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NHL season preview: Power rankings, best- and worst-case scenarios and bold predictions
The 2021-22 NHL season is being called a return to normalcy. Last season was an unprecedented one for the NHL due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Four geographically realigned divisions, including one solely comprising Canadian teams; teams playing only opponents within those divisions; and a new playoff format that eschewed wild-card teams. But it ended just […]
Continue readingPhiladelphia Flyers assume defenseman Ryan Ellis to miss season
“Ryan Ellis is out indefinitely — no timetable for his return to play,” general manager Chuck Fletcher said at training camp on Thursday. “I’ll just say that my assumption is that he won’t play this season. If he does, it’ll be a bonus. That’s how we’ve prepared for this season.” Ellis, 31, played just four […]
Continue reading2022 NHL draft: Answering the biggest questions entering the first round
The 2022 NHL draft, to be held at Montreal’s Bell Centre, is scheduled to begin Thursday night at 7 ET (ESPN), with plenty of intrigue from the very top down. While Shane Wright of the Ontario Hockey League has been considered the most likely player to be taken by the Canadiens at No. 1, that […]
Continue readingThe nine critical decisions that made the Colorado Avalanche a juggernaut
He was Colorado’s captain when the franchise last won a Stanley Cup, in 2001. Now, 21 years later, Sakic is the architect behind the Avalanche’s return to a Final, this one opening Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning (8 ET, ABC and ESPN+). Sakic took the reins as Colorado’s executive vice president of hockey operations […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings update: Kucherov, Pacioretty, Stone injury impact
Chief among them, concerns that Nikita Kucherov may be down for a while after suffering an injury on Saturday. In you remember, he famously missed the last fantasy season after hip surgery, returning in time for the postseason. Fun. Free. Easy. Create or join a league and play ESPN Fantasy Hockey! Sign up for free! […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey dynasty rankings: The best players of 2026
As a reminder, these rankings stem from a spreadsheet that attempts to project the future fantasy production of all relevant players, including many that haven’t laced up skates in the NHL ever. The ranking is simply the product of adding up all the projected fantasy scoring by each player over the next five seasons. Players […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey season preview: Guide to centers
In all seriousness, I’ve done the number-crunching in previous iterations of this article and the fact is that there is no discernible difference in the statistics you will be drafting from your average center versus your average winger in most standard leagues. For the purposes of building your fantasy hockey team in default ESPN leagues, […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey impact from 2021 NHL free agency
For a more comprehensive tour of free-agent signings and other transactions, check out ESPN’s full coverage here. And stay tuned for more in-depth fantasy content in the coming weeks. Philipp Grubauer, G, Seattle Kraken: Move over Chris Driedger, the Kraken have settled on another No. 1 netminder altogether. After backstopping the Avalanche to the second […]
Continue readingPhiladelphia Flyers get Rasmus Ristolainen from Buffalo Sabres for first-round pick, more
The Flyers sent the 14th overall pick in Friday night’s NHL draft, their second-round pick in 2023, and defenseman Robert Hagg to the Sabres. Ristolainen, 26, has played all eight years of his NHL career with the Sabres, who selected him eighth overall in 2013. He has 245 points in 542 career games. Last season, […]
Continue readingNew York Rangers acquire rights to Barclay Goodrow in trade with Tampa Bay Lightning
New York sent a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Lightning for Goodrow, one of the key additions who helped Tampa Bay get over the playoff hump and win the Cup each of the past two seasons. The Rangers now have exclusive negotiating rights with Goodrow until the free-agent market opens July 28. With new president […]
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