Elsewhere, the Islanders are hoping to rebound off this week’s uncharacteristic 7-4 loss to the Blues. A big ask, considering they’re facing the red-hot Devils in New Jersey. The Isles are better at home than on the road. A later-night highlight features Connor McDavid and the Oilers hosting the Wild after losing in Minnesota 5-3, […]
Continue readingWelcome to December in the NHL, where parity reigns more than ever and no lead is safe. And while I’ve heard plenty of theories on why — defense taking a backseat, special teams mattering more, a rash of injuries, the rebuilding teams improving faster than expected — do we really care to figure out why? […]
Continue readingInjuries 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 readingWith word Wednesday that Letang has suffered another stroke, it’s not a question of whether he’ll be his usual self when he comes back — he’s proven he will be — but a question of when we’ll see him again. On one hand, general manager Ron Hextall was vocal in saying this stroke was “much […]
Continue readingJakob 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 readingSince the change, the Bolts advantage has gone six-for-19 on the advantage (31.6%). On the surface and certainly by the statistics, Sergachev is beating Hedman when it comes to fantasy value. But don’t be so hasty now. Sergachev deserves to push up these rankings. His offense off the power play has leveled up, with 10 […]
Continue readingBut what truly stole the show was the emotional ceremony for Börje Salming, who is battling ALS and was in attendance for Toronto’s games this weekend. There was not a dry eye in the house, least of all Darryl Sittler beside him, as the Maple Leafs crowd showered its former superstar with praise. I was […]
Continue readingBrandon Montour (up one spot to No. 158) has been dazzling on the point for the Panthers for the past few weeks, sitting sixth in fantasy points among defensemen. Hampus Lindholm (up eight spots to No. 189) has been nearly as good for the Boston Bruins and sits 11th among defenders. So why are they […]
Continue readingBrad 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 readingMore than one team will be playing their first or second game after making some line changes, so there are several options to choose from when targeting opportune plays. Resources: Goalie depth chart | Injuries | Schedule | How to watch on ESPN+ | Sign up for ESPN Fantasy Hockey | Download the ESPN Fantasy […]
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