2 weeks agoDetroit Red Wings winger Vladimir Tarasenko (illness) will play against the Rangers on Thursday. He was forced to sit out Wednesday's practice because of an illness but won't miss any game time. Tarasenko should join his usual partners, J.T. Compher and Lucas Raymond, on the second line. The campaign has not gone too well for Tarasenko so far, as he boasts only one point through three games, having found the back of the net in last week's season opener against Pittsburgh. However, he should be eager to perform well in a matchup against his former team. Tarasenko has tallied two goals and one assist in four games against the Rangers since leaving New York.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ted Kulfan
2 weeks agoNew York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (illness) appears ready to play on Thursday against the Red Wings. He missed Wednesday's practice because of an illness but participated in Thursday's morning skate, working on his usual spot on the first line. The Rangers' top trio hasn't quite hit top gear yet, but Kreider has been prolific on special teams and can't complain after scoring three times in the first three games of the season. He has tallied 11 goals and 12 assists in 30 career appearances against Detroit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mollie Walker
2 weeks agoDallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger has signed an eight-year extension with the team. The deal is worth $66 million, giving Oettinger a cap hit of $8.25 million starting next season. The 25-year-old has developed into an elite netminder in recent years, putting together a 116-48-23 career record. He boasts a 2.49 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage with 11 shutouts. Oettinger is a perfect 3-0-0 for the 2024-25 campaign ahead of his fourth start of the year on Thursday versus Washington. He has allowed only five goals so far with a .946 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar factored in all of the team's goals in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Boston. He scored Colorado's second goal and had two assists. All of Makar's three points came in power-play situations, so he ended up with a minus-two rating across 27:28 of action. The 2022 Norris Trophy Winner carries an ugly minus-six rating for the season, as the Avalanche have badly struggled in defense -- the team has allowed 25 goals in four games. However, fantasy managers can be more than happy with Makar's offensive productivity. The star blue-liner has averaged two points per game, notching one goal and seven assists. Makar boasts five power-play points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoToronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews finally opened his scoring account for the season on Wednesday, finishing a 6-2 victory with one goal and two assists. He scored in an even-strength situation in the first period before bagging two power-play assists. Matthews' work across 18 minutes also included four shots and one block. The new Maple Leafs captain has set such high standards for himself that there may have been more than a few nervous fantasy managers following his modest start to the season. However, it was only a matter of time before he came alive, and the rest of the league now has a reason to worry.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoPittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby reached 1,600 career points in Wednesday's high-scoring 6-5 overtime win against the Sabres. The Penguins captain had a power-play assist in the first period to become the 10th player in NHL history to reach the 1,600-point plateau. He added an even-strength assist to his tally in the third period and capped off the night with the game-winning goal on the power play with 1:38 played in overtime. Crosby needed the fifth-fewest games in history to reach 1,600 points, getting there with his 1,277th appearance. His resume shows 593 goals and 1,009 assists. The veteran superstar has notched six points (one goal, five assists) in five games this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoPittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin celebrated his 500th career goal and added three assists in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime victory against Buffalo. Sidney Crosby set him up early in the third period to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead. Malkin is only the eighth player born outside North America to net 500 regular-season goals in the NHL. He joined Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Auston Matthews, and Patrick Kane as the fifth active player to pick up multiple points in each of his team's first four road games of a season. The Russian star has racked up 11 points (two goals, nine assists) over the four-game stretch after going scoreless in Pittsburgh's season-opening 6-0 loss to the Rangers. This is starting to look like the beginning of a big bounce-back year for Malkin, who settled for 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 82 games last term.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoColorado Avalanche left wing Miles Wood made an early exit against Boston on Wednesday after suffering an apparent arm injury. He was injured when absorbing a hit from Bruins forward Elias Lindholm. Wood recorded one shot on goal in 12:46 of ice time before being forced to leave the game. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn't have an update on Wood after the game. A significant injury to Wood would be a major blow for the Avalanche, who are already without four forwards. With few quality options left, Bednar pushed Wood up to the first line for Wednesday's tilt. Nikolai Kovalenko and Ross Colton have also seen time there following Jonathan Drouin's (upper body) exit from the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colleen Flynn
2 weeks agoUtah Hockey Club defenseman Robert Bortuzzo suffered an undisclosed injury in Wednesday's matchup against Anaheim. He left the 5-4 overtime loss in the third period after logging 10:02 of ice time. While in the game, Bortuzzo recorded one block and two penalty minutes with a minus-two rating. He was making his season debut in Sean Durzi's (upper body) absence. It looks like Utah could be down another d-man before Saturday's action against Boston, with Patrik Koch likely being the next man up at the back. The 27-year-old Slovakia native has previously played in only one NHL game. He logged 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 63 AHL appearances last season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brogan Houston
2 weeks agoAnaheim Ducks center Isac Lundestrom sustained an apparent upper-body injury in Wednesday's 5-4 overtime win against Utah. He exited the game after absorbing a high hit from Nick Schmaltz. The Swedish centerman needed assistance to leave the ice. Lundestrom logged 11:18 of ice time in the contest and registered one shot and one block. Anaheim has used Lundestrom as a fourth-line center this season. He scored a goal in the season opener but has been held without a point since then. Ross Johnston is in line to replace Lundestrom in the lineup if he's unavailable for Friday's matchup against Colorado. Johnston is a big physical presence but rarely provides any offense, so he belongs to the waiver wire in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Derek Lee
2 weeks agoColumbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins is expected to miss some time with an upper-body injury. The team announced that he will be out "short-term." It was initially reported that Merzlikins simply needed rest and would get a few days off. The Latvian netminder has endured another rough stretch to start the 2024-25 campaign, losing each of his first two starts and giving up seven goals while producing a .854 save percentage. The Blue Jackets have recalled Jet Greaves from the minors, with Daniil Tarasov likely getting the nod for Thursday's battle against Buffalo.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Aaron Portzline
2 weeks agoSan Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund didn't practice on Wednesday due to an upper-body injury. According to Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, Eklund is dealing with a "little nagging" injury and is "probably a game-time decision" for Thursday's matchup against Chicago. Eklund has been a member of the first line to start the season, contributing one assist with nine shots. Danil Gushchin, who has been a healthy scratch for a couple of games, filled in for Eklund on the top line in Wednesday's practice. He could be an intriguing DFS target for managers on Thursday in a favorable matchup if Eklund cannot play and Gushchin maintains the spot.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sheng Peng
2 weeks agoSt. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy was unable to practice on Wednesday due to a lower-body injury. Leddy logged close to 21 minutes of action against Minnesota on Tuesday. However, according to Blues head coach Drew Bannister, Leddy was already hurt prior to Tuesday's game. Bannister considers him day-to-day, and Leddy might be forced to sit out Thursday's matchup against the Islanders. Leddy's absence would push Ryan Suter to a top-pairing role. Suter has tallied one goal with six shots and five blocks in four games this season while averaging 16:02 of ice time. The move up the lineup will boost Suter's fantasy appeal, but the 39-year-old veteran is far from the player he used to be.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lou Korac
2 weeks agoDetroit Red Wings winger Vladimir Tarasenko missed Wednesday's practice because of an illness. This leaves a question mark hanging over him ahead of Thursday's matchup against the New York Rangers. Tarasenko has had an underwhelming start on his new team, posting one goal with eight shots in three games. He has been limited to only 13:22 of ice time per game. Despite his absence from practice, Tarasenko is still expected to play against his former team on Thursday. However, if he ends up missing the game, Michael Rasmussen will likely move to the second line after skating there on Wednesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Helene St. James
2 weeks agoNew York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider wasn't on the ice for Wednesday's practice due to an illness. Jonny Brodzinski filled in for Kreider on the first line. However, Kreider traveled with the team to Detroit to face the Red Wings on Thursday, so he might still remain in the lineup if he makes a quick recovery. Kreider has started the 2024-25 campaign in good goal-scoring form, netting three markers in three games with nine shots on goal. He has scored in all situations and recorded the game-winning goal when the Rangers beat Detroit 4-1 on home ice on Monday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Vince Z. Mercogliano
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