Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians and Happy Columbus Day to my fellow Americans. 

This is the first time in head-to-head leagues we’ll get a full week of play, and as a result, no team will play more than four games or fewer than three. It’ll be much easier to manage than Week 1, where I imagine managers were scrambling to fill out their rosters for a last-ditch effort on Sunday with only one game (Capitals at Rangers) and making difficult roster decisions on Thursday (14 games) and Saturday (16 games).

If you want to maximize games played in Week 2, stream players from teams that play twice from Monday to Wednesday (Panthers, Predators, Senators, Wild, Mammoth, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, Lightning, Blues, Flames) and three times from Thursday to Sunday (Bruins, Oilers, Canucks). If you want multi-category coverage with some offensive upside, you might consider streaming Shane Pinto for the first part and Evander Kane for the second part, for example.

[Join or create a fantasy hockey league for the 2025-26 NHL season]

If you’re all about streaming players on off-nights (M/W/F/Sun), it’s a pretty good week to do so with the Mammoth, Red Wings and Blackhawks doing just that. I think the Mammoth have a really favorable schedule and the 'Hawks have looked much better than expected. At a minimum, the Chicago should be able to split the week and win at least two games. The Ducks are normally great for off-nights, but note they’re playing Tuesday and Thursday this week, which is somewhat unusual considering they’re playing at home as well. 

We shouldn’t overreact to Week 1, but there are a few things that have already happened, or haven’t happened yet, that I will outline in the recommended pickups below. There are players worth noting and the list will inevitably get shorter as we move through the first month, but a reminder this is a great time to pick up a potentially season-altering player at a minimal cost.  

All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy.

Week 2 schedule analysis

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. Points percentages are as of Saturday evening.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Adds

Season-long adds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Will Smith, C/RW, SJ (42% rostered)

Smith and Macklin Celebrini didn’t get off to a great start but provided three helpers each in a 7-6 overtime loss to the Ducks. The scoring may be sporadic but the upside is immense with Smith and Celebrini playing together.

Elias Lindholm, C, BOS (44% rostered)

Even if the Bruins don’t keep up this pace, Lindholm’s hold on L1 and PP1 is near-unassailable. His shot volume is up, which is a good sign that his scoring pace can be maintained for the foreseeable future and he’s always been of the league’s best for faceoff wins.

Jared McCann, C/LW, SEA (31% rostered)

I think the fantasy community is down on the Kraken because they’re a very mid offensive team, but we shouldn’t overlook McCann as one of the more reliable 30-goal, 200-shot players out there. He should be rostered in nearly all standard leagues for his offense.  

Marco Rossi, C, MIN (29% rostered)

I still wouldn’t rule out the occasional benching but the Wild are an offensive machine when Rossi’s line with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov are on the ice. They have a 62.75% of the shot share and generate 87 shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. I’ve seen enough of Rossi to recommend rostering him in all leagues for his upside in points. 

Frank Nazar, C, CHI (38% rostered)

If Connor Bedard used the naysayers as jet fuel, then Nazar has used it as rocket fuel. He’s up to a goal and five points in three games this season and taken a load off Bedard’s shoulders, emerging as a legitimate No. 2 center. This is shaping up to be a huge breakout season for Nazar. 

Sam Rinzel, D, CHI (39% rostered)

Do not be surprised if the Calder Trophy race is an all-defenseman affair this season with Rinzel joining Matthew Schaefer and Zeev Buium. Rinzel skated just 19:03 against the Bruins because he took a hard hit from Nikita Zadorov and took a few shifts off, but he was right back at it next game skating 25:58 and scored his first goal of the season. If you’re still looking for a defenseman, Rinzel’s one of the few top-pairing players available.

Mid-term holds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Brock Boeser, RW, VAN (45% rostered)
Evander Kane, LW, VAN (35% rostered)

Both Kane and Boeser play PP1. Boeser has a bit more upside playing L1 but considering Adam Foote is a big proponent of more physical play — both as a coach and definitely when he was playing — I think he’s taken a liking to Kane because he’s got an edge that the other Canucks wingers don’t. I think Boeser and Kane offer just modest offensive upside — think 60 points — but the Canucks play a league-high four games in Week 2. 

Logan Stankoven, C/RW, CAR (37% rostered)

I think the Hurricanes have found their No. 2 center. It’s early still, but if this continues, Stankoven will have plenty of value going forward considering how Rod Brind’Amour likes a lot of familiarity with his lines and spreading out the minutes.

Zachary Bolduc, RW, MTL (29% rostered)

That’s now a goal in three straight games for Bolduc, and with increasing ice time, I think Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis has his new favorite player. There’s good shot volume and I get the feeling Bolduc will start pushing for power-play time soon. 

Matty Beniers, C, SEA (13% rostered)

Maybe? ... Beniers has scored three points in two games and we’ve been waiting for his offense to come alive. I’m still not sure if this is real or not, but it does look like Beniers has a bit more explosiveness to his game. McCann is the Kraken’s best goal-scoring winger so that’s a good setup for Beniers.

Filip Hronek, D, VAN (36% rostered)

Hronek is a very reliable depth defenseman in multi-category leagues. He skated over 27 minutes Saturday against the Oilers, and through two games has five hits and four blocks. He’s averaging over 24 minutes per game, and Hronek and Quinn Hughes are the only two Canucks defensemen to average over 20 minutes. 

Short-term streamers (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Evan Rodrigues, C/LW/RW, FLA (11% rostered)

Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett are the immediate beneficiaries of the ice time left by Aleksander Barkov, but Rodrigues has picked up some of the slack, too. He’s scored three points in three games and his ice time has continued to creep up. The perfect 3-0-0 Panthers have four games on the road with at least two opponents — Sabres and Flyers — who don’t defend very well.

Barrett Hayton, C, UTA (5% rostered)

Word is that Hayton’s return is imminent, and he’ll likely resume his 1C duties with Clayton Keller on his left wing as had been the case for most of last season and training camp. He scored career highs in points (46) and power-play points (15) last season, and he’s generally quite good for faceoff wins. 

Kevin Lankinen, G, VAN (14% rostered)

With the way Thatcher Demko is playing and with the way the Canucks have used him so far, Lankinen might be used like a traditional backup, spelling Demko only if he needs rest — what an expensive one, too, at $4.5 million. Target date is Friday in Chicago where Lankinen might face his former team. He’s never lost to them with a career 3-0-0 record, .934 SV% and 2.00 GAA. 

Jesper Wallstedt, G, MIN (3% rostered)

The Wild have a pair of back-to-backs coming up, which means we might see Wallstedt twice in Week 2. He’s a highly-touted goalie coming off a very poor year in the AHL and his NHL career has not gone to plan so far with a .877 SV% and 3.44 GAA in five starts. This will be his first real test and the best date for streaming him is Saturday in Philly if he gets that start. The one thing I am confident is the Wild’s offense — it looks like it could be top five this season — which means plenty of goal support. Wallstedt will need it. 

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Welcome back! 

As I’ve done for the past few seasons, this column will highlight the upcoming schedule for head-to-head leagues and offer suggestions on season-long adds, mid-term holds and short-term streamers for fantasy hockey. 

With the opening night triple-header starting on Tuesday, note the deadline for all 32 teams to submit their rosters is Monday at 5 p.m. ET. 

As of this publication, rosters have not been finalized, although some teams only have a few players remaining to cut. As always in the first few weeks of the NHL season, there will be a lot of moving parts and roster adjustments, from players coming back from injury to prospects getting sent back to their junior teams to coaches figuring out the lines they like best. 

In Week 1, the Rangers will be the only team to play four games, and they’re one of two teams to play a weekend back-to-back following a day off for the entire league on Friday. That means most matchups will be determined by Saturday evening, so plan accordingly.

[Join or create a fantasy hockey league for the 2025-26 NHL season]

If you want to maximize games played, I’d suggest streaming a player from a team that plays twice from Tuesday to Thursday – the Golden Knights, Panthers, Habs, Avalanche, Flames, Penguins, Kings, Bruins, Blackhawks – and then streaming a Rangers or Capitals player over the weekend. 

Because Thursday is so busy, and to avoid roster crowding and sitting active players on your bench, I suggest streaming a Kings player for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday when they play back-to-back, and then picking up a Rangers player for three games Thursday to Sunday, giving you potentially five games worth of production. It’s a sneaky way to pick up an extra game when 21 teams play only twice. 

Also note seven teams — Rangers, Knights, Caps, Habs, Flames, Kings, Bruins — play back-to-back, so backup goalies will see action. This is an early chance to stream backups should you desire, and the matchups I have my eye on include Jonathan Quick (NYR) on Saturday in Pittsburgh, Joonas Korpisalo (BOS) on Thursday against the Hawks and Charlie Lindgren (WAS) over the weekend against the Isles or Rangers. 

I hope the information provided in this column and in the coming weeks is helpful. Thanks for reading and your support. Good luck!

All positions and roster percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy.

Week 1 schedule breakdown

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. Points percentages are from the 2024-25 season.

Season-long adds

Anze Kopitar, C, LA (52% rostered)
Sean Monahan, C, CBJ (51% rostered)

I can see why fantasy managers are reluctant to roster both Kopitar and Monahan – they’re getting older and Quinton Byfield and Adam Fantilli, respectively, threaten their roles as No. 1 centers. However, it’s too soon to write off the veterans, and I imagine the transition to Byfield and Fantilli will be gradual. In leagues that count faceoff wins, Kopitar and Monahan are still definitely worth rostering.

Will Smith, C/RW, SJ (45% rostered)

If you have Macklin Celebrini on your roster, I highly recommend rostering Smith, too. Smith had a slow start, but after moving to Celebrini’s right wing, his offense took off and he finished with 32 points in 42 games in the second half of the season. Celebrini and Smith are expected to play together all season and will lead the Sharks’ attack.

Will Cuylle, LW/RW, NYR (43% rostered)

Cuylle is a great streaming option in Week 1 because the Rangers play four games, but beyond that, he’s a 20-goal, 300-hit threat. That’s a rare combo in fantasy, and he’s slated to play on the second line with captain J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, and on the second power-play unit. Watch Cuylle graduate from this list after a couple weeks. 

Anton Lundell, C, FLA (23% rostered)

The Panthers are loathe to break up that Luostarinen-Lundell-Marchand line that helped them secure a second Cup, and Sam Bennett has been tasked to center Aleksander Barkov’s usual line. However, do not rule out Lundell getting moved to the top scoring line. At worst, Lundell is an all-round 2C who can offer points, shots, hits and faceoff wins.

Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, STL (20% rostered)

Give it a month or so before Snuggerud graduates from this list. He was really good with eight points in 14 regular season and playoff games combined after three standout seasons with the University of Minnesota. He’s an excellent goal scorer with potential for hits and will play on the first line and PP1 to start the season. Get in on the ground floor. 

Rasmus Andersson, D, CGY (50% rostered)

That minus-38 rating from last season likely scared some people away, but think of the upside with 40 points, 150 shots and 200 blocks. Only three players registered more than 200 blocks last season – Ian Cole, Jacob Trouba and Nick Seeler – and none of them can come close to scoring 40 points. Andersson’s fantasy value could also get a slight boost if the Flames trade him, depending on the team and his new role.

Filip Hronek, D, VAN (39% rostered)

A defenseman who can score 40 points, provide another 100 blocks and 100 hits, and share the ice with Quinn Hughes is definitely worth your time. The Canucks will be leaning on their top pairing heavily all season with Hronek quarterbacking the second PP unit.

John Gibson, G, DET (37% rostered)

I don’t think the Wings acquired Gibson so they can run a tandem with Cam Talbot, though it could happen. Gibson has not been very valuable in fantasy in quite some time but there’s definitely some optimism; his .911 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average last season were his best numbers in six seasons, and he’s likely going to get around 50 starts. The volume’s probably there; you just hope quality comes with it.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, BUF (32% rostered)

The Sabres look great on paper but can never put it together, and Luukkonen was battling some sort of injury during camp. However, he is capable of stealing games, and on the off-chance the Sabres manage to pull it together, he’s going to get a lot of starts as their incumbent starter. If Alex Lyon or Alexandar Georgiev take over, that means something really went wrong.

Mid-term holds

Patrik Laine, LW/RW, MTL (40% rostered)

Laine’s a frustrating player, both in real life and in fantasy, because he’s so inconsistent. He is, however, usually quite excellent on the power play. The Habs face the Red Wings, who had the league’s worst penalty kill last season, and the lottery-bound Blackhawks in Week 1. 

Marco Rossi, C, MIN (27% rostered)

The Wild lineup is quite fluid and, as of now, Rossi’s going to open the season as their top center potentially between Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. That’s a dream setup for the young center, and I wouldn’t read too much into his playoff benching. Only in multi-category leagues does Joel Eriksson Ek have a definitive edge in fantasy value over Rossi. 

Josh Norris, C, BUF (27% rostered)

Norris is excellent for goals, hits and faceoff wins until his inevitable injury. The Sabres seem intent on moving Tage Thompson to the right wing and installing Norris as the center on their top line. The Sabres are a good offensive team and ranked 10th in goals per game last season.

Marco Kasper, C/LW, DET (21% rostered)

Kasper had an underrated rookie season (37 points, 156 hits) though prone to hot streaks, including January when he scored 12 points in 14 games and April when he scored seven in nine. It worries me a little that he’s so weak in the dot, which means he could move back to the wing, but he’s slated to center Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. That’s a great setup for a young player ready to break out.

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW/RW, LA (19% rostered)

All you’re going to get from Kuzmenko is points, and that’s okay for a waiver-wire pickup. He showed great chemistry with Kopitar and Adrian Kempe upon joining the Kings, and he’s slated to play with them again on the first line and PP1. 

Matt Coronato, RW, CGY (19% rostered)

Coronato is the Flames’ best natural goal-scorer and should lead the team in goals if Nazem Kadri is traded. A stacked top line for the Flames includes Coronato, Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau, but so far they seem intent on breaking them up to balance the lines. Had their top line stayed intact, I’d consider Coronato more of a season-long hold for L1/PP1 exposure and 35-goal upside.

Sam Rinzel, D, CHI (86% rostered)

I wouldn’t read too much into the Blackhawks signing defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, though it does threaten Rinzel’s role as PP1 QB. I think Rinzel’s job is safe, for now, and he was excellent late last season with five assists in nine games, including three on the PP. The 'Hawks PP was actually quite good last season (24.9%, seventh), and PPP are hard to find among defensemen.

Anthony DeAngelo, D, NYI (16% rostered)

Interesting value proposition here. DeAngelo is arguably the Isles’ best puck-moving defenseman and the most ideal option to quarterback PP1, but he scored just four of his 19 points with the man-advantage last season on a dreadful power play that ranked 31st. However, I think that may change with a healthy Mathew Barzal. As with Rinzel, there’s value for being a PP1 QB, even on a mediocre team. 

Jamie Drysdale, D, PHI (11% rostered)

Speaking of quarterbacking mediocre teams, Drysdale will get that coveted role in Philly. The difference here is the Flyers have Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras, two puck wizards who can really elevate their power play after finishing 30th last season. I have doubts about Drysdale’s ability to hold onto this role all season, but let’s wait and see. Good things might happen.

Jet Greaves, G, CBJ (38% rostered)

A little surprising to me that the Jackets’ goalies are so unloved even though this team is clearly on an upward trajectory. I get Elvis Merzlikins is unreliable and Greaves has almost no track record, but Greaves also has a decent chance to take over as the No. 1 following last season’s 7-2-2, 1.91 GAA, .938 SV% showing. Given how dire goaltending can be in fantasy, I think Greaves is worth stashing.

Short-term streamers

Michael Misa, C, SJ (26% rostered)

I’m curious to see if the Sharks will give Misa an audition or if they really plan on keeping him for the entire season. With Celebrini and Smith, the Sharks have shown they’re not afraid to play young centers at their natural position even though it’s the most difficult forward position to play at this level. If Misa stays, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a Calder Trophy contender. In keeper leagues, Misa’s worth tracking right now.

Ryan Leonard, RW, WSH (11% rostered)

Leonard is a high-energy player who scores a lot of goals and dishes out a lot of hits. I’d be more enamored with Leonard’s fantasy value if he was playing higher in the lineup, but I also think the Caps’ lines will keep changing until they decide if they want to play Connor McMichael at center. The dream for Leonard would be to play on the top two lines, either opposite Alex Ovechkin or with Pierre-Luc Dubois. With the requisite ice time, Leonard can be a top Calder candidate.

Trent Frederic, C/LW/RW, EDM (11% rostered)

Until Zach Hyman comes back, Frederic is slated to play on the right wing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, though only at even strength and not on the power play. I don’t think Frederic’s going to light the lamp, but it’s a great situation to be in for the short term. 

Scott Wedgewood, G, COL (33% rostered)

With Mackenzie Blackwood nursing an injury and in danger of missing the season opener, don’t be surprised if the Avs roll with Wedgewood for a little while. He’s a capable backup that went 13-4-1 for them last season, and might get all three games in Week 1 because I don’t think Trent Miner is a viable option. The Avs were around .500 until November last season when they overhauled their goaltending, and I don’t think they want to be in a position with a bad goalie in net again. 

Joonas Korpisalo, G, BOS (1% rostered)

If Jeremy Swayman gets the season opener in D.C. on Wednesday, expect Korpisalo to get the home opener Thursday against the Hawks. That’s a good matchup even for Korpisalo, who was excellent at home last season (6-2-3, .914 SV%, 2.32 GAA) despite mediocre overall numbers (11-10-3, .893 SV%, 2.90 GAA). 

I shudder to think what the Knights may do with a top-five offense that added Mitch Marner, a perennial 100-point threat with excellent playmaking and defensive ability that you can play in any situation.

It does make a lot of logical sense to play Marner and Jack Eichel, a worthy MVP candidate last season, on separate lines given their ability to drive play themselves. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least early in the season, with the Knights toying with the idea of stacking their top line. It’s not something they’ve ever had the luxury to do; while they’ve gone after some big names, an Eichel-Marner combo would be the best they ever had, and arguably a top-five duo in the league.

That Marner cost them nothing but cap space should push the Knights offense to an even higher level. To date, only one team in the cap era, the 2021-22 Panthers with Jonathan Huberdeau (115 points), Aleksander Barkov (88 points) and Sam Reinhart (82), has ever averaged more than four goals per game. Can the Knights do this? On paper, I think it’s totally possible. THN Yearbook & Fantasy Guide projects Eichel and Marner to combine for 199 points this season.

It won’t cost the Knights a balanced lineup, either, considering Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson are as good as you can get with your No. 2 and 3 centers. Mark Stone is still a fantastic Selke-level winger when healthy, and Pavel Dorofeyev (35 goals in 82 games), Ivan Barbashev (21 even-strength goals) and Brett Howden (22 even-strength goals) can provide scoring from the other lines. The Knights can throw out three scoring lines on a nightly basis no matter how they configure their players.

There are no shortage of quality fantasy options here with Eichel and Marner both worth first-round picks in standard 12- or 14-team leagues, and then having a minimum of three others – Dorofeyev, Hertl, Theodore – worth rostering even in the shallowest of leagues.

Where the Knights will certainly feel a hit, however, is the absence of Alex Pietrangelo due to injury. There’s no replacing a player of his caliber and it puts a lot of emphasis on their current top trio, Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb and Noah Hanifin, to pick up the slack. Zach Whitecloud joins the top four, but the jury’s still out on a defensemen entering his age-29 season who has never averaged more than 18 minutes per game. Jeremy Lauzon, who will likely anchor their third pairing, is worth noting due to his significant potential for hits, who played himself into banger league relevance after leading the league with 386 hits in 2023-24.

Goaltending is somewhat dicey if only because the Knights have zero depth behind Adin Hill. At one point they had a parade of capable backups, but Akira Schmid played in just five games last season and through four seasons has started just 36 games. Hill is coming off the first season in which he appeared in at least 50 games, and his play held up a lot better than I thought, but there’s little margin for error. At least with Ilya Samsonov last season, he brought plenty of experience and still had stretches where he was very reliable, including a perfect 4-0-0 in December last season with a .948 SP and 1.25 GAA.

Prediction:

Even with some question marks regarding their depth on defense and in net, the Knights win their third division banner in four seasons with an outstanding offense. Even with a new team, Marner acclimates himself well with the Knights in the Western Conference, where he can live with relative anonymity compared to being the hometown franchise savior in Toronto.

A looming free agency for Eichel has very little cause for concern given how well he’s fit on the Knights. With plenty of deals expiring this season and the next – Karlsson, Stone, Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, Jeremy Lauzon among them – the Knights have the cap space and plenty of proof they can be a contender for season to come, making it easy to convince Eichel to stay.

As the Central Division teams beat each other into oblivion with the divisional playoff format, the Knights will have a clear path to the conference final and beyond. Their main rival remains the Oilers, who don’t offer as much depth as the Knights and have even bigger questions in goal.

All stats courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, moneypuck.com, hockeyviz.com, allthreezones.com, hockey-reference.com, eliteprospects.com unless otherwise noted.

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Found Money - Aug. 8 2025 - Vol. 79 Issue 1 - Murray Townsend

OLDTIMERS WILL remember the term ‘Bonus Babies’ was once used to describe young baseball players who received huge signing bonuses for their first pro contracts. Eventually, you’d have had to call everybody a bonus baby, so the term went out of fashion, just like Cooperalls.

We’re reinventing the term and bringing it back. Because we have the power to do that. Cooperalls? Not so much.

Our definition, however, has nothing to do with money. Our bonus babies are players who can provide fantasy managers an unexpected, well, bonus. Not that they will do so, just that they could. These are players who, if certain circumstances change or otherwise fall into place, could score much more than currently anticipated and who, therefore, deserve more than the regular consideration in your fantasy drafts.

Maybe a trade or injury elevates them unexpectedly up the depth chart. Maybe the recently fired coach didn’t like them for some reason. Maybe it’s a free-agency year and they know they’ve got to improve their stats. Maybe they’re starting fresh with a new team. The possibilities are endless.

Of course, we’re keeping it within the realms of reality. We’re not going to consider a player way down the Oilers’ depth chart a bonus baby just because GM Stan Bowman could trade Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid and open up a bunch of power-play time in Edmonton.

Speaking of McDavid, it was once the case that you could find your bonus babies simply by seeing who was playing on a line with a superstar. Wayne Gretzky did it for Dave Semenko and Mike Krushelnyski. It hasn’t quite worked out the same way with McDavid and Draisaitl’s linemates – save for Zach Hyman – and even that was only really the case for one year. Times change.

To that end, here are some potential bonus babies for the 2025-26 fantasy season.

More Fantasy Hockey: Why Golden Knights' Pavel Dorofeyev Will Be A League Winner in Fantasy

OLEN ZELLWEGER - ANA

Though undersized, especially for a blueliner, Zellweger has a ton of offensive ability. With new coach Joel Quenneville on board, there will be changes to what was the NHL’s worst power play in 2024-25. That could leave Zellweger – not Jackson LaCombe – as the top-unit PP defenseman. Zellweger had just 20 points in his first full season last year, but that’s just a start. There’s plenty more to come.

TREVOR ZEGRAS – PHI

Zegras floundered in Anaheim the past two seasons, partly due to injuries, but his situation changes completely with the trade to Philadelphia. He should immediately play on the top line and first power-play unit, which should give him the chance to get his burgeoning career back on track.

IVAN BARBASHEV – VEG

Barbashev could be the bonus baby of the year. He’s coming off a 51-point campaign – not bad for a secondary scorer. The thing is, 48 of those points were at even strength. What if he earns more power-play time this year? It’s not out of the realm of possibilities. After all, he has gotten some power-play time in the past, but he just hasn’t been used as a top-unit PP guy in Vegas yet. As an added bonus, he could well find himself playing 5-on-5 minutes with Mitch Marner, whose very job is to help other players score. That all bodes very well.

FILIP HRONEK – VAN

Hronek is a talented offensive defenseman who just so happens to be stuck playing behind one of the NHL’s elite offensive blueliners in Quinn Hughes. A trade would be a massive boon to Hronek’s production.

JOEL HOFER – STL

Among NHL backups from last season, Hofer is the most qualified to be a No. 1 goalie. To get there, Hofer would need a trade. Whether that trade saw Hofer shipped out from St. Louis or the Blues’ current No. 1, Jordan Binnington, being the one to go is immaterial. Either way, Hofer would be getting more ice.

More Fantasy Hockey: Jets' Perfetti Presents Sleeper Case With New Elite Linemates, Bigger Workload

JACK QUINN & ZACH BENSON – BUF

It will be either a Jack attack or a Zach attack in Buffalo. The Sabres need someone to fill the hole created in the lineup by the JJ Peterka trade. The right winger gave the Sabres 68 points last season, and Quinn and Benson are the players most likely to step up and fill the void.

Hofer is 25 with excellent credentials and stuckbehind Binnington. One trade would make him a starter.

NICK LARDIS – CHI

Look, Lardis is not even expected to play in the NHL this year, but he scored 71 freakin’ goals last year with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. And then he scored 11 more in seven playoff games. What if the 2023 third-round pick makes the team right out of training camp? Then we have ourselves a bonus baby.

NICK ROBERTSON – TOR

He’s never hit his stride with the Maple Leafs, and he believes a change of scenery would do it for him. Maybe he’s right. The potential is there.

More Fantasy Hockey: Who’s #1? New List Ranking the Top 50 NHL Skaters for the 2025–26 Season

JET GREAVES – CLB

Greaves is a veteran of this realm, albeit not at the NHL level. After playing with the Cambridge Hawks U-16 AAA team, he hoped to jump to the OHL. But he had to play a year of Jr. B before earning an OHL deal with the Barrie Colts, who’d drafted him the previous April. After each of his two years with the Colts, Greaves hoped to be taken in the NHL draft, but he was passed up in both instances. Eventually, Greaves earned an NHL contract after a strong 2021-22 split between the ECHL and AHL. And after a great 2024-25 season with AHL Cleveland, he was called up by the Blue Jackets and carried them down the stretch, almost helping them to the playoffs. Now, he’s in a position to play his first full NHL season – and defy expectations again.

ZEEV BUIUM – MIN

Could he be the next Lane Hutson? Buium signed with Minnesota after a great couple of seasons with the University of Denver. He didn’t get into a regular-season contest with the Wild but got in four playoff games. Hutson had 49 points at Boston University before signing with Montreal, playing a few games and then exploding this past season. Buium had 48 points at the University of Denver. Similar situations.

RYAN LEONARD – WSH

After wrapping up his season with Boston College, the 2023 draft’s eighth-overall pick struggled to produce with the Capitals. Leonard notched one goal and one assist in 17 combined regular-season and playoff games. Not exactly encouraging for fantasy players. But, make no mistake, he’s a scorer, and he’s going to score in the NHL. This year, he could play on the first, second, third or fourth line in Washington – or on the first line for AHL Hershey. He’s a wild card.

MATEJ BLUMEL – BOS

Three years in the Dallas Stars organization provided him with just 13 NHL games, but his situation has changed. After leading the AHL in goals last season with 39, he signed as a free agent with Boston. He’s not pencilled into the Bruins’ starting lineup or even at the top of the injury-replacement list, but maybe, just maybe, he gets a chance at some point and makes good with the Bruins.

More Fantasy Hockey: Red Wings Fantasy Hockey Outlook: Kasper and Gibson Potential League Winners

JOHN GIBSON – DET

His situation changed during the summer. After slipping into mediocrity and then a backup role in Anaheim, the former elite No. 1 goalie got a reset after a trade to Detroit. At 32, Gibson is still young for a goalie, and he can revitalize his career.

JESPERI KOTKANIEMI – CAR

Do you believe in miracles? If so, there’s hope.

BOWEN BYRAM – BUF

There were constant trade rumors surrounding Byram prior to him signing with the Sabres, but it was just a two-year deal, so maybe he still gets moved. Players who leave Buffalo have gone on to considerable success elsewhere. Sam Reinhart is an obvious recent example, but there’s also Jack Eichel, Brandon Montour and Ryan O’Reilly among others.

THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen highlights his best picks in the final day of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.

Goalies

Jet Greaves, CBJ vs. NYI (7% rostered)

There is zero reason the Jackets shouldn’t go back to Greaves, who’s now 4-0-0 with two shutouts over the past week, even though the Habs clinched the final playoff spot Wednesday. Riding a hot streak is always risky, but in the final day of the regular season, there may not be a better option for fantasy managers looking for a win. The Jackets can provide ample goal support and the Isles offense is very anemic with an awful power play, likely posing very little threat.

Greaves should be Thursday’s best streaming option based on his hot streak. He’s making a strong case to grab a share of the crease for next season, and that can be a big motivator. Greaves has six wins in 10 starts this season with a .934 SP, which means his strong performances have not been limited to just his most recent stretch.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Darren Raddysh, D, TB at NYR (9% rostered)

This is a meaningless game for the Lightning and the expectation is that they will rest some veterans. Raddysh, however, will likely dress, and his versatility allows him to potentially play increased minutes. He played 17:52, the most in nearly a month, and scored a goal in his previous game against the Panthers.

K’Andre Miller, D, TB vs. NYR (7% rostered)

Miller’s one of the players who’s likely safe from an unexpected roster overhaul this summer. He’s finishing the season on a strong note with three assists in his past three games and provides a modest amount of hits and blocks.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.

Forwards

Evgeni Malkin, C/LW, PIT vs. WSH (41% rostered)

The Caps generally bring out the best in Malkin, who has 81 points in 65 career games against them, including three points in three games this season. Whether or not the veteran is motivated enough to play well in a meaningless game, however, is a different story, though it may be offset by some uncharacteristically poor defense and goaltending from the Caps. In terms of streaming options for high-upside offensive players, Malkin’s one of the best for Thursday.

Adam Fantilli, C, CBJ vs. NYI (32% rostered)

Fantilli scored his 30th goal last game and he’s red-hot with a three-game goals streak. His scoring pace will likely continue against a very bad team, with Fantilli scoring a goal against them earlier this season. His minutes have been somewhat limited playing behind Sean Monahan, but it hasn’t hindered his production at all.

Matt Coronato, RW, CGY at LA (8% rostered)

Coronato’s red-hot for the Flames with a six-game points streak heading into the finale. The Flames were eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday but Coronato is auditioning for a top-six role for next season — if he hasn’t been pencilled in already — and will surely get plenty of minutes. The Kings will likely rest some top players for the upcoming playoffs.

Alex Turcotte, C/LW, LA vs. CGY (0% rostered)

Turcotte had the good fortune of filling in on the Kings’ top line with Anze Kopitar sitting out for rest. Should the Kings do something similar and rotate other veterans out of their lineup for rest, one of them might be Phillip Danault, which again opens up an opportunity for Turcotte to skate with top-six wingers. His ice time will be limited due to his inexperience, but he did manage a goal and an assist filling in for Kopitar last game.

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.

Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.

Goalies

Calvin Pickard, EDM at SJ (18% rostered)

Stuart Skinner is not travelling with the Oilers on their three-game road trip so expect Pickard to start all three games. This matchup should be as easy as it gets for the Oilers and Pickard, who’s going for his third straight win. The Oilers defeated the Sharks earlier this season, although it was close in a 3-2 overtime win, and have won 11 of their past 12 matchups dating back to 2022.

Pickard will be a top-tier streaming option for this game and next Monday’s game against the Ducks. The Oilers play the Sharks twice more after this game. With no timetable for Skinner’s return, Pickard potentially has really good ROS value.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Dante Fabbro, CBJ vs. COL (2% rostered)

Perhaps the Jackets can take advantage of a potentially tired Avs team that’s playing the second game of a back-to-back. Their offense has come alive again recently and Fabbro has scored six points in his past three games. It helps that he plays on the first pair with Zach Werenski.

Jack Thompson, SJ vs. EDM (0% rostered)

Tough matchup because the Oilers will likely dominate puck possession, but they have key players missing and backup Calvin Pickard — who I still like — in net. With the Sharks defense decimated by injuries, look for Thompson to potentially quarterback PP2 if Shakir Mukhamadullin is unavailable following an injury in their previous game. Thompson managed to notch an assist despite playing just 15:40; he should get more minutes in his second game since getting called up.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.

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Forwards

Sean Monahan, C, CBJ vs. COL (48% rostered)
Boone Jenner, C/LW, CBJ vs. COL (37% rostered)
Adam Fantilli, C, CBJ vs. COL (26% rostered)

It should be all systems go for this matchup with the Jackets’ scoring picking up again and the Avs potentially tired after playing in Chicago on Wednesday. Monahan’s the top pick (seven points in four games) because he’s their top center, but Jenner (five-game points streak) provides broad multi-category coverage (goals, hits, faceoff wins) while Fantilli’s stock (five points in four games) hasn’t faded as much as expected even with Monahan’s return. Jenner and Fantilli would be the line stack since they play together at even strength and on PP2.

Mason Marchment, LW, DAL vs. NSH (30% rostered)

Marchment already has two goals in two games against the Preds this season and has a good chance to keep padding his stats. The Preds allowed eight goals in their previous game and lost nine of their past 11. Meanwhile, Marchment carries a three-game points streak into this game and wrapped up a productive March with 13 points in 15 games.

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW/RW, LA at UTA (16% rostered)

It’s time to be a believer. Despite bouncing around the league, Kuzmenko seems to have found a real home in L.A., scoring five points in his past two games. He’s injected some much-needed offensive flair and creativity into the lineup with the Kings scoring 12 goals in their past two games. He’s been a regular with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.

Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.

Goalies

Charlie Lindgren, WSH at BOS (29% rostered)

The Caps are slumping with three straight losses but I wouldn’t be too worried. The Bruins have effectively been the worst team in the league with eight straight losses, and they can’t score. Lindgren’s save percentage (.897) isn’t eye-catching, but his 2.65 GAA is among the league’s lowest.

Lindgren should be one of Tuesday’s top streaming options. It’s reasonable to expect a win with very few goals against. My only worry is the Caps overlooking this game and focusing on Wednesday’s divisional clash with the Canes instead, opening the door for the Bruins to take advantage of them, however slight that chance may be.

Lukas Dostal, ANA vs. SJ (40% rostered)

Either Dostal or John Gibson should be a good matchup. The Sharks have lost two straight with 14 goals allowed and are expected to start Alexandar Georgiev, who has a .874 SP and 3.84 GAA with the Sharks. Though the Ducks are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Rangers, they nearly made a comeback that would’ve extended their winning streak to three games. Dostal’s play in March has dipped but he should still be fine, and the Ducks’ goal support should also be dependable enough, for them to win.

Dostal likely won’t rack up the saves since the Sharks routinely get outshot. He should, however, earn the win with relative ease.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Connor Clifton, BUF at OTT (4% rostered)

If you’re looking for some hits and blocks, Clifton’s fantasy stock has really been soaring. The recent bonus has been his scoring with four assists in his past five games, which basically accounts for one-quarter of his season total. Over his past five games, Clifton is averaging more than 20 minutes playing on the second pair with Bowen Byram and collected 16 hits and 11 blocks.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.

Forwards

JJ Peterka, LW/RW, BUF at OTT (49% rostered)

Peterka had two helpers in an 8-5 win against the Caps and continues to score at a point-per-game pace since the beginning of March. The Sabres are 3-0-0 edge with 12 goals scored against the Sens this season with Peterka accounting for two goals and two points. Center Ryan McLeod (9% rostered), who centers Peterka on L2, is also a good option — 16 points in 16 games in March — as is opposite winger Jack Quinn (3% rostered), who’s on a four-game points streak.

Boone Jenner, C/LW, CBJ vs. NSH (29% rostered)

Jenner’s goals streak now stands at four games, and since returning from injury has scored 15 points in 16 games. The Jackets captain has been a huge multi-category contributor with plenty of shots, hits and faceoff wins. The Preds are playing the second game of a back-to-back after losing 2-1 to the Flyers on Monday.

Leo Carlsson, C, ANA vs. SJ (17% rostered)

Carlsson now has four goals in his past three games and may see even more ice time than usual if Troy Terry, who left Sunday’s game against the Leafs, is unavailable. The Sharks are arguably the league’s worst defensive team with a thin blue line and subpar goaltending, allowing a league-worst 3.75 goals per game. This game should provide plenty of offense since both teams rank 31st and 32nd in shots allowed per game.

Ryan Leonard, RW, WSH at BOS (0% rostered)

The Caps’ top prospect is expected to make his NHL debut, and he’s a powerful winger who has the ability to score points and play a physical game, drawing comparisons to Tom Wilson. Hard to say where Leonard will play in the lineup, but he’s got both upside in both points and hits. 

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.

Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.

Goalies

Joel Hofer, STL at NSH (9% rostered)

The Blues may continue rolling with Jordan Binnington, but I think they might split their two games on the road. Regardless, Hofer might be tasked with keeping the Blues’ seven-game winning streak alive against the Preds, whom they defeated 4-1 on March 23. The Preds won’t go down without a fight — another loss and they might be eliminated from playoff contention — but the Blues have a huge upper hand.

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Hofer should be a great play for saves, a good save percentage and a win. Should he get the nod, he’s the best streaming option on a busy Thursday. Hofer is 2-0-0 with a .906 SP against the Preds this season.

Jakub Dobes, MTL at PHI (9% rostered)

The Habs have lost three straight and Dobes came in relief for Sam Montembeault in a 6-1 loss to the Blues, but with a back-to-back, expect Dobes to start. This should be a good matchup; the Flyers have been the league’s worst team over the past month — 2-10-1 since March 1 — and recently called up Aleksei Kolosov because their usual tandem — Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov — has been awful. The Habs shouldn’t have any problems providing goal support and Dobes has been stronger on the road with a 5-2-1 record, .922 SP and 2.19 GAA.

The Flyers might come out strong after getting embarrassed in consecutive games, but they don’t have a roster good enough to compete. Barring a poor performance by Dobes, he’s in line for a win and a good save percentage. The Flyers are averaging a league-worst 1.69 goals per game in March.

Calvin Pickard, EDM at SEA (10% rostered)

It’s the second game of a back-to-back with travel for the Oilers, and even without their top two players, I like this matchup for Pickard. He’s won three of his past four starts with strong stats on the road (11-3-0, .914 SP, 2.41 GAA) and already beaten the Kraken twice this season, allowing four goals on 46 shots (.913 SP).

The Kraken offense has been surprisingly good in March, ranking seventh with 3.50 goals per game thanks to a strong power play, which gives me some pause. However, their own goaltending has run into some issues lately, and the Oilers are 12-2-0 all-time against the Kraken. I’m not sure if Pickard will offer a good save percentage, but I do think a win is likely.  

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Philip Broberg, STL at NSH (11% rostered)

Broberg’s coming off a career game with a goal and three assists against the Habs, and this is a good matchup for the Blues, who defeated the Preds rather easily on March 23, 4-1. Broberg’s fantasy value is siphoned from his ‘D’ partner Justin Faulk, who’s been excellent and now rostered in half of Yahoo leagues. The Blues are averaging close to five goals per game during their seven-game winning streak.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.

Forwards

JJ Peterka, LW/RW, BUF vs. PIT (48% rostered)

Peterka’s three-game goal streak was snapped but he did manage to score an assist against the Sens to keep his points streak alive. This is a good matchup for the Sabres, who rank 10th in goals per game at home and face a Penguins team whose goaltending is in tatters once again, allowing seven goals against the Lightning in their last game.

Bryan Rust, RW, PIT at BUF (46% rostered)

The Pens’ issue is keeping pucks out of their net, not scoring. Rust carries a three-game points streak into this matchup with four goals and two assists, and the Pens’ top line remains their only real scoring threat. Rust is averaging over 20 minutes over the past two months.

Patrik Laine, LW/RW, MTL at PHI (43% rostered)

This is a good matchup for one of the league’s best power play merchants, who’s scored basically half his points this season with the man advantage. The Flyers PK ranks a pedestrian 17th this season, but since March 1 when they’re a league-worst 2-10-1, they rank 28th with 10 goals allowed on 33 penalty kills. The Flyers are carrying three goalies right now but none are good options for them.

Fabian Zetterlund, LW/RW, OTT at DET (19% rostered)

It’s time for Zetterlund to make an impact. Promoted to L1 a few games ago, Zetterlund’s been quiet but played 18:09 against the Sabres, the most ice time he’s received as a Senator, finishing with five hits and five shots. With the Wings struggling to win games and expected to start third-string Alex Lyon, this is a great opportunity and matchup for Zetterlund to finally score his first point for his new club.

Matt Coronato, RW, CGY vs. DAL (7% rostered)

The Stars are playing the second half of a back-to-back and expected to start Casey DeSmith, which should make scoring a lot easier. Coronato’s on a four-game points streak with four goals and two assists playing L2 with Jonathan Huberdeau and PP1.

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.

Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.

Goalies

Tristan Jarry, PIT at TB (32% rostered)

A bit of a light Tuesday with just 10 games, which means there aren’t a lot of appetizing options. Jarry has lost two games in a row after winning four straight, but the truth is he’s the reason the Pens had any chance of winning those games anyway.

This is a tough assignment and I suspect a lot of goals will be scored; over the past five seasons, Lightning-Pens matchups are averaging a little over seven goals per game combined. The interesting thing is the Pens actually hold the advantage during that span with a 7-3-1 record, including 4-1-0 on the road, but that’s also misleading because the scales tilt heavily in the Lightning’s favor these days, who have won three of their past four meetings.

I’m not confident the Pens can pull off the win. The Lightning are excellent at home (24-8-2) and the Pens awful on the road (11-18-6), and the Lightning are back at home after playing six of their last seven on the road with a short break following a back-to-back. The Lightning are a veteran team that tends to bounce back quickly. Jarry’s a good option for saves and a win would be a nice but unexpected result.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Justin Faulk, STL vs. MTL (47% rostered)

We’re getting close to the point where Faulk "graduates" from this list. He’s been superb over the past few weeks and registered his third multi-point game in his past five games. The Habs have been playing well but they’re also not particularly good defensively and often rely on their offense to stay in games. Fun fact: Faulk has never scored a goal against the Habs in 30 career games. That streak has to end some time, and now’s a good time with Faulk and the Blues playing so well.

Brandt Clarke, LA vs. NYR (22% rostered)

The Kings on a roll with eight wins in their past nine games and their offense has been excellent with 14 goals (!) in their past two games. It’s situations like these where I don’t mind rolling the dice with Clarke, who is coming off a two-assist performance but quite pedestrian overall for the season. I do like the matchup, however; the Rangers got lucky against the Canucks to earn a 5-3 win despite getting heavily outshot and outplayed and the Kings should be able to dominate this matchup. Clarke’s fantasy upside is his PP2 role with a red-hot Quinton Byfield.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.

Forwards

Dylan Cozens, C, OTT at BUF (42% rostered)

Free from the shackles of Buffalo and coming back to exact revenge on the team that gave up on him? Sign me up! Cozens has been excellent for the Sens in what should be an exciting game. The Sens lost both of their prior meetings this season by a combined 9-1 score, so there’s plenty of motivation in this one. Cozens has seven points, 20 shots, 31 hits and 46 faceoff wins in eight games with the Sens.

Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL vs. MTL (37% rostered)

Schenn carries a three-game points streak into this game and he’s always fared very well against the Habs in his career, scoring 10 goals and 28 points in 30 games. The Blues are red-hot with six straight wins and they’ve scored at least four goals in every game.

Marco Kasper, C/LW, DET at COL (9% rostered)

Full disclosure: I did pick up Kasper in one of my leagues for this week, mostly for the back-to-back. He scored a goal against Utah, his fourth in six games, and centers a high-upside offensive line with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat on his wings. Kasper has gone through some quiet periods this season, but he’s very good all year. I think their second meeting with the Avs will yield more than three combined goals, and both teams need their offense to win games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.

Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.

Goalies

Scott Wedgewood, COL at OTT (15% rostered)

Wedgewood will get the start in the second half of a back-to-back. It’s his third start in four games only because Mackenzie Blackwood was ill last week, but Wedgewood has filled in quite admirably with a win against the Stars. He’ll be going for his fifth straight win but it’s a difficult matchup since the Sens are so strong at home (20-9-2).

I think Wedgewood is the right play for managers who want to get a win, but the Sens offense is really tough and he’ll certainly allow a few goals. Avs-Sens games have been typically very high-scoring matchups with an average of 9.8 goals (!) scored per contest in their past seven matchups dating back to 2021. The Avs are 6-0-1 in those games and have not lost in regulation to the Sens since Jan. 16, 2019.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Justin Faulk, STL vs. VAN (33% rostered)

Faulk continues his hot run with two points in Nashville on Tuesday, extending his points streak to four games. The veteran defender has really stepped up his offense lately thanks to an excellent power play on the Blues. He’s playing on a red-hot unit with Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours. The drawback is the Canucks PK is very, very good, but no defenseman on the waiver wire is hotter than Faulk right now.

Luca Cagnoni, SJ vs. CAR (0% rostered)

A fourth-round pick from 2023, Cagnoni is yet another example of an undersized, supremely skilled offensive defenseman that’s in vogue these days. In his first pro season, the 5-foot-9 Cagnoni leads the Sharks’ minor-league affiliate in scoring among defensemen and ranks third overall in rookie scoring in the league with 47 points in 56 games. 

Cagnoni's expected to make his NHL debut and has already been tasked with quarterbacking their top power play since neither Timothy Liljegren nor anyone else on the roster has been able to do so adequately. I’m not sure how many chances the Sharks' power play will get, or if they’ll even touch the puck very often against a dominant puck-possession team in the Canes, but Cagnoni is worth considering in very deep leagues.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.

Forwards

Logan Cooley, C, UTA vs. BUF (40% rostered)

Cooley should be a good play with a two-game points streak against a poor defensive team. He snapped a six-game drought and assisted on Utah’s long goal in a loss against the Oilers. The Sabres should be a much easier matchup, and Cooley has three assists in three career games against the Sabres.

Taylor Hall, LW, CAR at SJ (5% rostered)

Not sure what it is about the Sharks, but something about them gets Hall going. He’s scored 15 goals and 33 points in 38 career games against them, including a goal and an assist in two games earlier this season as a member of the Hawks. He’s carrying a three-game points streak into a matchup where the Canes should dominate.

While Rod Brind’Amour’s line juggling can be frustrating at times, Hall’s playing on a line with Jack Roslovic, who’s also had success against the Sharks in the past, and PP1 with Sebastian Aho. Rookie netminder Georgi Romanov is expected to make his first career NHL start for the Sharks. 

Nils Hoglander, LW, VAN at STL (1% rostered)

Hoglander’s got the plum assignment on L1 with Elias Pettersson, who’s back on track with eight points in his past seven games, and Brock Boeser on the opposite wing. Hoglander is not an outstanding offensive talent but he’s good at driving to the net and retrieving pucks, and often draws assists on Pettersson and/or Boeser's goals. It’s translated to a goal and six assists in his past eight games despite limited ice time because Hoglander doesn’t play much special teams. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who replaced the injured Conor Garland on the power play Tuesday against the Jets, is a sneaky play for points in deep leagues.

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.

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