, though, supplying five goals and 11 points through his past 13 outings. He’s not a safe bet to reach the 70-point milestone again, but he was getting significantly fewer assists than is normal early in the campaign, and that seems to be balancing out and is likely to continue to do so. There’s a good chance he’ll finish the season as Calgary’s scoring leader.

Colorado Avalanche (Mon @ VAN, Thu @ SJS, FRI @ ANA, Sun vs. SEA)

The Avalanche will start next week on the road, playing in Vancouver on Monday, San Jose on Thursday and Anaheim on Friday. Colorado will then conclude the week by hosting the Kraken.

Colorado acquired Mackenzie Blackwood along with Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round pick from San Jose in exchange for Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 second-round selection.

With Blackwood on side, the Avalanche have now completely changed their goaltending tandem. They started with Georgiev and Justus Annunen, and now have Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. The 32-year-old Wedgewood started the campaign with Nashville, posting a 1-2-1 record, 3.69 GAA and .878 save percentage through five appearances, but he’s done far better since joining the Avalanche, going 3-2-0 with a 1.92 GAA and a .931 save percentage across five outings. Of course, that’s a small sample size, and Wedgewood typically hasn’t been more than an acceptable backup goaltender, so Blackwood will be needed too.

For his part, Blackwood had a 6-9-3 record, 3.00 GAA and .909 save percentage in 19 appearances with the Sharks before the trade. He has a plus-3.9 goals saved above expected this campaign, per Moneypuck, so he’s been solid when factoring out the Sharks’ defense. Speaking of that defense, San Jose ranks 29th in xGA/60 (3.36) while Colorado is 13th (2.95). That should lead to Blackwood putting up meaningfully better numbers post-trade, and naturally, his winning percentage should improve too now that he has the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar providing him with goal support.

Having Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen naturally helps too. That duo wasn’t available at the start of the campaign, but they’re in the lineup now, providing some critical secondary scoring. Nichushkin and Lehkonen have each supplied four goals through six games in December. They won’t match MacKinnon and Rantanen in terms of points, but they’re fantastic for Colorado to have on the top six.

Edmonton Oilers (Mon vs. FLA, Thu vs. BOS, Sat vs. SJS, Sun vs. OTT)

The Oilers will be at home next week, hosting the Panthers on Monday, the Bruins on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Senators on Sunday. Edmonton has been fantastic recently, winning seven of its past eight games to improve to 17-10-2 on the campaign, so the Oilers will be looking to stay hot.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have unsurprisingly been a major factor in Edmonton’s recent success, providing 15 points (five goals) and 14 points (six), respectively, over their past eight games. Vasily Podkolzin (three goals, five points) and Connor Brown (one goal, five points) have been less expected contributors. Podkolzin has benefited from playing in a top-six role, but he still might lose that job once Viktor Arvidsson (undisclosed) is available. It would be a little surprising if Arvidsson, who has been out since Nov. 12, returned next week, but he has resumed skating and might attend a team practice soon.

As for Brown, while there was some hope of him playing alongside his old OHL teammate, McDavid, when he first joined the Oilers, that’s never panned out. The 30-year-old has been playing strictly in a bottom-six capacity and has received almost no power-play time this campaign, so while his four goals and 10 points through 29 appearances aren’t bad under the circumstances, Brown isn’t in a position to increase that scoring pace.

In goal, Stuart Skinner has stabilized after a rough start to the campaign, posting a 4-1-0 record, 1.41 GAA and .947 save percentage across his past five starts. He had a similar track in 2023-24 with a rocky opening to the season followed by mostly strong play beyond that, so perhaps history is repeating.

Florida Panthers (Mon @ EDM, Wed @ MIN, Fri vs. STL, Sun vs. TBL)

Florida will open next week with road games against Edmonton and Minnesota on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. The Panthers will then host the Blues on Friday and play in Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Matthew Tkachuk was one of the hottest forwards in the league from Nov. 19-Dec. 7, supplying six goals and 19 points across 10 appearances. However, he’s been held off the scoresheet in each of his last two outings, so while he’s a fantastic forward regardless, his latest hot streak might be over.

To be fair, though, Florida as a squad has managed just one goal (excluding the shootout) over its past two games, so it’s not just Tkachuk who has cooled off. That’s just a mini-slump on the Panthers’ end, but Anton Lundell has been cold for longer. He hasn’t recorded a point across his past five appearances, leaving him at eight goals and 19 points through 29 outings in 2024-25.

Most of Lundell’s success came from an amazing start to the campaign in which he recorded six goals and 14 points in 14 appearances, but he was also averaging 18:49 of ice time. By contrast, he’s dropped to two goals and five points over his past 15 games and his average during that stretch is 15:39. The 23-year-old is capable, but when everyone is healthy, he typically serves on the third line, which limits his fantasy impact. If injuries result in him moving up to the top six, then he could be a great short-term play.

Los Angeles Kings (Tue @ PIT, Thu @ PHI, Sat @ NSH, Sun @ WSH)

The Kings have a full schedule with four games on the docket next week and just one of their upcoming opponents (the Capitals) occupy a playoff spot. The downside is the Kings will be on the road for the entire week. They’ll play in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Philadelphia on Thursday, Nashville on Saturday and Washington on Sunday.

When looking at the Kings’ campaign thus far, the player who has most impressed me is Anze Kopitar with his eight goals and 32 points through 29 appearances. We’re currently in a time where several forwards have excelled well past their prime -- Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby being the most obvious examples -- so Kopitar’s longevity has flown under the radar somewhat. The fact that he remains an effective playmaker at the age of 37, is still impressive, though. It wouldn’t be surprising at this point to see him reach the 70-point mark for the 10th time in his career.

Alex Laferriere was nearing his sixth birthday when Kopitar made his NHL debut, but the two are in their second campaign together and the sophomore Laferriere has been coming into his own with 12 goals and 22 points in 29 contests this season. Laferriere has continued to be a steady contributor lately, collecting three goals and seven points across his past seven games.

However, I am a little worried about Laferriere’s 20.0 shooting percentage. That seems rather high and his PDO of 1033 is a touch up there too, which suggests he has been getting a bit of puck luck. I don’t expect a crash, but his goal-scoring pace will likely decline somewhat.

Adrian Kempe’s shooting percentage of 17.9 is on the higher side too. Kempe did have a 16.4 shooting percentage in 2022-23 when he finished with 41 markers, so he’s not too far above his career high, but it’s still a notable step above his career average of 12.7. Like Laferriere, I don’t expect Kempe to collapse, but a small decline might be in his future. Kempe does have 14 goals and 28 points in 29 outings overall.

New Jersey Devils (Tue @ STL, Thu @ CBJ, Sat vs. PIT)

The Devils are set to play just three games next week, but the competition is favorable, so I decided to highlight them. New Jersey will play in St. Louis on Tuesday and Columbus on Thursday before hosting the Penguins on Saturday.

The Devils have a commanding 19-10-3 record compared to their mediocre 38-39-5 finish to 2023-24 and the difference is almost entirely at their end of the ice. New Jersey is allowing just 2.66 goals per game, which is a huge drop from 3.43 last year. But how much of that is thanks to Jacob Markstrom?

The Devils had an xGA/60 of 3.26 last campaign, which suggests that they were a poor defensive team independent of their goaltending. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jake Allen largely held their own with a plus-1.4 and minus-1.9 goals saved above expected, but when the defense is that bad, merely being okay leads to bad results. The Devils also employed Nico Daws, Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek, who did even worse by that metric.

Markstrom was brought in over the summer to stabilize the situation, but much like Kahkonen before him, he’s been acceptable, but not brilliant, posting a plus-1.5 goals saved above expected through 22 appearances. The difference is the Devils have burdened their goaltenders far less in 2024-25, as evidenced by their 2.70 xGA/60.

So, while Markstrom certainly hasn’t been a problem, he hasn’t necessarily been their savior. Either way, fantasy managers have can reap the benefits of Markstrom playing in a favorable situation, which has resulted in him posting a 14-6-2 record, 2.41 GAA and .906 save percentage. He’s also hot going into this week with a 3-0-1 record, 1.48 GAA and .933 save percentage over his past four outings.

Allen has been dealing with an upper-body injury, and the Devils’ schedule is spread out enough to allow Markstrom to start in all three games next week. Isaac Poulter will be with New Jersey for the duration of Allen’s injury, but Poulter is unlikely to get a start. The 23-year-old Poulter has struggled in the AHL this campaign with a 3.32 GAA and an .871 save percentage across nine appearances.

Poulter not getting playing time isn’t surprising, but it was a bit eyebrow-raising to see Tomas Tatar out of the lineup Thursday. Perhaps it shouldn’t be, though. Tatar has averaged just 10:41 of ice time this campaign, which is a far cry from even two seasons ago when he logged 15:07 per game. The Devils are a deep team, and it seems like there’s not much of a role for him. I’d be interested to see what would happen if the Devils traded the 34-year-old. He’s on a one-year, $1.8 million contract, so he’s movable, but New Jersey might ultimately decide that they’d rather have him on board as an insurance policy against injuries. If Tatar does find himself in a middle-six role, he might do enough offensively to have some fantasy relevance. As it is, he’s a non-factor in most leagues.

Seattle Kraken (Tue vs. OTT, Thu @ CHI, Sat @ VGK, Sun @ COL)

Seattle will host Ottawa on Tuesday, but the Kraken will spend the remainder of next week on the road, playing in Chicago on Thursday, Vegas on Saturday and Colorado on Sunday.

The Kraken have largely held their own this campaign without being anything special, posting a 15-14-2 record. Joey Daccord has been a major highlight with a 12-6-2 record, 2.42 GAA and .916 save percentage through 20 appearances. We just talked about how Markstrom is benefiting from plenty of support, but Daccord has had to do much more to keep the Kraken afloat. They are tied for 24th in xGA/60 (3.14) and are tied for 16th in goals per game (3.03). For his part, Daccord’s plus-9.2 in goals saved above expected ranks seventh in the league.

Seattle’s offense is mediocre in part because it lacks star power. Through Friday’s action, 48 players have scored at least 12 goals and none of them play for the Kraken. Seattle’s points leader, Jared McCann, (11 goals, 15 assists), is also outside of the top 47 in that category. The Kraken have nine players who have recorded at least five goals, which is respectable -- the league average is 7.7 per team -- but without a star leading the charge, the offense is still just okay.

Maybe Shane Wright will eventually fill that role. Taken with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Wright had just a goal and an assist through his first 18 appearances in 2024-25. Then he spent three games as a healthy scratch from Nov. 17-23, and that seemed to do him plenty of good. He’s managed six goals and 11 points across 10 outings since that stint in the press box.

The 22-year-old Matty Beniers has promise too. He had 24 goals and 57 points as a rookie in 2022-23 but took a step back in 2023-24 with 15 goals and 37 points. The 2024-25 campaign has been a mixed bag -- he has four goals and 17 points in 31 games -- but he’s done well recently with seven assists across his past seven appearances.

Vancouver Canucks (Mon @ COL, Wed @ UTA, Thu @ VGK, Say vs. OTT)

The Canucks will split next week between two games at home (Monday vs. the Avalanche and Saturday vs. the Senators) and two road tilts (Wednesday in Utah and Thursday in Vegas). The Canucks are 15-8-5, which is pretty good, but in a tough Pacific Division, that’s only good for fourth place.

Going into the campaign, it wasn’t clear if Vancouver would be able to hold its own without starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, who was dealing with a knee injury. Fortunately for the Canucks, Kevin Lankinen stepped up and now has a 14-4-3 record, 2.52 GAA and .912 save percentage across 21 outings.

Lankinen became the clear starter during Demko’s absence, but his role is less clear after Demko made his return. The 29-year-old Demko made his season debut Tuesday, though he left something to be desired, stopping 21 of 25 shots en route to a 4-3 overtime loss to St. Louis. That was followed by Lankinen posting a 27-save shutout Thursday.

We shouldn’t judge Demko based on only one start, but it might take him some time to shake off the rust. With Vancouver’s upcoming schedule relatively full, the Canucks will probably split the workload between Lankinen and Demko, which will give the latter more time to get eased in. If Lankinen keeps playing like he has been, and Demko eventually finds his rhythm, then Vancouver would have a great 1A/1B situation on its hands.

The Canucks also got J.T. Miller back, who was absent for 10 games due to personal reasons. He looked good in his return Thursday, providing two assists, including one on the power play. Now that he’s back, Pius Suter is likely to serve in a reduced capacity. During Miller’s 10-game absence, Suter had five goals and nine points while averaging 18:14 of ice time, but Suter dropped to 15:15 on Thursday and wasn’t used at all with the man advantage for the first time since Nov. 14. If you’ve been enjoying Suter’s recent success, now might be the time to explore your alternatives.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Marner and Tavares Leading Maple Leafs, Ducks Battling and More

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 15:51:24 +0000

_{TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 03: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) skates with the puck during the NHL Hockey match between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs on December 3rd, 2022 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire)}

In fantasy play, we try to look for any advantage we can, so it’s always helpful if there are reliable factors that we can consider that might impact a game's outcome. For example, all else being equal, a rested team should have an advantage over a tired one, right? That’s an easy assumption to make, but I wondered how reliable a factor that was, so I looked into it.

Teams on the second half of a back-to-back have a 31-40-6 record this season, but that’s a fairly small sample size for this kind of thing, so let’s take the results of every game dating back to the 2005-06 campaign. Looking at that, the record for teams playing on no rest is 3,560-3,394-943. If you count overtime/shootout losses among the defeats, that’s a .451 winning percentage, which is statistically relevant, but not dramatic.

What about playing on the road? That’s another obvious disadvantage, but how serious of a burden is it? Dating back to 2005-06, the road team has a 10,460-9,834-2,698 record, which is a .455 winning percentage. In other words, playing on the road is only a slightly smaller burden than playing on no rest. While we’re at it, let’s combine the two: A road team playing on no rest has a winning percentage of just .425 (2,298-2,464-640). So if you really want to bank on a team underperforming relative to their average, then taking a team on the second half of a back-to-back on the road is the way to go.

In the reverse, is there an ideal amount of rest for a team? Teams that had one day off between games have a winning percentage of .508 (12,265-9,101-2,759), two days is .521 (4,368-3,051-962), three days is .501 (1,106-845-255) and four or more days is .493 (1,034-822-242), so two days rest between games is the sweet spot, but difference in those winning percentages isn’t significant.

Ultimately, believing a team on the road or a tired squad will underperform is going to prove to be a fair assessment often, but it’s not a magic bullet. By the same token, key injuries don’t always lead to the results we might anticipate. The Avalanche certainly struggled early in the campaign when they had far more than their fair share of players on the shelf, but recently, the Maple Leafs have been defying expectations.

At the time of writing, Toronto is now 6-1-0 without Auston Matthews this season. On Wednesday, Toronto was missing Max Domi (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (groin), David Kampf (lower body), Max Pacioretty (lower body) and Ryan Reaves (suspension) in addition to Matthews (upper body), and Toronto still managed to beat Vegas 3-0. To be fair, the Golden Knights had injuries of their own at the time of the contest, most notably to Mark Stone (lower body), but they were the healthier team and a top-tier contender, so the Maple Leafs continuing to excel under those circumstances is impressive.

Mitch Marner has been a major factor in Toronto’s continued success, providing six goals and 26 points through 20 appearances, and the Vegas victory was his third straight multi-point showing. He’s never reached the 100-point milestone before, but he’s come close and might finally hit that mark this campaign. John Tavares has also stepped up recently, supplying four goals and eight points across six appearances, giving him nine goals and 19 points through 19 outings.

Both are also playing on an expiring contract, and there are questions about their future with the team. The lack of playoff success has led to frustration regarding Toronto’s model of building the squad around four extremely expensive forwards. Going into the campaign, there was an assumption that at the least, the 34-year-old Tavares would take a significant pay cut from his current $11 million cap hit in his next contract given his declining production. That might still happen, but his play so far this season suggests that talk of his decline might have been overstated, and, especially with the cap rising, he might still be able to command a sizable payday. Then there’s Marner, who presumably expects a raise from his $10.903 million cap hit and will likely get it with Toronto or elsewhere.

The Maple Leafs certainly have some big front office questions to answer, in the coming months, but at least on the ice, things seem to be going well for now despite the challenges.

Anaheim Ducks

Mon vs SEA, Wed @ SEA, Fri vs LAK, Sun vs OTT

The NHL schedule next week contains some very heavy dates: There will be 11 games Monday, 15 on Wednesday, 14 on Friday and 12 on Saturday. Due to that, a lot of teams are playing four times despite the league taking Thursday off for American Thanksgiving.

Every team featured will be playing in four games, starting with the Ducks, who will host Seattle on Monday, play in Seattle on Wednesday and then return to Anaheim for contests against the Kings on Friday and Senators on Sunday.

The Ducks were also a team I highlighted last week and noted the squad’s underwhelming offense, but going into Friday’s action, Anaheim is on a three-game winning streak in which it’s tallied a combined 13 goals.

Trevor Zegras has gotten in on the action, supplying a goal and three points over that span, which doubles his season point total to six. We discussed last week that he had been dealing with some bad puck luck and has been playing a more complete game despite his offensive woes, so perhaps everything is starting to come together for him. He’s an intriguing buy-low candidate, especially because Zegras continues to serve in a top-six capacity.

If you’re looking for the hottest forward on the Ducks, though, then Brett Leason is your man. He didn’t start the campaign was much of a role, even being a healthy scratch in five of six games from Oct. 27-Nov. 8, but he’s taken off with two goals and seven points across his last five outings. Leason has also averaged 15:00 of ice time, including 1:28 with the man advantage, across his past four appearances, so he’s finally getting a solid opportunity. The 25-year-old still isn’t likely to be a major offensive force for long -- you'd have to go back to his junior days to find the last time he was a major scorer -- but he’s providing some solid short-term value.

On the blueliner, Olen Zellweger has two goals and four points over his last three appearances, bringing him up to four goals and eight points across 17 outings in 2024-25. The 21-year-old is serving on the top power-play unit, but the Ducks rank 27th with the man advantage, converting just 15.3 percent of the time, so it’s not as good of a role as it could be. Still, Zellweger should at least breach the 30-point mark this year as long as he stays healthy.

Boston Bruins

Tue vs. VAN, Wed @ NYI, Fri vs. PIT, Sun vs. MTL

After three straight losses to drop their record to 8-9-3, the Bruins fired head coach Jim Montgomery and named Joe Sacco as the interim bench boss. Boston’s first game under Sacco saw the Bruins outshoot Utah 31-21 en route to a 1-0 victory. Joonas Korpisalo was in net for the shutout, improving to 4-2-1 with a 2.38 GAA and .911 save percentage in eight appearances. Given Jeremy Swayman’s struggles -- he has a 5-7-2 record, 3.47 GAA and .884 save percentage in 14 outings -- it'll be interesting to see if Sacco leans on Korpisalo more than his predecessor.

Next week, though, both goaltenders will likely see use given the packed schedule. The Bruins will host the Canucks on Tuesday, play on the road against the Islanders on Wednesday and conclude the week with home tilts versus the Penguins and Canadiens on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Swayman has been part of the problem in Boston, but the Bruins also rank 31st offensively with just 2.33 goals per game. David Pastrnak continues to lead the charge with eight goals and 18 points through 21 outings, but he’s the only player with at least 15 points. Meanwhile, Brad Marchand (five goals, 14 points) and Elias Lindholm (three goals, 10 points) are the only other two Bruins who have hit the double-digit mark. To put that into context, 200 players have at least 10 points through Thursday’s action, which averages out to 6.25 players per team, so Boston is far behind the curve in terms of its scoring depth.

He's probably not the answer, but I am interested to see if Sacco tries to get Tyler Johnson into games. The 34-year-old forward has appeared in just five contests in 2024-25, averaging 13:31 of ice time in those outings. Although he hasn’t recorded a point this year, Johnson has proved in the past to be a decent secondary scorer, so maybe he could do some damage from the third line if given a chance to get into a rhythm by playing regularly.

Outside of that, though, the Bruins just really need more out of players who were already getting opportunities. The issue for Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha isn’t a lack of ice time, it’s just that they haven’t put up points with any regularity. Coyle has just four goals and an assist through 21 outings after recording 60 points in 2023-24. Zacha has three goals and seven points, but after showing some life from Nov. 7-12 (two goals and four points in three games), he’s on a four-game point drought.

Maybe the answer is simply to just some forward groupings and stick with it for a while. Coyle’s most common linemates this campaign are Marchand and Morgan Geekie, but that trio has only shared the ice for 11.9 percent of Coyle’s even-strength minutes. That’s a lot of line mixing, which might lead to an inability to develop chemistry. It’s something to monitor as we see what Sacco’s plans are to reverse the Bruins’ fortunes.

Los Angeles Kings

Mon @ SJS, Wed vs. WPG, Fri @ ANA, Sat vs. OTT

The Kings will start the week on the road against San Jose on Monday but return home to host the Jets on Wednesday. LA will then play in Anaheim on Friday and host the Senators on Saturday.

The Kings have seen modest success with their 10-7-3 record, but they have dropped three of their past four games, recording just seven goals over that stretch.

Quinton Byfield is among the cold forwards with only an assist across his past five outings. He has two goals and nine points through 20 appearances overall. Interestingly, he hasn’t recorded a single point on the power play in 2024-25 despite averaging a solid 2:07 of ice time with the man advantage. LA does rank 29th in power-play conversions at 14.3 percent, so that is an obvious factor, but you’d still expect at least some production there. Byfield’s 5.3 shooting percent is also a sharp drop from his 12.4 percent in 2023-24 -- he finished that campaign with 20 goals and 55 points -- so the young forward might have been somewhat unlucky through the first quarter of the season. Don’t be surprised if his production ticks up as the campaign progresses.

Philip Danault also has struggled to find the back of the net, tallying a single goal through 20 appearances, though he does have nine assists. His 3.2 shooting percentage is far below his 12.3 average from 2021-22 through 2023-24, so Danault is another LA forward who could enjoy an increase in production.

At the other end of the spectrum, Adrian Kempe is red hot, supplying four goals over his past three games (LA has totaled just six total goals in that span), bringing him up to nine markers and 18 points through 20 appearances. Even there, though, Kempe has just three power-play points. LA did far better with the man advantage in 2023-24, ranking 12th with a 22.6 success rate, so these players could see an increase in special-teams points.

Minnesota Wild

Mon vs. WPG, Wed @ BUF, Fri vs. CHI, Sat vs. NSH

One team that’s had no offensive issues -- or any issues, really -- is Minnesota. The Wild have won three of their past four games, improving to 13-3-3. They’ll look to keep the good times rolling when they host another high-end squad in Winnipeg on Monday. From there, Minnesota will play in Buffalo on Wednesday before returning home to play the Blackhawks on Friday and the Predators on Saturday.

Filip Gustavsson continues to be a key part of the Wild’s success with his 9-3-2 record, 2.07 GAA and .926 save percentage through 14 appearances. He’s allowed two or fewer goals in each of his past five starts. Marc-Andre Fleury, by contrast, isn’t turning heads with his play, but the 39-year-old has been a capable backup with a 4-0-1 record, 2.76 GAA and .904 save percentage in five starts.

Up front, Kirill Kaprizov is on a seven-game scoring streak with six goals and 13 points in that span, bringing him up to 13 goals and 34 points through 19 appearances in 2024-25. Even with his $9 million annual cap hit, he’s providing tremendous value. Kaprizov’s contract runs through 2025-26, but by the time it expires, the Wild will be in a far better cap position because Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s buyouts will be far smaller factors. The Wild have roughly $14.7 million in dead cap space this year, but Suter and Parise will generate a combined $1,666,666 in dead cap space annually from 2025-26 through 2028-29 before coming off the books entirely.

Paying Kaprizov top dollar when the time comes makes sense given his reliability as a top offensive threat. Someone who doesn’t factor onto the scoresheet nearly as regularly is Frederick Gaudreau, but the 31-year-old has been playing like an elite recently, providing four goals and 12 points across his past 11 appearances. Gaudreau is worth having in your lineup while he’s this hot, but don’t expect it to last, and keep in mind that even with his recent rise in production, he’s still serving in just a third-line capacity. He is also on the second power-play unit instead of the top one and hasn’t gotten a point yet with the man advantage.

New Jersey Devils

Mon vs. NSH, Wed vs. STL, Fri @ DET, Sat vs. WSH

We’ve already touched on a lot of players who haven’t put up noteworthy power-play numbers, so let’s shift to New Jersey, which ranks second with the man advantage with a 31.8 percent success rate.

The Devils will host the Predators on Monday and the Blues on Wednesday. They’ll then play in Detroit on Friday before returning home to face the Capitals on Saturday.

New Jersey’s power play and offense in general is certainly part of the reason the squad is 13-7-2. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has played a significant role in that, providing two goals and 16 points, including seven with the man advantage, through 22 appearances. He was held off the scoresheet for the first six games of 2024-25 but has since recorded at least a point in 13 of 16 appearances.

Hamilton wasn’t much of a factor in 2023-24 due to injury, which led to Luke Hughes serving on the top power-play unit last year. Hamilton’s return to health means Hughes is averaging just 1:04 with the man advantage in 2024-25 and that’s eaten into the young blueliner’s production. The 21-year-old Hughes also missed New Jersey’s first nine outings because of a shoulder problem, which likely put him behind the curve. All this has led to him recording just two assists through 13 outings. Hughes might start to do better as he gets into a rhythm, but this is shaping up to be a sophomore slump campaign.

His elder brother, Jack Hughes, is doing just fine, though. He already has eight goals and 25 points through 22 appearances. The older Hughes is also red hot with six helpers across his past three outings, including five on the power play.

Of course, the Devils did just fine last season too and still missed the playoffs. The difference this year has been improved goaltending. Jacob Markstrom isn’t in Vezina Trophy contention, but he’s holding his own nicely with a 9-5-1 record, 2.54 GAA and .907 save percentage through 15 appearances. Jake Allen is also playing an arguably underrated role as the backup, providing a 4-2-1 record, 2.30 GAA and .916 save percentage in seven starts. Especially in a busy week, like the one upcoming, having two solid goaltenders is a huge luxury.

New York Islanders

Mon vs. DET, Wed vs. BOS, Fri @ WSH, Sat vs. BUF

The Islanders have two solid goaltenders too, though it hasn’t always felt that way this season. Ilya Sorokin has more-or-less fulfilled his end of the bargain with a 2.64 GAA and a .914 save percentage through 12 appearances, but Semyon Varlamov struggled early in the campaign. He has stabilized since, but that early damage has left him with a .903 save percentage, although his GAA has improved to a respectable 2.60.

Either way, it’s the offense that’s really the problem with the Islanders, and that’s what they’ll need more of next week. New York will host the Red Wings on Monday and the Bruins on Wednesday. They’ll then play in Washington on Friday and conclude the week with a home game versus the Sabres.

The Islanders have managed just four goals over their past three games and weirdly, Pierre Engvall scored two of them. Engvall had a three-game goal-scoring streak from Nov. 14-19, but the 28-year-old finished with just 10 goals and 28 points in 74 outings last season and has just five points through 12 outings in 2024-25 even after accounting for his recent hot streak, so don’t expect much from him going forward.

The player the Islanders really need to step up is Bo Horvat, but he’s been held off the scoresheet in five of his past six appearances, leaving him with five goals and 14 points through 20 outings. Those are abysmal numbers given his $8.5 million cap hit, but to be far, he’d usually get to play alongside Mathew Barzal, who hasn’t been in the lineup since Oct. 30 due to an upper-body injury. However, Barzal’s original timetable was 4-6 weeks, and there hasn’t been much in the way of updates, so you shouldn’t count on Horvat getting help from Barzal in the upcoming week.

Anders Lee is sometimes a great linemate. He has seven goals and 13 points in 20 outings in 2024-25, but he’s also streaky and is presently cold, having been held off the scoresheet in each of the Islanders’ past three games.

Then there’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who highlights the Islanders’ lack of depth. The 32-year-old forward is a fine forward, but he’s never recorded more than 43 points in a single campaign, so the fact that he’s on the top line and first power-play unit is far less than ideal. He has five goals and nine points through 20 appearances in 2024-25.

Horvat and Lee might heat up again, but the Islanders’ overall offensive situation isn’t likely to get a lot better until Barzal comes back.

New York Rangers

Mon vs. STL, Wed @ CAR, Fri @ PHI, Sat vs. MTL

The Islanders’ rivals, the Rangers, appear to be in a far better position. They have a 12-5-1 record and will look to build on that next week. The Rangers will host the Blues on Monday, play in Carolina on Wednesday and Philadelphia on Friday and finish the week by hosting the Canadiens on Saturday.

Artemi Panarin continues to be the Rangers’ top forward with 10 goals and 24 points in 18 appearances in 2024-25, but offensive depth has been a big part of the Rangers’ formula. They have eight players who have hit double digits in points: Panarin, Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, Will Cuylle, Mika Zibanejad, Reilly Smith, Kaapo Kakko and Vincent Trocheck. As noted before, the average team has 6.25 players who have hit that milestone. On top of that, New York has two players -- Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil -- who are sitting at nine points.

Among those who have been at the forefront of the Rangers’ attack, Cuylle is arguably the biggest pleasant surprise. The 22-year-old has seven goals and 15 points through 18 appearances. He established himself as a regular with the team last campaign but was in the lineup primarily because of his gritty play, finishing the 2023-24 regular season with 13 goals, 21 points, 56 PIM and 249 hits. Cuylle has continued to utilize his size, dishing out 75 hits this season (he ranks fifth in that category), but he’s adding an offensive element to his game.

What makes it even more impressive is that he’s averaging a modest 13:50 of ice time and is rarely used with the man advantage -- although that might be changing as he has spent the past two games on the second unit. Among those averaging under 14 minutes, Cuylle leads the league in points, ahead of Carolina’s Eric Robinson (five goals, 13 points).

One word of caution, though: Cuylle’s 21.9 shooting percentage is likely unsustainable.

Seattle Kraken

Mon @ ANA, Wed vs. ANA, Fri @ SJS, Sat vs. SJS

The Kraken has a fairly easy schedule next week. They have a set of games against Anaheim on Monday and Wednesday followed by one against the Sharks on Friday and Saturday. In both cases, Seattle is on the road for the first half of the set and at home for the second.

Defenseman Vince Dunn (upper body) might end up returning at some point during those four games, but the status of forward Jordan Eberle (lower body) is less clear. By the time you read this, though, that might change. Kraken coach Dan Bylsma told Scott Malone on Friday that there would be an update later in the day, but at the time of writing, that update hadn’t arrived yet.

Dunn is likely to serve on the top four and first power-play unit when healthy, which might eat into Brandon Montour’s power-play time and result in Ryker Evans losing his spot on the second unit. However, just three of Montour’s 13 points and two of Evans’ 11 have come with the man advantage anyway, so that change shouldn’t have a dramatic impact on either blueliner’s production. Dunn’s return might help Seattle’s overall power play a bit, which sits at 23rd with a 16.4 conversion rate, which would modestly boost the value of Seattle’s top forwards.

Either way, Joey Daccord is likely to continue to be the key to Seattle’s success. He has a 9-3-1 record, 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage in 13 appearances in 2024-25, putting him in the very early conversation for the Vezina Trophy. Daccord did rank fourth in save percentage (.916) and fifth in GAA (2.46) among goaltenders who logged at least 30 games last season, but his 19-18-11 record kept him well outside of the award conversation. If Seattle continues to provide him with at least some support this year -- the Kraken’s 2.85 goals per game isn’t magical, but it is a step up from 2.61 in 2023-24 -- then Daccord’s a fair bet to get over 30 wins this campaign, especially with Philipp Grubauer not exactly demanding a bigger share of the workload with his 1-6-0 record, 3.11 GAA and .881 save percentage through seven outings in 2024-25.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (November 4th to November 11th – Oilers face challenges early, while Knights soar out the gate

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 16:35:39 +0000

Edmonton Oilers Center Leon Draisaitl (29) (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

At the end of October last year, Edmonton was in a sorry state with a 2-5-1 record, and the squad posted a 2-8-1 record by the 11-game mark. Of course, we know about the turnaround the Oilers managed, but in that context, Edmonton’s 5-5-1start this year doesn’t seem so bad. It’s not good either, though, and there are some areas that need to be improved upon if Edmonton is to live up to its lofty expectations.

Surprisingly, Edmonton hasn’t managed to reliably score this campaign. The Oilers managed two or fewer goals in each of their six losses (including the overtime defeat), and they never scored more than four goals in any of their first 10 games. That issue was compounded Monday when they lost Connor McDavid for the next 2-3 weeks due to an ankle injury. To their credit, Edmonton responded with a clean 5-1 win over Nashville on Thursday, but we’ll have to see if the Oilers can build off that strong win.

Calvin Pickard was in net for that victory, improving to 3-1-0 with a 2.47 GAA and an .897 save percentage across nine outings. It was his second start in three games and that increase in playing time is understandable when contrasted against Stuart Skinner’s rough 3.51 GAA and .872 save percentage across seven outings. Skinner had a rough start to 2023-24 only to rebound, so don’t count him out yet, but his shaky play has been the other big reason behind Edmonton’s mediocre start. If he doesn’t start improving, it would put Edmonton in a very vulnerable spot -- Pickard has outperformed him thus far, but the 32-year-old isn’t expected to be a good long-term starter option, especially for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Edmonton isn’t the only team portrayed as being a Cup contender who has underwhelmed early, but one major contender who has largely shone in the early going is Vegas with its 7-3-1 start. Not everything is rosy for the Golden Knights -- Adin Hill’s 3.20 GAA and .878 save percentage through six appearances don’t look much more appealing than Skinner’s results -- but those issues have been masked by Vegas’ offense, led by its top line.

At the time of writing, Mark Stone is tied for the lead league in points with 19 (five goals) through 11 games while Jack Eichel isn’t far behind with three goals and 16 points in 11 outings. Those two are fairing better than expected, but the thing that’s really held Vegas back in recent years -- at least as far as the regular season goes -- is injuries to key players in general, and those two in particular. If those two can stay healthy this time, it’ll be interesting to see if the duo continues to make their presence known among the league’s scoring leaders.

Speaking of, you’d have to go back to when the two were still rookies to find the last time Eichel ended a season with more points than McDavid. Excluding their first campaigns, McDavid’s single-season low of 97 points is better than Eichel’s career high of 82. It’s way too early to suggest that Eichel will finish above McDavid in the scoring race, but we’ll see what the future holds.

Calgary Flames (Tue @ MTL, Thu @ BOS, Sat @ BUF)

The Flames won their first four games of the campaign, but that hot start has been erased, to the point where they’re 5-4-1 at the time of writing. They’ll be on the road next week, but the silver lining is they’ll be facing middling squads in Montreal on Tuesday and Buffalo on Saturday. Their contest in Boston on Thursday also might not be as difficult as it would appear at first glance. The Bruins are among the teams who underperformed in October, finishing the month with a 4-6-1 record.

Speaking of disappointment, the change of scenery hasn’t helped Anthony Mantha much. It looked like he might play a big role with the Flames, especially after head coach Ryan Huska suggested in September that Mantha’s goal for the 2024-25 should be to fire 300 shots. If we’re talking about shots on goal, then that would shatter his previous career high of 198 set in 2018-19 -- even if it were just shot attempts, then 300 would be his most since 2018-19 and a massive jump from his 219 last year. Instead, Mantha has just nine SOG through 10 games, and while three of those have gone in, it's still leagues less aggressive than the stated goal. Mantha also already moved around the lineup a fair amount, making it hard to pin down what his role with the team is. At best, it seems he’s a middle-six forward and is currently on course to put up something similar to the 23 goals and 44 points he recorded between Washington and Vegas last year -- not bad, but not what the preseason talk suggested might be possible.

One player he has seen a decent amount of ice time with is Jonathan Huberdeau, who looks good so far with four goals and seven points across 10 appearances, but those numbers don’t hold up to even the lightest of scrutiny. He had a good start with three goals and six points through four outings, largely thanks to a four-point game Oct. 12, but Huberdeau has been limited to just one point (a goal) across his past six appearances. Unfortunately, this might not be the bounce-back campaign despite that one big game.

On a more positive note, this might be a good sophomore season for Connor Zary. He has two goals and seven points through 10 appearances and his production has been far more evenly spread out than Huberdeau’s. The 23-year-old Zary is among the Flames more promising young forwards and seeing him start to come into his own gives Calgary some cause for cautious optimism.

Carolina Hurricanes (Tue vs. PHI, Thu vs. PIT, Sat @ COL)

The Hurricanes will open the week by hosting the Flyers on Tuesday and the Penguins on Thursday before heading to Colorado for a match Saturday. None of those adversaries have a winning record at the time of writing, though the Avalanche do still have the potential to be a great team this year.

Injuries are a big part of the reason Colorado has that subpar record. Carolina has had far better luck in that regard, though the Hurricanes aren’t completely immune. Frederik Andersen sustained a lower-body injury, and while it initially sounded like it might not be serious, he’s now regarded as week-to-week. The 35-year-old has an incredible 16-3-0 record, 1.77 GAA and .933 save percentage across the past two seasons, but sadly he can’t seem to stay healthy.

With Andersen once again out, Pyotr Kochetkov will be leaned on heavily. He has a poor .891 save percentage in 2024-25, but the Hurricanes are a top-tier team when it comes to supporting their goaltenders -- despite that save percentage, he has a solid 2.61 GAA and a great 4-1-0 record. Spencer Martin was summoned from AHL Chicago to be the understudy, but he hasn’t gotten into a game yet and probably won’t next week given the Hurricanes’ spread-out schedule.

Carolina is also still missing Riley Stillman, who opened the season on the non-roster injured list. Stillman has started to practice, though, so he might not be too far off from returning. The question is if his availability will shake up Carolina’s current top six. Perhaps Sean Walker or Jalen Chatfield will spend the occasional game in the press box, but it’s entirely feasible that Stillman will simply be the seventh defenseman once healthy, only being inserted into the lineup in the event of an injury or blueliner needing a day off.

Brent Burns probably won’t be someone who gets much in the way of rest days, but age might be catching up to the 39-year-old. He has just three assists through nine appearances this season, albeit with those points coming during a recent three-game scoring streak from Oct. 24-28. Most notably, he doesn’t have any points yet with the man advantage. I was concerned that the presence of Shayne Gostisbehere would lead to Burns getting a reduced role on the power play, and it seems that has proven to be the case. Gostisbehere has roughly double the amount of power-play minutes so far while recording three goals and five points with the man advantage -- nine points overall through nine outings.

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue @ SJS, Sat @ LAK, Sun vs. ANA)

The Blue Jackets have done better than expected so far, posting a 5-3-1 record in October. They’ll try to keep that going next week with road games against the Sharks on Tuesday, the Kings on Saturday and the Ducks on Sunday.

Kirill Marchenko has played a significant part in the Blue Jackets’ early success, supplying four goals and 11 points through nine appearances. He’s developed chemistry with summer addition Sean Monahan, who has five goals and nine points through nine outings.

Cole Sillinger has also really stood up lately. Taken with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Sillinger was fairly quiet offensively over his first three campaigns, but this has the makings to be a breakout campaign after he recorded two goals and eight points across his opening nine games. He’s been particularly effective recently, providing a goal and four points over his past two outings, so we’ll see if he can build off that momentum next week.

However, if you’re looking for the hottest member of the Blue Jackets, that would have to be Elvis Merzlikins. He was stunning against Edmonton and the Islanders on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, stopping a combined 57 of 58 shots over that stretch. He largely served as Daniil Tarasov’s understudy to start the campaign, but Tarasov has a 3.42 GAA and an .886 save percentage through five outings, so there’s an opportunity here for Merzlikins to wrestle back the starting job if he continues to perform well.

Los Angeles Kings (Mon @ NAS, Tue @ MIN, Thu vs. VAN, Sat vs. CBJ)

The Kings have a busy week ahead of them. They’ll start with road matches in Nashville on Monday and Minnesota on Tuesday before returning home to host the Canucks on Thursday and the Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Los Angeles has a 6-3-2 record, and Kevin Fiala has been part of that initial success. It hasn’t been all good news for him -- he logged just 10:12 on Oct. 26 because he took some bad penalties and was a healthy scratch Wednesday after missing a team meeting -- but Fiala is nevertheless off to a strong start with five goals and eight points in 10 appearances, including a two-point showing in his return from the press box. If he can avoid getting into too much trouble with coach Jim Hiller, Fiala is a serious contender to reach the 70-point mark for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Hiller has every reason to like Brandt Clarke’s recent play. The 21-year-old defenseman has an incredible seven points (one goal) across his past four outings. It helps that Clarke is a part of the Kings’ top power-play unit -- five of his 11 points through 11 appearances in 2024-25 have come with the man advantage. Clarke might still lose that power-play spot when Drew Doughty is ready to return from his ankle injury, but Doughty isn’t expected to be back anytime soon -- he was declared month-to-month when he underwent surgery in early October -- so that’s not something that needs to be thought about too hard right now.

It is impressive that the Kings have done so well without Doughty. Having a young blueliner like Clarke capable of stepping up helps, but having a steady captain like Anze Kopitar is another key component. The 37-year-old hasn’t slowed with age, collecting four goals and 12 points through 11 games this year. He led the Kings to victory over the Golden Knights with a three-point showing Wednesday that included Kopitar’s 800th career assist. He’s just the 35th player to ever hit that milestone, and with the way he’s performing, perhaps he’ll even hit 900 before it’s time to hang up his skates -- just 20 players have ever done that. Kopitar is in the first season of a two-year, $14 million contract, though he’d probably need to play through the 2026-27 campaign to hit that next milestone.

Minnesota Wild (Tue vs. LAK, Thu @ SJS, Fri @ ANA, Sun @ CHI)

As noted above, Minnesota is set to host the Kings on Tuesday. Afterward, the Wild will begin a road trip with stops in San Jose on Thursday, Anaheim on Friday and Chicago on Sunday.

Despite playing seven of their first nine games on the road, the Wild are off to an incredible 6-1-2 start. Filip Gustavsson has been a big part of that initial success, posting a 4-1-1 record, 2.17 GAA and .922 save percentage across six starts. That’s a big turnaround from his 2023-24 campaign (3.06 GAA, .899 save percentage) and puts him more in line with how he did in 2022-23 (2.10 GAA, .931 save percentage).

Kirill Kaprizov is the other major reason for Minnesota’s strong start. He has five goals and 18 points through nine games and is showing no signs of slowing down. He ended October on a six-game multi-point streak in which he has provided four goals and 14 points. No other Wild player comes close to matching Kaprizov’s recent offensive output, though defenseman Jacob Middleton is on a four-game scoring streak that’s seen him provide a goal and five assists.

To make matters better for the Wild, Jared Spurgeon was able to return Tuesday after missing six straight games due to a lower-body injury. His return will likely lead to Declan Chisholm and Jon Merrill spending the occasional game in the press box.

One thing Spurgeon probably won’t do a lot of is contribute offensively. He has reached the 40-point mark as recently as 2021-22, but the 34-year-old is going to be serving on the second power-play unit as best thanks to the rise of sophomore Brock Faber. Instead, Spurgeon’s best category might end up being blocks. He ranked sixth with 179 blocks in 2022-23, which was the last season he was mostly healthy.

Nashville Predators (Mon vs. LAK, Wed @ WSH, Thu @ FLA, Sat vs. UTA)

After starting the campaign 0-5-0, Nashville has started to recover but remains a poor 3-6-1. The Predators will attempt to make up for lost ground next week, starting with Monday’s home game against the Kings. Nashville will spend the remainder of the week on the road, facing Washington on Wednesday, Florida on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.

The Predators are still waiting for Steven Stamkos to start playing like the star he was in Tampa Bay. Stamkos did get two assists against his former team in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss, but that’s about all the life he’s shown. The 34-year-old has a goal and three points through 10 appearances. He also has a minus-8 rating, which is tied for the fourth worst on the team. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that he’s been taking a ton of shots -- 32 so far -- so it should be just a matter of time before they start going in.

Nashville’s other major summer addition, Jonathan Marchessault, is also struggling to find the back of the net. Not many people expected Marchessault to repeat his 42-goal showing from 2023-24, especially because his 15.8 shooting percentage was a career high outside of 2014-15 in which he logged just two games. Still, if Marchessault was a bit on the lucky side last year, he’s gotten terrible luck in 2024-25, providing just two goals on 35 shots so far. He does at least have four assists to go with it, so his struggles haven’t been as notable as Stamkos’, but there’s still a lot of room for growth here.

Stamkos and Marchessault might have struggled for long enough now that they’d be solid buy-low candidates in fantasy. Perhaps you could put Juuse Saros in that group too. He’s also off to a rough start with a 2-5-1 record, 3.04 GAA and .896 save percentage across eight appearances. He did underwhelm somewhat in 2023-24 as well, finishing with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 save percentage, but at the very least, if you believe that Stamkos and Marchessault have underperformed, which seems reasonable, then there’s reason to believe that Saros should be a better source of wins as the campaign progresses.

New Jersey Devils (Mon @ EDM, Thu vs. MTL, Sat @ NYI, Sun vs. SJS)

The Devils played more games than any other team, 13, in October and their schedule will stay full next week. They’ll play in Edmonton on Monday, host the Canadiens on Thursday, face the Islanders in a road game Saturday and then end the week at home against the Sharks on Sunday.

Luke Hughes missed the first nine games of the season due to a shoulder injury, but the 21-year-old blueliner returned Oct. 24. He didn’t, however, get his 2023-24 assignment back. He’s averaged 18:06 of ice time, including a modest 0:55 with the man advantage, though four appearances. Hughes served primarily on the top power-play unit last season, but that was with Dougie Hamilton unavailable. Now that both defensemen are healthy, it seems Hamilton will serve on the first unit while Hughes will play on the second. That’s a major blow to Hughes’ fantasy value -- 25 of his 47 points last season came with the man advantage.

Even if Hughes was on the top power-play and gelling, though, he wouldn’t be the headline act in New Jersey right now. That’s unquestionably Nico Hischier, who has provided an unreal nine goals and 13 points across his past nine games, bringing him up to 15 points (10 goals) through 13 outings in 2024-25. Hischier finished October on a four-game goal-scoring streak. His current goal pace won’t last obviously -- his 22.7 shooting percentage for 2024-25 would shatter his career high if it lasted the full campaign -- but he is a high-end talent who could reasonably surpass the 30-goal and 80-point milestones this season.

The Devils have kept Hischier and Jack Hughes primarily on separate lines at even strength to give the team a strong one-two punch. Hughes is rolling too with three goals and seven points across his past five outings, giving him four goals and 12 points in 13 appearances this year. The Devils are even getting decent production out of their third line with Erik Haula supplying four goals and eight points through 13 outings.

New Jersey was 7-4-2 in October. The Devils do have some areas of concern -- Jacob Markstrom has been a step up from their goaltenders last year, but he’s also had some notably rough nights, which has left him with a mild .903 save percentage in 2024-25 -- but they do look like a team that should stay strong this year.

Vancouver Canucks (Tue @ ANA, Thu @ LAK, Sat vs. EDM)

The Canucks can attest to the Devils’ strength after suffering a 6-0 loss to New Jersey on Wednesday. Vancouver dropped to 4-2-3 with that defeat but will be looking for better results during the upcoming week. The Canucks will play in Anaheim on Tuesday and LA on Thursday before hosting the Oilers on Saturday.

Vancouver could really use Thatcher Demko (knee). Kevin Lankinen has done well overall with a 2.29 GAA and a .920 save percentage in six starts, but he’s faltered recently, allowing 10 goals on 90 shots (.889 save percentage) across his past three outings. Meanwhile, Arturs Silovs has struggled with a record of 0-2-1 to go with an abysmal 5.00 GAA and .797 save percentage through three contests.

Demko has been skating and we have seen him on his own in full gear, but there’s nothing to indicate yet that he’s close to returning, so it seems Vancouver will have to rely on Lankinen and Silovs for a while longer.

If they get sufficient goal support, it might be fine. To that end, it would go a long way if Elias Pettersson could get into a rhythm. He had just one goal and four points through nine appearances in October. Some of you might be thinking back to 2021-22 when Pettersson started the campaign with six goals and 17 points in his first 37 games before turning a corner by providing 26 goals and 51 points in 43 outings the rest of the way. That example does show that Pettersson is both capable of prolonged cold stretches and recovering from them, though Vancouver will surely be hoping that it doesn’t take him nearly as long to get going in 2024-25.

It'd help if newcomer Jake DeBrusk got going too. He has just four assists in nine appearances with Vancouver after signing a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with Vancouver over the summer. The Canucks were believed to be interested in inking Jake Guentzel before he signed with Tampa Bay. DeBrusk was at least a cheaper alternative, but Vancouver probably wishes they hadn’t missed out on the pricier option -- Guentzel has four goals and 11 points through 10 outings in 2024-25.

NHL GLOBAL SERIES: New Jersey Devils vs. Buffalo Sabres – Casey and the Devils Stole the Show in Prague Opener – Impressions from Prague

Matej Deraj — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 18:16:35 +0000

The year Czech hockey has had so far couldn´t have been much better. First, the Central European country hosted a World Championship in May and won gold. Five months later, the NHL came to Prague. Fans from all of Europe, and not just Europe, gathered in the Czech capital to watch the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres to kick off the 2024-25 season.

A lot of fun activities were prepared for fans in the nearby Harfa mall, such as precision shooting, throwing hats on sticks, cornhole, or a PlayStation tournament. The participants collected stamps and at the end, they got a poster based on their preference. Based on the majority of black or red jerseys, you could imagine why there was a lot more Sabres posters still available. You could see a lot of Hughes brothers, Hischiers, Meiers or Tatars and Nemecs walking downtown Prague. On the other hand, Sabres stars Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka had a lot of supporters. Apart from them, there was a huge variety of jerseys at the O2 Arena, including Juraj Slafkovský (Montreal), Penguins, Stars, even Kraken jerseys and the sweaters of various Czech, Slovak and German teams.

Regarding the two teams who actually played, the Devils took two wins (4-1, 3-1) to get the first four points of the year. Not just on the ice, Jersey had the lead in the stands as well, despite the Czecho-Slovak Sabres Fan Club members doing their best. With Czech-born Patrik Eliáš being one of the biggest Devils legends and forward Ondřej Palát on the roster, they are definitely one of the most popular teams in the country. Slovak fans lined up in big numbers as well to watch the upcoming star defenseman Šimon Nemec. His countryman, forward Tomáš Tatar, was the most popular man on the ice, given the applause he received. But it wasn´t just about watching a few players. The fans were ecstatic to see the highest level of hockey and everything they love about the NHL first-hand.

There was no one in the building happier than Seamus Casey, though. The Devils young defensemen made his NHL debut in Prague and scored his first goal in the second game. A quick pull-back and a great shot that beat Devon Levi to tie the game 1-1.

“I don´t think you can score a nicer goal as your first. My wasn´t,” said Devils captain Nico Hischier. “My neither,” added Tomáš Tatar, laughing.

“This whole week has just been a blast. The guys have been great, welcoming me in. We talked about it before, it´s your normal first experience in the NHL, but it´s been super fun. To get two wins, it´s an awesome start,” said Casey.

The 20-year-old defenseman stole the show in Prague with his confident and fearless play. The Devils 2^nd rounder from the 2022 NHL Draft was paired with another youngster Šimon Nemec. “I talked about this with a few people, the way coach communicated things with us made things pretty seamless. I thought our transition through camp was awesome, although it took a while to get used to a new style. This weekend, I thought we played super simple at times, but with a lot of pace. When our skill came out, we were able to bury a few. Just simple hockey within our structure.”

The Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe was pleased with his young undersized (5´10”) defenseman. He had a lot of trust in Casey and put him on the second powerplay unit instead of Nemec. Casey took the opportunity and was rewarded with a goal. “You need to be a competitor to play in this league, especially on defence and at his size. He has the qualities; he has shown that. He´s gotten better each day. The opportunity has presented itself here and he has taken advantage of it.”

The young American made his case to stay up clear, just like Johnathan Kovacevic, who scored in the first game. The Devils were missing Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce, both injured, but their absence wasn´t that noticeable. “I think everybody played well on the backend this weekend. You get contributions from everyone. The message from the Day 1 with our team is we never want to be defeated by circumstance in terms of our injuries. We don´t want those things to defeat our group mentally. You should be able to overcome it, or put up a fight at least.”

Two Czech and two Slovak players suited up for the games in Prague, however, only Slovaks played in both. The Devils forward Ondřej Palát starred in the most commercials before the game and talked to fans in Czech, but he only appeared in the first match. He missed the second one due to personal reasons, related to birth of his second child. “Last night, the time our game ended, there was a situation worth monitoring back in New Jersey. It was determined he was going to have to return home and be with his family,” explained Keefe.

The Sabres brought two Czech-born players to Prague, but Jiří Kulich was the only one to skate in a game. He played the second match, after Zach Benson and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel were both sidelined with injuries. “I was very happy to find out I was going to play tonight; I immediately texted my friends and family. It was beautiful, I´m glad I could be part of it. On the other hand, I was not satisfied with my performance. The second goal we conceded was on me,” said 20-year-old Kulich after the match.

The Sabres couldn´t be happy with the score nor their performance. The Devils, on the other hand, were all smiles. Tomáš Tatar summed it up for the whole group. “Obviously, the results make it so much better. We had a great time here in Prague, you know, the whole city is very beautiful. We had a teambuilding, we glued together. We wanted to focus on a game, both yesterday and today, and I think we did. Coming out of Prague with four points with the time we could spend together as a team is so valuable. We had a great time.”

New Jersey Devils – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #23 New Jersey Devils – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (Last Year - 22nd) GM: Tom Fitzgerald Hired: July 2020 COACH: Sheldon Keefe Hired: May 2024

1. Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

2. Seamus Casey, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

3. Mikhail Yegorov, G, Boston University (NCAA)

4. Lenni Hämeenaho, RW, Utica Comets (AHL)

5. Ethan Edwards, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

6. Daniil Orlov, D, Spartak Moscow (KHL)

7. Conrad Fondrk, C, Boston University (NCAA)

8. Ben Kevan, RW, Arizona State University (NCAA)

9. Shane Lachance, LW, Utica Comets (AHL)

10. Jakub Malek, G, Utica Comets (AHL)

11. Mason Moe, C, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

12. Topias Vilen, D, Utica Comets (AHL)

13. Cam Squires, RW, Utica Comets (AHL

14. Kasper Pikkarainen, RW, TPS (Liiga)

15. Matyas Melovsky, C, Utica Comets (AHL)

NHL: Victor Nuño – DYNASTY STOCK WATCH – New Jersey Devils Edition

McKeen’s Hockey: Dynasty Stock Watch

New Jersey Devils Edition

Team Outlook

Buy Candidates

Mikhail Yegorov (G, 19)

Simon Nemec (D, 21)

Arseni Gritsyuk (LW/RW, 24)

Sell Candidates

Seamus Casey (D, 21)

Anton Silayev (D, 19)

Lenni Hämeenaho (RW, 21)

Summary

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

FORWARDS

DEFENSE

Goal

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #22

New Jersey Devils Top-15 Prospects

1 - Anton Silayev

2 - Mikhail Yegorov

3 - Seamus Casey

4 - Arseni Gritsyuk

5 - Lenni Hameenaho

6 - Conrad Fondrk

7 - Ben Kevan

8 - Jakub Malek

9 - Thomas Bordeleau

10 - Cam Squires

11 - Topias Vilen

12 - Ethan Edwards

13 - Shane Lachance

14 - Samu Salminen

15 - Gustav Hillstrom

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – San Jose rebuild on track – Favourable schedules and players to target

Buffalo Sabres (Tue vs OTT, Thu vs PIT, Sat @ PHI, Sun @ WAS)

Detroit Red Wings (Mon @ UTA, Tue @ COL, Thu vs OTT, Sat vs BOS)

Los Angeles Kings (Tue vs NYR, Thu @ COL, Sat vs TOR, Sun vs SJS)

Minnesota Wild (Mon @ DAL, Tue vs VGK, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs NJD)

New Jersey Devils (Mon vs VAN, Wed @ CHI, Thu @ WPG, Sat @ MIN)

New York Islanders (Mon vs CBJ, Wed vs VAN, Sat @ TBL, Sun @ CAR)

Ottawa Senators (Tue @ BUF, Thu @ DET, Sat vs CBJ, Sun @ PIT)

Toronto Maple Leafs (Tue vs PHI, Thu @ SJS, Sat @ NYR, Sun @ LAK)

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Ovechkin, McDavid in the hunt for Gretzky’s records – Teams and players to target this week

Calgary Flames

Tues vs. VAN, Thu vs. UTA, Sat vs. NSH

Carolina Hurricanes

Tues @ CBJ, Thu @ FLA, Sat vs. MIN, Sun vs. PIT

Colorado Avalanche

Tues vs. WPG, Thu vs. BUF, Sat vs. MTL

Dallas Stars

Tues vs. BUF, Thu vs. OTT, Sat vs. UTA

New Jersey Devils

Tues @ ANA, Wed @ LAK, Sat @ SJS

New York Rangers

Mon @ FLA, Thu vs. BOS, Sat @ WSH, Sun @ CHI

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tues vs. NYI, Thu @ NYI, Sat vs. BOS, Sun vs. PHI

Winnipeg Jets

Mon vs. NSH, Tues @ COL, Thu vs. ANA, Sat vs. DET

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – What to make of the Buffalo Sabres – Teams and players to target this week

Calgary Flames (Tue vs. BOS, Thu vs. OTT, Sat vs. CHI)

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (Last Year - 22nd)
GM: Tom Fitzgerald Hired: July 2020
COACH: Sheldon Keefe Hired: May 2024