Travis Zajac – McKeen's Hockey

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS 4/8/21 – Rangers have turned into a scoring machine plus Vincent Trocheck, Andrew Copp, Brendan Gallagher, Dougie Hamilton, and more ..

Scott Cullen — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 16:58:56 +0000

Each week, Scott Cullen will dive into the numbers to unearth some analytical insights to help your fantasy team.

This week, the Rangers have turned into a scoring machine plus Vincent Trocheck, Andrew Copp, Brendan Gallagher, Dougie Hamilton, and more.

#1 Let’s start with some context. Since St. Patrick’s Day, the Colorado Avalanche have scored 4.46 goals per 60 minutes in all situations and even after getting stunned by Minnesota Wednesday the Avs are outscoring opponents by 1.98 goals per 60 minutes but I already wrote about the brilliance of the Avalanche a few weeks ago so no need to repeat that refrain right now.

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 04: New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) skates during the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on March 4, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

#2 The New York Rangers have scored 4.39 goals per 60 minutes which ranks second behind the Avalanche, in that time and the Rangers are outscoring opponents by a league-best 2.06 goals per 60 minutes. The Pittsburgh Penguins (3.58) and Arizona Coyotes (3.51) are the only other teams scoring more than 3.50 goals per 60 minutes in that span so the Avalanche and Rangers are far ahead of the field. Some of the Rangers’ offensive prowess is due to their scoring eruptions against the Philadelphia Flyers, winning 9-0 and 8-3 against Philadelphia before winning 8-4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday but it is unseemly to complain about how they have suddenly become the most explosive offense in the league.

#3 In those 11 games, the Rangers’ leading scorer is defenseman Adam Fox, who has 21 points (3 G, 18 A), ahead of Mika Zibanejad (10 G, 9 A), Artemi Panarin (6 G, 12 A), Ryan Strome (2 G, 14 A), and Pavel Buchnevich (7 G, 5 A). The Rangers as a team have scored on 15.2% of their shots in this span, which is a ridiculous and unsustainable rate.

#4 The good news for the Blueshirts is that they have some support in their own end of the rink. Since the start of last season, among goaltenders to play at least 25 games, the Ranges’ Igor Shesterkin ranks second with a .927 save percentage. Florida’s Chris Driedger ranks first, at .934. Third through fifth are: Jake Allen (.925), Darcy Kuemper (.923), and Tuukka Rask (.923).

#5 The bottom five for active goaltender save percentage since the start of last season, minimum 25 games: Matt Murray (.892), Devan Dubnyk (.893), Marcus Hogberg (.894), Carter Hutton (.894), and Malcolm Subban (.895).

SUNRISE, FL - FEBRUARY 27: Vincent Trocheck #16 of the Carolina Hurricanes prepares for a face-off against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on February 27, 2021 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Icon Sportswire)

#6 He missed three weeks in the middle so he does not get official credit for a point streak, but Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck has points in 11 straight games, accumulating 15 points (6 G, 9 A). On a per-game basis, the only skaters offering more fantasy value this season are a who’s who of the elite players in the game: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, and Aleksander Barkov. That’s it, the whole list of skaters delivering more per-game fantasy value than Trocheck this season.

#7 Nashville Predators right winger Luke Kunin took a puck in the ear Tuesday against Detroit, which may leave his immediate status in doubt, but since returning from his last injury, Kunin has six points (2 G, 4 A) in six games and brings additional value with his physical play, recording 20 hits in his past six games.

#8 There was a time very early in the season when Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Copp was one of the most popular additions in fantasy hockey. He had nine points in seven games and was skating on the Jets’ top line. But then Copp moved down the lineup and settled into a third-line role and, for a while, he was not scoring as much. But he has found a way to make it work and has 15 points (8 G, 7 A) in the past 15 games, including six points on the power play.

#9 For whatever flaws may be involved in the Montreal Canadiens roster construction, they sure made the most of the offseason, acquiring wingers Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, and Corey Perry. The new trio of Habs forwards has scored 42 goals, more than any new threesome in the league this season. There is only one other contender that’s even close and that is Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe, Patric Hornqvist, and Alexander Wennberg, who have combined to score 40 goals.

#10 The injury to Brendan Gallagher is huge for the Canadiens. Among players to play at least 100 5-on-5 minutes this season, no one is on the ice for a higher rate of shot attempts than Gallagher’s 72.4 per 60 minutes.

#11 There have been just two lines to get a better share of shot attempts than Montreal’s line of Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault, and Brendan Gallagher, a trio that has controlled 63.0% of shot attempts during 5-on-5 play. The top two? Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen (67.2%), and Boston’s Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak (63.8%). Montreal’s top line is also good for more than 69.0% of expected goals, according to Evolving Hockey, which ranks second behind only Florida’s top line of Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov, and Anthony Duclair.

#12 Last season, Carolina’s Dougie Hamilton was on his way to a Norris Trophy contending campaign before he suffered a broken leg and one of the features of Hamilton’s game was his elite ability to generate shots on goal – 3.6 per game in 2019-2020. In his first 27 games this season, Hamilton was not generating shots in the same way, down to 2.9 per game, which is still very good but not exceptional. The past three weeks have been different, though. Hamilton has 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in in the past 11 games and has put 50 shots on goal in those 11 games (4.6 per game) and that includes games with 11 and nine shots on goal.

#13 Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has one assist in five games since returning from injury but he does have 20 shots on goal and 15 blocked shots, numbers that make it easier to wait for his point production to return.

#14 Buffalo Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo had one assist in his first 18 games this season, which made it pretty easy to ignore him for fantasy purposes. But as the attrition on the Sabres roster knocks out players with injuries and, presumably, with trades before the deadline, there is a chance for Okposo to continue his recent surge in production which includes 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in his past 12 games.

#15 The New York Islanders acquired veteran center Travis Zajac and right winger Kyle Palmieri from the New Jersey Devils Wednesday. Zajac is a 35-year-old who has played more than 1,000 games in the National Hockey League and his 5-on-5 production this season, 2.44 points per 60, has been the best of his career and ranks 38^th among skaters to play at least 200 5-on-5 minutes this season.

#16 Kyle Palmieri might be the more appealing trade acquisition, because he has scored 24 or more goals in five straight seasons, but this season has been a challenge for him. He has 1.20 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, the lowest rate of his career, save for his first 10-game audition in the 2010-2011 season. But, he also has not recorded a primary assist during 5-on-5 play this season, and his on-ice shooting percentage of 6.1% is a career-low. Those numbers could very easily bounce back and if Palmieri gets a prime scoring role with the Islanders, could still have a big finish to the season.

#17 Beware Ducks left winger Maxime Comtois, a young power forward who has shown some promise this season but his shot rates have also dried up and when the shots stop, quite often so will the points. In his past 13 games, Comtois has four points (2 G, 2 A) and 11 shots on goal. This after producing 19 points (9 G, 10 A) and 48 shots on goal in his first 26 games.

#18 A similar story goes with Washington Capitals left winger Jakub Vrana, who scored 10 goals in the first 24 games of the season but has now gone a dozen games without a goal. In those first 24 games, Vrana had more than 2.3 shots per game. In the past dozen games, he has managed 0.8 shots per game. Tough to score when you can’t even get pucks to the net.

#19 At this stage of the season, the big names on the blueline are long gone but there is still value to be found. The following vets are available in the majority of leagues: Chicago’s Connor Murphy, who has five assists, 29 hits and 29 blocked shots in the past eight games. Those peripheral stats matter, too. Veteran Arizona Coyotes defenseman Alex Goligoski has eight points (1 G, 7 A) and 15 blocked shots in the past seven games. Jared Spurgeon has doubled his season point totals, putting up six points (3 G, 3 A), in the past eight games.

#20 In the past month, the top scorers per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play (minimum 100 minutes) are not huge surprises: Aleksander Barkov (4.87), Artemi Panarin (4.68), and Connor McDavid (3.91). The next three, though, are a little more interesting: Ross Colton (3.88), Joonas Donskoi (3.69), and Pat Maroon (3.56). Sometimes there is value to be found in the supporting cast on powerhouse teams.

Advanced stats via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

By Hall Means – New Jersey Devils 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:09:45 +0000

REVIEW/STATE OF PLAY - After a season that delivered a playoff berth after five years in the wilderness, the Hart Trophy winner in Taylor Hall, breakout young talent In Nico Hischier and Will Butcher, the feeling of optimism in New Jersey heading into 2018-19 is palpable. Forwards Patrick Maroon, Brian Gibbons and Michael Grabner departed in the offseason from the forward group while John Moore is gone from the defense. The team made no major additions or changes in the off-season and are counting on their young players to take a step forward while continuing their commitment to youth and the rebuild

Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall

A HALL OF A SEASON - It is hard to come up with enough superlatives to describe Hall’s season. 41 points higher that the next Devil in scoring, 19-year-old Nico Hischier, who made an immediate impact in the NHL as his centerman. They both played through injuries. Hall was revealed to be playing with torn ligaments in his hand while Hischier dealt with a chronic wrist/hand injury throughout the season. Kyle Palmieri was a frequent third member, particularly down the stretch, scoring 15 points in 19 games as their running mate. He scored 24 goals in 62 games last season after years of 26 and 30 respectively.

The other breakout rookie sensation was Will Butcher signed as a free agent out of Denver University. He established himself as their power play quarterback now and in the future. He led all rookie defenseman with 44 points and 23 power play points (second among NHL defenders). An uneven season with a blistering first (16 points in 20 games) and final (14 points in 20 games) quarters representing the bulk of his production. The strong finish along with 4 points in 5 playoff games bode well for next season.

A repeat performance from the two sophomores may be a reach and Hall’s heroics may be hard to duplicate. They will get some help with some players coming back from injury. They will hope for a full season from Marcus Johansson whom they acquired for picks but suffered two concussions, in addition to other injuries. He will line up with Travis Zajac who had a challenging season after returning early from pectoral surgery. Clearly not the same player labouring through the year .. He is 33-years-old and questions will linger until he puts them to rest but this combo on the second line could provide Hischier and Hall breathing room

BUILDING FROM WITHIN - Pavel Zacha has not broken out in his first two seasons, and even found himself scratched at times last year. He remains a talented prospect at 21-years-old and too early to write off, but Devils management will be looking for a meaningful step forward in the coming season. Speedy Miles Wood (22-years-old) made nice progress in his sophomore campaign from 17 to 32 points. And can be expected to continue to develop in the bottom six. 19-year-old Jesper Bratt made a notable first impression with a strong start to his rookie year, even with playing time on the top line. He was also a healthy scratch in seven of the final 17 games. He will be given a shot in the top six again but not a guarantee by any means. 22-year-old John Quenneville will be given a shot at making the team after two seasons of development in the AHL. A versatile, smart and skilled forward and can play both center and wing.

Aside from a well sheltered rookie season from Will Butcher the New Jersey defense is led by veteran warrior Andy Greene. He averaged 21:47 minutes per game, leading the team in total ice time, and still handling the tough matchups at 35-years-old. Sami Vatanen was acquired from Anaheim after a late start to the season recovering from shoulder injury. It took him a while to acclimatize to his new team. He had a streaky season with some strong production. Traded for Adam Henrique he is expected to be an important element on the blueline. 23-year-old Damon Severson was locked up to a long-term deal after a breakout season in 2016-17 and followed up with a very uneven seasonthat saw him as a healthy scratch on multiple occasion. He needs to find a balanced game and show better defending as his power play time has been usurped by Butcher and Vatanen.

A long-standing strength in new Jersey has always been in the crease. Corey Schneider turned in an uncharacteristically bad season. He did not win a game from the new year on. He was hampered by a groin injury missing much of February. He underwent hip surgery in May that will keep him out of the lineup to start the season. 29-year-old Keith Kinkaid filled in admirably in Schneider’s absence and he will start the season as number one. A return to form as an elite puckstopper for Schneider, will be the biggest boost to a repeat appearance in the playoffs.

OUTLOOK - Youth will be served here and the optimism from last season may be a challenge to maintain at times as a young club develops. They are on the right path and not far away from more playoff success. Whether it is this season or not will be a challenge for a young squad that will not surprise anyone next season.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag — Happy New Year

Chris Wassel — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 15:54:13 +0000

It has been a long and strange season so far but we close out 2014 quickly with just a couple questions on the mailbag. You can always follow me on Twitter @ChrisWasselTHW. Questions will always be answered and no I won't hide from them. There are two main questions I got this week. One is daily and one is a team inquiry if you will. Either way, this looks to be full of fireworks and honestly there is no other way to go here. Expect some answers that may irk a few people.

Anyway, let's get cracking on those questions. They do not answer themselves!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

Is there really anyone on the New Jersey Devils worth having as a fantasy hockey option?

Again, they are awful and nothing much is going to change from here on out. New Jersey has scored just 68 goals in their last 35 games (yes we threw out the 11 goal outburst in the first two). That is good for dead last in the league. Travis Zajac has eight points in 29 games while getting first line center minutes and Scott Gomez has almost as many points in about half the games while Adam Henrique has more points and plays several minutes a night less.

The strings are being pulled by Lou Lamoriello and the reality is with this "Odd Couple" coaching arrangement, the last 45 games have become open mic night in Newark. I wish I was kidding but do not be surprised to see Keith Kinkaid start more games than he has for the rest of the season. With the year lost, it is time to play out the string. Even Cory Schneider, who has been pretty good but just not consistent enough, will be a player you don't want in the second half unless you are in a deep league.

Jaromir Jagr is on about a 45-50 point pace which is a good ways off from that nearly 70 point year in 2013-14. Damon Severson had such promise in the early going with eight points but got sucked into the abyss and will miss another month with a break in his ankle. There have been injuries, mumps, and players just in another world. The bottom line is can the team even complete three straight passes? The fundamentals are pretty poor for a team so laden with veterans.

You could bag skate this team to death and it likely will not matter. Yes the effort will be there but the execution has to just happen and it is not. Just tread carefully with Devils players and know they can go into long slumps. Consider they have not won three games in a row since the start of the year.

What was with the value night on Saturday in DraftKings?

It was a pretty high scoring night on DraftKings and part of the reason why the amazing value in mid-line centers. Derek Stepan and several other centers were in the $4,500 to $5,500 range and around four points a night which is too good to pass up. That allowed you to take two centers and then spend a bit more on wing and defense. If you added a fairly cheap Ben Bishop at $6,700 on Saturday, it gave a player even more options to go higher up the food chain.

There was a 50-50 I was in last night where it took over 50 points just to cash. That's nuts! It really is. Typically you can get away with 35-40 points depending on the slate. Expect more nights like this during the next week as the schedule gets a little weird with a heavy Monday and Wednesday.

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Do not forget to bring the questions and I will answer them. See you next week!