This past weekend certainly got off to a dramatic start on the transaction front. Just as we were starting to digest the goalie swap between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers — kaboom — the Vancouver Canucks blew that otherwise riveting trade out of the bay by sending their elite defenseman to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a gaggle of valuable, young talent. Through our finely focussed fantasy lens, let’s start there.
After enduring a rather pedestrian campaign to date, by his standards, Quinn Hughes is going to make more fantasy hay in Minnesota. Sharing the ice with a stronger set of teammates guarantees as much. But it doesn’t matter a lick, since the former captain is universally spoken for across the ESPN Fantasy Hockey universe.
Also, defenseman Brock Faber — who’s losing his top power-play gig to Hughes — remains worthy enough as a fantasy performer otherwise with the Wild. Let’s turn our attention to Vancouver then, where two new members of the Canucks merit greater attention.
Finally healed and back on the ice, Marco Rossi made his Canucks debut centering a top scoring line and power play with Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk. While not the equivalent to playing with Kirill Kaprizov, a decent gig altogether. Even once Elias Petterssen returns from the infirmary, the young center should maintain a grip on a top-six role alongside Boeser and assignment with the extra skater.
If he can stay healthy, Rossi should be considered in all but the shallowest of leagues. Before sustaining his most recent injury, the 24-year-old collected 13 points in 17 games with the Wild. Before he develops chemistry with his new linemate, and sees an uptick in production, Boeser also deserves heightened attention.
On the blue line, Adam Foote’s club has a new top power-play anchor in Zeev Buium. Forced to split the gig with Faber in Minnesota, the rookie faces fewer competitors for the role with his new crew. Particularly after his debut, in which he scored a goal and an assist, both with the man-advantage. Named the second star in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, Buium couldn’t ask for a better start in his fresh digs. Available in nearly 68% of ESPN competition, the 20-year-old certainly merits serious thought in all fantasy leagues of a reasonable size. He won’t be free to grab that easily for long.
As for the Pittsburgh-Edmonton goalie swap, we’ll soon find out how much of Stuart Skinner‘s success/failure can be credited/blamed on the rest of the Oilers. Under head coach Dan Muse, the Penguins are playing solid defense this year, at least until very recently, allowing a 13th-best 2.94 goals-allowed/game. The Oilers sit 26th with 3.39 GA/GP. Again, we’ll soon find out how much of that discrepancy can be laid on the clubs’ respective skaters and/or netminders themselves.
Straight up, my boring advice is to stick with Skinner or Tristan Jarry — who’s certainly enjoying a renaissance campaign — if they’re already part of your fantasy fold. Until we see how both adapt in their new settings, neither is worth jumping all over. Unless, of course, your current goalie consortium is in utter shambles.
Schedule-wise, the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, and Dallas Stars face particularly fantasy-favorable slates this week, in rate, off-night rhythm, and strength of competition. In fact, the Rangers play five times between Monday and Sunday, versus the Anaheim Ducks, Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators. Fantasy managers even mildly interested in investing Alexis Lafreniere, dark-horse Conor Sheary, or defender Vladislav Gavrikov should do so ASAP. Backup goalie Jonathan Quick — available in 93% of leagues — should also play twice this week.
Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
Resources: Goalie depth chart | Daily lines | Projections | Play for free | Player rater | Most added/dropped | Mock draft lobby | How to watch
Forwards
0:26
Zach Hyman capitalizes on the power play
Zach Hyman tallies goal for Edmonton Oilers on the power play
Zach Hyman, F, Edmonton Oilers (1.9 FPPG, 41.3% available): Cooking again with Connor McDavid at even-strength and with the extra skater, Hyman has five goals in his past three games. We’ve witnessed these vibes before; the power forward won’t be grabbable in more than 40% of fantasy leagues for long.
Josh Norris, F, Buffalo Sabres (2.3 FPPG, 64.1% available): The Sabres’ center has registered a point in five straight games, since his return from an upper-body injury. However, we’re only talking about five games, interrupted by illness. Still, when able, Norris can pad your fantasy totals with almost the best of them on any given outing. If needing to fill a slot vacated by injury, and it appears Chicago’s Connor Bedard could be shelved a while, the former Senator is worth the flier for as long as he’s competing.
Robert Thomas, F, St. Louis Blues (1.6 FPPG, 39.4% available): That’s more like it. Following a ho-hum start to the campaign, Thomas recently erupted for three goals and three assists in four contests. The Blues’ top center is a better-than-point/game player who finally looks himself again.
See also:
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Patrick Kane, F, Detroit Red Wings (1.9 FPPG, 47.4% available)
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Lawson Crouse, F, Utah Mammoth (1.5 FPPG, 85.1% available)
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Alexis Lafreniere, F, New York Rangers (1.4 FPPG, 82.2% available)
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Ben Kindel, F, Pittsburgh Penguins (1.8 FPPG, 92.8% available)
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Ivan Barbashev, F, Vegas Golden Knights (1.7 FPPG, 52.0% available)
Defensemen
Sean Durzi, D, Utah Mammoth (1.7 FPPG, 60.1% available): Posting a goal and an assist on nine shots, along with 12 blocked ones, the 27-year-old is averaging 2.6 fantasy points over his past four contests. While Mikhail Sergachev is going to score at a greater rate, Durzi is more well-rounded in the fantasy sphere.
Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (1.5 FPPG, 76.8% available): Averaging 1.8 blocked-shots/game, and 3.0 in his past seven contests, Ekblad is pitching in enough otherwise to merit rostership in the majority of standard fantasy leagues. Especially this week, as mentioned above, when the Panthers play four times, including versus the Lightning, Kings, and Hurricanes on nights when few other NHL squads are in action.
0:34
Aaron Ekblad scores power-play goal vs. Senators
Aaron Ekblad scores power-play goal vs. Senators
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Esa Lindell, D, Dallas Stars (1.8 FPPG, 64.2% available)
Goaltenders
Joseph Woll, G, Toronto Maple Leafs (3.1 FPPG, 74.2% available): He’s expected back from an lower-body injury in the foreseeable future and third-stringer Dennis Hildeby hasn’t done enough to run with the starter’s gig. Woll is an impressive 4-3-1 with a .928 SV% and 2.44 GAA for the only so-so Leafs this year. Frankly, Toronto should be better, which offers hope for the months ahead.
Juuse Saros, G, Nashville Predators (1.2 FPPG, 33.6% available): Matters don’t feel quite as dire in Nashville these days. Sporting a 6-3-0 record since Nov. 26, the Predators are offering muted hope that all may not be lost (again) this season. Uncoincidentally, Saros is 5-1 over that stretch with a .917 SV% and 2.70 GAA, including a miserable 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes. Providing extra appeal, the Preds compete on three lightly-scheduled evenings this week, plus Saturday against the visiting Maple Leafs.
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Short-term streamers
0:45
Alex Laferriere scores short-handed goal for Los Angeles Kings
Alex Laferriere notches short-handed goal for Los Angeles Kings
Alex Laferriere, F, Los Angeles Kings (1.5 FPPG, 38.4% available): On the road, where they’re 10-2-5 this season, the Kings visit Dallas, Florida, and Tampa Bay before Thursday is through. Add Laferriere, or any other available Kings, on Monday and then drop them three days later. The winger is skating on L.A.’s top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Alexander Wennberg, F, San Jose Sharks (1.7 FPPG, 91.5% available): Don’t spend too much energy on reasons for the productive flurry, just enjoy the ride until it dries up once more. Competing on a second scoring line and No. 1 power play, Wennberg has two goals and six assists in his past four games. While these numbers are out of character for the veteran forward, they should still be exploited for however long. The Sharks are having a hoot right now, winning three of their past four, including Saturday’s notable comeback 6-5 victory over the Penguins.
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John Gibson, G, Detroit Red Wings (21.3 FPPG, 83.4% available)
