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Fantasy hockey rankings: Can these disappointing starters turn it around?
Injuries don’t count, so Zach Werenski and Josh Norris get a pass. Rookies don’t count either, so we aren’t bothering with Marco Rossi and Shane Wright. This is about established NHLers with a reliable baseline coming well short of expectations. They are arranged by how much they are missing the preseason projections I assigned to […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: Why these two Coyotes can keep scoring
Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz returned to the lineup for the Arizona Coyotes for the first time this season (basically, as Schmaltz was hurt two minutes into the opener and Chychrun hadn’t yet played in 2022-23). In four games since then, the upstart Coyotes have earned four of a possible eight points (great by their […]
Continue readingThursday fantasy hockey tips: NHL picks, matchups, more
Of the 20 teams in action, only the Carolina Hurricanes (played Wednesday) and the San Jose Sharks (play Friday) are part of back-to-back sets. Resources: Goalie depth chart | Injuries | Schedule | How to watch on ESPN+ | Sign up for ESPN Fantasy Hockey | Download the ESPN Fantasy App | Daily lines | […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: How to plan for injuries and returns
Brad Marchand, at this time last week, was listed to miss another 16 games, returning after the month of November was done. Late Wednesday, his timetable became “before Thanksgiving.” Then, on Thursday, he laced up and scored two goals and one assist in 18 minutes of surprise action. The Bruins gave Marchand the night off […]
Continue readingCan the Red Wings, Sabres or Senators make the NHL playoffs?
“You wouldn’t be excited if you thought you were just playing to finish up outside of the playoff picture,” Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner said. “That’s what drives that excitement is everyone starts off with a clean slate. For us, expectations have started to build and that’s something you want and that’s something you obviously […]
Continue readingLapsed fan’s guide to the NHL season: Trades, signings, more
When the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001, it signaled the end of an NHL season that was a return to normalcy but still notably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a truncated 2020-21 season with intra-divisional play, the NHL’s 32 teams — including the debuting Seattle Kraken — […]
Continue readingLingering questions for all 32 NHL teams heading into training camp: Goaltending, lineup, injuries, more
But now that fall is officially set to begin on Thursday, it’s also time for training camps around the NHL to open, as we look ahead to opening night of the season on Oct. 11. To help get you ready for the next few weeks — as teams decide on which players make the roster, […]
Continue reading2022-23 ESPN Fantasy Hockey rankings
While many line combinations and goalie splits around the NHL landscape are still to be decided, next season’s top picks won’t look that different from the last. Want Hart Trophy winner Auston Matthews or Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin? Well, you’re going need a top pick or pay up in a salary cap draft. So […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey dynasty ranks: What will the NHL look like in 2027
Well, we know their age. We also know what kind of production they have put up in the past. But beyond those two criteria, we don’t really know a whole lot. We can certainly guess a lot. In January 2018, ESPN asked me to do the first one of these dynasty rankings. While I didn’t […]
Continue readingNHL teams with holes remaining after the first wave of free agency
Well, some teams are. Others have been weirdly silent, unwilling to make moves to clear cap space, or simply aren’t doing much when more is required. There are also teams that fall in the middle, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’ve made trades and signed players, but are they truly better off? The Leafs […]
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