Tom Wilson – McKeen's Hockey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – WASHINGTON CAPITALS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 19:24:01 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 30: Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) scores a goal during a NHL game between the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on November 30, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

After barely sneaking into the postseason in 2023-2024, the Capitals orchestrated a magnificent improvement, finishing with 111 points (51-22-9), the best record in the Eastern Conference, all while engaged in Alex Ovechkin’s chase to surpass Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goals record. Washington cruised past the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the first round, only to be dismissed by the Carolina Hurricanes in five games in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Capitals were a little above average in terms of puck possession, ranking 12th in both score-and-venue adjusted Corsi percentage (51.0) and expected goals percentage (51.4). The Capitals power play was slightly above average, ranking 14th with 7.95 goals scored per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. On the penalty kill, the Capitals ranked seventh with 6.05 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play.

What’s Changed?

The Capitals have done an excellent job of keeping their core together following such a strong season. They lost wingers Andrew Mangiapane and Taylor Raddysh to the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers, respectively, in free agency and centre Lars Eller signed with the Ottawa Senators. Defenceman Alexander Alexeyev signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. None of these players had huge roles in last year’s Capitals team, and Washington will have top prospect Ryan Leonard available from the start of the season after he joined the team following his college season ended last spring. The Capitals also traded to acquire depth forward Justin Sourdif from the Florida Panthers and brought in defenceman Declan Chisholm from the Minnesota Wild, but this offseason required far less of a roster makeover than the Capitals experienced in 2024.

What would success look like?

The main goal for the Capitals should be to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. It doesn’t mean that they have to win the Metropolitan Division or record 111 points again, but 100-plus should be the expectation and then aim for a deeper run into the playoffs. The Capitals don’t look to be quite on the level of a Stanley Cup contender, but if Leonard is an impact player right away, that could help make a difference and if they are close, they could always add more talent to make a stronger playoff push.

What could go wrong?

The Capitals are still dependent on a couple of older players, Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson, and that brings greater risk of injury. Even if the Capitals have better depth, a significant injury to either of those players could pose a problem. The Capitals were not so dominant last season that they can just be assumed to be strong again in 2025-2026. If they lose a percent or two of possession and goaltender Logan Thompson slumps relative to his strong performance in 2024-2025, then the Capitals could find themselves scrambling for a playoff spot.

Top Breakout Candidate

The eighth pick in the 2023 Draft, Ryan Leonard produced 109 points (61 G, 48 A) in 78 games across two seasons at Boston College and jumped straight to the Capitals at the end of his sophomore season. In 17 games between regular season and playoffs, Leonard mustered just two points (1 G, 1 A), so he did not live up to the hype in that small sample, but he also had an on-ice expected goals percentage of 57.7 percent during the nine regular season games, and 56.4 percent during eight playoff games, so it’s not like he was overwhelmed. With a full training camp and an established role on the roster, Leonard has a chance to contend for the Calder Trophy.

FORWARDS

Alex Ovechkin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
73	37	28	65	0.89

The league’s all-time leading goal scorer after surpassing Wayne Gretzky last season, Ovechkin’s pursuit of the record brought out his most efficient finishing of his NHL career. He scored 44 goals, his most since 2019-2020, scoring on 18.6 percent of his shots on goal, the highest shooting percentage of his illustrious career. There is a temptation to believe that Ovechkin is ageless, and it appeared that way in 2024-2025, but he will be 40 years old by the time the puck drops on this season, and he observably does not move with the same vitality that he did earlier in his career. That’s not passing judgment, it’s merely a reflection of what happens when trying to drag 235 pounds up and down the wing while playing 1,491 regular season games plus another 161 playoff games. His ice time dropped to 17:43 per game last season, the lowest average of his career, and his hit count was down to 110 – the only season in which he finished with fewer hits was the shortened 2020-2021 season, when he had 98 hits in 45 games. This is all an indication that as great as Ovechkin has been, his all-around game is naturally not where it once was. He is obviously still a threat from the faceoff circle on the power play, scoring at least 13 power play goals in 18 of his 20 NHL seasons. Last season, Ovechkin’s most frequent linemate was center Dylan Strome, followed by Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson. He is likely going to have a similar role in 2025-2026, so even a diminished Ovechkin should still be expected to score 35 goals and 65 points, with at least 100 hits.

Dylan Strome

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
8228	55	83	1.01

A veteran center who took a while to find his footing in the National Hockey League, Strome found the right situation in Washington and after the most productive seasons of his career in his first two seasons with the Capitals, he leapt forward to a point-per-game season with 82 points (29 G, 53 A) in 82 games in 2024-2025. Strome is 6-foot-3 and has soft hands; he uses that size to protect the puck and create opportunities. He’s a cerebral player and when he gets extra time and space on the power play, he can make a massive difference, and he was tied for seventh in the league with 34 power play points last season. He could shoot the puck more as it is difficult to record a point per game while not generating at least two shots on goal per game. There were 35 players to average better than one point per game last season, with a minimum of 40 games played, and Strome’s 1.82 shots on goal per game ranked 35th out of that group. He did benefit from an on-ice shooting percentage of 11.1 percent during five-on-five play, the second highest of his career, so there are realistic concerns about the sustainability of Strome’s production. Strome has been durable since arriving in D.C., missing one game in three seasons with the Capitals. Going into the 2025-2026 season, Strome should be expected to contribute 25 goals and 65-70 points.

Aliaksei Protas

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

It is so interesting to try to forecast the production of a player who has been brimming with potential, a 6-foot-6 winger who has hands and can shoot the puck but had not put it all together until last season. In the case of Protas, he erupted for 30 goals and 66 points, but he scored on 21.1 percent of his shots on goal, and his five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage of 14.2 percent was the second highest in the league, among skaters to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes. Protas has 2.84 points per 60 minutes during five-on-five play, ranking fourth among skaters that played at least 500 five-on-five minutes, behind only David Pastrnak, Sean Monahan, and Nikita Kucherov. Even with the understanding that Protas is highly unlikely to duplicate those percentages, there are lots of positives to take from his breakthrough season, the first of which is that there are very few players of his enormous size who possess the skill to put up 30 goals in a season. When Protas uses that size to win battles and protect the puck as he goes hard to the net, he is more than a handful for opposing defenders. He also did nearly all of his damage at even strength last season, with one power play assist and two shorthanded assists to his credit. It doesn’t appear that Protas is set for a significant power play role in 2025-2026, so there is likely going to be some regression in his numbers, but he should still be able to contribute 20 goals and 50 points.

Tom Wilson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	24	24	48	0.69

One of the rarest players in the National Hockey League, Wilson has the intimidating size and physical presence to tangle with whatever heavyweights remain in the league, but he is also an excellent skater and an accomplished offensive threat and he happens to be coming off a season in which he set career highs in goals (33), assists (32), and points (65). He also averaged a career-high 18:44 of ice time per game, but that’s not a shocking development, either. He has played more than 18 minutes per game in five of his past seven seasons. Wilson recorded 233 hits last season, the ninth time in his career that he recorded at least 200 hits, and he added 100 penalty minutes, the eighth time in his career that he hit the century mark. Those last two categories make Wilson a banger league star. Last season also happened to be one of extremely favorable percentages for Wilson, who scored on a career-high 19.5 percent of his shots on goal and had an on-ice shooting percentage of 11.9 percent. He has actually exceeded that number once before but in 2023-2024 his on-ice shooting percentage was 5.5 percent, so it appears that Wilson got all of the regression going back in his favour in 2024-2025. Wilson remains a prominent part of the Capitals’ attack and should be expected to contribute 25 goals and 45 points, along with 200-plus hits and something in the neighbourhood of 100 penalty minutes this season.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	21	41	62	0.76

When the Capitals made the trade to acquire Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings last summer, it generated some measure of surprise because Dubois was coming off of a disastrous season in Los Angeles and, with a hefty long-term contract, was one of the least valuable assets in the league. Dubois responded with a career-high 66 points (26 G, 40 A) and a dominant season at five-on-five, with the Capitals outscoring opponents 73-44 with Dubois on the ice. That success did not come as a total shock because the story of Dubois’ career has been that, when he is motivated, he can be an impact player in the league, but after that season in Los Angeles, it seemed to be anyone’s guess if he could be properly motivated. Dubois is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound center who can dominate along the boards, winning battles consistently, and combining that with a skill game that includes puck protection and high-end vision to spot open teammates makes Dubois an easy player to believe in. Will he be able to duplicate that success? His shooting percentage last season was 14.1 percent, which was a little higher than his previous career mark of 12.5 percent, but that’s not a massive difference. The bigger issue is that his on-ice shooting percentage was 13.2 percent, which was the fourth highest out of the 378 forwards that played at least 500 five-on-five minutes. Expecting some regression in his output, Dubois should still be able to contribute 20 goals and 55 points this season.

Connor McMichael

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	22	28	50	0.61

The 25th pick in the 2019 Draft, McMichael was a bit of a late bloomer, especially for a first-round pick, but there is no denying that he has hit his mark as a scoring forward in the NHL. McMichael achieved career highs with 26 goals, 33 assists, and 59 points last season, but, like many Capitals forwards, was also the beneficiary of a lofty on-ice shooting percentage. In McMichael’s case it was 12.1 percent, a number that is not likely to be duplicated next season. As he was coming up, McMichael was insistent that he was a center and in 2023-2024 that was his main position, but last season he took a total of 109 faceoffs, so he played some center, but it was hardly a significant part of his deployment. Unless there is a need based on injuries, there seems little reason to move McMichael from the wing, where he found his most success. He has strong offensive instincts and knows how to find openings that put him in scoring position. Now that McMichael has established his credentials as a quality scoring winger, he should have a solid contribution to make in 2025-2026, with 20-25 goals and 45-50 points a fair expectation once statistical regression gets taken into account.

Anthony Beauvillier

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	14	16	30	0.37

A veteran winger who started his career with the Islanders and has been bouncing around ever since, with stops in Vancouver, Chicago, Nashville, Pittsburgh, and now Washington, Beauvillier has talent, but has never been able to take it to the next level, thereby remaining in a middle six role at all of his stops. Although he managed just five points (2 G, 3 A) in 18 games with the Capitals after he was acquired from the Penguins at the trade deadline, Beauvillier did contribute six points (2 G, 4 A) in 10 playoff games and that made him a viable candidate to return to Washington when the Capitals could not land a bigger fish in free agency. Although he had modest offensive production in Washington, Beauvillier did have strong underlying numbers with positive possession stats despite starting just 38.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. The Capitals outscored opponents 9-6 at five-on-five with Beauvillier on the ice, which indicates that he is an entirely useful depth winger. He has surpassed 20 goals just once in his career, scoring 21 with the Islanders in 2017-2018, his second season in the league, and it’s not likely that he will have a significant enough role to threaten that number again. He is more likely to contribute 12-15 goals and 25-30 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Hendrix Lapierre

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
58	5	11	16	0.28

The 22nd pick in the 2020 Draft, Lapierre had had some false starts to his NHL career, but the Capitals hope that he can follow a path like McMichael, where the patience ends up paying off. He managed zero goals and eight assists in 27 games for the Capitals last season, which is not at all encouraging, but he has 31 points (9 G, 22 A) in 84 career NHL games, so there is something there to hope that Lapierre can turn into a bona fide NHL player. He also scored 32 points (7 G, 25 A) in 32 AHL games last season, the kind of production that would typically give a 23-year-old a good opportunity to stick in the NHL. That does appear to be what is happening with Lapierre, who is penciled into a third-line role with the Capitals, and he might even start at center, which would be a significant vote of confidence for a player who has won 37.4 percent of the 404 faceoffs that he has taken in the NHL. If Lapierre is indeed going to fill a top nine role in Washington, he should be able to contribute 10 goals and 30-35 points, but the main focus should be on sticking in the NHL for the entire season, proving that he belongs.

Nic Dowd

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	13	13	26	0.32

A 35-year-old checking center, Dowd hit career highs with 14 goals and 27 points last season, and he added 82 blocked shots and 128 hits, so while the scoring numbers don’t jump off the page, those peripheral stats might give Dowd a little value in very deep leagues. His 82 blocked shots last season ranked sixth among forwards, and only two forwards – Brandon Tanev and Noel Acciari – had more blocked shots and more hits than Dowd. Even as he hits his mid-thirties, Dowd is having a bigger impact on the game than he did as a younger player. He has played over 15 minutes per game in the past two seasons, and he faces a ridiculous deployment, starting 15.0 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone last season. Dowd is a throwback-style blue-collar player who leaves it all on the ice and plays for keeps night after night. Over the course of his career, his team has outscored the opposition by two goals during five-on-five play and that is a solid result from a checking center on the third or fourth line. Dowd should be able to contribute a dozen goals and 25 points to the Capitals this season.

DEFENCE

John Carlson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	7	41	48	0.62

Perhaps age is starting to catch up to Carlson just a little bit, as the 35-year-old Capitals blueliner scored just five goals last season, the lowest total of his career since scoring one goal in 22 games as a rookie in 2009-2010. That does not mean that he’s dropped off dramatically, by any means, as Carlson also had 46 assists and his 51 points represented the seventh time in his career that he crossed the 50-point threshold. He also averaged more than 23 minutes of ice time per game for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons. Carlson had a stellar season in terms of puck possession stats, as his 53.7 Corsi percentage was the best of his career since a 53.9 mark during his 22-game stint in 2009-2010. Carlson has always been a big and physically strong defenceman, yet his game does not really take maximum advantage of that size and strength. His booming shot from the point is a factor, sure, but he’s only had more than 80 hits in a season once in his career and finished with 49 last season. For a defenceman who is 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, he is not a banger. Carlson has always been an ace on the power play – his 264 career power play points ranks sixth among active defncemen, behind Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Kris Letang, and Victor Hedman. Carlson still led Capitals defencemen in power play ice time last season, but Jakob Chychrun could be knocking on the door, unless the Capitals take the rare step of having two defencemen on the No. 1 power play unit, and they could do that. For the 2025-2026 season, expect Carlson to put up 45-50 points, which keeps him right in the middle of the action for fantasy managers.

Jakob Chychrun

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	15	29	44	0.59

The Capitals’ acquisition of Chychrun last summer could not have worked out better, as he stayed healthy enough to play a career-high 74 games and finished with career highs in goal (20) and points (47). His 27 assists tied a career high, set the year before with Ottawa. Chychrun is an aggressive offensive defenceman who will join the rush and come down from the blueline in the offensive zone if it means generating a scoring chance. His 0.60 goals per 60 minutes last season ranked second out of 208 defencemen that played at least 500 five-on-five minutes. He is already a significant part of the Capitals attack and is pushing Carlson for the No. 1 role on the Capitals power play. When that time comes, that should set Chychrun on a trajectory to produce even more offensively. Throughout his career, he has tended to be a strong puck possession player, at least in relative terms, and that continued in his first season with the Capitals. As a player who has been injured quite a bit in his career, Chychrun maybe more inclined to pick his spots about when to lay his body on the line and it’s notable that for a defenceman who routinely plays more than 21 minutes per game, he has recorded more than 100 blocked shots once in his career and only exceeded 100 hits in his rookie season, 2016-2017, and hasn’t done it since. Chychrun should still be expected to fill a big role for Washington this season, which includes scoring 15 goals and 40-plus points.

Rasmus Sandin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	5	23	28	0.34

The arrival of Jakob Chychrun did not do Sandin any favors in terms of his role as an offensive-minded puck-moving defenceman, but he still ended up with a career-high 30 points (4 G, 26 A) last season. Sandin played all 82 games, but his ice time dropped nearly two minutes per game from the 2023-2024 season. While Sandin’s puck possession numbers weren’t great, sliding in under break-even with a 49.7 percent Corsi, the Capitals did outscore opponents 71-58 during five-on-five play with Sandin on the ice. He is a smooth skating defender who has strong puck skills and even though he’s on the smaller side, Sandin is not shy about engaging in physical play. Size and strength can be issues for him when it comes to battling against bigger opponents, but overall Sandin is a viable top four defenceman. He has recorded more than 100 blocked shots in back-to-back seasons and had 91 hits last season, down from his career high of 136 hits in 2022-2023. Being the No. 3 power play option on any team’s defence is a less-than-ideal situation and that is where Sandin appears to find himself, behind John Carlson and Chychrun, but if the top two both end up on the top unit, that could still provide Sandin with an opportunity with the second unit. Since that is the situation Sandin finds himself in with the Capitals, it’s reasonable to expect 25-30 points in 2025-2026.

Martin Fehervary

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	4	18	22	0.27

A solid two-way defenceman who scored a career-high 25 points (5 G, 20 A) last season, Fehervary suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the playoffs, but he had done enough to impress Capitals brass so that he was rewarded with a new seven-year, $42 million contract. That’s not a commitment for a player who will be struggling to find his way into the defensive rotation. Fehervary is an excellent skater and with his physical disposition, he can take time and space away from opposing forwards. He recorded a career-high 150 blocked shots last season, though his 139 hits were his lowest total in a full NHL season. Fehervary has had passable possession numbers despite starting more of his shifts in the defensive zone for three straight seasons. None of his statistics are eye popping, but there is always a market for a 6-foot-2 defender who is an excellent skater and will play the body and sacrifice his own body to block shots, so Fehervary should continue to play a prominent role in Washington. In 2025-2026, he should be expected to surpass 20 points, though his real fantasy appeal would come from 150-plus hits and 130-plus blocked shots.

GOAL

Charlie Lindgren

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
42	22	14	4	2	.904	2.78

Darcy Kuemper may have bounced back seamlessly from his disastrous stint in Washington last year, but Washington bounced back just as smoothly under the guidance of a nearly, perfectly deployed tandem of Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson. Washington served as the regular season poster child for why equal deployment tandems can be so effective, boasting positive performances from both Thompson and Lindgren in addition to the team's regular season President's Trophy win.

Neither Thompson nor Lindgren looked like the league's most exciting options last year, but that worked in Washington's benefit. The pair were able to quietly amass a collection of games that left the focus on Alex Ovechkin and his quest to claim the league's all-time scoring title, scooping up rebounds without doing much to drag the other team's attention away from their nearly full-time job of trying to stop the Russian Machine from firing the puck up the ice. That presents Washington with an interesting position to consider for the upcoming campaign, of course; without Ovechkin's dogged quest consuming the offence, things could start to become more balanced up and down the ice and test both Thompson and Lindgren a little bit more. Still, neither starter showed any major flaws in their game when challenged. It's hard to find much to fault them for, and they should make up a nice tandem next year once again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boston Bruins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Los Angeles Kings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minnesota Wild

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nashville Predators

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pittsburgh Penguins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St. Louis Blues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington Capitals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Washington powers on with Ovechkin, Chicago looks for change – Teams and players to target this week

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:07:18 +0000

Washington had an incredible 13-4-1 record through Nov. 18 thanks in large part to its league-leading 4.33 goals per game. However, that offensive success was built around Alex Ovechkin, who had 15 goals and 25 points through 18 appearances, so when he suffered a fractured left fibula, it was reasonable to wonder how much his absence would impact the Capitals. Going into Friday’s action, Washington seemed to largely be managing the injury well, posting a 4-2-1 record in its first seven games without Ovechkin.

The Capitals offense has certainly taken a hit, but they’ve still managed an impressive 3.43 goals per game since Ovechkin was sidelined. Tom Wilson (three goals, six points), Dylan Strome (two goals, six points) and Connor McMichael (two goals, five points) have been of particular importance over that seven-game stretch.

However, none of those forwards are actually the Capitals’ scoring leader over the stretch without Ovechkin. That honor belongs to Jakob Chychrun, who has three goals and seven points across his past seven outings. Chychrun, who was acquired from Ottawa over the summer, has been a fantastic addition, collecting eight goals and 15 points through 20 appearances. Keep in mind, though, that his 19.0 shooting percentage is far ahead of his career average of 7.2, so we’ll probably eventually see a drop off.

Still, this stretch has shown that Washington is a team with some decent depth and might prove to be a serious contender come playoff time.

One team that almost certainly won’t be playing come the postseason is Chicago. There’s still plenty of hockey left, of course, but with an 8-16-2 record, the Blackhawks seem set to miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

Connor Bedard has been fine with five goals and 19 points in 26 outings, but for a player who has as much promise as him, even more is hoped for. Still, it would help if he had more support. Ryan Donato is the only other Chicago player with at least 15 points (10 goals, five assists). To put that into context, 160 players at reached the 15-point mark through Thursday’s action, so an average team should have five players who have reached that milestone.

Goaltender Petr Mrazek has been alright, but he’s not getting much support on offense or defense, which has left him with a 7-11-1 record, 2.86 GAA and .905 save percentage across 19 outings. Chicago fired head coach Luke Richardson after Chicago suffered its fourth straight loss Wednesday and appointed Anders Sorensen as the interim bench boss. Richardson finished his Blackhawks tenure with a 57-118-15 record, so by that measure his departure isn’t surprising, but given that Chicago has been in the midst of a rebuild, it’s hard to be too critical of him.

Still, perhaps Sorensen, who spent the previous seven campaigns coaching for AHL Rockford, including three years as the head coach going into 2024-25, can help accelerate the rebuild somewhat by guiding the team’s young players. He already has familiarity with many of the club’s prospects thanks to his previous role. A fresh perspective might also be good for Bedard, who is naturally critical to Chicago’s long-term goals.

It will be a while before we know if the change to Sorensen was the right move, and success, at least in the short term, won’t necessarily be measured in wins and losses, but the Blackhawks will be an interesting team to monitor.

Buffalo Sabres (Mon vs DET, Wed vs NYR, Sat @ WAS, Sun @ TOR)

The Sabres have hit a rough patch, dropping their last five games to fall to 11-12-3 on the campaign. To be fair, most of those games were against tough opponents (Minnesota, Vancouver, Colorado and Winnipeg handed out four of the five defeats), but Buffalo has more difficult matchups on the horizon. The Sabres will host the Red Wings and the Rangers on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, before taking to the road to face Washington on Saturday and Toronto on Sunday.

Rasmus Dahlin left Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to Colorado because of back spasms and missed Thursday’s 3-2 overtime defeat to the Jets because of the issue. Coach Lindy Ruff described the situation like this via Buffalo’s Twitter account, “It should be short-term, but you never know.” In other words, Dahlin might be fine to play in all four of next week’s games.

He’s a vital part of the Sabres’ blue line, so no one defenseman can fill in for him when he’s not available. That said, Henri Jokiharju should see an increase in even-strength ice time -- Jokiharju logged 20:23 of ice time Thursday, his most since Oct. 16 -- and Owen Power should serve on the first power play unit for however long Dahlin’s out.

Jokiharju doesn’t have much fantasy value regardless, but Power has three goals and 15 points in 26 appearances in 2024-25 despite recording no points with the man advantage, so if he’s given an opportunity to play on the top power-play unit for any extended stretch, that’d be rather interesting.

Regardless of which defensemen dress, Buffalo needs them to help make life easier on the goaltenders. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could certainly have done more recently -- he posted a record of 0-2-2 with a 3.20 GAA and an .895 save percentage across his past four starts -- but he also faced at least 30 shots in three of those four games, including 41 shots in Tuesday’s tilt.

James Reimer has been used sparingly, posting a 1-1-0 record, 2.05 GAA and .923 save percentage in two starts since being claimed by Buffalo off waivers Nov. 13, but the Sabres’ busy schedule means that he should play in at least one game next week.

Carolina Hurricanes ( Tue vs SJS, Fri vs OTT, Sun vs CBJ)

The Hurricanes are playing in just three games next week, but I still wanted to feature them because those matchups are favorable. All three of the matches will be in Carolina. The Hurricanes will host San Jose on Tuesday, Ottawa on Friday and Columbus on Sunday.

None of those opponents are good defensively -- Ottawa ranks 25th in goals allowed per game (3.20), which is the best of the three -- so this should be a good stretch for the Blue Jackets’ scorers. Perhaps Martin Necas can build some breathing room in the Art Ross Trophy fight. At the time of writing, he’s in first place with 41 points (14 goals), narrowly edging out Nathan MacKinnon (40 points), Kirill Kaprizov (39), Jack Eichel (38) and Sam Reinhart (37).

Necas was held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games from Nov. 29-30 for the first time this season, but he’s responded by scoring two goals and four points across his past two outings.

One lower profile Hurricanes who’s hot is Eric Robinson. The 29-year-old has never recorded more than 27 points in a single season, but he’s well on his way to shattering that record after recording eight goals and 17 points across 26 appearances. Exercise some caution here: His shooting percentage is an unreasonably high 25.0, and he’s still averaging just 12:15 of ice time with no power-play role, so it’s hard to imagine him keeping up this pace. Still, he’s hot at the moment with three goals and four points across his past five appearances, and when coupled with the Blue Jackets’ upcoming scheduled, there’s reason to hope that the good times aren’t over yet.

We should also see continued production out of defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. He’s fitting in nicely with Carolina, scoring five goals and 21 points in 26 outings, including a goal and seven points over his past six games. Gostisbehere’s success is largely tethered to the power play, which accounts for 15 of his points.

His presence has corresponded with Brent Burns shifting to the second power-play unit this year, which has led to Burns recording no points with the man advantage so far in 2024-25. Burns has a goal and seven points in 26 outings overall, which puts him on track to finish below the 40-point mark for just the second time in 12 seasons (the last time was the shortened 2020-21 campaign).

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue vs PHI, Thu vs WAS, Sat vs ANA, Sun @ CAR)

The Blue Jackets are 11-11-3, which isn’t great, but they have done better than many projected going into the campaign. Columbus will see if it can maintain that level next week when it hosts Philadelphia, Washington and Anaheim on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The Blue Jackets will then travel to Carolina for a game Sunday.

Kirill Marchenko has played a big role in Columbus’ better than expected results. The 24-year-old has 10 goals and 24 points in 25 games this season, putting him well on his way to shattering his mark of 42 points in 2023-24. You’ll usually see him sharing the ice with Sean Monahan, who has fit in nicely with Columbus, providing eight goals and 22 points through 25 appearances.

For the last few weeks, Dmitri Voronkov has typically been the third member of that line. He missed the start of the campaign with an upper-body injury and registered just one point (a goal) across his first six games of 2024-25, but the 24-year-old sophomore has hit his stride, supplying five goals and 10 points over his past 10 outings. He’s still on just 17 percent of Yahoo rosters, so he might be a nice pickup if he’s still available in your league.

On the blue line, Zach Werenski has been a standout performer for the Blue Jackets with eight goals and 27 points through 25 appearances. He’s one of the hottest defensemen in the entire league, recording five goals and 17 points across his past 10 outings.

Minnesota Wild (Tue vs UTA, Thu vs EDM, Sat vs PHI, Sun vs VGK)

The Wild have won their past four games to improve to 17-4-4. Minnesota will try to keep the good times rolling next week, which will begin with a road game against Utah on Tuesday. After that match, Minnesota will spend the rest of the week at home, playing against Edmonton, Philadelphia and Vegas on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Joel Eriksson Ek sustained an injury Tuesday and is week-to-week, and there’s no indication that Mats Zuccarello is close to returning from the lower-body issue that’s kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 14.

If Zuccarello were healthy, he’d almost certainly be playing alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi. His absence led to the lines being shaken up, and Eriksson Ek did skate on the top line with Kaprizov on Tuesday before he got hurt. With Zuccarello and Eriksson Ek both out, Matt Boldy will likely play regularly alongside Kaprizov and Rossi. Boldy has 11 goals and 24 points in 25 appearances, so that’s a strong trio. The forward corps after that, though, looks thin due to the injuries.

Marcus Johansson, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno currently comprise the second line, but none of them have even reached double digits in points. The third unit is Devin Shore, Frederick Gaudreau and Yakov Trenin, which has a combined 15 points this season -- 14 of them from Gaudreau.

Fortunately for the Wild, Filip Gustavsson hasn’t needed much offensive help this year. He’s 12-4-3 with a 2.04 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 19 appearances.

New York Islanders (Tue vs LAK, Thu vs CHI, Sun @ CHI)

The Islanders have three games on the schedule, but two of them are against the lowly Blackhawks -- New York will host them Thursday and play in Chicago on Sunday -- so the Islanders are in a good position there. New York will also host the Kings on Tuesday.

We just discussed how Minnesota’s offense looks thin due to injuries, and the Islanders are in a similar boat without Anthony Duclair (lower body) and Mathew Barzal (upper body), who have logged just five and 10 games, respective. Due to their absences, the Islanders have just two players with at least 20 points, and even then, just barely -- Anders Lee has 21 while Kyle Palmieri has 20. The result is no Islanders player is within the top 50 of the Art Ross Trophy race.

Andrew Gross of Newsday reported Friday that Duclair and Barzal are skating on their own, which is better than not skating at all, but there are several steps between that and playing, so I wouldn’t count on them returning during the upcoming week.

Lee has been one of the few recent bright spots, providing four goals and eight points across his past six games. He’s on a four-game scoring streak through Thursday’s action. Simon Holmstrom appears to have cooled, though. He had back-to-back multi-goal games from Nov. 29-30, but he hasn’t found the back of the net since. Holmstrom has done fine with seven goals and 15 points in 27 outings, but he’s not worth employing in most fantasy leagues except when he’s hot.

New York Rangers (Mon vs CHI, Wed @ BUF, Sat vs LAK, Sun @ STL)

New York is set to host Chicago on Monday, play in Buffalo on Wednesday, have a home game against the Kings on Saturday and conclude the week by playing in St. Louis on Sunday. Let’s not dwell on the schedule, though, the Rangers had an eventful Friday, and I want to dive right into it.

New York traded Jacob Trouba to Anaheim in exchange for a fourth-round pick and Urho Vaakanainen. Importantly, the Rangers didn’t retain any salary, so Trouba’s $8 million cap hit through 2025-26 is now off their books. New York then signed Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million contract that will begin in 2025-26 after his current four-year, $22.67 million deal expires.

Let’s start with the defensive changes. Trouba had a fantastic eight goals and 50 points in 82 games with Winnipeg in 2018-19 and was then dealt to the Rangers in the summer of 2019 in exchange for a 2019 first-round selection (Ville Heinola) and Neal Pionk. The Rangers promptly signed Trouba to his current eight-year, $56 million contract.

Unfortunately for New York, the Rangers inked Trouba at the height of his offensive contributions. Over his five campaigns with the Rangers going into 2024-25, Trouba reached the 30-point mark twice, but never hit 40. To be fair, Trouba is a big body, plays a physical game and blocks a ton of shots, so he brings things to the table outside of offense. He also served as the team captain from 2022 until he was traded, highlighting his importance in the locker room. Still, his cap hit was too high for what he brought.

It's telling that the Rangers got very little in return for him, and even with that, some questioned if they won this trade simply by virtue of clearing that cap space. But what did they receive outside of that draft pick? Vaakanainen was taken with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, but he never developed as hoped. Instead, he should be regarded as a depth defenseman who will likely bounce between the third pairing and the press box. He is also on the injured reserve list due to an upper-body injury, so it might be a bit before he makes his Rangers debut.

Rather than Vaakanainen playing regularly, we might see the Rangers utilize Victor Mancini more with Trouba out. The 22-year-old Mancini has a goal, four points, seven hits and 12 blocks in 10 appearances with New York in 2024-25, and he’s also provided two goals and five points in six AHL outings. Don’t get too excited over Mancini’s offensive numbers, though. He wasn’t much of a producer in the NCAA, recording just four goals and 10 points across 40 outings with the University of Nebraska-Omaha as a Junior in 2023-24.

As for locking up Shesterkin, the cap hit is substantial, but not surprising. He’s proven himself to be a top-tier goaltender, and we’re in a period where the cap seems to be steadily climbing, so there’s logic behind the number. Shesterkin has struggled recently with a 2-7-0 record, 3.93 GAA and .882 save percentage across nine appearances, but he should rebound.

St. Louis Blues (Tue @ VAN, Thu vs SJS, Sat @ DAL, Sun vs NYR)

St. Louis has won four of its past five games, improving to 13-12-2 this season. That still puts the Blues outside of a playoff spot, but at least they’re trending in the right direction. The Blues will play in Vancouver on Tuesday, host the Sharks on Thursday, visit Dallas on Saturday and play at home Sunday versus the Rangers.

Dylan Holloway has been a major part of the Blues’ recent success, contributing four goals and eight points across his past five outings. That brings him up to eight goals and 16 points in 27 appearances this year, but he’s been inconsistent, so enjoy the good times while they last, but be prepared for the other shoe to eventually drop if you grab the 23-year-old during his hot streak.

Jordan Binnington is another extremely inconsistent play, but he has been more hit than miss lately, providing a 4-2-1 record, 2.10 GAA and .925 save percentage across his past seven appearances. He’s 8-9-2 with a 2.87 GAA and .900 save percentage in 20 outings overall and will probably average out as a low-to-mid tier starter this season.

Robert Thomas might still have a great campaign, though. He did miss 12 games from Oct. 24-Nov. 17 because of a fractured ankle, but with that injury now well behind him, Thomas seems to be heating up, providing three goals and six points across his past four games. This might just be the beginning of a longer hot streak for Thomas, who set a career high in 2023-24 with 86 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs (Tue @ NJD, Thu vs ANA, Sat @ DET, Sun vs BUF)

Toronto is having a fantastic campaign with a 16-7-2 record, and the Maple Leafs have won seven of their past eight games. They’ll look to maintain that momentum next week, starting with a road contest against New Jersey. The Maple Leafs will then host Anaheim on Thursday, play in Detroit on Saturday and return home to play against the Sabres on Sunday.

Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies returned from injury Nov. 30, adding to Toronto’s success. Matthews has been especially good since returning, supplying three goals and five points across three appearances, bringing him up to eight goals and 16 points through 16 outings. Matthews tends to score goals in bunches, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him continue to tickle the twine over the upcoming week.

Max Domi (lower body) and Max Pacioretty (lower body) have also been skating with the Maple Leafs recently, so they might be nearing a return too. Once they do, we might see Nicholas Robertson fall out of the lineup. Robertson has been the main disappointment in what has otherwise been a great campaign for Toronto. He has just two points (both goals) in 22 outings in 2024-25. Robertson did find the back of the net Nov. 30, but he was held off the scoresheet in two games since, so that marker didn’t seem to help spark him.

In net, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz will probably each start in two games next week. Stolarz is 8-4-2 with a 2.23 GAA and .924 save percentage in 14 outings, while Woll is 7-2-0 with a 2.11 GAA and a .922 save percentage in nine appearances, so the Maple Leafs can happily treat them as a 1A-1B tandem.

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 – WASHINGTON CAPITALS – Team Preview

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:00:27 +0000

_{WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) in action during the Ottawa Senators game versus the Washington Capitals on April 7, 2024 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire)}

Winning their last three games of the regular season, the Capitals won a tiebreaker with the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, recording 91 points (40-31-11). It was nearly scandalous to have them make the playoffs with a goal differential of -37 and they were summarily swept out of the first round by the New York Rangers. The Capitals ranked 26th in Corsi percentage (46.2%) and 25th in expected goals percentage (46.9%). The Washington power play ranked 18th with 7.37 goals per 60 minutes and the penalty killing ranked 18th with 7.60 goals against per 60 minutes. The Capitals’ underlying numbers suggested that this was not a team worthy of the playoffs, yet they managed to sneak in.

WHAT’S CHANGED? The Capitals were busy this offseason attempting to restructure their roster. They traded goaltender Darcy Kuemper to Los Angeles for centre Pierre-Luc Dubois and sent a draft pick to Calgary to acquire winger Andrew Mangiapane. Nick Jensen was sent to Ottawa in a deal for blueliner Jakob Chychrun, while a couple of draft picks were sent to Vegas in exchange for goaltender Logan Thompson. On top of the trades, the Capitals signed free agent defenceman Matt Roy from Los Angeles. Washington did not re-sign left winger Max Pacioretty, who struggled in his return from a torn Achilles, and veteran winger T.J. Oshie’s status for the 2024-25 season is uncertain as he tries to resolve a back injury. The Capitals have definitely opted to make changes with eye towards icing a more competitive team this season.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? Since the Capitals are not going to rebuild, at least not while Alex Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, success would probably be making the playoffs and having Ovechkin score at least 30 goals. For this team to do something above and beyond that seems so unlikely. There are other individual aspects that can be considered success, such as Washington finding a way to get Dubois back on track and seeing further development from young players like Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? With so much of the Capitals’ motivation geared towards Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gretzky, it would be terrible if he suffers a significant injury or struggles like he did at the start of last season, when he had five goals through 29 games. Ovechkin starts this season 41 goals behind Gretzky’s record, so at the very least, they need him to score enough goals so that he can set the record in 2025-26. If it happens this season, that’s a bonus. If this team is trying to be competitive and ends up missing the playoffs by a few points, that’s not a great scenario because it means that the Capitals will get a lesser draft pick. There is going to come a time in the not-too-distant future that the Capitals will need prospects to emerge and take over the core of this team, which will make those picks especially important.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: The Capitals have a few young forwards who should have an opportunity to play more significant roles next season. Hendrix Lapierre played 51 games for the Capitals last season but was a standout for the Hershey Bears on the run to the Calder Cup in the American Hockey League. While Lapierre might be a good candidate for a breakout, Connor McMichael might be an even better candidate because the latter is further along in his development. He scored 18 goals and 33 points last season and looks like he should have a legitimate shot to play in Washington’s top six this season.

FORWARD

Alex Ovechkin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	34	28	62	0.82

Chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals, Ovechkin looked like he might be cooked early last season, scoring just five goals in his first 29 games. In a career of unprecedented goal-scoring rates, Ovechkin’s demise seemed to be arriving in a hurry. At that rate, it would take him forever to catch Gretzky, but he figured it out. In his last 50 games, he tallied 26 goals and basically got back on track to reel in the record. In his late thirties, Ovechkin has clearly lost a step, maybe two. In four playoff games against the Rangers, not only did Ovechkin not record a point, but he had just five shots on goal. At his best, Ovechkin was a high-volume shooter who would just overwhelm goalies but as it gets harder for him to get those shots off, he is suddenly prone to slumps that were never part of his game before. Ovechkin had scored 92 goals across his previous two seasons, so last season’s early-season decline was a dramatic dip, and he averaged a career-low 3.44 shots on goal per game last season, which doesn’t figure to get better. He will get the record, but if Ovechkin is 41 goals away from tying Gretzky, that seems out of reach for the 2024-2025 season and if Ovechkin stumbles like he did early last season, it could get uncomfortable. That might sound bleak for a player who has scored at least 30 goals in 18 of his 19 seasons – with the only exception being when he scored 24 goals in 45 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season – but age catches up with everyone and the greatest players, including Gretzky, were not the same at the very end. Forecasting Ovechkin at this point should come with some caution. He may still launch bombs from his familiar spot in the faceoff circle on the power play, but in 2024-2025, it’s fair to expect 25-30 goals and 60 points from Ovechkin.

Dylan Strome

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	41	66	0.80

Following an up-and-down start to his career in Arizona and Chicago, Strome has found a home in Washington, contributing 132 points for the Capitals in the past two seasons. Strome was the best version of himself last season, setting career highs in goals (27) and points (67), while averaging a career-high 17:57 per game and winning a career-best 52.8 percent of his faceoffs. Strome played mostly with Ovechkin and Tom Wilson and that does make him the No. 1 centre in Washington, albeit not necessarily a No.1 centre on a lot of other teams. Strome’s size and soft hands are at the core of his success, and he did shoot the puck more and had relatively strong possession numbers last season. He is, however, a decidedly not physical player, who has recorded a total of 43 hits in the past three seasons. Among the 223 forwards who played at least 200 games in that time, only four had fewer hits than Strome. That might have some impact on his appeal for fantasy managers, but when it comes to scoring, Strome is going to get quality ice time and should continue to produce in 2024-2025. It is reasonable to count on 25 goals and 60 points.

Tom Wilson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	20	24	44	0.57

Wilson is such a rare type of player, big and strong enough to play a traditional enforcer role, though that doesn’t hold as much appeal without as many dance partners. He also skates really well for a big man and has enough finishing skill to surpass 20 goals three times in his career. Last season, he scored 18 goals and 35 points, which does not look great, but his percentages played into that. Wilson scored on 10.1 percent of his shots, his lowest rate since 2016-2017, when he was still a fourth liner, and his on-ice shooting percentage of 5.5 percent was the lowest of his career. He had a two-month stretch from December 20 through February 20 during which he managed just three points in 25 games. For a player getting first-line minutes, that’s devastating. Wilson is not necessarily the one who will drive play for the Capitals, but if he plays on a scoring line, it would be extraordinarily unusual to maintain such a low on-ice shooting percentage. In addition to his scoring, Wilson is a consistent source of hits, recording 200 or more hits eight times in his career. When it comes to valuing Wilson, getting 35 points and 200-plus hits is adequate, but 50 points and 200-plus hits is a lot better, and that is still within his grasp. In 2024-2025, a reasonable expectation for Wilson is 20 goals and 45 points, plus 20 hits and 120 penalty minutes, making him a more valuable commodity in banger leagues.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	33	58	0.71

It is very rare to be an NHL player who stands out for lack of effort. Usually there is such a baseline of hustle required to play that even players who are not noted grinders are still clearly trying. Dubois has, on multiple occasions, been flagged via video as a disinterested participant, and that really stands out because when he is engaged, Dubois can be a force in the game. He is strong and skilled, a powerful centre who can win battles and create scoring chances, but that only works if Dubois is putting in the effort. There was not nearly enough of that in his one season with the Los Angeles Kings, prompting his trade to Washington. It was a good buy-low situation for the Capitals, but not without risk because Dubois still has seven years remaining on what was an eight-year, $68 million contract extension. The one thing that the Capitals can lean on is that Dubois has the talent to be a difference maker. If they can find the button to unlock that talent, and keep it unlocked, he could easily bounce back and be a quality second line centre, maybe even pushing Strome for the No. 1 spot in Washington. Considering how last season went for Dubois, it is hard to be optimistic. At the same time, he can’t be much worse, can he? Look for 20 goals and 50 points from Dubois, better than last season, but not up to the level of the best production of his career.

Andrew Mangiapane

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	21	24	45	0.55

Coming off a season in which he scored just 14 goals, Mangiapane was acquired from Calgary for a second-round pick in 2025. Mangiapane scored 35 goals in 2021-2022, burying 18.9 percent of his shots on goal, but that might have set unreasonable expectations, and he scored 31 goals across the next two seasons. An undersized winger, Mangiapane works hard, plays with some jam and is not afraid to get his nose dirty, either battling on the boards or attacking the net in the offensive zone, but his shot rate dropped significantly last season, to 1.63 per game from 2.22 the year before. It’s so difficult to be a consistent offensive threat with so few shots. His most common linemates in Calgary last season were Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, and that line controlled 54.1 percent of expected goals, so there should have been more opportunities for Mangiapane to join the attack. In Washington, Mangiapane figures to play a complementary role, which is the only reasonable expectation given his recent production, but 20 goals and 45 points should be in range for Mangiapane. If he ends up skating on a line with Dubois, that brings a great deal of uncertainty, so Mangiapane could be a sleeper candidate due to lower expectations.

Connor McMichael

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	21	23	44	0.54

A first-round pick in 2019, it has taken some time for McMichael to find his footing in the National Hockey League, but he started to make his mark in 2023-2024, scoring 18 goals and 33 points. He still has room to improve as he was on the wrong end of the possession game and the Capitals were outscored 47-31 during five-on-five play when McMichael was on the ice. He played centre last season, winning 42.4 percent of his draws, but could get moved to wing if he is going to take a role in Washington’s top six. He has shown good instincts, with an ability to put himself in a good position to score, and he has the quick hands to finish those opportunities. The 23-year-old forward is still trying to establish that he belongs in a top six role but took steps in that direction last season. He does need to shoot the puck more and will have to keep working hard at the physical game. He McMichael is not overpowering but can still use his energy to force mistakes and create more chances. If he sticks with a scoring line, McMichael should have chance to contribute 15 goals and 35 points in 2024-2025.

Aliaksei Protas

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	10	21	31	0.39

A huge 6-foot-6 winger, Protas is from Belarus by way of the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL. He has the puck skills to make plays, which can be unexpected given his frame. Protas could stand to use his size much more as he had 34 hits and eight penalty minutes in 78 games last season. He was one of three forwards in the NHL to play 78 games and had so few hits and penalty minutes (Matias Maccelli and Yegor Sharangovich were the others; Gustav Nyquist had two more hits). In the NHL, Protas has not yet been able to convert at a significant rate, scoring just 13 goals in 169 games, but when he uses his size to get to the net, he can control the space and be a threat to score on rebounds. He has scored on just 5.3 percent of his shots on goal which is clearly not going to cut it in an offensive role, but he is a 23-year-old and would hardly be the first monster forward who took some time to reach his full potential. Protas might be able to hold a spot in Washington’s top nine but given his peripheral stats, he probably won’t score enough to have standard fantasy value. He could put up 10 goals and 30 points, though, with potential for more if he pops a little offensively.

Sonny Milano

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	14	16	30	0.46

While he has not been a durable player who can be counted on as a fixture in the lineup, Milano continues to show the skills to be a useful offensive contributor even if it is in a limited role. In two seasons with Washington, Milano has scored 26 goals in 113 games. Among 373 forwards to play at least 1000 five-on-five minutes across those two seasons, Milano was tied for 49th with 1.00 goals per 60 minutes. Even though he only played 49 games last season, Milano scored a career-high 15 goals, thanks to a shooting percentage of 30.0. That is obviously not sustainable, but Milano’s shooting percentage across the previous six seasons was 14.2 percent, so he should be able to finish at an above average rate. Part of that is because Milano has exceptional hand-eye coordination, some of which results in on-ice tricks that are more entertaining than geared to competition, but he is also extremely comfortable with the puck on his stick. Milano has never played more than 66 games in a season, so he should be expected to miss games, but 10-15 goals and 30 points would be reasonable expectations for him. If he could manage to play a full season, Milano would have more value but, as is, he is more likely to be a short-term pickup when he’s running hot.

Hendrix Lapierre

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	14	19	33	0.42

Drafted in the first round of the 2020 Draft, Lapierre got his first extended NHL action last season and flashed potential, though it’s clear that he is still in the ascent stage of his career. He showed some flashes in the NHL, and a willingness to go to the front of the net to score, but also finished the season playing for Hershey in the American Hockey League playoffs, leading the Bears to a Calder Cup championship. Lapierre put up 22 points in 20 AHL playoff games, excellent preparation for him to play a more significant role in Washington next season. Lapierre has shown that he can handle the puck and make plays at a high level and as he matures in his pro career, more of that will be expected. On a Capitals team that is in flux, there will be ample opportunity for Lapierre in the coming seasons to establish his place as a productive scorer. As with many young centres, Lapierre has much room to improve when it comes to faceoffs. He won just 37.5 percent of his draws last season so that will need to get better. In his upcoming second NHL season, Lapierre should be able to contribute 30-35 points for the Capitals as he continues to climb in his career.

DEFENCE

John Carlson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	12	42	54	0.68

The veteran blueliner delivered a very strong season for the Capitals in 2023-2024, but there are some questions to be asked about why Carlson, now 34, played a career-high 25:54 per game last season. Carlson is an excellent player, has been for a long time, and at a stage when players are starting to lose a little ice time as acknowledgement that their play may be slipping, Carlson’s ice time jumped more than 2:30 from the previous season and two minutes per game above the two seasons before that! He also had his lowest rate of offensive zone starts since 2011-2012. New coach, new rules, apparently, but it is interesting to see a change in Carlson’s deployment at this stage of his career. He has 250 career power play points, which ranks seventh among active blueliners, and Carlson roared into the finish of the season. In the last month, he put up 14 points and 50 shots on goal in 17 games, while averaging 26:39 of ice time per game. Anyway, maybe the Capitals didn’t trust the rest of their defence corps, or at least they did not trust them enough to take ice time away from Carlson, who was still in stellar form by the end of the season. He is big and physically strong, though he does not play the kind of physical game that his strength might suggest. He does block shots, though. Carlson’s 194 blocked shots last season was his highest since 2014-2015. As players hit their mid-thirties, the production usually starts to wane and while Carlson may be making that a more gradual decline, he is not going to match his peak production when he surpassed a point per game in 2019-2020. For 2024-2025, it would be fair to project Carlson to produce 50-55 points.

Jakob Chychrun

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	15	33	48	0.59

The addition of Chychrun, via trade with Ottawa, gives the Senators a chance to have someone else handle big responsibilities on the blueline, potentially alleviating the pressure on Carlson. Chychrun played more than 22 minutes per game for the Senators last season, his fifth straight season crossing that threshold, and he put up 14 goals and 41 points, tying for the highest point total of his career. For the first time in his career, Chychrun blocked more than 100 shots, finishing with 154. He figures to partner with Carlson, giving Washington an upgrade when it comes to moving the puck, and attacking, from the blueline. The flip side of that coin is that Chychrun’s defensive play was not great in two seasons with the Senators, as he recorded a higher expected goals against per 60 minutes in his two seasons with Ottawa than he did in any of his previous seven seasons with the Coyotes. The Senators were also outscored 85-61 during five-on-five play with Chychrun on the ice so he is not joining the Capitals at a high point in his defensive value. Nevertheless, Chychrun is a 26-year-old defenceman who is used to handling responsibility and he will be an upgrade on the Washington defence. It’s entirely reasonable for the Capitals to expect another 40-point season for Chychrun, who is in his prime and ready to handle a big role on this team.

Rasmus Sandin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	4	23	27	0.36

After Sandin had a sizzling start with the Capitals late in the 2022-2023 season, finishing with 15 points in 19 games after he was acquired from Toronto, expectations were higher for him coming into the 2023-2024 campaign. A smooth puck-moving defenceman, Sandin had been buried on the Maple Leafs depth chart and it looked like there would be more opportunity with the Capitals. While he did play more, averaging a career-high 21:07 per game, Sandin only mustered 23 points, with just five on the power play. Some of that may be a function of working on the second power play unit, but the offensive production fizzled and with Chychrun arriving, Sandin could even lose his power play role altogether. Also, while playing third pair minutes in Toronto, Sandin was winning the possession battle, ranging between 50-55 percent depending on the metric, even up a few more percentage points by expected goals, but in his first two season-plus with the Capitals, Sandin Corsi and expected goals percentage have languished in the 45-46 percent range. No matter how he is deployed, Sandin is a smooth-skating and skilled defenceman who will engage physically but is also on the smaller side, so sometimes that can present matchup problems. With some uncertainty around his role, it’s probably fair to expect about 25 points from Sandin, with the possibility for more if he secures regular power play time.

Martin Fehervary

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	3	15	18	0.24

A defenceman who has yet to produce 20 points in a season is hardly the dream candidate for a spot on a fantasy roster, but Fehervary’s value is tied more to peripheral categories. He can produce 15-20 points and log about 20 minutes per game, but Fehervary has recorded more than 100 blocked shots and more than 180 hits in all three of his NHL seasons. He has good size, is not shy about using it, and skates quite well, which makes him an effective defender because he excels at closing gaps and taking away space from opposing players. Fehervary was more aggressive offensively prior to last season, when his shot and expected goal rates declined, but at this early stage of his career, Fehervary is much more about potential anyway. If he found a consistent role in the top four, which is not out of the question, he could contribute 20-25 points, to go along with 200 hits and 125 blocked shots. That is the kind of contribution that would have value for banger leagues or even deep standard leagues.

GOAL

Charlie Lindgren

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
40	20	15	5	2	0.908	2.79

Logan Thompson

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
38	19	14	5	1	0.906	2.72

The Darcy Kuemper experiment is over in Washington, and it’s becoming increasingly hard to deny that the Metropolitan Division club is nearing the end of their prime window. With their role in the league somewhat up in the air next year, it appears the Capitals decided to spend a season keeping their goaltending tandem in a bit of a holding pattern; they’ll start the season with former Vegas prospect Logan Thompson joining the fray, and Charlie Lindgren will presumably get to step up and try his hand at being the veteran presence following his first full year as the team’s number one.

Lindgren was thrust into the starting role last year after Darcy Kuemper’s numbers took a tumble, but he did an admirable job dragging the team into the playoff conversation despite a middling roster around him. It’s hard to tell just how replicable his results will be - his technical game still has a few exploitable flaws and he’ll be coming off his first heavy-workload season at the NHL level to boot - but the addition of Thompson in lieu of an oft-injured Kuemper should be a welcome reprieve for Lindgren. It’s unlikely Washington is looking to challenge for the cup next year, but this tandem certainly doesn’t look like a glaring liability, either.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Raymond, Rust, Schmaltz, Foligno, Kurashev, Neighbours, Ekholm and much more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:45:05 +0000

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

This week, Lucas Raymond continues to get the job done in Detroit, Bryan Rust remains productive in Pittsburgh, Nick Schmaltz is heating up in Arizona, Connor Bedard’s wingers are reaping the rewards since the star rookie returned to the lineup, and much, much more!

#1 While it has been a bumpy road lately for the Detroit Red Wings as they cling to a playoff spot, they are getting everything they could have wanted out of winger Lucas Raymond, who has hit a career high with 24 goals and 60 points. The third year NHLer has nine points (7 G, 2 A) during a six-game point streak. Even better for Raymond is that Dylan Larkin returned to the Red Wings lineup Thursday, after missing nearly three weeks, and that makes Detroit’s top line even more dangerous.

#2 When the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to keep veteran winger Bryan Rust after the trade deadline, it didn’t make the most sense to hang on to a 31-year-old winger for a team that needs to rebuild on the fly. At the same time, he remains a very productive player and if the Penguins are trying to be competitive, Rust helps to meet that goal. He missed a couple of weeks with an injury, but over the past month, Rust has played eight games, recording nine points (6 G, 3 A) with 30 shots on goal.

#3 Coyotes winger Nick Schmaltz has not been quite as productive as he was in the past two seasons in Arizona, but he has picked up the pace. In his past 13 games, Schmaltz has tallied 17 points (5 G, 12 A) with 29 shots on goal. In the past three seasons, among players that have played at least 100 games, Schmaltz ranks 69th with 0.86 points per game, a higher rate than Bo Horvat, Travis Konecny, and Matt Boldy (among many others). Guys can get overlooked playing in Arizona, but Schmaltz continues to produce at a high level, skating on the top line with Clayton Keller and Nick Bjugstad, while also getting first unit power play time.

#4 Connor Bedard’s return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup has helped to elevate the production of his wingers. No, really, it has. On the right side, Philipp Kurashev has contributed 16 points (6 G, 10 A) with 28 shots on goal in 17 games since Bedard returned to action after missing time with a broken jaw. Kurashev has also been playing more than 20 minutes per game. On the left flank, 36-year-old vet Nick Foligno has not played quite as much, but still has 13 points (5 G, 8 A) with 33 shots on goal in those 17 games. For his part, Bedard has 21 points (6 G, 15 A) with 53 shots on goal in 17 games since returning to action.

#5 In St. Louis, Pavel Buchnevich has gone 11 games without a goal, yet is still tied for the Blues’ goal-scoring lead, with 24. He is tied with Jake Neighbours, who had a pair of goals against Ottawa on Thursday to give him six points (4 G, 2 A) during a five-game point streak. Neighbours has been averaging more than 17 minutes per game since mid-February and has recorded 13 of his 34 points this season on the power play.

#6 He is known more for his steady defensive play, but don’t sleep on the offensive contributions provided by Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm. With two goals and an assist in Thursday’s 8-3 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres, Ekholm has lifted his totals to an impressive level. In his past 16 games, the veteran blueliner has 14 points (3 G, 11 A) with 36 shots on goal. It does not hurt to have proximity to Connor McDavid, who has recorded a point on eight of those 14 points picked up by Ekholm, who now has a career-high 35 points (7 G, 28 A) in 65 games.

#7 Avalanche defenceman Sean Walker scored a pair of goals against Edmonton last Saturday and while that kind of production is atypical, it’s worth noting what he adds to the third pairing in Colorado. In his first five games with the Avs, Walker has three points (2 G, 1 A) but he also has 15 shots on goal, seven blocked shots, and eight hits. He is filling those peripheral categories that can make him useful for fantasy hockey managers, even without generating a ton of points.

#8 This season had been an unmitigated disaster for Evgeny Kuznetsov, who had 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in 43 games for Washington, a far cry from the 78 points he scored in 2021-2022, or even the 55 points he recorded last season. He has found new life in Carolina, it appears, as he has five points (2 G, 3 A) with 11 shots on goal in his past five games. He has excellent wingers, Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas, so Kuznetsov is being given every opportunity to succeed with a strong Carolina squad.

#9 In the wake of Kuznetsov’s departure, Dylan Strome is now the experienced playmaking centre on the Capitals roster. Strome had picked up his production even before Kuznetsov was traded. Going back to mid-February, Strome has 19 points (3 G, 16 A) with 26 shots on goal in his past 16 games. He could stand to shoot the puck a little more but that’s nitpicky for a player producing like that over a span of more than a month.

#10 Staying in Washington, the Capitals are making an unlikely push for the postseason, despite a miserable goal differential. Part of the reason that they even have a prayer of getting to the playoffs is the play of goaltender Charlie Lindgren, the 30-year-old netminder who has a .911 save percentage in a career high 37 games. Last season was the first time in Lindgren’s career that he had appeared in more than 15 games in an NHL season. He was shelled by the Maple Leafs his week, allowing seven goals on 29 shots, but Lindgren had gone into that game riding high, with a .956 save percentage in his previous six starts.

#11 With Dan Vladar opting for season-ending hip surgery, Calgary Flames prospect Dustin Wolf should see some more consistent action late in the season. The 22-year-old goalie has played 140 games in the American Hockey League, posting a .926 save percentage, so there is nothing more for him to prove at that level. With a .902 save percentage in 11 career NHL games, there is still room for the young netminder to show that he can excel at the highest level.

#12 Although his ice time is down, Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Dmitry Orlov has picked up seven points (2 G, 5 A) with 12 shots on goal in his past five games. He had zero goals and one assist in the 17 games before this recent offensive explosion, He is playing just over 17 minutes per game, his lowest average time on ice since 2015-2016, and down more than five minutes from how much he played in Washington and Boston last season.

#13 While this has obviously been a disappointing season overall for the San Jose Sharks, there are some silver linings to be found. One is that centre Mikael Granlund has been resilient throughout. In his past dozen games, Granlund has delivered 13 points (3 G, 10 A) with 21 shots on goal. He is centering what passes for the Sharks’ top line with wingers Fabian Zetterlund and Klim Kostin while also getting first unit power play time, practically by default.

#14 Injuries have limited Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson to just five games this season, one of which he played just 17 seconds, but he is productive when he plays. Arvidsson has contributed four points (1 G, 3 A) and 17 shots on goal in those five games, which is solid production. When you consider that it’s four games plus less than half of one shift, it shows a player who is significantly better than standard late-season waiver wire fodder for fantasy managers.

#15 As the Toronto Maple Leafs try to make do without Mitch Marner, while he recovers from a high ankle sprain, Max Domi is getting a look on the right side Auston Matthews. Domi had four assists against Washington and has put up 12 points (3 G, 9 A) with 33 shots on goal in his past 13 games. This is his most productive stretch of the season and it’s no surprise. Domi is still a strong puck distributor and if you’re distributing the puck to the guy with 57 goals, there is a chance that good things will happen.

#16 It can be tough to manage expectations when you are drafted first overall, especially if you are not a talent on the level of Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews. Through his first three seasons in the league, Alexis Lafreniere took a lot of heat for his lack of production even though his even-strength production was not bad at all, but in his fourth season, he is starting to come into his own. Some of it is due to playing with Artemi Panarin, the Rangers’ superb playmaking winger, but Lafreniere has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 44 shots on goal in his past 15 games. That has lifted him to career highs of 20 goals and 44 points. That is a strong season from a 22-year-old winger who does not contribute a lot on the power play.

#17 While the greatest consternation in Philadelphia seems focused on head coach John Tortorella putting team captain Sean Couturier in the press box, it has overshadowed the strong play of Morgan Frost, the 24-year-old centre who has delivered seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 11 shots on goal during a five-game point streak. Frost can run afoul of Torts, too, so fantasy managers can never get too comfortable with a player’s place in the Flyers lineup but in this moment, Frost has a good thing going on the top line with Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny on his wings.

#18 The vast majority of players that get included in 20 Fantasy Points are players that are available in at least half of fantasy hockey leagues. In this case, Jake Guentzel is obviously not going to be available, but it’s worth pointing out that he is capable of scoring even without Sidney Crosby as his centre. Despite seeing his ice time drop by three minutes per game compared to what he was playing in Pittsburgh, Guentzel produced eight points (2 G, 6 A) with 18 shots on goal in his first six games for Carolina. He is working on Carolina’s top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis as well as getting first unit power play time, so Guentzel has been put in a position to succeed, even with less ice time.

#19 With Tom Wilson facing a suspension for high sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor, the Washington Capitals will need to look for someone to fill that looming void on the right wing. Journeyman Michael Sgarbossa is already skating with Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael, so maybe T.J. Oshie or Aliaksei Protas could return from injury to make up for Wilson’s absence. It’s too bad, because Wilson had been on a pretty good run, with eight points (4 G, 4 A) and 19 shots on goal in his past nine games.

#20 In deep or dynasty leagues, it might be worth looking at Calgary Flames defenceman Daniil Miromanov, a 26-year-old right shot defender who was acquired as part of the Noah Hanifin trade before the deadline. The 6-foot-4 blueliner was a fringe player for Vegas, appearing in 29 games over the past three seasons, but also had 68 points (21 G, 47 A) in 89 AHL games since 2021-2022. The Flames are giving him a look on their top power play unit, and he is playing nearly 21 minutes per game. In six games with Calgary, Miromanov has scored a couple of goals and registered 17 shots on goal.

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Juraj Slafkovsky is stepping up for the Canadiens, Shane Pinto is making his mark for the Senators, Vikor Arvidsson returns to the Kings, the Penguins lose Jake Guentzel, and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 18:47:42 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 30: Juraj Slafkovsky (20) of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the third period of the NHL game between the Florida Panthers and the Montreal Canadiens on November 30 2023, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

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

This week, Juraj Slafkovsky is stepping up for the Canadiens, Shane Pinto is making his mark for the Senators, Viktor Arvidsson returns to the Kings, the Penguins lose Jake Guentzel, and much, much more!

#1 Montreal Canadiens sophomore winger Juraj Slafkovsky took a lot of flak for a rookie season in which he finished with 10 points in 39 games. It’s not as though the 19-year-old man-child is suddenly a star, but there are very encouraging signs, not least of all is that he is on a seven-game point streak. Skating on Montreal’s top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, Slafkovsky has 11 points (6 G, 5 A) and 18 shots on goal during the streak and he is now getting played like a primetime player, with more than 19 minutes of ice time in each of his past four games.

#2 After missing the first half of the season due to a suspension for gambling, Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto has made an immediate difference, producing eight points (3 G, 5 A) with 25 shots on goal. Pinto’s ice time and shot rate have increased and, in addition to a spot on the top power play unit, he is skating on a line at even strength with Ridly Greig and Vladimir Tarasenko, so Pinto has some skill to support his offensive endeavours.

#3 Veteran Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson is a five-time 20-goal scorer who has made his way back into the lineup after missing 50 games while he recovered from back surgery. He is back with Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault as his linemates and had five shots on goal in his season debut Thursday night at New Jersey. Over the past three seasons, Arvidsson has averaged 10.85 shots per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, which ranks ninth among skaters to play at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel is expected to miss up to four weeks with an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Florida Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola Wednesday night. Before Thursday night’s action, Guentzel was tied with Sidney Crosby for the scoring lead on the Penguins, as both had 52 points in 50 games. With Guentzel out, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are handling the wings on Pittsburgh’s top line with Crosby while Reilly Smith gets a spot on the Penguins’ first power play unit. Rust has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 34 shots on goal in his past 11 games, Rakell is mired in a 12-game goalless drought but did have two assists in Thursday’s win at Chicago. Smith scored a goal Thursday at Chicago but before that had one point (1 G, 0 A) in the previous 10 games.

#5 Minnesota Wild centre Joel Eriksson Ek has finished in the top ten of Selke Trophy voting for three straight seasons and is now having the best offensive season of his career. Since January 15, Eriksson Ek has tallied 16 points (9 G, 7 A) with 37 shots on goal in 11 games. He is skating on Minnesota’s top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy and has already scored 24 goals, two away from his career high. Eriksson Ek is averaging a career high 3.70 shots per game, which is a jump of more than half a shot per game from last season, when he had his previous career high of 3.17 shots per game.

#6 St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours continues to shine. He picked up three points in Thursday’s win over Edmonton, giving him nine points (5 G, 4 A) with 14 shots on goal in his past eight games. Neighbours is skating on the Blues’ second line, with Brayden Schenn and Kasperi Kapanen, but has moved to the top power play unit and five of those nine points have come via the man advantage.

#7 When Calgary Flames left winger Jonathan Huberdeau saw his point total drop from a career high 115 points in 2021-2022 down to 55 points last season, it was hard to imagine it getting much worse but, with 32 points in 53 games, Huberdeau is on pace for even fewer points this season. To his credit, the veteran winger does appear to be snapping out of his season-long funk. Since January 6, Huberdeau has 15 points (3 G, 12 A) in 15 games, and is skating on Calgary’s top line with newcomer Andrei Kuzmenko and Yegor Sharangovich.

#8 Upon returning from a neck injury, Colorado Avalanche left winger Artturi Lehkonen managed just one assist in his first six games back in the lineup. In the past two games, though, Lehkonen has put up six points (3 G, 3 A). He had career highs of 21 goals and 51 points in 64 games last season, so there are expectations for Lehkonen to be an offensive contributor and it’s starting to look like he might be up for that challenge once again.

#9 After going through some lean stretches earlier in the season, Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane appears to be pulling it together. He has produced eight points (5 G, 3 A) and 33 shots on goal in his past 10 games. That is dramatically better than the three points (2 G, 1 A) that he had produced in his previous 14 games. Kane is skating on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Dylan Holloway, and it appears to be working.

#10 Known more for his checking prowess, Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli is starting to make his presence felt on the offensive end as well. Over the past month, Cirelli has played 11 games, producing 13 points (4 G, 9 A) with 21 shots on goal. He has a good thing going with linemates Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel. Hagel has 13 points (7 G, 6 A) with 24 shots on goal during an eight-game point streak.

#11 It was among the safer bets entering the season that Florida Panthers blueliner Brandon Montour would run into the regression monster after scoring a career high 73 points (16 G, 57 A) last season. It was the first time in his career he had surpassed 40 points in a season and Montour was recovering from shoulder surgery at the start of the season, so he did not play until mid-November. In his past dozen games, Montour has four points (1 G, 3 A) to go with 35 shots on goal. While the point total is nothing special, it’s that shot rate that makes Montour an intriguing buy-low option right now because he is still playing a lot and getting chances, they just haven’t been leading to goals in the same way that they did last season.

#12 Winnipeg Jets sniper Kyle Connor suffered a knee injury on December 10, and it caused him to miss five weeks of action. He scored in his first game back and since then has managed one point (1 G, 0 A) with 29 shots on goal in the past eight games. That shot rate is very encouraging, and Connor is averaging 3.91 shots per game, the second highest rate of his career, so it should be just a matter of time before pucks start finding the net when Connor is on the ice.

#13 Last season, it appeared that Buffalo Sabres centre Tage Thompson had made the leap to stardom. He set career highs with 47 goals and 94 points and seemed well on his way to being an unstoppable force, a 6-foot-6 centre who could really fire the puck. This season has been a step back and Thompson has just two points (1 G, 1 A) and 36 shots on goal in his past 11 games. Like Connor, the shot rate offers reason to be hopeful for Thompson to produce down the stretch, but some of Thompson’s decline is just based on regression of percentages, both his own shooting percentage, dropping from 15.9 percent to 10.3 percent this season and his five-on-five on-ice shooting percentage, which has dropped from 10.8 percent last season to 7.6 percent this season.

#14 Since returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs in mid-January, after a couple of weeks trying to regain his confidence, goaltender Ilya Samsonov has won six of eight starts and has a .917 save percentage. A player that fantasy managers could not shed fast enough – he started the season with a .862 save percentage in his first 15 appearances – Samsonov has suddenly rebounded and is giving the Maple Leafs a quality option in goal.

#15 One of my favourites to target in deep or banger leagues, Arizona Coyotes left winger Lawson Crouse has run into hard times over the past month, managing two points (2 G, 0 A) with 19 shots on goal in 11 games. Crouse still gets consistent ice time, skating on Arizona’s second line along with second-unit power play time, and he is on pace to set a career high in goals, but his value is at a relative low point.

#16 Although he is no longer skating on Dallas’ top line, after a brief bump up the depth chart, second-year centre Wyatt Johnston continues to make his mark for the Stars. After putting up four points in Dallas’ 9-2 win at Nashville on Thursday, Johnston has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) with 34 shots on goal in his past 12 games. He is skating on a line with Jamie Benn and Ty Dellandrea. For the record, Johnston has played more than 99 five-on-five minutes with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz on the Stars’ top line and they controlled 82.5 percent of expected goals, the best rate for any trio that has played at least 50 five-on-five minutes together.

#17 Veteran Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano is enjoying his most productive season, playing a career high 18:15 per game. After a three-point night in Ottawa on Thursday, Vatrano has 13 points (5 G, 8 A) and 33 shots on goal in his past 14 games and is now one goal away from his career high of 24 goals, set in 2018-2019. Not only does Vatrano have quality linemates, Mason McTavish and Troy Terry, at even strength, but the sturdy winger is on Anaheim’s top power play unit, too.

#18 Often a premier fantasy hockey forward, especially in banger leagues, Washington Capitals right winger Tom Wilson is stuck in a terrible slump. In the past 23 games, Wilson has just three points (2 G, 1 A) and 42 shots on goal. This is despite averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game. Some of this is related to Washington’s lack of proven playmakers up front, especially with centres Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov unavailable, but Wilson had 10 goals and 18 points with 82 shots on goal in his first 28 games, so this decline has been stark and makes it easy enough for fantasy managers to cut him loose.

#19 After the Boston Bruins acquired Tyler Bertuzzi last season, he produced 26 points (9 G, 17 A) in 28 games, covering the regular season and first round of the playoffs. That kind of production made him a very appealing free agent addition for the Toronto Maple Leafs but they are not getting that kind of offensive production. Bertuzzi has gone 19 straight games without a goal, managing seven assists and 30 shots on goal in that span.

#20 When the Winnipeg Jets acquired Sean Monahan from the Montreal Canadiens, there was some expectation that Monahan and second year forward Cole Perfetti would form a second scoring line for the Jets. Perfetti was slumping before the deal, with one assist in the seven games before Monahan arrived and has now gone four games without a point since Winnipeg made the move. Perfetti had 29 points in 40 games before this slump, so it’s not like he is incapable of providing the secondary offense that Winnipeg needs, but it has gone missing for the past month.

NHL: DADOUN – THE WEEK AHEAD (February 12th to February 18th) – Washington fading in playoff race and faces tough questions – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:37:42 +0000

Early this season, Washington seemed to be able to manufacture wins despite not looking great on paper. The Capitals had a 17-9-4 record through Dec. 21, but at that time they had a minus-8 goal differential. Washington was doing fine defensively, ranking 10th with 2.73 goals allowed per game, but it was 30th offensively, averaging just 2.43 goals per contest. Washington compensated for that by having one of the league’s best records in one-goal games (10-1-4).

The question at the time was if Washington’s success was mere smoke and mirrors. At this point, it’s fair to say that it was. The Capitals are now 22-20-7. They’re seven points back in the Wild Card race, which might not sound like much, but it’s a mountain to climb this late in the campaign. Meanwhile, their goal differential has gotten even worse, dropping to minus-36.

If Washington can’t find a way to turn things around soon, then the Capitals will need to consider retooling. What would look like, though? Trading Alexander Ovechkin is almost certainly a nonstarter. He’s not having that strong of a season anyway (11 goals and 33 points in 46 games) and at the age of 38, teams might be reluctant to take on his $9.5 million cap hit through 2025-26. Even if he was playing well, though, he’s the face of the franchise and has a no-movement clause, so there would be a lot of barriers to moving him.

TJ Oshie? His $5.75 million cap hit through 2024-25 likely would give contenders pause too. The 37-year-old has just eight goals and 12 points through 32 contests. Tom Wilson agreed to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract in August, so Washington probably won’t trade him, and Dylan Strome is signed to a $5 million cap hit through 2027-28. Meanwhile, Nicklas Backstrom is on the long-term injured reserve and isn’t likely to play again this season while Evgeny Kuznetsov is in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, so neither of them is likely to come up in serious trade conversations.

There are still a couple of players who might be dealt. Anthony Mantha’s 16 goals and 24 points in 45 outings isn’t good relative to his $5.7 million cap hit, but at least his contract ends at the end of this campaign, so there might be contenders willing to part with a pick for him if Washington retains half his remaining salary. Max Pacioretty has a goal and seven points in 14 contests since coming back from his Achilles injury. That’s not great, but there might still be a team interested in him as a secondary scorer and veteran presence.

Those kinds of moves won’t fundamentally change Washington, though, they’ll just leave the Capitals with minor consolation prizes for their lost season. At some point, though, Washington needs to decide if a larger rebuild is necessary. The Capitals are likely reluctant to go down that path while Ovechkin is still under contract, but the alternative might be added years of futility before finally beginning the process.

Anaheim Ducks – TUE @ MTL, THU @ OTT, SAT @ TOR

The Ducks will be in Canada next week, playing in Montreal on Tuesday, Ottawa on Thursday and Toronto on Saturday. The 26-15-8 Maple Leafs figure to be a tough adversary, but Montreal and Ottawa are far removed from the playoff picture.

Those upcoming two games against struggling opponents give Troy Terry an opportunity to extend his hot streak. The 26-year-old has recorded at least a point in six consecutive contests, totaling four goals and six assists. Adam Henrique has been on a run too, providing five goals and 14 points across his last 12 appearances, which gives him 15 goals and 33 points in 49 outings in 2023-24.

Pay special attention to Henrique because there’s a good chance he’ll get traded before the deadline. Granted, that’s not until March 8, but we’ve already seen a couple of major moves, so there’s no guarantee that teams looking to upgrade will wait before pulling the trigger. Especially with Henrique doing so well recently, Anaheim might be able to get a decent return for him. How that impacts Henrique remains to be seen. He’s averaging 17:16 of ice time with Anaheim, including 2:21 with the man advantage, and might not get that kind of role with a contender, which might hinder his fantasy value.

Another trade candidate with Anaheim is Jakob Silfverberg. The 33-year-old forward has struggled this campaign with just five goals and 13 points in 49 outings, but he’s shown some life recently, supplying three goals and five points over his last four appearances. It helps that he’s averaged 15:07 in that span, compared to 12:14 on the season.

Arizona Coyotes – MON @ PHI, WED VS MIN, FRI VS CAR, SUN @ COL

The Coyotes have a busy week ahead of them. It will start with a trip to Philadelphia on Monday, followed by a home stretch versus the Wild on Wednesday and Hurricanes on Friday. Finally, the Coyotes will head to Colorado to play the Avalanche on Sunday.

Although Arizona doesn’t have a back-to-back set next week, the busy schedule might still lead to Karel Vejmelka getting some work. He had a strong relief appearance Thursday, stopping the 28 Golden Knights shots he faced after Connor Ingram surrendered three goals on just six shots midway through the first frame. That strong performance is the exception, though. Vejmelka still has a 6-11-2 record, 3.33 GAA and .900 save percentage in 18 appearances in 2023-24. Ingram has been the better option with a 17-12-1 record, 2.69 GAA and .914 save percentage in 33 outings, but he’s now allowed at least three goals in each of his last three contests, so there’s an opening here for Vejmelka if he can take advantage of it.

Someone else with an opening is Jack McBain. He’s been all over the lineup this season, but recently the 24-year-old has featured on the top unit alongside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. McBain isn’t much of an offensive threat, scoring just six goals and 15 points through 34 games, so don’t get too excited, but it of course helps to be working alongside players of that caliber.

Especially with Clayton Keller being hot at the moment. He has eight goals and 15 points over his past 12 contests, bringing him up to 21 tallies and 46 points across 49 games.

Boston Bruins – TUE VS TBL, THU VS SEA, SAT VS LAK

The Bruins get to stay in Boston next week and will host the Lightning on Tuesday, the Kraken on Thursday and the Kings on Saturday. It’s not the easiest schedule, but Seattle isn’t in a playoff position and LA has been slumping for the better part of two months, so the potential is there for the Bruins to have a strong run.

Some teams lack any particular player who has stood out recently. That’s almost never the case for the Bruins. You can count on David Pastrnak to put on a show and, most recently, he’s provided three goals and eight points in four contests. He continues to be one of the league’s biggest stars with 33 goals and 75 points through 51 outings.

One player who isn’t as much of a sure thing is Pavel Zacha, but he’s been clicking lately, providing two goals and six points over his active four-game scoring streak. That brings him up to 12 goals and 33 points in 47 appearances this season.

Meanwhile, Brad Marchand has been quickly climbing up the goal-scoring list. He’s found the back of the net 12 times over his past 15 contests, giving him 25 markers and 51 points in 51 games. That puts him on pace to reach the 40-goal milestone for the first time, but his current hot streak has skewed those numbers and he’s a safer bet to finish with around 35 tallies.

Los Angeles Kings – TUE @ BUF, THU @ NJD, SAT @BOS, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

As noted above, LA has struggled lately, posting a 3-8-6 record over its past 17 outings. The Kings will attempt to rebound during a road trip that will take them to Buffalo on Tuesday, New Jersey on Thursday, Boston on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday. Certainly not the easiest of schedules, but LA is one of the few teams set to play in four contests, so it’s still worthy of mention.

Maybe the Kings will get some help from Brandt Clarke, who was summoned from AHL Ontario on Thursday. He’s been fantastic in the minors, recording eight goals, 33 points and 35 PIM in 32 contests and figures to be a big part of LA’s long-term plans. It’s not clear what role he’ll have next week, but with the way things have been going for the Kings, they could stand to mix things up, and giving Clarke some responsibility would be one way to do that.

Alex Turcotte was also recalled Thursday. He had a goal and an assist in two games with LA during his previous stint and has recorded 24 points (seven goals) across 30 AHL appearances, so the 22-year-old might be helpful too.

Given the busy schedule, Cam Talbot is expected to get at least one opportunity to rebound over the next week. He had a 14-8-3 record, 2.10 GAA and .925 save percentage in 25 appearances through Jan. 2, but since then he’s lost his last seven contests while posting an ugly 4.62 GAA and .865 save percentage. He hasn’t played since Jan. 26, though, so perhaps the 36-year-old goaltender has had sufficient time off to step back and reset.

At the same time, David Rittich has done well, posting a 5-1-3 record, 2.09 GAA and .925 save percentage in 11 outings this season, which is part of the reason why he’s been able to wrestle the starting gig from Talbot. Even if Talbot rebounds, there’s a chance Rittich will stay busy, perhaps in a 1A and 1B situation. Certainly, this is a goaltending duo worth monitoring.

Montreal Canadiens – TUE VS ANA, THU @ NYR, SAT VS WAS

The Canadiens will host the Ducks on Tuesday, visit the Rangers on Thursday and conclude the week with a home match versus the Capitals on Saturday. New York is a tough adversary, but Anaheim and Washington aren’t in playoff positions.

Montreal’s standout forward recently has been Nick Suzuki, who has provided three goals and eight points during his active five-game scoring streak. The 24-year-old was limited to three assists across eight appearances from Jan. 4-18, but he’s been far more hit than miss this campaign, totaling 15 goals and 45 points through 50 contests.

Sean Monahan was having a strong season with Montreal too, but he was dealt to Winnipeg. The silver lining is that opened the door for Brandon Gignac to make his Canadiens debut Tuesday against Washington. Gignac logged 14:54 of ice time, including 0:32 on the power play. He didn’t record a point in that game, but the 26-year-old has 14 goals, 42 points and 36 PIM in 43 outings with AHL Laval this season, so if he continues to serve in a middle-six capacity while seeing time on the Canadiens’ second power-play unit, then he should have some offensive production going forward. Keep in mind that Montreal might not be done trading veterans. At the least, Tanner Pearson is likely to be shopped, and if that happens, the door might be opened to Gignac also serving a bigger role with the man advantage.

It’s safe to say Juraj Slafkovsky won’t be moved, though. Although the 19-year-old hasn’t been a major part of the Canadiens this year, supplying nine goals and 22 points across 50 contests, he is a big part of their long-term plans. He’s also seen an uptick in production recently, collecting five goals and seven points over his last eight games, so perhaps we’re seeing the early stages of a strong second half.

New Jersey Devils – MON VS SEA, TUE @ NAS (BTB), THU VS LAK, SAT VS PHI

New Jersey is gearing up for an eventful week. It will start by hosting the Kraken on Monday, then the Devils will play in Nashville on Tuesday before returning home to face the Kings on Thursday. They’ll conclude the week with a game against the Flyers on Saturday. New Jersey is the home team for that contest, but rather than it being played at Prudential Center, it will be an outdoor event at MetLife Stadium (the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets).

Injuries have held Jack Hughes back in 2023-24, but he returned from an upper-body issue Thursday, logging 20:24 of ice time, including 3:19 with the man advantage. If he can stay healthy, then Hughes adding 35-40 points over the Devils’ final 33 games is a reasonable hope.

Erik Haula might see his role diminish somewhat now that Hughes is back. Haula logged 15:40 on Thursday compared to an average of 17:40 from Jan. 6-Feb. 6 while the Devils were without Hughes. Haula, who had three goals and seven points in 10 outings during that stretch, might see his production decline as a result. He has 11 goals and 25 points in 43 appearances overall.

One forward who is likely to get a lot of work regardless of Hughes’ status is Jesper Bratt. The 25-year-old winger has certainly earned that privilege. He registered three assists Thursday to extend his scoring streak to six contests (four goals, nine points). Bratt’s up to 20 markers and 55 points through 49 outings in 2023-24.

Ottawa Senators – TUE VS CBJ, THU VS ANA, SAT VS CHI

The Senators aren’t having a great campaign, but they’ll be playing against some of the other teams at the bottom of the pack next week. They’ll host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Ducks on Thursday before visiting the Blackhawks on Saturday.

Before that action starts, Anton Forsberg (groin) and Travis Hamonic (upper body) are set to return this Saturday versus Toronto. The Senators are expected to be without Jake Sanderson (lower body) against Toronto, though, and it remains to be seen if he’ll be available next week. If he can’t play, then Mathieu Joseph will likely find himself with a role on the power play again after averaging just 0:10 with the man advantage over Ottawa’s last seven contests. Joseph hasn’t recorded a power-play point this season, but he’s done well overall with eight goals and 23 points through 37 appearances, so this is a situation worth monitoring.

It will also be interesting to see if Forsberg’s return saps time away from starting goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. The No. 1 goaltender has left plenty to be desired this season with a 12-16-2 record, 3.38 GAA and .889 save percentage in 33 outings. However, Korpisalo has stepped up lately, posting a 4-1-2 record, 2.19 GAA and .912 save percentage across his past seven appearances. If he keeps that up, he should be able to hold Forsberg at bay, but if Korpisalo reverts back to his previous struggles, then Forsberg might play on a semi-regular basis down the stretch.

The Senators don’t have any blazing hot forward at the moment, but Shane Pinto has done well since returning from his 41-game suspension for sports wagering activities. He has two goals and four points in six contests and should continue to serve in a middle-six capacity as well as the first power-play unit going forward.

Toronto Maple Leafs – TUE VS STL, THU VS PHI, SAT VS ANA

The Maple Leafs will spend next week at home, hosting the Blues on Tuesday, the Flyers on Thursday and the Ducks on Saturday. That’s not the weakest of schedules, but it’s not a particularly difficult one either. St. Louis and Philadelphia are both in the middle to upper-middle of the pack while Anaheim ranks near the bottom.

Joseph Woll (ankle) still isn’t close to returning, so Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones are still the team’s goaltending duo. Jones hasn’t started since Jan. 20, but Samsonov has surrendered seven goals on 60 shots (.883 save percentage) over his past two contests, so Jones might get another shot next week. Both of those goaltenders have had great stretches, but also some incredibly rough patches, so they’re risks going forward.

One player who hasn’t dealt with such a roller coaster of a campaign is Auston Matthews. The 26-year-old has eight goals and 13 points in eight contests, but what’s remarkable is he’s not especially hot, that’s practically just the norm for him. Through 48 games, he’s supplied 41 tallies and 61 points and is likely to continue to find the back of the net at a reliable pace as long as he stays healthy. His continued health is critical to the team. While it’s true that Toronto has other superstars, he’s personally scored a staggering 24.3 percent of the team’s entire goals.

In terms of the supporting cast, Toronto doesn’t have anyone doing particularly well at present. The only players to accumulate at least three points over the Leafs’ last five contests are the Big Four (Matthews, John Tavares, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander) and their top defenseman, Morgan Rielly. Matthew Knies is getting a turn on the Matthews’ line, though, so perhaps that will help the 21-year-old forward.

FANTASY HOCKEY: The Week Ahead – October 23rd to 29th

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:18:40 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 12: Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex DeBrincat (93) celebrates his goal during a game between the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils on October 12, 2023 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey.(Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

After adding forwards Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher, backup goaltender James Reimer and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere over the summer, Detroit was positioned to take a step forward from its 35-37-10 finish in 2022-23. Few would have anticipated the Red Wings’ early dominance though.

With a 6-2 victory over Calgary on Sunday, Detroit is now 5-1-0 and its summer acquisitions have played a huge part in that. DeBrincat has eight (!) goals and 12 points in six contests, Compher has a goal and four points, Gostisbehere has two markers and six points and Reimer has a 1.00 GAA and a .963 save percentage to win his first two starts with Detroit. Of course, they haven’t been the only factors, most notably Dylan Larkin has 11 points in six contests, but it’s rare to see a team not only get so hot out of the gate, but to achieve that primarily through the strength of new additions.

Naturally, this isn’t going to last. DeBrincat isn’t going to maintain his current pace and finish with 109 goals (though besting his career high of 41 is certainly possible). Still, Detroit figures to be a serious contender for a playoff spot this year, and when you remember that the Atlantic Division also features Boston, Ottawa, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida and Buffalo, it becomes clear that this is going to be a very tough fight.

Edmonton has a tough fight on its hands too. The Oilers are off to a disappointing 1-3-1 record, due in part to them scoring a underwhelming 2.60 goals per game, and now Connor McDavid is expected to miss the next week or two with an upper-body injury. Others have to step up in his absence with one forward in particular to keep an eye on being Warren Foegele. He’s typically not a major offensive force and has averaged just 11:44 of ice time this season, but with McDavid out, Foegele might be elevated to a top-six spot. Mattias Janmark, who has averaged 12:05 through five contests, might also see his playing time noticeably increase during McDavid’s absence.

Boston Bruins

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	BOS	CHI
Thu	10/26/2023	ANA	BOS
Sat	10/28/2023	DET	BOS

Watching Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire over the summer hasn’t stopped the Bruins from going 5-0-0 to open the season, though that’s thanks to goaltenders Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark allowing just seven goals thus far rather than any forward stepping up to fill the void left by Boston’s former centers.

Regardless, Boston has a chance to keep that winning streak when they play in Chicago on Tuesday. The Bruins will face another rebuilding squad Thursday when they host Anaheim, though Saturday will feature a tougher home contest versus Detroit. The Red Wings with their red hot offense might prove to be the first major test for the Bruins’ goaltending.

As it is, the Bruins have already beaten each of Chicago and Anaheim once this season, so they’ll look for more of the same in those contests. Boston has been using its starters evenly so far, so if it continues its present rotation, Ullmark will likely play against Chicago and Swayman will get Anaheim. Both should be good options in daily leagues.

Boston’s offense has been a lot less impressive and what production there has been is primarily thanks to David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, who have combined for nine goals and 15 points. Rookie Matthew Poitras did have his first big night Sunday though, providing two goals. He’s playing on the second line and getting some power-play ice time, so if you’re looking for a lower profile player to go after in Boston, he’s not a bad option.

Carolina Hurricanes

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	CAR	TBL
Thu	10/26/2023	SEA	CAR
Fri	10/27/2023	SJS	CAR

Last year, facing the Lightning followed by the Kraken would have been a rough combo, but so far in 2023-24, those are two winnable games, especially for a team like Carolina. When the Hurricanes play in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, they’ll be up against a lackluster 2-2-2 team due in no small part to goaltender Jonas Johansson posting a 3.58 GAA and a .902 save percentage through five contests. Andrei Vasilevskiy (back) is still unavailable, though, so the Lightning are likely to once again put him in net.

Seattle, which will play in Carolina on Thursday, has fared even worse, getting off to a 1-4-1 start. The Kraken were one of the league’s top teams offensively last season, but they’ve averaged just 1.83 goals per game this year. The Hurricanes will round out the week with a home game against the rebuilding Sharks on Friday.

Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi have been fantastic over Carolina’s first six contests, each providing seven points. They’re two young forwards who entered the campaign with plenty of untapped offensive upside, so this might just be the start of their respective breakout seasons.

Stefan Noesen is far less likely to put up big numbers this season, but after scoring a goal and six points over the last three contests, he’s worthy of a short-term pickup to take advantage of his hot streak mixed with the Hurricanes’ favorable schedule.

Columbus Blue Jackets

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	ANA	CBJ
Thu	10/26/2023	CBJ	MTL
Sat	10/28/2023	NYI	CBJ

The Blue Jackets aren’t expected to do particularly well this season, but they are hot at the moment, winning three of their last four games. To make matters better, they have two very winnable contests ahead of them, first hosting Anaheim on Tuesday then facing Montreal on Thursday. Columbus will conclude the week with a home game versus the Islanders, which are projected to be a good, but not great, squad.

One of the keys to Columbus’ recent success has been Justin Danforth, who has three goals and four points in his last four contests. The 30-year-old is a bottom-six forward, so don’t expect him to finish the campaign with significant offensive numbers, but with him hot and the Blue Jackets’ first two opponents this week featuring questionable defenses, Danforth is worthy of consideration as a short-term grab.

With Patrik Laine (upper body) potentially out for one or more games this week, which might result in Columbus leaning more on Kirill Marchenko. In the Blue Jackets’ first contest without Laine on Saturday, Marchenko logged 19:04 of ice time, including 3:27 on the power play -- up from an average of 16:02 over his first four outings this season. Marchenko had 21 goals and 25 points in 59 contests as a rookie last season and three assists in five appearances in 2023-24, but he has the potential to do better and is in a position to succeed.

Detroit Red Wings

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	SEA	DET
Thu	10/26/2023	WPG	DET
Sat	10/28/2023	DET	BOS

As noted above, the Red Wings are off to a fantastic start and they’ll look to keep that going with games at home versus Seattle and Winnipeg on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before facing a big test in Saturday’s road contest versus Boston.

Detroit’s incredible offensive output to begin the campaign has allowed some strong performances to fly under the radar. In particular, Joe Veleno has three goals over his last two contests, which might be one of the biggest stories if he was playing on a different team. Veleno is a former first-round pick (30th overall in 2018), so he does have upside, but his position on the Red Wings’ third line and lack of a power-play role makes it hard to recommend him as anything more than a short-term pickup.

Speaking of which, I think grabbing Daniel Sprong would be an interesting choice ahead of the Seattle game. Sprong spent the previous two campaigns with the Kraken and like Detroit’s other summer additions, he’s off to a strong start this season with two goals and four points in six contests. I think there’s a solid chance he’ll be a factor against his former team.

Montreal Canadiens

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Mon	10/23/2023	MTL	BUF
Tue	10/24/2023	NJD	MTL
Thu	10/26/2023	CBJ	MTL
Sat	10/28/2023	WPG	MTL

The Canadiens have a full schedule this week with a road game in Buffalo on Monday before heading home to host New Jersey on Tuesday, Columbus on Thursday and Winnipeg on Saturday. That’s solid competition throughout, but I’m still going to highlight the Canadiens by virtue of them getting a four-game set, including three at home, this week.

Sean Monahan has gotten off to a strong start with two goals and four points in four contests. The 2022-23 campaign might have been known as his comeback season had he stayed healthy, but that could happen this season instead. Although his tenure with Calgary ended poorly, he might finish 2023-24 with 50-60 points.

One Canadiens player who unfortunately will not have a good season is Kirby Dach. His campaign ended when he suffered torn right ACL and MCL on Oct. 14. His absence might lead to Michael Pezzetta playing regularly this season after spending the first two contests as a healthy scratch. Pezzetta won’t provide much offensively, but he should be a good source of PIM and hits.

If you’re looking for points, Tanner Pearson is a better bet. The middle-six winger isn’t worth more than a short-term pickup, but he is going into the week on a three-game scoring streak, contributing two goals and an assist over that span.

New Jersey Devils

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	NJD	MTL
Wed	10/25/2023	WSH	NJD
Fri	10/27/2023	BUF	NJD
Sun	10/29/2023	MIN	NJD
Fri	11/10/2023	WSH	NJD

In addition to their road game against Montreal on Tuesday, the Devils will have a home stretch versus Washington, Buffalo and Minnesota on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Capitals and Sabres have plenty of major offensive weapons, but Buffalo has averaged just 2.40 goals per game while Washington has somehow managed 1.25.

That’s good news for Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid. The Devils goaltending duo has struggled out of the gate, posting a combined 3.45 GAA and .892 save percentage while splitting the workload evenly, but they’re capable of better and perhaps those matchups will serve as an opportunity for them to turn things around.

On offense, things have been going far better for the Devils with Jack Hughes being especially effective, scoring four goals and 10 points in just four contests. Injuries are becoming an issue though with Erik Haula (upper body), Nico Hischier (upper body) and Tomas Nosek (lower body) all day-to-day. We’ve already seen Michael McLeod jump from averaging 10:17 over New Jersey’s first two games to 15:00 in the last two, and he might get top-six minutes until one or more of those forwards return.

Vegas Golden Knights

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	PHI	VGK
Fri	10/27/2023	CHI	VGK
Sat	10/28/2023	VGK	LAK

Winning the Stanley Cup didn’t satiate the Golden Knights or leave them tired. They’ve opened the season with a 6-0-0 record and have a solid chance of continuing that streak at home Tuesday versus Philadelphia. Vegas is also set to host Chicago on Friday and play in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Golden Knights’ early success has been due to their deep offense. Nicolas Roy, Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault have each provided three goals while Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson have each found the back of the net twice. Defenseman Shea Theodore is also off to a great start, contributing a goal and six points.

Even their replacements have come through. With defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (upper body) unavailable, rookie Kaedan Korczak has entered the lineup and provided a goal and three points over three contests. The 22-year-old isn’t expected to be a significant offensive producer this season, but with him being hot, he’s a short-term selection option, provided Pietrangelo isn’t ready to return Tuesday.

Paul Cotter is also red hot, scoring a goal and four points over the last four contests. He’s another player who is presently producing above his ability, but Cotter got ample power-play time Saturday, which led to him contributing two points with the man advantage, so he’s an interesting option right now.

Washington Capitals

DAY	DATE	AWAY	HOME
Tue	10/24/2023	TOR	WSH
Wed	10/25/2023	WSH	NJD
Fri	10/27/2023	MIN	WSH
Sun	10/29/2023	SJS	WSH

The Capitals don’t have an easy schedule, but they are at least set to play four games. They’ll host Toronto on Tuesday, play on the road versus the Devils on Wednesday, then return to Washington to host the Wild and Sharks on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The big question is if Washington can get its offense going after scoring just five goals over its first four contests. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson still don’t have a goal yet.

At the very least, you have to figure Ovechkin is going to breakthrough sooner rather than later, but what’s concerning is that not only has he failed to score, but he also hasn’t shot the puck much. Ovechkin is known for firing a crazy amount of shots -- an average of 4.71 per game over his career and over 4.00 in each of his last six years. The one time he dipped below that was 2016-17 when he averaged 3.82 shots per game and was limited to 33 goals in 82 contests -- the worst output he’s ever had in terms of goals per game. So the fact that he’s averaged just 2.25 shots in 2023-24 is a potential red flag. That said, it’s early, and those who doubted Ovechkin in the past have consistently been proven wrong.

Washington’s lone pleasant surprise thus far has been Matthew Phillips. The 25-year-old rookie has a goal and three points in four contests this year. He was dominant in the AHL over the previous two campaigns, contributing a combined 67 goals and 144 points in 131 appearances, so perhaps Phillips will find a way to continue to be a factor this season.