New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is embracing a happier approach to the upcoming season after a self-proclaimed poor attitude hindered his performance in 2022-23.
"I just want to be positive every day because last season I was so mad at myself because I didn't play like I want," Shesterkin told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I hope this season will be the other way, and I will be more happy and enjoy more to talk with you guys."
Shesterkin was among the league's top netminders last season with 37 wins and a .916 save percentage. However, it was a notable step back from his dominant Vezina-winning 2021-22 campaign when he led the NHL in save percentage (.935), goals against average (2.07), and goals saved above average (44.9).
The 27-year-old admitted he had difficulty handling the regression.
"Oh yeah, I was too hard on myself, for sure," Shesterkin said. "I think you remember how I was every practice, so mad, and I didn't want to talk too much with anybody except my family."
He added: "I don't need to think about anything, just make a push, stop, and be focused, but last season, I just started thinking too much before a shot, before a pass, and I made the first move. It's easier for forwards to score."
The Rangers finished third in the Metropolitan Division last campaign with 107 points before surrendering a 2-0 series lead to the New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the playoffs. Shesterkin managed a .931 save percentage over the seven-game series.
The deflating elimination prompted the club to fire head coach Gerard Gallant and replace him with Peter Laviolette.
Mark Stone doesn't expect to see Hayden Hodgson any time soon after the Los Angeles Kings winger ignited Wednesday's preseason clash with a gigantic hit on the Vegas Golden Knights captain.
Hodgson caught Stone near the end boards as the latter reached for a loose puck. A lengthy skirmish erupted in the aftermath as Vegas came to the defense of its leader.
Stone didn't mince words after the contest, which ended in a 4-3 overtime win for the Kings.
"That's probably the last time I'll ever play against that guy," Stone told reporters, including FOX 5 Vegas' Vince Sapienza. "Not really much of a player, so I'll leave it at that."
Hodgson has seven NHL games under his belt, each coming with the Philadelphia Flyers over the past two seasons. He's primarily been an ECHL player. The 27-year-old was traded to the Kings in June as part of the three-way trade that sent Cal Petersen and Sean Walker to Philadelphia.
Wednesday's clash was Stone's preseason debut. The veteran winger finished his 2022-23 campaign with a dominant playoff run, collecting 24 points in 22 games as the Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup.
Vegas and Los Angeles will meet once more in the preseason (Oct. 7) before their regular-season tilt on Oct. 28.
The Calgary Flames are closing in on a two-year extension with veteran forward Mikael Backlund worth $4.5 million per season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.
Jason Robertson believes the Dallas Stars are fully equipped to play for the Stanley Cup, and that's his primary goal heading into the 2023-24 season.
"It's winning it all," Robertson told ESPN's Kristen Shilton. "That's what you want to do. We have those expectations. We have the players, the coach that it takes to win. Everyone has a recipe to win. We've got a big forward group, great defensemen, and elite goalie. You have all those criteria that were checked off."
Dallas finished eighth in the NHL standings last season with 108 points and then advanced to the Western Conference Final, where they lost in six games to eventual champions the Vegas Golden Knights.
Even though the Stars boasted one of the deepest forward corps in the NHL a season ago, general manager Jim Nill made a significant splash over the summer by signing veteran Matt Duchene.
"So, we have high expectations this year, and we're fortunate enough to where our GM has built this group well," Robertson said. "And the young guys are going to step up and take control, like me and the younger guys. So, we're excited."
Robertson, 23, was the Stars' driving force offensively, racking up a career-high 109 regular-season points on his way to a first-team All-Star selection and a fourth-place finish in Hart Trophy voting. He also contributed 18 points in 19 postseason contests.
The Stars are set to begin their season Oct. 12 against the St. Louis Blues.
Finding a player hitting his stride at the right time in fantasy hockey can be just as satisfying as landing a bona fide star at the top of your draft. Quality depth is crucial to competing for a championship, and below, we identify options who may fit the bill this coming season.
Here are 10 candidates - ranging from star sophomores to veterans who'll play alongside scoring machines - poised to break out in 2023-24.
Forwards
Matias Maccelli, Coyotes
Norm Hall / National Hockey League / Getty
Maccelli could be one of the best-kept secrets in fantasy hockey this year, and it'd be wise to target him late in your drafts as a breakout option. Though he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting this offseason, he led all freshmen in points per game (0.77) and five-on-five points per 60 (2.21) while ranking second in even-strength points (36) despite appearing in only 64 contests.
Coyotes players typically don't get a ton of action in fantasy, but Arizona did bring in a lot of offensive talent over the summer - and Maccelli is in prime position to benefit. Early projections have him on a line with top prospect Logan Cooley and veteran Jason Zucker, along with deployment on the top power-play unit. Maccelli is a gifted playmaker; a modest uptick in production with the man advantage could make him a worthwhile gamble.
Connor Brown, Oilers
Brown's inclusion on this list is simple: he projects to play alongside Connor McDavid. That should mean career highs across the board for Brown, who's cracked the 20-goal mark twice in his career. Power-play time on Edmonton's stacked top unit will be difficult to come by for the veteran grinder, and a knee injury that limited him to only four games last season is a legitimate concern, but there's no need to overthink this one. Top-line exposure with the best player in the world makes Brown a worthy draft pick this fall.
Owen Tippett, Flyers
Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / Getty
It's common knowledge the Flyers are embarking on a full-scale rebuild, but someone needs to score while they're in the doldrums, and Tippett is the best bet. The 24-year-old, who was the main piece of the return in the Claude Giroux trade in 2022, erupted for 27 goals last season after a previous career high of 10. Another uptick could be on the horizon as he projects to be the Flyers' main triggerman at five-on-five and on the power play.
Tippett's high-end shot was a major reason he was the 10th overall pick in 2017. He fired more pucks than ever last season, with an average of three per game. That would add strong peripheral value to his goals and assists should you roster him. While Philadelphia doesn't have enough talent to push for the playoffs, Tippett will be one of its most heavily involved players. That's often a better situation in fantasy than drafting a player buried on the depth chart of a good team.
Kent Johnson, Blue Jackets
Johnson produced a solid 40 points in his first full NHL campaign last year and showed flashes of the offensive brilliance that made him the fifth overall pick in 2021. His 16 goals and 24 assists came despite averaging only 14:31 per game. An increase in ice time under new coach Pascal Vincent could go a long way toward making Johnson a must-have player.
Players tend to hit sophomore slumps as defenses start to figure them out, but Johnson can be insulated by a ton of talent in Columbus' top six. He could suit up on the left side with captain Boone Jenner or this year's No. 3 pick and former University of Michigan teammate Adam Fantilli - both attractive options. Johnson is likely to slot behind both Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine on the top unit's depth chart. That may prevent him from challenging for the team's scoring title just yet, but it's safe to expect him to elevate his totals in Year 2.
Anthony Beauvillier, Canucks
Derek Cain / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Beauvillier's never topped 40 points through seven seasons in the NHL, but he now has a prime opportunity to set new personal benchmarks as the top left winger on Vancouver's depth chart - and riding shotgun to Elias Pettersson. The pair posted positive metrics and outscored the opposition in just under 300 five-on-five minutes together after Beauvillier arrived from the Islanders last season. It's fair to assume coach Rick Tocchet will allow them to re-establish their chemistry.
Clinging to Pettersson is an easy way for any player to up their point totals. But Beauvillier is worth an extra look come draft season if he snags a piece of Vancouver's loaded top power-play unit, which could also feature J.T. Miller, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Quinn Hughes. Beauvillier won't be the driving force of the Canucks' offense at five-on-five or with the man advantage, but points are points, and he's well-positioned to rack them up as it stands.
Defensemen
Evan Bouchard, Oilers
Listing Bouchard here kind of feels like cheating considering he had 17 points in 12 playoff games just a few months ago, but we expect the young blue-liner to evolve from a household name into a bona fide superstar this coming fantasy season. After all, the young rearguard runs point on one of the best power plays in NHL history. While it's easy to dish it off to McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, Bouchard's capable of creating goals himself thanks to a bomb of a shot, bringing an entirely new element to the Oilers' man advantage.
He notched 19 of his 40 points last season in just 21 contests after taking over top-unit responsibilities. The sky's the limit over a full 82-game slate.
Jake Sanderson, Senators
Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / Getty
It's time for the Senators' $64.4-million defenseman to show the hockey world what he's capable of. Many scoffed when Ottawa awarded the 21-year-old an eight-year extension after just 77 NHL games played, but Sanderson quietly produced 32 points, including 17 on the power play, in his freshman campaign. Wrangling the top-unit spot from Thomas Chabot is a long shot, but Sanderson has shown he's more than capable of filling in for the oft-injured veteran.
Sanderson averaged nearly 22 minutes per game as a rookie, most of which came behind one of Ottawa's stacked top two lines. If he doesn't get adequate power-play time, five-on-five production shouldn't be much of an issue given who he projects to share the ice with. His 147 blocks also offer enticing value elsewhere if you're in a banger league.
Luke Hughes, Devils
Hughes' status as a breakout candidate might be best served in keeper or dynasty leagues, but the 20-year-old turned heads this past spring with four points in five games between the regular season and playoffs after the Devils pried him from the University of Michigan. His inclusion on this list is largely based on reputation - his older brothers Quinn and Jack sure are doing alright for themselves - rather than an elite lineup situation. Still, the youngest Hughes should get power-play time with New Jersey's second unit and generate plenty of looks at even strength with a strong supporting cast of forwards.
Goalies
Devon Levi, Sabres
Bill Wippert / Getty Images
Investing in a rookie goaltender - in fantasy and real life - can be a frightening proposition, but Levi is too tantalizing of a talent to ignore. The 21-year-old will backstop the up-and-coming Sabres in his first full campaign after going 5-2 with a .905 save percentage in his first taste of the NHL late in 2022-23.
Those numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but Levi's amateur track record speaks for itself. He was a Hobey Baker finalist twice at Northeastern, where he also was named collegiate goaltender of the year in both of his NCAA seasons. Levi also won world championship gold with Canada, albeit in a limited role, to further strengthen his pedigree. We're not suggesting you bet on Levi to win the Vezina in his rookie year. But Buffalo would've made the playoffs with stronger goaltending last year, and its new netminder looks like the answer.
Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes
Kochetkov is buried behind Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta on Carolina's depth chart, but the veteran duo is highly injury-prone, which could open the door for the 24-year-old. The Hurricanes clearly believe in Kochetkov as a viable NHL goaltender, as they signed him a four-year extension in November with only a handful of games under his belt.
Should Kochetkov find his way into Carolina's crease, he can be trusted to rack up wins behind Rod Brind'Amour's defensive structure. He went 12-7-5 in his chances last season while posting a respectable .909 save percentage.
New York Rangers veteran Vincent Trocheck has lofty expectations for his team this coming season after a disappointing first-round exit over the spring.
"This team has been looked at as a team that can take the next step in the future for a while now. That future is now. We don't have all this time to waste. It's put up or shut up at this point."
The Rangers have made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons after only making it once - the qualifying round of the 2020 bubble postseason - in the four years prior.
New York reached the Eastern Conference Final in its return to the playoffs in 2022 but blew a 3-1 series lead to the rival New Jersey Devils in the opening round in 2023, Trocheck's first season with the club. The early elimination led to the firing of head coach Gerard Gallant, who led the team to 110- and 107-point seasons in two years at the helm.
The Rangers were commonly viewed as a young team on the rise under Gallant, but Trocheck believes New York has the necessary experience to be a contender.
"We don't have that 'get to the playoffs and that's success' mentality," he said. "We know how awful it was losing in the first round last year, so we're coming in here, and we mean business. You get sick of losing."
Trocheck managed 64 points in 82 games in his first season on Broadway, then added a single goal in the playoffs. He'll begin his 11th NHL campaign on Oct.12 when the Rangers meet the Buffalo Sabres.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will explore giving Auston Matthews a role on the penalty kill this coming season, and the two-time "Rocket" Richard winner is all for the new opportunity.
"You're down a man but at the same time, it's hockey, a lot of anticipation, a lot of reads, and I feel like I have a good stick and can break up plays," Matthews said, according to NHL.com's Dave McCarthy. "I'd love to be utilized on it."
Matthews has only logged 24:19 on the kill since entering the league in 2016-17. He does boast some skills that could translate to the role, as he ranks fourth among all forwards in blocks (443) and fifth in takeaways (447) over the past seven seasons.
"I've always thought of it too when you go out against guys like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on the penalty kill, it definitely makes you think a little bit more maybe just because not only are they very good defensively, they can knock pucks out of the air and force you to make plays in tough positions and then transition the other way," Matthews said.
"Obviously, you're not trying to score every time you are out there, but there's definitely a lot of opportunity there and something I definitely want to embrace."
Toronto had the NHL's 12th-ranked penalty kill last season at 81.9%, then struggled in the playoffs with a 73.3% clip. The Maple Leafs lost several shorthanded contributors over the offseason, including Noel Acciari, Ryan O'Reilly, and Alex Kerfoot.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe said the roster overhaul has played a part in the decision to give Matthews a look.
"A need and a void perhaps is the best way to describe it," Keefe said. "This will be a longer look for him just to get comfortable and familiar with it. ... Ideally for me, Auston is comfortable to take penalty-kill reps, same with (William Nylander) who has killed more than Auston over the last couple of seasons and will take a bigger step this year as well, but also have others step up so depending on what the game is calling for, we can utilize different people in different situations."
Matthews registered 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games last season, a notable step back from his 2021-22 MVP campaign when he notched 60 tallies and 46 helpers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will let defensemen Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang share the ice on the man advantage.
"The power play is very important to Erik and Kris," head coach Mike Sullivan told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "So we'll start with both of them on the top unit. And so we'll see how it goes. We've got a lot of options."
Karlsson's future power-play usage was a notable topic of discussion when Pittsburgh acquired him from the San Jose Sharks over the offseason, as Letang has run the top unit for much of his 17-year career.
There don't appear to be any hard feelings between the two stars, though, with Letang having reportedly endorsed the team's pursuit of the reigning Norris Trophy winner before the deal was struck.
Along with the two veteran defensemen, Pittsburgh's No. 1 power play will likely feature Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jake Guentzel - who may miss some time at the start of the season due to an ankle injury.
The Penguins ranked 14th in the NHL in power-play proficiency last season at 21.7%. Karlsson notched 27 of his 101 points with the man advantage. He has 273 power-play points to his credit through 14 NHL seasons.
Letang contributed 21 power-play points in 2022-23. Since Karlsson broke into the NHL in 2009-10, he and Letang rank first and fifth, respectively, among all blue-liners in power-play production.
Many eyes will be on the new-look Penguins this coming year after they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06. The team underwent significant changes to the front office and roster this offseason.
Pittsburgh's season opener comes Oct. 10 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Colorado Avalanche blue-liner Devon Toews prefers to ink an extension before his fourth campaign with the club begins in October.
"I'd rather it not drag on into the season," Toews said Wednesday, per Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports. "My intent is to stay here for the rest of my career. If we're able to get that done, that would be awesome."
Toews became eligible to ink a new deal in July. He's under contract for the 2023-24 season at a bargain $4.1-million cap hit and would headline the crop of defensive unrestricted free agents if he were to hit the open market next summer.
The 29-year-old is an integral piece of Colorado's core as Cale Makar's primary partner on the club's top pairing. The Avalanche acquired Toews from the New York Islanders before the 2020-21 season, and since arriving in Denver, he ranks second among all-blue liners in GAR (53.2) and WAR (9.3), a metric designed by Evolving-Hockey to measure an individual player's impact on a team's success.
Toews notched 50 points this past season and averaged more than 25 minutes per contest. He's collected 29 goals and 109 assists with the Avalanche and played a key role in their run to the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Colorado is currently projected to have approximately $10 million in cap space for next season, per CapFriendly, although the $87.5-million threshold estimate isn't a guarantee. The Avalanche's annual pay structure is led by Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million) and Makar ($9 million).
Toews has a strong case to at least double his current AAV. Zach Werenski ($9.58 million), Charlie McAvoy ($9.5 million), Adam Fox ($9.5 million), Mikhail Sergachev ($8.8 million), and Miro Heiskanen ($8.45 million) are among the notable star defenders to sign extensions over the past few years.
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson spoke glowingly of Connor Bedard following the phenom's impressive showing at the club's rookie tournament over the weekend.
"The amount of attention, expectations, not just now but in the past, has been something that is rarely seen," Davidson told NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "I can't speak more highly of how he's handled it, how he's not let it impact his focus and what he thinks is important and the work he needs to put in, both on and off the ice, to perform at the level he expects of himself."
He added, "Incredibly mature and impressive for an 18-year-old coming into a very unique situation."
Bedard dazzled in his unofficial Blackhawks debut, notching a hat trick against the St. Louis Blues with the lethal wrist shot that helped make him the most hyped prospect since Connor McDavid was drafted first overall in 2015.
🎩🎩🎩 BEDARD HAT TRICK 🎩🎩🎩
Connor Bedard put on a show at the prospect showcase in Saint Paul! 😤
"It's an elite shot. He loves to use it," Davidson said. "I don't think we learned or confirmed anything there that wasn't fairly well documented."
Chicago drafted Bedard with the top pick after he put up a whopping 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games for the WHL's Regina Pats last season. He also recorded 23 points in seven contests at the world juniors en route to a gold medal for Canada as well as tournament MVP.
Expectations are sky-high for the British Columbia native as he approaches his rookie season, but Davidson is confident Bedard can embrace whatever is thrown his way.
"We'll let him and his play do the talking," he said. "I'm sure the expectations he's been followed with for a long time. I'm sure he'll handle it just fine."
The Blackhawks open training camp this week then kick off their regular season Oct. 10 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
