4 days agoColorado Avalanche left wing Miles Wood (undisclosed) will play against the Senators on Sunday. His status for the game was initially uncertain after Wood sat out Saturday's practice with an undisclosed injury. Wood mostly skates in a bottom-six role for the Avalanche and has seen very little success offensively this season. Through eight contests, he boasts one goal with 15 shots. However, Wood could do some damage on Sunday as a member of the second power-play unit, as Ottawa has struggled on the penalty kill in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Corey Masisak
4 days agoColorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (hand) will play in Sunday's matchup against Ottawa. He made an early exit on Thursday versus Utah due to a hand injury, but luckily for the Avalanche, Colton won't be forced to sit out any games. The 28-year-old has been on a roll with seven goals and eight points in eight games. Colton is tied for the league lead with four power-play goals. He's in a good spot to keep his goal-scoring form going on Sunday, as the Senators have so far killed off only 75 percent of their penalties. They also allow 3.57 goals per game, the sixth most in the league.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jesse Montano
5 days agoFlorida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (lower body) was back in practice on Saturday. He will miss an eighth consecutive game on Saturday versus the Islanders, but Barkov looks to be on track to rejoin the action before the team heads to his native Finland for a pair of games late next week. Barkov's return will bump Anton Lundell away from the top six. He has been outstanding during his absence on the second line, producing five goals and three assists in the past six games. Barkov's return will also affect Sam Bennett's usage, as he has been filling in for the Panthers captain as the first-line center. Bennett has a chance to score in a fourth consecutive game on Saturday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colby Guy
5 days agoPhiladelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York (upper body) will miss at least two weeks. He came out of the lineup on Saturday versus Minnesota with an upper-body injury. York will likely miss six further contests because of the ailment. The 23-year-old has totaled three points (two goals, one assist) in seven games this season, firing off nine shots and recording 10 blocks with seven hits. Replacing York on Saturday, Erik Johnson went scoreless with one shot, one block, two hits, and a minus-one rating. He logged 14:41 of ice time on the third defensive pairing. Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen teamed up on the first defensive pairing and played well by combining three points in a 7-5 win.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jackie Spiegel
5 days agoNew York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) will not be available on Saturday versus Florida. He is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Romanov made his seventh appearance of the season on Friday versus New Jersey and collected his second assist of the campaign. He has yet to score with 10 shots on goal. The Russian blue-liner ranks first on the team with 19 blocks and third with 14 hits. The Islanders will definitely miss his physicality on Saturday. Dennis Cholowski is expected to step into the lineup as Romanov's replacement. Cholowski is offensively more talented than Romanov but likely won't see a lot of ice time. He has averaged 12:46 of action across his first two appearances of the season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Gross
5 days agoToronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty (lower body) is ready to return to the lineup on Saturday against Boston. Pacioretty missed Thursday's matchup against St. Louis with a lower-body injury but returned to practice on Friday. Now, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has confirmed that Pacioretty will be back in action Saturday night. He'll be replacing Pontus Holmberg in the lineup. The veteran winger rejoins the action in a fourth-line role, with Steven Lorentz set to skate in Pacioretty's usual spot on the third line. Pacioretty has started life in Toronto with two goals and seven shots through five appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Nick Barden
5 days agoVegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague (lower body) has been ruled out for Saturday's clash with the Sharks. He is considered day-to-day after Hague suffered a lower-body injury on Friday versus Ottawa. Hague mostly takes care of the physical part of the game. His offensive production has been limited to one goal, but Hague has recorded 11 blocks and nine hits in eight appearances. Kaedan Korczak will slot into the defense in Hague's absence, making his second outing of the campaign. The 23-year-old made his season debut on Oct. 22 against the Kings, where he recorded an assist, along with three blocks and two hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Danny Webster
5 days agoCalgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich (lower body) is on track to enter the lineup on Saturday versus Winnipeg. He's set to make his season debut after Calgary activated Sharangovich from Injured Reserve. The 26-year-old only just missed out on a 60-point campaign last term and will add some extra oomph to the Flames' attack. Sharangovich will likely land a middle-six role in the lineup and should also log power-play time. He had a team-high 31 goals with 28 assists in 82 outings last season. However, Sharangovich mustered only one point in three appearances versus Winnipeg.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Calgary Flames
5 days agoVeteran winger Matt Martin has rejoined the New York Islanders on a one-year contract. After making over 800 appearances for the team, Martin wasn't re-signed by the club in the summer. But the 35-year-old has continued to skate with the team in practices, and he's now officially a member of the squad again. Martin, who sits second all-time in hits with 3,854, adds physicality to the Islanders' bottom six. Offensively, he hasn't reached the 20-point mark a single time during his 15-year NHL career. In 955 regular-season games with the Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, Martin has recorded 176 points (81 goals, 95 assists).
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoVegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev scored twice in their victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday evening. The 28-year-old got his first tally of the evening off a re-direct off Alex Pietrangelo's shot from the point. In the final minute, Barbashev would score the empty-netter to seal the victory. Through the first eight games of the season, Barbashev has tallied an impressive seven goals and four assists. In addition, he has registered 16 shots, 15 hits, and five blocks with +5 rating. Fantasy managers should continue to keep Barbashev in their lineup and target him in DFS contests as he is enjoying a productive start to the season playing alongside Jack Eichel and Mark Stone on the top line.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
6 days agoNashville Predators right wing Gustav Nyquist tallied an assist and a shorthanded goal in their victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday evening. Nyquist tallied the primary assist on Filip Forsberg's goal in the second frame which got Nashville on the board. Later in the frame, Nyquist would tie the game with a shorthanded goal off a wrist shot from the slot. The 35-year-old is now carrying a three-game point streak after being held off the scoresheet during the first four games of the season. Nyquist should continue to find scoring opportunities and should remain a solid point producer playing on the top line alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
6 days agoNew York Islanders center Bo Horvat scored the game-winning goal to power the New York Islanders over their division rival, New Jersey Devils on Friday evening. Horvat was held off the scoresheet through regulation but was able to play the hero in overtime as he beat Jake Allen off a one-timer from the slot. Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock tallied the assists. This was Horvat's third goal of the season and fourth point. The 29-year-old has registered at least three shots in all but two games. Fantasy managers should continue to expect Horvat to play on the top line and top power-play unit and have prime scoring opportunities on a daily basis.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
6 days agoPittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist stopped 46 out of the 50 shots he faced on Friday evening in their loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers dominated play all evening and kept the 22-year-old netminder quite busy. Leon Draisaitl was able to break free in the second period and scored the eventual game-winner. With Tristian Jarry's early season struggles, Joel Blomqvist has remained on the NHL roster and has continued to impress. Through his first five games (four starts) Blomqvist holds a .911 SV% and 3.34 GAA, playing behind one of the worst defensive units in the sport. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should consider adding the former second-round pick as he may continue to remain on the NHL roster throughout the early part of the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
6 days agoEdmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard tallied a goal and an assist in their victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday evening. Bouchard tallied the secondary assist on Leon Draisaitl's goal which opening up the scoring in the second frame. Later in the period, Bouchard would score his second goal of the campaign off a snap shot from the blue line to double their lead. In addition, the 25-year-old tallied three blocks with a +2 rating. After setting a career-high in points last season (82), the defenseman has gotten off to a slow start this year as has tallied just four points through eight games. However, given his role on the top pairing and power-play unit, fantasy managers should continue to lock Bouchard in their lineup on a daily basis.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
6 days agoEdmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner posted a 27-save shutout on Friday evening against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was a great bounce back performance for not only Skinner, but the Oilers as well. Through his first five starts of the season, the 25-year-old allowed at least three goals in each game with a high of five in the season opener. Fantasy managers should expect Skinner to have plenty of opportunities to pick up a win given how potent the Edmonton offense can be. Last season, Skinner set a career-high with 36 wins and a 2.62 GAA and .905 SV%. Skinner should be expected to return to the starting crease on Sunday when the Oilers travel to Detroit.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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