4 weeks agoColorado Avalanche left wing Valeri Nichushkin scored a hat trick during their victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday evening. In the opening frame, Nichushkin found the back of the net twice, both during even strength play. Later in the final frame, Nichushkin would complete his hat trick as he scored an empty-netter. In the final minute, Nichushkin would add his fourth point of the evening, this time with the primary assist on Colorado's second empty-net goal. This was his first career regular season hat trick and only the second time he found the back of the net twice in a single game this season. Over his previous six contests, Nichushkin has tallied six points (four goals) with two of the points coming on the power-play. Fantasy managers should continue to view Nichushkin as a viable play in favorable matchups in DFS as he will continue to see time in the Colorado top-six.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoFlorida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek stopped all 21 shots he faced in his Panthers debut against the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers dominated the shot total, but Vanecek was able to step up when called on. This was a strong outing for Vanecek, as he held a 0-2-2 record over his last four starts with the San Jose Sharks. During this stretch, he held a high 4.02 goals-against average with an .871 save percentage. Through his time with the Sharks earlier in the season, Vanecek held a 3-10-3 record with a poor .882 save percentage and a 3.88 GAA. Vanecek dealt with numerous injuries, such as a facial injury and an upper-body injury. Fantasy managers should expect Vanecek to operate as the No. 2 option behind Sergei Bobrovsky and will carry value as a streaming option in deeper formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoDallas Stars center Roope Hintz (upper body) exited early during their loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening. Hintz took a deflected shot to the face. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status. He was taken to the hospital for further testing as well. The team may opt to keep Hintz sidelined for their next contest which is on Sunday evening against the Vancouver Canucks even if the injury is not serious. Before departing, the 28-year-old tallied two blocked shots and did not get on the scoresheet. However, entering this contest, Hintz was riding an impressive six-game point streak. During this stretch, he tallied 16 points (three goals) with seven of the points coming on the power-play. If Hintz were to miss time, fantasy managers should expect either Matt Duchene or Wyatt Johnston to move up to the top forward line alongside Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Stars
4 weeks agoMontreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes will be back in the crease for Saturday's matchup against the Calgary Flames. This will mark only his fourth start since the beginning of February. Dobes' last appearance was on March 1, when he helped the team to a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres with 23 saves. With this result, Dobes improved his record for the season to 6-2-1. He currently holds a 2.63 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage, along with one shutout this season. On Saturday, Dobes takes on the league's lowest-scoring squad, but the Flames are a strong home team, having gone 17-10-4 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Renaud Lavoie
4 weeks agoNew York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (upper body) will be back in the lineup on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. He has missed six games due to an upper-body injury. Kreider will replace Brett Berard, joining the third line. In his last outing, Kreider managed to score against the Buffalo Sabres, but his season as a whole has been disappointing. The veteran winger has accumulated 21 points (17 goals, four assists) over 48 appearances. In two outings against the Senators, Kreider has gone scoreless while registering only two shots on goal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Peter Baugh
4 weeks agoFlorida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek will make his team debut in Saturday's matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Vanecek gets an opportunity to impress only a few days after arriving in a trade from the San Jose Sharks. Playing on one of the worst teams in the league, the Czech netminder experienced very little success, posting a 3-10-3 record for the season. He has registered a 3.89 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage. Vanecek's numbers should improve in Florida, although he faces a tricky matchup on Saturday, as the Sabres are ranked just outside the top 10 in goals per game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Doug Plagens
4 weeks agoBuffalo Sabres center Jiri Kulich (illness) will not be in the lineup on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. He has been ruled out due to an illness. Buffalo may also be without Jordan Greenway and Jack Quinn, who are experiencing symptoms of an illness as well. Kulich has received heavy first-line usage recently. He has tallied 12 goals and 19 points in 47 games during his rookie year. Josh Dunne, who was recalled from the minors on Friday, is expected to replace Kulich in the lineup. Dunne has amassed 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) and 44 penalty minutes in 54 AHL appearances this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Paul Hamilton
4 weeks agoNew York Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy will make his first appearance for the team in Saturday's contest against the Ottawa Senators. Soucy joined the Rangers only a couple of days when he was picked up from the Vancouver Canucks for a conditional 2025 third-round draft pick. This season, Soucy has recorded 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 59 appearances. On the defensive end, he has added 92 blocks and 86 hits. Due to his limited offensive ability, Soucy is not a good fantasy option. Soucy will skate alongside Zac Jones on the third defensive pairing against Ottawa, taking Calvin de Haan's place in the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mollie Walker
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York will not be in the lineup on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken. Emil Andrae will replace him in the Flyers defense. York has had a tough time throughout the 2024-25 season and is currently on a six-game point drought. Overall, he has managed four goals and 13 points in 49 games for the season. The 24-year-old ranks third on the team with 97 blocked shots. Andrea will make his 25th appearance of the season. On the offensive end, he has contributed one goal and five assists. The Swedish blue-liner is not a regular scorer and should remain on the waiver wire in fantasy leagues.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Flyers
4 weeks agoVancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen stopped 37 of the 38 shots he saw en route to defeating the Minnesota Wild on Friday evening. The Canucks were heavily outshot in this contest but Lankinen was able to lead the way. His lone blemish came in the third period when Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber found the back of the net on the power-play. This outing extended Lankinen's winning streak to two games. During this stretch, he has held a strong .944 save percentage with a 1.51 GAA. Before this stretch, Lankinen held a modest 2-2-1 record over his last five games and posted a 2.65 GAA and a .894 save percentage. Fantasy managers should expect the 29-year-old to continue to see most of the starts in the Vancouver crease with Thatcher Demko (lower body) on the injured reserve. He will likely get the start again on Sunday against the Dallas Stars.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoVegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone tallied three points during their 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday evening. In the opening frame, Stone would tally the primary helper on Tanner Pearson's goal. In the second, Stone would add his second primary helper, this time on Ivan Barbashev's 19th goal of the season. In the final period, Stone would find the back of the net to put the game out of reach. In this contest, Stone logged three shots on goal and held a +3 rating. Over his previous seven games, Stone has scored four goals and added three helpers while holding a +2 rating. Across 48 contests, the 32-year-old has tallied 54 points (17 goals) with 22 of his points coming on the power-play. He remains a must-start option in all formats as he plays on the top unit in the Vegas offense.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoChicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight stopped 36 of the 39 shots he faced en route to extending his winning streak to two games against the Utah Hockey Club on Friday evening. Knight was dealt to Chicago last week in a move that sent Seth Jones to Florida. After stopping 41 of the 42 shots he faced in his Chicago debut, Knight posted another strong outing on Friday evening. Even though he allowed three goals, the Blackhawks were heavily outshot but Knight was able to step up when called on. Nick Schmaltz would find the back in the opening frame. Then in the third, John Mario and Clayton Keller would score to force overtime. Knight has held a 2-0 record during these two games with a stellar .951 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA. Before being shipped to Chicago, Knight held a 3-2 record with a .913 save percentage over his last five. He will likely remain Chicago's starter for the remainder of the regular season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoWashington Capitals right wing Aliaksei Protas found the back of the net twice during Friday's victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Protas did all of his damage in the third period. He opened the frame by scoring a shorthanded goal. He then found the back of the net during 5-on-5 play to increase their lead. Protas would then tally his third point of the evening, this time with the primary assist on Tom Wilson's shorthanded goal. This outing snapped a minor slump as he only tallied one point over his previous five contests entering Friday evening. Before this slump, the 24-year-old tallied seven points over his last five. Through 63 contests this season, Protas has enjoyed a career-season as he has scored 25 goals and added 29 helpers. He remains a solid option in all standard formats playing on Washington's top forward unit.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoWinnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers tallied three points during their 6-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday evening. Ehlers tallied two points in the second frame. He tallied the primary assist on Josh Morrissey's power-play goal and then would find the back of the net himself, during 5-on-5 play. In the third period, Ehlers would tack on the secondary assist on Cole Perfetti's 13th goal of the campaign. This outing extended his point streak to three games. Over his previous nine contests, Ehlers has tallied nine points (five goals) with three of his points coming on the man advantage. During this stretch, he has averaged 3.1 shots on goal per game. Overall, the 29-year-old is on pace to smash his previous career-high as he has tallied 56 points in 55 games.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
4 weeks agoFlorida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (upper body) is expected to miss the next couple of weeks. General manager Bill Zito hopes that Marchand can make his Florida debut during their three-game homestand at the end of the month. On Friday, Marchand was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Panthers in exchange for a 2027 conditional second-round selection that could become a 2028 first-round selection. Marchand has spent his entire NHL career with the Boston Bruins and will now join one of the top Stanley Cup Contenders. This season, Marchand has found the back of the net 21 times and added 26 helpers through 61 games. He has logged 66 hits and 27 blocks. When Marchand is cleared to return, he will have a role in the top-six replacing Matthew Tkachuk (groin) who will not return for the remainder of the regular season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
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