The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off places a wrinkle within the fantasy hockey schedule, so let’s do some housekeeping first.
Week 19 technically spans from Feb. 10 to March 2, however there isn’t any motion between the tenth and twenty second, so there won’t be a “Fantasy Traits” subsequent week. Nevertheless, we are going to return on Feb. 14 to debate the commerce deadline and participant motion. Then, it will likely be enterprise as common on the twenty first earlier than the return to play.
With the commerce deadline on Friday, March 7, we are going to make yet one more scheduling adjustment. The next Monday, this column will focus on the aftermath from a fantasy perspective.
Sticking with the theme of trying forward, here’s a take a look at the weekly slates within the 4 (!) remaining weeks of the fantasy common season.
Click on to develop
Week 19 is funky, with some groups having hefty six-game slates. However there are a number of standout groups with favorable schedules forward. Tampa Bay has a busy stretch, with a four-game slate in Weeks 18 and 20 earlier than a three-game slate in Week 21. The Geese’ schedule ramps up after the upcoming Week 18. The Rangers will even be fairly busy with consecutive four-game streamers in March.
However earlier than we get too forward of ourselves, let’s get into the nitty gritty of this upcoming matchup in Week 18.
4-Sport Streamers
Jakub Dobes, G, MTL | 28% Yahoo
With a four-game slate that features two back-to-backs, count on to see Dobes get two begins subsequent week. Forward of his look on Thursday in opposition to Minnesota, he earned a .933 save proportion and saved about seven objectives above anticipated via his first six begins.
Darren Raddysh, D, TBL | 17% Yahoo
Raddysh’s fantasy worth has been on the rise over the previous month, and his function on the highest power-play unit has quite a bit to do with it. Prime minutes with Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel will assist most gamers’ manufacturing. However that function has additionally opened up one other component of his sport: his shot quantity.
Anton Forsberg, G, OTT | 5% Yahoo
Linus Ullmark was not able to again up Forsberg on Thursday evening, so keep watch over the previous’s standing within the coming days. The beginning internet belongs to Ullmark when he’s prepared for it. However even when he returns subsequent week, he might solely break up the four-game slate with Forsberg, who has stepped it up over the previous couple of video games in opposition to the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Senators. Ottawa might use extra offensive help, however its protection is placing its netminders able to succeed.
Claude Giroux is one other Senators’ possibility. The veteran ahead is on a prime line that has been controlling play, and now that Brady Tkachuk has ended his goalless streak, the trio might have extra capturing luck.
Barrett Hayton, C, UTA | 12% Yahoo
There have been a whole lot of gamers to focus on in Utah currently. Logan Cooley continues to progress as a difference-maker, and Nick Schmaltz continues to be scorching on that prime line. However this week’s decide, Hayton, is in anticipation of Dylan Guenther’s return.
Per Tourigny, #UtahHC Sean Durzi will follow with the crew till 4 Nations Face-Off break, can be reevaluated after that.
He additionally mentioned Dylan Guenther is now daily and training (non-contact jersey).
— Belle Fraser (@bellefraser1) January 29, 2025
Hayton and Josh Doan have had some success collectively on that line, however Guenther’s capturing capacity and budding star energy ought to assist take Hayton to the following stage.
Brandt Clarke, D, LAK | 42% Yahoo
Mikey Anderson left Thursday’s sport in opposition to the Lightning with an damage. Whereas there isn’t any information on his standing as of this writing, it’s one thing to trace. If Anderson is sidelined for a number of video games, it would open a spot up for Clarke, who has to show that he must be part of the beginning six when the crew is totally wholesome.
Will Cuylle, LW/RW, NYR | 28% Yahoo
The Cuylle-Mika Zibanejad–Reilly Smith line can’t shoot lower than 4 % endlessly — not less than in idea. Typically, what goes down should come up, and vice versa. So their putrid capturing % ought to regress nearer to common, resulting in extra outcomes contemplating what they’re creating under the floor. Cuylle’s manufacturing has slowed since shifting to Zibanejad’s wing, however he has upped his shot quantity and high quality.
Zachary L’Heureux, LW, NSH | 1% Yahoo
The Predators are taking a top-heavy method with their prime line, which hurts the fantasy potential of the strains under them. However L’Heureux has been chipping in offensively currently from the third line, which might make him a depth add price contemplating.
Connor Brown, RW, EDM | 1% Yahoo
Brown obtained the enhance to Connor McDavid’s proper on Thursday evening. That’s it; that’s the reason he’s on our radar. His fantasy worth primarily disappears if he strikes again to the underside six.
Sticking with Edmonton for a second, John Klingberg debuted on Thursday evening. If the defender can discover the puck-moving strengths that highlighted his Dallas days, he might develop into the participant to look at.
Odds and Ends
Thomas Harley, D, DAL | 78% Yahoo
With Miro Heiskanen sidelined for a while, Harley will take over PP1 duties in Dallas. Heiskanen is a stabilizing drive on each ends of the ice for the Stars, so his absence is regarding. However Harley needed to step up in his place earlier than — final yr when he had his breakout second. He has maintained a top-four function since.
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW/RW, VGK | 44% Yahoo
The Golden Knights’ energy play has been lights out in January. With their subsequent slate of opponents, they need to be capable of sustain momentum in February. The Rangers and Islanders depend on excellent goaltending to compensate for his or her defensive lapses whereas short-handed. And the Devils are with out their beginning goalie, with Jacob Markstrom sidelined.
Dorofeyev ranks fifth within the league in shot quantity on the ability play, with nearly 36 makes an attempt per 60. His goal-scoring price strikes him as much as third, which is a key cause his fantasy worth has trended up a lot over the previous month. For a full replace on the participant tasks and rest-of-season rankings, click here.
Alexander Romanov, D, NYI | 25% Yahoo
I’ve advised Romanov up to now based mostly on the Islanders’ scheduling — anytime a frequent capturing or hard-hitting crew is on the docket, the defender can do essentially the most harm. However he has elevated his sport currently, no matter opponent, and regardless of some key accidents on the backend. He’s enjoying huge minutes for the Islanders, and the outcomes are beginning to add up.
Mason McTavish, C, ANA | 15% Yahoo
The Ducks’ scoring has been on the rise currently, and McTavish has performed a key function. The play under the floor is a bit more suspect, however the crew is doing an incredible job of changing on their possibilities, which is the polar reverse of the primary half of the season. Perhaps that is the capturing proportion regression the Geese have been ready for.
Taylor Hall, LW, CAR | 14% Yahoo
In case you missed it, there was an enormous blockbuster commerce on Friday evening. Mikko Rantanen is the star of the deal, however don’t overlook Corridor both. Sure, his manufacturing was down in Chicago this season, however take a look at his environment there. His sport in opposition to the Rangers on Tuesday was a pleasant preview of the puck-moving play he can deliver to the Hurricanes. That ought to profit Andrei Svechnikov, who hasn’t at all times lived as much as the hype for managers who guess on him early within the draft.
Jackson Blake, RW, CAR | 2% Yahoo
I’ll focus on the Hurricanes in additional depth when their schedule is extra favorable, however about that man Rantanen … he has the star energy to rework Carolina’s prime line. Proper now, Blake completes the highest line with Sebastian Aho and Rantanen, making him all of the extra precious. Keep watch over who finally ends up being the long-term match there, although. Jack Roslovic might get a glance there along with his transition sport in thoughts. However till adjustments are made, Blake is the participant to look at.
Martin Necas, C/RW, CAR | 94% Yahoo
On the opposite facet of that commerce, Necas was despatched to the Avalanche. Whereas his fantasy worth dipped over the previous month of motion, nobody must be involved about him now.
Necas is enjoying prime minutes with Nathan MacKinnon. Whereas there are some challenges with adjusting to a brand new system on the fly, the 2 already look harmful collectively. Necas has the velocity to maintain up with MacKinnon and provides one other risk in transition to that prime line. Artturi Lehkonen, who’s rounding out the highest line, additionally appears to profit from this new-look dynamic duo.
Knowledge by way of Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, AllThreeZones, and NaturalStatTrick. This story depends on shot-based metrics; here’s a primer on these numbers.
(Photograph of Barrett Hayton: Ethan Miller / Getty Photos)