Robby Fabbri – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fallout from the Quinn Hughes trade, Connor Bedard’s injury, the Maple Leafs’ stars are slumping, and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:50:22 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - DECEMBER 16: Minnesota Wild defensemen Quinn Hughes (43) back-checks during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals on December 16, 2025, at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, the fallout from the Quinn Hughes trade, Connor Bedard’s injury, the Maple Leafs’ stars are slumping, and so much more!

#1 The Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild made a monstrous trade last week with the Wild acquiring standout defenceman Quinn Hughes, sending centre Marco Rossi, defender Zeev Buium, left winger Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick to Vancouver. Hughes has 25 points (3 G, 22 A) in 29 games, his 0.86 points per game ranking ninth among defencemen. He is also being thrust into a big role with the Wild. He played a career-high 32:02 in Thursday’s win at Columbus, the most by an NHL player in a game decided in regulation this season.

#2 One of the things that the Canucks needed in a Hughes deal was to upgrade their centre position. With Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil injured, the Canucks did not have much firepower down the middle of the ice and even if they were healthy, Pettersson has not been delivering peak performance and Chytil was still trying to establish that he could be a bona fide second-line centre. Marco Rossi at least has the credentials to fit in a team’s top six. He has been hurt this season and has been held off the scoresheet in his first two games for the Canucks, but he does have 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 19 games and he had a career-high 60 points (24 G, 36 A) last season. With Petterson out, Rossi is centering Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser on Vancouver’s top line. It’s not as good as centering Kirill Kaprizov, but still a decent opportunity to generate offense.

#3 Perhaps the most intriguing piece going to Vancouver is that of 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium. He had 98 points (24 G, 74 A) in 83 games across two seasons at the University of Denver before joining the Wild late last season and he played in four playoff games for Minnesota. As a rookie, he has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in 33 games, including two points in two games with Vancouver, and he is effectively taking over from Hughes on the Canucks’ top power play unit, so there is an excellent chance for Buium to step into a bigger role and thrive. It’s a super small sample, but his average ice time has increased two-and-a-half minutes per game in Vancouver compared to Minnesota.

#4 The upshot of the trade for Minnesota, when it comes to centre ice, is that Joel Eriksson Ek resumes his position of primary importance for the Wild. Eriksson Ek has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 17 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. Rookie Danila Yurov is showing that he can handle more responsibility, too, contributing 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his past 14 games, so the Wild can run those two in the top two centre spots while continuing to look for potential upgrades.

#5 Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard has been on a tear in his third NHL campaign, putting up 44 points (19 G, 25 A) in 31 games, but he is on the shelf for a bit after suffering a shoulder injury in the final second of last week’s loss at St. Louis. Bedard is out for the rest of the month, to be re-evaluated in January. He obviously would like to be ready to go for the Winter Olympics, but in the meantime, the Blackhawks will try to fill that gaping hole in their lineup. Frank Nazar has moved up to the top line, skating between Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky, with veteran Jason Dickinson moving into the second-line centre role. Nazar had been slumping, with zero points in six games, before scoring in Thursday’s loss at Montreal.

#6 Trouble appears to be hovering around the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they have two wins in their past six games. Auston Matthews has nine points (5 G, 4 A) in his past 10 games, which is far better than the Leafs’ other big guns. William Nylander has zero goals, four assists, and 11 shots on goal in eight games this month. John Tavares has one assist and 12 shots on goal in his past seven games. Matthew Knies has one assist and 11 shots on goal in his past six games. When the stars are struggling like this, there may not be any coach that can have success, but it’s going to be worth keeping an eye on Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube because if he can’t get this fixed, a new voice could be on the way.

#7 It has been a real season for growth for Florida Panthers centre Anton Lundell, thrust into a bigger role when Aleksander Barkov was injured in the preseason. Lundell has seen his ice time climb from 16:43 per game last season to over 19 minutes per game this season and while there have been some ebbs and flows in terms of productivity, he does have seven points (5 G, 2 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past seven games, giving him 27 points (11 G, 16 A) in 33 games this season.

#8 San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini is enjoying a spectacular sophomore season, with 53 points (18 G, 35 A) in 35 games but he’s not available, certainly on the waiver wire and not under many trade circumstances, either, but it could be worth tracking his wingers. With Will Smith injured, Collin Graf is skating on Celebrini’s right wing and Graf has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 15 shots on goal in his past seven games. On the left wing is Igor Chernyshov, a second-round pick in 2024 who had 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in 25 AHL games to earn his promotion to the big club and has chipped in a couple of assists and four shots on goal in his first two games. Both Graf and Chernyshov are worth a look, depending on how deep your league runs.

#9 When the Carolina Hurricanes signed Nikolaj Ehlers as a free agent in the offseason, it seemed like it would be a good fit, between a player who drives play and a team that has excelled in terms of outshooting opponents. Then the season started and Ehlers had no points through five games, and didn’t score his first goal until Game 12, but he has found his groove. He has 19 points (8 G, 11 A) with 58 shots on goal in his past 22 games. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis are the only Hurricanes forwards with more points and both play more than 19 minutes per game while Ehlers is averaging 16:27 of ice time per game.

#10 Seattle Kraken centre Chandler Stephenson got off to a slow start this season, managing a dozen points (4 G, 8 A) and 33 shots on goal in his first 25 games. Even as the season is slipping away from the Kraken, Stephenson has seven points (3 G, 4 A) with 20 shots on goal during a seven-game point streak. He is getting first unit power play time in Seattle, though his current wingers are Eeli Tolvanen and Frederick Gaudreau.

#11 Following a lukewarm start to his time with the Detroit Red Wings, goaltender John Gibson looks like he’s rounding into form. In his past five starts, all wins, he has a couple of shutouts and a .946 save percentage, giving him a slight statistical edge over Cam Talbot in the Red Wings’ timeshare in the crease.

#12 Veteran centre Alexander Wennberg is filling a big role for the Sharks. With some injuries up front, the 31-year-old pivot who is known for his solid two-way play, is handling more offensive responsibilities. In his past six games, Wennberg has nine points (2 G, 7 A) with 13 shots on goal, while averaging 20:30 of ice time per game. With William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli on his wings, Wennberg has more skilled linemates than he usually has and, with 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 35 games, he has a shot at his first 40-point season since 2016-2017.

#13 Ottawa Senators centre Dylan Cozens has had some bad luck on his way to getting outscored 21-14 during five-on-five play. The Senators carry play with him on the ice (53.7 CF%), but he has a .879 on-ice save percentage and that’s difficult to overcome. In his past five games, Cozens has produced seven points (1 G, 6 A) with 16 shots on goal while playing nearly 19 minutes per game, so he’s a valuable player for the Sens, even if goal differential is not working in his favour right now.

#14 Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson appears to be gearing up for the Winter Olympics. Since the calendar flipped to December, Karlsson has delivered 10 points (2 G, 8 A) with 31 shots on goal in nine games. He has also played 26:42 per game in that span, vintage ice time numbers for a 35-year-old defender on a team that is sitting outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

#15 One of the relative success stories in Pittsburgh this season has been Anthony Mantha, the towering winger who was signed as a free agent in the summer after he missed most of last season in Calgary with a torn ACL. Mantha has eight points (2 G, 6 A) and 22 shots on goal in his past nine games, giving him 22 points (11 G, 11 A) in 33 games. The last time he finished a season with a rate of two points every three games was in 2019-2020, so the Penguins have to be pleased with how their low-risk investment has turned out.

#16 Expectations are understandably modest for a 20-year-old rookie defenceman, just trying to get established in the league, so it’s not like Detroit Red Wings blueliner Axel Sandin-Pellikka is a high recommendation for fantasy managers. It’s more like keep an eye on this guy because this 2023 first-round pick might have a bright future. In his past eight games, he has seven points (2 G, 5 A) with nine shots on goal. A couple of those points have come via the power play, and he is getting time on PP2, so he's just scratching the surface.

#17 The all-time goal scoring leader in the National Hockey League is in a slump. Alex Ovechkin has no goals and two assists in his past six games, with 17 shots on goal in that time. That shot rate isn’t bad for most players, but it’s down for a noted volume shooter like Ovechkin. He is 40 years old, so there is plenty of reason to believe that he’s declining, but before this slump he had 14 goals in 28 games, so this decline is more recent. This slump has affected Dylan Strome, too, as the playmaking centre has just three points (1 G, 2 A) and 18 shot on goal in his past 13 games.

#18 New York Islanders centre Bo Horvat is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, a big loss to the Islanders as he leads the Islanders with 19 goals and 31 points. Mathew Barzal moves up the depth chart to fill the top line centre spot with Horvat out, but the bigger jump is that rookie Calum Ritchie is centering the second line, between Anthony Duclair and Maxim Shabanov. Ritchie has four points (2 G, 2 A) and seven shots on goal in his past eight games. He’s still trying to establish solid footing in the league, but this could be a good opportunity for him.

#19 Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper suffered an injury in a collision with Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen and that’s big deal because Kuemper has been excellent this season. His .917 save percentage ranks fourth among goaltenders with at least 20 starts. In his absence Anton Forsberg should get most of the starts, and the Kings have called up veteran Pheonix Copley, who had a .885 save percentage in 13 AHL games.

#20 Injuries continue to pile up in St. Louis, where Dylan Holloway is now out for six weeks with a lower-body injury, joining Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Nick Bjugstad on the injured list. That has brought some new faces into the Blues’ top nine. Robby Fabbri isn’t exactly a new face, having played for the Blues from 2015-2016 through 2019-2020, but he’s back after not having an NHL job at the start of the season. The Blues called up 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg from the AHL and claimed Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. None of those players is worth of much fantasy love at the moment but they’re getting chances that they weren’t before all of these injuries hit the Blues.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – McMann surprising source of offense for Leafs, Fowler making a difference in St. Louis, Holloway cooking since the Blues’ coaching change, Foegele has found a fit in Los Angeles, and much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:22:17 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO - DECEMBER 15: St. Louis Blues center Dylan Holloway (81) handles the puck during a NHL game between the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues, on December 15, 2024, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/IconSportswire)

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Bobby McMann is a surprising source of offense for the Maple Leafs, Cam Fowler is making a difference in St. Louis, Dylan Holloway is cooking since the Blues’ coaching change, Warren Foegele has found a fit in Los Angeles, and much more!

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

#1 Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann scored a pair of goals in Thursday’s 2-1 win at the Islanders, continuing what has been a very good run for the 28-year-old who set career highs with 15 goals and 24 points in 56 games last season. In his past nine games, McMann has tallied 10 points (6 G, 4 A) with 22 shots on goal, giving him 12 goals in just 31 games this season. McMann is playing with Max Domi and Nick Robertson, and Domi has assisted on half of McMann’s 12 goals. McMann is generating 10.88 shots on goal per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which ranks second on the Maple Leafs, behind only Auston Matthews.

#2 After scoring a couple of goals in St. Louis’ 6-2 win over Chicago in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, St. Louis Blues defenceman Cam Fowler is up to seven points (3 G, 4 A) in nine games since he was acquired from Anaheim. Two of those points have come on the power play and Fowler is averaging 22:38 per game with the Blues while and getting time on the top power play unit.

#3. Staying in St. Louis, the Blues’ offseason signing of left winger Dylan Holloway is paying huge dividends, especially since the Blues fired head coach Drew Bannister and replaced him with Jim Montgomery. In 17 games since the coaching change, Holloway has delivered 18 points (10 G, 8 A) with 49 shots on goal. He skates with Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou at even strength, where he has produced 22 of his 26 points this season.

#4 Another former Oilers winger, Warren Foegele, is heating up in Los Angeles. In his past eight games, the Kings winger has contributed 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 17 shots on goal. Foegele is finding chemistry on a line with Quinton Byfield and Tanner Jeannot, a line that can get physical and win puck battles, which plays into Foegele’s strengths, too.

#5 Buffalo Sabres right winger Jack Quinn got off to a miserable start this season, managing just five points (1 G, 4 A) through the first 24 games, but has finally started to shake out of that slump. In his past eight games, Quinn has nine points (4 G, 5 A) though he has just 13 shots on goal, which is not exactly a recipe for continued offensive production. Quinn had been playing with Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka, but on Thursday night in Colorado he skated with Jiri Kulich and Alex Tuch.

#6 It has been an undeniably disappointing season for the Nashville Predators and one of their prime free agent additions, winger Jonathan Marchessault, struggled early on. The veteran scorer has started to come around, however, putting up 14 points (9 G, 5 A) and 26 shots on goal in his past 10 games after he had just 13 points through his first 28 games. The Preds have shuffled lines and Marchessault is skating with Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos on the top line. All three could be considered finishers, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out long term, but Marchessault is thriving.

#7 Veteran Seattle Kraken left winger Jaden Schwartz has been contributing consistent offense for a while now. In his past 16 games, Schwartz has 13 points (8 G, 5 A) with 40 shots on goal. While he is on a line with Matty Beniers and the recently acquired Kaapo Kakko, Schwartz has had different players assist on each of his last six even-strength goals. Schwartz is getting first unit power play time but has only managed two power play points during that 16-game span.

#8 Following two seasons in Calgary during which his cumulative point total was less than in his last season with Florida, Flames left winger Jonathan Huberdeau is starting to find his way back to being a productive scorer. In his past 14 games, Huberdeau has put up 17 points (9 G, 8 A) with 28 shots on goal while averaging 19:29 of ice time per game. A player who has been known far more for his playmaking ability throughout his career, Huberdeau has already scored 16 goals in 38 games, his highest goal total in three seasons with the Flames. Be aware that this may not continue, as Huberdeau has scored on a career-high 24.6 percent of his shots, which is almost three times his shooting percentage from last season (8.4).

#9 Carolina Hurricanes winger Jack Roslovic has been riding a similarly productive shooting percentage, scoring on 22.4 percent of his shots on goal. He has seven points (4 G, 3 A) in his past six games and while it’s reasonable to suspect that Roslovic is getting higher quality chances in Carolina, where he frequently lines up on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, it’s still not likely that he can keep finishing at such a rate over a full season.

#10 After missing most of last season with a torn ACL, Chicago Blackhawks left winger Taylor Hall started slowly this season, with just six points (2 G, 4 A) in 20 games, but he has started to round into form. In his past 17 games, Hall has contributed 14 points (6 G, 8 A) and just two of those points have come on the power play. With the 33-year-old winger showing that he can still generate offence, he is an increasingly likely trade candidate as he is in the final year of his contract and the Blackhawks are already 18 points out of the final Wild Card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Hall should have some appeal in a supporting role on a contender, but he also has some control over the process, with a 10-team no-trade list.

#11 The Montreal Canadiens have climbed into the playoff race and part of the reason for their recent success has been improved depth scoring. Jake Evans, for example, has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in his past seven games, though he has just nine shots on goal in that time, so the goal-scoring is not on a sustainable pace. At the same time, he already has 23 points (10 G, 13 A) in 37 games, which is only six points behind his career high. Habs rookie winger Emil Heineman has contributed seven points (3 G, 4 A) in his past seven games, though he only has eight shots on goal in that span, so these scoring surges do not appear to be likely to continue long term.

#12 Hard driving Vegas Golden Knights right winger Keegan Kolesar has moved up the depth chart, producing six points (2 G, 4 A) while averaging 16:15 of ice time per game in his past six games. Kolesar has 116 hits for the season, which is tied with Radko Gudas and Tom Wilson for 15th in the league, so if he is contributing offensively, his value starts to become relevant for fantasy managers, especially those in banger leagues.

#13 Although his reputation is built on excellent defensive play, Philadelphia Flyers centre Noah Cates is adding some offensive production to his game. In his past 11 games, Cates has 10 points (6 G, 4 A) while playing 15:24 per game. Cates is having success alongside second year left winger Tyson Foerster, who has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in his past eight games after he had 10 points in his first 30 games this season.

#14 Oft-injured Anaheim Ducks winger Robby Fabbri has taken on a bigger role recently, contributing six points (4 G, 2 A) with 17 shots on goal in his past six games. Fabbri has been enjoying this productive stretch while skating with young forwards Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier, and while he is getting second-unit power play time in Anaheim, Fabbri has recorded all 10 of his points this season at even strength.

#15 As the New York Rangers have watched their seasons slip away, they are struggling to generate offence, even from players that have been reliable contributors. Artemi Panarin is sitting on 39 points (16 G, 23 A) in 35 games, so it’s not like his game has gone completely off track, but he has just two points (1 G, 1 A) and nine shots on goal in his past five games. The lack of production is much more concerning when it comes to Alexis Lafreniere, who has just one assist in his past 11 games. Lafreniere does have 28 shots on goal over that time, so he is getting opportunities, but an 11-game goalless drought while playing more than 18 minutes per game is a tough stretch.

#16 To make matters worse for the Rangers, starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been placed on the injured list due to an upper-body injury. Shesterkin, who signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension less than a month ago, had a .885 save percentage in his last six starts before he was taken out of the lineup. He has a career-low .906 save percentage this season, but also has 10.94 Goals Saved Above Expected, an indication that the Rangers’ defensive play has been a bigger problem than Shesterkin’s own performance.

#17 Injuries continue to plague the Minnesota Wild, who have been able to battle through them for the most part this season. Scoring leader Kirill Kaprizov is out with a lower-body injury and that leaves a big hole in the lineup, considering he has 50 points (23 G, 27 A) in 34 games. With Kaprizov out, Matt Boldy has moved up to the top line, though he is mired in a slump, with just one assist in the past seven games.

#18 Toronto Maple Leafs superstar centre Auston Matthews remains out of the lineup with an upper-body injury, which was aggravated against Buffalo on December 20th. The Maple Leafs have a record of 10-5 in 15 games without Matthews and while there have been contributions from the likes of McMann, Domi, and Robertson, Toronto’s offense has really been carried by the big guns. Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares are all scoring at better than a point-per-game pace since Matthews started missing time in early November.

#19 With Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek both out of the Vancouver Canucks’ lineup, Tyler Myers is quarterbacking the first power play unit. Myers only has nine points this season but scored a goal and had seasons highs in shots on goal (five) and time on ice (25:37) in Wednesday’s win over Seattle. As a short-term solution, Myers might have some appeal for fantasy managers, which is certainly more than he would have if Vancouver was not missing its top two defencemen.

#20 The Florida Panthers still look like worthy contenders in their quest for back-to-back championships, but a couple of their top wingers have hit a rough patch. Matthew Tkachuk has zero points and nine shots on goal during a four-game homestand, but that comes on the heels of him scoring 20 points (8 G, 12 A) in the previous 13 games, so this may just be regression coming home to roost. In the case of Carter Verhaeghe, though, the slump is a little more pronounced. Verhaeghe has gone six games without a point, recording 10 shots on goal. This follows a stretch of 13 games in which Verhaeghe produced 14 points (5 G, 9 A), but he has also been moved down the lineup to skate with Anton Lundell and Jesper Boqvist on Florida’s third line, which does not seem to be igniting his offensive production.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – ANAHEIM DUCKS – Team Preview

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:00:04 +0000

_{WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 23: Ducks center Mason McTavish (37) stickhandles during the Anaheim Ducks versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on February 23, 2023 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)}

The rebuilding Ducks weren’t expected to make the playoffs in 2023-24, but there was still some hope that they might at least take a step forward compared to their 2022-23 finish under new bench boss Greg Cronin. Given that they finished the prior campaign with a 23-47-12 record, that couldn’t be a lower bar to exceed, but in the end, they had a similarly dreary showing in 2023-24, finishing at 27-50-5. It didn’t help that Trevor Zegras was limited to 31 contests last season after previously leading the Ducks offensively with 65 points, but even still, it’s hard to blame finishing 30th offensively (2.48 goals per game) and 30th defensively (3.57 goals allowed per game) on some injury issues

WHAT’S CHANGED? Jakob Silfverberg decided to end his NHL playing career, but the Ducks otherwise didn’t lose any major players over the summer. They didn’t make any major acquisitions either, though, with arguably the most noteworthy add being Robby Fabbri, who is projected to serve in a middle-six capacity after being grabbed in a trade with Detroit. However, that’s not to suggest Anaheim’s upcoming roster will be a near carbon copy of its previous one. Cutter Gauthier might make a big impact as a rookie, and we also should see youngsters Pavel Mintyukov, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish take steps forward.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? If Gauthier lives up to the hype after scoring 38 goals and 65 points across 41 contests with Boston College last year, and becomes a prominent part of Anaheim’s top six, then that alone would be reason for celebration. Getting to see some measurable progress out of the aforementioned Mintyukov, Carlsson, and McTavish would also be a big deal. Outside of that, a lot of attention will be on 24-year-old goaltender Lukas Dostal, who had some absolutely stunning starts last year, but lacked consistency. If he can find his rhythm this season while the Ducks simultaneously get contributions from that young group, then Anaheim would be an exciting team to watch.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? When you’re a young team relying on prospects, the most obvious potential issue is that they need more time to develop than initially thought. McTavish, for example, made some strides last season, but he didn’t end up having the breakout campaign some hoped for. Anaheim might encounter similar growing pains again. Then there’s the issue of the team’s overall defence. Dostal had two 50-plus save performances last season, which is an amazing accomplishment, but also highlights the defensive shortcomings of those in front of him. Anaheim ranked 30th last year with 3.4 xGA/60. If the Ducks don’t improve meaningfully by that metric, then it's hard to envision them competing for a playoff spot even if everything else goes ideally.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Trading Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia in January was a difficult decision, but Gauthier could make it worth it. He has the potential to be the full package, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Anaheim use him in a top six capacity this season.

FORWARD

Troy Terry

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	24	31	55	0.70

While Terry had his third straight season with at least 20 goals and 50 points, his production dipped a bit from the previous two seasons. Part of that was a function of a declining shot rate, going from 2.69 shots on goal per game in 2022-2023 to 2.26 shots on goal per game in 2023-2024. He has still matured into a reliable first-line winger, even if not necessarily a star; a reliable contributor at both ends of the rink. Terry’s confidence has grown, and it is reflected in his play and how he has the patience to attack defenders one-on-one and make plays to generate scoring chances. He also plays a game that is not especially physical. Among the 223 forwards that have played at least 200 games in the past three seasons, Terry ranks 222nd (ahead of only Johnny Gaudreau) with 35 hits. Nevertheless, on a team that is depending on elite young talent, a proven performer like Terry is of vital importance to help those players get to the next level in their development. Part of the challenge when forecasting his production in 2024-2025 is that proliferation of young forwards at the top of the depth chart in Anaheim. That does leave some variability but, considering his performance in recent seasons, 25 goals and 60 points remain reasonable objectives.

Trevor Zegras

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	18	28	46	0.58

A broken ankle and lower-body injuries limited Zegras to just 31 games last season and while he managed just 15 points, he did have quality underlying numbers, so he does have a chance to deliver a bounce back season. For one thing, Zegras is a creative playmaker who can make highlight reel plays and there is an audacity to his game that is exciting. The challenge will be to turn his immense puck skills into better on-ice results. Since Zegras has not been able to improve in the faceoff circle, winning 40.6 percent of his draws, it could make sense to shift him to the wing, at least some of the time. That would free him up to focus more on the attack, which is an obvious strength to his game. He already has two seasons with more than 60 points, so he has offensive upside that could really pay off under the right circumstances. The question will be whether he finds those right circumstances in Anaheim next season. The Ducks are improving their depth of talent and there should be enough quality available that Zegras can play a top six role as well as first-unit power play. He had a career low on-ice shooting percentage (7.7 percent) last season, and his shooting percentage of 8.2 percent was down from the previous couple of seasons. If his percentages pick back up, Zegras should be able to once again challenge for 20 goals and 60 points.

Frank Vatrano

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	26	26	52	0.63

A sturdy winger who has always been able to generate shots, Vatrano reached his peak performance level in 2023-2024, setting career highs with 37 goals and 60 points. He also delivered 156 hits, the first season of his career in which he exceeded 100 hits. He added banger league value with a career-high 85 penalty minutes, too. What is wild about Vatrano’s impressive statistical breakout season is that his on-ice results were quite poor. The Ducks controlled 44.1 percent of shot attempts and 45.1 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play while Vatrano was on the ice. They were outscored 67-47. That was better than his first season in Anaheim but, still, there is a lot of room for improvement in his all-around impact. Vatrano played mostly with Ryan Strome and Mason McTavish, so there is talent around him, but their defensive play needs dramatic improvement if the Ducks are going to be more competitive. Putting aside the team impacts, fantasy managers are going to be interested in Vatrano because of his offensive production, coupled with hits and a strong shot rate as he recorded a career-high 3.32 shots on goal per game last season. It is probably fair not to expect Vatrano to repeat his career-best season, but he could still deliver 25 goals and 45-50 points, along with 100-plus hits.

Leo Carlsson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	20	29	49	0.65

The second overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Carlsson made a smooth transition to the NHL as an 18-year-old centre. The 6-foot-3 pivot plays a game well beyond his years, particularly on the defensive end, where he has an active stick and plays a sound positional game. Carlson’s combination of size and skill offers tantalizing potential. He scored six goals in his first nine games and endured some injuries on his way to finishing with 12 goals and 29 points in 55 games. He missed time with a sprained MCL, a concussion, and another lower-body injury, which obviously didn’t help his development, but he showed well in the games that he played. That is barely scratching the surface of Carlsson’s potential, but it also might take some time for the skilled young forward to reach that potential. Carlsson’s play driving numbers – better than break-even in terms of Corsi percentage and expected goals percentage – while playing more than 18 minutes per game on a team near the bottom of the standings, were very encouraging. He shoots the puck well enough already to score from distance and has soft hands that serve him well when he has the puck in close to the net. These signs suggest that it’s not a reach to expect a significant offensive jump this season. Something along the lines of 20 goals and 50-plus points would be a move in the right direction.

Mason McTavish

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	23	33	56	0.73

The third pick in the 2021 Draft, McTavish continued to make progress in his second NHL season, ultimately finishing with one less point in 16 fewer games than he played in 2022-2023. His 1.65 primary points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play ranked 81st. Considering that he is 21 years old, this is a strong rate of production. While his possession numbers continue to improve, McTavish is still underwater there, with 45.4 percent Corsi and 46.8 expected goals percentage. A strong and physical forward who can win battles along the boards and use his body to effectively protect the puck, he should be able to improve his shot differentials. Last season, he did miss 18 games with a variety of injuries and while none of them were major, that is going to be something to monitor as his career progresses. When it comes to determining McTavish’s offensive upside in 2024-2025, it will depend on what kind of offensive opportunities are provided to him. On a team that also has Leo Carlsson and Trevor Zegras down the middle of the ice, McTavish is facing competition for prime scoring ice time. Considering where he is in his career, though, there should be more progress, so 20 goals and 50 points are reasonable targets for him this season.

Alex Killorn

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	22	28	50	0.63

Coming off career-highs of 27 goals and 64 points in 2022-2023, Killorn cashed in last summer as a free agent after years of being a quality contributor during the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup runs. The veteran winger was the beneficiary of an unsustainably high shooting percentage that season, though, so he was a natural candidate for regression in his first season with the Ducks. Sure enough, Killorn’s production dropped to 18 goals and 36 points in 63 games while playing a career-high 18:44 per game. That required a rather furious finish, which saw Killorn score 11 goals in his last 24 games. Even in his mid-30s, Killorn was still an effective play driver, his 51 percent Corsi ranking second among Ducks regulars and he was a reliable penalty killer. While his contract may not age well, in the short term, Killorn brings a professionalism and commitment that can help lead the young Ducks in the right direction. At his age, there is a decreasing likelihood that Killorn will bounce back to previous levels of production, so 15-20 goals and a 40-point season is a fair expectation, but some of that will depend on how well the younger players perform. If they are not ready to step into prominent roles, then Killorn could still be needed to score for the Ducks.

Ryan Strome

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	13	28	41	0.50

A veteran forward who can play centre or wing, Strome has put up back-to-back 41-point seasons in his first two years with the Ducks. While he is a capable complementary player at the offensive end, Strome’s defensive play has declined significantly in his first two seasons with the Ducks. Maybe some of that is a function of an inexperienced supporting cast, but the Ducks have been outscored 126-85 with Strome on the ice for five-on-five play across the past two seasons. In those two seasons, the Ducks have managed 43.7 percent of shots attempts and 41.3 percent of expected goals with him on the ice, so his poor results are backed by poor underlying numbers. That’s not going to cut it, especially when he is needed to be a veteran leader for this team. Strome’s ability to play multiple positions does give Anaheim more options when trying to put their lines together, but it would be most helpful if Strome added a dose of reliability wherever he ultimately fits in the lineup. If not, his ice time could continue to decrease. Last season, his ice time fell below 16 minutes per game for the first time since 2018-2019. At this point, with younger players pushing for bigger roles with the Ducks, it’s probably not reasonable to expect Strome to provide much more than the 40 points.

Robby Fabbri

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	16	17	33	0.44

A veteran forward who has had to overcome three ACL tears to continue his NHL career, Fabbri has skill and is obviously extremely resilient, but injuries have taken a toll on him. Despite tying his career high with 18 goals last season, Fabbri has been dependent on finishing at a high percentage – he had a shooting percentage of 18.9 percent across his last two seasons in Detroit – because he does not generate a lot of shots on goal. On the positive side, Fabbri scored 1.09 goals per 60 minutes last season, which ranked 47th among forwards that played at least 500 minutes. Fabbri’s ice time fell below 13 minutes per game last season, the first time he failed to meet that threshold since 2018-2019. Fabbri has some versatility that allows him to fill a middle six role for Anaheim. He has also been a poor defensive player, so that could potentially pose problems for a Ducks team that does not have an abundance of quality two-way forwards. In any case, Fabbri should be able to contribute secondary scoring as long as he is healthy, but he played 68 games last season and that was his most since playing in 72 games as a rookie, so it’s almost assured that he will miss time. That leaves some variability in expectations but something in the range of 15 goals and 30 points is a fair expectation.

Brett Leason

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	12	12	24	0.30

Leason is a 6-foot-5 winger who enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2023-2024, scoring 11 goals and 22 points, high-water marks to this point in his career. Leason’s size gives him an edge when it comes to battling for pucks and his ability to chip in offensively made him a valuable depth forward for the Ducks last season. For a player who tends to spend most of his time on the lower end of the depth chart, Leason does have a potent wrist shot, which makes him capable of scoring from distance. If he is going to be something more than a fourth-line player, the next challenge is for him to be able to generate more opportunities to use that shot. Leason’s best stretch came in the second half of the season when, upon returning from an upper-body injury, he tallied nine points (5 G, 4 A) in 14 games while he averaged 14:29 of ice time per game. He could not sustain those numbers over a longer period, and it would be unreasonable to expect that from him, but looking ahead, Leason could still contribute double-digit goals and 20-plus points, with some upward mobility if he manages to climb the depth chart.

DEFENCE

Cam Fowler

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	7	36	43	0.52

A steady veteran who has played 14 seasons in Anaheim, Fowler’s experience and steady hand is of major importance on a Ducks blueline that is developing young talent. Fowler has always been an adept distributor of the puck and has surpassed 30 assists in each of the past three seasons. He has averaged more than 24 minutes of ice time in each of those three seasons and he should remain in that kind of prominent role again. Oddly enough, Fowler led the Ducks in ice time during four-on-five play, even though his results have crashed hard in recent seasons. Across the past three campaigns, there are 113 defencemen that have played at least 300 minutes of four-on-five play and only three have a higher expected goals against and three have a higher goals against per 60 minutes than Fowler. Nevertheless, Fowler is of critical importance on this team, a consistent presence who has been durable, missing a total of seven games across the past four seasons. He is not a strong physical presence, instead relying on strong instincts and hockey IQ to put him in the right position. Considering his role and reliability, Fowler should find himself scoring in the range of 40 points once again.

Pavel Mintyukov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
71	5	30	35	0.49

The 10th pick in the 2022 Draft, Mintyukov made his NHL debut last season, and it was a strong first season. He showed lots of potential, and it is going to be up to the young blueliner and the Ducks organization to develop him into a bona fide No. 1 defenceman. Mintyukov skates well and is not shy about using that skill to join the attack, entering the offensive zone with confidence. He recorded seven power play points in a 30-game span from November 1 through January 10, but he suffered a separated shoulder and missed more than a month of action and did not record another point with the man advantage for the rest of the season. Even so, Mintyukov averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game after returning from his injury and contributed nine points in 23 games. There were naturally some growing pains in his first NHL season, because he was 19 years old when last season started, and he was playing significant minutes on a team that was among the weakest squads in the league. For a top player like Mintyukov, though, that experience should be valuable, giving him the opportunity to step forwards into an even more significant role in his second season. Certainly, the hope will be that he manages to stay healthier than he did in his rookie campaign and that could reasonably lead to 35-40 points, possibly more if Mintyukov takes over as the quarterback on Anaheim’s top power play unit.

Radko Gudas

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	4	12	16	0.22

Despite missing 16 games last season, Gudas was one of just two defencemen to record at least 150 blocked shots and 200 hits last season (Detroit’s Moritz Seider was the other one). Gudas is a warrior who sacrifices his body for his team and the 34-year-old blueliner has been doing it for quite some time. He joined the Ducks as a free agent last summer and averaged 19:30 of ice time per game, the second highest average of his career, and his highest average time on ice since 2015-2016. Although Gudas has a well-earned reputation for borderline hits, that should not overshadow that he is an excellent defender, who had the lowest on-ice rate of expected goals against (2.28 xGA/60) among Anaheim defenders last season. He is known much more for his play without the puck, but Gudas also contributes at the offensive end, partly because he is ready and willing to fire the puck whenever the opportunity is there for him. Among the eight defensemen that played at least 200 five-on-five minutes for the Ducks last season, Gudas had the highest rate of shot attempts (11.83 iCF/60) and shots on goal (4.38 Shots/60). For fantasy managers, Gudas offers sneaky value because he last reached 20 points in a season in 2018-2019, but he provides hits, blocked shots and even a passable rate of shots on goal that can make him useful. His penalty minute totals make him even more valuable in banger leagues. At this stage of his career, there is little point in expecting a dramatic change, so Gudas should be expected to contribute 15-20 points.

Brian Dumoulin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	4	14	18	0.22

Moving to Seattle resulted in an odd decrease in ice time, with Dumoulin averaging 17:01 of ice time per game after seven straight seasons averaging more than 20 minutes per game. That should get reversed in Anaheim, where the Ducks can surely use Dumoulin’s reliability on the blueline. He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner who was not merely a passenger on those Penguins teams – he was averaging more than 20 minutes per game on epic playoff runs. It is also unusual that Dumoulin saw this ice time reduced in Seattle because his on-ice results were quite strong, leading Kraken defencemen (minimum 500 five-on-five minutes) in both Corsi (53.9 percent) and expected goals percentage (54.5 percent). That doesn’t seem like a player who should have been playing less! Even at his peak, Dumoulin was never a big scorer, but he did have a career-high 25 points with Pittsburgh in 2022-2023. With a more prominent role on Anaheim’s blueline, Dumoulin should be able to find his way to 20 points, but he has surpassed 125 blocked shots and 100 hits four times each in his career. That kind of production in peripheral statistical categories might make him a worthwhile addition in deep leagues.

GOAL

John Gibson

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
43	16	23	5	0	0.901	3.60

Lukas Dostal

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
39	14	20	4	2	0.904	3.45

The post-John Gibson era in Anaheim is slowly approaching. With just three years left of the albatross eight-year deal that Gibson and the Ducks have been slogging through, and a bright new future with Lukas Dostal sitting front and center, it almost seems like Anaheim might just let the remainder of their veteran star's contract burn itself out at the Honda Center. While it seemed at the start of the 2023 season like Gibson might have been on the upswing, though, only Chicago's Arvid Soderblom served as a greater albatross in net as the year came to a close. While the Ducks continued to struggle with allowing quality shots in the high slot, a full season of both Gibson and Dostal made it painfully apparent that it wasn't just the team struggling - Gibson was struggling with them.

Things look bright for Anaheim with regards to how Dostal handled his first full season as half of an official NHL tandem, so the picture in Southern California isn't as bleak as it has been in recent years. While Dostal struggled almost as much as Gibson with net-front attacks, he was able to clean up the peripheral damage that Gibson had allowed to fester with poor defensive coverage outside the circles. His numbers matched up to a strong ability to stay on-angle and recover in time for rebound attempts in a way that Gibson hasn't been able to in at least a handful of seasons. Things won't truly turn around in net for the Ducks until Gibson's contract has finally reached an end, but the future looks much more promising now than it has since the Gibson-Frederik Andersen era.

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Boldy is back on track – Devils turn to their young defencemen – Granlund lifting the Sharks – Healthy Fabbri on a tear for the Wings

Scott Cullen — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:20:59 +0000

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Matt Boldy is back on track, the Devils turn to their young defencemen, Mikael Granlund is lifting the Sharks, and a healthy Robby Fabbri is on a tear for the Red Wings.

#1 Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy had shown lots promise entering this season but then started this season with one goal (and seven assists) in his first 12 games. A new coach seems to have helped Boldy get back on track as he has rallied to score four goals in the past five games, though that may just be a case of the percentages starting to swing back in Boldy’s favour after he was having trouble finishing early in the campaign. He is getting ample opportunity with the man advantage. Among players with at least 50 minutes of five-on-four play, Boldy ranks fourth with 3.62 expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. He is behind Vincent Trocheck (3.91), Joe Pavelski (3.82), Zach Hyman (3.78), and ahead of Quinton Byfield (3.57) and Sam Reinhart (3.39).

#2 With Dougie Hamilton out long term due to a torn pectoral muscle, the New Jersey Devils have a hole on the blueline and the first place to look for solutions may be internally, as rookie Luke Hughes will continue to play a big role and Simon Nemec has been called up from the American Hockey League. Hughes has five points (3 G, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal in his past six games, playing more than 20 minutes in five of those contests. Nemec, the second pick in the 2022 Draft, has started his NHL career with three points (1 G, 2 A) in his first three games after producing eight points (2 G, 6 A) in 13 AHL games to earn his promotion. Hughes and Nemec are playing the point on New Jersey’s top two power play units, so they will have opportunities to produce.

#3 As the San Jose Sharks are starting to show signs of life, going 8-7-1 after a 0-10-1 start, veteran centre Mikael Granlund has picked up his offensive production. In his past dozen games, Granlund has 15 points (3 G, 12 A) while averaging 21:53 minutes of ice time per game. A player that can sometimes be a reluctant shooter, Granlund has also put 29 shots on goal in those 12 games so that shows more offensive drive.

#4 Injuries always seem to be lurking around the corner for Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri, but he has been very productive when healthy this season and has landed a spot on Detroit’s top line, alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Fabbri has produced 13 points (8 G, 5 A) in 13 games this season, though he has just 20 shots on goal, so it is obvious that he will not continue to score on 40% of his shots, but playing with high quality linemates is a good way to maintain production.

#5 Through his first 16 games this season, Arizona Coyotes forward Alexander Kerfoot contributed just four points (1 G, 3 A). In his past nine games, he has 11 points (1 G, 10 A) and is averaging more than 19 minutes per game. While Kerfoot is generally skating on the third line, with Michael Carcone and Jason Zucker, he is also getting first unit power play time and that gives him a higher offensive ceiling than he might have otherwise.

#6 Ottawa Senators right winger Drake Batherson has turned up the heat offensively. In his past 10 games, the 25-year-old has produced 13 points (6 G, 7A) with 26 shots on goal while playing nearly 18 minutes per game. Skating on a line with Tim Stutzle and Vladimir Tarasenko seems to agree with Batherson.

#7 Florida Panthers late bloomer Evan Rodrigues has seven points (3 G, 4 A) during a three-game point streak and with the opportunity to play with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, the 30-year-old winger is poised to have his most productive season. Rodrigues has been a consistent shot generator in previous stops but the chance to play with top players raises the bar for what point totals he might be able to achieve. He tallied a career high 43 points (19 G, 24 A) in 2021-2022 and already has 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 25 games this season.

#8 With Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish out of the lineup, the Anaheim Ducks pretty much have to lean on rookie centre Leo Carlsson and the 18-year-old pivot has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 27 shots on goal in his past 10 games, averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game. The Ducks have made it clear that they would prefer to ease Carlsson into his NHL career but circumstances may dictate that he just play more because he can. With 0.72 points per game, Carlsson ranks third among rookies, behind Connor Bedard (0.81) and Connor Zary (0.75).

#9 Philadelphia Flyers rookie right winger Tyson Foerster is starting to find his range as a scorer. He has produced six points (4 G, 2 A) with 13 shots on goal in his past five games. The 21-year-old winger is skating on Philadelphia’s top line alongside Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, and as long as that is the case, Foerster should hold some appeal for fantasy managers.

#10 The seventh overall pick in the 2021 Draft, William Eklund is working his way into a bigger role for the San Jose Sharks, as he has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past eight games. He is also playing nearly 19 minutes per game in that stretch and it’s encouraging for a rebuilding team to see their 21-year-old prospect taking advantage of the opportunity to play a significant role. Eklund has landed on San Jose’s top line, skating with Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov, as well as playing on the Sharks’ top power play unit.

#11 Playing just 11 minutes per game for the Arizona Coyotes, Michael Carcone has nevertheless been the most efficient five-on-five goal scorer in the league. Carcone is a 27-year-old who had played a total of 30 NHL games before this season and his good fortune in the offensive zone is keeping him in the Coyotes lineup. He is scoring on 32.4 percent of his shots on goal, which is not sustainable, but Carcone has scored 2.71 goals per 60 minutes, which is the best rate in the league among players that have skated at least 200 five-on-five minutes. He is followed by Trevor Moore (2.09), Nils Hoglander (2.04), Zach Hyman (2.00), Artemi Panarin (1.86), and Jake Neighbours (1.86).

#12 Hoglander has had a meteoric rise for the Canucks this season. After an extended stay in the American Hockey League last season, Hoglander started this season in a very limited role with the Canucks, playing less than 10 minutes six times in his first 11 games. The ice time is still inconsistent, but he has scored seven points (6 G, 1 A) in his past 11 games and his highest ice time this season has come in each of his last two games. He has found a spot on the wing with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, and that is a real chance for Hoglander to prove that he can be a top six forward in the NHL.

#13 Over the past month, among players to skate in at least 100 minutes in all situations, here are the ixG leaders per 60 minutes: Zach Hyman (2.50), Evander Kane (1.93), Brady Tkachuk (1.92), Quinton Byfield (1.77), Anders Lee (1.66), Matt Boldy (1.65), Jake Guentzel (1.58), Robby Fabbri (1.57), Lawson Crouse (1.57), Joel Eriksson Ek (1.56), and Nils Hoglander (1.54). Many of those players are already established fantasy performers, but it supports the production of players like Fabbri, Crouse, and Hoglander, who are getting the chances that lead to scoring more goals.

#14 Even after surrendering four goals against Philadelphia on Thursday, Arizona Coyotes netminder Connor Ingram has forced his way into a much bigger role between the pipes. In 16 games, Ingram has a .925 save percentage and with Karel Vejmelka struggling (.892 save percentage in 11 games), Ingram has been the natural choice for the suddenly competitive Coyotes.

#15 After a breakout season last year, Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson had serious difficulty stopping pucks early this season, posting a .872 save percentage in his first eight games. He is rounding into form, it appears, as Gustavsson has a .926 save percentage over his past seven starts. For a Wild team that struggled to the point that they felt the need to fire head coach Dean Evason, improved play from their starting goaltender can make a world of difference.

#16 Detroit has some tough decisions to make in goal as starter Ville Husso continues to have difficulty. He has a .886 save percentage in 14 starts and that opens the door for backups to earn a bigger role. Veteran James Reimer has a .917 save percentage in six starts while Alex Lyon has a .947 save percentage in his first five appearances for Detroit. The Red Wings are competitive this season, but it might be time for Lyon to get more action. The Red Wings have held three goaltenders in the NHL, presumably because they did not want to lose Lyon on waivers and now it looks like they might want to consider giving him a bigger piece of the goaltending pie.

#17 Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is out for a couple of weeks with a broken finger, offering a prime opportunity for top prospect Dustin Wolf. Wolf has a .927 save percentage in 118 AHL games, so he has proven everything he can at that level, but he has had difficulty working his way into the Flames’ crease. Dan Vladar has posted a .877 save percentage in eight starts this season, so the Flames can give Wolf more action while Markstrom is out. In four career games (three starts) for the Flames, Wolf has a .914 save percentage, which is good enough to finally earn him a legitimate look.

#18 A handful of notable slumping forwards over the past month: Chandler Stephenson (one assist in 10 games), Ryan Hartman (one assist in nine games), Reilly Smith (two assists in 14 games), Nick Paul (one goal, one assist in 15 games), and Kasperi Kapanen (one goal, one assist in 14 games). Of course, there are others, but these are players that have had quality playing time and their production has hit a dry patch. Stephenson is centering Brett Howden and Michael Amadio right now, which is not necessarily conducive to big scoring numbers. Hartman’s fantasy appeal was largely tied to playing centre on Minnesota’s top line but now that Marco Rossi is in that spot, Hartman has fallen down the depth chart. Smith has played most of this season on Evgeni Malkin’s wing, so it is hard to imagine how he has gone 15 games without a goal. He has been moved to play with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and that duo remains dominant at five-on-five, so maybe they can sprinkle some of their magic on Smith. After some early season scoring success, including scoring five of his eight goals on the power play, Paul has gone nine straight games without a point. He is a fringy fantasy player at best, and this is not his best. Not only does Kapanen have just two points in the past 14 games, but he has just 16 shots on goal. He’s barely giving himself a chance.

#19 Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll was in the midst of an outstanding performance against the Ottawa Senators Thursday when he was forced to leave the game with a lower-body injury. With a .916 save percentage in 15 games, Woll had claimed the Leafs’ No. 1 job, but if he is going to miss some time, the responsibility will fall to the tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones. Samsonov was excellent for the Leafs last season, but has a .878 save percentage in 10 games this season. That is decidedly not excellent. Jones had some moments with Seattle last season but the 33-year-old netminder had a .895 save percentage in the five NHL seasons that preceded the 2023-2024 season. Samsonov is the one to back, but that’s not easy given his performance thus far.

#20 It’s not like Patrick Kane is flying under the radar, but it’s worth keeping tabs on him to see what kind of residual effects could hit the Detroit lineup. Kane skated on a line with Alex DeBrincat and Joe Veleno while getting first unit power play time in his Red Wings debut. J.T. Compher did not play because he was nursing some nagging injuries, but it’s possible that Compher, who has 15 points (5 G, 10 A) in his past 15 games, is the more likely centre for that line when he is healthy.

FANTASY: The Week Ahead – December 4th to December 10th – Senators Challenges Grow – Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Los Angeles, Montreal among teams to target.

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 17:17:11 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 21: Ottawa Senators Left Wing Brady Tkachuk (7) before a face-off during second period National Hockey League action between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators on October 21, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

The opening for last week’s article was about Minnesota, so that’s twice now that I featured a team right before the coach was fired (the other instance of that was Edmonton). With apologies to D.J. Smith, I do want to discuss the Senators.

Ottawa is in a tricky position. The Senators went through the rebuilding process, having three top-five picks in three years from 2018-20 (Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson) followed by possessing the No. 10 selection in the 2021 NHL Draft (used on Tyler Boucher). Since then, they haven’t had a first-round pick, surrendering the 2022 selection to acquire Alex DeBrincat and their top pick in 2023 to get Jakob Chychrun. While they didn’t spend those picks on older players (and in the case of DeBrincat, they’re getting a first rounder back in the subsequent deal that shipped him to Detroit), it signaled that Ottawa is trying to move past the rebuilding phase.

It hasn’t worked out though. Ottawa was a middlingly 39-35-8 in 2022-23 and rather than take a step forward, the Senators are 9-10-0 this year. With Stutzle and Tkachuk having developed into star forwards while being backed by talented veterans Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko, Ottawa’s succeeded in troubling opposing goaltenders by scoring 3.32 goals per game, which puts the Senators in a four-way tie for ninth offensively.

Ottawa is also shaping up to be an amazing defensive team. In terms of expected goals against, the Senators rank second with 55.98. The Senators are an example of the reality of the NHL though: Even with a good offense and a strong defense, if your last line of defense is bad, then you’re still in trouble. Anton Forsberg has a 3.03 GAA and an .882 save percentage in eight contests this year. Joonas Korpisalo, who the Senators signed to a five-year, $20 million contract in the hopes that he’d stabilize their goaltending situation, has a 3.41 GAA and an .897 save percentage in 13 contests.

Things might be even worse than they look. Ottawa had 14 of its first 19 contests at home. That skewed schedule in the Senators’ favor will come back to haunt them from Dec. 14-Jan. 11 -- a stretch where they’ll play 11 of 14 contests on the road.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have four games ahead of them this week. They’ll face the Predators on Tuesday, the Ducks on Thursday, the Blues on Saturday and the Capitals on Sunday. The Capitals are the toughest of those teams with a 12-7-2 while the rest of the squads have been middling at best this year.

Chicago acquired Anthony Beauvillier from Vancouver last Tuesday, but he’s missed two of Chicago’s last three games due to visa issues. The exception was Saturday’s contest because it was in Winnipeg. In that game, Beauvillier played on the top line with Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. If that’s his role going forward, which seems likely, then the trade could provide him with a substantial boost to his fantasy value. As a member of the Canucks, he was averaging just 13:39 of ice time, which is part of the reason why he was limited to two goals and eight points. As a member of Chicago’s first line, Beauvillier could conceivably get 30-40 points over the final 60 contests.

The Blackhawks could certainly use the help that Beauvillier should provided. Over the last three games, Chicago has managed just three goals. Connor Bedard factored on all of them (one goal, two assists), bringing him up to 11 goals and 20 points in 23 contests this campaign. He’s the man Chicago was hoping for, but arguably obtaining a superstar is the easy part. For that, you just need to tank and then win the lottery, which isn’t exactly a high-skill maneuver. Building around that superstar post-tank is the hard part, and it will likely be years before we’ll know if the Blackhawks can succeed in that phase.

It would help if Lukas Reichel, who is a high-end prospect in his own right, got going. The 22-year-old was a healthy scratch Sunday after scoring two goals and six points over his first 22 contests this year. While being scratched obviously isn’t great, the silver lining is that it gives him a chance to reset and view the action from a different perspective. Maybe it will help in the long run.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have just three games this week, but they’re all home contests. They’ll start with the struggling Ducks on Tuesday (though it is worth noting Anaheim did manage to squeak away with a 4-3 shootout win over Colorado last Saturday) before facing Winnipeg on Thursday and Philadelphia on Saturday.

The Avalanche lost Cale Makar to a lower-body injury Saturday, and he missed Sunday’s game as a result. It remains to be seen how long he’ll be unavailable, but he’s the backbone of Colorado’s offense and defense, so losing him for any meaningful stretch of time would be a huge blow.

Sam Malinski drew into the lineup Sunday, logging 18:09 of ice time. He’s likely to remain in the lineup for as long as Makar is out. Malinski won’t come close to replacing the superstar’s offensive contributions, but Malinski does have three goals and nine points in 17 contests with AHL Colorado in 2023-24, so he might chip in a little. As far as the power play goes, Bowen Byram is likely to see time on the second unit while Devon Toews moves up to the top grouping, so both of their fantasy value will likely see a modest uptick in Makar’s absence.

Interestingly, rather than any of them, it was Josh Manson who factored in Sunday, scoring the Avalanche’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss to LA. Manson also registered an assist Saturday, so he’s at the start of what could be a hot streak, but it’s best to keep expectations low. After all, Manson has just three points in 21 contests this campaign, even after factoring in his recent production. He also has 32 PIM, 40 hits and 33 blocks, so he offers some additional utility if you did want to grab him in the hopes that his offensive run will last a little longer.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit is set to play in Buffalo on Tuesday before heading home to face the Sharks on Thursday and the Senators on Saturday. All three of those opponents are in the bottom third of the league’s standings, so the Red Wings are in a strong position to go on a winning streak.

Patrick Kane signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Red Wings on Nov. 28, but he’s likely to miss at least the first two contests this week as he looks to get back up to speed after undergoing hip surgery in June. When he does return, Kane will likely play alongside his old Blackhawks linemate, Alex DeBrincat, along with Dylan Larkin on Detroit’s top line. That should be a very effective unit, and while there’s an element of risk to Kane coming off surgery, he has the potential to record 40-50 points over the remainder of the campaign.

Getting Kane into the lineup might push Joe Veleno, who has averaged 15:00 of ice time this year, out of a top-six role. It also could cost David Perron his spot on the first power-play unit and push Robby Fabbri out of a power-play role entirely.

In terms of which Red Wings might benefit from having Kane on the roster, outside of Larkin and DeBrincat, we also might see Michael Rasmussen enjoy an indirect boost. Kane’s addition frees up Lucas Raymond to bolster the second line, which should help Rasmussen.

Detroit’s power play already enjoys a 23.5 conversion rate, which is eighth in the league, but if Kane is able to make the first unit even more successful, then that will also help defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, whose production is closely tied to special teams.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are on the road this week, but their first two contests are against struggling adversaries in Columbus on Tuesday and Montreal on Thursday. The Kings will then travel to New York to face the Islanders on Saturday and the Rangers on Sunday.

Los Angeles is also one of the hottest teams in the league, having won six of its last seven contests. Trevor Moore has played a big role in the Kings’ recent success, scoring five goals and eight points in that seven-game span to climb to 12 markers and 20 points in 21 outings this year. Meanwhile, Adrian Kempe has collected four assists over his last four contests, giving him eight goals and 22 points in 21 contests in 2023-24.

In net, Cam Talbot continues to get most of the workload and deservedly so. He has a 1.96 GAA and a .930 save percentage through 16 games. Backup Pheonix Copley has a far uglier 3.04 GAA and .868 save percentage in six outings, but he’s won his last two starts while saving 48 of 49 shots (.980 save percentage) over that span. Copley will likely have an opportunity to extend that run against either the Islanders or the Rangers this weekend.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens will host the Kraken on Monday and the Kings on Thursday. Then the Canadiens will travel to Buffalo on Saturday before returning to Montreal to host the Predators on Sunday. It’s a busy week, and the Kings are a tough opponent, but Nashville, Buffalo and Seattle all have sub-.500 records.

Goaltender Jake Allen has a 3.74 GAA and an .898 save percentage in 10 contests this season, and he’s done particularly bad lately, posting a 4.63 GAA and an .871 save percentage over his last six outings. Cayden Primeau hasn’t done any better with a 4.24 GAA and an .875 save percentage over his last three contests, so there’s an opening here for Sam Montembeault to run away with the starting gig.

Montembeault has a 5-3-1 record, 2.73 GAA and .910 save percentage in 10 contests this campaign and has won his last two starts while saving 56 of 61 shots (.918 save percentage) over that span. The Canadiens also made a three-year, $9.45 million commitment to the 27-year-old goaltender Friday, which further increases the chances of him claiming that top spot.

In terms of hot players offensively, blueliner Gustav Lindstrom has scored two goals over his last three contests. He’s not someone you should expect a lot of productivity from -- over 139 career games, he has just 29 points -- but he’s clicking at the moment. Joel Armia also has two goals over his last three outings and importantly has averaged 15:35 of ice time over that stretch, up from 12:38 over his previous six games with Montreal.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle lost four straight contests to drop to 8-11-6 this campaign. The pressure is on the Kraken to turn things around this week, especially with a slate of home games on the horizon. First, they’ll play in Montreal on Monday, but then the Kraken will host the Devils on Thursday, the Lightning on Saturday and the Wild on Sunday.

The Kraken have scored just seven goals over their last four games, but Tye Kartye has been an outlier over that stretch with two goals and three points. The 22-year-old rookie still has just four goals and eight points through 24 outings this campaign, but he might be getting more comfortable as the year progresses. He certainly showed offensive upside in the 2022-23 campaign, supplying 28 goals and 57 points in 72 AHL outings. You can try taking a chance on him while he’s hot in the hope that his recent success might lead to something more. If nothing else, he’s a decent source of PIM and hits, having 25 and 43, respectively, this year.

Jared McCann has also provided two goals and three points over that four-game stretch, bringing him up to 11 markers and 16 points in 25 outings this year. However, that’s still well behind his pace from 2022-23 when he finished with 40 goals and 70 points. Rather than replicate his production from last year, McCann is more likely to finish with around 50-55 points, falling more in line with his 2021-22 showing.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay was expecting the return of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to bolster the team, but instead, the Lightning have lost four straight games. To be fair, Tampa Bay has provided just five goals during its losing streak, so Vasilevskiy hasn’t gotten sufficient support, but the netminder also has a 3.87 GAA and an .859 save percentage through four starts. Perhaps it’s hard for him to find his rhythm after missing the start of the campaign with a back injury.

The Lightning will attempt to right the ship this week with home games against the Stars on Monday and the Penguins on Wednesday, followed by a road trip taking them to Nashville on Thursday and Seattle on Saturday.

I do expect Vasilevskiy to settle in as the campaign goes on, so this might be a good time to explore the possibility of acquiring him at a discounted price. After missing so much time and struggling so badly out of the gate, some fantasy managers might be frustrated enough to move him.

In terms of hot players, Nikita Kucherov is basically all the Lightning have at the moment. He’s managed to assist on all five of the Lightning’s markers over the last four games, propelling him to 15 goals and 40 points through 24 contests this year.

Victor Hedman has also done well with a goal and three points over his last four outings. If you’re lucky enough to have the blueliner on your fantasy team, you’ve been treated to consistent production – he hasn’t had a scoring drought longer than two outings this year.

Beyond those two, though, no Tampa Bay player has recorded more than a point over the last four games. If there’s a silver lining among that group, it’s Tanner Jeannot, who has at least been productive in other ways. In addition to scoring a power-play goal over that four-contest stretch, he’s also recorded 15 PIM and 18 hits.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights hit a rough patch from Nov. 5-28 in which they posted a 3-5-3 record, but that seems to be behind them after earning back-to-back 4-1 victories against Vancouver and Washington, respectively. They’ll attempt to build on that with their home-and-away series against St. Louis on Monday and Wednesday. Following those contests, the Golden Knights will play in Dallas on Saturday and host the Sharks on Sunday.

We just covered Seattle and Tampa Bay, which had somewhat slim pickings when it came to hot players, but that’s not the case with Vegas. Four Golden Knights forwards have recorded at least three points over the last three contests: Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Michael Amadio and Ivan Barbashev.

Of them, Amadio and Barbashev might be obtainable in fantasy leagues if you’re looking for someone to provide you with a short-term boost. Barbashev would be a particularly interesting option since he spent his first 410 career NHL games with St. Louis before being dealt to Vegas in February, so he might play with a little extra during the upcoming two contests.

It’s also worth noting that Adin Hill sustained a lower-body injury Thursday and missed Saturday’s contest as a result. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out for, but if he doesn’t return by the weekend, then Jiri Patera might get a start, perhaps versus San Jose. Patera isn’t having a great campaign with a 3.17 GAA and a .900 save percentage in 14 appearances with AHL Henderson, but he did post a 2.50 GAA and a .929 save percentage in two outings with Vegas last season, and the Sharks are a favorable opponent, so if it looks like he’ll get the start for that game then you should consider Patera as a situational pickup.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FANTASY HOCKEY: The Week Ahead – October 16th to 23rd

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 18:11:28 +0000

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 26: Toronto Maple Leafs Center Auston Matthews (34) (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire)

The first week of the season is in the books and it was certainly interesting. While I hesitate to read too much into such a small sample size, the Oilers’ goaltending situation is concerning after being outscored 12-4 over two contests versus Vancouver. Jack Campbell is coming off a rough 2022-23 campaign and Stuart Skinner had just 64 regular season contests worth of NHL experience going into the season, so neither is a safe bet and to see them both struggle out of the gate is worrying.

Then of course there’s Auston Matthews, who opened the season with back-to-back hat tricks. Again, it’s just the start of the campaign, but he is a genuine candidate for 50-in-50, and I don’t say that lightly. During 2021-22, he scored 50 goals in 49 outings from Nov. 26-April 9, and while that technically doesn’t count because it wasn’t from the start of the campaign, it does highlight what Matthews is capable of when he’s healthy and at his best.

On a macro level, one average I’ll be very interested in keeping an eye on is goals per team per game. In recent years, we’ve seen a steady increase in offense, to the point where the average team scored 3.18 goals per game in 2022-23 – the highest level since 1993-94 when Pavel Bure led the league with 60 goals and nine players reached the 50-goal milestone. Will that upward trend continue? Through Saturday’s action, the average team has scored 3.22 goals per game this season, but we’re still way too early in the campaign for that to mean anything.

What further highlights the unreliability of these early numbers is power-play opportunities, which stand at 3.86 per team per game. In other words, the average team has been receiving nearly one extra power play a game compared to last season, which probably speaks more to the referees establishing themselves and sloppy early season play than any actual long-term trend. Still, these macro numbers will be interesting to monitor as the campaign progresses.

Arizona Coyotes

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Mon	10/16/2023	ARI	NYR
Tue	10/17/2023	ARI	NYI
Thu	10/19/2023	ARI	STL
Sat	10/21/2023	ANA	ARI

The Coyotes begin the week with three road games against the Rangers on Monday, Islanders on Tuesday and Blues on Thursday. They will then host Anaheim on Saturday to wrap up the week. With four games on the schedule, including a contest against a rebuilding team in the Ducks, this is a pretty solid week to take some Coyotes players.

I would avoid taking Arizona’s goaltending because the defense isn’t good enough to support the netminders, but this could be a good week for top prospect Logan Cooley. The 19-year-old forward registered a pair of assists in his NHL debut while logging 19:02 of ice time, including 5:05 with the man advantage. Shining offensively out of the gate is nice, but what matters more for his prospects for the rest of the season was how much the Coyotes were willing to lean on him. They should continue to give Cooley every opportunity to succeed.

Defenseman Sean Durzi, who provided a power-play goal in Arizona’s opener, is another player who appears to be on the rise. He established personal bests in 2022-23 with nine goals and 38 points in 72 contests, including 16 power-play points, as a member of the Kings. He averaged a respectable 2:06 with the man advantage during that campaign, but Arizona is using him on the first power-play unit, which could lead to the 24-year-old reaching new career highs.

For Jason Zucker, this week could be a big test. He had 27 goals and 48 points with Pittsburgh last year and joined the Coyotes on a one-year, $5.3 million contract. It was thought the move to a rebuilding squad might lead to Zucker playing a bigger role, but instead he logged a modest 14:10 of ice time in Arizona’s season opener. Zucker did see time on even strength with Cooley though, so there is still an opportunity here for Zucker to put up solid numbers.

Calgary Flames

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Mon	10/16/2023	CGY	WSH
Thu	10/19/2023	CGY	BUF
Fri	10/20/2023	CGY	CBJ
Sun	10/22/2023	CGY	DET

The Flames will be on the road this week, but at least they’re among the teams set to play four games with their trip taking them to Washington on Monday, Buffalo on Thursday, Columbus on Friday and Detroit on Sunday. The Capitals, Sabres and Red Wings are middle of the pack squads at best while the Blue Jackets are a rebuilding team, so Calgary also isn’t facing the stiffest of competition.

With the busy schedule, we should see the season debut of Dan Vladar. He wasn’t great last year with a 2.91 GAA and an .892 save percentage in 27 contests, but if he ends up starting versus Columbus – which seems plausible given it’s the second half of the back-to-back – then he’d be worth using. The Blue Jackets ranked 30th with 2.60 goals per game last campaign.

Calgary’s first line of Andrew Mangiapane, Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau is red hot with the trio combing for four goals and 11 points over the Flames’ first two contests. It’s encouraging to see that start out of Huberdeau in particular, after he dropped from 115 points in 2021-22 with Florida to just 55 points last year as a member of the Flames.

In terms of depth players who might have a good week, Adam Ruzicka is worthy of consideration. Though he had just 20 points in 44 games in 2022-23 and has averaged a modest 11:47 of ice time over the Flames’ first two contests this year, Ruzicka is getting even strength time with Nazem Kadri and Dillon Dube, which is solid, and he’s being employed on the second power-play unit.

Rookie Matthew Coronato, who scored his first NHL goal Saturday, should also make for a solid selection this week given his usage on the first power-play unit.

Dallas Stars

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/17/2023	DAL	VGK
Thu	10/19/2023	DAL	ANA
Sat	10/21/2023	PHI	DAL

Dallas will play just three games this week and the first one is on the road Tuesday versus the defending champion Golden Knights. After that, though, Dallas’ schedule gets far easier with a contest in Anaheim on Thursday and a home game versus Philadelphia on Saturday. In other words, the Stars will face two of the worst teams in the league with a day of rest in between.

Roope Hintz unfortunately missed Dallas’ opener because of an upper-body injury, but he was a full participant in Friday’s practice, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in the lineup versus Vegas. With him presumably available, Dallas has three great lines with Hintz, Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski making up the top unit, Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov serving as the second line, and Mason Marchment, Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin being the third grouping

That forward group should be extremely effective against Columbus and Philadelphia, which ranked 31st and 23rd in terms of goals allowed per game last season. Most of those Dallas forwards are already fairly highly regarded and thus not cheap, but Marchment and Dadonov are fairly affordable points of entry, and both have strong enough linemates to boost their value.

Detroit Red Wings

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Mon	10/16/2023	DET	CBJ
Wed	10/18/2023	PIT	DET
Sun	10/22/2023	CGY	DET
Sat	10/21/2023	DET	OTT

The Red Wings will play four games this week and none of those contests will be against teams that made the playoffs last year. More specifically, they’ll be in Columbus on Monday, host the Penguins on Wednesday, play in Ottawa on Saturday and then conclude the week with a home game versus the Flames.

It’s a great set for Alex DeBrincat, who has hit the ground running with Detroit, scoring three goals and four points in his first two contests. He’ll face his former team, the Senators, on Saturday, so that one should be a fun game.

Another new addition to the team, J.T. Compher, has also shined with a goal and three points over his first two contests with the Red Wings. One of his linemates, Michael Rasmussen, has never recorded more than 30 points in a single campaign. However, Rasmussen is averaging a healthy 16:22 of ice time in 2023-24 and with that top-six role, we might see the 24-year-old do a bit more offensively. If nothing else, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on him this week to see how he responds with both a favorable assignment and favorable competition.

The other X-Factor is Robby Fabbri, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He did skate Monday, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in the lineup soon. When he does play, Fabbri will likely serve on the third line and second power-play unit. He’s not a major offensive threat, but on a week like this, there’s a decent chance he’d chip in if healthy.

Minnesota Wild

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/17/2023	MIN	MTL
Thu	10/19/2023	LAK	MIN
Sat	10/21/2023	CBJ	MIN

The Wild will play on the road against the rebuilding Canadiens on Tuesday before hosting Los Angeles and Columbus on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. It’s only three contests, but they’re well spread out and two of them are against squads not expected to reach the postseason.

Matthew Boldy has a goal and two points in two games, but he exited Saturday’s game versus Toronto with an undisclosed injury and might end up missing some time. If that’s the case, we might see Frederick Gaudreau slide into a top-six role. Gaudreau had 19 goals and 38 points in 82 contests last year. He hasn’t found his way onto the scoresheet yet in 2023-24, but he’s also averaged just 12:44 of ice time. If Gaudreau does move up to the second line, then he’d be worthy of a short-term pickup.

This will also be a week to keep an eye on Marco Rossi. The 22-year-old forward has significant offensive upside, but Minnesota used him sparingly over the first two contests – an average of just 12:26. Still, he did find the back of the net against Toronto and his role could expand as the campaign goes on.

Finally, we should get Marc-Andre Fleury’s first start this week. Although the schedule is spread out enough to allow Minnesota to lean exclusively on Filip Gustavsson, it would be surprising to see Fleury be made to wait much longer, especially after Gustavsson allowed seven goals on 33 shots Saturday. Even at the age of 38, Fleury is a solid goaltender and given the Wild’s upcoming competition, his first start of the campaign should be a favorable one.

Toronto Maple Leafs

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Mon	10/16/2023	CHI	TOR
Thu	10/19/2023	TOR	FLA
Sat	10/21/2023	TOR	TBL

The Maple Leafs are a bit of a stretch to include here. Only three games and the final two are road contests against Florida and Tampa Bay on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Still, Toronto will host the lowly Blackhawks on Monday, and the Leafs’ offense is hot enough that I felt I needed to highlight them.

If you’re interested in daily leagues, it’s hard not to grab Auston Matthews on Monday. Sure, he’s expensive, but the Blackhawks are a particularly weak team defensively, and as mentioned at the top, Matthews couldn’t be hotter after scoring back-to-back hat tricks.

Matthews strong play has made some other stunning performances fly a bit under the radar. In particular, William Nylander has an incredible three goals and five points over his first two contests. Nylander can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this campaign, so he has all the motivation in the world to demonstrate his worth this year and make Toronto – or failing that, another team – pay him what he feels he’s due.

If you’re looking for a cheaper entry point to the Maple Leafs’ offense, Calle Jarnkrok is a potential answer. He’s off to a strong start with a goal and an assist, and practiced alongside Nylander on Sunday, so there’s a good chance we’ll see the two together Monday.

Two forwards who haven’t gotten going yet are rookies Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten. The youngsters have seen time together on the third line and that’s likely an arrangement that’s going to continue for now. They’re not great pickups this week, but Knies has enough upside that he’s worth monitoring.

Washington Capitals

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Mon	10/16/2023	CGY	WSH
Wed	10/18/2023	WSH	OTT
Sat	10/21/2023	WSH	MTL

The Capitals are set to host Calgary on Monday, then play on the road against Ottawa and Montreal on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. None of those teams made the playoffs last year, though to be fair, the Flames and Senators are both expected to be in the running this time around.

Regardless, this could be a big week for the Capitals, which should be hungry to bounce back after opening the campaign with a 4-0 loss to the rival Penguins. Connor McMichael is a somewhat under the radar player who might have a solid week. The 22-year-old has just nine goals and 18 points in 76 career NHL contests, but he is a former first round pick (25th overall in 2019) and served on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson in the opener. McMichael averaged just 10:20 of ice time at the NHL level going into this campaign, so that partially explains his poor offensive numbers. Now that he’s getting top-six minutes, he’s worthy of consideration.

We could also get a strong week out of Rasmus Sandin. After scoring four goals and 20 points in 52 contests with Toronto last season, he was dealt to Washington on Feb. 28 and excelled with the Capitals, contributing three goals and 15 points in 19 contests over the remainder of the campaign. In part, his jump in production was due to Washington giving him a far bigger role. He went from averaging 17:59 with Toronto before the trade to 22:59 with the Capitals. Now set for his first full campaign with Washington, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sandin exceed the 40-point mark for the first time in his career.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 12:00:30 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 28: Detroit Red Wings Center Dylan Larkin (71) applies pressure on the forecheck during first period National Hockey League action between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators on February 28, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Red Wings missed the playoffs for six consecutive campaigns prior to 2022-23 and the latest season was more of the same. There was a chance that Ville Husso, acquired from St. Louis in the summer of 2022, would help, but he ended up posting a 26-22-7 record, 3.11 GAA and .896 save percentage in 56 starts. What makes that worse is Detroit ranked 10th in five-on-five expected goals against (164.53), so the defense was doing its part. Not that a stellar performance from Husso would have necessarily saved the season, given how thin the Red Wings’ forward core was. Dylan Larkin was by far Detroit’s top scorer with 32 goals and 79 points, but he was the only player to reach the 25-goal mark and, along with David Perron, one of just two with at least 50 points. Detroit finished with a 35-37-10 record, tying its current playoff drought with the longest in franchise history.

What’s Changed? Detroit’s top-six forward core looks a lot stronger after acquiring Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa and signing J.T. Compher. Detroit also inked James Reimer, who is coming off a rough campaign with San Jose, but has traditionally been an above average backup goaltender. The addition of defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jeff Petry further boosts a defense that was underrated in 2022-23.

What would success look like? The Atlantic Division is going to be a tough one, but there is a path here for Detroit to make the playoffs, albeit likely in a Wild Card spot. DeBrincat and Compher should give Larkin the help he sorely missed last year. It won’t be enough to make Detroit’s offense good, but it might at least be enough to make it less of a liability. Husso is still a big X-Factor, but the addition of Reimer might take some of the pressure off him and, when combined with the Red Wings’ great blueliner group, it might be sufficient.

What could go wrong? Detroit’s making a big bet on Compher, but other than his 52-point showing in 2022-23, he’s never even reached 35 points, so he might be a swing and a miss for the Red Wings. Petry is another potentially nice get, but he’ll turn 36 in December and missed 21 games last season, so he might disappoint too. Then there’s the goaltending, which might be what sinks this squad. Detroit is counting on not just Husso bouncing back, but Reimer too. Given how stiff the competition will be for a playoff spot, if any of those potential problems on their own might be enough to deny the Red Wings a postseason berth.

Top Breakout Candidate: The one player we didn’t address who could end up making a huge impact for Detroit is Lucas Raymond. He showed a lot of promise in his rookie campaign, scoring 23 goals and 57 points in 82 contests, but then regressed in 2022-23, settling for 17 goals and 45 points in 74 games. Taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2020, the stage is set for the 21-year-old to step up and take his place alongside Larkin and DeBrincat as one of the Red Wings’ offensive leaders.

Forwards

Dylan Larkin - C

The Red Wings captain solidified his legacy in Detroit when he signed an eight-year, $69.6 million extension in March and the captain will look to bring them out of the darkness and back into the postseason. Larkin led the Red Wings in goals (32) and points (79) and that he did that shouldn’t come as any surprise. He’s their best player and it’s why they had to get him signed to an extension. Yes, things have been grim in Motor City since they last made the playoffs in 2016, but the 27-year-old center has been the consistent reason for hope for the future. It was the third time he’s scored 30-or-more goals in his Red Wings career as well as the third time he scored at nearly a point per game pace (he also did in 2018-19 and 2021-2022). Now that he’s locked up for eight more years and GM Steve Yzerman has been beyond aggressive in trying to get back to the playoffs the past two off-seasons, the pressure is very much on Larkin’s shoulders to help put them over the top to get back there. Larkin was a rookie on the last Red Wings playoff team so he knows what it’s like to be there and he’s surrounded by veterans who have done so with other teams, but a repeat performance of last season would go a long way to helping make that dream a reality.

Alex DeBrincat - LW

The Red Wings’ biggest acquisition outside of the NHL Draft the past few seasons came in the form of two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat. That they swung a trade with division rival Ottawa to land him and by all appearances look to have won that trade is a substantial coup on their part. Last season with the Senators, DeBrincat had 27 goals and 66 points, good for fourth on the team. For as questionable of a statistic plus-minus is, DeBrincat’s minus-31 rating was second lowest on the Senators, but defense isn’t exactly why Detroit brought him on board. He’s a goal scorer through and through having potted 187 goals in six seasons (450 games) with Chicago and Ottawa. That he’s coming off a down season with Ottawa may have kept his trade price down, although the Red Wings signed him to a four-year, $31.5 million extension after the trade. DeBrincat’s addition ideally gives the Red Wings a much-needed offensive injection as they scored the ninth fewest goals in the NHL last season. A return to 40-goal form would give Detroit a much more potent attack, something they’ll need to keep up with the rest of the contenders within the Atlantic Division. Teaming him up with Dylan Larkin should provide the spark needed to do just that.

David Perron - RW

When it comes to players who understand their role and excel at it, David Perron is right up there as one of the best. Perron plays a hard, competitive brand of hockey and does well around the net in tight spaces to generate scoring opportunities. He’s also very good at matching up physically and sticking up for himself and his teammates. Most of all, he’s the picture of consistency. At 34 years old, Perron was second on the Red Wings in goals with 24 and scoring with 56 points. While it may not have been ideal for Detroit to have Perron be No. 2 for them in those categories, the fact that he was and did quite well at his age says a lot about how good he’s been for them. For seven straight seasons, Perron has had 46-or-more points and he’s scored 20-or-more goals in four of them. Perron was brought to Detroit for his veteran wiles and the edge he can provide come playoff time…which hasn’t happened yet, but for now he’s providing their bevy of younger players a daily example of what it takes to have success in the NHL.

Lucas Raymond - RW

Raymond has been an outstanding scorer since he landed in the NHL in 2021-2022 after being the fourth overall pick in 2020. In two seasons he’s put up 40 goals and 102 points in 156 games, but his output last season was down from his rookie campaign. He had 12 fewer points in eight fewer games played last year, which is slightly concerning as his slightly down possession stats at 5-on-5. What’s also concerning is that Raymond’s numbers struggled with Dylan Larkin, but Larkin saw far better success away from Raymond. That was also the case during Raymond’s rookie season, however, those two played almost exclusively together at 5-on-5 then, that wasn’t the case last season. Raymond finished tied for third on the Red Wings in scoring last season with Dominik Kubalik. With Kubalik off to Ottawa in the Alex DeBrincat trade, there’s a good possibility Raymond winds up on a line with Larkin and DeBrincat which should improve all three players’ statistics together. At 21 years old, it’s too early to be fretting about Raymond’s numbers especially given that Detroit continues to add better talent around him. But he will need to improve overall for Detroit to have a shot at making the postseason, particularly since the teams they’ll be battling against all have made moves to also either get into or stay in the playoffs.

J.T. Compher - C

Although the Detroit-Colorado rivalry is long since dormant, it’s still fascinating to see players go from one team to the other and J.T. Compher joining the Red Wings after seven seasons with the Avalanche certainly qualifies. Compher, who played college hockey at the University of Michigan, heads back to his adopted home state after scoring 88 goals and 194 points in 423 career games in Denver. It was Compher’s two-way game that piqued the Red Wings’ interest in him and his versatility to play both center and the wing gives him a utility knife quality for their lineup. Ideally, Compher slides in as the center on the second line behind Dylan Larkin and ahead of Andrew Copp. Throughout his career, Compher has had decent 5-on-5 possession numbers as well as strong expected goal percentages. Having those kinds of advanced numbers made him a valuable player for teams in search of strong depth who can play well defensively and contribute enough on offense. That kind of description fits Compher well although it should be noted he’s coming off a career-year with 51 points. He’s regularly been a 20–30-point scorer before that. At 28 years old, this is who Compher is as his development days are long over, but the Red Wings will hope he hasn’t seen the end of his higher-scoring years just yet particularly after signing him to a five-year, $25.5 million deal.

Andrew Copp - C

Detroit signing J.T. Compher came at a curious time particularly since they’d just signed Andrew Copp a year ago to do essentially the same kind of thing in the same position to virtually the exact same contract (5 years, $28.125 million). Copp’s first year back home in Michigan saw him pick up where he left off the previous year with Winnipeg and the New York Rangers. His nine goals and 42 points were solid, and his 42-point output the second best of his career. Although his goal output dipped slightly, it’s his two-way game that makes him a fixture in the lineup and that suffered a bit last season. Copp’s advanced numbers dropped, including possession and expected goals at 5-on-5. For him and the Red Wings to have success that cannot be the norm and might be a reason why a similar style player in Compher was added to help shoulder the burden a bit in the middle of the lineup. A stronger overall team performance would have an effect there as well, but it’s up to Copp to do his part too. He played most of his 5-on-5 minutes with Lucas Raymond and David Perron which at first blush doesn’t seem like an ideal mix. With the additions of Compher and Alex DeBrincat, coach Derek Lalonde will have interesting choices to make to get a better mix with his forwards.

Michael Rasmussen - RW

Injuries are never kind and they’re almost always cruel and such was the case for Michael Rasmussen last season. A shot to the kneecap sidelined him for the season in late February and it came while he was in the middle of a breakout season of sorts. In 56 games, the 6’6” 210-pound forward put up 10 goals and a career high 29 points. On top of the improved point production, Rasmussen saw improved possession and shot quality and prevention advanced numbers as well. At 23 years old, it was the kind of improvement everyone in Detroit was excited to see occurring. After all, with a player his size improving in those ways makes him more valuable to them overall. Being big is one thing, but being big and able to help produce offense more efficiently is something else entirely. It’s why the Red Wings hope that a full return to health will lead to him picking up where he left off. If he can do that with the host of new players they’ve added this offseason, Detroit’s hope is they’ll have someone capable of getting heavily into the physical mix come playoff time when the goals are a little harder to score and having a player that can screen goalies and push opponents around comes in much handier.

Jonatan Berggren - LW

Berggren’s arrival to the Detroit lineup last season showed why they took him in the second round in the 2018 Draft. He scored 15 goals and had 28 points in 67 games during his rookie season last year. The Swedish winger seized a role in the lineup with his offensive skill and even carved a spot on the power play scoring five times on the man advantage with nine points total. What’s most impressive about Berggren’s output is he was able to do it down in the Red Wings lineup. He wasn’t playing top-six minutes with their better scorers, he played most of his 5-on-5 minutes with forwards like Joe Veleno and Austin Czarnik before he was elevated to join Andrew Copp and David Perron. Now at 23 years old and having shown he can produce at the NHL level, he’ll be counted on to provide consistent scoring in the middle-six forward group from the wing and could find a home alongside free agent addition J.T. Compher. Berggren has versatility, however, and can slide in at center when needed. It’s that kind of flexibility that further makes him valuable in the Red Wings lineup and will help him earn more ice time.

Klim Kostin - LW

During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, no one player was able to make their mark and increase their value the way Klim Kostin did with the Edmonton Oilers. Kostin used his size and physical style of play to muck things up along the boards and in the middle of the ice to open the offense for his teammates and himself. Kostin had a breakout regular season with 10 goals and 21 points in the regular season and followed that up with three goals and two assists in 12 playoff games with the Oilers. Kostin is a classic grind line kind of player who uses his checking and size (6’3” 215) to disrupt opponents. In 57 games last season he had 157 hits and that’s the kind of rate that will get you noticed no matter what. After three years with St. Louis, they traded him to Edmonton where the Oilers gave him a chance and he ran with it. It’s that brand of go-getter that attracted Detroit to acquire him in a trade and days later sign him to a two-year contract. It’s another signing that shows how the Red Wings want to be able to line up should they get to the postseason. They want to have skill and goal scoring at the top of the lineup with a mix of size, strength, and grit in their lower lines. Adding an eager player like Kostin to the mix makes a lot of sense to that end, but with the high amount of skill within the division it remains to be seen if being overly physical will provide some kind of edge or cause other problems to pop up.

Defense

Moritz Seider - D

Being the best defenseman on a below-average team can be a bit of a slog, even if you’re 21 years old and brilliant like Moritz Seider. The young German phenom and 2022 Calder Trophy winner didn’t necessarily have a sophomore slump but instead got the chance to deal with the rest of the league after they’ve had a chance to study him… and he was still very good. Seider’s point production fell from 50 points in his rookie season to 42 last year. He was the Red Wings minutes leader and averaged just more than 23 minutes of ice time per game. It’s a massive workload for a player so new to the league, but he’s the best the Red Wings have on the blue line, particularly after they traded Filip Hronek to Vancouver at the trade deadline. Everything Seider does and can do more is superb. It would be easy to get wound up about his advanced stats last season, but most every Detroit player’s advanced numbers suffered in general last season. Ideally you want to see his possession and expected goal numbers improve year to year, but the Red Wings haven’t been very good. His numbers are better than most everyone else’s on the team which indicates how well he can play, but compared to others around the league they don’t stand out. If Detroit improves, it will certainly show in Seider’s numbers across the board. But the key is that Detroit does improve, or else arguments will persist as to how good Seider is or isn’t.

Jake Walman - D

There may have been no bigger surprise in Detroit than the play of Jake Walman on defense. The Red Wings acquired Walman from St. Louis in a trade in March 2022 that involved Nick Leddy and Oskar Sundqvist among others. While Walman wasn’t the player of note then, how he performed for Detroit last season changed that discussion substantially. Walman paired with Moritz Seider and the two became virtually inseparable because of how well they worked together. Their 5-on-5 possession numbers were a level 50 percent, and they had an expected goal percentage above that mark. For a team that bled goals and didn’t score a lot of them, that’s outstanding and Walman excelled. He set career highs in goals (nine) and points (18) all while averaging the most ice time of his career at 19:43 per game. It’d be easy enough to say that playing with Seider likely did a lot to help him out, but Walman did a lot to help settle Seider’s game down as well. An upper-body injury hampered his season and held him to 63 games. It also prevented him from playing in World Championships during the summer. Still, Walman’s play was strong enough to earn a three-year extension from the Red Wings worth $10.2 million. Going from fighting to get into the Blues lineup to being on the top pairing in Detroit is a heck of a turn around and a great find for the Red Wings.

Shayne Gostisbehere - D

Something that was missing from the Detroit blue line in the wake of the Filip Hronek trade was a tried-and-true puck mover. Free agency helped them fix that need with ease when they signed free agent Shayne Gostisbehere. The “Ghost Bear” split last season with Arizona and Carolina and had 13 goals and 41 points. Piling up points has never been an issue for the 30-year-old Floridian. In nine seasons he has 311 points in 538 games including 87 goals. He’s been a steady possession player and he played extremely well for Carolina in an abbreviated stay there after the trade deadline. What he does best is move the puck up the ice and create offense and even with the loaded mix of defensemen in Detroit, Gostisbehere will be able to take that role and run with it in a big way. It should also allow him to see power play time as well and perhaps give Moritz Seider a bit of a break, so he doesn’t always have to be the guy doing the heavy lifting in that aspect. Gostisbehere will also duel with Jeff Petry for power play time on the first or second unit. Although Petry has years on him, Gostisbehere is a quicker skater and capable of getting into and out of trouble a bit faster. Although he won’t do much on the physical side of the game, that’s not what they need him to do the most. They need him to help bring the puck up the ice and set up the forwards for better scoring opportunities.

Jeff Petry - D

Well, this is awkward. Just a year after Petry requested a trade out of Montreal and was moved to Pittsburgh, the Canadiens reacquired him as part of the three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins. It was a short stop, however, as he was then moved home (Petry was born in Ann Arbor) to the Detroit Red Wings. Even at his age, Petry is a valuable two-way defenseman who can comfortably serve in a top pairing role. He’s averaged over 22 minutes in each of his last seven campaigns, including last season with Pittsburgh, during which he logged 22:21 of ice time per game (2:20 with the man advantage and 2:22 shorthanded). He knows how to play physically without crossing the line too often, contributing 190 hits and just 24 PIM last season, and he’s perfectly happy to block shots, finishing with over 100 in each of his last two campaigns. The Michigan native isn’t one of the league’s top blueliners offensively, but he’s more than serviceable in that regard, having finished 2022-23 with five goals and 31 points in 61 contests, making it the fifth time in the last six years that the defenseman has enjoyed a points per game pace of over 0.5. The biggest issue is that he’s run into some injury troubles lately, missing 35 contests over the last two seasons and, considering his age, things might only get worse from here. But the Red Wings needed some help offensively on the blue line and going back home might re-invigorate Petry enough to give Detroit a lift.

Goaltender

Ville Husso - G

It really seemed like the Detroit Red Wings had done all the right things with their rebuild – down to their decision to capitalize on a few teams wanting to open up some space in the goaltending department by picking up a pair of young up-and-comers in Alex Nedeljkovic and Ville Husso. Husso, in particular, had just wrapped up a season in which he’d ousted former standout starter Jordan Binnington from his reign as number one for the St. Louis Blues; he appeared to be the perfect piece of the puzzle for the Red Wings as they hoped to take their rebuild and ease it out of the garage for a test run.

Instead, both Husso and Nedeljkovic floundered almost from the start. The pair failed to hit the .900 unadjusted save percentage threshold on the year, with Husso in particular struggling to find his rhythm and own his depth management behind a team that desperately needed to establish some defensive consistency. Now, he’s back to see if he can shake off last year’s struggles – but instead of pairing with another youngster without a ton of NHL experience, Husso will get a veteran voice known for being a locker room superglue in James Reimer. Reimer has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons, so it’s hard to imagine Detroit isn’t looking at him as a stabilizing presence for Husso while the younger Finnish netminder continues to serve as their true number one. After all, his strong skating style and willingness to assert control in the blue paint should be a good recipe for success behind a young roster for Detroit. If things falter again this year, though, the Red Wings might have to consider whether or not Husso was as savvy of a pickup as they’d hoped.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Byram and Valimaki getting opportunity – Help on the wing in Teravainen, Carrier and Harvey-Pinard – Goaltending grabs

Scott Cullen — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:41:40 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram (4) looks on during the National Hockey League game between the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils on October 28, 2022 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Bowen Byram and Juuso Valimaki are getting bigger opportunities on the blueline, Teuvo Teravainen, William Carrier, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard may offer help on the wings, and Adin Hill and Philipp Grubauer are among the goaltenders that are widely available that could provide value for fantasy managers.

#1 With Cale Makar still out of the lineup due to a concussion, the Colorado Avalanche have been giving Bowen Byram a bigger role. Since returning from his own injury, Byram has three assists in five games while averaging 21:51 of ice time per game. Byram has the talent to be an impact player, but the 21-year-old has either had trouble staying healthy or gets lost in the shuffle behind Colorado’s other premier defensemen. He has 27 points in 64 career games, but 24 of those points have come at even strength. Among 222 defensemen that have played 1000 five-on-five minutes across the past three seasons, Bryam ranks 45^th with 1.05 points per 60 minutes.

#2 With Shayne Gostisbehere injured and Jakob Chychrun stuck in limbo while awaiting a trade, Juuso Valimaki is being asked to handle more responsibility on the Arizona blueline, and that includes quarterbacking the Coyotes’ top power play unit. He has six assists and 12 shots on goal in his past five games, averaging 22:42 of ice time per game.

#3 An upper-body injury hindered him earlier in the season, but Carolina Hurricanes left winger Teuvo Teravainen is rounding into form. In his past 11 games, Teravainen has nine points (3 G, 6 A) and 27 shots on goal. The 28-year-old has had four seasons of 60-plus points in his career, but has just 26 points (6 G, 20 A) in 44 games this season. However, he is back on Carolina’s top line and first power play unit, so Teravainen is poised for a big finish to the season.

#4 Vegas’ hard-driving left winger William Carrier is putting the puck in the net and it has elevated him into the land of fantasy relevance, especially in banger leagues because he brings a physical component to his game. In his past 8 games, Carrier has contributed nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 22 shots on goal. He is skating on the third line in Vegas with Chandler Stephenson and Phil Kessel, which is a better opportunity than he has typically had in his career and Carrier is making the most of it.

#5 Sticking in Vegas, starting goaltender Logan Thompson is injured so Adin Hill has a chance to handle the No. 1 role. Over the past month, Hill has a .933 save percentage in six games, and while he has never played more than 25 games in a NHL season, he has tended to deliver around league average results. If you’re looking for goaltending help at this stage of the season, he is worthy of consideration. If Hill falters, Laurent Brossoit has been recalled from the AHL, so he could see some action, too.

#6 For much of the season in Seattle, Martin Jones has been the number one option in net for the Kraken, but Philipp Grubauer is pushing to recapture the starter’s spot on the depth chart. In 2023, Grubauer has appeared in eight games and has a .927 save percentage, which is dramatically better than his play through his first season and a half with the Kraken.

#7 Usually, when seeking value from players on the fantasy waiver wire, it is nice to find a player who has some pedigree to lean on – a track record of production that would suggest that they might be able to do it in the NHL, too. Rafael Harvey-Pinard was a seventh-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2019, and has been reasonably productive in the American Hockey League, but that did not portend the kind of scoring that he has immediately added to the Montreal lineup. With a goal in Thursday’s 6-2 loss at Carolina, Harvey-Pinard has nine points (7 G, 2 A) in 11 games since getting called up from the AHL. He has scored on 35% of his shots, which his obviously not sustainable, but that early success has also helped Harvey-Pinard get more ice time – he played a career-high 19:02 Thursday at Carolina.

#8 His production is down this season, and he may be on the move before the trade deadline, but Blues center Ryan O’Reilly has returned from injury with a three-game point streak, tallying three points (2 G, 1 A) with seven shots on goal. His modest production this season is why he is available in more leagues than usual, but O’Reilly could still be worth adding for the stretch run, especially if he moves to a better situation.

#9 It’s easy for production to get overlooked in Arizona, but Nick Schmaltz continues to deliver for the Coyotes. In his past nine games, Schmaltz has put up 14 points (7 G, 7 A) with 24 shots on goal and for a player who has never been a big volume shooter, it is encouraging that he is averaging a career high 2.05 shots on goal per game this season.

#10 It seems unlikely that Barrett Hayton will live up to the expectations created when the Arizona Coyotes drafted him fifth overall in 2018, but the Coyotes are giving him the reps to show what he can do in the NHL. In his past 22 games, Hayton has 15 points (6 G, 9 A) and 57 shots on goal, while averaging 18:00 minutes of ice time per game. He is skating on the top line with Schmaltz and Clayton Keller, so that certainly helps to boost his productivity.

#11 Montreal Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin has had a hard time staying healthy, but he is working in a setup role when he is in the lineup. He has five assists in four games since returning from his latest injury, and now has zero goals and 17 assists through 32 games. There has never been a season in NHL history in which a forward finished a season with that many assists without scoring a single goal, so we are now on history watch to see if Drouin is going to be the first.

#12 The Calgary Flames bumped Dillon Dube up to the top line in mid-December, and the speedy winger has rewarded the club with strong production in that role. In his past 26 games, Dube has 22 points (11 G, 11 A) with 58 shots on goal. Among players that have played at least 200 five-on-five minutes since December 14, Dube ranks 12^th with 3.08 points per 60 minutes. That is a higher rate than players like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak, Jack Hughes, and Nikita Kucherov.

#13 There is potential value to be found further down the Flames’ depth chart, too. Veteran center Mikael Backlund had 18 points (6 G, 12 A) in 35 games going into the December holiday break. Since then, he has 16 points (4 G, 12 A) with 71 shots on goal in 20 games. That shot rate has lifted Backlund to a career-high 3.07 shots on goal per game and is a solid indication that he can maintain a quality level of point production even if he is in more of a supporting role offensively.

#14 While the Montreal Canadiens have a lot of young players getting turns on the blueline, veteran is Mike Matheson emerging as the leader of the group. In his past 15 games, going back to early December, Matheson has nine points (1 G, 8 A) and 33 shots on goal, while averaging 23:26 of ice time per game. He is quarterbacking the first power play unit for Montreal, so Matheson is worth some deep league consideration.

#15 After scoring a goal and adding an assist in Thursday’s 5-2 win at Calgary, Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri has eight points (3 G, 5 A) during a four-game point streak. Be a little skeptical of that production, though, because Fabbri is not generating shots – he has accrued just 25 shots on goal in 18 games, and that rate makes it tough to believe that his surge in scoring is going to last.

#16 Recording an assist on Winnipeg’s only goal in Thursday’s 3-1 loss at Columbus, veteran right winger Blake Wheeler continues to put up points. He has 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in his past nine games, though, like Fabbri, Wheeler is not a big shot generator. In his past nine games, he has just nine shots on goal. He also has 42 points (15 G, 27 A) in 46 games, making this the eighth straight season in which he has averaged better than 0.90 points per game.

#17 It was something of a surprise when, at the start of the season, Philip Tomasino was not on the Nashville Predators roster. He had 32 points (11 G, 21 A) in 76 games as a rookie last season, but was demoted to the American Hockey League. He responded by producing 32 points (12 G, 20 A) in 38 games and, in the wake of Filip Forsberg’s injury, Tomasino has been recalled to the Predators roster. He has not recorded any points in his first couple of games, but has generated five shots on goal and if Nashville becomes a seller before the trade deadline, there could be more opportunities for Tomasino to re-establish his value as an NHL player.

#18 The goaltender for the San Jose Sharks is not exactly a blue-chip fantasy stock, because the Sharks do not win that much, but Kaapo Kahkonen has a .929 save percentage in his past five games and figures to get the bulk of the action down the stretch. Veteran James Reimer, with an expiring contract, remains a potential trade candidate, and while Kahkonen has started 24 games this season, he should have a good chance to surpass the 36 games he appeared in last season.

#19 Depending on your desperation in goal, there are some longshot options to consider. With Anton Forsberg done for the season, with torn medial collateral ligaments in both knees, Mads Sogaard should see playing time in Ottawa, especially while Cam Talbot remains out. Talbot is also a potential trade candidate, so it is possible that Sogaard will play quite a bit for the rest of the season. Arizona’s Connor Ingram is coming off the best game of his NHL career, a 47-save shutout against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Ingram has a respectable .907 save percentage in 18 games and there have been some rumors that starter Karel Vejmelka could be available for the right price. Wins might be tough in Ottawa or Arizona, but even more difficult to achieve in Chicago. Nevertheless, 23-year-old rookie Jaxson Stauber is worth keeping an eye on. Petr Mrazek has had another rough season and Alex Stalock has an issue with his eyesight, so it is possible that Stauber will continue to see action for the Blackhawks. He has a .911 save percentage in his first four NHL games.

#20 Injuries have hampered the production of Detroit Red Wings left winger Tyler Bertuzzi, but he is starting to find his footing. After putting up a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win at Calgary on Thursday, Bertuzzi has six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past six games. With the Red Wings back in the playoff hunt, Bertuzzi may be held back from the trading block, but if he continues to produce, there will be plenty of interest in the style of game that he can bring to a team heading to the postseason. Maybe that team will turn out to be the Red Wings.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Stars Returning from Injury

Scott Cullen — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:43:29 +0000

RALEIGH, NC - JANUARY 05: Carolina Hurricanes Left Wing Max Pacioretty (67) warms up prior to the game between the Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes on January 5, 2023 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, a new year brings several star players returning from injuries. That includes Max Pacioretty, Nikolaj Ehlers, Nicklas Backstrom and more, plus defensive defensemen and gritty forwards that are scoring enough to generate fantasy appeal.

#1 Acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the summer, left winger Max Pacioretty suffered a torn Achilles that kept him sidelined until Friday’s game. A six-time 30-goal scorer, Pacioretty is skating with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Derek Stepan to start, but he is obviously too prolific a scorer to remain there. In his last three seasons with Vegas, Pacioretty put up 154 points (75 G, 79 A) in 158 games.

#2 The Detroit Red Wings welcomed Robby Fabbri back from his most recent torn ACL, which is quite a statement to make about anyone’s hockey career. Fabbri, 26, had 79 points (41 G, 38 A) in 138 games with Detroit over the past three seasons and now he will add some scoring depth to the Red Wings lineup. Like Pacioretty, Fabbri is starting lower on the depth chart, with Pius Suter and Oskar Sundqvist as his linemates, but he has enough upside that he can climb up the depth chart.

#3 For the past few weeks, the Winnipeg Jets have been battling through a lineup depleted by injuries, but that looks like it will be coming to an end. Nikolaj Ehlers, who played just two games before getting hurt, is a massive addition to the Jets lineup as one of the elite play-driving wingers in the game. Veteran right winger Blake Wheeler and rookie left winger Cole Perfetti are also on track to return, which gives the Jets lineup the kind of scoring depth that makes them a quality team. While Ehlers and Wheeler are rostered in many leagues, Perfetti is more readily available, and he had 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in his last 15 games before getting hurt.

#4 That the Washington Capitals have managed to climb into a playoff spot despite being without the services of Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom all season has been one of the best team accomplishments of the first half. Now, the Capitals are about to get those two veteran forwards back in the lineup and that should make the team more potent offensively. It might take some time, coming off of long-term injuries, but a healthy Backstrom and Wilson will make an impact for the Capitals, not least of all giving Washington the depth to diversify their attack.

#5 If there is a concern for players on the Washington roster, maybe cast a skeptical eye towards Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano. Strome had three assists in Thursday’s 6-2 win at Columbus, giving him 31 points (8 G, 23 A) in 41 games, but he will likely lose ice time, including first unit power play time, when Backstrom is healthy. Milano has put up 18 points (6 G, 12 A) in 28 games after he signed in mid-October. Hard to believe that a player of his skill level could not get a contract after the Ducks did not extend him a qualifying offer. Nevertheless, Strome and Milano could be pushed down the depth chart and that does give them less fantasy appeal.

#6 With Pittsburgh Penguins starting goaltender Tristan Jarry suffering a lower-body injury at the Winter Classic, it looks like Casey DeSmith will get to start some games in Jarry’s absence. DeSmith has been a capable backup, with a .907 save percentage and 0.77 Goals Allowed Above Expected, but if he gets regular starts for a few weeks, there is at least the potential for a greater fantasy impact. The Penguins are slumping, winless in six, but five of their next seven games are against teams currently outside the playoffs.

#7 Known for his strong defensive game, Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson has added some offense to his repertoire, and it is making him a viable fantasy contributor. Larsson was held off the scoresheet in Toronto on Thursday night, snapping a seven-game point streak, during which he had seven points (1 G, 6 A) and 16 shots on goal. While Larsson did not record a point against the Maple Leafs, he did have six hits and six blocked shots, giving him 104 hits and 83 blocked shots. The number of defensemen who have more hits and blocked shots than Larsson is one – it’s Jacob Trouba (123 hits, 97 blocked shots).

#8 Another defenseman that is known for his physical defensive play, New York Islanders blueliner Alexander Romanov has been contributing more offensively, enough to gain fantasy appeal. Last season, with Montreal, Romanov had 13 points (1 G, 12 A) in 79 games. This season, he has matched that point total in 40 games and he still as 98 hits, which is tied for 10^th among defensemen.

#9 Known for his relentless hard-driving style of play, Seattle Kraken right winger Brandon Tanev is making an impact offensively and that suddenly makes him a legitimate fantasy consideration. Tanev has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 17 shots on goal in his past nine games and when his increased scoring numbers are combined with his 91 hits in 37 games, there is a path to Tanev contributing in deep or banger leagues.

#10 As the St. Louis Blues face the prospect of playing without Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko for more than a month, other forwards will have to step up if the Blues are still going to compete for a playoff spot. Brayden Schenn is one possibility. He is a reluctant shooter – aside from December 29, when he launched 11 shots on goal against the Blackhawks – but Schenn has 12 points (2 G, 10 A) in the past 14 games, including a couple of points in Tuesday’s win at Toronto when he played a season-high 22:49.

#11 The Philadelphia Flyers are showing signs of being a more competitive squad and center Scott Laughton has stepped up his game, producing 10 points (5 G, 5 A) in the past nine games. Laughton has 20 points (9 G, 11 A) and 83 hits in 35 games. There are only four centers with more in both categories – Vincent Trocheck, Sam Bennett, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Adam Lowry.

#12 While the Columbus Blue Jackets are already lacking a top playmaking center, they are trying to make do without and injured Boone Jenner, so Jack Roslovic has picked up some of the slack. Roslovic has 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in his past 13 games and has surpassed 20 minutes of ice time three times in the past eight games. He had played more than 20 minutes in a game once in 25 games before that.

#13 Although he is virtually always an elite play-driving winger, Nashville Predators forward Nino Niederreiter can see his production fade in and out over the course of a season. In his past nine games, Niederreiter has produced eight points (2 G, 6 A) with 27 shots on goal and that shot rate is what is encouraging for his point production. When his offense dries up, it tends to be when he is no longer generating shots. In 36 games this season, Niederreiter has recorded one or zero shots in 15 of those games.

#14 It is really too soon to start recommending Edmonton Oilers winger Klim Kostin, but the 23-year-old is starting to make a name for himself in Edmonton and has landed a spot skating on Connor McDavid’s wing. Kostin has five points (3 G, 2 A) in his past seven games and while that left wing spot is going to be Evander Kane’s again eventually, there might be some short-term fantasy value in Kostin, too.

#15 The Detroit Red Wings shocked the hockey world when they put winger Jakub Vrana on waivers this week. Even more shocking is that Vrana cleared. Since joining the Red Wings in a trade for Anthony Mantha, Vrana has scored 22 goals in 39 games, but he did spend most of the first half of the season in the Player Assistance Program. The idea, apparently, is for Vrana to get more playing time in the AHL before he returns to the NHL, but his situation bears watching, if only because a healthy Vrana is an elite five-on-five goal scorer and those guys are not easy to find.

#16 Staying in Detroit, second year Red Wings right winger Lucas Raymond started slowly in his sophomore campaign, with just two assists through seven games. Since then, though, he has 21 points (10 G, 11 A) in 29 games and while he could stand to shoot the puck more, he has become a quality scoring threat for the Wings.

#17 After missing six weeks with an upper-body injury, Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman has returned to action and while he is not playing as much, he is still producing. In seven games since he returned to the lineup Hartman has five points (3 G, 2 A) and 16 shots on goal despite playing 13:33 per game. He is also not skating at center between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, like he did when he scored a career-high 34 goals and 65 points last season, but if Sam Steel can hold that spot, Hartman gives the Wild more scoring depth with another line – right now that is with Matt Boldy and Frederick Gaudreau.

#18 At this stage of the season, finding goaltending can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. Pheonix Copley has had an immediate impact on the Los Angeles Kings and is playing well enough to win, which gives him fantasy value. Who are some other goaltenders that might offer at least short-term value? Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson is the backup to Marc-Andre Fleury, but after a couple of shaky starts early in the year, he has been excellent, posting a .934 save percentage in his past 13 games. That is the kind of play that earns a backup more starts.

#19 I tend to be skeptical of Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo, who has had several below average seasons, but he does have a .939 save percentage in his past four starts and any sign of goaltending competence could earn the starting job for the Blue Jackets. The wins don’t come easily, though, so it might be worth waiting to see if Korpisalo can keep his form for a little while before pulling the trigger. Vancouver’s Collin Delia might get forced into action while Thatcher Demko is injured, because Spencer Martin is getting overwhelmed in the starter’s role. Delia has a .925 save percentage in four games and that is going to earn him more opportunities.

#20 Finally, when looking at expected goals leaders over the past month, naturally there are top-tier goal scorers included, like Alex Ovechkin, Jack Hughes, Connor McDavid, and David Pastrnak. It is interesting, though, to see some others that are generating high-quality chances. Others in the top dozen over the past month include Anders Lee, Zach Hyman, Michael Bunting, Drake Batherson, and Sam Reinhart. While most of those players are heating up offensively, Lee and Reinhart are probably still looking at additional room for positive regression.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.