Category Archives: Hockey News

Fantasy: 5 moves you need to make (Week 2)

Every Monday, theScore will be rolling out a weekly fantasy hockey column: Five moves you need to make. Ownership percentages (as of Oct. 13) and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.

Buy low on Nazem Kadri

Team: Maple Leafs
Position: C
Ownership: 74 percent

The Maple Leafs' power play has been like clockwork this season, operating at a 47 percent conversion rate. Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly have been setting the world on fire, but the forgotten man on that five-man unit is Nazem Kadri.

Kadri hasn't posted robust numbers like some of his teammates and is facing a diminished even-strength role this season. That can be your selling point when trying to pry him away from his owner for a fraction of his actual worth.

Kadri had 12 goals with the man advantage each of the past two seasons, and while he isn't a primary puck-handler on Toronto's power play, he'll start scoring in no time. He's due after hitting at least two cross bars this season.

Stream Conor Sheary

Kevin Hoffman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Team: Sabres
Position: LW/RW
Ownership: 16 percent

Sheary is no stranger to playing beside an elite center. He was effective in Pittsburgh when alongside Sidney Crosby and is now flourishing next to Jack Eichel.

The Sabres are one of three teams with four games scheduled for this week. On paper, the matchups on this west-coast road trip are tough. However, the Golden Knights are struggling, the Sharks haven't received good goaltending from Martin Jones, the Kings are currently without Jonathan Quick, and the Ducks are riddled with injuries.

For now, Sheary is only a temporary fix to your fantasy team. However, if he keeps putting up points, he may be worth hanging on to long term.

Cut ties with all Sens players

The Senators are a fantasy wasteland, but that was obvious heading into the season. They only have two games this week and are dealing with a glut of injuries. Now is the time to discard any Ottawa fantasy shares.

Matt Duchene and Craig Anderson can be dropped, and Brady Tkachuk can be let go in non-keeper leagues. Even though Thomas Chabot is off to a great start, he can be dropped in 10-team non-keeper leagues. Yet, it's worth exploring a trade for the young blue-liner in deeper leagues.

Mark Stone isn't worth dropping despite the cold start, but it might be best to try and trade him now before his value plummets any further.

Stream Ondrej Palat

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Team: Lightning
Position: LW
Ownership: 15 percent

The Lightning have four games this week, and the matchups (vs. Hurricanes, vs. Red Wings, at Wild, at Blackhawks) aren't exactly tough.

Palat, an annual 50-point producer, is playing alongside Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, so it's safe to say he could be in for a big week. However, his value in standard leagues is reliant on his first-line real estate.

Be patient

Even if you got clobbered in your first matchup, don't make any rash decisions. Don't drop a mid-round pick just because he didn't score this week; trust the team you drafted. It's a long season.

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Capitals’ Wilson admits he needs to change the way he plays

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is re-evaluating the way he plays as he awaits his appeal hearing for his 20-game suspension.

The 24-year-old was handed the ban for his hit to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist during the preseason and will have missed six games by the time of his appeal hearing on Thursday.

In the meantime, he's acknowledged that he needs to change the way he plays the game.

"Yeah, for sure," Wilson said, according to The Athletic's Chris Kuc. "The hitting aspect of the game is definitely changing a little bit and I have to be smart out there and I have to play within the rules."

Wilson's latest suspension is his fourth over his last 105 games, including preseason and playoff games, and will cost him $1.26 million in lost salary unless it is reduced on appeal.

Since joining the league during the 2013-14 season, Wilson has tallied 806 penalty minutes, including a career-high 187 last season.

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Panthers’ Matheson to have hearing for hit on Canucks’ Pettersson

Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Monday for interference/ unsportsmanlike conduct on Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, the department announced Sunday.

Pettersson was forced from Saturday's game after taking a big hit from Matheson behind the Panthers' goal in the third period. The 19-year-old subsequently missed the final 16 minutes of the game.

Related: Green calls Matheson's hit, throw down of Pettersson 'dirty play'

Luckily for the club, the rookie phenom was feeling "a little better" after a night of rest.

Pettersson has gotten off to a blistering start this season, recording five goals and eight points in five games, including the Canucks' opening tally on Saturday night.

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Green calls Matheson’s hit, throw down of Pettersson ‘dirty play’

Travis Green wasn't pleased with what Mike Matheson did to Elias Pettersson on Saturday night.

"It's a dirty play," the Vancouver Canucks head coach told reporters postgame. "The league's trying to protect the good, young players, and that's just a dirty play."

The Florida Panthers defenseman hit Pettersson into the boards and slammed him to the ice early in the third period of a game the Canucks won 3-2.

Green didn't update Pettersson's condition, and he didn't want to address the possibility of payback.

"We won the game. I'm not going to comment on retribution or anything like that," he said.

Canucks forward Sven Baertschi weighed in on the hit too, saying it "looked like WWE to me," according to Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre.

Pettersson played only two shifts in the third frame, and he didn't appear on the ice for the final 16 minutes.

Earlier in the game, he scored his fifth goal in five NHL games.

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Pettersson injured after being hit, slammed to ice by Panthers’ Matheson

Vancouver Canucks phenom Elias Pettersson left Saturday's game after Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson hit him against the boards and slammed him to the ice.

Pettersson, who scored his fifth goal in as many games earlier in the contest, played only two shifts in the third period and didn't return for the remaining 16 minutes of the final frame.

Canucks head coach Travis Green did not have an update on his star rookie when asked about him postgame.

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