4 weeks agoNew Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (lower leg) is expected to make his season debut in Thursday's matchup against the Red Wings. Pesce has been sidelined since breaking his leg in the playoffs last season. Thursday's game will also mark Pesce's debut with the Devils after he spent his first nine years in the league with the Carolina Hurricanes. He had a career-low 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 70 games last season. The 29-year-old is one of the players who is much more effective in real life than he is in fantasy hockey. With Luke Hughes (shoulder) also ready to join the lineup, Daniil Misyul and Simon Nemec are expected to be scratched on Thursday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoNew Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (shoulder) will jump into the lineup for his season debut on Thursday versus Detroit. Hughes underwent shoulder surgery in September, which has kept him out for the first nine games of the season. The 21-year-old had a good rookie campaign in 2023-24 with 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) in 82 games. Hughes should see top-four minutes and a healthy amount of power-play time. He notched 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) with the man advantage last term, ranking third on the team in power-play points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoNew York Islanders left wing Anthony Duclair (leg) will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. He suffered a leg injury in a game against Montreal last weekend. The 29-year-old has potted two goals with one assist in his first five appearances for the Islanders. Simon Holmstrom has been promoted to Duclair's spot on the first line. Holmstrom's work in 2024-25 includes two assists and three shots on goal in six games. The team needs much more from him and the rest of the frontline, as the Islanders have already been shut out three times this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoToronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (lower body) will make his season debut on Thursday versus St. Louis. He was forced to sit out the first few games of the season because of a lower-body injury. Woll played well with the Maple Leafs last term, going 12-11-1 and allowing 2.94 goals with a .907 save percentage. He faces a team that has averaged 2.71 goals per game this season, only nine teams have managed fewer goals. St. Louis will also be without its top-line center Robert Thomas (ankle).
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
4 weeks agoToronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty (lower body) will sit out Thursday's clash with St. Louis. The veteran suffered a lower-body injury against Columbus on Tuesday and is considered day-to-day. Pacioretty boasts two goals with 13 shots through his first five games with the Maple Leafs. David Kampf is expected to rejoin the lineup on Thursday, with Pontus Holmberg likely moving to Pacioretty's spot on the third line. Holmberg has recorded one assist in seven games this season, but he will have additional fantasy value by playing alongside veteran star John Tavares and talented winger Nicholas Robertson.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
4 weeks agoWinnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor has tallied five goals and one assist in six games during a fruitful start to the season. He has a chance to match a career high by scoring in a fifth consecutive game on Thursday versus Seattle. Connor has formed a dangerous one-two punch with Mark Scheifele on Winnipeg's top line. Scheifele also has five goals already and sits on eight points. The two get a good matchup to do further damage on Thursday, as the Kraken carry a lowly .897 save percentage. Connor boasts seven goals and 12 points in nine career appearances versus Seattle.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoCarolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has matched a franchise record with a four-game goal streak among defensemen. Dougie Hamilton was previously the lone blue-liner in Hurricanes/Whalers history to score in four consecutive games. Gostisbehere is also the first-ever defenseman to score as many as four goals for the team through the first five games of a season. He's added one assist to his tally during the very prolific start to the campaign. Each of his last three goals has come on the power play, and Gostisbehere's success with the man advantage could continue on Thursday in a matchup against the Calgary Flames, who have a 76.2 percent penalty kill.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoVancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen has posted a 3-0-1 record for his new team through the first couple of weeks of the season. Spencer Martin (6 GP in 2021-22) is the only netminder to have enjoyed a longer point streak at the start of his tenure with the Canucks. Saturday's home game against Pittsburgh gives Lankinen an opportunity to register his first-ever four-game winning streak in the NHL. The Canucks appear to be in good hands until Thatcher Demko's (knee) return, with Lankinen starting the weekend's action with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. He also has one shutout through his first four starts of the campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoNew York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been in impressive form in his first few starts of the season. He owns a losing record at 1-1-1 but has registered a 1.34 goals-against average with a .947 save percentage. Due to offseason back surgery, Sorokin's season debut was delayed until Oct. 14. He put together a big performance right away, limiting Colorado's hot offense to only two goals in a 6-2 win. Sorokin has suffered back-to-back defeats since then, but he's allowed just two total goals in games versus St. Louis and Detroit, with the Islanders being shut out in both matchups. Once the Islanders start scoring again, Sorokin should begin to deliver wins regularly for fantasy managers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoColorado Avalanche forward Calum Ritchie has been reassigned to the OHL's Oshawa Generals, effectively ending his 2024-25 NHL season. He was eligible to play two more games before burning the first year of his entry-level contract. Ritchie, the 27th selection in the 2023 draft, skated in his first seven NHL games this season, scoring one goal with 11 shots. He also racked up a minus-seven rating. With his ice time declining, the team has decided that moving Ritchie back to junior hockey will be best for his development. The 19-year-old is among the Avalanche's top prospects, and we should hear much more about him in the future. Veteran Chris Wagner has been summoned from the minors as Ritchie's replacement on the roster.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chris Johnston
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov collected two points in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to Washington. The Flyers found themselves in a 4-0 hole in the second period, but Michkov's good work helped the team make it a one-goal game before a couple of empty-netters sealed the deal late in the third. Michkov became the first Flyers rookie since James van Riemsdyk in 2009-10 to notch at least seven points in his first seven career games. The 19-year-old boasts three goals and four assists with 14 shots on goal. However, Michkov also carries a minus-nine rating because he tends to do his damage on the power play. Both of his points came with the man advantage on Wednesday, and he has logged only one even-strength point so far.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoWashington Capitals forward Pierre-Luc Dubois logged a game-high three points in Wednesday's 6-3 victory over Philadelphia. He had two assists when Washington jumped to a 4-0 lead and bagged an empty-net goal late in the third period. Dubois struggled badly last year in Los Angeles, and things haven't started too well for him in D.C., either. However, he should get a good confidence boost from Wednesday's performance. Working as the second-line center, Dubois has collected five points (one goal, four assists) in six games as a member of the Capitals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoColumbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson will be out indefinitely after having shoulder surgery. He underwent the procedure on Monday. Gudbranson hurt his right shoulder last week in a game against Florida when he collided with teammate Sean Monahan. The big blue-liner lacks fantasy value, but he plays an important role for the Blue Jackets in defense and on the penalty kill. Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason said several players have to "step up" to compensate for Gudbranson's loss.
David Jiricek has been Gudbranson's replacement in the lineup. He has notched one assist with one block and two hits in his first two outings of the campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brian Hedger
4 weeks agoUtah Hockey Club defenseman John Marino (back) will not make his team debut until 2025. He has yet to play this season, and the team now announced that Marino has undergone surgery on his lower back, which will keep him sidelined for 3-4 months. Marino was acquired from New Jersey in the offseason, and Utah planned to utilize him as a top-four piece in defense. He has previously shown off good two-way ability and registered 25 points (four goals, 21 assists), 57 shots, and 89 blocks in 75 games with the Devils last season. With Sean Durzi (shoulder) also on the shelf, Mikhail Sergachev eats up massive minutes as Utah's No. 1 defenseman, while Michael Kesselring and Juuso Valimaki have seen their roles increase.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Utah Hockey Club PR
1 month agoUtah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi has undergone successful shoulder surgery and will be out of action for 4-6 months. Durzi needed to get repairs done on his right shoulder after getting hurt on Oct. 14. With him out, Michael Kesselring has taken over duties on the first defensive pairing. He's off to a strong start to the year and is now set to have additional fantasy value for an extended period. With seven games played, Kesselring boasts four points (two goals, two goals) with 10 shots, eight blocks, 11 hits, and a plus-six rating. Juuso Valimaki has jumped on the second power-play unit during Durzi's absence but hasn't yet produced any offense.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Utah Hockey Club PR
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