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Buffalo Sabres lose yet another goalie with Michael Houser entering COVID-19 protocol
Houser’s unavailability makes it unclear who will start or even serve as Buffalo’s backup Saturday when the team opens a three-game western road swing at Arizona. Season-opening starter Craig Anderson and backup Dustin Tokarski are traveling with the team but have yet to be cleared to play, leaving open the possibility that the Sabres will […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey: Why you should pick up Evander Kane before it’s too late
Cleared by the NHL after allegedly breaking COVID-related rules over the holidays, Evander Kane is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers Thursday afternoon. Goodness knows, the spiraling club could use the injection of such skill from such a proven performer. Fact is, GM Ken Holland & Co. aren’t pursuing this route […]
Continue readingNHL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus points pace progress against preseason over-unders
As of Wednesday, 20 of the NHL’s 32 teams have hit the 41-game mark, so it’s the perfect time to check in on their progress against preseason expectations. To help tell the tale, we compared every team’s current standings point pace against their preseason over-under at Caesars Sportsbook. Who’s ahead of pace, who’s falling behind, […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: identifying potential risers
In that vein, here’s a look at some high FPP60 performers currently averaging fewer than 16 minutes per game. Anthony Duclair, W, Florida Panthers (15:26 average ice time, 8.00 FPP60): To set the tone, we’ll start with someone you probably can’t get your mitts on in your league. Duclair’s production is not a secret, playing […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey: Who benefits from the revised NHL schedule?
Now that the league has hammered out a calendar of COVID-related makeups, the schedule is about to get wacky, beginning in February. Especially in February. While Victor Hedman is one of the league’s most prominent fantasy performers full-stop, the Tampa Bay Lightning play only six times next month. Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot is slated to participate […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: Which goalies are trending up?
During this rough month of COVID-hampered play, we had some disparity in ice time, to be sure. Some teams played as many as 11 times, while the Ottawa Senators, for example, had only four games. With such a range, it’s difficult to pin down the fantasy landscape. But perhaps having a closer look at that […]
Continue readingNHL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus trendspotting every team from the past month
The NHL’s 2021-22 season continues to see some shifts in the schedule due to COVID-19 postponements, but some teams have weathered the storm a bit better than others. What is the key takeaway from each team’s play since mid-December? We break it all down here, while unveiling the latest 1-32 rankings. How we rank: A […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: Six skaters who carry their team’s fantasy scoring
I shouldn’t flippantly say they’re not embracing it though. Dobson, for what it’s worth, is now earning the ice time deserved by his play this season — but it took a while for that to come around, including a visit to the press box at one point. But he looks secure now as the offensive […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: Boudreau to Vancouver fantasy impact
Not all coaching changes are created equal. When Andrew Brunette took over the Florida Panthers, for example, he has stepping in to take the reins of an already-successful team and wasn’t going to tinker much. We had Mike Yeo step in as new coach of the Philadelphia Flyers this week, but he doesn’t have a […]
Continue readingNHL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus the breakout player for every team
As we approach American Thanksgiving weekend — and a triple-header of matchups on ABC, ESPN+ and Hulu — we’ve also traversed another week of the 2021-22 NHL schedule. And for the second straight week, we’ve got a new No. 1 team atop the ESPN NHL Power Rankings. Moreover, now that teams are at or near […]
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