Timo Meier – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Major injuries at the Olympics, including Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen, and Kevin Fiala, plus young players like Matt Savoie and Jimmy Snuggerud getting bigger opportunities and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:27:31 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, some major injuries at the Olympics, including Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen, and Kevin Fiala, plus young players like Matt Savoie and Jimmy Snuggerud getting bigger opportunities and so much more!

#1 Not only did Canada lose in overtime of the Gold Medal Game at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, but they lost captain Sidney Crosby to a lower-body injury against Czechia in the quarterfinals. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain suffered an apparent knee injury after getting hit by Radko Gudas and it is expected to keep him out of the lineup for another four weeks. The Penguins have responded to the loss of their captain by shifting veteran Rickard Rakell to centre, with rookie Avery Hayes taking left wing, on Pittsburgh’s top line. Hayes, 23, had 30 points (19 G, 11 A) in 36 AHL games and scored a pair of goals in his NHL debut at Buffalo on February 5.

#2 The Dallas Stars lost their leading scorer Mikko Rantanen to a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics. Rantanen is considered week-to-week, with head coach Glen Gulutzan saying that he will be back before the end of the season, which is not the most encouraging timeline for fantasy managers! With Rantanen out, consider Mavrik Bourque, who has been getting more ice time in Dallas and has produced seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past nine games. He’s on the Stars’ top line with Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson, so this is a prime opportunity for Bourque to break out as an offensive performer in the NHL.

#3 One of the more devastating injuries at the Olympics was suffered by Swiss winger Kevin Fiala, who broke his leg after a hit from Tom Wilson. Fiala is second on the Kings with 40 points and with the trade to acquire Artemi Panarin, the Kings had reason to hope that they could be poised to make a push for the playoffs after the Olympics. They have since lost their first two games out of the break and, with Fiala out, Corey Perry is playing in the Kings’ top six as well as on PP1. Perry has zero points in his past five games, but did have 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in the 12 previous games.

#4 An upper-body injury suffered in the opening game at the Olympics has landed Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey on the injured list. With Neal Pionk and Colin Miller also out, the Jets are missing some puck movers on the back end, so Logan Stanley is getting first crack at quarterbacking the power play, though the Jets also have Ville Heinola available. He had 21 points (3 G, 18 A) in 40 AHL games and while he has struggled to earn a regular NHL role, he has the mobility and puck skills to play an offensive role on the blueline.

#5 Staying in Winnipeg, Jets winger Nino Niederreiter is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury that he suffered at the Olympics. The veteran winger’s production is down this season, as he has 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 55 games, and the tough thing for the Jets is that they don’t have great options to bolster the third line in his absence. Gustav Nyquist has zero goals and nine assists in 36 games. Vladislav Namestnikov has 13 points (7 G, 6 A) in 56 games, and Jonathan Toews has 19 points (7 G, 12 A) in 57 games, so there is not a lot of reason for optimism beyond their top scorers.

#6 With Jiri Kulich and Jordan Greenway already out of the lineup, the Buffalo Sabres are also missing winger Zach Benson, who suffered an upper-body injury before the Olympic break. Benson had nine points (3 G, 6 A) and 19 shots on goal in his last 13 games before getting hurt and the 20-year-old has been a solid complementary winger with 26 points (7 G, 19 A) in 42 games. If looking for potentially undervalued players in Buffalo, consider Peyton Krebs, who has moved to left wing on the top line and has contributed 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in his past 12 games, though he has a total of 11 shots on goal in those 12 games, which is rather low when it comes to offensive sustainability.

#7 The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenceman Sam Girard from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for veteran Brett Kulak. Girard is undersized but is a quality puck mover and should be a good addition for a Penguins team that has elder statesmen Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang leading their blueline. The deal does look like a downgrade for Colorado, even if Kulak was better for the Penguins than he was in Edmonton to start the season. From the Avalanche’s perspective, Kulak can fill a third-pair role at a lower cost, giving Colorado more flexibility when it comes to possible moves at next week’s trade deadline.

#8 Edmonton Oilers rookie winger Matt Savoie came out of the Olympic break skating on left wing with Leon Draisaitl at centre and Jack Roslovic on the right side, and Savoie put up five points (1 G, 4 A) with four shots on goal in the first two games. Savoie may not be a driver of results at this stage of his career, so when he does get a prime opportunity like this, it bears watching.

#9 St. Louis Blues rookie winger Jimmy Snuggerud went into the Olympic break on a high, with nine points (3 G, 6 A) and 13 shots on goal in six games, and while he was held off the scoresheet in his first game back, Snuggerud is likely to get plenty of reps down the stretch for a Blues team that is a long way from playoff contention. With Robert Thomas out of the lineup, Snuggerud has been on a line with Dalibor Dvorsky, the rookie who was thriving in a bigger role with Slovakia in the Olympics, scoring six points (3 G, 3 A) in six games. Dvorsky has one assist with four shots on goal in his past five NHL games, but he should have ample opportunity to play late in the season. Maybe he’s not offering great value now but could very well handle a bigger role as the season winds down.

#10 With Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul injured, the Tampa Bay Lightning have made some adjustments to their forward lines. Jake Guentzel has shifted to centre and Gage Goncalves has been lifted to play left wing on the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Goncalves contributed three points (1 G, 2 A) against Toronto on Wednesday, and anyone playing on that line would have fantasy appeal, but Goncalves is probably a short-term fix who will lose his prime spot when Cirelli and Paul return to action.

#11 After missing time in December with a lower-body injury, Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann returned to action and has been in fine form ever since, producing 23 points (11 G, 12 A) and 56 shots on goal in his past 23 games. He didn’t record a point in the first two games coming out of the break, but McCann is as dangerous offensively as anyone on the Kraken roster, skating on the top line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle in addition to getting first unit power play time.

#12 One of the players who gives the Penguins hope to survive Crosby’s absence is that rookie Ben Kindel continues to get better and in his past seven games, he has seven points (6 G, 1 A) and 18 shots on goal. He is centering the third line right now but has towering wingers Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau on his flanks and those guys have been productive, ranking second and fourth, respectively, in goals for the Penguins this season.

#13 Over the course of his career, Vegas Golden Knights winger Ivan Barbashev has had some ups and downs in his career, but when he heats up, he can be a serious contributor. In his past nine games, he has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 17 shots on goal while playing nearly 18 minutes per game. His strength is playing a solid physical game, but he can do it alongside skilled linemates and that’s what is happening in Vegas, where he is skating on the top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, and when Barbashev is scoring like this, he is much more appealing for fantasy managers.

#14 As the Buffalo Sabres have been climbing the standings across the past few months, it’s not only the top guys getting the job done. Consider right winger Jack Quinn, who has 15 points (5 G, 10 A) and 42 shots on goal in his past 16 games. He may not have the highest ceiling, but his line with Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker is outscoring opponents 17-11 during five-on-five play.

#15 Veteran St. Louis Blues defenceman Justin Faulk continues to deliver strong fantasy results even on a Blues squad that is having a tough season. Faulk has nine assists with 16 shots on goal in his past seven games. It’s noteworthy that Faulk isn’t hitting as much as he had in previous seasons, with 44 hits in 58 games, but the points and shot rate for a guy who is quarterbacking the top power play are both valuable for fantasy managers.

#16 At the Winter Olympics, plenty of top players delivered expected production, but some players also stepped up in bigger roles for their home nations. One example is New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier, who has managed a meagre four points (3 G, 1 A) despite recording 65 shots on goal in his past 18 games for the Devils. Playing for Switzerland in the Olympics, though, Meier had seven points (3 G, 4 A) in five games and played the physically punishing style that he does when he’s at his best. On the Devils, Meier is skating on a line with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer

#17 Nashville Predators centre Erik Haula may be on the trade block as the deadline approaches and he’s not hurting his value with his recent play. Haula is riding a five-game point streak in the NHL, scoring a goal and four assists in those games and had six points (3 G, 3 A) in six games for Finland at the Olympics. Another Finland forward, who had strong showing on the way to the bronze medal, was Kaapo Kakko, who had five points (3 G, 2 A) in six games and he has been playing well, when healthy, for Seattle. In his past 27 games, Kakko has 19 points (6 G, 13 A) and 38 shots on goal.

#18 It’s a difficult time for fantasy hockey managers if they still need a goaltending answer, but there are a few who are likely to see significant playing time down the stretch and are still available in a good percentage of leagues. The Vancouver Canucks are not likely to win games, because they haven’t been winning this season anyway, but rookie goalie Nikita Tolopilo is showing that he is ready for this league. He has a .908 save percentage in 10 games for the Canucks and with Thatcher Demko out for the rest of the season, Tolopilo should see lots of time in the Canucks’ crease. Former Canucks – and current Penguins – goaltender Arturs Silovs is sharing time with Stuart Skinner, but in his past eight starts, Silovs has a .928 save percentage, which is the level of play that will force his way into more playing time.

#19 This season has been difficult for the Florida Panthers, and the playoffs may not be in the cards for them, but there could be some players that have surprising value late in the season. Evan Rodrigues is centering the Panthers’ top line, between Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, and in his past seven games, he has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 28 shots on goal while averaging 19:48 of ice time per game. If he keeps playing that much, with high quality linemates, Rodrigues could deliver fantasy value.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Brayden Point’s injury shakes up the Lightning, the Bruins are getting production from Fraser Minten and Viktor Arvidsson, the Devils have a Dougie Hamilton situation, and so much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:28:56 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, Brayden Point’s injury shakes up the Lightning, the Bruins are getting production from Fraser Minten and Viktor Arvidsson, the Devils have a Dougie Hamilton situation, and so much more!

#1 The Tampa Bay Lighnting lost No. 1 centre Brayden Point to a lower-body injury that will keep him out on a week-to-week basis. As part of Team Canada, Point will certainly be incentivized to get healthy by early February, but that does mean that there could be more opportunities for others in the Lightning lineup. Case in point: Nick Paul has moved up the depth chart to skate between Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentel on the top line. Paul has just three points (2 G, 1 A) and nine shots on goal in his past eight games, but the opportunity to play with Kucherov and Guentzel gives him potential appeal in deeper formats.

#2 Boston Bruins rookie centre Fraser Minten is starting to hit his stride, earning more ice time and delivering more production for the Bruins. He has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 18 shots on goal in his past eight games. He’s skating between Alexander Steeves and Morgan Geekie at even strength and getting second-unit power play time, which has boosted his ice time near 16 minutes per game over that stretch. With 21 points (11 G, 10 A) in 48 games, Minten is tied for sixth in rookie scoring.

#3 Bruins veteran winger Viktor Arvidsson is also picking up his production lately. The high energy winger has contributed nine points (3 G, 6 A) and 25 shots on goal in his past eight games. That shot rate is elevated by Tuesday’s win over Detroit when he recorded a whopping 10 shots on goal. He is up to 24 points (9 G, 15 A) in 36 games for the season and that is quality secondary scoring for a Bruins team that is hanging around the playoff bubble.

#4 The New Jersey Devils have run into a situation on the blueline. With Johnathan Kovacevic returning to the lineup, the Devils made Dougie Hamilton a healthy scratch. Hamilton returned to the lineup after his one-game hiatus and put up three assists in two games. He does have a 10-team no-trade list, but it looks like a trade could be a possibility, especially if the Devils can’t get back into the playoff picture. In the meantime, though, Luke Hughes is the Devils defenceman tasked with quarterbacking New Jersey’s first power play.

#5 Connor McMichael of the Washington Capitals is off the 57-point pace that he had across 82 games last season, but he is starting to improve his production. Since New Years Eve, McMichael has recorded nine points (2 G, 7 A) and 22 shots on goal in nine games. With injuries taking out some Capitals forwards, including Pierre-Luc Dubois and, more recently, Tom Wilson, there is quality ice time available for McMichael. He has played more than 20 minutes per game in that nine-game span and is currently skating between wingers Aliaksei Protas and Ryan Leonard, so it’s a skilled enough line that McMichael should continue to deliver more offence.

#6 A sprained ankle suffered in the final game of the preseason put Winnipeg Jets winger Cole Perfetti behind the 8-ball this season and he struggled to generate offence upon his return. It’s starting to come around, however, as Perfetti has six points (1 G, 5 A) with 10 shots on goal in his past six games. His ice time is down a bit from last season and Perfetti is skating on a line with Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi at even strength.

#7 As the Buffalo Sabres have roared back into playoff contention, their top players have been a big part of the team’s success, but they are also getting contributions from the supporting cast. Centre Ryan McLeod has seven points (3 G, 4 A) with six shots on goal in his past six games. Obviously, that shot rate is not super encouraging but, with Josh Norris injured again, there is going to be a more significant role at least in the short term and, given Norris’ injury history, it probably won’t be the last time that McLeod needs to fill role in Buffalo’s top six.

#8 While the buzz around the San Jose Sharks rightfully focuses on their young talent, it should not go unrecognized that veteran Tyler Toffoli continues to be a reliable source of scoring. In his past five games, Toffoli has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 20 shots on goal. In addition to first-unit power play time, Toffoli is skating with Alexander Wennberg and Pavol Regenda at even strength, though the Sharks could be looking at lineup shuffle with the pending return of sophomore winger Will Smith.

#9 It should not come as a surprise, given that he has four straight seasons with more than 55 points, but Utah Mammoth centre Nick Schmaltz is a reliable offensive threat, and still available in quite a few leagues. Since Christmas, Schmaltz has 11 points points (5 G, 6 A) and 25 shots on goal in nine games and not only is Schmaltz’s shot rate a positive sign, but he’s averaged 21:30 of ice time per game in that span while anchoring the Mammoth’s top line.

#10 At 34 years old, Hurricanes left winger Taylor Hall is some distance away from his best years in the NHL, but he is still a valuable contributor in a secondary role. He’s averaging less than 15 minutes of ice time per game and yet, in his past seven games, Hall has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 14 shots on goal. He is skating on a line with young forwards Logan Stankoven an Jackson Blake at even strength while getting second unit power play time.

#11 New Jersey Devils left winger Timo Meier is mired in a slump, with just two points (1 G, 1 A) in his past 13 games, but there is some reason to consider him as a buy-low candidate; that is, if he hasn’t landed on the fantasy waiver wire yet. In those 13 games, Meier has put 53 shots on goal, which is more than four shots on goal per game, really an elite level of shot generation. While Meier has tended to be more of a volume shooter, rather than a high-percentage finisher, he has scored on just 8.5 percent of his shots on goal this season, and that would be his lowest rate since 2020-2021. He’s also skating on the Devils’ top line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, so that should be enough to shake Meier out of this funk.

#12 One of the great stories of the first half of the season, Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie has hit a slump. Through the first 36 games of the season, Geekie had 39 points (25 G, 14 A) with 90 shots on goal. He had scored on 27.8 percent of his shots on goal. Since then, regression has come for Geekie like it comes for everyone eventually. In the past 11 games, Geekie has zero goals, three assists and 21 shots on goal so even as the Bruins are playing competitive hockey as a team lately, they are doing it with minimal contribution from their leading goal scorer.

#13 2026 has brought some lean times for Nashville Predators left winger Filip Forsberg, who has one assist and just 10 shots on goal in seven games this month. He’s on the first line with Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Evangelista and getting first unit power play time, so this should turn around, but it is well worth keeping a close eye on Forsberg – who has surpassed 60 points six times in his career – to see if he is going to snap out of this slump. The first order of business should be to generate more shots.

#14 St. Louis Blues centre Robert Thomas will be out at least two weeks with a lower-body injury, leaving a significant hole in the Blues’ lineup as he is the team’s leading scorer with 33 points (11 G, 22 A) in 42 games. In the short term, it looks like centres Brayden Schenn and rookie Dalibor Dvorsky will bump up the depth chart. Since Christmas, Schenn has five points (3 G, 2 A) and 13 shots on goal and Dvorsky has three points (1 G, 2 A) and nine shots on goal in nine games, so it is a buy-low opportunity for anyone wishing to take a chance on them to fill in for some of the lost offense in St. Louis. The other possibility, which is very real, is that the Blues’ scoring dries up without their top playmaker.

#15 A collision with Utah’s JJ Peterka has landed New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on the injured list, putting the Rangers in a precarious position. They are outside the playoff mix, last place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points in 48 games, and they are left with Jonathan Quick and Spencer Martin between the pipes without Shesterkin. Quick has struggled, with a .776 save percentage in four starts since Shesterkin was hurt.

#16 Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson has landed on the injured list with a lower-body injury, which should keep him out for a couple of weeks. Fortunately, the Penguins do have a right-shot veteran defenceman at the ready to handle first unit power play time in Kris Letang. In his past dozen games, so starting well before Karlsson’s injury, Letang produced eight points (1 G, 7 A) with 22 shots on goal, while averaging 23:58 of ice time per game.

#17 With injuries knocking out Neal Pionk, Colin Miller, and Haydn Fleury, the Winnipeg Jets are giving a surprising goal-scorer time on the second power play unit. Defenceman Logan Stanley, who had only ever scored one goal per season in his NHL career, has now scored eight goals through 45 games. His eight goals on 48 shots (16.7 SH%) is obviously not sustainable, but it’s at least worth tracking him to see if he gets any benefits from time on the power play.

#18 Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar left Wednesday’s loss at Pittsburgh, and that’s a big loss for the Flyers. He is having the best season of his career, with a .905 save percentage and the drop off to Samuel Ersson, who has a miserable .853 save percentage, is a big deal for a Flyers team still competing for a playoff spot. The severity of Vladar’s injury is not known, but every game he’s out could be costly for the team’s playoff hopes.

#19 For fantasy managers that might need goaltending help because of these injuries, maybe give some consideration to Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner. His first three starts for the Penguins weren’t great, but in his past five starts, Skinner is 4-1 with a .942 save percentage. His track record is reason enough to be cautious, but if you’re looking for goaltending help at this stage of the season, it’s not like flawless options are just waiting to be plucked from the waiver wire, so Skinner might just do the trick, even as a short-term fill-in option.

#20 Toronto Maple Leafs right winger William Nylander left Thursday’s loss at Vegas with a lower-body injury after delivering a goal and an assist in just 2:16 of ice time against the Golden Knights. It’s too soon to know how significant his injury is, but a long-term Nylander injury could be devastating for Toronto. He has 12 points (6 G, 6 A) and 11 shots on goal in his past six games. After Nylander’s injury, the Leafs moved Matthew Knies to play with John Tavares and Matias Maccelli on the second line.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Oilers address their goaltending need, a Ducks rookie continues to surprise, Sam Bennett is back on track, and veterans Brock Nelson and Steven Stamkos are finding the net, plus so much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:50:35 +0000

Each week, I dig into the stats to find information that can help you make better fantasy hockey decisions. This week, the Oilers address their goaltending need, a Ducks rookie continues to surprise, Sam Bennett is back on track, and veterans Brock Nelson and Steven Stamkos are finding the net, plus so much more!

#1 The Edmonton Oilers have been dissatisfied with their goaltending and made a move to address it Friday, acquiring veteran netminder Tristan Jarry and prospect Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenceman Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick in 2029. Jarry is enjoying a bounce-back season with a .909 save percentage and gains fantasy value even by going to an Oilers team with a slightly worse record, because Edmonton should be able to provide more goal support and the Oilers are expected to have a better record than the Penguins. Skinner’s value is already at a low point, as his .891 save percentage wasn’t cutting it. He will likely share the crease with Arturs Silovs in Pittsburgh, as Jarry was, but that’s going to be a competition. Kulak has struggled this season but logged big minutes on the Oilers’ Stanley Cup runs the past two years, so if the Penguins want to flip him, they probably can. Poulin was a first-round pick in 2019 but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL lineup. He has two assists in 15 career games, but maybe he can get a fresh look in Edmonton.

#2 Anaheim Ducks right winger Beckett Sennecke has a tendency to sneak up on people. Even he was surprised when the Ducks drafted him third overall in 2024 and he didn’t enter this season with huge expectations. It seemed a positive sign that he made the team as a 19-year-old winger and if he could provide some secondary scoring, all the better. At this point, though, he has put up 14 points (4 G, 10 A) with 29 shots on goal in his past 13 games and his 26 points (10 G, 16 A) in 31 games leads all rookie scorers. Sennecke is working on a young and talented line with Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish.

#3 Florida Panthers playoff hero Sam Bennett struggled early in the season, managing five points (3 G, 2 A) through his first 18 games, but he has started to heat up since. In his past 12 games, Bennett has 15 points (6 G, 9 A) and 35 shots on goal, a huge contribution for a Panthers team that is missing Aleksander Barkov, so they desperately need Benett to play like he does in the postseason and, lately, that’s more like what the Panthers have been getting from him and he’s having success skating on a line with Carter Verhaeghe and Brad Marchand.

#4 When the Colorado Avalanche acquired centre Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders last season, they may not have loved the production they received, which included 13 points (6 G, 7 A) in 19 regular season games before he added zero goals and four assists in seven playoff games. He started slowly this season, too, with five points (3 G, 2 A) and 24 shots on goal in his first 16 games. In his past 15 games, however, Nelson has put up 16 points (9 G, 7 A) with 28 shots on goal. That shot rate still has room for improvement, but Nelson is getting good results on a line with Gabriel Landeskog and Ross Colton.

#5 Moving to Nashville has not brought the best out of veteran sniper Steven Stamkos, but there are signs of life. He started this season with just two points (1 G, 1 A) and 30 shots on goal in 14 games. For a high-percentage finisher, he was obviously not going to keep scoring at a rate of one goal for every 30 shots on goal, but after scoring four goals against St. Louis on Thursday, he has 10 points (8 G, 2 A) with 25 shots on goal in his past eight games. He’s skating on a line with Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Evangelista, and they have helped the Predators to a 6-2 record in their past eight games.

#6 Utah Mammoth centre Logan Cooley suffered a lower-body injury that is going to keep him out for a couple of months, likely pushing his return until after the Olympic break. Cooley had 23 points (14 G, 9 A) in 29 games at the time of his injury, and now the Mammoth need to shuffle lines, so they have moved Nick Schmaltz into the top line centre role, while bumping J.J. Peterka up to play right wing on the No. 1 line.

#7 Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto is out for at least another week due to a lower-body injury suffered last week, knocking out a player who ranks third on the Senators with 12 goals this season. With Pinto out, Ridly Greig slides into the middle of the ice, and it creates room for David Perron to fill a top-nine role in the lineup.

#8 The Montreal Canadiens called up top goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler to make his NHL debut this week and, given the struggles of Samuel Montembeault this season, there could be opportunity knocking. A third-round pick in 2023, Fowler had a .932 save percentage in 74 games across two seasons at Boston College then finished last season with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. He started this season with a .919 save percentage in 15 games for the Rocket, earning his promotion, and Fowler stopped 36 of 38 shots to earn a 4-2 victory at Pittsburgh in his NHL debut. There is uncertainty in the Montreal crease right now, but Fowler might force his way into playing time.

#9 At 37 years old, he may not be peak Showtime anymore, but Detroit Red Wings right winger Patrick Kane can still play a valuable role for a team needing offence. Kane has 12 points (2 G, 10 A) and 31 shots on goal in his past 11 games, and he seems to have something good going with linemates Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat. Copp has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 11 shots on goal in his past five games, a relative burst of offence compared to how little he had been producing earlier in the season.

#10 The Pittsburgh Penguins have moved Tommy Novak to left wing on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust, and the 28-year-old forward has produced eight points (2 G, 6 A) with 13 shots on goal in his past seven games. He had seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 29 shots on goal in 22 games before that, so it may not be easy to buy-in on Novak’s production, but if he’s getting a shot on Crosby’s wing, he’s at least worth considering as a short-term fix.

#11 New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had a four-point night in Thursday’s win over Anaheim, giving him seven points (3 G, 4 A) in his past five games and while he’s not the same threat that he has been in years past – his 15:32 of ice time per game is his lowest average since 2015-2016 – he is skating on a line with Mathew Barzal and Jean-Gabriel Pageau at even strength, and that’s a decent spot. The Islanders may need to do some line shuffling, however, as Bo Horvat left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury.

#12 Staying with the Islanders, veteran defenceman Ryan Pulock is offering more value than he has in recent years. In his past eight games, Pulock has contributed seven points (1 G, 6 A) and 13 shots on goal, and he’s not really a power play factor, with only one of those points coming with the man advantage. He’s been renowned for his heavy shot from the point, ever since he arrived in the NHL, but topped out at 37 points in 82 games in 2017-2018, his second full season in the league. With 16 points in 32 games, Pulock is on pace for more this season.

#13 Veteran defenceman John Klingberg has a long track record of being able to provide offence, with six seasons of 40-plus points to his credit, but he has slowed down, in part due to injuries. However, he made progress in the playoffs with Edmonton last season and has a new opportunity with the San Jose Sharks this season and his offensive instincts work with San Jose’s aggressive approach. In his past nine games, Klingberg has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 12 shots on goal, averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game. He may not be a dream candidate for fantasy managers, but he is up to 12 points (5 G, 7 A) and 31 blocked shots in 23 games, which should generate some interest.

#14 There is a segment of the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base that is not entirely enamored with defenceman Morgan Rielly, and that’s fine, not everyone is going to like every player, but Rielly is a productive blueliner. He has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past seven games, giving him 23 points (5 G, 18 A) in 29 games this season. Only five of those 23 points are on the power play, though Rielly is on Toronto’s PP1 right now, so perhaps that is a path to continuing what is already solid offensive production.

#15 Philadelphia Flyers centre Christian Dvorak is getting an opportunity to play a bigger role with his new team and it’s starting to pay off for him. Dvorak has joined Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny on the Flyers’ top line, and has five points (1 G, 4 A) and seven shots on goal in his past three games. Dvorak’s career high is 38 points, set in 2019-2020 when he was with Arizona, but has 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in 29 games this season, so he’s on pace to go well past that total. His ice time is up 1:39 per game over last season and if he continues with skilled linemates, Dvorak will ride that offensive wave to more fantasy appeal.

#16 Trying to shake up their lineup, the Winnipeg Jets moved Gabriel Vilardi off the first line and to the second line with Cole Perfetti and Vladislav Namestnikov. That movement shouldn’t be seen as an indictment of Vilardi’s play, however, as he has 13 points (8 G, 5 A) and 21 shots on goal in his past 11 games. He is scoring on 21.2 percent of his shots this season, which seems really high, except that in his previous two seasons with the Jets, his shooting percentage was 19.8 percent, so if there is going to be regression, it may not be by very much.

#17 Pittsburgh Penguins rookie centre Ben Kindel isn’t producing enough to have fantasy appeal just yet, with 10 points (7 G, 3 A) in 26 games but, with Evgeni Malkin out, Kindel is playing more than 18:30 per game over the past six contests and has a couple of goals but also has 28 shots on goal. That ability to generate shots at that rate makes Kindel very intriguing for the future and possibly even for later this season as he grows more comfortable playing in the best league in the world as an 18-year-old centre.

#18 Minnesota Wild right winger Mats Zuccarello is out with an upper-body injury, which is unfortunate since he missed the first month of the season with a lower-body injury. Zuccarello had 12 points (2 G, 10 A) and 29 shots on goal in 15 games before getting hurt and he joins Marco Rossi on the injured list, which means new linemates for Kirill Kaprizov. Right now, it’s rookie Danila Yurov and veteran Vladimir Tarasenko getting that chance. Yurov has five points (1 G, 4 A) in his past 10 games and Tarasenko has three points (1 G, 2 A) in his past two games, but that comes after a seven-game scoreless drought.

#19 New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier is taking a leave from the team to deal with a family health matter. That is obviously not good news on a personal level, which is most important, and it does leave the Devils – already missing Jack Hughes – a little light up front. That creates a ripple effect in the Devils’ lineup, with Stefan Noesen moving to left wing on the top line and Paul Cotter to right wing on the second line. Noesen has just four points (1 G, 3 A) in 25 games this season but did have an assist and played a season-high 15:59 on Thursday as he is also getting time on New Jersey’s top power play unit.

#20 St. Louis Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and he’s already been enduring a rough season. After scoring 36 goals and 70 points last season, Kyrou has eight goals and 16 points in 28 games this season. In his absence, Mathieu Joseph moves into St. Louis’ top six, but he gets there with two assists and seven shots on goal in his past dozen games, so Joseph needs to take advantage of the opportunity being afforded to him.

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

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

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

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

What’s Changed?

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

What would success look like?

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

What could go wrong?

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

Top Breakout Candidate

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

FORWARDS

Jack Hughes

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

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

Jesper Bratt

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

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

Nico Hischier

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

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

Timo Meier

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

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

Dawson Mercer

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

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

Ondrej Palat

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

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

Evgeni Dadonov

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

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

Stefan Noesen

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

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

Paul Cotter

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

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

DEFENSE

Dougie Hamilton

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

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

Luke Hughes

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

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

Brett Pesce

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

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

Simon Nemec

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

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

Goal

Jacob Markstrom

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

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

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

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – A look at the rookie race at mid-season – Favourable schedules and player to target

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:20:08 +0000

I haven’t spent any time talking about the rookie race this campaign. Macklin Celebrini did miss 12 games early on due to a lower-body injury, which mitigated the early attention he might have otherwise had, but he’s been healthy for a while and has looked fantastic, providing 13 goals and 28 points through 32 appearances.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

At this stage, though, the reason why I haven’t dipped into the Calder Trophy race is because there’s not a lot to chew on there. Celebrini does have direct competition with Matvei Michkov, but Michkov is just one point ahead of Celebrini despite having played in eight more outings, so barring a change in the second half of the campaign, Celebrini seems like the clear favorite between them. Beyond that, the main competitors are defenseman Lane Hutson, who has three goals and 31 points in 41 outings, and goaltender Dustin Wolf, who is 13-6-2 with a 2.60 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 21 starts.

Comparing Celebrini, Hutson and Wolf is mostly subjective because they bring completely different things, so while a judgment call can and will be made by the end of the season which of them -- or Michkov if he does surprise me -- should get the trophy, comparing them in an article setting feels like evaluating apples and oranges.

Still, we might be able to glean something by evaluating how each of them compares to previous rookies at this stage of their careers. For Celebrini, we’ll compare his start against other forwards, and Hutson will be evaluated against defensemen. I’ll simplify things a little by making the comparisons based on games played (in other words, Connor Bedard’s first 32 games played will be measured against the Sharks rookie) to factor out Celebrini’s injury.

In the case of Wolf, I’m not going to break it down because the odds of him winning the Calder Trophy seem slim. While I think he deserves to be in the conversation to become one of the finalists, the last goaltender to take the trophy was Steve Mason back in 2008-09, and he was unreal that campaign with a 33-20-7 record, 2.29 GAA and .916 save percentage along with 10 shutouts. To put that into the context of that campaign, Mason also finished second in Vezina Trophy voting and fourth in the Hart race. With all due respect to Wolf, he’s not doing anything that measures up to that -- at least, he hasn’t yet.

With that in mind, let’s look at Celebrini’s recent comparables:

Alex Ovechkin, 2005-06, 19-19-38

Connor McDavid, 2016-17, 13-21-34

Sidney Crosby, 2005-06, 13-19-32

Patrick Kane, 2007-08, 8-23-31

Connor Bedard, 2023-24, 12-17-29

Macklin Celebrini, 2024-25, 13-15-28

Auston Matthews, 2016-17, 16-9-25

Paul Stastny, 2006-07, 8-14-22

You can see that his pace is a step below that of Ovechkin, McDavid, Crosby and Kane (note that McDavid missed roughly half of his rookie season and consequently missed out on the Calder), but he’s doing about as well as Bedard did last year.

Matthews and Stastny are there to remind us that we need to take these numbers with a grain of salt. Matthews is an amazing goal scorer who began his career with a four-goal game, but he had an extended quiet period from Oct. 27-Nov. 22 (0-3-3 in 13 games) during his rookie campaign, which diminished his early returns. In the case of Stastny, he finished with 28 goals and 78 points in 82 appearances in his first campaign, but he got off to a slow start.

These are ultimately still small sample sizes, but it does at least show that Celebrini is off to a respectable start when measured against the biggest stars of the salary cap era.

Still, Hutson looks even better:

Cale Makar*, 2019-20, 11-26-37

Shayne Gostisbehere*, 2015-16, 12-22-34

Lane Hutson*, 2024-25, 3-28-31

Quinn Hughes*, 2019-20, 4-26-30

Moritz Seider, 2021-22, 3-23-26

Zach Werenski, 2016-17, 6-20-26

Luke Hughes*, 2023-24, 7-16-23

Tyler Myers, 2009-10, 3-19-22

Brock Faber*, 2023-24, 2-18-20

You’ll notice a number of defensemen on this list with asterisks, which indicates that I took the first 41 games of their Calder season, not their first 41 games overall. For example, I didn’t count Makar’s 10 playoff appearances before 2019-20 or Quinn Hughes’ five regular-season outings in 2018-19. Hutson’s two appearances in 2023-24 weren’t factored in either, not that it would have hurt him -- he finished last season with a pair of assists.

That aside, Hutson is off to a remarkable start compared to other defensemen of the salary cap era. Faber did well enough to finish second in Calder Trophy voting last campaign with 47 points, and Hutson is well ahead of him. Moritz Seider is the last blueliner to win the award, and Hutson is outpacing the Red Wings defenseman as well.

Hutson is behind Makar and Gostisbehere, but Makar logged just 57 games as a rookie, consequently finishing with 50 points, and Gostisbehere didn’t play a full campaign either, finishing with 46 points in 66 outings. Hutson is currently on a 62-point pace. That would surpass Nicklas Lidstrom’s 60 points in 1991-92 and be the most since Brian Leetch’s 71 points in 1988-89.

Again, it’s apples and oranges between Celebrini and Hutson, but if you’re just talking about who is on track to leave the bigger mark on history for a rookie in their position, then so far that’s clearly Hutson.

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue vs PHI, Thu vs SJS, Sat @ NYR)

At this point, it seems very likely Buffalo’s playoff drought, which dates back to 2011, will continue, but another franchise’s bid to re-enter the postseason might be successful. The Blue Jackets are in the mix for a Wild Card spot with some favorable games ahead of them. They’ll play in home against Philadelphia and San Jose on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before visiting the Rangers on Saturday. At the time of writing, none of those three adversaries have a winning record.

The Blue Jackets are no strangers to injuries this campaign, but they are facing arguably their biggest challenge on that front with Sean Monahan on the injured reserve list due to a wrist issue. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out for, but he was placed on IR rather quickly after sustaining the injury Tuesday, which probably isn’t a great sign.

Before the injury, Monahan had 14 goals and 41 points through 41 appearances in 2024-25 while playing primarily on the Blue Jackets’ top line and first power-play unit. His loss will be felt, but if there is any silver lining at all, it’s that Columbus had a promising young forward waiting in the minors for his opportunity.

Luca Del Bel Belluz has excelled with AHL Cleveland in 2024-25, providing 17 goals and 37 points in 34 outings. The 21-year-old was summoned due to Monahan’s absence and was a standout performer in Thursday’s 6-2 victory over Seattle, collecting a goal and an assist in 11:16 of ice time. It’s reasonable to believe that his playing time will increase as he settles in, and he seems like a nice short-term grab to me -- short term because he might return to the minors once Monahan recovers.

Adam Fantilli is likely to be another player leaned on during Monahan’s absence. He logged 18:41, including 1:42 with the man advantage, Thursday and registered an assist to extend his scoring streak to four games. The 20-year-old’s nine goals and 20 points in 42 appearances in 2024-25 is nothing to write home about, but the 2023 No. 3 overall pick has tremendous upside that makes him worth keeping a very close eye on.

Dallas Stars (Tue @ TOR, Thu vs MTL, Sat @ COL, Sun vs DET)

Dallas has won its past six games, pushing its record to 26-13-1 in 2024-25. Although the Stars are having an incredible season, they’re still not in position to have the home-ice advantage in the first round because of the tough division they play in. Consequently, the Stars need every point they can get. They’ll try to stay strong in Toronto on Tuesday before hosting Montreal on Thursday. Dallas then has a back-to-back set over the weekend, playing in Colorado on Saturday and at home against Detroit on Sunday.

Jason Robertson’s resurgence has been a major part of the Stars’ winning streak. He was playing well below his potential early in the campaign, recording four goals and eight points across his opening 17 outings. Since then, he hasn’t been held off the scoresheet in consecutive games and has been especially effective recently, supplying three goals and 11 points over his past six outings. To put that into perspective, he leads all players in scoring from Dec. 29-Jan. 9 -- Zach Werenski and Mitch Marner are tied for second with nine points each.

Matt Duchene has also been on a roll. Although he’s having a strong campaign overall, Duchene had a slow stretch from Dec. 4-27 in which he was limited to a goal and an assist over 10 contests. He’s since rebounded with three goals and eight points across his past six outings.

The best part for Dallas is Duchene and Robertson typically play on separate lines, so this isn’t a case of one player’s hot streak simply feeding into the other’s, they’re both gelling at the same time independent of each other, which helps spread out the offense. That said, Duchene’s linemates Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn are looking good as well with eight and seven points, respectively, across Dallas’ past six games. Robertson’s linemates Evgenii Dadonov and Roope Hintz are also enjoying strong stretches with six and five points, respectively, over the same span.

The only downside is Logan Stankoven, who serves on the third line, hasn’t been doing much. He has the most offensive potential among the forwards outside of the top six, but the 21-year-old has been a mixed bag this campaign with four goals and 19 points in 38 outings, and that’s despite an amazing start of the season in which he had four goals and 14 points over his opening 15 games. He’s worth monitoring to see if he gets hot again, but he’s too streaky to be an everyday option in fantasy.

Florida Panthers (Mon @ PHI, Tue @NJD, Thu vs DET, Sat vs ANA)

The Panthers have a real shot of reaching the 100-point mark for the third time in four seasons -- and they played at a 100-point pace in the shortened 2021 campaign (37-14-5) -- but they’ve been going through something of a rough patch with a 3-4-0 record from Dec. 23-Jan. 8. Florida will attempt to correct course on the road against the Flyers on Monday and the Devils on Tuesday. The Panthers will then return home to host Detroit on Thursday and Anaheim on Saturday.

Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart typically drive Florida’s offense, but none of them have been especially noteworthy lately -- each of them has no more than one goal and three points across Florida’s past five outings. Instead, Jesper Boqvist has been the unlikely leader recently, collecting four goals and six points over that five-game span.

This won’t last -- the 26-year-old has never recorded more than 23 points in a single campaign -- but you can enjoy this while it lasts. If nothing else, the timing of it has taken a touch of pressure off the Panthers’ major forwards during one of their quieter stretches.

One forward who might be feeling the pressure regardless, though, is Sam Bennett. He was amazing at the start of the campaign, supplying 13 goals and 26 points across his opening 27 appearances, which made it look like he might earn a big payday in the final season of his four-year, $17.7 million contract. Some decline was likely inevitable, but rather than slow, he’s collapsed, recording just one assist over his past 13 outings.

If there is a silver lining, Bennett is still firing the puck at a decent rate, accounting for 25 shots in his past eight outings, and his role with the team alongside Tkachuk and Verhaeghe seems largely intact. It seems just a matter of time before he breaks out of his recent slump, but he probably won’t have another stretch like he did in the early portion of 2024-25.

Montreal Canadiens (Tue @ UTA, Thu @ DAL, Sat vs TOR, Sun vs NYR)

Montreal wasn’t terribly impressive early in the campaign, owning an 11-16-3 record through Dec. 14, but the Canadiens have gone on a 9-2-0 run since. That’s put them into the mix for a playoff spot going into next week’s action. Montreal will begin on the road with games in Utah on TuesdayJack Hughes, and Dallas on Thursday. The Canadiens will then host the Maple Leafs on Saturday and the Rangers on Sunday.

A key factor in Montreal’s recent success has been its offense. The Canadiens have averaged 3.82 goals per game across their past 11 contests, which is a huge spike from their 2.70 goals per game over their first 30 outings.

Interestingly, there’s very little overlap with Patrik Laine’s success after returning from a knee injury and Montreal’s run. He did have an incredible eight goals and nine points in nine outings, but that was from Dec. 3-21, so mostly before Montreal took off. He then had no goals and an assist in four appearances from Dec. 23-31 and has missed the Canadiens’ last four outings due to an illness. You could absolutely make an argument that his hot return helped get the ball rolling, but he’s not what’s sustained it.

Cole Caufield has been an offensive leader over that stretch with six goals and 13 points through 11 outings, but that’s nothing new for him -- he has 23 goals and 40 points in 41 games overall -- so while he’s an important part of the Canadiens’ offense, he’s not what changed. The same goes for Nick Suzuki, who has two goals and 12 points across his past 11 appearances, giving him 13 goals and 42 points in 2024-25.

If you want the secret sauce, it’s been depth players stepping up. Joel Armia, Juraj Slafkovsky, Emil Heineman and Jake Evans have each had 15 points or fewer over Montreal’s first 30 outings, but those four have each collected seven or more points over the past 11 games.

Meanwhile, we’ve seen some promise from Jakub Dobes. He’s made three starts so far and is 3-0-0 with a GAA and a save percentage of 0.97 and .959, respectively. Granted, that’s a small sample size, but those matches were against Florida, Colorado and Washington -- all on the road -- so the Canadiens have given him tough competition, and he’s risen to the occasion.

Sam Montembeault has been largely hit-and-miss this campaign, including from Dec. 17 onward. He does have a 6-2-0 record over that stretch, but he also has a 2.78 GAA and an .890 save percentage. With that in mind, there’s a chance Dobes could see his workload begin to increase.

New Jersey Devils (Tue vs FLA, Thu @ TOR, Sat vs PHI, Sun vs OTT)

The Devils recent mediocre play has been due to a cold spell offensively. New Jersey has been strong overall, ranking 11th in goals per game with 3.16 goals per game, but the Devils have averaged just 2 goals per game across their past seven outings.

Forwards Jack Hughes (two goals, six points), Jesper Bratt (one goal, five points) and Ondrej Palat (three goals, four points), as well as defenseman Dougie Hamilton (five assists), are the only players who have made notable contributions on offense during that seven-game stretch. Timo Meier (one goal, two points) and especially Nico Hischier (one goal, two points) stand out as having been unusually cold in that span.

It's just a matter of time before the Devils start scoring again, though, so I wouldn’t be overly worried. It’s also worth remembering that six of New Jersey’s past seven outings have been on the road, so perhaps that worked against the Devils.

For his part, Markstrom hasn’t been amazing recently, but he also hasn’t been the issue. He’s limited the competition to two or three goals in each of his past five starts, which would be good enough under normal circumstances. He’s also still putting up strong numbers overall with a 21-8-3 record, 2.19 GAA and .911 save percentage across his past 32 appearances.

So, if you have New Jersey players on your team, my recommendation would be to hold firm and anticipate better times ahead.

Ottawa Senators (Tue @ NYI, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs BOS, Sun @ NJD)

Ottawa is going through a four-game schedule in the week of Jan. 6-12, and it has another full slate ahead. The Senators will begin next week with a road matchup against the Islanders before hosting Washington and Boston on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The Senators will then conclude the week in New Jersey on Sunday. With those final two games, the Senators will have played in five back-to-back sets, totaling 10 matches, in the span of 12 contests.

Ottawa has suffered four straight defeats to start January and is 1-5-1 across its past seven outings. With Montreal and Detroit both trending in the right direction, the Senators are in danger of slipping to seventh in the Atlantic Division and seeing their playoff chances fade further.

Brady Tkachuk, who is 25 and in his seventh NHL campaign without making his postseason debut, is doing his best to keep the Senators afloat, recording two goals, five points, 21 PIM and 20 hits over that seven-game span. He’s been Ottawa’s top offensive power during that stretch, but the other forwards the Senators typically rely on for offense -- Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson -- have each recorded two or fewer points over that stretch.

Though, perhaps it’s inaccurate to say that the Senators are relying on Giroux for offense, or at least they shouldn’t be at this point. Giroux was still a strong top-line scoring threat when he joined the Senators in 2022, but he seems to have declined substantially at the age of 36, supplying nine goals and 24 points through 40 appearances this campaign. Clearly, he still has something to offer, but those are numbers that would be more in line with a third line forward on a strong team.

Perhaps there’s a strong team out there that would want him in such a role. Giroux is in the final campaign of his three-year, $19.5 million contract, and if the Senators don’t rebuild soon, it would make sense for them to shop the veteran forward. He does have a no-movement clause, so Giroux has complete control over that situation, but his career is winding down, and he hasn’t won the Cup yet, so if presented with the opportunity to play for a serious contender, he’d likely take it.

He'd easily be the Senators’ biggest trade chip if it came to that. Travis Hamonic would also likely have appeal as a third-pairing blueliner, while Nick Cousins and Adam Gaudette might be grabbed to provide playoff-bound teams with forward depth, but if you’re a Senators fan and the team doesn’t turn things around soon, then Giroux rumors are the ones you’ll want to pay attention to.

Philadelphia Flyers (Mon vs FLA, Tue @ CBJ, Thu @ NYI, Sat @ NJD)

The Flyers endured a tough road stretch from Dec. 23-Jan. 5 in which they went 2-3-1. They’re back at home now, but rather than reverse the trend, they’ve dropped their past two games. Their home stint will conclude Monday against the Panthers. After that, they’ll go on a three-game trip involving games against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the Islanders on Thursday and the Devils on Saturday. Philadelphia will look to do better in that stretch while attempting to make up ground in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

Like Ottawa, Philadelphia’s recent struggles has caused its playoff hopes to drastically diminish, but with half the season left, a comeback can’t be ruled out. It’s unfair to put this on the rookie, but a stronger showing out of Matvei Michkov would go a long way toward making that happen.

I noted Michkov’s overall success this season up top, but what I didn’t mention is how cold he’s been recently, recording a goal, an assist and a minus-17 rating across his past 13 appearances. Plus/minus is always a stat that needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but his minus-17 rating from Dec. 14-Jan. 9 is by far the worst in the NHL. The next worst in the NHL during that time period are Brandon Montour and Mikhail Sergachev, who are tied at minus-12. Jamie Drysdale is the next worst member of the Flyers at minus-11 while the next worst Flyers forward is Morgan Frost at minus-9.

Michkov was a healthy scratch for two games from Nov. 7-9 and followed that with an amazing stretch from Nov. 11-Dec. 10 in which he had seven goals, 17 points and a plus-13 rating across 14 outings. I do wonder if maybe another scratch is in Michkov’s future to give him a chance to regroup. Either way, he’s a talented rookie, and it’s not uncommon for rookies to grow through stretches like this -- for one of countless examples, you might recall the Auston Matthews rookie slump I highlighted earlier -- so there’s not much cause for concern about Michkov’s future. In the long run, he should grow from this.

In contrast to his cold spell, Tyson Foerster had an incredible run of six goals and nine points in nine outings from Dec. 18-Jan. 5, but he was held off the scoresheet in Philadelphia’s past two games, so the good times might be over. He’s more of a streaming option given his streaky nature and middle-of-the-road stats (12 goals and 19 points in 41 games). For that reason, it’s best to move on when he shows signs of cooling.

If you’re looking for a hot member of the team, that’s Travis Konecny. He’s having an amazing campaign overall too with 20 goals and 46 points in 42 outings, but he’s been especially productive on the goal front recently with four markers across his last five appearances. His shooting percentage of 19.0 is well above his career average of 13.0, which is a potential warning sign, but that’s been skewed upwards by his power-play goals (a career-high eight). His 5-on-5 shooting percentage of 9.8 is actually a bit low for him (he finished with a 5-on-5 shooting percentage in the double digits in five of his previous seven campaigns), so there might still be some upside in that regard.

Utah HC (Tue vs MTL, Thu vs NYR, Sat vs STL)

Utah is having a streaky season, and lately, the squad has been trending in the wrong direction, going 2-6-2 from Dec. 22-Jan. 10. Fortunately, next week, the team will be at home against adversaries that presently don’t occupy a playoff position. Utah HC will face the Canadiens on Tuesday, the Rangers on Thursday and the Blues on Saturday.

Utah got Connor Ingram back from an upper-body injury, but at the time of writing, he hasn’t drawn into a game since returning, and it’s likely he’ll be used sparing. He didn’t impress before the injury, posting a 6-4-3 record, 3.61 GAA and .871 save percentage in 13 outings. Perhaps the time off has given him a chance to reset, but given Karel Vejmelka’s success -- although he has a 10-11-3 record, he’s stellar in terms of GAA (2.38) and save percentage (.916) -- so there isn’t much motivation to use Ingram except when Vejmelka could use a breather. Then again, the winds with this duo have changed before, so nothing is certain. Vejmelka was the starter in 2022-23, but that role was taken by Ingram last season. Ingram also entered 2024-25 with the No. 1 gig that now belongs to Vejmelka.

Neither has a track record of success long enough to be called a safe bet. The closest thing to that in Utah is Clayton Keller. The 26-year-old forward has been remarkably consistent this campaign, being held off the scoresheet in consecutive games just once in 2024-25 (Oct. 22-24). That steady stream of offense has resulted in him recording 14 goals and 41 points through 40 appearances, putting him well on his way toward reaching the 75-point mark for the third straight campaign.

It's just a shame that the forward corps around him is nothing special. Logan Cooley (11 goals, 35 points), Dylan Guenther (16 goals, 34 points) and Nick Schmaltz (seven goals, 30 points) have all been fine, but no other member of the squad has even reached the 20-point mark. In the long run, Utah does have Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin and Daniil But, who could make a significant impact in a couple of years, but none of those young forwards are in a position to help now.

Josh Doan is much closer, but after the 22-year-old turned heads by providing five goals and nine points in 11 games with Arizona in 2023-24, he was quiet during an NHL stint from Oct. 8-26 this campaign, supplying a goal and an assist across nine outings before being sent to AHL Tucson. He did seem to find his way in Tucson, though, contributing eight goals and 21 points over 25 contests, and was recalled Friday as a result. He had three shots in 14:18 of ice time during Utah’s 2-1 win over San Jose.

As already noted, Utah isn’t swimming in offensive depth, so with Keller, Cooley and Schmaltz sharing a line and Dylan Guenther (lower body) out indefinitely, Doan doesn’t have great linemates to play off. He’s at least worth keeping an eye on, but I wouldn’t jump to take him yet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Calgary Flames

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

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

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

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

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

Carolina Hurricanes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colorado Avalanche

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dallas Stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Jersey Devils

Tues @ ANA, Wed @ LAK, Sat @ SJS

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

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

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

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

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

New York Rangers

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toronto Maple Leafs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK: Fantasy All Star Team

Scott Cullen — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 18:37:48 +0000

New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (28) . (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

When it’s time to draft or auction your fantasy hockey squad, the primary focus should be on finding value. That is a relative term and when drafting blue-chippers in the first round, there is not as much excess value to be found.

Teams most definitely need Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak and the like, but the value they provide is less likely to exceed expectations than if you happen to hit on a player in the middle rounds who suddenly becomes a first-rate scoring winger.

Think of the value provided by the likes of Sam Reinhart and Zach Hyman last season. They were very good and productive players already, but Reinhart surpassed his previous career high in goals by 24, Hyman surpassed his by 18.

The objective is to find players who will exceed expectations and sometimes that process can be assisted by expectations being lowered for whatever reason.

Where does one look to find fantasy all-stars?

Good Health

Players who miss time with injuries get lost in the shuffle. If they are chronically injured, then it might be a reach to expect them to suddenly play a full season, but hockey is a physical game, and injuries happen. If it lowers expectations for a player, that just might open a window for that player to surpass those expectations.

New Opportunities

Production is the objective when seeking players and a crucial factor to consider are the opportunities being offered to the player. Are they playing on the first line? Getting first-unit power play time? Those are ideal situations. But the player who moves from a checking role to a role in the top six has greater potential value. Players who go from 12 minutes per game to 15 should be expected to score more. Same goes for the players who move from 15 to 18 minutes per game. More ice time provides more opportunity for more production.

Taking it to a New Level

When it comes to young players, especially, there is a career progression that is to be expected. It is not uniform but as these players are ascending through their careers, catching them before a breakthrough season is a great way to find excess value. Hitting on Evan Bouchard before he broke through for 82 points last season, after scoring 40 the year before, provides massive value.

Statistical Track Record Matters

When seeking players who will provide more value, don’t shy away from players who have proven their level of play, but maybe ran into a down season. Maybe it was low percentages or injuries or the wrong linemates or a bad coach; in any case, if the player has been productive in the past, it’s easier to give them the benefit of the doubt when faced with some statistical complications.

Last season’s best hits on the Fantasy All-Stars included Bouchard, Lucas Raymond, Yegor Sharangovich, Pavel Zacha, Jonathan Drouin, and Gustav Forsling.

This year, in a fit of stubbornness, I have included three players that were on last year’s Fantasy All-Star team that didn’t quite pan out. This is going to be their year!

FANTASY ALL-STARS

FORWARDS

Tomas Hertl, C, Vegas

Playing a big role on the 2023-2024 San Jose Sharks was not a great situation for Hertl, who also missed a couple of months with a knee injury. He finished the season with 38 points in 54 games, then added just one point in seven playoff games, so this was not a strong showing from Hertl, but that’s precisely why he offers potential value going into the 2024-2025 season. Hertl’s on-ice shooting percentage, playing with overmatched linemates in San Jose for most of the season, was 6.5 percent, the second-lowest mark of his career. Hertl should be healthier as he gets further away from last season’s knee surgery and he will be skating with a much better team in Vegas, which should mean an upgrade both in five-on-five linemates and during his time on the top power play unit.

Timo Meier, RW, New Jersey

When the Devils acquired Meier from the Sharks in 2022-2023, he didn’t really hit his stride for the rest of that season, and for more than half of last season. He finally started to get going in late February last season and, in the last 26 games, Meier had 18 goals and 30 points with 3.50 shots on goal per game down the stretch. Meier’s overall production (28 goals and 52 points in 69 games) was solid enough, but his finish to the campaign showed that he still has the capability to be far more than that.

Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Edmonton

Returning to action following back surgery, Arvidsson had six goals and 15 points with 59 shots on goal in 18 games for the Kings. A five-time 20-goal scorer who is a consistent shot generator, Arvidsson signed in Edmonton as a free agent and is staring at an opportunity to play in the Oilers’ top six, which should mean a chance to play alongside Leon Draisaitl and the experience of playing a key role in Edmonton’s attack after spending his career with more buttoned-down teams in Nashville and Los Angeles could cause some culture shock, but it should also bring Arvidsson even more scoring opportunities.

Juraj Slafkovsky (20) of the Montreal Canadiens Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Montreal

The first pick in the 2022 Draft, Slafkovsky did not do much as a rookie and started slowly in his second season. He then got a chance to skate alongside Nick Suzuki on Montreal’s top line and things started to fall into place. In his last 40 games, Slafkovsky contributed 16 goals and 35 points, this after he scored four goals and 15 points in his first 42 games, and the 20-year-old power forward started to show that he could be a consistent scoring threat. Now, it’s time for him to do it for a full season.

Shane Pinto, C, Ottawa

Suspended for the first 41 games last season for a violation of the league’s gambling policy, Pinto produced a respectable nine goals and 27 points in 41 games after returning to action. However, he scored on just 8.2 percent of his shots on goal and his on-ice shooting percentage was 7.5 percent, which is on the low side as well. The Sens controlled 56.4 percent of expected goals with Pinto on the ice, the best mark on the team, so he should be given ample opportunity to build on last season’s strong finish, and maybe have the percentages tilt a little bit more in his direction.

Logan Cooley, C, Utah

The third pick in the 2022 Draft, Cooley showed promise during his rookie season in 2023-2024 and finished the season in style with nine goals and 14 points in his last 16 games. He plays at high speed and as his season progressed, Cooley started to reap the rewards of generating shots more consistently and there is still room for improvement in that aspect of the game. With increasing confidence, he will be able to generate offense and if Cooley finds his way to the top line in Utah, then his production could explode in his second season.

Tom Wilson, RW, Washington

A player whose fantasy hockey value could even exceed his real hockey value, Wilson offers a rare combination of physical play and the ability to put the puck in the net. He has had eight seasons with at least 200 hits and three 20-goal seasons. Last year, Wilson finished with 18 goals despite scoring on just 10.7 percent of his shots, his lowest rate since 2016-2017. He also had a team-low on-ice shooting percentage of 5.5 percent, the first time since 2014-2015 that he finished under 8.0 percent. Wilson should skate on the Capitals’ top line and with some positive regression in his percentages, should see a clear increase in his value this season.

Taylor Hall, LW, Chicago

Hall only played 10 games last season and is a 32-year-old winger coming off a torn ACL. That lowers expectations greatly, so it leaves room for Hall to surpass those expectations, potentially by a lot. He had a 61-point season for Boston in 2021-2022 and if he gets the opportunity to skate with Connor Bedard on Chicago’s top line, there is a path to Hall scoring like that again. While Hall has rarely been a great finisher, he consistently drives play and creates scoring chances, so Hall lining up with a finisher like Bedard could work well for both players.

William Eklund, LW, San Jose

The Sharks have been making moves to improve and that ought to bode well for Eklund, a young winger who had 15 points in his last 14 games, on his way to 45 points in his first full NHL season. That is barely scratching the surface, because Eklund’s production should continue to climb, and he has the speed and skill to pick up where he left off last season. While he will benefit from a stronger supporting cast in San Jose, the Sharks are hardly going to be over-valued after their miserable 2023-2024 season.

Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto

It is not as though Toronto Maple Leafs players tend to be underrated, but Knies is coming off a rookie season in which he managed 35 points in 80 games. He had ups and downs in his first year as a pro, but he established that he could play a physical game, recording 169 hits plus 23 hits in seven playoff games against Boston. Knies should get a look alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on Toronto’s top line, and that trip controlled nearly 67 percent of goals during five-on-five play when they were on the ice last season. That should put Knies in position for even greater offensive production this season.

Marco Rossi, C, Minnesota

The Wild centre finished second among rookies with 21 goals and fifth with 40 points. His 33 five-on-five points tied fellow Wild centre Joel Eriksson-Ek. The key for Rossi is whether he can secure regular playing time beside Kirill Kaprizov on the Wild’s top line. When they played together last season, Rossi had a five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage of 12.1 percent, which was substantially higher than his overall five-on-five mark of 8.1 percent. Sometimes, it’s worth finding a player who can ride the coattails of a great linemate, and Rossi could be that player.

Andre Burakovsky, RW, Seattle

After scoring just 16 points in 49 games last season, Burakovsky should be available late in all formats but there are some reasons to be optimistic that he can bounce back. One reason is that he should score on more than 7.6 percent of his shots on goal, as he did last season. Across his previous nine seasons, Burakovsky had a shooting percentage of 14.4 percent. Compounding that trouble is that Burakovsky had an on-ice shooting percentage of 5.1 percent. His previous low in a season was 8.6 percent, so Burakovsky is one of the leading candidates to experience positive statistical regression this season.

DEFENSE

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

Mikhail Sergachev, D, Utah

A broken leg ruined Sergachev’s 2023-2024 season, and he finished with 19 points in 34 games for Tampa Bay after breaking through for a career-high 64 points the season before. Now that he has been traded to Utah, Sergachev should have a clearer path to first-unit power play time, where he will compete with Sean Durzi as opposed to Victor Hedman. If Sergachev is playing big minutes, as usual, there is a very good chance that he will exceed 40 points for the second time in his career.

Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida

In the two seasons before last, Ekblad had recorded a total of 39 power play points, so he is quite familiar with the role of quarterbacking the Panthers power play. With the Panthers losing Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to free agency, that opportunity could be back on the table for Ekblad, who had recorded more than half-a-point per game in four straight seasons before taking a step back last season following offseason shoulder surgery. The opportunity is substantially better than what typically awaits a defender who had 18 points in 51 games in 2023-2024.

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota

Expectations are already going to be relatively high for the Calder Trophy runner-up, but his star is still rising in Minnesota. Faber tied for second among rookies with 47 points last season, playing nearly 25 minutes per game. As a second-year player who is expected to handle the point on the Wild power play, Faber should continue to produce offensively, and since he is on his career ascent, there is some variability in just how high that offensive production could get. On top of his points and power play points, Faber also blocked 150 shots last season, so he makes a well-rounded contribution.

Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo

Acquired last season from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for Casey Mittelstadt, Byram saw his ice time increase by a couple of minutes per game in Buffalo and he finished with career highs of 11 goals and 29 points. While he is not going to supplant Rasmus Dahlin on the Sabres’ top power play unit, Byram should have excellent opportunities otherwise and that should put him in position to score even more. His 28 even strength points last season had him tied for 34th in the league, so Byram ought to be ready to set a new career high in points in his first full season with the Sabres.

Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton

It is not like Ekholm is unknown. He played a huge role on the team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final, but he is more than merely a defensive conscience for Evan Bouchard. Ekholm set career highs with 11 goals and 45 points last season, with 41 of those points coming at even strength. He averaged 2.24 shots on goal per game, the third time in his career that he surpassed 2.20 shots per game and recorded a career-high 136 hits. He will continue to play a prominent role for the Oilers and last season that meant Connor McDavid recording 18 points on Ekholm’s 45 total points in 2023-2024.

Cam York, D, Philadelphia

There is risk involved in taking York, who managed just six power play points last season, but he also looks like the best candidate to play the point on Philadelphia’s power play this season. The Flyers’ power play was a disaster last season scoring a league-worst 4.35 goals per 60 minutes with the man advantage, so if there is any improvement there (league average was 7.64), then York could reap some of those rewards. There is some risk, either that someone else takes over those minutes or that the Flyers remain terrible on the power play, but York still offers upside.

GOAL

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Jacob Markstrom, G, New Jersey

While Markstrom is not an unknown quantity by any means, he has an excellent chance to exceed his early rankings. He had an excellent season even though the Calgary Flames did not have a strong season. Markstrom joins a Devils team coming off a down season, but they have the talent to put a strong team in front of Markstrom. The Devils were an above average team aside from goaltending last season, then they added defencemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, so Markstrom is going to be in position to deliver a standout season.

Joseph Woll, G, Toronto

The 26-year-old Maple Leafs goaltender has played a grand total of 36 games in the NHL, but he has a .912 save percentage in those games, which is certainly good enough to get a longer look. He was in fine form when he got hurt last season and struggled a bit upon returning, but he earned wins in Game 5 and 6 against Boston in the playoffs, before getting hurt again. Obviously, he needs to stay healthy, but if he does, Woll can win the starting job in Toronto and that could bring significant value for fantasy managers.

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Team Preview

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:00:56 +0000

_{NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 08: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) warms up before a game between the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils on February 08, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)}

A season that started with high expectations went down the tubes rather quickly and the Devils finished the season with 81 points (38-39-5). Travis Green replaced Lindy Ruff behind the bench for the last 21 games and New Jersey’s record got worse. The Devils ranked 10th in Corsi (51.7%) and 12th in expected goals percentage (51.6%), which is better than average. It’s not where the Devils were in previous seasons, but still better than average. New Jersey’s power play ranked 11th with 8.22 goals per 60 minutes while the penalty kill ranked 10th with 6.94 goals against per 60 minutes. Considering these rankings, how did the Devils not make the playoffs? Their goaltenders combined to give them a .886 save percentage, ranking 30th. That can undo a lot of good happening elsewhere on the ice. The Devils also had some major injuries to key players. Dougie Hamilton played 20 games and Jack Hughes missed 20, but played hurt late in the season, too.

What’s Changed? Former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe takes over behind the bench for the Devils and he takes over a team that was busy trying to solve its problems. Intent on fixing their goaltending issues, the Devils acquired Jacob Markstrom from Calgary, then stabilized their defence by signing Brett Pesce from Carolina and Brenden Dillon from Winnipeg. The Devils couldn’t wait any longer on right winger Alexander Holtz, so they traded him along with goaltender Akira Schmid to Vegas for hard-hitting winger Paul Cotter. They dealt defenceman John Marino to Utah and Kevin Bahl to Calgary in the Markstrom deal after acquiring defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic in a trade with Montreal. The Devils also dipped into their past by signing wingers Stefan Noesen and Tomas Tatar as free agents.

What would success look like? There is more than enough talent on hand for the Devils to make the playoffs, but it would not be unreasonable for expectations to be higher than merely making the postseason. That would be one step of success, but the Devils are built to be a Stanley Cup contender so that would be the real success. On an individual level, it would be ideal if young defencemen Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec continue to develop because they should be cornerstone pieces for this franchise for a long time.

What could go wrong? If Markstrom does not fix what ails the Devils in net, then the season could go sideways again. Certainly, major injuries to players like Jack Hughes or Dougie Hamilton – who have both missed some time in recent seasons – would be problems, but this team, as constructed, should be deep enough to handle an injury or two, even to key players. The underlying numbers were still solid last season so it would be a real surprise if the Devils made all these moves and still ended up missing the playoffs again.

Top Breakout Candidate: This is not really a team with openings for young players to get quality ice time, but defenceman Simon Nemec is an exception. The second pick in the 2022 Draft, Nemec contributed 19 points in 60 games as a rookie. He did put up 14 goals and 42 points in 78 AHL games, so he can make a difference offensively, and there may come a day when he is put into a more offensive role on the Devils blueline. Right now, it appears that Hamilton and Luke Hughes are the first two options to quarterback the Devils power play, but Nemec should not be discounted and even if his point totals might not explode this season, he is likely to take a step forward in his development anyway, playing with a steady veteran like Brenden Dillon.

Forwards

Jack Hughes

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	41	61	102	1.32

There is no denying the level of skill with which Hughes plays. He is averaging 1.21 points per game across the past three seasons, which ranks 12th in the league. The issue that does hang over Hughes, however, is that he has had trouble staying healthy. He missed 20 games last season and was playing through a shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery. He is not exactly the biggest and strongest out on the ice, so it is reasonable to have concern about his durability until he shows that it is not an issue. One other issue for Hughes is that he has yet to prove he can have success in the face-off circle. Injuries may play a part, but he won just 37.2 percent of his draws last season and that was a career-high rate! When he is on the ice, He is a sublime talent, one of the best puck-handlers in the entire league. He plays with audacious creativity which makes him a crowd-pleasing performer and Hughes is adept at creating chances for himself as well as for his linemates. Hughes’ ability to attack in transition plays a big part in his ability to generate shots and he put up a career-high 4.42 shots per game in 2023-2024. Hughes played a career-high 20:58 per game last season, a minute higher than the previous season, so he is starting to hit his peak in terms of usage. For the 2024-2025 season, it is reasonable to count on something like 35 goals and 85 points from Hughes, but that comes with the expectation that he will miss some games. If Hughes stays healthy, a 100-point season is within his grasp.

Jesper Bratt

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	32	48	80	0.98

Bratt has climbed to join the ranks of the best offensive wingers in the game and scored a career-high 83 points last season even while the Devils struggled as a team. He roared out of the gate to start the season, much like he did the year before, tallying 18 points in his first nine games. Bratt generated a career-high 3.02 shots on goal per game while playing a career-high 19:18 per game. He earned that ice time with his production. In the past three seasons, Bratt has compiled 229 points, which ranks 20th among wingers in that time. He has breakaway speed and attacks in transition frequently. The 26-year-old winger uses his wide base to shield the puck very effectively, which allows him to buy time in order to make a more dangerous play. When he is playing with confidence, he is frequently putting the defense on its heels because of his speed. Bratt’s increased shot output makes him a greater threat offensively because he has a quick release and if the defence gives him time, he can fire the puck to beat the goaltender from distance. Playing with Hischier and Palat, Bratt should be in position for another productive campaign. Considering his recent production, he could be expected to contribute 30 goals and 75-80 points.

Nico Hischier

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	29	52	81	0.99

The Devils’ captain has established his credentials as a premier two-way centre but has added to his defensive reputation with more consistent offensive production. In the past two seasons, he has tallied 58 goals and 147 points in 152 games. While Hughes struggles at the face-off dot, Hischier has continued to improve in that aspect of the game and won a career-best 56.6% of his draws last season. A heady player who can modify his contributions based on what is needed, Hischier has not only generated more points in the past two seasons, but that has been supported by underlying numbers, with higher on-ice expected goal rates and yet he has achieved that through different paths. In 2022-2023, his shot rate spiked to 3.16 per game, nearly an extra shot per game compared to the previous season. Then, last season, it dropped to 2.56 shots per game, even though the Devils generated even more shots with Hischier on the ice. His most common linemates are Jesper Bratt and Ondrej Palat, which is a quality trio to be sure. Among lines that played at least 200 five-on-five minutes last season, they ranked second with 4.66 expected goals per 60 minutes and fourth with an expected goals percentage of 63.8. Considering that efficiency and looking ahead to the 2024-2025 season, it is reasonable to expect 25-30 goals and 70-plus points from Hischier.

Timo Meier

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	39	34	73	0.97

After mediocre production when he first joined the Devils in the 2022-2023 season, Meier still landed a big contract, but he struggled for quite a while last season, and it looked like the contract could be a disaster in the making. However, even as the Devils’ season went off the rails, Meier started to put it together late in the season and he scored 18 goals and 30 points in his last 26 games. That followed 10 goals and 22 points in his first 43 games. The three-time 30-goal scorer finished with 28 goals last season, but his overall impact is not like it was in his last couple of seasons in San Jose when he was one of the premier shot generators in the entire league. Among forwards that have played at least 2000 five-on-five minutes across the past three seasons, Bratt ranks seventh with 1.11 individual expected goals per 60 minutes. This should make Meier one of the primary projects of new head coach Sheldon Keefe, because if he can get Meier back on top of his game, that will give the Devils more options when trying to set their scoring lines. With even a little movement in the right direction, Meier could deliver 30 goals and 60 points.

Dawson Mercer

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	28	30	58	0.71

When Mercer scored 11 goals during an 11-game flurry in the 2022-2023 season, it may have set the bar too high to be sustainable and he saw his 56-point season plummet to a 33-point season in 2023-2024. Mercer did record his second straight 20-goal season but since he has yet to average two shots on goal per game in any of his first three NHL seasons, that should be a primary objective if he is going to have goal-scoring production that lasts. To Mercer’s credit, he has scored 40 even-strength goals across the past two seasons, which ranks fourth on the team behind Hughes, Bratt, and Hischier. Mercer is not shy about getting to the front of the net, and that’s where the goals are scored. What could work in his favour for a bounce-back season is that his most frequent centre last season was Erik Haula and, based on the Devils’ personnel, it looks like Mercer should have a chance to skate more consistently with Jack Hughes, which naturally raises offensive expectations. A 22-year-old (mostly) winger, Mercer has not missed a game in his first three NHL seasons and should be able to produce 25 goals and 50 points in 2024-2025, but he’ll have to shoot the puck to do it!

Ondrej Palat

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	12	27	39	0.56

Even if the veteran winger only managed 31 points for the Devils last season, Palat continues to be an excellent two-way forward who continues to push play in the right direction when he is on the ice. He thrived playing alongside Bratt and Hischier, which should be who he lines up with this season. One interesting, yet under-utilized, aspect of Palat’s game is that he was a highly effective penalty killer but ranked 10th among Devils forwards in four-on-five ice time per game despite having the lowest rates of shot attempts against and expected goals against per 60 minutes. Given all the team success he experienced in Tampa Bay, Palat has playoff experience that sets his apart from his Devils teammates. He has accrued 150 playoff games in his career, with four separate playoff runs of more than 20 games. Beyond the experience and strong defensive play that Palat brings to the table, it is apparent that he is losing effectiveness offensively. He last surpassed 50 points in a season in 2016-2017 but has managed 54 points in 120 games since joining the Devils. Given that recent track record, and the fact that he is now 33-years old, it is probably more reasonable to expect 30-35 points from Palat in 2024-2025.

Erik Haula

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	15	20	35	0.44

Moving to New Jersey has brought an element of stability to Haula’s career. He has played 156 games for the Devils over the past two seasons, the first time in his career that he logged that many games for the same team across back-to-back seasons. That’s in large part because he has been moving between teams so frequently. More importantly, Haula was excellent in a two-way role for the Devils last season, anchoring the third line and delivering positive results at both ends of the rink. The Devils controlled 55.5 percent of expected goals when Haula was on the ice during five-on-five play. He has won 54.5 percent of his faceoffs since joining the Devils and tends to play with a bit of an edge. He recorded a career-high 54 penalty minutes last season. Considering what the Devils have down the middle of the ice, with Hughes and Hischier at the top of the depth chart, getting such reliable performance from Haula is what is needed for this team to be a contender. The 33-year-old pivot should be expected to continue what he has been doing for the Devils in the past couple of seasons. That means that he could produce 15 goals and 35 points this season.

Stefan Noesen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	15	21	36	0.45

A late bloomer who set career highs with 14 goals and 37 points for the Carolina Hurricanes last season, Noesen signed with the Devils as a free agent. He previously played with the Devils from 2016-2017 through the 2018-2019 season. The 31-year-old winger has played 366 games in his NHL career, and it might have taken awhile for him to establish that he is a legit NHL player, because he is not necessarily the most graceful skater, but he thrived in Carolina. With Noesen on the ice across the past two seasons, the Hurricanes controlled 61.8 percent of expected goals with Carolina outscoring the opposition 71-37 with Noesen on the ice. In addition to those positive results, Noesen plays with a physical edge and goes hard to the net, which helps to make him a useful contributor in a depth role because he is hard to play against and has been an efficient scorer even when he receives little ice time. In New Jersey, there is a fair chance that Noesen will have an opportunity to play in the top nine, which means more ice time and, perhaps, more opportunities for him to score. If Noesen keeps playing a physical game and contributes 35 points, the Devils ought to be happy with their offseason addition to the lineup.

Tomas Tatar

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	13	19	32	0.41

The veteran winger returns to New Jersey after splitting last season between Seattle and Colorado, finishing with 24 points in 70 games, his lowest offensive output since 2012-2013, when he had seven points in 18 games. It makes sense for the Devils to bring Tatar back on a bargain deal because the 33-year-old had a strong season in 2022-2023 when he was last with New Jersey. Tatar is a finesse player who has had seven seasons with at least 20 goals. While he does not play an overly physical game, he is at least a competent defensive player, sometimes even better than that. He offers the Devils another secondary scoring option and some veteran savvy. If Tatar can help the Devils get back into the playoffs, then he had better figure out how to show up for the postseason. In 52 career playoff games, Tatar has just seven goals and 13 points, so while that might be a point of concern, the priority for New Jersey is to get back into the playoffs and having a skilled winger who can move around the lineup ought to help with that pursuit. At this stage of his career, 33-year-old Tatar could contribute 12-15 goals and 30 points.

Paul Cotter

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	9	18	27	0.35

Looking for a bit of a roster shakeup, the Devils traded right winger Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid to the Vegas Golden Knights to acquire a 2025 third-round pick along with Cotter, a hard-driving fourth-line winger who brings a consistent physical presence to the lineup. Cotter, 24, produced seven goals and 25 points for the Golden Knights last season and ranked second on the team with 233 hits. No one on the Devils was within 50 hits of Cotter’s total. He has worked his way through the ranks as a fourth-round pick in 2018 and he has had to battle to make his way into the league. Now, Cotter has some specific appeal related to the style of game that he plays. The Devils appear intent on adding some bite to their forward depth chart and he is front and centre in that approach. He is likely to start the season on a line with Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian, a group that should not recoil at the thought of physical contact. While Cotter has a modest 22 goals and 45 points in 138 career games, he has decent hands and can chip in a little offensively. A reasonable expectation would be to match last season’s total of 25 points, with potential for more if he somehow earns a role higher on the depth chart.

DEFENCE

Dougie Hamilton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	18	40	58	0.83

A torn pectoral muscle limited Hamilton to just 20 games in the 2023-2024 season, but he still produced five goals and 16 points, with half of those points coming on the power play. A smooth skater standing 6-foot-6, Hamilton can swallow up so much space on the ice, either jumping into the rush, or getting back to handle an attacking opponent. His defensive play has dipped in recent seasons, but it helps to generate even more chances offensively. While it occurred in a relatively small sample of games, Hamilton had a Corsi percentage of 59.7 last season, the highest mark of his career. It was the fourth season of his career in which his expected goal percentage was better than 57 percent, so this is a player who typically has a significant positive impact. One of the things that makes Hamilton such a consistent threat is his ability to put pucks on net. He has averaged more than three shots on goal per game for seven straight seasons. With the expectation that Hamilton will be ready to go at the start of the 2024-2025 season, he should continue to be one of the most productive defencemen in the league. Health will obviously be a factor, but he should be able to produce 15 goals and somewhere between 45-50 points. While Hamilton went for a career-high 74 points in 2022-2023, that was the only season of his career in which he finished with more than 50 points. He certainly has that capability, but it has not been typical for him to pass that threshold.

Luke Hughes

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	10	41	51	0.62

The fourth pick in the 2021 Draft, Hughes endured some growing pains as a rookie and still accrued 47 points, tying Minnesota’s Brock Faber for second in rookie scoring behind Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard. With Hamilton injured, Hughes took over on the Devils’ top power play unit and finished with 25 power play points. The puck was moving the right way with Hughes on the ice, too, with the Devils getting 54.5 percent of shot attempts and 52.5 percent of expected goals during five-on-five play when Hughes was on the ice. Coming from a family that includes his brothers, Devils centre Jack Hughes and Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes, it should come as no surprise that Luke Hughes is a strong skater. He is also bigger than his brothers. On the other hand, Jack and Quinn are both incredibly dynamic players with the puck and it would be too soon to suggest that Luke is on that level. At the same time, Luke was 20-years old last season, so there is time for him to mature and grow into a role as a legitimate top pair defenceman. With the Devils improving their supporting cast on the blueline, bringing in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon as free agents, their young defenceman should have much better support in 2024-2025. Hamilton returning to action, and quarterbacking the top power play, should mean fewer points for Hughes, but he could very well have a better all-around impact because of the cast of characters around him. It would be fair to expect Hughes to put up 35-40 points in his second NHL season.

Simon Nemec

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	5	23	28	0.37

Drafted second overall in 2022, Nemec started last season in the American Hockey League, where he produced eight points in 13 games for Utica before getting called up to New Jersey. He showed plenty of potential, with 19 points in 60 games. Nemec didn’t get the luxury of a big role on the power play, chipping in just two points with the man advantage. He has shown that he is not afraid to join the attack, and he is an excellent skater who plays an intelligent game. He makes an efficient first pass that tends to help get the puck moving in the right direction and can carry the puck through the neutral zone to challenge opposing defenders. Nemec has the upside to become a top pair defenceman and that makes him a valuable commodity heading into the 2024-2025 season. Much like Hughes, Nemec is sure to benefit from New Jersey’s offseason upgrades on the blueline. That stability should play well for the Devils’ young defencemen and Nemec has been making such rapid progress that he could take a big leap forward this season. What does that mean for his production? It would be reasonable to expect 25-30 points out of Nemec in a full season. While he could put up more with a bigger power play role, it seems that Hamilton and Hughes will be ahead of Nemec on the power play depth chart.

GOAL

Jacob Markstrom

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
53	30	17	6	3	0.908	2.65

Jake Allen

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
28	16	9	3	1	0.902	2.93

The 2023-24 New Jersey Devils weren't the league's worst team, but they did boast arguably the league's worst three-player goaltending tandem - so they spent their offseason cleaning house, albeit in a somewhat risky way. Out for next season are Vitek Vanecek (dealt mid-season last year to the San Jose Sharks) and Akira Schmid, who was dealt to Vegas at the end of June. In their places, the Devils held on to struggling mid-season acquisition Jake Allen and sent a first-round pick to Calgary for struggling Jacob Markström - who will start the year as one of the league's oldest tandems and both coming off historically poor years in 2023. They'll hope to hold down the fort while Nico Daws is given a chance to continue developing at the AHL level, although some might raise their eyebrows at the idea of New Jersey spending yet another year working with other teams' aging reclamation projects.

Markström is, on paper, the best chance for success for New Jersey. While he struggled as much as the rest of Calgary did last season, leaving surprising holes along the ice and lagging on recoveries from his knees during rebound attempts, his overall tracking and decision-making still looked strong enough to lend credence to the possibility that he's still got some game left in the tank. Allen is a less-promising entity, struggling with depth management during his tenure in Montreal and seeming to get rattled by bad goals in a way veteran goaltenders shouldn't, but it's hard to deny that New Jersey should be a lower-pressure environment than Montreal for him to hopefully get his game back on track. Ultimately, though, this tandem likely doesn't have a ton of staying power in Jersey - so don't be surprised if Daws is back up in Newark before the year is up.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Lafreniere, Doan, Garland, Joshua, Zellweger, Cirelli, Mantha plus much, much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 16:10:31 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 22: New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) skates with the puck during a game between the against the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils on February 22, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, with the NHL season winding down and fantasy titles on the line, a look at Alexis Lafreniere, Josh Doan, Conor Garland, Olen Zellweger, Anthony Cirelli and much, much more!

#1 There are challenges that come with being the first overall pick in the Draft and one of those is that if a player is not immediately successful, like Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid, there is a rush to describe the player as a bust and worry about what that player could possibly become. Throughout his first three seasons, Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere was a middle six winger who could score a bit, but not nearly enough to warrant being the first pick overall in 2020. In his fourth season, the 22-year-old has emerged as the kind of player who may not be Matthews or McDavid, but at least has the production to warrant a first-line role. He has 15 points (8 G, 7 A) and 31 shots on goal in his past 11 games and Lafreniere has scored 24 of his 26 goals at even strength. His 24 even-strength goals is tied with Dallas Stars centre Wyatt Johnston for 17th and puts Lafreniere ahead of the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Sebastian Aho, J.T. Miller, Elias Petttersson, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl, and McDavid.

#2 It is something out of a fairytale – maybe an obscure fairytale, but a fairytale nonetheless – for the son of a franchise legend to grow up in Arizona, play college hockey at Arizona State and then land in the NHL with the Coyotes. Josh Doan has also contributed five points (2 G, 3 A) and 12 shots on goal in his first four games, which might make him worth a flier if you need instant offence at this late stage of the season. His shot rate is intriguing and while Doan does not have the same physical presence as his father Shane, the younger Doan did have 46 points (26 G, 20 A) in 62 AHL games to earn his late season promotion to The Show.

#3 Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland has been a quality contributor in a supporting role, especially late in the season. In his past dozen games, Garland has chipped in 11 points (4 G, 7 A) with 34 shots on goal. He has hit 40 points for a third consecutive season in Vancouver, though his ice time has dropped to 14:19 per game, his lowest average time on ice since 2019-2020. In addition to his place on Vancouver’s top power play unit, Garland is skating on the Canucks’ second line, with J.T. Miller and Dakota Joshua. While Miller has obvious fantasy appeal, after years of high-level production, Joshua is showing that he can be more than a depth forward. He has missed time due to injury, but Joshua does have five points (3 G, 2 A) while playing more than 16 minutes per game in his past five games.

#4 The Anaheim Ducks have a strong crop of young defencemen in the organization and they are giving 20-year-old Olen Zellweger a good look down the stretch. He has contributed five points (1 G, 4 A) in his past six games, scoring his first NHL goal in the process. This is the start of what should be a productive career. Zellweger had 37 points (12 G, 25 A) in 44 AHL games, a monster of a first pro season, to earn his shot with the Ducks.

#5 Although he is known more for his defensive acumen, Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli can contribute offensively, too. It certainly helps that he has Steven Stamkos and Brandon Hagel on his wings. Cirelli has seven points (4 G, 3 A) with 12 shots on goal in his past six games, giving him 43 points on the season, one off his career high, set in 2019-2020.

#6 After he was acquired from the Washington Capitals, towering winger Anthony Mantha managed a single point, a goal, with eight shots on goal in his first seven games for the Vegas Golden Knights. He has found his footing since that slow start, however, putting up seven points (1 G, 6 A) with 11 shots on goal in the past six games. Mantha fulfills a supporting role in Vegas, skating on a line with William Karlsson and Pavel Dorofeyev.

#7 When the Calgary Flames acquired winger Andrei Kuzmenko from the Vancouver Canucks earlier in the season, the hope was that the Flames could get Kuzmenko back to the form that saw him score 39 goals as a rookie last season. It has not been the smoothest process. He had eight points (5 G, 3 A) in his first 12 games for the Flames, followed by a six-game drought with zero points. He has seen his ice time tick up recently, skating on a line with Nazem Kadri and rookie Martin Pospisil, and has six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past three games.

#8 A valuable piayer in Vegas’ Stanley Cup run last season, Ivan Barbashev has had some ups and downs during this regular season. He does seem to be heating up, though, with six points (4 G, 2 A) in his past six games. He is one of 21 forwards to record at least 160 hits in each of the past two seasons and, of those 21, is one of just four to have produced more than 40 points in each of the past two seasons. Along with Barashev, that group includes Brady Tkachuk, J.T. Miller, and Vincent Trocheck.

#9 It has been a tale of two seasons for New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier, who had just 18 points (9 G, 9 A) with 98 shots on goal in 34 games going into the All-Star break. Since then, Meier has racked up 30 points (16 G, 14 A) with 90 shots on goal in 29 games. Despite his slow start it is the third straight season in which Meier has tallied at least 25 goals.

#10 Injuries have limited Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen to just 14 starts this season, but he has 11 wins and a .927 save percentage in those games. Among goaltenders to appear in at least 10 games, the only one with a higher save percentage is Colorado’s Justus Annunen (.930).

#11 The assists may be few and far between, but in his past 16 games, Anaheim Ducks left winger Alex Killorn has buried nine goals (with one assist). This has not been a banner season for Killorn, who has 33 points (17 G, 16 A) in 57 games in his first campaign with the Ducks. He is skating with rookie Leo Carlsson and veteran winger Troy Terry, giving him a good chance to finish the season on the right note.

#12 Arizona Coyotes rookie Logan Cooley has had a strong rookie season, albeit in relative obscurity. With nine points (6 G, 3 A) and 17 shots on goal in his past nine games, including his first hat trick, Cooley now ranks second among rookie forwards with 39 points (17 G, 22 A), leaving him behind only Connor Bedard. Cooley is skating on a line with Lawson Crouse and Dylan Guenther.

#13 While Cooley is the second highest scoring rookie forward, the second highest scoring rookie overall is New Jersey Devils defenceman Luke Hughes. He has 10 points (1 G, 9 A) and 26 shots on goal in his past eight games to give him 43 points (9 G, 34 A) in 76 games. In the past decade, the list of rookie defencemen to have more than 43 points is: Moritz Seider, Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Rasmus Dahlin, Will Butcher, Zach Werenski, and Shayne Gostisbehere. Aside from Butcher, that is rather strong company that Hughes is keeping.

#14 There may be a correlation between Fabian Zetterlund playing more than 18 minutes per game and the San Jose Sharks getting buried on a nightly basis, but the 24-year-old winger is establishing his credentials as an NHL player. Over the past month, he has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) with 42 shots on goal in 15 games. He is skating on San Jose’s top line with Klim Kostin and Mikael Granlund. Zetterlund isn’t the only Sharks player getting plenty of reps for his development this season. William Eklund, the seventh pick in the 2021 Draft, has similarly averaged more than 18 minutes per game and is finishing with a flourish, contributing seven points (2 G, 5 A) in his past seven games.

#15 If fantasy managers need a late scoring boost, perhaps Winnipeg Jets right winger Gabriel Vilardi is a player to target. He didn’t produce any points in his first two games back in the lineup following a month-long absence due to an upper-body injury then an enlarged spleen, but then he erupted for a hat trick, with nine shots on goal, in Thursday’s win over Calgary. The 24-year-old has produced 33 points (19 G, 14 A) in 41 games in his first season for the Jets and while the injuries seem to be part of the package, there is no denying his ability to contribute when he is in the lineup.

#16 Buffalo Sabres left winger Jeff Skinner reached the 1,000-game milestone for his career, a tremendous accomplishment. He is also fading late in the season. Since scoring a hat trick in Seattle on March 18, Skinner has zero points and 15 shots on goal in seven games. He is playing 13 minutes per game and is currently skating on a line with Peyton Krebs and Lukas Rousek, which is not exactly the same as riding shotgun with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. This is the tenth season in which Skinner has scored at least 20 goals, and he has 357 goals in his career, but he may be one to avoid in the final few weeks of this campaign.

#17 While there has been plenty of focus in Philadelphia on the declining production, and healthy scratches, of captain Sean Couturier, who has just one assist and 18 shots on goal in his past 15 games, he is not the only Flyers forward whose offensive well has run dry. Joel Farabee has a career-high 21 goals and 49 points this season but has zero points in his past six games and has been dropped to the fourth line.

#18 Since the March 8 trade deadline, the leading scorer in terms of points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play is Mark Jankowski of the Nashville Predators, who has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) with 21 shots on goal in his past 11 games. Jankowski spent most of the season in the American Hockey League, where the 29-year-old put up 47 points (15 G, 32 A) in 40 games for Milwaukee, earning another look in the NHL. Jankowski’s 14 points in 26 games for the Predators is his most in an NHL season since 2018-2019. The rest of the five-on-five points per 60 leaders since the trade deadline (minimum 50 minutes): Josh Doan (4.52), Pavel Zacha (4.47), Auston Matthews (4.41), David Pastrnak (4.33), Connor McDavid (4.18), Artemi Panarin (4.07), John Tavares (3.91), Mattias Ekholm (3.91), and Nikita Kucherov (3.88). That is a fascinating mix of Hart Trophy candidates along with a rookie, Doan, and complementary players like Zacha, Ekholm, and Tavares.

#19 The most productive lines during five-on-five play this season (minimum 100 minutes), per Evolving Hockey: Owen Tippett-Morgan Frost-Travis Konecny (7.36 GF/60), Alex DeBrincat-Dylan Larkin-Patrick Kane (6.14), Danton Heinen-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak (6.06), J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson-Brock Boeser (5.72), Zach Hyman-Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl (5.50), Warren Foegele-Leon Draisaitil-Ryan McLeod (5.27), Nikolaj Ehlers-Mark Scheifele-Gabriel Vilardi (5.04), Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Wyatt Johnston (4.95), J.J. Peterka-Dylan Cozens-Jack Quinn (4.91), and Jonathan Marchessault-Nicolas Roy-Ivan Barbashev (4.89). While there are some names that one might expect in that group, there are plenty of others there that are not exactly prime fantasy hockey draft picks, so offense can come from many places, especially in short spurts if a line is only together for a few weeks.

#20 Also per Evolving Hockey, here are the leaders in individual expected goals during five-on-four play (minimum 50 minutes), essentially, who is being put in position to score on the power play? Joel Eriksson Ek (4.35), Zach Hyman (4.10), John Tavares (3.97), Kyle Palmieri (3.76), Chris Kreider (3.69), Barrett Hayton (3.67), Gabriel Vilardi (3.46), Matthew Tkachuk (3.42), Sam Reinhart (3.38), and Shine Pinto (3.30). Columbus’ Alexander Nylander has only played 36 minutes at five-on-four, but has 4.50 ixG in that time, so he is getting great opportunities to score and while he has 10 goals in 18 games for Columbus, only two of those goals have been on the power play.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (April 1st to 7th) – Art Ross and Hart trophy races will come down to wire – Favourable matchups and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 17:29:42 +0000

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 16: Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) celebrates his goal and 131st point in the third period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Dallas Stars on March 16, 2023 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

The battle for the Art Trophy is coming down to the wire with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (42 goals, 126 points), Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (47, 127) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (29, 125) all serious contenders. The trio is naturally also three of the main players being evaluated for the Hart Trophy.

Who ends up winning the Art Ross will likely have significant influence in the Hart battle. Typically speaking, I’d assume McDavid would be the least likely of the three because he’s well behind Kucherov and MacKinnon in terms of goals, but McDavid is just five helpers away from becoming only the third player to ever record 100 assists in a season -- the other two being Wayne Gretzky (x11), Mario Lemieux (88-89) and Bobby Orr (70-71), so that might afford McDavid some special consideration.

In terms of who has been the most valuable to his team, an argument can be made for all three. Although Colorado, Tampa Bay and Edmonton all have other great players, it would have been challenging for any of them to even make the playoffs without their top forward.

Outside of that trio, Auston Matthews also might make a bid for the Hart Trophy. He’s one goal away from 60, which is the milestone that helped earn him the Hart in 2021-22 over Connor McDavid, who beat Matthews in terms of points 123 to 106. McDavid also provided 44 goals of his own that year, so he was in a similar position to Kucherov and MacKinnon today. Perhaps this year’s voters will be less impressed with 60, though -- while it’s a tremendous milestone, this marks the third straight year of at least one player hitting it and we had two surpass that mark last season in McDavid and Pastrnak, which might diminish the shine a bit.

That said, Matthews still has 10 games left, so he has an opportunity to potentially push far enough past the 60-goal mark to excite voters.

Los Angeles Kings – MON @ WPG, WED VS SEA, THU @ SJS (BTB), SAT VS VAN

The Kings are in a good position in the battle for a wild-card spot, but their ticket to the playoffs hasn’t been punched yet. They also have a shot of potentially snatching the first wild-card position from Nashville while simultaneously being in a tight race for Vegas for the third seed in the Pacific Division. In other words, LA has plenty left to fight for.

They’ll start the upcoming week on the road against Winnipeg on Monday. After that, LA will host the Kraken on Wednesday, play in San Jose on Thursday and finish with a home tilt versus the Canucks. Winnipeg and Vancouver are tough adversaries, but Seattle and the Sharks won’t be advancing to the postseason.

Anze Kopitar is doing his best to put LA into the best position possible, providing six goals and 11 points across his last seven contests. He’s up to 24 goals and 64 points in 72 outings overall. Don’t ignore him in playoff pools. Kopitar tends to do well in the playoffs -- he even had two goals and seven points in six outings last year’s postseason, so age hasn’t slowed him yet. Of course, LA might not go far enough in the playoffs for it to matter and that’s a valid concern. Keep in mind, though, that LA would be 35-15-5 if not for its horrible 3-8-6 slump from Dec. 28-Jan.28, so LA is a bigger threat than it appears at first glance.

That’s especially true of Cam Talbot, who posted a 3.86 GAA and an .881 save percentage across 10 contests during that slump, but even with that cold spell factored in, he’s having a strong campaign with a 23-17-6 record, 2.44 GAA and .916 save percentage through 47 appearances. He’s been especially strong over his past 11 games, posting a 2.11 GAA and a .923 save percentage in that span, so perhaps the veteran goaltender will stay strong in the playoffs.

It’s nice to also have Viktor Arvidsson healthy. The 30-year-old has participated in just eight contests this year, but he had 26 goals and 59 points in 77 games last season. He’s collected a goal and three points in four appearances since returning from a lower-body injury while averaging 17:26 of ice time, including 3:15 with the man advantage, in that span.

Minnesota Wild – TUE VS OTT, THU VS COL, SAT VS WPG, SUN @ CHI

The Wild still has an outside shot of making the playoffs, but they’d likely only advance if they win essentially all of their remaining games. At least they’ll be at home for most of the week with contests against the Senators on Tuesday, the Avalanche on Thursday and the Jets on Saturday. At that stretch in Minnesota, the Wild will visit the lowly Blackhawks on Sunday.

Even with the campaign all but lost, Kirill Kaprizov is continuing to excel, providing 10 goals and 18 points over 11 outings this season. He’s just four goals away from reaching the 40-goal milestone for the third straight campaign, so look for him to be aggressive with the puck over the Wild’s final games.

There’s also likely to be increased attention on Marc-Andre Fleury given that the storied goaltender might be playing out his final games. However, his retirement isn’t a certainty -- the 39-year-old even recently told NHL.com that “the door is more open today for a return than it was in September or October.”

In terms of whether there would be a market for him, Fleury has posted an underwhelming 16-12-5 record, 2.85 GAA and .899 save percentage in 36 appearances, but some of the blame for that should be placed at the feet of the Wild defenders. In terms of Goals Saved Above Expected, Fleury is minus-6.7 or minus-0.201 per 60 minutes. In other words, Fleury hasn’t been great, and given the fear that he’ll decline further at the age of 40 (he’ll celebrate that birthday Nov. 28), there might be some hesitancy to sign him.

Fleury has also suggested that he would only re-sign with Minnesota, so it becomes a question of if the Wild want to continue down that path. If he was willing to expand his options further, teams with young goaltenders like Joseph Woll in Toronto or Samuel Ersson in Philadelphia, might express interest, but Fleury and his family are happy in Minnesota, and he understandably doesn’t want to ask his three kids to move again, so don’t expect him to go anywhere else.

Minnesota will also presumably continue with Filip Gustavsson, who is finishing the first campaign of his three-year, $11.25 million deal. He’s had a rough campaign with a 19-15-4 record, 3.10 GAA and .898 save percentage in 41 contests, but at least he has a chance of ending on an upswing after saving 101 of 105 shots (.962 save percentage) over his past four games.

Nashville Predators – TUE VS BOS, THU VS STL, SAT @ NYI, SUN @NJD (BTB)

The Predators have gone on an incredible 16-1-2 run dating back to Feb. 17. Thanks to that success, Nashville occupies the first wild-card spot and has a shot to challenge Winnipeg for the third seed in the Central Division if the Predators remain hot. With that goal, Nashville will host the Bruins and Blues on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. The Predators will then go on the road, playing against the Islanders on Saturday and in New Jersey on Sunday.

Nashville’s run has been fueled in part by Filip Forsberg, who has just been absolutely unreal with 15 goals and 28 points over his past 16 games. He hasn’t been slowing down either, recording at least a point in each of his last eight contests, totaling eight goals and eight assists in that span. Getting him from Washington in 2013 in exchange for Martin Erat and Michael Latta has to be one of the most one-sided trades of this generation.

It's not the only former trade that’s paid off for Nashville. Although the Predators selected Roman Josi with the No. 38 pick in 2008, that selection originally belonged to the Maple Leafs, who dealt it to Arizona. Nashville was then able to trade up to No. 38 by giving the No. 46 pick (Colby Robak) and No. 76 selection (Mathieu Brodeur) to Arizona. Given that Robak played in just 47 career NHL games and Brodeur didn’t make it to the top level, it’s easy to say that worked out immensely better for Nashville than the Coyotes. Josi has 19 goals and 76 points in 73 appearances this year, including four goals and 14 points across his active eight-game scoring streak.

Goaltender Juuse Saros was another player drafted by the Predators with someone else’s pick. Hilariously, Nashville was focused on winning now when the franchise unknowingly moved to get its future franchise goaltender, acquiring veteran Paul Gaustad from Buffalo in 2012 in exchange for what proved to be the No. 21 overall pick in that year’s draft (Mark Jankowski, who coincidentally now plays for Nashville). Buffalo threw in a 2013 fourth-round pick to balance the scales, and that selection turned out to be Saros.

Saros also had a phenomenal 11-0-2 record, 1.76 GAA and .936 save percentage in 13 appearances from Feb. 17-March 23. That said, he has struggled recently, allowing 10 goals on 62 shots (.839 save percentage) over his past two contests, so it’s fair to call an end to that hot run.

New Jersey Devils – TUE VS PIT, WED @ NYR, SAT @ OTT, SUN VS NSH

The Devils’ playoff hopes aren’t completely gone, but it’s hard to imagine them getting in unless they win all their remaining games, and even then, they would need some luck. Still, New Jersey will push forward Tuesday while hosting the Penguins. The Devils will then play on the road against the Rangers on Wednesday and in Ottawa on Saturday before hosting the Predators on Sunday.

If you’re wondering about Dougie Hamilton (pectoral), there hasn’t been any news on that front in a while. At this point, no news is extremely discouraging, and I would be somewhat surprised if he ended up playing again this season. His absence is part of why New Jersey is likely to miss the playoffs this season, but he should be in line for a great bounce-back campaign in 2024-25, so don’t forget about him.

The only question mark is if Hamilton will still have a spot on the top power-play unit. The answer is probably, but you can’t rule out the possibility that Luke Hughes’ rise will push him out of that role. The 20-year-old rookie has nine goals and 41 points in 74 contests and has been red hot down the stretch with a goal and eight points in his past six outings, including five points with the man advantage.

Also poised to end on a strong note is Timo Meier, who has five goals and 10 points in his last six games. He’s had a somewhat underwhelming campaign overall with 24 goals and 46 points in 61 outings -- down from 40 goals in 2022-23 -- but he’s picked things up dramatically since Feb. 14, supplying 14 goals and 24 points across his past 18 appearances.

New York Islanders – MON @ PHI, TUE VS CHI (BTB), THU @ CBJ, SAT VS NSH

The Islanders endured a 0-5-1 stretch from March 11-21, which severely hindered their chances of making the playoffs. They still have an outside shot of a playoff berth, but they’ll need a hot finish to the campaign. The Islanders would be in a much better position if they win their upcoming road game against Philadelphia. The Flyers hold the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, but with a 36-28-10 record, Philadelphia is arguably slightly more vulnerable than the 36-27-9 Capitals, who occupy the second wild-card position. New York will then host the Blackhawks on Tuesday, play in Columbus on Thursday and return home to face the Predators on Saturday.

A good finish from Anders Lee would certainly help the Islanders’ chances. Although the 33-year-old has reached the 25-goal mark on six occasions in his career, including in each of the previous two campaigns, Lee will likely fall short of that this year. He has just 18 tallies and 32 points in 72 outings with much of his production coming in infrequent spurts -- his most recent coming from March 21-23 in which he had a goal and three points across two contests. Perhaps he’ll have at least one more strong push this season to at least push him to the 20-goal milestone.

Bo Horvat has also left something to be desired recently with two assists in his past five games, but unlike Lee, Horvat is having a great campaign overall with 29 goals and 63 points in 71 outings. It shouldn’t be much longer before the 28-year-old picks things up again, so don’t get too worried if you have him in any of your fantasy leagues.

One Islanders player who has been clicking is Mathew Barzal. He’s supplied three goals and five points over his last four games, bringing him up to 23 markers and 74 points through 71 outings overall. The 26-year-old has already set a new career high in goals, and he still might surpass his personal best of 85 points, set back in his 2017-18 rookie campaign.

New York Rangers – MON VS PIT, WED VS NJD, FRI @ DET, SUN VS MTL

The Rangers have already punched their playoff ticket, but they still have work to do in order to secure the first seed in the Metropolitan Division as well as potentially the Presidents’ Trophy. New York will begin the week by hosting the Penguins on Monday and the Devils on Wednesday. The Rangers will then play in Detroit on Friday before returning home to face the Canadiens on Sunday.

The Rangers have been working through some defensive injuries, but Jacob Trouba (lower body) is close to playing for the first time since March 4. At the time of writing, he’s questionable for Saturday’s game against Arizona and might be available for the start of next week even if he misses that tilt. Erik Gustafsson (upper body) will be shelved for his third straight contest Saturday. He didn’t even join the Rangers on their two-game road trip, so it seems entirely plausible that the blueliner will miss additional time next week.

Trouba’s eventual return might push Zac Jones out of the lineup. Jones has done alright with a goal and eight points in 28 contests this season, including three assists in his run of 11 straight games with New York. However, when everyone is healthy, the 23-year-old Jones still has trouble finding his way into the lineup.

Chad Ruhwedel might lose his spot in the top six once Gustafsson is back. The Rangers acquired Ruhwedel from Pittsburgh on March 8 in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick to serve primarily as a depth option. It’s a nice luxury that the Rangers can turn to him in the event of injuries, especially with the grind of the playoffs around the corner.

Fortunately, the Rangers’ recent injury woes have not extended to Adam Fox, who did miss time early in the campaign but has still contributed 15 goals and 63 points in 63 outings in 2023-24. He’s showing no signs of slowing down either, providing five goals and 12 points across his last nine appearances.

Ottawa Senators – TUE @ MIN, THU VS FLA, SAT VS NJD, SUN @ WAS (BTB)

The Senators won’t be making the playoffs, but Ottawa has won its last four games as it tries to at least end the campaign on a positive note. The Senators will attempt to stay hot in Minnesota on Tuesday before returning home to host the Panthers on Thursday and the Devils on Saturday. Ottawa will conclude the week with a road tilt in Washington on Sunday.

Like the Rangers, Ottawa has dealt with injured defensemen. Unfortunately for the Senators, injuries are an all-too common problem where it relates to Thomas Chabot. The 27-year-old has appeared in just 44 contests, supplying eight goals and 28 points in that span, and he is presently dealing with an undisclosed issue that shelved him Thursday. If Chabot can ever have a healthy campaign, then he might be able to challenge his 2018-19 personal best of 55 points, but he hasn’t reached the 70-game mark since 2019-20 when he logged a career-high 71 contests.

On the plus side, Jakob Chychrun has stayed healthy this campaign. The 25-year-old defenseman is hot at the moment, supplying three goals and four points over his past three games, which brings him 12 goals and 36 points in 72 outings overall.

Up front, Drake Batherson is bringing what’s been a strong campaign for him to a positive conclusion with three goals and six points across his last four games. He’s already set a new career high with 26 markers and is just five points away from topping his personal best in that category, which he set last season.

Washington Capitals – TUE @ BUF, THU VS PIT, FRI @ CAR, SUN VS OTT

The Capitals control their own fate as the holders of the second seed in the wild-card race, but they still have significant competition, so it’s too early to relax. The Capitals will play in Buffalo on Tuesday, host the Penguins on Thursday, head to Carolina on Friday and finish the week with a home contest against the Senators on Sunday.

Washington has won six of its last eight games to push itself into a favorable playoff position and Alex Ovechkin deserves a good chunk of the credit for that, providing an incredible eight goals over a stretch of five games from March 16-24. That said, the superstar has been held off the scoresheet for the last two contests, which isn’t a big deal on its own, but because his goals have tended to come in bunches this campaign, one has to wonder if he’s entered a prolonged cold period.

One lower-profile Capitals player who has been chipping in lately is Connor McMichael. He’s contributed five goals and eight points over his past nine appearances, which gives him 17 goals and 32 points in 70 contests this season. The 23-year-old has averaged 17:46 of ice time in that nine-game stretch, which represents a sizable jump compared to his season average of 15:54.

From the blue line, John Carlson has collected two goals and seven points over his past seven games. That includes four points with the man advantage, bringing him up to 18 power-play points (four goals, 14 assists) overall.