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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 readingDefensemen preview: How early to draft Cale Makar, Brent Burns and others
A whopping 23 defensemen earned more than 2.0 fantasy points per game in ESPN’s standard league this past season, up from only a dozen the previous campaign. Another 33 between 1.8 and 2.0 … But then consider that 14 blueliners finished in ESPN’s Top-50 in total fantasy points, another 14 in the next 50. By […]
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 reading2022 NHL draft – Fantasy hockey wrap-up and reaction
Once again, we expect most draftees to blossom in seasons beyond 2022-23 – especially following recent limited opportunities to play through the COVID-19 pandemic. Most, but not all. And even in re-draft or limited keeper leagues, it’s never too early to look ahead, or remain prepared in case some promising player makes an unexpectedly premature […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey: Way too early 2022-23 rankings
To get the ball rolling on discussions for the fall, we present the way-too-early top 300 fantasy rankings. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs Leon Draisaitl, W, Edmonton Oilers Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers Nikita Kucherov, W, Tampa Bay Lightning Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning Kirill Kaprizov, W, […]
Continue readingNHL playoff watch standings update: Key games, X factors for the final week of the season
We’re highlighting the most critical games this week and potential X factors and serving up our takes on what the first-round bracket will look like: Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: After Tuesday’s titanic tilt between Vegas and Dallas, I’m looking ahead to Friday’s potential bracket-settling matchup between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. By that […]
Continue readingWashington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin oldest player to score 50 goals with record-tying ninth such campaign
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 49th and 50th goals of the season in a 4-3 overtime loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night, hitting a milestone that he has seemingly made look easy year after year. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer pulled starting goalie Robin Lehner after the first period and turned […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: Championship week best pickups
If the Toronto Maple Leafs pull away from the Tampa Bay Lightning a little more over the next couple of games, they might be in a position to rest toward the end of the season. The Calgary Flames might be in a position soon where their seeding won’t change, but they still might need to […]
Continue readingFantasy hockey rankings: The returns and debuts most important to their teams
Thankfully, however, most of the races are being kept tight enough that teams won’t be able to consider resting players for at least a couple of weeks. Even though the teams in the postseason in the Eastern Conference are all but officially settled, there is enough jostling for seeding left that teams likely won’t be […]
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