Oliver Bjorkstrand – McKeen's Hockey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Team Preview

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:05:52 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 04: Tampa Bay Lightning Left Wing Jake Guentzel (59) skates in warm ups before a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 4th, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

The Lightning finished in second place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points (47-27-8). They haven’t won the division since the 2018-2019 season, incidentally. They lost in five games to the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs, a sudden and quick end to their season. The Lightning were better than average in terms of puck possession numbers, ranking ninth in both Corsi percentage (51.5) and expected goals percentage (51.8). Not surprisingly, the Lightning had a strong power play, ranking seventh with 8.61 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, and they ranked 11th with 6.37 goals against per 60 minutes during four-on-five play. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was in fine form, appearing in a league-leading 63 games and finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting, so the Lightning looked like they could be dangerous in the postseason, but injuries may have contributed to their rapid first-round ouster.

What’s Changed?

The Lightning appear relatively comfortable with the roster with which they ended the 2024-2025 season. They acquired Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand from Seattle at the trade deadline, but the only notable forward addition this summer was Pontus Holmberg, the former Toronto Maple Leaf. Defenceman Nicklaus Perbix signed as a free agent with the Nashville Predators, and checking centre Luke Glendening remains unsigned, but the vast majority of last season’s team returns for the Lightning in 2025-2026.

What would success look like?

As a team that has made three appearances in the Stanley Cup Final in the past six seasons, winning twice, the Lightning still expect to compete for the championship, but they also haven’t made it out of the first round in the past three seasons, so that is probably the more reasonable starting point. Defeating the Florida Panthers, exacting some revenge on their in-state rival, would be a nice touch, too, but the Lightning surely look at the elite talent on their roster – some nearing the decline phase of their careers – and recognize that the time to win is now.

What could go wrong?

The Lightning’s moves last season bolstered depth throughout the lineup, to the point that they can probably withstand some injuries without it completely destroying the team. The area in which the Lightning have more risk is goaltending, where Vasilevskiy is great, but if anything should happen to him, especially a long-term injury, backup Jonas Johansson does not have a track record that inspires a great deal of confidence. Could that be enough to knock the Lightning right out of the playoff picture? The injuries would probably have to be major, but if the Lightning are going to get back to contending for the Stanley Cup, a strong finish in the regular season wouldn’t hurt their case.

Top Breakout Candidate

Although 6-foot-4 forward Conor Geekie managed a modest 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in 52 games as a rookie last season, he did produce 20 points (11 G, 9 A) in 23 AHL games, and the opportunity to play in a scoring role at that level should set him up for bigger and better things in his second NHL season. Geekie has a chance to secure a spot in Tampa Bay’s top nine, along with some second unit power play time, and if he makes the most of that and stays healthy, he could triple last season’s totals.

FORWARDS

Nikita Kucherov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	35	80	115	1.44

A brilliant offensive performer who is exceptional in his ability to deceive opponents, from using his eyes to look off defenders to create passing lanes to his patented fake shot shootout move, he is operating on an elite tier when it comes to outright tricking his opponents. Since 2017-2018, Kucherov has averaged 1.47 points per game, which ranks second behind only Connor McDavid (1.60). Kucherov has reached 100 points or more five times in his career, winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer in each of the past two seasons. While Kucherov is hardly revered for his defensive play, his outstanding production has still resulted in him accruing a five-on-five goal differential of +211 over the course of his career. Last season alone, his five-on-five goal differential was +33. On top of his dominance at even-strength, Kucherov terrorizes opponents on the power play. In the past three seasons he has recorded 149 power play points, which is more than anyone else. Kucherov also plays with a feisty edge. It’s not like he racks up huge penalty minute totals but every so often he is prepared to send a message that he is not to be messed with. Heading into the 2025-2026 season, Kucherov is as good a bet as any to lead the league in scoring as he seeks his third straight Art Ross. It is entirely reasonable to expect him to produce 35 goals and 120 points.

Brayden Point

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	41	46	87	1.09

There are benefits to spending most of one’s time on a line with Nikita Kucherov and Point has shown that by scoring 139 goals across the past three seasons, which ranks fourth in the league behind David Pastrnak (151), Leon Draisaitl (145), and Auston Matthews (142). In those three seasons, Point has scored on 21.4 percent of his shots and when that happens in a single season, the knee-jerk response is to say that those numbers are bound to regress because that’s an unsustainable shooting percentage over the long haul. But once it reaches a sample size of three seasons, maybe Point is just getting such high-quality chances that the high shooting percentage is to be expected. Andrei Kuzmenko and Leon Draisaitl are the only other NHL players scoring on more than 20 percent of their shots over the past three seasons. As great as Point’s production is, it bears noting that he was not at break-even in terms of shot attempts during five-on-five play, so he was more dependent on lofty percentages than most players. Nevertheless, if the percentages are going to be running high for Point, because they have been, then he should still be a very productive player in 2025-2026. Something along the lines of 40-plus goals and 85-90 points, including around 30 points on the power play, would be consistent with Point’s recent production.

Jake Guentzel

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	36	42	78	1.00

After a great run in Pittsburgh, playing a lot with Sidney Crosby, and a short stint in Carolina where he was very productive, Guentzel landed in Tampa Bay last season and delivered a career-high 41 goals in his first season for the Lightning. He scored a league-leading 17 power play goals, finishing one ahead of Brayden Point and Leon Draisaitl. Guentzel was overlooked to some degree early in his career, as his production was dismissed as a result of playing with an elite center like Crosby, but Guentzel has shown that he can produce without Crosby, too, that he is a legitimate first line scoring winger in his own right. What is somewhat surprising about this development is that Guentzel does not have an exceptional physical trait. He’s a good puck-handler and passer, can shoot it and is a decent skater, but none of those skills identify him as a standout performer. What does set him apart is that he thinks the game at a high level, consistently putting himself in the right position to make plays and create chances offensively. Since 2018-2019, Guentzel has produced 490 points (230 G, 260 A) in 478 games, his 1.03 points per game ranking 22nd in the league over that time frame. A competitive play-driving winger, Guentzel has helped his team to outscore opponents by double digits during five-on-five play in six of his past seven seasons. Skating on a line with Point and Kucherov certainly gives him ample opportunity to remain a premier scoring winger, so 35 goals and 75-80 points during the 2025-2026 season is well within his reach.

Brandon Hagel

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	30	46	76	0.93

A fantastic story of perseverance, from being an unsigned sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres who battled his way into the league with the Chicago Blackhawks, Hagel has hit his stride in Tampa Bay and improves year after year. In 2024-2025, he set career highs with 35 goals, 55 assists, and 90 points. Even more impressively, Hagel did not pad his numbers with outrageous power play production and his 72 even-strength points ranked fifth in the NHL, falling between Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Hagel is an excellent skater who plays with great tenacity, using his speed to create chances in transition and his fearlessness to go to the dirty areas in order to score goals. He keeps his stick readily available for tips, rebounds, and other second-chance opportunities, making him an excellent complement to even more skilled linemates. Hagel’s ability to play at an elite level was recognized by Hockey Canada when he was named to Team Canada for the Four Nations Face-Off and made his presence known when he dropped the gloves with Matthew Tkachuk of Team USA off the opening face-off in their rivalry matchup during the round robin of that tournament. Hagel isn’t known as a fighter, but he is known as a ferocious competitor. During the 2025-2026 season, he figures to give the Lightning 30 goals and 75-80 points. He’s shown that he can exceed those numbers but had a career-high on-ice shooting percentage (11.1) to do it last season.

Anthony Cirelli

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	25	30	55	0.71

A premier checking center who was a finalist for the Selke Trophy last season, Cirelli also had career highs with 27 goals, 32 assists, and 59 points. He has finished in the top five of Selke Trophy voting three times in the past six seasons and was a play-driving force last season, with a 55.0 percent Corsi even though he started just 42.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. For a standout checking center, Cirelli is oddly mediocre in the face-off circle. Last season, he took 1,292 draws and won two more than he lost, marking only the third time in his career that he was above 50 percent on faceoffs. As the Lightning have improved their team depth, Cirelli has quality linemates on Tampa Bay’s second line. Last season, his most common linemate, by far, was Brandon Hagel, followed by Nikita Kucherov, Nick Paul, and Conor Geekie. So long as he still has Hagel on his wing, Cirelli should be able to accommodate any number of options on the other wing, whether that’s Paul, Geekie, Gage Goncalves, Oliver Bjorkstrand, or Yanni Gourde. Cirelli should contend for the Selke Trophy again in 2025-2026 while putting up at least 20 goals and 50 points.

Oliver Bjorkstrand

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	20	27	47	0.59

An often-underrated winger who the Lighting acquired from the Seattle Kraken at the trade deadline, Bjorkstrand suffered a lower-body injury late in the season and missed Tampa Bay’s first-round playoff loss to Florida. Bjorkstrand has scored at least 20 goals in six of the past seven seasons, with the lone exception coming during the shortened 2020-2021 season, when he scored 18 goals in 56 games. He is an excellent complementary player who has established himself as a play driver, with his line consistently outshooting the opposition and, often, doing so more often than his teammates. In his initial 18-game stint with the Lightning, Bjorkstrand was rocking a 56 percent Corsi, and his team outscored opponents 9-5 with him on the ice during five-on-five play. Having spent his career in Columbus and Seattle before joining the Lightning, Bjorkstrand is looking at a more competitive opportunity in Tampa Bay, a chance to play in the middle six on a team that has legitimate hopes of contending, and part of the reason for that is the improved depth that the Lightning acquired when they brought Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde in from Seattle. A fair expectation for 2025-2026 would be for Bjorkstand to contribute 20 goals and 45-50 points while consistently pushing play in the right direction.

Yanni Gourde

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	10	25	35	0.45

The feisty yet diminutive center has returned to Tampa Bay, the home of his greatest professional success as he was part of the Lightning’s two Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021 before he joined the expansion Seattle Kraken. Gourde certainly has offensive capability – he is a three-time 20-goal scorer who has seen his production drop off in the past couple of seasons, finishing with 64 points (18 G, 46 A) in 137 games over the past two seasons. Even after rejoining the Lightning last season, Gourde did contribute 14 points in 21 games, but that included just one goal, so it’s fair to wonder what the 33-year-old has left in the tank. What works in Gourde’s favor is that Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is very familiar with him and Gourde has shown that he can move around the lineup, playing a lot at center, but shifting to wing as well. That will allow the Lightning to better mix and match in their attempts to find their best line combinations. There is the possibility that Gourde could be slotted in as a fourth line center in Tampa Bay, which would limit his offensive appeal, but he can still be expected to contribute 10 goals and 35 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Nick Paul

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	20	20	40	0.51

A versatile power forward who can play center or wing and move up and down the lineup, Paul has found a great fit in Tampa Bay since he was acquired from Ottawa during the 2021-2022 season. Paul has had back-to-back seasons with more than 20 goals and 40 points – the first two seasons in his career that he has crossed those thresholds. While Paul’s offensive breakthrough in 2023-2024 was partially due to his emergence on the power play, that was not so much the case in 2024-2025, when he scored 20 of his 22 goals at even strength. Those 20 even-strength goals should not be dismissed easily, as it tied for 57th in the league with the likes of Brock Nelson, Roope Hintz, Mitch Marner, and Clayton Keller. This is not to suggest that Paul is in their class as an offensive contributor, because he isn’t, but if he is putting up that kind of production at even strength as a 6-foot-4, 230-pound forward who can provide a more physical presence if that’s what is needed. Paul uses that size well, goes hard to the net and can fire the puck, so he should comfortably hold a spot in Tampa Bay’s middle six, but it is probably fair to expect that he might move around a bit as the Lightning look for the best combinations. While there may be a limit to what Paul is going to provide offensively, the past couple of seasons have established that he can deliver 20 goals and 40 points, so that is what Tampa Bay should expect in 2025-2026.

DEFENCE

Victor Hedman

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	12	53	65	0.83

A future Hall of Famer patrolling the Lightning blueline, Hedman delivered another excellent performance in 2024-2025, tallying 66 points (15 G, 51 A) and finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting. It is the seventh time in his career that he has finished in the top five, and he also has a sixth and a seventh-place finish for good measure. He had slumped a couple of years ago, and there were some questions about whether he could still perform at an elite level, but he has dismissed those concerns with his outstanding play over the past two seasons. Hedman is a fixture on the Lightning power play and has registered 180 power play points since 2018-2019, ranking first among NHL defenceman, though, to be fair, he is just one point ahead of Cale Makar and two ahead of Quinn Hughes, who were both rookies in 2019-2020. At 6-foot-7, Hedman is a towering presence on the ice, yet he skates so fluidly that he just swallows up the space around opposing puck carriers. It is fair to wonder how much longer that Hedman will be able to play like this, as he will turn 35 in December, but there is little reason to believe that the end is near. Since that’s the case, it’s reasonable to expect a dozen goals and 65 points out of Hedman during the 2025-2026 season.

Darren Raddysh

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	6	30	36	0.46

A relative late bloomer, Raddysh is a 29-year-old right-shot defenceman who just completed his second full NHL season, and he has shown that he has the puck skills to make a solid contribution at this level. Raddysh’s ice time went down nearly two minutes per game last season, and he still finished with 37 points (6 G, 31 A) in 73 games. The Lightning were strategic in how they deployed Raddysh, as he started 62 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, and while that might look like he’s being sheltered, it’s also a matter of playing to his strengths. He is not the most aggressive defender, but his strength lies in his ability to move the puck up the ice and make plays with the puck on his stick, either with a crisp breakout pass or finding a teammate in scoring position. While he does not have a great deal of NHL experience, he has plenty of pro hockey experience, so he should not be treated like a young up-and-comer. Considering that Raddysh appears to have held off any kind of initial challenge from J.J. Moser for second unit power play time, it should be reasonable to expect similar production during the 2025-2026 season. That means 35 points, with maybe 8-10 of those points coming via the power play, is entirely possible.

Ryan McDonagh

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	5	25	30	0.37

Returning to the Tampa Bay Lightning after a couple of seasons in Nashville, McDonagh thrived in his role as a two-way defenceman, contributing 31 points (4 G, 27 A) while leading the league with a +43 rating. There was some good fortune involved for McDonagh to lead the league in plus-minus, considering that the Lighting were outshot when he was on the ice during five-on-five play, but the combination of an on-ice shooting percentage of 11.2 percent and on-ice save percentage of .931 helped McDonagh to build a +22 goal differential during five-on-five play. He was also on the ice for seven shorthanded goals and had a +15 during other even-strength action. McDonagh was on the ice for one goal against while the Lightning were on the power play. His most common partner last season was Erik Cernak, and given their success, it’s hard to imagine the Lightning changing that up. Even though he is 36 years old, there is little reason to suspect that McDonagh is ready for the decline phase of his career. That may be coming soon, but he should still be a steady presence for the Lightning in 2025-2026. He doesn’t have a significant role on the power play, but should still be able to put up 30 points and 150 blocked shots while anchoring the Lightning’s second defence pairing.

J.J. Moser

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	4	20	24	0.29

Acquired from Utah in the trade that sent Mikhail Sergachev to the Mammoth, Moser’s first season in Tampa Bay was relatively uninspiring. He missed a significant chunk of time with a lower-body injury and finished with just 14 points (2 G, 12 A) in 54 games. He could offer much more than that, as Moser had shown before the trade that he is a shifty on his feet, skates well and also plays with a competitive edge. It should not go unnoticed that even though his ice time went down by a couple of minutes in his first season with Tampa Bay, his most common defence partner was Victor Hedman, so the team is giving him a good opportunity to have success at even strength. The challenge for Moser, when it comes to generating enough offence that would appeal to fantasy managers, is that he does not have a spot on either of the Lightning’s top two power play units, with Hedman and Darren Raddysh the most likely power play quarterbacks. Moser has the puck skills to at least handle a second unit power play, but he’s not assured of that spot, so that tends to put a damper on his statistical expectations for 2025-2026. Moser should probably be expected to contribute about 25 points, reflecting his quality even-strength situation and lack of power play time.

Erik Cernak

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	2	15	17	0.23

A certified banger on the Lightning blueline, Cernak has had trouble staying healthy, in part due to his physical style of play, but he did suit up for a career-high 76 games last season. He was a highly effective partner for Ryan McDonagh, and Cernak finished the season with a career-high 21 points (3 G, 18 A). He had more than 150 hits for the sixth time in seven seasons, with the only exception being during the shortened 2020-2021 season, when he had 98 hits in 46 games. Cernak has also blocked 308 shots in the past three seasons, so his appeal for fantasy managers lies in those peripheral numbers. He played a career-low 18:16 per game last season and doesn’t score enough to hold that much value, but banger leagues might appreciate those hits and while he’s not a menace on the ice, Cernak has recorded at least 50 penalty minutes in five of his seven seasons. He is most likely to fall in the 15-to-20-point range this season, so the hits and blocked shots are really the specific categories in which he might offer fantasy value.

GOAL

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
63	36	20	5	6	0.917	2.25

Only two teams in the NHL have taken the arrival of a star starting goaltender and used it as license to run them solo until they retire - and while it certainly earned Tampa Bay their postseason rewards, it feels every year like Andrei Vasilevskiy is finally going to start showing some signs of fatigue. The Tom Brady of Florida goaltending, Vasilevskiy has firmly cemented himself as the only name-brand starter the Lightning need for yet another season; they'll enter their 2025-26 campaign with Jonas Johansson and Brandon Halverson prepared to fill in as the requisite 'Body In Net' for twenty games a year for the second time in a row.

As was the concern before last season, Jonas Johansson put up some of the worst backup numbers the league had to offer - and Halverson was even worse, recording just one game with a sub-.800 save percentage over the course of the full 82-game year. Luckily for Tampa Bay, that regression that Vasilevskiy has to experience at some point didn't show up; he tied Connor Hellebuyck for the heaviest game workload of the year and still managed to finish with some of the best stats in the league overall. He remains an easy bet for Tampa on any given night, averaging about one dud of a game per month and putting up game-clinching performances almost 70 percent of the time. As long as he doesn't get injured, Tampa might not win the cup every year - but they won't exactly stumble, either.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boston Bruins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carolina Hurricanes

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

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

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

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

Colorado Avalanche

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dallas Stars

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

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

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

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

Florida Panthers

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

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

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

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

Tampa Bay Lightning

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

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

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

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

Toronto Maple Leafs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vegas Golden Knights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – DeBrusk paying off for Canucks, Werenski having best season of his career, changes in Chicago, AHL rookies to watch, Seguin on the shelf, and much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:35:42 +0000

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 26: Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) plays the puck up ice during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks on November 26, 2024, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I’ll dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Jake DeBrusk is paying off in a big way for the Canucks, Zach Werenski is having the best season of his career, changes in Chicago, AHL rookies to watch, Tyler Seguin is on the shelf, and much more!

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

#1 After a slow start to his first season in Vancouver, Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk has picked up his scoring pace in a dramatic way. Since the beginning of November, he `has 16 points (11 G, 5 A) with 40 shots on goal in 15 games. Elias Pettersson has eight points on DeBrusk’s 16 points over that span while Quinn Hughes has seven points. In his first nine games, DeBrusk had just 13 shots on goal, just 1.44 per game, but that average has climbed to 2.67 per game since then.

#2 Usually, we focus on players that are available in more leagues, but sometimes it’s worth paying attention to the production of players that are widely rostered, too. Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski is having the best season of his career. Werenski had a career-high 57 points (11 G, 46 A) in 70 games last season, but he has taken it to another level this season. Through 24 games, Werenski has 26 points (8 G, 18 A) with 90 shots on goal while playing a career-high 26:06 per game. Durability has tended to be an issue for Werenski, who last played more than 70 games in a season in 2018-2019, but if he can stay relatively healthy this season, Werenski should have career-best production.

#3 The Chicago Blackhawks fired head coach Luke Richardson, replacing him with Anders Sorensen, who had been coaching for AHL Rockford. Connor Bedard has found it tough going in his second NHL season, with five goals in 26 games, and Chicago’s leading goal scorer has been journeyman Ryan Donato, who has 10 goals in 24 games. Those are the only two forwards on the Blackhawks roster averaging better than 0.50 points per game, which means the likes of Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, and Philipp Kurashev are not living up to expectations. Can Sorenson draw out better production from this group? If not, could top prospect Frank Nazar be on the verge of a call-up? The 13th pick in the 2022 Draft, Nazar is thriving in the AHL, with 24 points (11 G, 13 A) in 18 games as a rookie pro for Rockford.

#4 Some other rookie pros making an immediate impact in the AHL include defenceman Denton Mateychuk, who has 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 21 games. He was taken by Columbus with the pick before Nazar in the 2022 Draft. Collin Graf is a 22-year-old who was signed by San Jose as a free agent out of Quinnipiac in the spring. Graf has 22 points (5 G, 17 A) in 19 games and could push for a spot with the improving Sharks later this season. Graf’s teammate, Luca Cagnoni, is undersized, but has delivered 18 points (7 G, 11 A) in 19 games and the 2023 fourth-round pick could force the Sharks to give him a look. Rounding out the top five rookie scorers in the AHL, Justin Hryckowian has 18 points (5 G, 13 A) in 19 games for the Texas Stars. Hryckowian finished last season in the AHL after he was signed as a free agent out of Northeastern University.

#5 Less than a week after noting how productive Tyler Seguin has been for the Dallas Stars, it was announced that the veteran forward needs hip surgery which will keep him sidelined for four-to-six months. If the Stars need an offensive boost in Seguin’s absence, perhaps Hryckowian will get a look in Dallas.

#6 Utah Hockey Club right winger Nick Schmaltz has always been an accomplished playmaker, but he was having a terrible time finding the net this season, going 23 games without a goal to start the 2024-2025 campaign. Schmaltz has scored three goals in the past two games – his first goals of the season – and he does have seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past six games. Even with his goal-scoring slump, Schmaltz still has 20 points (3 G, 17 A) in 25 games, and he continues to play on the top line with Clayton Keller and Barrett Hayton as well as holding a spot on Utah’s top power play unit.

#7 As the San Jose Sharks have become much more competitive over the past month – at least prior to Thursday’s 8-1 shellacking in Tampa Bay – defenceman Jake Walman has become increasingly productive. In his past 15 games, Walman has accumulated 17 points (4 G, 13 A) with 38 shots on goal while playing 22:35 per game. Given the direction Walman and the Sharks have been trending, it does not make sense for him to still be available on the fantasy waiver wire.

#8 Veteran Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad is getting more time on the power play and his production is starting to take off. In his past eight games, Ekblad has seven points, including three on the power play, while playing nearly 25 minutes per game. Ekblad recorded a career-high 57 points (14 G, 43 A) in just 61 games in 2021-2022, and while he is not likely to get back to that level of production, a regular spot on the Panthers’ top power play unit could make him a valuable fantasy contributor in 2024-2025.

#9 Although his track record has been poor to inconsistent through much of his career, Boston Bruins netminder Joonas Korpisalo is making a push for more playing time, especially while starter Jeremy Swayman struggles to find his form. Korpisalo has a .909 save percentage in 10 games and has 1.11 Goals Saved Above Expected. In the long run, Swayman is clearly the guy for the Bruins but, in the short term, when the team needs wins, Korpisalo could see more action.

#10 With Darcy Kuemper injured, David Rittich is again getting a run of starts for the Los Angeles Kings. Rittich surrendered seven goals in a November 25 loss at San Jose, but in the 10 appearances around that disaster start, spread out over the past month, Rittich has a .932 save percentage. Playing behind a Kings team that is among the best in terms of shot suppression, Rittich holds decent value for fantasy managers that might need some short-term help between the pipes.

#11 With the New Jersey Devils upgrading their blueline in the offseason, Luke Hughes missed the start of the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery and, as a result, he is down 2:26 in ice time per game compared to last season. Hughes has six assists and 13 shots on goal in his past six games, suddenly thrusting himself into fantasy relevance after a terribly slow start to the season.

#12 Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry has seven assists and 17 shots on goal in his past five games and has enjoyed success this season when skating with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome at even strength. The trio has a Corsi percentage of 54.2 percent and expected goals percentage of 58.4 percent during five-on-five play. The veteran trio is Anaheim’s only line to have more than 50 minutes together and still be on the right side of those ledgers.

#13 The fourth pick in the 2023 Draft, Will Smith came into his rookie season with great expectations, but he managed just three points (2 G, 1 A) in his first 14 games. The Sharks made him a healthy scratch for some games and then moved him to right wing from centre. In 10 games since, Smith has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 17 shots on goal. That relatively low shot rate is enough reason to pause before adding Smith, but he is making rapid progress after a difficult start to his pro career, so he is worth having on your radar now.

#14 St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours went through a lean period from late October through mid-November, managing just two assists in nine games, but he appears to be moving in the right direction once again. In his past nine games, Neighbours has six points (4 G, 2 A) and 23 shots on goal while playing 16:43 per game. As new head coach Jim Montgomery plays around with line combinations in St. Louis, Neighbours is skating on a line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, a solid opportunity to continue putting up points.

#15 A reliable play-driving winger, Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Seattle Kraken is riding a seven-game point streak, during which he has eight points (3 G, 5 A) with 17 shots on goal. It’s fair to be cautious about adding Bjorkstrand because he skates on Seattle’s second power play unit and at evens he is playing with Shane Wright and Eeli Tolvanen. He’s obviously making it work, but the sustainability of it all seems harder under those circumstances.

#16 Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon has missed some time with injuries, which is not uncommon for him, but the veteran blueliner has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 18 shots on goal in his past 10 games. He is quarterbacking Minnesota’s top power play unit, and as long as that is the case, Spurgeon has a chance to provide legitimate fantasy value.

#17 With Wild centre Joel Eriksson Ek considered week-to-week with an injury, opportunity knocks once again for Marco Rossi, who will move up to centre Minnesota’s top line while getting first unit power play time. In 18 games in which he has played at least 16 minutes, Rossi has produced 17 points (6 G, 11 A) and 27 shots on goal.

#18 Early in the season, New York Islanders captain Anders Lee was skating on the third line, playing in a supporting role and not producing much. Injuries forced the Islanders to turn to Lee again and he moved back up the depth chart. In his past 16 games, Lee has 17 points (8 G, 9 A) with 40 shots on goal. He is skating on the top line with Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom, but also in his familiar net front spot on the Islanders’ top power play unit.

#19 Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli was named to Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, and the noted checking centre is enjoying the best offensive season of his career. Through 24 games, Cirelli has 24 points (11 G, 13 A) with 51 shots on goal. In the past 10 games, Cirelli has 11 points (9 G, 2 A) with 31 shots on goal and while he is not going to keep scoring on 29 percent of his shots, if Cirelli is averaging more than three shots per game, he has a good chance to sustain his offensive production. Barring injury, Cirelli should obliterate his career high of 45 points, which was set last season.

#20 Veteran Calgary Flames centre Nazem Kadri is finding his name in trade rumours and he is not hurting his value with his production. In his past 10 games, Kadri has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 33 shots on goal. He is on a line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil. Consistency remains elusive for Huberdeau, but he does have six points (2 G, 4 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past eight contests.

#21 Managers in deep leagues may want to keep tabs on Boston Bruins right winger Justin Brazeau, who is still on the lower end of the depth chart, but he is forcing his way into prominence. In his past seven games, Brazeau has five points (2 G, 3 A) and 14 shots on goal, while playing 13:41 per game. He has moved up the depth chart to the second line with second-unit power play time, so if the 6-foot-5 winger continues to produce, there ought to be more ice time available to him.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (November 11th to 18th, 2024) – Winnipeg and Florida dominate

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 18:45:55 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 10: Florida Panthers Right Wing Sam Reinhart (13) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators on October 10, 2024, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

The Colorado Avalanche have problems, as I’ve discussed in previous articles, but going into Thursday’s action those issues hadn’t extended to their core players. In fact, defenseman Cale Makar opened the campaign with a 13-game scoring streak in which he provided five goals and 23 points, and after an injury scare, he was available for Thursday’s tilt against Winnipeg and ended up logging an impressive 25:16 of ice time.

Against every other team, Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, who took his own 13-game scoring streak into Thursday’s action, would have done some damage even if they hadn’t come away with the win. Winnipeg has been in a league of its own, though, especially with Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes. The goaltender shrugged off the Avalanche’s 35 shots to earn his second consecutive shutout, bringing him up to a 10-1-0 record, 1.91 GAA and .932 save percentage through 11 starts.

Hellebuyck being an amazing goaltender is old news. There’s a reason why Winnipeg inked him to a seven-year, $59.5 million contract that began this season -- a contract that’s looking increasingly good, especially with the way the goaltender market is heading. However, the Jets under new bench boss Scott Arniel are giving him more defensive support than he’s accustomed to. The Jets have an xGA/60 of 2.49, per Moneypuck, the second-best in the league. By contrast, Winnipeg ranked 10th last year with a 2.93 xGA/60. That suggests the quality of the shots making their way to Hellebuyck has gotten significantly lower, making it easier for the netminder to do his job. That might also be why Winnipeg is also 3-0-0 on the nights that journeyman goaltender Eric Comrie has started instead.

Winnipeg’s dominance doesn’t end there, though. The Jets rank first in goals per game with 4.50, which is a feat they’ve accomplished in part through depth. Kyle Connor (nine goals, 19 points), Mark Scheifele (seven goals, 18 points) and Gabriel Vilardi (six goals, 12 points) can compromise an amazing top line, and that still leaves you with the luxury of putting Nikolaj Ehlers (eight goals, 17 points) on the second line and a red-hot Nino Niederreiter (seven goals, 12 points) on the third unit to exhaust the enemy’s defense. It is worth noting that Moneypuck ranks Winnipeg 21st in xG/60 with 2.99, so there’s an argument to be made that the Jets have enjoyed good puck luck, and they haven’t endured anything close to the same kind of injury issues that a team like Colorado has.

It's also worth remembering the cautionary tale of the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators, who started 13-1-0 but faltered after that, finishing 43-31-8 and being swept in the first round of the playoffs. That said, there isn’t a lot of sample size when it comes to 13-1-0 starts. Ottawa showed that even a start as hot as this doesn’t guarantee success, but that doesn’t mean a fall from grace is inevitable either. And sure, maybe the Jets’ offense won’t continue to perform at this level, but if the defense stays effective and Hellebuyck remains healthy, then Winnipeg won’t necessarily need that much goal production. This is a strong team, potentially far stronger than analysts rated the Jets to be going into the campaign, and they’ll certainly be one to watch going forward.

While some might still view the Jets as a team with something to prove even after starting 13-1-0, not many would question Florida’s 10-3-1 start. Back-to-back trips to the finals, including a Stanley Cup championship, affords you a great deal of faith. That’s not to say every player on the team receives that level of belief, though. Sam Reinhart is probably raising some eyebrows after scoring 11 goals and 22 points through 14 games. Sure, he had 57 goals and 94 points in 82 appearances in 2023-24, but his 24.5 shooting percentage was insanely high, so it must have been a fluke, right?

Those who read my articles from last year would know I pushed back against the assumption that his high shooting percentage was unsustainable.

More specifically, this is what I said about Reinhart back in January: “His shooting percentage of 27.5 is by far the highest of any player with at least 100 shots -- next is Brock Boeser at 23.3 -- and more than double his 2022-23 finish of 13.7. Digging a little deeper, Reinhart is selective with when he shoots, firing 40.4 percent in high-danger areas. By contrast, Nikita Kucherov has nearly the same number of goals (28) while firing nearly double the shots (amounting to a 15.4 shooting percentage), but just 18.1 percent of his shots are in high-danger locations, so by that measure, Reinhart’s higher shooting percentage makes some sense.”

This year tells a somewhat similar story. Of his 39 shots, 13 (33.3 percent) have been in high-danger areas while another 12 (30.8 percent) have been mid-range. By contrast, Nikita Kucherov, who has 11 goals on 54 shots has fired 12 (22.2 percent) in high-danger areas and 16 (29.6) at mid-range. In other words, while someone like Kucherov fires more shots than Reinhart, they end up with a similar number of high-quality shots, so there’s logic behind Reinhart’s high shooting percentage, making it less of a warning sign than it would be for some other players.

Carolina Hurricanes (Mon @ VGK, Wed @ UTA, Sat vs OTT, Sun vs STL)

The Hurricanes have done nearly as well as the Jets, posting a 10-2-0 record after Thursday’s 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh. Carolina will open the week with a challenging road match versus Vegas, but the schedule gets more manageable after that with a road game against Utah on Wednesday followed by home contests versus Ottawa and St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Carolina is still without Frederik Andersen (lower body), and there’s no guarantee he’ll be an option next week, so Spencer Martin might make his season debut. The 29-year-old is far from an ideal choice, but Carolina is one of the most goaltender-friendly teams in the league, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Martin walk away with the win if he faces the Senators or Blues.

That’ll be especially true if Martin Necas remains hot. He’s on an eight-game scoring streak in which he’s provided six goals and 18 points. Necas took a step back last season with a 53-point showing, but he’s a good bet to rebound with the second 70-plus point campaign of his career. Just don’t count on him maintaining anything close to his current point-per-game pace, which stands at 1.75 (21 points in 12 outings). Necas has been impressive, but he’s unlikely to finish 2024-25 among the league’s scoring leaders. To give you some perspective, he had seven goals and 17 points through 11 appearances in 2022-23 and finished that campaign outside the top-50 in the scoring race despite logging the full 82 games.

Moving from the Hurricanes’ top offensive performer to a physical defenseman, Riley Stillman (lower body) will likely make his Hurricanes debut soon. He had a goal, eight points, 81 hits and 44 blocks in 50 outings between Vancouver and Buffalo in 2023-24. His presence won’t dramatically alter Carolina’s blue line, but we might see Sean Walker be an infrequent healthy scratch after dressing in all of the team’s first 12 games. Maybe Jalen Chatfield will end up being a scratch at some point too if everyone is healthy, though I suspect Walker’s position in the lineup is less secure.

Nashville Predators (Mon @ COL, Thu @ EDM, Fri @ CGY, Sun @ VAN)

Not secure describes the Predators pretty well. Nashville GM Barry Trotz even recently floated the idea of beginning the team’s rebuild plan if the team doesn’t start turning around -- a move that would be awkward after signing veterans Steven Stamkos to a four-year, $32 million contract and Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year, $27.5 million deal over the summer.

All the same, you can hardly blame Trotz for thinking that way after the club’s 4-9-1 start. Perhaps next week will offer more hope, though it would have to come on the road. The Predators will play in Colorado on Monday, Edmonton on Thursday, Calgary on Friday and Vancouver on Sunday.

Stamkos is finally showing life, providing three goals and six points across his past six games after being limited to one point (a goal) over his opening eight appearances. The problem is no other Predators player has stepped up recently -- outside of Stamkos, every Nashville skater has recorded three or fewer points over the team’s past six games.

Then there’s Juuse Saros, who is leaving plenty to be desired with a 3-7-1 record, 2.85 GAA and .904 save percentage in 11 outings. You might be wondering if his mediocre numbers are a reflection of struggles on his end or just a byproduct of poor play in front of him. Nashville ranks 24th in xGA/60 at 3.27 while Saros’ goals saved above expected is plus-3.9, which suggests Saros has been doing fine, but the Predators have been letting him down. If there’s any silver lining to be had there, it suggests that if Nashville can start tightening up defensively, then Saros will reward his teammates by putting up the kind of elite numbers we know he’s capable of. Imagining that scenario, though, might just be an exercise in wishful thinking.

Philadelphia Flyers (Mon vs SJS, Thu @ OTT, Sat vs BUF)

The Flyers haven’t been much better than Nashville, though Philadelphia doesn’t have the same burden of expectations. Either way, the 5-8-1 Flyers have a favorable set of adversaries ahead of them. They’ll host the Sharks on Monday, play in Ottawa on Thursday and conclude the week with a home game versus the Sabres on Saturday.

Samuel Ersson (lower body) and Aleksei Kolosov (lower body) weren’t able to play Thursday, which left Ivan Fedotov, who had a 5.35 GAA and an .821 save percentage through his first three starts, to get the nod against Tampa Bay while Kyle Konin signed an amateur tryout to be the emergency backup. Despite those challenging circumstances, Philadelphia earned a 2-1 shootout victory over the Lightning, but I wouldn’t count on seeing continued success out of Fedotov if Ersson and Kolosov remain on the sidelines. Not that I have much confidence in any of the Flyers’ current goaltenders.

To be fair, the Flyers’ netminders get sparse goal support even when they manage to put forth a strong showing. Philadelphia ranks 27th offensively with 2.50 goals per game. Matvei Michkov has been one of the Flyers’ few scoring threats with four goals and 10 points in 13 outings, but coach John Tortorella hasn’t been thrilled with the 19-year-old forward’s five-on-five play -- note that Michkov is minus-8 and only three of his points have come at even strength -- which led to him being a healthy scratch Thursday. It’s also worth noting that his production has slowed recently, resulting in him registering just an assist over his past five outings.

Michkov is still young, so some growing pains are expected, and with Tortorella certainly not being afraid to mix some tough love into his teaching regime, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the occasional healthy scratch sprinkled in there as the campaign progresses. Taking a step back, a reasonable project for Michkov’s rookie season would be about 50 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins (Mon vs DAL, Wed vs DET, Fri @ CBJ, Sat vs SJS)

Sidney Crosby is continuing to defy his age, but it hasn’t been enough. Pittsburgh is 5-8-2, putting more pressure on the squad to start to right the ship. The Penguins are set to host Dallas and Detroit on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. They’ll then play in Columbus on Friday and round out the week by hosting the Sharks on Saturday.

Cody Glass (upper body) was put on injured reserve Friday while Bryan Rust (lower body) was activated, enabling him to return to the lineup after a five-game absence.

As I already alluded to, Crosby has continued to dominate in Rust’s absence -- Crosby has six goals and 15 points through 15 appearances in 2024-25 -- but Rust is nevertheless likely to rejoin the top line. That would probably result in Evgeni Malkin moving off the top unit to his more standard position headlining the second line. For what it’s worth, Malkin and Crosby have shown up on the scoresheet together for just two even-strength goals this season, and Malkin has been quiet lately with a goal and two points across his past five games. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has lost its last two games, along with six of its past eight, so it’s not like there are circumstances on a team level or a line level that would compel head coach Mike Sullivan to keep Malkin and Crosby together in five-on-five play at this time.

At the other end of the ice, the goaltending situation continues to be a question mark. Alex Nedeljkovic gave the Penguins hope with strong starts against the lowly Ducks and Canadiens, but he’s faded quickly, allowing eight goals on 44 shots (.818 save percentage) over his past two losses to the Islanders and Hurricanes. Meanwhile, Tristan Jarry has been rebuilding his confidence in the minors, posting a 1.69 GAA and a .946 save percentage across four games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Perhaps Jarry will get recalled soon and get another shot? Just as the Crosby-Malkin duo hasn’t done anything to force Sullivan to keep them together, Nedeljkovic’s play isn’t great enough to secure the No. 1 job, so the possibility of a Jarry comeback remains.

Seattle Kraken (Tue vs CBJ, Thu vs CHI, Sat vs NYI, Sun vs NYR)

The Kraken will stay at home next week, hosting the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the Blackhawks on Thursday, the Islanders on Saturday and finally the Rangers on Sunday. We’ll see if that homestand will right the ship for Seattle, which has lost four straight games and seven of its last eight contests, dropping to 5-8-1.

Seattle has managed just 2.25 goals per game across its last eight matches, but interestingly, there have been some standout performers over that stretch. Jared McCann and Matty Beniers have each managed three goals and eight points during Seattle’s slump while defenseman Brandon Montour has contributed three goals and six points in that span.

The problem is other players you’d expect to do well have fallen short. Oliver Bjorkstrand is the most notable example of that. He set a career high with 59 points last season but has just three goals and five points through 13 appearances in 2024-25 and is heading in the wrong direction with a goal and an assist across his past eight outings. Those struggles reached a possible crescendo when he was scratched Tuesday, so it will be interesting to see if he uses that time in the press box to reset.

Jordan Eberle and Eeli Tolvanen need to rebound too. They have managed just two and three points, respectively, over Seattle’s past eight games. Neither is a major offensive threat, but they are important secondary scorers for the Kraken and lately, they have failed to fulfill that role.

Some of those cold stretches would have been swept under the rug if Shane Wright was adapting to the NHL, but the No. 4 overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft has been disappointing thus far, providing just a goal and two points through 14 games in 2024-25. I wonder if he might benefit from a stint in the press box of his own. Either way, it’s impossible to recommend him at this time in standard leagues, but I will at least say the potential remains there, so he’s worth keeping an eye on. If you want a silver lining, you could say that the Kraken’s overall offensive struggles do open the door to Wright landing a top six spot if only he could start producing.

St. Louis Blues (Tue vs BOS, Thu @ BUF, Fri @ BOS, Sun @ CAR)

The Blues have a busy week ahead of them, but the competition isn’t the easiest. They’ll host the Bruins on Tuesday before heading on the road to play in Buffalo on Thursday, Boston on Saturday and Carolina on Sunday.

We could all breathe a sigh of relief after Dylan Holloway avoided serious injury after a scary incident Tuesday when he was hit by a high puck and taken away on a stretcher. He even managed to play in St. Louis’ very next game. His former Oilers teammate who came with him to St. Louis, though, will be out for a while.

Philip Broberg suffered a lower-body injury Saturday and is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks. Broberg had been making the most of the increased role the Blues gave him, providing two goals and nine points through 12 appearances while averaging 19:34 of ice time. St. Louis is also missing Torey Krug (ankle) for the 2024-25 campaign and Nick Leddy (lower body), though at least in Leddy’s case, he might be back in the not-too-distant future.

Absences have likely contributed to Ryan Suter playing a bigger role than initially envisioned. Although he an insanely big minutes eater in his prime, Suter dipped below 20 minutes per game in 2023-24 for the first time since his rookie campaign, averaging 18:56 of ice time with Dallas. The 39-year-old initially looked like he would have a strictly supporting role with St. Louis in 2024-25, averaging just 16:02 across the Blues’ opening four games. Then Leddy got hurt, and Suter has averaged 23:53 since. Don’t be surprised if Suter’s ice time takes a notable hit once Leddy is back, though until Broberg is healthy too, Suter will probably still see at least decent minutes.

Leddy’s eventual return might also make things a little easier on Blues goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. Neither netminder has gotten off to a good start, though Binnington has been encouraging recently. He’s still just 4-5-0 with a 2.78 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 10 outings overall, but he’s saved 75 of 81 shots (.926 save percentage) across his past three games. Going into the season, it looked like Hofer might challenge Binnington for the starting gig, but that hasn’t happened yet to any major extent, and Binnington’s recent success helps put more distance between the two.

Vancouver Canucks (Tue vs CGY, Thu vs NYI, Sat vs CHI, Sun vs NSH)

Vancouver is on a three-game winning streak, bringing the Canucks up to 7-2-3. They’ll look to continue that success next week with home games against Calgary on Tuesday, the Islanders on Thursday, Chicago on Saturday and Nashville on Sunday.

While things are going well for the Canucks overall, the same can’t be said for Elias Pettersson. He has two goals and five points across 12 appearances in 2024-25. He did discuss his slump last week, and unfortunately, not much has changed since with Pettersson providing one point (a goal) over his past three games despite Vancouver combining for a solid 12 goals during that stretch.

One thing I didn’t bring up then is Pettersson’s shot total, which is concerning low at 22, which translates to 5.7 shots per 60 minutes, a drop from 7.7 last year. That’s despite having one six-shot game in 2024-25 -- he also has been held to a single shot on seven occasions. He also has just 52 shot attempts, which is 4.3 per game, down from 4.9 in 2023-24.

I went to dig a bit deeper, and one thing that stood out to me is that his skating metrics are down from last year, and the same can be said about his shot speed. In terms of shot location, 60 of his 207 in 2023-24 were high danger, translating to roughly 29 percent while he has nine of 22 (40.9 percent) in high-danger locations this campaign, so at least when he is shooting the location is generally good, but still, some of those other metrics are concerning.

Pettersson is still just 25, so unless he’s playing hurt, I don’t think it’s fair to believe there isn’t a physical reason for his drop in play. Instead, it’s likely to be mental, which is a theory that gains credibility when you consider former Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau’s analysis of the situation, per the Vancouver Province. Boudreau noted that Pettersson “doesn’t look excited when he plays and gets frustrated very easily.” Perhaps the pressure of his eight-year, $92.8 million contract, which he’s in the first season of, is getting to the star forward.

Whatever the case, other members of the Canucks have been picking up the slack. Not much was expected of Conor Garland going into the campaign, but he’s been great, providing four goals and 11 points through 12 appearances. That probably won’t last, but he isn’t showing signs of slowing down yet after recording at least a point in each of his past three games. Defenseman Quinn Hughes is also red hot, supplying a goal and five points over his last two outings, bringing him up to three goals and 14 points in 12 appearances this season.

Vegas Golden Knights (Mon vs CAR, Wed @ ANA, Fri @ UTA, Sun vs WSH)

The Golden Knights will start the upcoming week by hosting the Hurricanes, but after that, they’ll have to take to the road. Vegas will play in Anaheim on Wednesday, Utah on Friday and Washington on Sunday.

The Golden Knights have won six of their past seven games, elevating their record to 9-3-1. The top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev continues to be a major part of that with Stone leading the way with six goals and 21 points in 13 outings. The 32-year-old Stone is on a seven-game scoring streak (four goals,12 points) and has been held off the scoresheet just once in 2024-25.

It also helps to have a player of Tomas Hertl’s caliber on the second unit, who has four goals and 12 points through 13 outings. Meanwhile, Noah Hanifin is red hot from the blue line with three goals and eight points across his past two games.

Those two really highlight the amazing sticking power Vegas has managed thanks to its aggressive trade strategy. Those are two veterans who were added during the 2023-24 campaign and are locked up to 2027-28. Other teams add rental pieces leading up to a Cup run, but the Golden Knights tend to take a longer view when making trades, so even when a postseason run doesn’t work out, as was the case in 2024, the additions they made are still around to help them moving forward.

Eventually, the bottom might fall out of this strategy. In the cap era, we haven’t seen a team that has been able to sustain itself indefinitely on trades alone without going through a rebuild. But when you look at the team’s core of Eichel, Stone, Hertl, Barbashev, William Karlsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore, you’re seeing a group that’s still largely in its prime and positioned to potentially be competitive for years to come.

The one thing that the group is missing is a star goaltender. Adin Hill can be solid, but he also has his rough patches, and the 2024-25 campaign has been more miss than hit for him so far, leaving Hill with a 3.01 GAA and an .882 save percentage through eight outings. On the plus side, he’s allowed just five goals on 64 shots (.922 save percentage) across his past three starts, and the Golden Knights are strong enough offensively to put him in a position to win even when he doesn’t have a great night, so there’s still plenty of value to be had here.

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – SEATTLE KRAKEN – Team Preview

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 20:00:07 +0000

_{SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 28: Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) looks on before a face-off during a NHL game between the Seattle Kraken and the Anaheim Ducks on March 28, 2024 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire)}

After reaching the playoffs in their second season in 2022-2023, the Kraken came back to Earth in a big way last season, finishing with 81 points (34-35-13). The Kraken were a middling team at five-on-five, controlling 51.3% of shot attempts, which ranked 13th, and 50.7% of expected goals, which ranked 17th. That is not the mark of a surefire playoff team, but it’s also not the mark of an also-ran with no shot at the playoffs. The Kraken ranked 20th with 7.25 goals per 60 minutes on the power play, and 20th with 7.68 goals against per 60 minutes. Their goaltending gave them a .903 save percentage, which ranked ninth, so the problem really came down to Seattle’s inability to score. They scored on 9.1% of their shots, which ranked 29th and the only teams below them were Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Jose.

WHAT’S CHANGED? Dan Bylsma takes over behind the bench after Dave Hakstol was fired. Tomas Tatar returned to New Jersey as a free agent while the Kraken have moved on from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Justin Schultz. They also did not give a qualifying offer to winger Kailer Yamamoto. This helped set up two big free agent additions for the Kraken, as they signed defenceman Brandon Montour, fresh off a Stanley Cup win with Florida, and centre Chandler Stephenson, who had won the year before with Vegas. Can Montour and Stephenson add enough juice to this attack so that the Kraken have a fighting chance to get back to the postseason? Seattle had better hope so.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? For a team that has a lot of veteran players, the Kraken are not looking to keep rebuilding into perpetuity, so success looks like returning to the playoffs. If they could do some damage once they get there, even better. The most obvious player that needs to improve for the Kraken is centre Matty Beniers, who went from 57 points as a rookie to 37 points last season and that’s not nearly good enough, so one of the things that will look like success in Seattle is if, while improving their competitive play, they also get Beniers back on track to being a frontline player in the NHL.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? For a team going into its fourth season, it is hard to say that missing the playoffs would be a sign of going wrong, but with so many veteran players, the Kraken either need those veterans to produce to get them into the playoffs, or they have to figure out what comes next and if it means a player like Shane Wright gets buried on the fourth line while the veteran pros are just good enough to get the Kraken 80 points to miss the playoffs again, that would seem like things are going wrong.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: On a team with very few young players, oddly enough, a 20-year-old who is no longer Calder eligible is worthy of breakout status. Shane Wright surprisingly dropped to the fourth pick in the 2020 Draft, and has been on a rocky road since. Last season, he put up 47 points in 59 AHL games during the regular season before adding 13 points in 12 playoff games, impressive numbers for a 20-year-old first-year pro. Wright was excellent in eight games with the Kraken scoring four goals and adding an assist while driving play effectively. It would seem a waste to bury him on the fourth line, so if Wright gets into the top nine, he would have a chance provide decent production on a team that should be tripping over itself to add scoring to the lineup.

FORWARD

Matty Beniers

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	25	38	63	0.77

Matty Beniers isn’t the first player to fall victim to the sophomore slump, although it was disappointing for someone Seattle expected to be an undisputed No. 1 center. Most of his struggles were related to offence, as he played well beyond his years in other aspects of the game. He is heavily relied upon in the Kraken’s transition game, starting most of their exits and having most of their zone entries go through him. It wasn’t too different from his rookie season, but the difference was the Kraken weren’t creating any offence with him on the ice. He could still create off the rush, but he struggled to get anything to the net on the follow-up opportunities. His shot rate declined from his rookie season, not taking command of the offence or getting himself open for teammates. There is nothing wrong with being a pass-first player, but Beniers playmaking skills weren’t high enough to make up for the lack of offence in other areas. Seattle still fed him top minutes, mostly because he’s one of their more reliable players in the defensive zone even at his age and the threat to score off the rush was still there. Players who show the talent he did as a puck-carrier usually see the point production follow them as they get older, so brighter days are ahead for the former Michigan Wolverine. A return to 25 goals and 60 points is possible as a fixture on the top line and power play.

Jared McCann

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	28	35	63	0.78

Jared McCann has been the Kraken’s go-to guy for offence since the team’s inception, leading the team in goals in all three years. The fact that he still did it last year while scoring 11 fewer than he did in 2022-23 says more about how the team around him played than McCann himself having a bad year. He’s still one of the best finishers in the league and does a little of everything for Seattle including kill penalties. He has a heavy shot that is borderline automatic when he gets the time and space to pick a corner. He functions better as a goal-scorer who can strike from distance rather than crashing the net for his offence, the area between the faceoff circles being his sweet spot. Effective both off the rush and the forecheck, although he’s more effective as the guy trailing the play rather than the one leading it. McCann had wonderful chemistry with Matty Beniers for this reason, although they struggled to repeat the magic they created in 2022 last year. He is very good at creating his own time and space to get shots through and can navigate his way through traffic well. He is usually involved in helping keep the cycle going in the offensive zone instead of lurking in the weeds for an open shot. He’s “instant offence” personified and arguably the Kraken’s MVP. Expect 30 – 35 goals and 65 – 70 points as he and Beniers bounce back this season.

Jaden Schwartz

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	14	20	34	0.52

Staying healthy is half the battle for Schwartz at this point in his career and last year was somewhat of a struggle, missing 20 games with an upper-body injury. He never got back to full speed upon returning to the lineup, scoring only five goals in his last 39 games and seeing his minutes cut from where they were last year. Schwartz is a good player even when he’s not getting on the scoresheet, but a lot of what makes him effective is his forechecking, always playing the body to jar pucks loose and being one of the few guys on Seattle who can get inside position in front of the net. Defensively he was dependable, but he couldn’t play with the same level of physicality in the offensive zone, and it made his game somewhat vanilla. His shot rate dipped from eight shots a game to only six per game and he was below average in most offensive categories relating to shot generation. Still a good passer and a smart player, Schwartz can be a solid player on any line in your middle-six, injuries are just forcing him into more of a tertiary role where his linemates have to carry more of the slack now. Health is just the biggest x-factor with him.

Andre Burakovsky

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
60	15	19	34	0.57

It’s been a tale of two completely different seasons for Burakovsky in Seattle although they’re both frustrating for similar reasons. He was only available for 49 games both years and while he produced at a decent clip in his first year, last season he didn’t score his second goal until the 29^th game of the season, which didn’t come until early March. Figured to be one of their top scorers when they signed him, the Kraken have gotten maybe 40% of what they expected out of the talented winger. He’s somewhat of a frustrating player in general because he’s a high-percentage shooter who doesn’t take a lot of shots, thus his career high in goals is only 22 and while great forward depth locked him out of the top six in Washington and Colorado, in Seattle he just hasn’t earned a spot consistently. In fairness, last season he was uncharacteristically snake-bit, shooting under 10% for the first time and he didn’t see much of a drop in his scoring chance or shot rate. His play-driving, however, was a bit of a mess, as Seattle gave up a lot when he was on the ice, and he couldn’t score to make up for it. Burakovsky is still a great player at creating quick-strike chances off the rush and setting guys up, so the potential for him to right the ship is there. He will likely get his chance to do so on a Kraken team that needs offence. The potential for 20 goals and 50 points is entirely possible at 29-years-old. He had scored at a pro-rated 65-point pace in the prior four seasons preceding last year’s dismal results.

Oliver Bjorkstrand

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	20	35	55	0.67

Known in Seattle as “The Maestro,” Bjorkstrand is the Kraken’s most reliable forward in terms of consistent impact. Even if he’s not on the scoresheet, he’s a positive in terms of play-driving and does a little of everything on the checking line with Yanni Gourde. Last year was his best season as a playmaker with his career best 39 assists. Those results were boosted from getting time on the top power play unit and doing an excellent job of helping set things up from the right wall. His play in the neutral and defensive zones are what gives him the most value, he’s an excellent puck-carrier and is very hard to check off the puck when he gets moving. He’s also a great support valve for the defence, once he gets the puck it’s usually going out of the zone and he’s very good at going the full length of the rink to either create offence or flip possession. Finishing is the one part of his game that hasn’t come around with the Kraken, despite hitting the 20-goal mark twice. He has the look and posture of a shooter, but acted as more of a playmaker last year, seeing his shots per game go down but still facilitating a lot of offence through entries and passing. He’s an ideal fit for the Kraken’s offensive zone game of always having player in motion with how good he is at cycling the puck below the goal line and he’s sneaky good at making the extra pass in front of the net to setup tap-in chances. Should remain one of the Kraken’s most trusted players even with the new coaching staff. He has had consistent results and should be able to repeat last year’s offensive numbers.

Yanni Gourde

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	12	24	36	0.48

Some years Gourde’s boxcar stats and high cap hit for a third line center is an afterthought when factoring in everything else he brings to the table. He’s an excellent forechecker and a tenacious player on the puck. He keeps possession in the offensive zone through physical play and through strong puck protection skills along the wall. He looks like the most skilled player on the team at times with how much he loves to skate with the puck and weave through checkers. He is the perfect guy to anchor a penalty kill unit and always a threat to score shorthanded. Negative parts of his game all relate to finishing, which has run hot-and-cold over his career with his most recent season being one of his worst in terms point production. Crashes the net well but doesn’t have the hands to capitalize on these chances, scoring most of his goals off deflections now. Still a good playmaker behind and around the net, partially due to his tenacity and ability to fight off checks to get the puck to the front. In the final year of his contract and in his mid-30’s now, it will be interesting to see how much his body holds up and if the Kraken depend on him for the same 17-18 minutes a game they usually do.

Jordan Eberle

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	17	33	50	0.64

The elder stateman on the Kraken now, Eberle was one of the team’s best players at even strength last year. In some way not much has changed from when he first arrived on the Kraken, but he isn’t expected to carry the team’s offence like he once was, playing as the third wheel alongside McCann and Beniers for most of the season. He’s not getting the same number of puck touches he used to, but he did an excellent job of giving his linemates easy passes and creating space for them to get through the neutral zone. Thriving at the five-to-ten-foot pass game to start give-and-gos, Eberle’s adapted his game well over his career to stay in the top six despite whatever his scoring line is. He still skates well and can drive the net with great hands to finish plays off when he gets in alone. One of the few Kraken forwards whose offensive production wasn’t heavily skewed towards rush play, which made him a valuable piece on that top line. The power play was the only sore spot with him, only scoring six goals and 12 points with the man advantage, which makes his overall statline misleading because he was one of their top scorers at even strength. Now 34, it’s just a matter of whether he can sustain this level of play over the next two years where he’s under contract.

Eeli Tolvanen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	17	25	42	0.51

Drafted as a goal-scorer and molded into a checking forward by the Kraken, Tolvanen is a case of finding your lane to stay in the league. Seattle made it clear what their expectations were of him when they claimed him off waivers from Nashville and he’s rewarded them with back-to-back solid seasons. Last year being his first full year in the league with a defined role on the Yanni Gourde line. Tolvanen’s simplified his game to be an effective forechecker, taking the role as the first forward into the zone to retrieve pucks and disrupt exits. The first-round skill is still there even if he doesn’t get as many opportunities to show it. He gets open enough to be dangerous on that third line and finishes at a decent clip. Combine that with his solid defensive play and Tolvanen has carved a nice path for himself to stay in the NHL for a while. The question with a player like him is what happens if or when you try him higher in the lineup. Is there more skill there or what he is doing now the best you’ll see? Seattle has some time to find this out, as they opted to bridge him for two years at $3.475 million AAV rather than making him a long-term piece of the puzzle. There is upside and a potential break out, but draft for similar results.

Chandler Stephenson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	15	37	52	0.63

Seattle wanted more offence, and they spent a lot of long-term money to get it by signing Chandler Stephenson. It was a shocking contract for a player who has only hit the 20-goal mark once in his career and known mostly as Mark Stone’s sidekick in Vegas. He isn’t the first guy in a thin free agent poll to get a big payday, but the fit in Seattle is a little suspect. Stephenson is one of the fastest players in the NHL, but functions as the secondary piece on his line rather than someone who stirs the drink. He excels in the give-and-go game, shooting only when he has a lot of time and space open to pick a corner. It’s questionable if the Kraken have the pieces to set him up for success because they’re a team with a lot of similar secondary pieces and few players who can drive results. Stylistically he fits because of his speed and love of creating cycles high in the zone, which the Kraken love to do. It’s just a matter of whether or not he will have the same impact he did in Vegas when he doesn’t have the same level of talent around him. His success could depend on how Matt Beniers performs in the first line center hole in front of him. Be cautious in drafting and do not expect him to produce more than last year with better talent. 15 goals and twice as many assists might be a realistic result.

DEFENCE

Vince Dunn

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	13	47	60	0.77

The Kraken received the closest thing they’ll get to a franchise defenceman when they took Vince Dunn in the expansion draft. He drives a lot of what makes the team go, both through his vision, passing and controlling the play at the blue line. Seattle loves to create off the rush when they can slow the play down in the neutral zone and Dunn is excellent at making those frozen rope passes off regroups. He’s also their best defender at giving them a dynamic element on the blue line, always looking to pinch and contribute to the cycle instead of immediately looking for the big point shot. He also does this while playing 23-24 minutes a night on a Seattle top pair that gets some of the toughest matchups in the league. It’s not a coincidence that the Kraken’s season fell apart when a high hit against Calgary took him out of the lineup for the final 20 games. Seattle won only seven of the games he missed. It took Dunn a couple of years to get used to life as a top pair defenceman and Seattle didn’t have anyone who could slide into that role without a significant drop-off. Sometimes you never know if a player is going to sink or swim when they have to play higher in the lineup and Dunn is a case of patience paying off. He has two years of excellent results under his belt now. Expect more of the same.

Brandon Montour

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	12	38	50	0.61

Set to make bank after rediscovering his game as a pure offensive defenceman in Florida, the Kraken decided to be the team to pay the bill for it. His skillset is needed there, as the Kraken like to involve their defence and didn’t have a lot of attack-minded players on their blue line to make it effective. Montour was the most boom-or-bust player they could have added to fill this void. He fits the riverboat gambler moniker better than most because retrieving pucks and making stretch passes out of his own zone isn’t his strength, but rather someone who can fly the zone when a lane is open and act as an extra forward on the attack. Expectations for him are a little tough because he has one monster 73-point season heavily influenced by power play production sandwiched in between two decently productive seasons that would put him in the middle of the pack for most defencemen. Montour needs a sturdy partner who can retrieve pucks and matched up behind a scoring line to get the most out of his offensive skillset. He can move and has fantastic scoring instincts for a defenceman, keeping the puck in the offensive zone as much as possible is the key to unlocking what Florida got out of him. It’s uncertain if the Kraken have the same setup. Do not overpay as he is 30 years old and profiles more at the 40-point level than 60 over his recent career.

Adam Larsson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	4	16	20	0.25

Affectionally known as “The Big Cat,” Larsson’s been a fixture in the Kraken lineup for awhile now, stapled next to Vince Dunn on their top pair. He is the less dangerous of the two offensively, as he will usually stay back while Dunn roams to be the safety valve. Larsson isn’t without skill, though. He skates well for a big man and will look to push the pace if given the opportunity. He activates from the blue line to create offence from closer range rather than go for the big slapshot form distance. His defensive play was more spotty than usual last year, as the Kraken gave up more chances with him on the ice. His own game was also a little more conservative than usual, focused mainly on avoiding turnovers and not making mistakes while deferring to Dunn for most of the exits and puck play. Was hurt the most by Dunn’s absence as some of his flaws were exposed without a puck-mover alongside him, especially with defending entries. This is normally one of Larsson’s stronger skills, but he struggled here. Opposing teams could attack his side more and the workload was overwhelming. When the two are healthy, they’re an underrated top pair with Larsson pitching in offensively a little more than he did last year.

Jamie Oleksiak

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	3	17	20	0.24

The towering defenceman might have had one of his worst seasons offensively, but he performed well in just about every other aspect of the game. His own offensive contributions also weren’t bad, they just didn’t result in points. He brings an unmatched combination of size and mobility, as most defencemen built like him aren’t nearly as good with the puck or can skate their way out of danger like he can. He held the fort down well on that second pair and made life easier for Will Borgen to transition into a top four role. Still not the best breakout passer, Oleksiak makes up for it with his skating and penchant for making the simple plays to help his teammates kickstart the breakout. His own story is a great case of patience with player development, stuck in a third pair role for most of his career and dominating those minutes until the Stars were ready to promote him into the top four. This was around the time the Kraken claimed him in the expansion draft and he’s been a regular part of their defence corps and penalty kill since then.

GOAL

Philipp Grubauer

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
34	15	15	4	1	0.902	3.02

Joey Daccord

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
48	20	22	6	3	0.911	2.54

Perhaps the brightest surprise to pop up in net last season was Seattle Kraken backup Joey Daccord's rise to prominence. After former Colorado star Philipp Grubauer made the shocking move to ink with Seattle (only to see his numbers take a nosedive), it seemed like the Kraken became collectors of goaltenders without a ton of high upside to their games. Daccord was no exception, putting up stellar numbers in college for Arizona State but boasting a playing style that looked unlikely to translate well to the NHL. Whatever work he put into his development post-grad, though, seems to have paid off in spades. The version of Joey Daccord Seattle iced last season looked like a whole new goaltender, boasting elevated instincts and faster, crisper movements within the blue paint.

Now, he'll get a chance to prove last season wasn't just an adrenaline-fueled fluke. The Kraken will return this season with both Grubauer and Daccord, but it's likely Daccord will kick off the season as the presumed number one. Barring a surprising coaching decision in the Pacific Northwest, it appears as if the starting gig is Daccord's to lose. The biggest test will be to prove just how much of his instinctual improvements can stick around over the long, grueling seasons; he's made it clear that he's willing to put in the work, but Seattle will need him to prove he's got staying power as well if they hope to push back into playoff contention.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – A look at the playoff race – Teams with favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:07:22 +0000

Last week I touched on Detroit’s losing streak, but the Red Wings’ situation has since stabilized. The Red Wings have won three of their past four games and earned a 6-3 victory in a key contest against the Islanders on Thursday. The Red Wings (36-28-6) now have a three-point edge over Washington (33-26-9) in the battle for the second wild-card spot, though Washington has two games in hand, so Detroit still has no margin for error.

At this stage, it looks like the fight for the final playoff seed in the East will come down to Detroit and Washington, but the Islanders (29-25-15), New Jersey (34-32-5), Buffalo (33-33-5) and even Pittsburgh (30-29-9) all have an outside chance of squeaking into the playoffs. Would it be shocking if, say, the Penguins earned a postseason berth? Absolutely, but it’s at least a mathematic possibility at the time of writing.

The final wild-card slot in the Western Conference is slightly more secure. Vegas (37-25-7) has a four-point edge over St. Louis (37-30-3) and a five-point lead over Minnesota (34-28-8) despite playing in one game less than either team. The Golden Knights likely still need to be solid down the stretch to secure their playoff berth, but at least they have a bit of breathing room.

The Blues and Wild are Vegas’ only real competition, but there is still an outside chance of a Cinderella story involving Calgary (33-30-5) or Seattle (28-28-12).

The Golden Knights still also have a path to earn the third seed in the Pacific Division over Los Angeles (36-22-11), though I’d almost say it doesn’t matter. Getting the third seed would put the Golden Knights on track to face Edmonton in the first round instead of Winnipeg, Colorado, Dallas or Vancouver. All five of those potential adversaries are great, so Vegas will have a tough first round either as a wild-card team or as the third seed in the Pacific Division.

Either way, the battle for the last playoff spots should be fun.

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 24: Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) in warm up before a game between the Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks on January 24, 2022, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ SEA, THU @ SEA, SAT @ EDM, SUN @ VAN (BTB)

Anaheim is set to play on the road all of next week. They have back-to-back contests against Seattle on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by games in Edmonton on Saturday and Vancouver on Sunday. It’s certainly not an easy schedule, especially on the back half, but the Ducks are one of the few teams scheduled to play four games, so they’re still worthy of mention.

Trevor Zegras hasn’t been in the lineup since Jan. 9 because of an ankle injury, but he has been able to resume practicing without restriction, which suggests that he’s close to returning. After exceeding the 60-point milestone in each of his previous two campaigns, he has just four goals and seven points in 20 outings this year. There’s a good chance he’ll at least be able to finish the year on a positive note, but regardless of what happens, it’s important you remember him for next season’s fantasy drafts. The 23-year-old forward should enjoy a comeback campaign, provided he gets better luck on the injury front.

The 2024-25 campaign should also be one of progress for Leo Carlsson, who has recorded nine goals and 24 points in 43 games as a rookie this season. In the meantime, though, he suffered a lower-body injury Thursday, so his status for next week’s contests is undetermined. If he can’t play then Isac Lundestrom might serve in a top-six capacity, but honestly rather than that be an opportunity for Lundestrom, it would just highlight the sorry state of the Ducks. The 24-year-old has just six points (four goals) in 34 contests this year and likely won’t do much offensively even if he moves up to the second line.

At least they have goaltender Lukas Dostal, who has done alright lately, posting a 2.69 GAA and a .916 save percentage over his past eight games. That’s worlds better than John Gibson’s 5.80 GAA (yes, really) and .833 save percentage in his past four outings. Given the disparity in their play, Dostal should get the majority of the remaining starts.

Buffalo Sabres – WED VS OTT, FRI VS NJD, SAT VS TOR (BTB)

The Sabres are likely to miss the playoffs for the 13th consecutive campaign, extending their record for the longest postseason drought in NHL history. However, they still have an outside shot of squeaking into the playoffs. In order to keep that hope alive, they’ll likely need to win all three of their contests against Ottawa on Wednesday, New Jersey on Friday and Toronto on Saturday. It’s a tall order, but at least the Sabres will have the home-ice advantage in all those games.

With Buffalo’s postseason hopes all but dashed, Jeff Skinner will likely have to wait even longer to make his first playoff appearance. The 31-year-old is approaching 1,000 career regular-season contests. This hasn’t been his best campaign, but Skinner has been alright with 24 goals and 45 points in 63 outings. He also earned his seventh career hat trick Monday when he led Buffalo in its 6-2 victory over Seattle.

Tage Thompson is surely hoping he won’t have to wait nearly as long as Skinner to get into the playoffs. However, if Thompson had played like he did in 2022-23 (47 goals, 94 points), perhaps the Sabres’ fortunes would have been different this campaign. Instead, he’s been alright, but not great with 21 goals and 43 points through 60 outings. The 27-year-old might end the season on a positive note, though. He’s on a four-game scoring streak in which Thompson has provided a goal and six points.

Meanwhile, Bowen Byram is just 22, but his name is already on the Cup thanks to his time with the Avalanche. Now a member of the Sabres, Byram is playing a prominent role and has taken advantage of that opportunity. He’s recorded three goals, six points, 17 blocks and 17 hits in eight contests while averaging 23:53 of ice time. Byram has even averaged a healthy 2:39 with the man advantage as a member of the Sabres, though the presence of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power means the fight for power-play ice time will always be fierce among Buffalo defensemen.

Columbus Blue Jackets – TUE @ ARI, THU @ PIT, SAT VS PIT

This will mark the Blue Jackets’ fourth straight season without a playoff berth. Nothing they do now will alter the fact that it’s been a rough campaign, but they can at least end things on a positive note. It helps that they’ll be facing other non-playoff teams next week – they’ll play in Arizona on Tuesday, in Pittsburgh on Thursday and then host the Penguins on Saturday.

Johnny Gaudreau isn’t the reason Columbus will be missing the playoffs, though it is true he hasn’t lived up to expectations. His 55 points (11 goals) through 69 outings, would mark the lowest point-per-game pace of his career if the season ended now. However, Gaudreau has contributed a goal and six points in his past four contests, so the stage is set for him to finish the campaign on a positive note.

The same might be true of Alexander Nylander, who has eight goals and 11 points in 13 contests since being acquired by Columbus from Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old forward was held off the scoresheet in his previous two games, and it’s reasonable for fantasy managers to wonder if this is the right time to jump ship, especially because he doesn’t have a track record of success beyond his recent stretch. Personally, I recommend waiting a little longer though to see if his production picks up again. Keep in mind, Nylander is being utilized on the Blue Jackets’ top line and first power-play unit, which are roles that he hasn’t enjoyed for any noteworthy stretch until now, so there might be more to his production than a mere hot streak. I’m not saying that his new role has transformed him into a superstar, but he might still do well enough to be fantasy relevant the rest of the way.

Daniil Tarasov might have value going forward too. The 24-year-old has been subpar in 2023-24 with a 7-9-3 record, 3.20 GAA and .903 save percentage across 20 appearances, but he’s been far better dating back to Feb. 21, posting a 2.30 GAA and .934 save percentage over nine games. His strong play has led to the Blue Jackets increasingly using him over Elvis Merzlikins.

Ottawa Senators – WED @ BUF, THU VS CHI, SAT @ WPG

Ottawa will begin next week with a breather before playing in Buffalo on Wednesday. The Senators will then host Chicago on Thursday and play in Winnipeg on Saturday. Like Ottawa, the Sabres and Blackhawks are having campaigns and aren’t expected to make the playoffs (Chicago has been mathematically eliminated while Buffalo has just a fringe chance of a wild-card spot), so those are two winnable games.

Ottawa is in a four-way tie for 28th defensively with 3.59 goals per game despite having an xGA/60 of 2.94, which ties the Senators for 11th overall. Those two stats in combination suggest is Ottawa’s defense is underrated and has been made to look bad this year due to poor goaltending. A case could be made that Joonas Korpisalo has been this year’s worst starter, ranking last in Goals Saved Above Expected at minus-19.4. In terms of his base stats line, he has a 15-21-4 record, 3.37 GAA and .887 save percentage in 44 contests. While it would be an oversimplification to say that Ottawa isn’t making the playoffs because of Korpisalo, it is fair to say that his terrible play has been a key factor.

Unfortunately, it seems the Senators overvalued his strong 2022-23 campaign when they inked Korpisalo to a five-year contract. While he had a Goals Saved Above Expected of 12.7 last season, he finished in the negatives in each campaign from 2017-18 through 2021-22, so performing below average relative to the team in front of him appears to be the norm for Korpisalo rather than the exception. This is all to say that if you’re looking for the 29-year-old goaltender to rebound in 2024-25, you’re making a risky bet that likely won’t pay off.

Not that Anton Forsberg, who has a 12-12-0 record, 3.42 GAA and .885 save percentage in 25 outings in 2023-24, is good either. Forsberg is signed through 2024-25 at a cap hit of $2.75 million, so Ottawa might have this unfortunate duo again next year. If that’s the case, it’s hard to see them making the playoffs in 2024-25 either.

That’s unfortunate for Claude Giroux, who is 36 years old and consequently running out of chances to make another run at the Cup. If the direction of the Senators has been weighing on him, though, he hasn’t let that bleed into his game. He’s still provided a goal and five points over his past six contests, giving him 19 goals and 58 points through 68 outings overall. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the veteran finish the season on a high note. That should also be true of Brady Tkachuk, who has provided four goals and five points over his past four contests.

The goaltending clearly needs work, but with players like Giroux and Tkachuk leading the forward corps, at least that aspect of the Senators is strong.

Philadelphia Flyers – TUE @ NYR, THU @ MTL, SAT VS CHI

The Flyers are set to play on the road against the Rangers on Tuesday and the Canadiens on Thursday before hosting the Blackhawks on Saturday. While the Rangers are a tough adversary, Philadelphia has a golden chance to collect four points against Montreal and Chicago as it looks to secure its playoff spot.

The biggest story in Philadelphia is coach John Tortorella scratching Sean Couturier for the Flyers’ 4-3 win over Toronto on Tuesday and 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina on Thursday. This comes after a stretch in which Couturier registered just three assists and had a minus-13 rating over 14 games from Feb. 15-March 19. He also has only six points (one goal) in his last 23 contests, undoing his solid start to the campaign -- 30 points (10 markers) through his first 41 appearances.

Maybe this time off will allow him to reset and come back stronger. He’ll certainly be a player to watch closely next week because when Couturier’s at his best, he’s a strong top-line option.

In the meantime, Owen Tippett has been leading the Flyers’ attack. He has three goals and eight points over his past five games, bringing him up to 25 goals and 46 points through 66 outings this year. The 25-year-old is just two goals and three points shy of his career highs.

Morgan Frost is also on a five-game scoring streak, totaling three goals and seven points in that span. He hasn’t had an amazing campaign overall (12 goals and 38 points in 59 games), but the 24-year-old has been centering the top line and serving on the first power-play unit during Couturier’s absence. Given how well he’s done in that role, Frost might continue to feature prominently even after Couturier slides back into the lineup.

Pittsburgh Penguins – TUE VS CAR, THU VS CBJ, SAT @ CBJ

The Penguins have faded out of the playoff picture at this point and things aren’t going to get any easier when they host the Hurricanes on Tuesday. The silver lining is Pittsburgh does have a home-and-away series against the lowly Blue Jackets, which will take place Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Michael Bunting, who Pittsburgh acquired from Carolina in the Jake Guentzel trade, seems to be settling in with his new team. He’s on a three-game scoring streak and has recorded a point in four of his last five contests, totaling two goals and two assists in that span. He’s seeing time on the top power-play unit and alongside Evgeni Malkin at even strength, so Bunting seems set to have a solid finish to the campaign.

Bryan Rust is looking to finish on a high note too. He’s been limited to 48 games this season due to injury, but he has been effective when healthy with 21 goals and 41 points. The 31-year-old has done particularly well recently, providing three goals and five points across his last four contests.

Lastly, while it doesn’t have fantasy relevance, you might want to pay attention to Jeff Carter. The 39-year-old is dealing with an upper-body issue, but when he returns, he’ll likely be playing out the last games of his career. While it’s possible he’ll pursue a new contract once his present one expires this summer, he likely won’t find any takers. He’s been held to nine goals and 12 points in 61 outings this campaign. Still, Carter has had a storied career, scoring 440 goals in 1,310 career games and playing a significant role in Los Angeles’ Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014.

Seattle Kraken – TUE VS ANA, THU VS ANA, SAT VS DAL

Seattle will start the week with a pair of favorable home matchups against the lowly Ducks on Tuesday and Thursday. After that two-game series, the Kraken will host the Stars on Saturday.

Vince Dunn hasn’t played since March 4 due to an upper-body injury, and he doesn’t appear to be close to returning. He’s been a key offensive defenseman for the Kraken this campaign, providing 11 goals and 45 points in 57 games. Due to Dunn’s absence, Brian Dumoulin has seen an uptick in even-strength minutes, while Ryker Evans was summoned from AHL Coachella Valley and has received a power-play role.

Evans has done decently during Dunn’s absence, recording three assists -- all with the man advantage -- in the last seven games. He’s also played with a physical edge, accumulating eight PIM and 16 hits in the same span. Once Dunn returns, Evans might lose his spot in the lineup, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him continue to make those kinds of contributions until Dunn’s back.

Seattle’s forward corps hasn’t done great this campaign and Seattle’s attack has been particularly lackluster recently, totaling just five goals in four games from March 14-21. Still, Oliver Bjorkstrand has been a rare bright spot with a goal and three points during that stretch. He also has five goals and eight points over his last 11 contests to put his cold spell from Jan. 30-Feb. 24 (one assist in eight outings) well behind him.

As poor as the Kraken’s offense has been, Anaheim has done even worse, ranking 30th offensively with just 2.49 goals per game. It wouldn’t be surprising to see goaltenders Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord split the two-game set against the Ducks, and both netminders would be a good play versus Anaheim.

Vegas Golden Knights – MON @ STL, TUE @ NAS, (BTB), THU @ WPG, SAT @ MIN

The Golden Knights are one of the few teams set to play four games next week, though they’ll be on the road for that stretch. They’ll play in St. Louis on Monday, Nashville on Tuesday, Winnipeg on Thursday and Minnesota on Saturday. It’s not the easiest schedule, but the Golden Knights’ hold on the second wild-card spot is loose, so they’ll need to find a way to win a good chunk of those contests.

Their pursuit of a playoff berth has been complicated by Adin Hill, who has struggled mightily with a 3.90 GAA and an .872 save percentage over his last seven games. By contrast, Logan Thompson has saved 41 of 43 shots (.953 save percentage) over his last two contests, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vegas pivot to Thompson, at least in the short term. Earlier in the campaign, the Golden Knights might have been more open to riding out Hill’s cold spell in the hopes that he’d rebound, but they don’t really have that luxury at this stage.

In terms of offense, it’s been defenseman Shea Theodore who has led the charge. The 28-year-old has collected 15 assists in 14 outings since returning from an upper-body injury. That’s propelled him to four goals and 33 points across 34 outings in 2023-24. Theodore has missed significant portions of the last two campaigns due to injury, but he would likely breach the 50-point milestone for the second time in his career if he manages to stay healthy next season.

Meanwhile, blueliner Noah Hanifin seems to be settling in fine with Vegas. He has four assists, a plus-3 rating, 10 blocks and 10 hits in seven contests since being acquired from the Flames. Hanifin’s also averaging 22:09 of ice time with Vegas, though he’s only on the second power-play unit, which limits his offensive potential a bit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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