4 days agoToronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (knee) will miss 4-6 weeks of action. He has already been absent for a couple of games after getting hurt in a contest against Anaheim last week. Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving revealed on Tuesday that an MRI showed no structural damage for Stolarz, but he has a "loose body" in his knee, which needs to be removed. Stolarz has landed on the shelf as the NHL's leader in save percentage with .927. He carries a 9-5-2 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and one shutout. We should see a lot of Joseph Woll in the Maple Leafs crease in the next few weeks, with Dennis Hildeby working as his backup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoLos Angeles Kings winger Trevor Moore (upper body) will sit out a second consecutive contest on Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Moore, who posted an eight-game point streak at the start of November, had begun to heat up again before suffering an upper-body injury. He's recorded three goals and five points in his last five appearances. In 28 outings across the season, Moore has provided six goals and 12 assists with 60 shots and 25 hits. Alex Turcotte replaced Moore on the first line in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Rangers, contributing one goal and one assist. He's poised to continue in the role on Tuesday, with the Kings working with seven defensemen during Moore's absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Zach Dooley
4 days agoEdmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid took his point streak to six games with three assists in Monday's 6-5 loss to Florida. McDavid's playmaking helped his team get a 4-2 lead in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals rematch, but the Oilers defense let them down in the final frame as Florida turned the game on its head. The Oilers captain reached 30 assists for the season on Monday and now has 44 points through 28 games. Only Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov has averaged more points than McDavid, who will look to extend his point streak next on Thursday against Boston.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoFlorida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe scored the game-winning goal in Monday's entertaining 6-5 win against Edmonton. The two teams went back and forth in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals rematch before Verhaeghe popped up with the decisive goal 13:05 into the third period. He also picked up a power-play assist in the contest to record his fifth multi-point game of the season. It's been a strange campaign for Verhaeghe. The 29-year-old has been scoring at a good rate, registering 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 32 appearances, but he's minus-18 for the season. Only three skaters in the league have a worse plus/minus rating.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoDallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger collected win No. 16 with 25 saves in Monday's 3-1 victory over Washington. An effort from Dylan Strome got past Oettinger near the end of the first period, but he frustrated the Capitals for the rest of the way, becoming the second-winningest goalie in the league this season. Oettinger carries a 16-7-0 record, putting him behind only Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck in wins. He has allowed 2.33 goals while recording a .913 save percentage and one shutout. Three of Oettinger's seven defeats this season have come in December. But he appears to have started to pick up form again, winning back-to-back starts and allowing just one goal in each contest.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoDallas Stars forward Roope Hintz took care of two goals in Monday's 3-1 victory over Washington. His power-play goal in the second period tied the game at one, and Hintz made the game safe with another goal at the 14:58 mark in the third. Hintz celebrated his first multi-goal outing of the season Monday night, although he has been busy in front of the net all season. He's tied with Matt Duchene for most goals on the team, having found the back of the net 13 times in 29 appearances. However, points-wise, Hintz is behind four teammates because he's recorded only six assists this term. Hintz has provided 35-plus helpers in three consecutive campaigns, so his playmaking has not been up to par in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoColorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin was the team's lone goal-scorer in Monday's 3-1 defeat against Vancouver. He grabbed a late consolation goal with 46 seconds left in regulation. Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar picked up the assists. Nichushkin already has five goals for the month and has been providing steady offense since making his season debut a month ago. He's bagged eight goals in total and sits on 12 points through 16 appearances. The Russian forward skates on the second line with Ross Colton and Casey Mittelstadt and has landed a job on the first power-play unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoVancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood was an unexpected hat-trick hero on Monday versus Colorado, lifting his team to a 3-1 win. The 29-year-old scored all of the game's first three goals to record his first career hat trick. Sherwood's career night included a short-handed goal. The American forward isn't known as a major threat up front, but Sherwood has been chipping in offensively throughout the campaign. He's tied for second on the team with 11 goals and boasts 17 points with 30 games played. Sherwood's physicality adds a lot to his fantasy value, as he leads the league in the category with 184. Nobody else has managed even 130 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoEdmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner heads out for his fourth consecutive victory in Monday's Stanley Cup Finals rematch against Florida. Skinner has defeated St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Vegas on the bounce, allowing only six goals across the three contests. He's improved to 11-7-2 for the season and is sporting a 2.82 goals-against average with a .897 save percentage and one shutout. The Oilers netminder is enjoying his best stretch of the season, and the bookmakers believe Skinner is well-placed to keep his winning streak going on Monday, rating Edmonton as a -130 favorite for the game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Tony Brar
5 days agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood will be the starter for Monday's matchup against Vancouver. Blackwood is fresh off his team debut, having defeated Nashville 5-2 at the weekend with 37 saves. This is the second time this season Blackwood faces the Canucks. He was handed a 3-2 loss as a member of the Sharks on Nov. 2. Vancouver is 5-7-4 on home ice and has won only two of its last six games, so Blackwood is in a good position to pick up consecutive wins for only the third time this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Conor McGahey
5 days agoVancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will make his third start of the season on Monday against Colorado. He faces the league's top scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, and his crew after going winless in his first couple of appearances. Demko has a 0-1-1 record with a 4.47 goals-against average and a .830 save percentage. He's had a difficult time, but the Canucks go with Demko again on Monday as Kevin Lankinen (illness) remains unavailable. Arturs Silovs will dress as the backup. This is another difficult matchup for Demko, as the Avalanche can score for fun and have averaged 3.31 goals for the campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ben Kuzma
5 days agoPittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson (lower body) is considered week-to-week. He was hurt in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to Ottawa and must spend some time on the sidelines after so far featuring in all 32 games. Pettersson is valued for his two-way ability and has done a little bit of everything for the Penguins. The 28-year-old boasts 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) and has recorded 32 shots, 56 blocks, and 36 hits. Matt Grzelcyk is slated to play a larger role in the Penguins defense with Pettersson out of commission. In Monday's practice, he skated with Erik Karlsson on the second defensive pairing. Pittsburgh returns to game action on Tuesday versus Los Angeles.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
5 days agoDallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (illness) is a game-time decision for Monday's meeting with Washington. He appears to be the latest victim of a flu bug that has recently spread in the Stars locker room. Harley's absence would be a massive loss for the team, as the young blue-liner eats up over 22 minutes of ice time on a nightly basis and contributes at both ends of the ice. In 29 appearances, Harley has notched 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) with 66 shots and 35 blocks. He leads the team with a plus-15 rating. Nils Lundkvist (illness) is expected back on Monday and looks to be Harley's replacement in the lineup if the latter does not feel well enough to play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brien Rea
5 days agoWashington Capitals left wing Jakub Vrana will re-enter the lineup for Monday's tilt against Dallas. The 28-year-old has been a healthy scratch for the last 10 games. Vrana was sent to the press box for an extended period after he had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 16 games across the season. Considering he's averaged barely 10 minutes of ice time, these are fairly decent numbers, but it looks like the team wants to see more from Vrana. He will skate on the third line against the Stars, replacing Hendrix Lapierre in the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bailey Johnson
5 days agoFlorida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (illness) is considered a game-time decision for Monday's matchup against Edmonton. There's a chance Barkov will return to the lineup after missing the previous game due to illness, but we won't know for sure until closer to puck drop. The Panthers captain didn't take part in Monday's optional morning skate. Sam Bennett worked as the first-line center in Saturday's 3-0 loss to Calgary, with Anton Lundell moving to the second line. Both players will have additional fantasy value if Barkov remains out on Monday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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