radek faksa – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – 4 Nations Wrap – Trade Deadline speculation edition – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:20:17 +0000

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 20: Team Canada forward Connor McDavid (97) drills a shot during the Championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off between Team United States and Team Canada on February 20, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

I have to give the league credit. I did not go into this season with a lot of confidence or excitement about the 4 Nations Face-Off. Sure, it’s always fun to see best-on-best play, but with the tournament being limited to just four countries and without any pre-existing prestige/history behind the tournament name, I was among those worried that it might end up looking like a series of glorified All-Star games and not attract any non-hockey fans. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

ESPN saw an average viewership of 9.252 million for the Final between Canada and the United States, making it the most-watched non-Olympic hockey game on record in US viewership history. Including Canadians, that rating increased to 16.1 million viewers (6.9 million between Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ and TVA Sports), which was on par for a Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final (16.3 million), per Braylon Breeze of Sports Media Watch.

The Final even took a political angle. I won’t stress people looking for an escape with the details, but the current climate between the United States and Canada was an undercurrent throughout this tournament and in the Final especially, only adding to the enthusiasm for this match.

When all that noise ended, and the puck dropped, the players didn’t disappoint. This was not a glorified All-Star Game. The players took the opportunity to represent their country seriously, and after the United States earned a 3-1 victory over Canada during the round robin, the Canadians got their revenge Thursday in a 3-2 overtime win over the States.

The winning goal was appropriately scored by Connor McDavid, who was left wide open due to a defensive breakdown by the Americans, took advantage of a nice pass from Mitch Marner to fire a wrist shot past Connor Hellebuyck.

Marner getting the primary assist on that marker and Sam Bennett’s game-tying goal at 14:00 of the second period -- the last goal before McDavid found the back of the net -- was a bit of a redemption story for the 27-year-old winger. Marner and McDavid didn’t seem to gel earlier in the tournament, resulting in the duo being separated for Canada’s 5-3 win over Finland on Monday and Marner logging just 12:46 of ice time. Had that been the end of the story, it would have been about Marner vanishing when things got tough, a story that would have added to the frustrations of Maple Leafs fans, who have seen Toronto flounder in the playoffs throughout Marner’s tenure. Instead, he added another chapter to the tale.

It was also a great showing for Jordan Binnington. Goaltending was the main question mark for Canada going into this tournament, and while Binnington certainly had some bad moments, in the end, he did step up for Canada, turning side 31 of 33 shots in the Final.

Of course, Nathan MacKinnon was also deserving of his MVP title. He scored a tournament-best four goals, including the overtime winner against Team Sweden and two markers versus Finland. Without MacKinnon’s efforts, Canada might not have made it to the final match. He also got Canada on the board first against Team USA on Thursday with his marker at 4:48 of the first period.

It needs to be acknowledged how well America played in this tournament. Both games between these two countries were intense, and not much would have had to change for Team USA to have emerged as the winner. In particular, Zach Werenski (six assists), Jake Guentzel (three goals, four points) and the Tkachuk brothers were fantastic in this tournament. Connor Hellebuyck also did his part in the 4 Nations Face-Off, largely proving his status as the league’s best goaltender, even if his team finished just shy of the title.

Canada can celebrate today, but they have every reason to be concerned about Team USA going into the Olympics. What a fun tournament that should be.

Boston Bruins

Boston will start next week at home, hosting the Maple Leafs on Tuesday and the Islanders on Thursday. The Bruins will then travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday and Minnesota on Sunday.

It seems unbelievable to even suggest it, but those games might be among Brad Marchand’s last in a Bruins jersey. Boston is 27-24-7, which puts the Bruins a point behind the Senators for the final wild-card spot despite having played in one extra game. To be clear, Boston still very much has a chance of making the playoffs, but the fact that it's now a borderline team is cause for retrospection.

There were tempered expectations for the Bruins going into 2023-24 after losing David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. The squad managed to prove the rumors of their death were exaggerated with a 47-20-15 showing, but that success was led by elite goaltending, something the Bruins haven’t enjoyed this season. Linus Ullmark is gone and -- perhaps due to the pressures of his new contract, missing training camp or some combination of the two -- has underwhelmed with an 18-18-4 record, 2.98 GAA and .898 save percentage. Couple that with free-agent signing Elias Lindholm putting up mild numbers (11 goals, 30 points) as well as Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) getting hurt in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and it’s looking more and more like this isn’t a squad setup for a playoff run even if it does squeak in.

With all that considered, maybe it really is time to move on from Marchand. He’s 36 and in the final campaign of what’s proven to be an extremely team-friendly eight-year, $49 million deal. He is allowed to submit a list of up to eight teams he’d veto a trade from, so he does have some influence over his situation, but the return the Bruins could potentially get from him would still be significant. There are a lot of teams out there who would be happy to take a former Stanley Cup winner with a reputation for getting under opponents' skin. Especially given that Marchand is still performing at a high level offensively with 20 goals and 45 points through 58 appearances in 2024-25. His cap hit ($6.125 million) is also reasonable enough to make it feasible for most contenders to maneuver him below the ceiling, especially if Boston retains part of what’s left of his salary.

There’s a certain logic to trading Marchand while his value is still high and at the end of that contract, but there’s also a strong argument against it. He’s the Bruins captain and a fan favorite. Trading him away, especially after a summer that didn’t go Boston’s way, would likely result in strong pushback against GM Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely, even if the return is significant. It’d be one thing if Marchand wanted to go for the sake of chasing the Cup, but in his own words, his “goal is to play here forever,” per NBC Sports Boston. True, players will usually speak highly of whoever their current employer is, but in the case of Marchand, who has dedicated his entire NHL career to Boston, it seems reasonable to believe him and assume he wants to re-sign with the team.

Plus, even if he is getting up there in age, Boston might still enjoy another serious run with him. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Jeremy Swayman rebound next season. Hampus Lindholm (lower body) might have better luck on the injury front in 2025-26, which would go a long way towards stabilizing the blue line. The team would still have secondary scoring concerns that would need to be addressed over the summer, but this is far from a franchise that’s without hope in the mid-term.

In the end, I expect Marchand rumors to persist up until the trade deadline but for him to ultimately remain with Boston.

Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles will open the week by hosting Vegas on Monday followed by Vancouver on Wednesday. The Kings will then hit the road with games in Dallas and St. Louis on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Kings hold a 30-17-7 record going, which gives them a decent cushion in the battle for a playoff spot, though they’ll have a difficult time catching up to Edmonton (34-19-4) or Vegas (34-17-6), which would be necessary in order to secure home-ice advantage in the first round.

Still, with the trade deadline approaching, the Kings are likely to be buyers if they do anything. They have all their draft picks over the next three years with the exception of their 2025 second-round selection (surrendered in the Tanner Jeannot trade) and a decent amount of cap flexibility (PuckPedia puts the squad’s deadline space at just under $4.5 million), so there is room here to get something done.

Los Angeles is rumored to be targeting Buffalo’s Alex Tuch, according to Russell Morgan of Hockey Royalty. Even if that doesn’t specifically happen, it does suggest that LA is in the market for a top six winger, which would make some sense.

Los Angeles is fine up the middle. Anze Kopitar is still performing well at 37 (13 goals, 46 points). Neither Phillip Danault (five goals, 230 points) and Quinton Byfield (11 goals, 29 points) has done enough offensively to be an ideal second-line center, but either one is serviceable in the middle six. Besides, with the Pierre-Luc Dubois experiment still fresh in the Kings’ mind, Los Angeles might be reluctant to take another swing at filling that role. Instead, the hope is probably for Byfield to grow into that job and push Danault to the third unit.

The defense looks solid now that Drew Doughty is back from his ankle injury. We haven’t seen much from him offensively yet -- just one assist in six appearances with the Kings and one helper in four outings with Canada -- but he’s averaged 26:57 of ice time with Los Angeles since returning, so he’s helped stabilize the blue line.

In goal, Darcy Kuemper has been a pleasant surprise, providing a 17-6-6 record, 2.22 GAA and .918 save percentage in 30 appearances, firmly putting his 2023-24 showing with Washington -- a 13-14-3 record with a 3.31 GAA and an .890 save percentage in 33 outings -- behind him. Maybe the Kings will seek an alternate to David Rittich, who has a 12-11-1 record, 2.59 GAA and .890 save percentage in 25 appearances, but that seems unlikely.

That mostly just leaves help on the wings, especially from someone who can find the back of the net. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala are the only Kings players with at least 15 markers -- 25 and 21, respectively -- while 3.7 players per team have hit the 15-goal milestone, so it’s fair to say that’s an area of need for the Kings.

Los Angeles is also an underwhelming 20th in goals per game with 2.83 and has instead relied on its fifth-ranked 2.53 goals allowed per game for its success.

If the Kings do add a top six forward, then Trevor Moore could see his playing time meaningfully diminish. Moore was great in 2023-24 with 31 goals and 57 points in 82 regular-season games, but he’s dropped to eight goals and 23 points in 45 appearances this season, making his average ice time of 17:05 less than ideal. Any addition up front might also push Moore off the power play entirely. As it is, he’s averaging just 1:11 with the man advantage, which has resulted in only one assist for the 29-year-old this season.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild have a full week, starting at home against Detroit on Tuesday before a back-to-back in Utah and Colorado on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The squad will then return to Minnesota to host the Bruins on Sunday.

Minnesota has a strong 34-19-4 record (72 points), but with the Jets’ dominance (39-14-3), finishing first in the Central Division still looks like a longshot. Instead, the Wild are battling with Dallas (37-18-2) and Colorado (33-24-2) for the second and third seeds in the division with the bottom of the three likely entering the playoffs as a wild-card club.

The big question for the Wild is when Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) will be back. When he underwent surgery in late January, we were told that he’d miss a minimum of four weeks, so while a return this week seems unlikely, seeing Kaprizov by mid-March isn’t out of the question. Minnesota deserves credit for managing a 4-2-0 record since Kaprizov was put on the shelf, but that stretch also included back-to-back shutout losses and an underwhelming 2.50 goals per game, so the Wild have shown some vulnerability.

Getting strong performances out of Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello during Kaprizov’s absence will be critical. Boldy had a poorly timed five-game scoring drought from Jan. 29-Feb. 6, but he bounced back with two goals and three points in the Wild’s final game before the break and held his own during the 4 Nations Face-Off, supplying a goal and three points in four outings with Team USA, so he might hit the ground running for Minnesota when play resumes.

Rossi has two goals and seven points across his past 10 appearances with the Wild, but he’s also been inconsistent during that stretch, going without a point in five of those outings. Meanwhile, Zuccarello hadn’t scored a point in five straight games before the break. Maybe the break -- Zuccarello wasn’t involved in the tournament -- has allowed him to reset and put that slump behind him.

That trio is likely to play together while Kaprizov remains out, though once Kaprizov returns, Boldy might shift off that unit to make room for the Wild’s star forward.

Nashville Predators

Nashville will open the week with a pair of difficult opponents at home, hosting Florida and Winnipeg on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. The Predators will then travel to New York to face the Islanders on Saturday and the Rangers on Sunday.

Nashville showed some hope from Jan. 3-23, winning seven of nine games, but the Predators followed that with a six-game losing streak they couldn’t afford. Nashville now has a 20-29-7 record, putting the team 15 points out of a playoff spot. The team isn’t mathematically eliminated, but there is no longer a realistic path to the postseason for Nashville. To hit 94 points, Nashville would need to go 23-4-1 the rest of the way. That’s simply not happening.

That makes the Predators obvious sellers going into the deadline. Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Roman Josi and Brady Skjei all have no-movement clauses and significant term left on their contracts, so I wouldn’t expect any kind of blockbuster involving any of them.

Interestingly, Juuse Saros’ new contract, and thus his no-movement clause, doesn’t begin until the 2025-26 campaign, so technically the Predators could trade the goaltender, but I doubt they will. Saros’ eight-year, $61.92 million deal looked good when he inked it, but the 29-year-old has struggled this campaign with an 11-23-6 record, 2.95 GAA and .898 save percentage in 41 appearances prior to the tournament. He had a minus-3.5 goals saved above expected, per Moneypuck, which suggests he’s been below average even after considering the poor play in front of him. Teams might be hesitant to take on that big contract given his recent performance, and Nashville might be equally reluctant to trade him at a time when his value is down.

Still, Nashville should be active at the deadline. Gustav Nyquist, who is playing the final season of his two-year, $6.37 million contract, is likely gone. His 20 points in 55 appearances this campaign is a far cry from his 75-point showing in 2023-24, but the 35-year-old should still be a capable middle-six forward for a contender and, frankly, a move away from the Predators’ struggles should do him some good.

Perhaps Ryan O'Reilly will be moved as well. He’s signed through 2026-27, but his $4.5 million cap hit is fair for the two-way center who has 14 goals, 34 points and a 56.6 faceoff percentage in 53 outings this season. The 34-year-old is a former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, which is sure to appeal to contenders, and the fact that he’s got term left on his deal means that he would command more than a rental price. He also lacks a no-trade clause, making a potential move that much easier. That said, it really depends on how bad the Predators see their situation. Nashville still has a veteran core, and with so many players locked to NMCs, the franchise is unlikely to embrace a rebuild at this time. If that’s the case, then Nashville might prefer to keep O’Reilly under the belief that the team will bounce back over the next two years. At the least, the Predators likely aren’t motivated sellers when it comes to him, so they would need to be offered a very appealing return.

It'd be much cheaper for teams to pry Luke Schenn from the Predators. He’s in the middle season of a three-year, $8.25 million contract, so he’s not a rental either, but the 35-year-old defenseman is presumably not as big of a part of Nashville’s plans. For a team looking to win now, though, Schenn provides some value. He is a physical force with 41 PIM and 207 hits through 56 outings and would be a solid third-pairing option on a playoff squad. His cap hit might be a touch high for what he brings to the table, but at $2.75 million, it’s workable.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Moving from one seller to another, the Penguins aren’t quite out of the playoff race, but they probably won’t make it. At the least, Pittsburgh needs to be great down the stretch to close the gap, which means the Penguins need a big week. They’ll play in Philadelphia on Tuesday before returning home to host the Flyers, the Bruins and the Maple Leafs on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Sidney Crosby looked great in the 4 Nations Face-Off, contributing a goal and five points across four games for Team Canada. The 37-year-old should be expected to continue to perform for the Penguins down the stretch after supplying 17 goals and 58 points across 55 appearances with Pittsburgh leading up to the tournament. Unfortunately, it’s already well established that the current Penguins can lose even with Crosby keeping up his end of the bargain.

Even if the Penguins are sellers, Crosby is unsurprisingly going nowhere. He has a no-movement clause, and it’s doubtful that either Pittsburgh or Crosby have interest in parting ways. He is the face of the franchise and will likely remain in that position until he hangs up his skates.

The same goes for Evgeni Malkin. The Russian star made his intentions clear in an interview with The Athletic’s Rob Rossi: “I not retire. I know what some people say -- like, I go back to Russia and play for my home team. But I never say it, you know? I retire with Pittsburgh. The Penguins are my team. I love this team. When I retire it’s here.”

So yeah, take him off the list, especially because his no-movement clause gives him final say over his status.

Still, the Penguins are likely to make some moves. Perhaps Matt Grzelcyk, who is playing on a one-year, $2.75 million contract, will be traded. He has a goal and 28 points in 59 appearances while averaging 20:18 of ice time, though he might see his power-play role decline with a new team, which would hurt his fantasy value. He has 10 power-play assists and has logged 2:11 per game with the man advantage this season.

Cody Glass might also be shipped to a team looking for forward depth, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the same happen to Anthony Beauvillier. Neither has term left on his contract, though Glass has one season remaining of RFA eligibility.

If Pittsburgh is in the mood for something bigger, the team could take a hard look at moving Rickard Rakell. He’s having a strong campaign with 25 goals and 49 points in 58 appearances. He’s signed through 2027-28 with a $5 million cap hit, so I don’t think the Penguins will move him, but his trade value is good, so it would be a way to shake things up without touching the core. However, the Penguins aren’t expected to enter a full rebuild until after Crosby retires, so rather than move Rakell for picks or long-term prospects, Pittsburgh would presumably want at least one player who is NHL-ready in any Rakell trade.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues will alternate between home and away games next week. They’ll start by hosting Seattle on Tuesday before playing in Washington on Thursday, returning home to face the Kings on Saturday and finally traveling to Dallas for a clash Sunday.

St. Louis is in a similar position to Pittsburgh. It’d be wrong to say all hope for a playoff berth is lost, but with a 26-26-6 (58 points) record, squeaking into the playoffs seems improbable. Perhaps Jordan Binnington can ride the high of backstopping Team Canada to victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off to lead the Blues on a run after the break. It’s certainly something to keep an eye on because he’s a great netminder when he’s at his best, but the problem is that the 31-year-old can end up all over the place. Not to take away from what he just accomplished, but that inconsistency makes it hard for me to count on him to continue at that high level of performance for a sustained period of time.

If he can’t lead St. Louis on a run in the near term, then the Blues are likely to be another seller at the trade deadline. Radek Faksa, who is in the final season of his five-year, $16.25 million contract, would be the most likely player to be dealt under those circumstances. He has three goals, 10 points, 83 hits and 31 blocks in 46 appearances in 2024-25. Those aren’t standout numbers, but Faksa would likely have a market among contenders looking to add to their bottom six.

Maybe trade offers involving Cam Fowler or Nick Leddy will be entertained too. Leddy has a full no-trade clause, while Fowler can limit his options to a four-team trade list, so the two blueliners have considerable control over their respective situations, but they’re also 33 years old and might be interested in the opportunity to play for a contender. Fowler and Leddy are signed through 2025-26, so each of them would come with a bit of term, which adds to their value, especially given that they also come with a reasonable cap hit of roughly $4 million (in Fowler’s case, that’s excluding the $2.5 million Anaheim has retained).

Fowler and Leddy are each capable of serving in a top four capacity. Fowler was already involved in a trade from Anaheim to St. Louis in December, so moving him again is a bit awkward, but given the Blues’ situation, it would make some sense to flip him to a team doing better. As for Leddy, he’s healthy after missing most of the campaign due to a lower-body injury. There seems to be a bit of load management going on given that he averaged just 17:21 of ice time over his first three games back -- his 2023-24 average was 22:22 -- but as he puts some distance between him and his time on the shelf, his workload should increase.

Ryan Suter will also probably get traded if there is interest in him. The 40-year-old isn’t the defenseman he once was, but he would be a nice veteran presence for a contender. Just don’t expect him to average anywhere close to his 20:29 in 2024-25 if he moves away from St. Louis.

If one or more of those blueliners do get traded, then Tyler Tucker will likely see an increase in playing time. We might also see Samuel Johannesson get called up from AHL Springfield to make his NHL debut. The 24-year-old has shown some offensive potential in the minors, providing three goals and 23 points in 46 appearances, so maybe he’d get a trial on the second power-play unit depending on who St. Louis parts with.

If the Blues make some moves up front, then Dalibor Dvorsky would likely get summoned from Springfield. The 19-year-old has looked good with 15 goals and 35 points in 44 AHL outings. It’s also worth keeping Jimmy Snuggerud in the back of your mind. He has 20 goals and 42 points in 32 games with the University of Minnesota as a junior. If he opts to go pro after the NCAA season, it’s feasible that he’ll immediately jump into a middle-six spot with the Blues.

So even if St. Louis misses the playoffs, there are some young players who might make those final weeks worth watching.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals will be at home next week and won’t have to deal with a back-to-back set. Washington will host Calgary on Tuesday, St. Louis on Thursday and Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Washington went into the break with a dominant lead in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals had 80 points (36-11-8) through 55 appearances, putting them nine points ahead of the second-rank Panthers despite Florida having played in two extra games. Although it’s too early for Washington’s spot atop the conference standings to be assured, we’re quickly approaching a point where the Capitals will have to resist the temptation to go onto cruise control until the playoffs.

While there are obvious benefits to the Capitals’ position, resting on your laurels down the stretch can make it hard to get serious again once the playoffs start. Fortunately, even if Washington soon finds itself in a position where wins feel optional, there will still be something to play for: Alex Ovechkin. The 39-year-old entered the 4 Nations break just 15 goals behind Wayne Gretzky and delivered a hat trick in his second game upon return to close the gap to 12 goals in the remaining 25 games. He’s scored at a pace of 0.67 goals per game this campaign, so becoming the all-time goal scorer by the end of the campaign looks attainable, should he stay healthy.

However, it has to be said that using that as the team’s motivation might be a double-edged sword. Getting the puck to Ovechkin is usually the right call -- he's converting on 18.4 percent of his shots after all -- but if the team puts all its focus into securing the record for Ovechkin, even at the cost of the fundamentals, then it might create bad habits. That’s potentially especially dangerous should the act of winning or losing become secondary.

Either way, he’s the best offensive weapon the Capitals have and should be well-rested after the break. He’s not the only one either -- no Washington player was included in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Although Jordan Binnington got the job done, Logan Thompson would have also been a fantastic option for Team Canada after posting a 24-2-5 record, 2.23 GAA and .921 save percentage through 31 appearances with Washington this season, but he wasn’t included on the roster. The silver lining is that the time off should have given him a chance to reset -- he was working through a slump right before the break, posting a 1-0-2 record, 3.88 GAA and .867 save percentage across three outings.

That’s in contrast to Tom Wilson, who had four goals and six points across his final four outings before the break and has added three points in two games since returning. The 30-year-old has already suprassed his career high in goals with 26 and is on course to surpass his personal best of 52 points -- he has 45 through 57 contests this campaign.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets will open the week by hosting the Sharks, and they’ll follow that up with a two-game road trip to Ottawa and Nashville on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The Jets will conclude the week back home with a clash against the Flyers on Saturday.

Like the Capitals, Winnipeg’s biggest challenge going forward might be finding ways to stay motivated down the stretch as games potentially mean progressively less. The Jets already have 81 points (39-14-3) after just 56 appearances, so their playoff position is fairly secure. They’ve even opened up a nine-point lead in the battle for the Western Conference’s top seed thanks to their active eight-game winning streak.

One benefit of that time off will be the ability to manage Connor Hellebuyck’s workload down the stretch. The 31-year-old netminder should still be counted on to play regularly, but we might see Eric Comrie move up to playing once every third game to make sure Hellebuyck isn’t burnt out by the time the playoffs start. It’s a situation worth monitoring closely if you have Hellebuyck on your fantasy team. Adding Comrie would be a good hedge, especially given that he’s been a fine backup with a 2.57 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 13 appearances.

On the trade front, Winnipeg is projected to have $11.2 million worth of deadline cap space, per Puckpedia, but the Jets are missing their 2025 second and fourth-round selections due to trades before this season, so Winnipeg has a little less to work with when it comes to acquiring players.

Another tricky thing is that…they play in Winnipeg. That’s not me trying to throw shade at the city, that’s me acknowledging a genuine challenge that the franchise has to constantly overcome because of player perceptions. The Athletic recently polled 111 players and granted them anonymity so that they could speak freely. When asked what the first team on their hypothetical no-trade list would be, 48.78 percent picked Winnipeg.

As one player put it: “There’s not much to do out there. It’s (censored) cold. I haven’t heard a guy go to Winnipeg and be like, 'This is going to be my forever home.’”

The second-place Sabres weren’t even close at 19.51 percent despite the Jets being a dominant club while Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011. It’s not fair, but if a player has a partial no-trade list, then you have to consider the probability that Winnipeg is on it. Even still, Winnipeg might be able to bolster its blue line or add a middle-six forward before the deadline.

Seth Jones has interest in leaving Chicago, and Winnipeg was mentioned as a potential destination by The Athletic. He’d help solidify the Jets’ top four and maybe serve on the second power-play unit. His $9.5 million cap hit is a bit rich, but the cap is going up, and the Blackhawks might be willing to retain part of that salary. However, Jones has a no-movement clause, and given what we’ve already discussed when it comes to players' feelings for Winnipeg, he might not be willing to waive it for the Jets.

Getting Ryan Donato from Chicago might be more viable. It’s a far less splashy move, but Donato would be a nice third-line option. He has 19 goals and 38 points in 55 appearances this season. Connor Murphy would also be a solid add for Winnipeg in a trade with the Blackhawks. After supplying a goal, 13 points, 38 PIM, 72 hits and 100 blocks in 44 appearances with Chicago this campaign, he’d look nice on Winnipeg’s third pairing. Like Jones, though, Winnipeg would have to overcome the NTC problem -- Murphy has a 10-team no-trade list.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 18th to 24th) – Detroit in late season collapse, need to turn it around fast – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:18:48 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 04: Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) skates with the puck during an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings on January 4, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)

For much of the season, it looked like Detroit was going to make the playoffs. As recently as Feb. 27, the Red Wings were 33-20-6 with an eight-point cushion in the fight for a wild-card spot. After dropping seven straight games, though, Detroit finds itself tied with the Islanders for the second wild-card seed, and the Red Wings’ situation is even worse because they’ve played one game more than New York. Meanwhile, Washington is just one point behind the Islanders and Red Wings, putting further pressure on Detroit.

Goaltending has played a big part in Detroit’s collapse. Alex Lyon was having a strong season, posting a 17-8-2 record, 2.68 GAA and .916 save percentage across 27 contests through Feb. 24. However, Lyon has allowed at least three goals in each of his last seven appearances, resulting in an ugly .856 save percentage in that span. However, Ville Husso (lower body) is still unavailable, and James Reimer has a 6-7-2 record, 3.09 GAA and .903 save percentage in 19 contests this campaign, so the Red Wings don’t have a good alternative to pivot to during Lyon’s struggles.

To be fair, it’s not just Lyon. Detroit has managed just 1.71 goals per game during its losing streak. Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond have each managed just three points over that seven-game span. Alex DeBrincat has no goals and one assist in the same stretch. Those are key forwards for Detroit, so for them all to go cold at the same time is disastrous.

The Red Wings could still rebound and make the postseason, but they need to do it soon. Otherwise, this season will go down as one of the most painful late season collapses for a team in recent memory.

Carolina Hurricanes – TUE @ NYI, THU VS PHI, FRI @ WAS (BTB), SUN VS TOR

The Hurricanes’ playoff spot is all but guaranteed, but Carolina is still chasing the Rangers in the battle for the Metropolitan Division title. They’ll continue that pursuit next week starting with a road game against the Islanders on Tuesday. After that, Carolina will host the Flyers on Thursday, play in Washington on Friday and conclude with a home contest versus the Maple Leafs on Sunday.

The Hurricanes are pretty healthy right now and even have Frederik Andersen back after missing roughly four months due to a blood clotting issue. He’s been fantastic since returning, posting a 3-0-0 record, 1.01 GAA and .955 save percentage across three starts. Carolina has been rotating between him and Pyotr Kochetkov, who has saved 46 of 49 shots (.939 save percentage) over his last two contests, bringing him to 17-12-3 with a 2.35 GAA and a .911 save percentage through 34 appearances this season.

Andersen and Kochetkov are likely to split the workload for the remainder of the season, which doesn’t leave much of a role for Spencer Martin. It wouldn’t be surprising if Martin accepts a brief AHL conditioning stint in a week or two for the sake of staying fresh ahead of the playoffs. Although he’s certainly far from Carolina’s first choice going forward, it’s still helpful to have him as a fallback plan should the Hurricanes run into injury troubles.

Jake Guentzel (upper body) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (personal) have also returned and made their Hurricanes debuts after being acquired from Pittsburgh and Washington, respectively. The duo appears set to play together on the second line, providing the Hurricanes with scoring threats outside of the Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen trio.

Kuznetsov has just seven goals and 18 points in 47 contests this season, but there’s potential here for him to mesh nicely with Guentzel, especially as the two settle into their new roles. If Kuznetsov is available in your fantasy league, he’s not a bad forward to take a chance on.

Colorado Avalanche – TUE @ STL, FRI VS CBJ, SUN VS PIT

The battle for the Central Division title could come down to the wire with Colorado, Dallas and Winnipeg all legitimate contenders for the top spot. The Avalanche can make things easier for themselves in that race by sweeping their relatively light competition next week. They’ll play in St. Louis on Tuesday before hosting the Blue Jackets on Friday and the Penguins on Sunday. None of those adversaries are in a playoff position, though St. Louis and Pittsburgh still have outside shots of squeaking into a wild-card slot.

There has been news recently when it comes to Gabriel Landeskog’s recovery from cartilage transplant surgery on his right knee. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, the 31-year-old might return during the 2024 playoffs, but it’s far from guaranteed. Keep in mind that he’ll be just 10 months into his 12-16 month timetable come May and while the Avalanche aren’t ruling anything out, they also don’t want to rush him back and risk making things worse.

He will surely be on the back of fantasy managers’ minds going into playoff league drafts. When healthy, Landeskog is a top-tier forward and the Avalanche are legitimate Cup contenders, so under normal circumstances, he’d be highly sought after. You should heavily temper your expectations, though. At most, you could take him toward the end of the draft, and even then, only if you’re comfortable with the very real possibility that he ends up not contributing anything.

In the meantime, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are continuing to dominate with 14 and 12 points, respectively, over the Avalanche’s last five games alone. MacKinnon is up to 42 goals and 115 points through 67 games as he pursues both the Art Ross and Hart Trophies.

Casey Mittelstadt has settled into a second-line role and has provided a goal and an assist in three games since being acquired by Buffalo. Obviously, he’s not playing with MacKinnon and Rantanen at even strength, but Mittelstadt doesn’t seem to be with the superstar duo on the power play either, instead going out with the second unit. That meaningfully hinders Mittelstadt’s value going forward.

Dallas Stars – WED VS ARI, FRI VS PIT, SUN @ ARI

As noted above, Dallas is in the battle for the Central Division title. Like the Avalanche, Dallas’ upcoming competition is fairly easy. Dallas will start with home games against the Coyotes and the Penguins on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before traveling to Arizona for a contest Sunday.

Unlike Colorado, which made a big splash in the Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram trade, Dallas had a relatively quiet trade deadline, though the Stars were able to get some business done before it, acquiring defenseman Chris Tanev from Calgary on Feb. 28. Dallas is also looking to get some reinforcements back soon in Tyler Seguin (lower body) and Evgenii Dadonov (lower body), both of which might return next week.

When Seguin returns, Sam Steel will likely find himself moving out of a top-nine role, but what’s harder to gauge is where Dadonov fits in. After scoring 24 goals and 57 points in 47 AHL contests, Logan Stankoven made his NHL debut Feb. 24 and has gone on to record five goals and eight points in 10 outings. If the 21-year-old can continue to produce, then removing him from his third-line spot would seem counterproductive. However, there is no other obvious candidate outside of Steel (who would get bumped for Seguin’s return) to remove from the top nine, so when everyone is healthy, Dadonov might find himself on the fourth unit.

A fourth line of Dadonov, Steel and Radek Faksa is a level of luxury most teams could only dream of, but that trio likely won’t get enough playing time to have any fantasy value. It does put pressure on Stankoven, though -- if he has a prolonged cold stretch, he could find his minutes drop dramatically given the intense competition in Dallas.

Edmonton Oilers – TUE VS MTL, THU VS BUF, SAT @ TOR, SUN @ OTT (BTB)

Edmonton has had some incredible highs and lows this campaign, but when all is done, it now looks like the Oilers will finish with the second seed in the Pacific Division. However, that’s not guaranteed, so Edmonton needs to continue to get results in the upcoming week. Fortunately for the Oilers, their upcoming competition isn’t the strongest. They’ll host Montreal on Tuesday and Buffalo on Thursday before hitting the road to play in Toronto on Saturday and Ottawa on Sunday. The Maple Leafs are set to make the playoffs, but their other three adversaries have an eye toward the draft lottery.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are unsurprisingly continuing to headline the Oilers’ offense. McDavid has an incredible 25 points (four goals) in his past 13 games while Draisaitl has four tallies and 13 points in his last seven appearances.

Edmonton did try to diversify its offense with the addition of Adam Henrique, but the former Ducks forward has just one assist in four contests with the Oilers. He’s serving primarily on the third line and second power-play unit, so he’s not sharing the ice with Edmonton’s superstars. Unless that changes, Henrique’s fantasy value with the Oilers is likely to be somewhat limited.

This might be a good week for goaltender Calvin Pickard, though. The backup netminder has been rotating with starter Stuart Skinner recently and the results have been positive with Pickard saving 93 of 97 shots (.959 save percentage) over his last three starts. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Oilers continue to give Pickard a decent share of the workload in the short term. It’ll help keep Skinner fresh for the playoffs, and Pickard has earned the increased responsibilities with his 9-4-0 record, 2.27 GAA and .919 save percentage across 14 outings in 2023-24.

New Jersey Devils – TUE VS PIT, THU VS WPG, SAT VS OTT, SUN @ NYI (BTB)

The Devils’ playoff hopes aren’t completely gone, but they’re running out of time to close the gap. New Jersey will spend most of the upcoming week at home, playing against the Penguins on Tuesday, the Jets on Thursday and the Senators on Saturday. They’ll finish the week with a road contest against the Islanders.

Timo Meier has done the most lately to keep New Jersey’s postseason dream alive. Although his 19 goals and 36 points through 53 games this season represent a substantial decline from his 40 tallies and 66 points in 78 contests in 2022-23, he’s excelled recently. Meier’s contributed nine goals and 14 points over his past 10 appearances and has found the back of the net in six of his last seven outings.

Of course, the Devils’ main problem this campaign has been defensive, not its scoring. To that end, New Jersey did add goaltenders Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. Kahkonen made his Devils debut Monday, saving 23 of 25 shots against a tough opponent in the Rangers, though New Jersey didn’t provide him with enough support and lost 3-1 anyway. Allen then made his first Devils start Thursday, turning aside 35 of 37 shots en route to a 6-2 victory over Dallas.

That duo is likely to split the workload the rest of the way. It’s worth warning, though, that to say the Devils had poor goaltending would be to tell only half the tale. The defense in front of those netminders hasn’t done its job either. New Jersey has an xGA/60 of 3.22, which is tied for 23rd in the league, so don’t expect Allen or Kahkonen to put up great numbers in the long run.

Tampa Bay Lightning – TUE @ VGK, THU @ SJS, SAT @ LAK, SUN @ ANA (BTB)

Tampa Bay is unlikely to climb into the top three of the Atlantic Division race, but the Lightning are in a strong position to make the playoffs in a wild-card spot. They’ll continue that fight next week while visiting Vegas on Tuesday, San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday and Anaheim on Sunday. The Kings and the Golden Knights are tough opponents, but the Sharks and the Ducks sit in the league’s basement.

Nikita Kucherov has continued his season-long battle with Nathan MacKinnon for the Art Ross and Hart Trophies. Kucherov is behind the Avalanche star in that race, but just barely with 39 goals and 112 points to MacKinnon’s 42 markers and 115 points. Kucherov is riding a nine-game scoring streak in which he’s supplied three goals and 18 points, so he certainly hasn’t let up.

While MacKinnon has Mikko Rantanen as his complementary forward in the battle, Kucherov has Brayden Point. The 28-year-old Lightning forward was especially effective Thursday, providing a hat trick and six points, bringing Point up to 36 tallies and 73 points in 66 appearances in 2023-24.

Victor Hedman has shined recently too with two goals and six points over his last three games. He’s up to 12 goals and 66 points in 64 contests, which is good for third in the defensemen scoring race behind Cale Makar (73 points) and Quinn Hughes (76).

Of course, those are all headline players with Tampa Bay. One contributor who doesn’t get that level of attention is Anthony Duclair. The Lightning acquired him from San Jose on March 7 and the 28-year-old has gotten off to a good start, providing two goals and three points in two contests with the Lightning. That brings him up to 18 goals and 30 points in 58 appearances this year. Tampa Bay has deployed him at times with Steven Stamkos as well as the Point-Kucherov duo, so Duclair could be in line for a strong finish to the campaign.

Toronto Maple Leafs – TUE @ PHI, WED @ WAS, SAT VS EDM, SUN @ CAR

Toronto is pretty much set at this point. They do have an outside shot of competing for the first or second seeds in the Atlantic Division but barring a complete collapse or a stunning hot streak, Toronto will almost certainly finish the campaign in the division’s third position. Still, the Leafs will look to stay sharp next week. They’ll play in Philadelphia on Tuesday and Washington on Wednesday before hosting the Oilers on Saturday. Toronto will then conclude the week with a road game versus the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The big question mark regarding the Maple Leafs is the health of Mitchell Marner. He’s dealing with a high-ankle sprain, which is concerning, but Toronto considers it to be a mild variant. Still, he’s set to miss his third straight game Saturday. Given Toronto doesn’t have a lot left to fight for until the playoffs, there isn’t any compelling reason to have him play at anything under 100 percent, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Toronto exercises an abundance of caution when determining his availability going forward.

As long as Marner is unavailable, who plays alongside Auston Matthews remains somewhat in flux. Calle Jarnkrok and Tyler Bertuzzi were his linemates initially Thursday, but Jarnkrok suffered a hand injury and is considered week-to-week. That creates a potential opening for Pontus Holmberg to play on the first unit, which would give him some short-term fantasy value.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on how Nick Robertson is used. He’s been limited to eight goals and 19 points in 41 contests this season but has averaged just 11:22 of ice time and hasn’t even dressed for Toronto since Feb. 29. However, Robertson does have some offensive upside, and the Leafs’ recent injuries might create a new opportunity for him.

Winnipeg Jets – TUE @ NYR, THU @ NJD, SAT @ NYI, SUN @ WAS (BTB)

As noted above, the Jets are competing with Colorado and Dallas for the top seed in the Central Division. The Jets will continue that pursuit next week while playing on the road against the Rangers on Tuesday, New Jersey on Thursday, the Islanders on Saturday and Washington on Sunday.

Gabriel Vilardi has unfortunately been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen. There’s no timetable for his recovery, and we just have to hope that his recovery will go smoothly for him, and after this, he’ll be able to put it behind him.

When he’s healthy, there’s a fair chance Vilardi will play alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the first line. As long as he’s unavailable, though, that spot will likely be occupied by Alex Iafallo, who has done well recently, providing two goals and three points in his past four games, which brings him up to 10 goals and 23 points in 65 contests in 2023-24. Iafallo might be worth taking a chance on while he’s playing on the first unit, but even in that role, you shouldn’t expect too much from him.

In the long run, the Jets will probably get more offensive production out of Tyler Toffoli, who is serving on the second line after being acquired from New Jersey on March 8. He has 26 goals and 44 points in 63 outings this season. Toffoli was held off the scoresheet in his first two games with Winnipeg, but it shouldn’t be too long before he starts to find his way with his new team, especially because he’s seeing time on the first power-play unit.

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – November 6th to 12th – Teams to target with trending players and opportunities

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:44:20 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) skates with the puck during the NHL professional men’s hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks on November 2, 2023 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire)

Last week I posed the question: Are the San Jose Sharks historically bad? Since then, they’ve been outscored 20-3 over the span of two games. I’m not going to make a second straight article headlined by the Sharks but…yikes.

Still, there’s a team sadder than them: The Edmonton Oilers. The Sharks might be the worst team this year, perhaps even the worst team ever assembled, but they were never supposed to be good. By contrast, the Oilers are actually trying to win the Cup, and yet they’re 2-7-1.

With each passing year, the possibility of squandering the luxury of having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together becomes even more real. After all, this is the ninth year they’ve been together. It’s not like it’s bound to get much easier either: Draisaitl is signed until the summer of 2025 at $8.5 million and after that, he’ll either demand a massive raise or, if he doesn’t think Edmonton is going anywhere, he’ll move on in the hopes of pursuing the Cup in the back half of his career. If Draisaitl leaves, McDavid could follow in the summer of 2026.

So, the stakes are very high, but can Edmonton rise to the occasion? There’s still time, even if they have dug themselves into a deep hole, but at this point, I think the only way for them to make the playoffs and compete for a spot is to somehow acquire a solid goaltender. That’s not a small ask. Teams with good goaltending aren’t exactly jumping to part with it, but Jack Campbell has been dreadful in Edmonton (a 3.53 GAA and an .886 save percentage through 41 contests with the Oilers), and while Stuart Skinner might rebound, the young goaltender isn’t a safe enough bet.

To be clear: This is on the goaltending. Edmonton’s expected goals allowed ranks eighth this season at 31.66, so the defense has been doing its part. The Oilers forwards have gotten off to a sluggish start, but the pieces are there, so I have faith that Edmonton’s forwards will come through. Unless the goaltending changes, though, that likely won’t matter.

Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim has three home games this week, hosting Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Philadelphia on Friday and San Jose on Sunday. The Sharks are, of course, the worst of those teams, but the Penguins have struggled too, posting a 4-6-0 record. Sure, Pittsburgh earned a 10-2 win Saturday, but…it was against the Sharks.

The Ducks are red hot, winning five straight going into the week. Mason McTavish has been a big part of that, scoring five goals and eight points during the run, which brings him up to 12 points through 10 contests this season. I don’t expect him to maintain his offensive pace, but he should easily surpass his 43-point rookie finish.

Ryan Strome is hot too, contributing two goals and eight points over his last eight outings. He did miss Wednesday’s contest, but don’t worry about that -- it was just an illness, so he should play Tuesday.

In net, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Anaheim continue to lean heavily on Lukas Dostal, who has started in the last three contests. His GAA isn’t great (2.80), but he has a fantastic save percentage (.920), and with the quality of the Ducks competition this week, Dostal has a solid chance of picking up another two wins.

Dallas Stars

The Stars have a busy week ahead of them. First, they’ll host the Bruins on Monday, then they’ll make stops in Columbus on Thursday, Winnipeg on Saturday and Minnesota on Sunday.

Dallas is off to a 7-2-1 start, partially thanks to its deep offense. Even Matt Duchene, who was scoreless over his first four contests with the Stars, settled in, recording a five-game point streak from Oct. 24-Nov. 2 (two goals, three assists). However, he exited Saturday’s game after sustaining an upper-body injury on a high hit from Vancouver’s Ian Cole, so his status for Monday’s outing is in question.

Radek Faksa is also dealing with an upper-body injury, and if both miss time, then Sam Steel might have an opportunity to serve in a middle-six role and even get some power-play ice time. Steel isn’t a major offensive force, but that opportunity is worth keeping in mind, given Dallas’ packed schedule. If Duchene is healthy, though, he’d be worth leaning on given his recent play.

Digging deeper, Mason Marchment has some short-term value. The middle-six forward’s looked strong lately, collecting two goals and four points over his last five appearances.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers have been up-and-down thus far, earning wins against strong competition like New Jersey on Oct. 16, Toronto on Oct. 19 and Detroit on Nov. 2 while also being one of just two teams to deny Boston a regulation-time victory (Florida lost 3-2 in overtime Monday). However, the Panthers also suffered a 5-2 loss to the lowly Blackhawks on Saturday and are 5-4-1 overall.

This week will be a test for the Panthers with home games against Columbus, Carolina and Chicago on Monday, Friday and Sunday, respectively, as well as a road match versus Washington on Wednesday. Those are all winnable games. Carolina (7-5-0) and Washington (5-4-1) do have PTS% over .500, but not by much.

Anton Lundell should make for a good pickup this week. The 22-year-old was held off the scoresheet for the first five contests of the campaign, but he’s provided a goal and three points over his last five games. His increased production goes hand-in-hand with added responsibility, jumping from an average of 13:27 of ice time during his slump to 16:41 over his last five outings.

It might also be a big week for Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a 4-3-1 record, 2.51 GAA and .913 save percentage through eight appearances this year. This week’s contests are spread out enough that he could start in all four, which might be exactly what the Panthers do, given how sparingly they’ve used Anthony Stolarz. It’s also not like Stolarz demanded an expanded role Saturday -- he stopped 19 of 23 shots in a 5-2 loss to Chicago.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will look to build off their incredible 8-2-1 start with a home stretch against Detroit on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday and Columbus on Sunday. The Red Wings have done well themselves (7-4-1), but the Wild and Blue Jackets are off to mediocre starts.

It will be a challenging stretch for New York, though, because Adam Fox (lower body) and Filip Chytil (upper body) were hurt Thursday and will not be an option this week. Their absence forces the Rangers to make significant changes, particularly on the power play.

Erik Gustafsson is now likely to serve on the top power-play unit, so his fantasy value will go up meaningfully during Fox’s absence.

Meanwhile, without Chytil, Blake Wheeler might see time on the second power-play unit. Wheeler has been used sparingly by New York -- just an average of 11:58 per game -- and he consequently has just one assist through 11 contests. The 37-year-old finished the 2022-23 campaign with 16 goals and 55 points in 72 outings, though, so even in the tail end of his career, he can still chip in offensively under the right circumstances.

Artemi Panarin should still run the show, though. He has six goals and 18 points in 11 contests this year and is showing no signs of slowing down, providing three goals and 10 points over his last five outings.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are obviously bad, but they do have a full schedule this week. They’ll host Philadelphia on Tuesday and Edmonton on Thursday before visiting Vegas on Friday and Anaheim on Sunday.

If that schedule belonged to any other team, I wouldn’t hesitate to include them, but is there anyone playing for San Jose who has fantasy value? Certainly not its goaltenders, who have combined for a 4.75 GAA and an .873 save percentage.

What about on offense? San Jose has averaged 1.09 goals per game, so the pickings are slim there too. However, Tomas Hertl did have two assists Saturday, bringing him up to a goal and seven points in 11 contests. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him do some damage this week, particularly against Edmonton’s shaky goaltending.

Anthony Duclair might be worthy of a short-term pickup as well. He has just two goals and three points in 11 contests, but he’s not far removed from his 58-point campaign in 2021-22. Plus, the upside of being with San Jose is he does get a solid amount of playing time, including first power-play unit responsibilities.

Keep an eye on William Eklund too. The 21-year-old has just a goal and an assist, but the 2021 seventh-overall pick does have considerable upside and is getting top-six minutes.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning will complete their four-game road trip with visits to Toronto and Montreal on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Then they’ll spend some time at home while facing the Blackhawks on Thursday and the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Outside of Tampa Bay’s usual suspects, Alex Barre-Boulet is doing very well, collecting three goals and six points over his last six outings. The 26-year-old is an interesting one because he was never drafted and had just nine points in 32 contests going into this campaign. However, he earned this opportunity by excelling in the AHL, finishing the 2022-23 campaign with 24 goals and 84 points in 69 appearances with Syracuse, and has shown that his skills can translate to the top level. Barre-Boulet is averaging just 13:14 of ice time, but some of that’s with Nikita Kucherov, so if he’s available in your league, he’s worth taking a chance on.

If you could use a source of hits, Tanner Jeannot can fill that role during the Lightning’s busy week. He has 34 hits in 11 contests thus far and should maintain that aggressive play. Jeannot will probably continue getting into trouble, too, after accumulating 13 PIM this campaign. On the offensive side, he’s not a huge asset, but his two goals and five points are respectable for this stage of the season, and the 26-year-old consistently plays on the second power-play unit.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has dropped its last four games, bringing its record down to 5-4-2. That’s not so bad that it’s time to panic -- The Maple Leafs started 4-4-2 last year en route to a 50-21-11 campaign -- but it’s fair to say some serious questions about the team’s viability as contenders have been raised.

They’ll have an opportunity to step up this week with a key home stretch featuring the Lightning on Monday, Senators on Wednesday, Flames on Friday and Canucks on Saturday. While those aren’t easy teams, though Calgary is 3-7-1, playing at home should help.

What would help more is if the supporting cast stepped up for the Leafs. The Core Four of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitchell Marner and John Tavares have done their part, combining for an incredible 26 goals. That’s more goals than the entirety of the Blues or Capitals and more than double the Sharks.

The rest of the forward core is a barren wasteland, though. Matthew Knies has just two goals and four points, Max Domi has four helpers and Tyler Bertuzzi has two markers and three points.

Calle Jarnkrok is showing a bit of life, though. He has a goal and five points this campaign but has registered a point in back-to-back contests. The Leafs have been doing so line juggling, but Jarnkrok has seen time recently alongside Matthews and Marner, which certainly helps his potential value. If you’re going to gamble on any non-star Toronto player, Jarnkrok seems like the best bet right now.

Bertuzzi might be a good buy-low candidate. He’s struggled to find his rhythm with Toronto, but he’s a capable top-six forward who should turn things around. He certainly has reason to want more out of himself, given that he’s playing on a one-year contract.

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver will start the week hosting the struggling Oilers before facing Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal on the road on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Canucks are off to an 8-2-1 start and on a three-game winning streak, so they couldn’t be much hotter entering this batch of contests.

Elias Pettersson is leading the offense with six goals and 20 points in 11 contests this campaign, while defenseman Quinn Hughes isn’t far behind, providing four goals and 16 points. However, Vancouver also has gotten help up and down the lineup.

Filip Hronek is on a six-game point streak and has collected 11 helpers this year. He’ll slow down at some point, but for now, he’s a great component to any fantasy team.

If Ilya Mikheyev is still available in your league, he’s worth scooping up over the short term. Mikheyev has never recorded more than 32 points in a single campaign, but injuries are a big part of the reason why. He also missed the start of the 2023-24 campaign after undergoing ACL surgery in January, but since returning, he’s provided three goals and six points in seven outings. He’s been playing alongside Pettersson, and as long as that remains the case, Mikheyev should be productive.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DALLAS STARS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:44:59 +0000

CALGARY, AB - APRIL 21: Dallas Stars Left Wing Jason Robertson (21) tries to take a shot as Calgary Flames Center Elias Lindholm (28) backchecks during the third period of an NHL game where the Calgary Flames hosted the Dallas Stars on April 21, 2022, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Stars made the playoffs in three of four years from 2018-19 through 2021-22, but last season was their most dominant since 2005-06 in terms of points percentage, courtesy of their 47-21-14 record. Dallas achieved that level of success in no small part thanks to Jake Oettinger, who played a career-high 62 contests and finished with a 37-11-11 record, 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage. Dallas did have the second best five-on-five expected goals against (158.23), so he got considerable support from the Stars’ blue line, but Oettinger was still the backbone of the team. The Stars were also able to roll two great forward lines, led by Jason Robertson, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz, who each provided over 25 goals and 70 points. Complement that with defenseman Miro Heiskanen’s 73-point campaign, and the Stars were the envy of many offensively. Dallas’ success carried into the playoffs, besting Minnesota and Seattle in the first two rounds, but the run ultimately ended at the hands of the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals.

What’s Changed? After being bought out by Nashville, Matt Duchene inked a one-year, $3 million contract with Dallas, bolstering an already deep offense. Evgenii Dadonov also agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the Stars after a successful stint with the team as a Feb. 26 acquisition from Montreal, though fellow midseason acquisition Max Domi left for Toronto.

What would success look like? While it might be unfair to say that it’s Cup-or-bust for Dallas, the expectations are about as high as they could be. There’s some minor cause for urgency too given that Pavelski is 39 years old, and Oettinger has just two seasons left at $4 million before he’ll command a big raise. Fortunately, with their goaltending and defense intact from last year, combined with an embarrassment of riches up front – Duchene and Tyler Seguin might headline an overqualified third line – the Stars really do look like one of the best teams in the league.

What could go wrong? Speaking of Pavelski’s age, you have to wonder how much longer he can really defy Father Time. Benn is coming off a fantastic season too, but he’s been up-and-down in recent years and is 34 years old at this point. If Pavelski and Benn do regress significantly, then suddenly Dallas’ offense isn’t nearly as deep as it currently appears. Then there’s Oettinger, who was amazing during the regular season, but struggled in the 2023 playoffs with a 10-9 record, 3.06 GAA and .895 save percentage in 19 starts. Will he bounce right back and even if he does, will he rise to the occasion when it matters the most? The hopes of the Stars are largely resting on his shoulders.

Top Breakout Candidate: On a team with plenty of veteran talent, Wyatt Johnston was the lone teenager last year, but he didn’t look out of place, contributing 24 goals and 41 points in 82 contests. Now 20 years old, Johnston is likely to center the Stars’ second line and be a regular presence on the second power-play unit. Those opportunities could lead to him surpassing the 50-point milestone as a sophomore.

Forwards

Jason Robertson - LW

Already a star after only three years in the league, Robertson usually finds a way onto the scoresheet by the end of the night. Not a quick skater and makes up for it by always getting to the right spot and knowing what he is going to do with the puck before he gets it. He has incredible hands and can carry the puck on a string without being impeded. Deadly accurate with his shot and can score from almost anywhere in the offensive zone because of how well he chttps://www.mckeenshockey.com/players/roope-hintz/reates space for himself. Usually recognizes the defender’s tendencies when playing one-on-one or finds the soft spot that gives him the time and space to pick a corner. One of the best players in the league at slowing the game down and creating almost power play like situations at even strength, allowing the Stars to run more creative offensive setups and make the details of the game count. All of these are why Robertson became the first Star player to score 100 points since Dino Ciccarelli in 1987. Capped off by a ridiculous month of November where he tallied 26 points in 14 games. He has only gotten better with each season in the league so the only question left with Robertson is how much better can he get?

Roope Hintz - C

It can be argued that while Robertson is the best player on the Stars, Hintz is the most important because he leads most of the rush offense and does most of the legwork while carrying the puck. Very strong on his skates and a terrific shooter, he is the total package when you hear someone referred to as a “200-foot player.” He can start rushes on his own from a dead stop and put defenders in a bind with his combo of speed and puck handling. It makes him a threat alone, but when you combine it with how good his linemates are, it’s even better. Hintz can draw defenders away from Robertson to give him even more space and allow Dallas to connect on some of the precision, tic-tac-toe plays you saw from them perform so often last year. Hintz himself also has quite the lethal wrist shot, scoring on almost 20% of his shots and consistently shooting above the league average for most of his career. He can be a little high-risk at times from how much of a workload he takes on, but he is always a threat when he is on the ice. He was the team’s best forward in the playoffs and is always a threat when on the ice.

Joe Pavelski - RW

The long-time San Jose Shark is having the best seasons of his career in Dallas, following up a career high season in 2021 with 77 points and posting a career high in assists. Playing on one of the best lines in the league helps, but Pavelski is a big part of what makes the line work. All three players are natural centers and can rotate playing all three forward positions when needed. Not that Pavelski ever moves from his usual place in front of the goal. When he’s not deflecting pucks, he is fighting hard to create space in front of the net, lifting sticks or getting body position on a defender. He makes a lot of goals happen even if he’s not the one scoring or setting them up, which is exactly what you want from the veteran on a highly skilled line. This is also why 13 of his goals came on the power play last year, as this skillset helps you more when you’re on the man advantage. His five-on-five play was still solid, though and he is a big reason why Robertson has been so productive. We also can’t forget about his playoff performance, scoring eight goals in seven games in the Seattle series (four of which came in one game).

Jamie Benn - LW

High tide raises all ships and that was the story behind the Stars captain’s massive return to form. Looking like a third liner for most of the last few years, he had a career renaissance season with 33 goals and 78 points. This was his highest point total since 2018 and more goals than he scored in the previous two seasons combined. He was also tied for the team lead in power play goals with 13. Sometimes a player thrives when the environment around him is better, and Benn is the best case for that. Dallas played a more offensive-friendly system last year and Benn created plenty of odd-man rushes because of that. His newfound chemistry with rookie Wyatt Johnson also proved to be a two-way street, as Benn provided the defensive support, and they created plenty of open shots for each other off the rush. Benn also benefitted from being the goal vulture on the power play, taking advantage of plenty of rebounds and loose pucks. It’s tough to sustain this level of production because you’re not always going to get these high-percentage chances every year, but Benn had also had his best season in terms of driving offense, so it bodes well for him being a positive player in the final year of his contract.

Matt Duchene - RW

The free agent class had a late windfall when Nashville opted to buyout the remainder of Matt Duchene’s contract. It was a little surprising because the speedy forward is still owed a lot of money and is only two years removed from a career season. Dallas was quick to sign him on July 1st and they are hoping he can give their second line some scoring punch. Getting two productive seasons out of Benn and Seguin was nice, but scoring is usually tough to come by for the middle of Dallas’ lineup and Duchene provides a fix for that. He has an excellent shot if he gets space and has reinvented himself as a scoring winger the last couple of seasons. The risk with Duchene is that he has been two different players since leaving Colorado. The high-octane scoring winger who will play more of a riverboat gambler style of hockey off the rush and the center who will play keep away with the puck in the offensive zone forever but not score many goals. What version Dallas gets remains to be seen and could ultimately come down to who his linemates are.

Tyler Seguin - C

Dallas getting back-to-back 20-goal seasons out of Seguin seems like a miracle when you consider he lost an entire season to hip surgery. Playing a lower line role and contributing on both special teams’ units, this is a different Tyler Seguin than Stars fans are used to seeing. Playing more of an off-puck role and providing a defensive presence alongside some of the team’s younger players. You see glimpses of his old self at times. He is still dangerous when he gets space and loves that patented toe-drag move to pick a corner. Expectations have changed for him now because a 50-point season would be seen as a disappointment for him a few years ago, but the emergence of Dallas’ younger core has allowed Seguin to play more of a lower line role and a team leader. Last year was good progress for him, thriving as a forechecker and getting some spot duty on the top line with Robertson and Pavelski. The explosive offense is there in bursts for Seguin, so he should give a boost to the Stars depth if he keeps this up for the rest of his contract.

Wyatt Johnston - C

It’s rare for a late first-round pick to make the NHL before he turns 20 let alone have a 24-goal season. The Stars should be thrilled out of what they got out of Wyatt Johnston last year because it looks like he is only scratching the surface of what he can do. Placed in the top-six immediately, he formed a great chemistry with Jamie Benn and eventually Evgenii Dadonov, mostly as the triggerman while the other two handled the zone entries and cycling. He had a nose for the net and a knack for getting himself wide open for scoring opportunities. It’s different than what you see from most rookies who usually want the puck all the time, Johnston was more patient and waited for his opportunities while staying active in the offensive zone. He also showed some ability to make defenders miss in the neutral zone, but usually took a backseat to his linemates until the puck got in the offensive zone. He isn’t always going to have Benn and others setting him up, so this is where Johnston can take a step forward next year. What he is now is good, now it’s about figuring out how good he can become.

Mason Marchment - LW

Signed to a four-year contract last off-season, Marchment’s first year with the Stars didn’t go as well as they hoped after dominating on Florida’s third line for a couple of years. He was one of the few Dallas forwards who struggled to finish his chances highlighted by a prolonged cold stretch in the middle of the year where he went 35 games without a goal. His lanky frame and awkward skating style made him a tough fit for an up-tempo system, but not only did he work in Florida, he thrived. Unfortunately, this is the chance you take with players that have a short track record, Marchment had only 91 NHL games to his credit before last year, and his results have been at the opposite end of the spectrum. Changing systems can be tough and Marchment also missed most of March with a lower body injury, so he had a lot of things out of his control working against him. Scoring at almost a 40-point pace despite this, there’s some promise with Marchment, especially as someone who can do the dirty work below the goal line, it’s just a matter of who he slots with and if it’s a good match.

Evgenii Dadonov - RW

A “third wheel” on a top line, Dadonov’s short stint in Dallas was enough for them to re-sign him for two years. The Stars got to see the best of him, as his 15 points in 23 games almost matched his season total in 50 games with Montreal. He isn’t the type of player who can drive a line, but he complements elite players well. He is deceptive with his decision-making in the offensive zone, tricking defenders into thinking he’s going to shoot even though he’s a playmaker at heart. This is why he racks up assists every year. The downside is someone usually needs to be the one driving the bus on his line, as he’s the type who will finish a play rather than start it. He had that in Dallas, especially in the playoffs, but not in Montreal and his overall production suffered. That said, he could be one of the best bargains in the league with the contract Dallas signed him to, as he can move all over the lineup and be a great weapon on the power play. Dallas’ top players are excellent at creating space for himself and Dadonov is at his most dangerous when other guys set the table for him. For under $3 million AAV, this was an excellent signing.

Defense

Miro Heiskanen - D

The departure of John Klingberg opened the door for Heiskanen to quarterback Dallas’ power play and the results were fantastic. He finally had that elusive 70+ point season, breaking Sergei Zubov’s record for most points in a season by a Stars defenseman. The ability was always there, the opportunities weren’t as he was saddled in more of a defensive role for most of his career. He still played the tough matchups but could be more of a real two-way threat playing behind better forwards. Dallas running a lot of their offense through the point also opened more chances for him to be creative on long-sustained possessions compared to previous years. He is a perfect secondary puck-carrier to Hintz and someone who can act as a true complement to the forwards to play that brand of “total hockey” the game is moving towards. The only trade-off here was that his defensive play wasn’t as lockdown as it was in previous years. It’s something the Stars will gladly take, though. The drop-off after Heiskanen on the Stars blue-line is stark and he remains their best option for all situations because of how much energy he conserves and how well he thinks the game even when fatigued. That said, every player has a limit on how much they can do, and the Stars put that to the test with Heiskanen last year.

Esa Lindell - D

While the Stars blue line lacks puck movers, they had plenty of guys who can get in the way and block shots. None of them are better at it than Esa Lindell, who finally got more help with handling some of the tougher matchups this year. His minutes were reduced at five-on-five with him playing more regularly on the second pair and he had one of his better seasons at driving play. The coaching change benefitted him in some ways, as his pair with Jani Hakanpaa soaked up most of the defensive minutes and playing with leads. Lindell’s best skills are denying entries and clearing the puck out of the zone, so he was very helpful in these situations where he wasn’t expected to create offense. Playing only 20-21 minutes a game instead of 23-24 also benefited him, as he was more refreshed on the penalty kill and not as worn down at the end of the year. The limitations are that he struggles to make any play with the puck that isn’t just clearing it out of the zone and that showed at times in the post-season. Relies a little too much on his reach to negate plays, which results in penalties and gives up more space to forwards than he takes away. Still one of the league’s underappreciated players.

Ryan Suter - D

It was a tale of two seasons for Suter, playing most of the year alongside Nils Lundkvist and Colin Miller, his role increased in the playoffs to becoming Miro Heiskanen’s partner on the top-pair. The Stars scrapping their by-committee approach to defense for most of the year and wanting Suter to play higher because he still has the cardio to play minutes. The legs were still there for him, but his decision-making in the playoffs proved costly at times, especially without the puck. His average ice time per game was in the 20-21 minute range, which was the lowest since his rookie year, and that jumped up to 23-24 minutes once the Seattle series rolled around. At 38-years old, Suter still does a lot in the doldrums of the game, decent at avoiding pressure to retrieve the puck and skates well enough to protect the middle on zone entries. The game-breaking mistakes just happen more often than you’d like to see out of your longest-tenured defenseman, and it became more of a problem when his role increased in the playoffs. His deteriorating puck skills also make him just another guy who can play big minutes on Dallas’ blue line rather than a difference maker, so it will be interesting to see how he is used next year.

Nils Lundkvist - D

In some ways Lundkvist had a good first season with Dallas. Six goals are nothing to sneeze at for a young defenseman and he got regular playing time for most of the year. The season didn’t end on a strong note, though. In fact, it ended in the press box after Thomas Harley was called up. Playing a similar game to Harley, Lundkvist was seen as expendable as veterans like Jani Hakanpaa, Colin Miller and Joel Hanely got in the lineup over him. He was acquired for a first-round pick from the Rangers just before the season started, filling a void for a secondary puck-mover to complement Heiskanen and he was given a pretty long rope in the early part of the season. Dallas used him on the power play and in a situational top-four role alongside Ryan Suter. The results at the end of the day were okay. He did what he was supposed to in providing some offense from the back end but didn’t have the trust from the coaching staff once April rolled around. Thomas Harley’s emergence could make it tough for Lundkvist to make his mark, but the Stars invested a lot to acquire him, and he still fills a need on Dallas’ mostly immobile blue line.

Goaltender

Jake Oettinger - G

An alarming number of teams are heading into the 2023-24 NHL season with huge question marks in net; between underperforming prospects and the lack of a good, strong transition class to fill in the gap between the Quick-Lundqvist-Rask era and the upcoming Wolf-Shestyorkin-Askarov era, more than a few franchises are stuck scrambling to find good starters to get them into the postseason and beyond.

Luckily for Stars fans, though, they don’t have to worry about that. While the number of elite-tier goaltenders in the mid-twenties age group is alarmingly small, Jake Oettinger – who has become the de facto number one in Dallas and easily one of their most valuable players – sits near the top of the pack. He’s heading into the second of the three-year deal he signed at the last minute last summer, leaving the Stars net situation as worry-free as Texas fans have seen in years.

Oettinger entered the NHL as a big, technical goaltender who shooters have trouble drawing away from his angles or positioning and who doesn’t like taking big risks. While some of the league’s more by-the-book prospects in the last few years found themselves bleeding shots almost as fast as the game had been coached into over-predictability, though, Oettinger’s powerful recovery speed and upper-tier read of the game – which leaves him able to afford some ‘fun’ saves in there – blend with a level of creativity that doesn’t make him easy to predict, but inspires plenty of confidence when it’s time to make routine saves. His decision-making skills should continue to help bring heart rates down across Dallas in the aftermath of an extended era of excitement for the Central Division team; while Anton Khudobin and Kari Lehtonen were exciting starters to watch during their respective eras, there’s something to be said for the comfortable reliability of what Oettinger has to offer.

Projected starts: 60-65

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: DALLAS STARS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Recent Stanley Cup finalists looking to complete unfinished business

Scott Cullen — Thu, 18 May 2023 13:47:17 +0000

The Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars have advanced through the second round and will meet in the Western Conference Final for a chance to play the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

Both the Stars and Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Final recently. The Golden Knights are in their sixth season, so their entire history is recent, and they reached the Final in 2018, losing to the Washington Capitals. The Stars were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 Final.

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 08: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez (23), Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) and right wing Evgenii Dadonov (63) stand in front of Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 8, 2023 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Forwards

Vegas’s strength has been depth, and that has allowed them to overcome injuries throughout the season but also to receive contributions up and down the lineup. With a relatively healthy lineup in the postseason, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone are leading the way offensively, with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

However, seven more Golden Knights forwards have accrued at least five points through 11 playoff games. Ivan Barbashev and Jonathan Marchessault flank Eichel on the top line, and that trio has controlled better than 57% of expected goals during five-on-five play in the postseason. Marchessault started slowly in the playoffs, but produced eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 23 shots on goal in the last four games against Edmonton.

Mark Stone and speedy center Chandler Stephenson are a strong foundation on the second line, with Brett Howden moving up the depth chart to join them. Stephenson is tied for the team lead with six goals. Howden’s production dipped against Edmonton, but he does bring a physical presence in a supporting role.

Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, and Nicolas Roy give the Golden Knights a high quality third line. Smith and Karlsson both have produced eight points in 11 playoff games.

The fourth line of William Carrier, Teddy Blueger, and Keegan Kolesar does not score a lot, but will take a pound of flesh as Carrier and Kolesar lead the Golden Knights in hits/60 in the playoffs. Michael Amadio has appeared in nine playoff games, but Blueger joined the lineup for the last two games against Edmonton. Phil Kessel has not dressed for Vegas since Game 5 of the first round.

Roope Hintz has elevated his game in the postseason, leading the Stars with nine goals and 19 points in 13 playoff games. His shot rate has increased, and the Stars have controlled 68.5% of expected goals with Hintz on the ice during five-on-play in the playoffs. Jason Robertson has managed just two goals and while he has 10 assists and has been driving play, the Stars have room to get better if Robertson’s production gets back on track. Joe Pavelski suffered a concussion in Game 1 of the first round against Minnesota but scored eight goals in seven games against Seattle. That trio is in a strong contender for Like the Golden Knights, the Stars have a quality top nine and have been able to count on

Like the Golden Knights, the Stars have a quality top nine and have been able to count on any of their top three lines to chip in offensively. Veterans Max Domi, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Evgenii Dadonov all have at least nine points. Mason Marchment and rookie Wyatt Johnston both contributed four goals and six points.

Radek Faksa, Luke Glendening, Joel Kiviranta, and Ty Dellandrea, in some combination, fill fourth line roles for the most part and they have had a mixed bag of results. For example, the Stars have controlled 55.3% of expected goals but have been outscored 9-3 with Dellandrea on the ice for five-on-five play in the playoffs.

Both teams have quality depth, but Vegas appears to have a deeper reservoir of talent up front.

Defense

Alex Pietrangelo has seven assists while playing more than 24 minutes per game but his most memorable play in the postseason may be his two-handed slash on Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. Pietrangelo was suspended for Game 5 of that series as a result. He has paired with Alec Martinez and that pairing has had just 42.5 CF% and 46.7 xGF%, but they have somehow outscored the opposition 11-4 during five-on-five play.

Vegas’ second pairing of Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb, who offer a good mix of skills, from Theodore’s puck movement to McNabb’s bone-crunching hits, has been their most effective pair in the postseason. They have pulled 52.2% expected goals as a tandem in the playoffs, and they are the only two Vegas blueliners on the right side of 50% in that metric.

The Golden Knights’s third pair of Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud is relatively solid. They have been on the wrong end of Corsi (47.3%) and expected goals (47.5%) but have outscored the opposition 6-3 in the postseason.

Miro Heiskanen had a tremendous season and has contributed nine assists while playing more than 28 minutes per game in 13 playoff games. While he has played a ton, Heiskanen has had just slightly positive results so far in the playoffs, with a 52.2 CF% and 51.7 xGF% while the Stars have outscored opponents 8-6 with Heiskanen on the ice. Paired with Ryan Suter, Heiskanen has been very good, but hardly dominant, in the postseason.

The trouble for the Stars lands on the second pair, where Jani Hakanpaa and Esa Lindell have managed just 43.5% of expected goals and been outscored 11-4 during five-on-five play in the playoffs. Hakanpaa was bumped from the defensive rotation for Colin Miller in Game 7 against Seattle.

Where the Stars have had an edge in the playoffs is with the third pair of Thomas Harley and Joel Hanley on the ice. Harley has seven points, and the Stars are controlling 63.2% of expected goals with him on the ice for five-on-five play. Hanley has appeared in eight games and the Stars have 69.2% of expected goals while outscoring opponents 8-2 with him on the ice during five-on-five play.

If Miller replacing Hakanpaa can’t fix the second pair, then that is an area of weakness for the Golden Knights to exploit.

While both clubs have some top end blueliners, there are points of vulnerability on both units. Considering the depth of forward talent on both teams, the challenge for the Golden Knights and Stars will be minimizing the potential mismatches.

Goaltending

Dallas’ Jake Oettinger was so highly regarded coming out of last season’s first round loss to Calgary and he was comfortably above average during the regular season, but he was unexpectedly shaky in the second round against Seattle, posting a .877 save percentage in seven games. Given his opposition, though, Oettinger should be expected to give the Stars an edge.

Vegas has been churning through goaltenders. The latest to take on the starting job is Adin Hill, who played well after jumping in for an injured Laurent Brossoit. Hill had a .915 save percentage in 27 regular-season games and put up a .934 save percentage in five games against the Oilers. Those are solid numbers but the challenge for Hill, and all Golden Knights goaltenders this season, is staying healthy for more than two weeks at a time.

Special Teams

Vegas’ power play has been a problem area and is the weakest in the postseason for the four teams remaining. The Golden Knights have scored 4.81 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, which ranks 13^th. Eichel and Stone have combined to score five of Vegas’ seven power play goals in the playoffs.

Dallas’ power play was excellent during the regular season, ranking second in the league with 9.40 goals per 60 during five-on-four play, and that rate has improved in the postseason, up to 12.41. Tyler Seguin leads the Stars with four power play goals in the playoffs while Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz both have eight points with the man advantage.

The efficiency of the Stars’ power play could pose a major problem for the Golden Knights because Vegas’ PK has been abysmal. They have allowed 17.04 goals against per 60 during four-on-five play, ranking 15^th out of 16 playoff teams.

By contrast, the Stars’ penalty killing unit was strong during the regular season and that has carried over into the playoffs. Dallas has allowed 4.81 goals against per 60 at four-on-five, ranking third in the playoffs.

Conclusion

This should be a competitive series because both the Stars and Golden Knights have shown great resilience to reach this point of the playoffs. However, the Stars have a significant special teams edge and should likely have the better goaltender, which is enough to nudge this towards Big D. Stars in 7.

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: DALLAS STARS VS. MINNESOTA WILD – A competitive series between two quality teams

Scott Cullen — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:37:32 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - FEBRUARY 17: Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) shoots the puck while being defended by Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) during the NHL game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, on February 17th, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild meet in what ought to be a competitive matchup between the second and third-place teams in the Central Division.

After both teams lost in the first round of last year’s playoffs, one is guaranteed to advance this time around.

Forwards

The Stars have one of the best lines in the league, as the trio of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski outscored opponents 52-24. Robertson has emerged as the premier offensive threat on the club, scoring 46 goals and 109 points, with dominant play-driving numbers to boot. What makes the Stars more formidable this season is the improved play from the supporting cast. Captain Jamie Benn had 33 goals and 78 points, his highest totals in both categories since 2017-2018. Tyler Seguin added 21 goals and rookie Wyatt Johnston produced 24 goals, tying Seattle’s Matty Beniers for the rookie goal-scoring lead.

Dallas added Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov before the trade deadline to improve their scoring depth. Dadonov contributed 15 points in 23 games, but Domi added just two goals and seven points in 20 games with the Stars. The Stars do have some intriguing depth options. Center Radek Faksa has been excellent in a checking role while Mason Marchment and Ty Dellandrea both tend to play a physical style that could be useful in the playoffs.

While Minnesota did get leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov back from injury late in the regular season, they also lost Joel Eriksson Ek, Mason Shaw, and possibly Marcus Johansson to injuries. That will test Minnesota’s forward depth. When Kaprizov was injured, second-year winger Matt Boldy emerged as a star in his own right, scoring 14 goals in his last 16 games. Mats Zuccarello is a proven point producer and Gustav Nyquist added five points in three games for the Wild after returning from injury late in the year.

The Wild had just four players – Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy, and Eriksson Ek – with more than 40 points, so they will need contributions from others. Ryan Hartman, Frederick Gaudreau, and Sam Steel have all had good moments and Marcus Foligno brings a physical presence, but this series could be a battle between which team gets production beyond its top scorers.

Defense

Miro Heiskanen set a Stars defense record with 73 points, but he is also a premier defender who logs more than 25 minutes per game. The 23-year-old is going to be a Norris Trophy candidate for years to come. Ryan Suter and Esa Lindell are reliable defensively and Jani Hakanpaa consistently lays his body on the line. Colin Miller has been steady enough on the third pair and it looks like rookie Thomas Harley has supplanted Nils Lundkvist on the third pairing. Dallas’ defensive play has been above average, ranking ninth in all-situations shots against per 60 minutes and sixth in expected goals against per 60.

Minnesota’s blueline has been solid and has added a few potential upgrades, too. Captain Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin are two of the better shutdown defenders in the league. Matt Dumba has lost some juice offensively but still logged more than 20 minutes per game for a seventh straight season and Jacob Middleton is a hard-nosed defender. While the Wild have veterans Alex Goligoski and Jon Merrill, both could be bumped from the top six. Trade deadline pickup John Klingberg had a tough season in Anaheim, and his defensive play has seriously slipped, but Klingberg contributed nine points in 17 games for the Wild. He can quarterback the power play and that ability cannot be ignored. The other potential addition to the Minnesota blueline is rookie Brock Faber, the University of Minnesota captain who played two games at the end of the season for the Wild. Faber blocked nine shots in just over 40 minutes of ice time in those two games and he could add some youthful exuberance to Minnesota’s defense.

Although the Wild rank 15^th in all-situations shots against per 60 minutes, they have managed to rank eighth in expected goals per 60, an indication that Minnesota is doing okay when it comes to quality of shots allowed.

Goaltending

After last season’s spectacular performance in a first-round loss to Calgary, when he had a .954 save percentage in seven games, Dallas’ Jake Oettinger should not shrink from the playoff pressure. The 24-year-old netminder had an excellent season, posting a .919 save percentage in 62 games, and the Minnesota native looks like one of the premier up-and-coming young goaltenders in the league.

Minnesota is in a rare position heading into the postseason, with the expectation that they will ride a goaltending tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson. Gustavsson has been the better option this season, posting a .931 save percentage in 39 games. Marc-Andre Fleury has seen everything in a career that includes both great and abysmal playoff performances. The option to turn to Gustavsson is great, but this series could be close enough that one bad goaltending performance could make the difference.

Special Teams

Dallas’ power play has been excellent, scoring 9.40 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, ranking second in the league. It was even better down the stretch, scoring 11.16 goals per 60 after the trade deadline. Part of the unit’s strength is balance. Robertson, Benn, and Pavelski each had 13 power play goals and Hintz added nine. Heiskanen recorded 34 points on the power play, tying Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes for the lead among defensemen.

The Wild ranked 12^th with 7.66 goals per 60 during five-on-four play, and while it was fading late in the season, some of that can be attributed to Kaprizov’s absence, as he led the Wild with 17 power play goals. Eriksson Ek contributed 12 power play goals while Zuccarello added nine and Boldy had eight.

Not only have the Stars excelled on the power play, but their penalty killing has been highly effective, ranking fourth in both expected goals against and actual goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play. The Wild ranked fifth in expected goals against but 12^th in actual goals against.

Conclusion

While this series looks like it should be a competitive matchup between two quality teams, the Wild could be undermined by injuries, most notably to Eriksson Ek, a two-way threat who can’t be easily replaced. In a series this close, that pushes the edge to Dallas. Stars in 7.

NHL: SZNAJDER – Sustainable or not? Battle for the Top of the Central Division Between Jets and Stars

Corey Sznajder — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:14:39 +0000

WINNIPEG, MB - NOVEMBER 08: Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (53) is checked by Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) during the regular season game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars on November 8, 2022 at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg MB. (Photo by Terrence Lee/Icon Sportswire)

Unlike the team we examined two weeks ago, the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets are seeing some nice results under their new coaches. Both Pete DeBoer and Rick Bowness have their respective teams in a good spot sitting at the top of the Central Division and essentially playoff locks barring a collapse. They’ve taken advantage of what has been a disappointing Western Conference with teams like Colorado battling injuries and other bubble playoff teams like St. Louis and Nashville failing to gain any traction. Still, you have to give credit where it’s due because Dallas and Winnipeg have been the only consistent teams in the Central and should be looking to add come trade deadline time.

It's interesting to look at the paths both teams took to get here. Dallas moved on from Rick Bowness after riding a stout defense and an MVP-caliber season from all three members of their top line last year. Their top line could score at will while the rest of the forward corps while the rest of the forward corps were stuck in checking line roles on expensive price tags. They had the team defense and goaltending to win, but games were often a race to overtime when Jason Robertson’s line was shutdown. Sometimes a shift in approach can help and Pete DeBoer’s done just that.

There’s a little more focus on offense now as youngsters like Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston are regular top-nine players now and Jamie Benn is having one of his best seasons in years. It’s coming at the expense of their old “shutdown line” of Radek Faksa, who is playing more regular third line minutes after leading the team in five-on-five ice-time some nights during the Bowness era. There’s less of a focus on forwards fitting specialized “roles” and more about the best guys playing, which means a lot more minutes for their top trio of Robertson, Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz.

This is a play that didn’t happen a lot from Dallas’ middle-six last season aside from the odd turnover. Despite his declining scoring numbers, Jamie Benn’s still a strong player at entering the zone and controlling the puck along the wall. Pairing him with a natural center like Wyatt Johnston means he can get ahead of the play and draw coverage while Dellandrea and Johnston do what they can to get open. Johnston was a terrific scorer in the OHL and you can see him do a great job of evading the pressure to create this chance. Unfortunately, he hit the goalpost and the game remained tied but you can see why Matty Beniers is the only rookie in the league with more goals.

This line has an interesting dynamic because at 19, Johnston isn’t quite ready to completely take over games just yet. He’s kind of playing that “vulture” role where your linemates have to do some of the legwork up the ice while you focus on reading the play and making yourself a passing option once the puck gets in the offensive zone or jumping on loose pucks. It’s a good way to develop a player because it’s finding the middle-ground of not throwing a kid to the wolves and not sticking him on the fourth line in a checking role. Both Johnston and Dellandrea seem to have found their footing in the NHL through this setup and it’s given Dallas’ forward depth more of a punch compared to recent years.

The same can’t be said for the defense corps, however. They haven’t found a running mate for Miro Heiskanen, who is logging the 7^th most minutes of all defensemen in the league right now and don’t trust off-season trade acquisition Nils Lundkvist with the job quite yet. Overall, though, the Stars are in good shape and have been one of the better five-on-five teams in the league this year. They’re getting enough scoring, are in the top-half of the league in most offensive categories and their stout defense from last season is still going strong.

The one blemish is their dreadful overtime record. After being built on overtime success last season, Dallas has won only three out of 12 games that have gone past regulation. It’s actually impressive that they’ve gotten to where they are in the standings despite this the only team currently in a playoff position with fewer OT wins is the Edmonton Oilers, who have gone past regulation only six times. Unfortunately for the Stars, this is one of those random things that happens every season and they’re on the wrong side of the coinflip after winning 15 out of 21 overtime games last season.

On the other side of the coin is Bowness’ new team, the Winnipeg Jets, who are 7-1 in overtime and two points behind Dallas in the standings. They haven’t played an overtime game since mid-December, but their luck here was a big part of why they got off to such a good start. They outperformed expectations, which were very low after a turbulent off-season thanks to outstanding play by Connor Hellebuyck, a great power play and overtime wins. Under the hood, however, were massive struggles at five-on-five.

They sat near the bottom of the league in terms of Expected Goals, didn’t have any consistency in their bottom-six and were cycling through waiver claims to fill roster spots and the team struggled to adapt to some of the intricacies of Bowness’ system. Thing started to turn in December, though. Winnipeg’s been giving up fewer chances the past 25 games and their Expected Goal Percentage is sitting at 52.1%, good for 10^th in the NHL. It’s always important to look at the underlying numbers, but sometimes it’s overlooked that teams can improve after a tough 20-25 games. The players adapting to Bowness’ system and the return of Nikolaj Ehlers have gone a long way to making the Jets look more like a legit contender instead of a paper tiger.

Overtime games were a big factor early in the season and now, they’re doing a great job of finishing games off in regulation with how well they defend.

Disruption is the name of the game and the Jets have gotten better at this as the season has gone on. You’ll notice that their defense are very stiff with how they hold the line and try to intercept passes and forwards are well-positioned behind them just in case something goes wrong. This is something they probably struggled with early in the season because it’s very hit-or-miss if you challenge and miss the puck or have a forward skate by you from being too aggressive. When it works, however, it’s perfect for defending leads. They’ve rostered some forwards who don’t have the best puck skills but are quick and can take away space on the forecheck. Longtime defenseman Josh Morrissey has also carried over his excellent play from last season (and gotten some more points to show for it) by being the rock of this defense corps. He takes covers the most ground in the defensive zone to make life easier for his partners and while it’s a tough role, he’s been up to the challenge so far.

The downside to how they play is that it limits your offense, especially with the type of players Winnipeg has loaded their bottom-six with. Notice that almost 10 minutes went by on the clock in the clip posted and Winnipeg was stuck on 18 shots the entire time, this is with them having plenty of zone time and possession in the offensive zone too. It means they have to be opportunistic in the times they do have the puck this year, which they have, as Scheifele is having a career season shooting-wise. It’s why you see them have games where they dominate and others where they have to win while getting outshot 35-15 and rely on their goaltending.

This standings battle will be interesting to watch for the rest of the year. It won’t have much of an impact on who makes the playoffs, but with Colorado on the rise, it will be more beneficial to the team with the top seed than to get stuck facing the defending champs in the first round. Dallas currently sits two points ahead and are hoping they can see some pucks go their way if things go to overtime. That or adopt the Jets mantra of trying to avoid overtime all together.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – DALLAS STARS – NHL Player Profiles

Corey Sznajder – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 23:35:25 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 30: Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) skates with the puck during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, held on March 30, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Jason Robertson

There aren’t enough stats to show how great Jason Robertson’s sophomore season was. He followed up a runner-up Calder campaign with a season that put him in the MVP conversation, scoring 41 goals and producing scoring chances at a rate that was among the league’s best. He was the triggerman on his line with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski, but all three were interchangeable with how well they worked together. Robertson just had the golden touch, converting on almost 19% of his shots and he created chances at a higher rate than any player not named Auston Matthews. He is one of the more unique young stars in the game, not having the breakaway speed or an abundance of highlight reel goals. He just excelled at making plays under pressure, knowing where to go with the puck before he received it and finding creative ways to give himself room to shoot. Part of that is the chemistry with his linemates and knowing their tendencies. The other part is his skill, he was a fantastic goal-scorer in the OHL with skating as his only major “flaw.” It hasn’t been an issue in the NHL because he hasn’t needed to break away from defenders to give himself space to shoot. Instead, he can trail Hintz entering the zone or curl away from a defender to give himself just enough time to get the shot he wants. It’s a skill we don’t get to see much of with how fast the game moves now, but players like Robertson can make it happen. Some regression might be expected next year, very few players shoot at almost 20%, but his floor should stay very high with the volume of offense he produces.

Roope Hintz

While Robertson was the moneymaker for Dallas, Hintz was the burner. It’s tough to breakdown Dallas’ top line individually because they all had similar impacts but go about their business in different ways. As the de facto center, Hintz adds some element of speed to the trio and does most of the work in the neutral zone, facilitating most of their rush offense and creating space for both Robertson and Pavelski. He had most of the highlight reel goals from the group, both at 5v5 and on the penalty kill. Hintz converted on a high percentage of his shots for the third year in a row, showing a good nose for the net and being a problem for goaltenders with some of his breakaway moves. He could also score from distance with his wrister, but most of his success came around the blue paint, both off rebounds and deflections. The Dallas top line was firing on all cylinders on such a level that they could play any style they wanted and Hintz’s work off the rush gave them another dynamic element. Hintz was one of the few Dallas prospects who let his skill show in Dallas’ forecheck-heavy system and he has since emerged as one of the league’s best centers.

Joe Pavelski

It says a lot when the one guy on the Stars top line who didn’t have a sky-high shooting percentage still had a career year. At the ripe age of 37, Pavelski set a career high in points with 81, getting the full benefit of Robertson and Hintz’ outstanding finishing but the veteran had a great year independent of that. Still one of the better two-way players in the league, Pavelski is the prime example of “less is more” and adapting to your surroundings. He excels at making plays in tight spaces, reading off his linemates and winning box-outs against defenders. It’s probably why he’s been able to debunk the aging curve, which is an understatement when you look at what he has given the Stars the past two seasons. A decline in boxcar stats should be expected, but he’s never been the fastest skater or the most physically gifted player, so it’s been easier for him to stay an effective player despite whatever curveball father time throws his way. Not too different from his Joe counterpart in San Jose. Signed for one more year at $5.5 million, he will continue to be the glue on the Stars top line.

Tyler Seguin

Seguin getting back to the 20-goal mark was a feel-good story for the Stars. A couple years removed from “losing his entire quad” it has been a long road back from the former second overall pick. Most of his value came from scoring, as the speed of the game looked too much for him at time and he didn’t produce the level of offense we’re used to seeing from him. Instead, you saw more goals off deflections or broken plays in front of the net, which is what you have to do when most of your explosiveness is gone. What they got from him last year is fine (49 points from a middle-six winger is nothing to scoff at), but for the contract the Stars have him signed to, it’s a bit of an albatross. They can only hope that time helps him regain some of his old form, even if the history of players coming off labral tears isn’t promising. He showed glimpses of his old self in stretches, but it’s tough to say if his body can keep up with the rigors of a full NHL season anymore.

Jamie Benn

The past few years of Jamie Benn paint a decent picture of what the back half of a long-term contract looks like for a power forward. Benn in particular has seen his offense dry up, coming off an 18-goal season where only nine came during five-on-five play. It’s a far cry from the player who could bullrush his way to the net. Not all the offense has left him, as he’s still good with winning pucks along the wall and getting to the scoring areas. Most of the high-end skill, however, hasn’t shown up on a consistent basis. Some of that is from poor finishing luck, his shooting percentage has been stuck in the mud for years now, and the other is him becoming more one-dimensional in the offensive zone. Stuck in more of a net-front role, most of your value is going to be based on how many plays you finish off and it’s been the major drawback of Benn’s game. Having Tyler Seguin replace Jason Dickinson as his regular linemate also impacted this, as he was tasked with providing more offense instead of only focusing on checking. His contract is what it is ($9.5 mil for three more years) so Benn just needs to do what he can to be effective. If that means being on the positive side of the goals and scoring chance battle, Dallas will live with it even if his offense continues to decline.

Mason Marchment

Only two players in the entire league produced at a higher rate during five-on-five play than Marchment. He showed some remarkable chemistry with Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart with Florida, similar to what Dallas had in a smaller role. Marchment was the muscle of the line, being a pest on the forecheck doing most of the dirty work below the goal line. His skill seemed to catch teams off-guard because he has the body of a lanky, hard-hitting defenseman and skates with a really choppy stride. You wouldn’t expect him to nail so many one-timers or make so many between-the-legs passes as he does. He rode the wave with the rest of Florida’s historic offense, so the question is how it will translate to Dallas. Lundell and Reinhart were a great complement to him, with those two doing most of the puck-handling. Marchment plays such a strong defensive game that he should help any line he is on. His point production, however, might take a hit. Marchment was in a great situation last year, playing in an offense focused system with linemates who did most of the puck-handling, giving plenty of room to create scoring chances. Dallas isn’t blessed with that type of forward talent so the most they can hope for is for Marchment’s strong play-driving presence can revive Seguin or Benn’s games and make them a productive second line.

Radek Faksa

One of ex-head coach Rick Bowness’ favorite players, Faksa was the most relied on defensive center for Dallas, starting most of his shifts in the shadow of his own goalie and receiving heavy penalty killing duty. Every season his minutes have gone up while his offense has declined, stuck with a single-digit goal total for the second year in a row. Formerly a 15-17 goal guy, Faksa could be an interesting player to watch under the new coaching staff. It was rare for him to even step foot over the opposing blue line with the role he played. It’s something that could change under Peter DeBoer, if only because Dallas is still very thin at forward and they have another defense-first center option in Luke Glendening. Faksa has shown some goal-scoring touch in the past while still playing a checking role before, so that’s the one hope for Faksa to get back to the 15-goal mark. That or have some of his defensive stats rebound with a less taxing role.

Denis Gurianov

Once a touted goal-scorer, Gurianov found himself in depth forward purgatory heading into this season. He is still a shoot-first player but hasn’t converted on many of those shots. He was Seguin and Benn’s wingman for most of the year, which unfortunately meant having to drive the line on his own some nights, which he struggled to do. Most of his points came off broken plays or a rebound of his own shot. He couldn’t be unleashed on the power play, as he was stuck on the second unit and most teams knew his shot from the right circle was coming. Still, he had flashes. In the games where the top line had an off-night, Gurianov could pick up the slack with his penchant for creating off the rush. It’s something that turned a few games around for Dallas and makes him a valuable player even if his overall stats leave you wanting more. He will be given a fresh start with the new coaching staff but finding linemates who can set him up will be a challenge unless the top line gets broken up.

DEFENSE

Miro Heiskanen

Will this be the year Heiskanen emerges as a Norris front-runner? It’s only his fifth year in the league and he excels at so many things that even the best defensemen in the league struggle with. Whether it’s killing plays along the wall, defending one-on-one or skating away from pressure, Heiskanen does it better than almost anyone else in the league. It’s fair to ask if he even needs to have the gaudy point totals to get Norris talk. Unfortunately, it’s just the nature of the beast and it could see a shift this year with John Klingberg’s spot on the top power play unit up for grabs. Heiskanen has a lot of tools that could make him Dallas’ version of Roman Josi. He skates so effortlessly and is great at commanding the offensive zone, so it’s easy to see him having a similar impact with better finishing from the guys in front of him. It’s the one area of his game where the skill hasn’t translated to results and while some of it is out of his control, most who follow the Stars have been waiting for this type of breakout since his rookie season. Things are lining up for him to have that offensive explosion. He is already among the league’s top blue-liners at creating scoring chances, needs to pick up some of John Klingberg’s slack and is now playing for a coach who oversaw career offensive seasons from Brent Burns, Shea Theodore and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Will Miro be next in line?

Ryan Suter

Few players fit the “quietly goes about their business’ description better than Ryan Suter. It’s tough to recall any highlights from his first season with the Stars but in the big picture, he played in the top-three all season and held the fort down. He isn’t the automatic breakout or shadow in the defensive zone that he used to be, so his impact is a little more neutral now than a dominant presence. It’s a little concerning because the Klingberg departure and the decision to replace him from within could force Suter back into the 25–27-minute range, especially if he is Heiskanen’s partner again. Suter will always have the cardio to play those minutes, but the decision-making and ability to keep forwards to the outside is where his game has slowed down. He will usually patrol the front of the net instead of skating forwards into a corner and doesn’t have the same accuracy when going for the long stretch pass. DeBoer could make things easier for him, as he did with Alec Martinez in Vegas, but it’s still a lot to ask for someone who is about to turn 38 and has a lot of miles on his tires. Thomas Harley emerging as a top-four guy could help Suter in the long run.

Esa Lindell

Lindell has one of the most thankless jobs in the league, playing 20+ minutes and spending most of it either blocking shots or killing penalties. He will occasionally break for offense, producing like a middle-pair defenseman for most of his career, but he is usually focused on preventing damage. That means throwing a lot of hits and standing up at the blue line to try to prevent entries. He has always been great at this role, it’s just a question of how much longer he can play it before his body starts to breakdown. That and this is the first year where he won’t have Klingberg by his side, which could mean more responsibility for him to move the puck instead of just clearing it out of the zone. He has shown some upside here in the past, scoring 11 goals back in 2018-19 with some modest power play production sprinkled in. It is very tough to transition to a completely different mindset when you’ve been in the same role forever, but Dallas’ has a lack of mobility on their blue line, which could force Lindell to play in more offensive situations. Whether or not he can handle that remains to be seen.

Colin Miller

Colin Miller’s stint in Buffalo is proof of how tough it is to make the jump to the top-pair for even the most talented defensemen. The Sabres were hoping he could be a running-mate for Dahlin after he dominated territorial play on Vegas’ third pair. Instead, they got three years of him shuffled around the lineup, including a handful of healthy scratches, and him struggling to translate his impressive physical traits into game situations. Miller isn’t the only Sabres defenseman who struggled to keep his head above water, so he gets to have a fresh start on a Dallas team with more structure. It shouldn’t be too hard for him to find a niche under DeBoer. He’s a lanky, mobile defenseman with a big shot, boasting a similar profile to guys DeBoer got good miles out of in Vegas, even if it’s in a depth role. With Miller having a track record as a great third-pair guy, he should get a chance to turn his career around in Dallas. There also might be a chance to move up in the lineup with Jani Hakanpaa currently slotting in on the Stars second pair.

GOALTENDING

Jake Oettinger

There was a big asterisk next to Jake Oettinger’s name for the majority of the off-season, with the Stars coming down to the eleventh hour on contract negotiations with the restricted free agent before inking him to a three-year deal worth $4 million each season.

Now that he’s signed, though, there’s little that the Stars need to worry about with Oettinger at the helm. The team has dealt with a few too many bad calls in signing experienced veteran netminders over the last decade, so Oettinger truly checks all their boxes in a way fans haven’t seen in years. He’ll turn 24 mid-season, giving him plenty of mileage left in the tank; add in two seasons of impressive NHL numbers as an option in their rotating goaltending carousel, and this might be the first safe and consistent bet Dallas has deployed since the Marty Turco era. They brought in a more reliable number two for Oettinger as well, acquiring Scott Wedgewood not to compete for starts, but to supplement their heir apparent. From a technical standpoint, there’s little about Oettinger’s game that still needs significant clean-up, either – he seems to love catching shooters by surprise and throwing in a few dramatic stops here and there, but also keeps a consistent baseline to his game’s foundation that emphasizes conservative movement within the blue paint and a front-facing stance. In other words, fans might watch him throw himself to the ice a time or two, but he won’t often get caught facing the pipes and spun in circles trying to track the puck; it makes him fun to watch without the element of stress that some of Dallas’ more colorful past backstops have brought to the table.

Projected starts: 60-65

Pioneer Trail – Dallas Stars 2018-19 Season Preview

Tom Dorsa — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:05:38 +0000

Review/State of Play - When you close your eyes and think of the Dallas Stars, you imagine this fast, creative, and dynamic team running the wheels off of their competition with high-end talent and energy all throughout the lineup. This was their identity as the team with the best record in the Western Conference in the 2015-16 regular season, a run that took them to game seven of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' second round before eventually falling to St. Louis.

After former head coach Lindy Ruff lost the locker room and was dismissed following a disappointing 2016-17 campaign, the hiring of Ken Hitchcock completely reversed this identity. Hitchcock, an older, more conservative coach, committed to an outdated approach that changed the Stars from a speedy, risk vs reward team to a classic, old-school, defense-first club.

The results were, well, as expected. The hiring of Hitchcock turned the squad upside down and way behind the times, culminating in Dallas' second consecutive season outside of the postseason. In fact, within their so-called competitive window, the Stars have qualified for the playoffs just twice, and winning only one series, a first-round bout against Minnesota. So what can this club do?

Jamie Benn

New coach, new approach - With former Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn, 40-goal scorer Tyler Seguin, skilled 70-point winger Alexander Radulov, and two-way All-Star defenseman John Klingberg, the Stars have a team with as much top-end talent as nearly any other club in the league. As they exist in the prime years of their respective careers, there is no time to waste for anyone involved.

Enter Jim Nill. Throughout his tenure as Dallas Stars general manager, Nill has been touted as the official champion of the offseason. From fleecing his fellow GMs in lopsided trades, to making shrewd free agent signings that immediately upgrade his team's depth chart at all positions, Nill is never afraid to make headlines. It was clear the king of the summer in the NHL had some work to do, and at this point in his career, it's put up or shut up for Nill.

The first big splash he made this offseason was the hiring of University of Denver's Jim Montgomery, a first-time NHL bench boss, to man the job as head coach. Montgomery vows to reignite the energetic, speedy Stars clubs that were successful in the earlier parts of the decade, starting from the top to the bottom and arranging lines based almost solely on generating scoring chances. The former Stars player did such so effectively at Denver that the transition to the NHL should be a breeze for the 2017 NCAA Division I coach of the year.

Depth built to support high end talent - Nill also addressed perhaps the biggest hole the team had entering the free agent period: depth scoring. In bringing former first-round pick Valeri Nichushkin back from the KHL, Nill gets a physical, skilled right winger for a depth chart light on such, and also inked speedy third-liner Blake Comeau to a three-year contract. Depth scoring was a glaring statistical issue for last season's Stars; after Benn (79), Seguin (78), Radulov (72), and Klingberg (67), otherwise referred to as the big four, the next-highest scorer on the squad was 34-point wing Mattias Janmark.

With depth scoring being shored up, the team looks much more competitive, especially given the ultra stout defensive core. For the first time in ages, the Stars' defense looks like more of a strongsuit than a weakness, with Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Julius Honka, and super prospect Miro Heiskanen -- all defensemen capable of being a number-one d-man -- competing for top-four spots on the blueline.

Outlook - The Stars franchise was on an international spotlight when they hosted the NHL Draft at American Airlines Center in June. Now, they hope to gain attention from success, and have people flocking to AAC again, this time for playoff hockey.

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Gus Katsaros — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:22:56 +0000

A short post with the focus on participating players dressing for their respective countries in the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships and their member clubs in the CHL playing overseas in Sweden.

I broke away from the traditional goals-assists-points statistics and focused on the breakdown of ON-ICE even strength goals for/against as well as on the percentage basis for their respective teams. The legend is located just before the table.

Some additional details break down the draft year, team that drafted the player (none of these players have been traded to another NHL team). There are very few undrafted players as this tournament is drafted prospect heavy, but there are many European exceptions – along with some draft-eligible players for 2014 (and two notable 2015 draft eligible players in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – as a late birthday).

ESGF - Even Strength Goals For (On-Ice)

ESGA - Even Strength Goals Against (On-Ice)

%TmESGF - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals For

%TmESGA - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals Against

Draft Team - Team that drafted this player

Draft Yr - Draft Year

DOB - Date of Birth

Country	Team	Pos	ESGF	ESGA	%Tm ESGF	%Tm ESGA	Draft Team	Draft Yr	DOB
Canada
Josh Anderson	London Knights	C	29	13	20.28	25.00	CBJ	2012	1994/05/07
Chris Bigras	Owen Sound Attack	D	26	30	27.08	27.78	Col	2013	1995/02/22
Jonathan Drouin	Halifax Mooseheads	C	36	19	25.71	19.00	TBL	2013	1995/03/28
Aaron Ekblad	Barrie Colts	D	25	24	22.12	25.53	--	--	1996/02/07
Zachary Fucale	Halifax Mooseheads	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	MTL	2013	1995/05/28
Frederik Gauthier	Rimouski Oceanic	C	25	24	22.12	60.00	Tor	2013	1995/04/26
Bo Horvat	London Knights	LW	37	19	25.87	36.54	Van	2013	1995/04/05
Charles Hudon	Chicoutimi Sagueneens	LW	27	29	26.21	26.36	MTL	2012	1994/06/23
Scott Laughton	Oshawa Generals	C	36	27	30.00	33.75	Phi	2012	1994/05/30
Curtis Lazar	Edmonton Oil Kings	C	41	18	32.80	30.00	Ott	2013	1995/02/02
Taylor Leier	Portland Winterhawks	LW	39	20	23.93	18.02	Phi	2012	1994/02/15
Anthony Mantha	Val-d’Or Foreurs	LW	50	33	29.07	37.50	DET	2013	1994/09/16
Connor McDavid	Erie Otters	C	42	20	24.85	42.55	--	--	1997/01/13
Josh Morrissey	Prince Albert Raiders	C	40	29	34.48	42.65	Wpg	2013	1995/03/28
Jake Paterson	Saginaw Spirit	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	Det	2012	1994/05/03
Adam Pelech	Erie Otters	D	44	21	26.04	44.68	NYI	2012	1994/08/16
Nicolas Petan	Portland Winterhawks	C	52	27	31.90	24.32	WPG	2013	1995/03/22
Derrick Pouliot	Portland Winterhawks	D	51	37	31.29	33.33	Pit	2012	1994/01/16
Griffin Reinhart	Edmonton Oil Kings	D	15	11	12.00	18.33	NYI	2012	1994/01/24
Sam Reinhart	Kootenay Ice	C	32	28	31.37	31.82	--	--	1995/11/06
Kerby Rychel	Guelph Storm/Windsor Spitfires	LW	32	19	26.67	19.19	CBJ	2013	1994/10/07
Czech Republic
Radek Faksa	Kitchener Rangers	C	23	33	24.21	28.70	Dal	2012	1994/01/09
Jan Kostalek	Rimouski Oceanic	D	24	26	21.24	65.00	Wpg	2013	1995/02/17
Marek Langhamer	Medicine Hat Tigers	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	PHX	2012	1994/07/22
David Nemecek	Saskatoon Blades	D	23	28	21.30	20.00	--	--	1995/06/29
Michal Plutnar	Tri-City Americans	D	6	11	6.67	11.58	--	--	1994/02/21
Petr Sidlik	Victoriaville Tigres	D	24	32	24.24	25.20	--	--	1994/01/18
Dominik Volek	Red Deer Rebels	RW	23	20	23.47	26.32	--	--	1994/01/12
Patrik Zdrahal	Rimouski Oceanic	RW	12	16	15.00	30.19	--	--	1995/04/09
Finland
Julius Honka	Swift Current Broncos	D	42	33	35.59	32.04	--	--	1995/12/03
Henri Ikonen	Kingston Frontenacs	LW	40	25	32.00	21.93	TB	2013	1994/04/17
Mikko Vainonen	Kingston Frontenacs	D	36	22	28.80	19.30	Nsh	2012	1994/04/11
Germany
Tim Bender	London Knights	C	16	4	11.19	7.69	--	--	--
Marvin Cupper	Shawinigan Cataractes	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	--	--	--
Leon Draisaitl	Prince Albert Raiders	C	31	30	26.72	44.12	--	--	1995/10/27
Markus Eisenschmid	Medicine Hat Tigers	C	13	20	11.50	21.05	--	--	1995/01/22
Dominik Kahun	Sudbury Wolves	C	10	15	7.94	12.10	--	--	1995/07/02
Maximilian Kammerer	Regina Pats	C	1	5	0.91	6.41	--	--	--
Norway
Jorgen Karterud	SSM Greyhounds	RW	14	16	10.22	31.37	--	--	1994/05/06
Russia
Ivan Barbashev	Moncton Wildcats	C	31	33	30.39	34.74	--	--	1995/12/14
Nikita Zadorov	London Knights	C	12	4	8.39	7.69	Buf	2013	1995/04/16
Valentin Zykov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	RW	22	9	16.30	10.11	LAK	2013	1995/05/15
Slovakia
Martin Reway	Gatineau Olympiques	LW	31	21	27.93	18.75	Mtl	2013	1995/01/24
Sweden
Andre Burakovsky	Erie Otters	LW	35	16	20.71	34.04	WSH	2013	1995/02/09
Oscar Dansk	Erie Otters	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	CBJ	2012	1994/02/28
Nick Sorensen	Quebec Remparts	RW	22	12	18.49	13.79	Ana	2013	1994/10/23
Switzerland
Phil Baltisberger	Guelph Storm	D	34	15	20.12	28.30	--	--	1995/11/13
Jason Fuchs	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies	LW	23	20	16.79	30.77	--	--	1995/09/14
Fabrice Herzog	Quebec Remparts	RW	30	28	25.21	32.18	TOR	2013	1994/12/09
Mirco Mueller	Everett Silvertips	D	21	20	19.09	27.03	SJ	2013	1995/03/21
Vincent Praplan	North Bay Battalion	LW	22	21	24.44	60.00	--	--	1994/06/10
Yannick Rathgeb	Plymouth Whalers	D	19	27	22.89	27.55	--	--	1995/10/24
United States
Adam Erne	Quebec Remparts	LW	30	27	25.21	31.03	TBL	2013	1995/04/20
Ryan Hartman	Plymouth Whalers	C	21	37	25.30	37.76	Chi	2013	1994/09/20
Anthony Stolarz	London Knights	G	--	--	--	--	Phi	2012	1994/01/20

**********

radek faksa – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – 4 Nations Wrap – Trade Deadline speculation edition – Favourable schedules and players to target

Boston Bruins

Los Angeles Kings

Minnesota Wild

Nashville Predators

Pittsburgh Penguins

St. Louis Blues

Washington Capitals

Winnipeg Jets

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 18th to 24th) – Detroit in late season collapse, need to turn it around fast – Favourable schedules and players to target

Carolina Hurricanes – TUE @ NYI, THU VS PHI, FRI @ WAS (BTB), SUN VS TOR

Dallas Stars – WED VS ARI, FRI VS PIT, SUN @ ARI

Edmonton Oilers – TUE VS MTL, THU VS BUF, SAT @ TOR, SUN @ OTT (BTB)

New Jersey Devils – TUE VS PIT, THU VS WPG, SAT VS OTT, SUN @ NYI (BTB)

Tampa Bay Lightning – TUE @ VGK, THU @ SJS, SAT @ LAK, SUN @ ANA (BTB)

Toronto Maple Leafs – TUE @ PHI, WED @ WAS, SAT VS EDM, SUN @ CAR

Winnipeg Jets – TUE @ NYR, THU @ NJD, SAT @ NYI, SUN @ WAS (BTB)

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – November 6th to 12th – Teams to target with trending players and opportunities

Anaheim Ducks

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

New York Rangers

San Jose Sharks

Tampa Bay Lightning

Toronto Maple Leafs

Vancouver Canucks

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DALLAS STARS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Forwards

Defense

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: DALLAS STARS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Recent Stanley Cup finalists looking to complete unfinished business

Forwards

Defense

Goaltending

Special Teams

Conclusion

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: DALLAS STARS VS. MINNESOTA WILD – A competitive series between two quality teams

Forwards

Defense

Goaltending

Special Teams

Conclusion

NHL: SZNAJDER – Sustainable or not? Battle for the Top of the Central Division Between Jets and Stars

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – DALLAS STARS – NHL Player Profiles

FORWARDS

DEFENSE

GOALTENDING

Pioneer Trail – Dallas Stars 2018-19 Season Preview

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

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