5 days agoToronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares had a fun night against the Sabres on Sunday, logging a hat trick in a 5-3 victory. He posted his first natural hat trick as a member of the Maple Leafs, turning a 3-2 deficit into a win for the team. Tavares began his heroics with a power-play goal 12:41 into the second period. He then potted an even-strength goal 1:10 later and went on to complete his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 2:12 remaining in regulation. Tavares' 14th career hat trick took him to 28 points for the season. He's had 15 goals and 13 assists across 30 outings. The veteran star has been fairly inconsistent with his offensive output this month, but Tavares is on track for a good bounce-back year after settling for 65 points in 2023-24.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoChicago Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen collected three points as the team defeated the Islanders 5-3 on home ice on Sunday. He kicked things off with a couple of even-strength assists in the first period and potted a power-play goal in the second. Teravainen recorded as many points as he had across his previous 10 outings. Chicago's offense has been horrible for most of the year, and Teravainen has been limited to 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 31 games. A lot more is expected from the Finnish forward, who averaged close to 0.70 points only a season ago.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoMinnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello finished Sunday's 3-2 loss to Vegas with two assists. Kirill Kaprizov scored both goals for the Wild. Zuccarello has been an impactful sidekick for Kaprizov on the first line all season, logging 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 18 appearances. He bagged three assists in two games over the weekend after returning from a 13-game absence. Minnesota's offense didn't appear to have been affected much by Zuccarello's absence, but his return definitely adds quality to the team's attack. He should continue to have success on the top line next to Kaprizov and Marco Rossi.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoVegas Golden Knights winger Victor Olofsson stole the headlines with a two-goal performance in Sunday's 3-2 win over Minnesota. He potted a power-play goal in the first period to tie the game at one and delivered the game-winning tally in an even-strength situation early in the third. Olofsson has heated up recently, scoring in three consecutive games for the first time since January 2022. Due to a lower-body injury, Olofsson has been limited to 11 appearances this season. But he's had a good scoring rate when healthy, producing seven goals and nine points. Four of the goals have come on the power-play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoVegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev (upper body) failed to finish Sunday's contest against Minnesota. He was limited to seven shifts and 5:00 of ice time due to an upper-body injury. Barbashev has been a key cog for the Golden Knights, posting 15 goals and 30 points in 31 games on the first line. He's been particularly effective during five-on-five play, sitting fifth in the league with 29 even-strength points. Barbashev must recover by Thursday to avoid missing additional time. Victor Olofsson or Tanner Pearson might join the top six if Barbashev isn't available for the next game against Vancouver.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
5 days agoOttawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) will not be with the squad as the team begins a nine-game road trip with Tuesday's visit to Seattle. Forberg was scheduled to start Saturday's matchup against Pittsburgh, but he tweaked something prior to the game and is forced to miss some time. The 32-year-old has managed two shutouts in 11 starts this season but carries a losing record. He has gone 4-6-0 with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage. Ottawa has called up Leevi Merilainen from the minors to work as Linus Ullmark's backup during Forsberg's absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Steve Warne
6 days agoMinnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt will guard the crease in Sunday's tilt against Vegas. Minnesota finishes a back-to-back set, and with Filip Gustavsson (undisclosed) unavailable, Wallstedt will log his fourth start of the campaign. After getting lit up by Dallas in his NHL debut, Wallstedt has won two consecutive starts against Chicago and San Jose. He shut out the Blackhawks with 24 saves and stopped 27 of 29 shots in the matchup versus the Sharks. Vegas has much more quality than these two teams but also comes out with its backup in Ilya Samsonov, which should improve Wallstedt's chances of recording a win.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Michael Russo
6 days agoNew York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (upper body) won't play in Sunday's contest against St. Louis and is considered day-to-day. He will sit out his first game of the campaign after being limited to 14:22 of action in Saturday's heavy 5-1 defeat to Los Angeles. Panarin's absence leaves the Rangers without their top scorer. Panarin has been hot for most of the year despite the team's struggles, registering 15 goals and 36 points in 29 games. Will Cuylle will join the top six for Sunday's action. He's done well this season, logging 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 29 appearances, and will now have additional fantasy value.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: New York Rangers PR
6 days agoSt. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich will be back in the lineup against the Rangers on Sunday. The 26-year-old has been a healthy scratch for the previous three games. Perunovich has struggled for consistency all season, recording six points (two goals, four assists) in 18 games with seven shots and 18 blocks. Pierre-Olivier Joseph gets the night off on Sunday to accommodate Perunovich, who will work with Ryan Suter on the third defensive pairing. Newly acquired Cam Fowler has replaced Suter in the top four. When he plays, Perunovich typically gets power-play time as well, but he's far from a reliable source for offense in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Alex Ferrario
6 days agoSt. Louis Blues left wing Brandon Saad will rejoin the lineup for Sunday's matchup against the Rangers. The veteran forward will be back in action after missing Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Dallas as a healthy scratch. Saad has not played well for the Blues this season, and according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the team is looking to trade the winger, who has a $4.5 million cap hit on his contract, which expires with the 2025-26 campaign. Through 27 outings, Saad has mustered 10 points (four goals, six assists). Oskar Sundqvist makes way for him in the lineup on Sunday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Alex Ferrario
6 days agoToronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (lower body) was placed on Injured Reserve on Sunday. He was hurt in a contest against Anaheim this week and will now be ineligible until Dec. 20. Joseph Woll looks set for a heavy workload during Stolarz's absence in the Maple Leafs crease, with Dennis Hildeby working as his backup. Woll has been a strong fantasy option the entire campaign, posting an 8-4-0 record with the Maple Leafs. He has allowed 2.24 goals with a .918 save percentage and one shutout.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoNew York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) missed his first game of the season on Sunday against Chicago. Just as Mathew Barzal (upper body) returned to action, Horvat had to exit the lineup due to a lower-body injury. The team considers Horvat day-to-day. Horvat has been the Islanders' assists leader this season with 14 helpers and boasts 22 points through 31 outings. His first chance to return comes on Tuesday against Carolina. With Horvat out, Barzal took the first-line center duties on Sunday, skating with Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Stefen Rosner
6 days agoSan Jose Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli (illness) might be forced to skip his first game of the season on Saturday versus Utah. He's dealing with an illness and is considered a game-time call. Toffoli has had a fine campaign in San Jose, leading the team with 12 goals and posting 20 points across 32 appearances. Fabian Zetterlund is the projected replacement for Toffoli on the first line if he can't play. The Swedish forward shares the fourth spot in scoring on the team with Toffoli, having recorded his 20 points via nine goals and 11 assists. Zetterlund should also get extra usage on the power play if Toffoli is out.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sheng Peng
6 days agoSan Jose Sharks forward Will Smith (upper body) will return to action in Saturday's matchup against Utah. An upper-body injury has robbed Smith of three games. Before sustaining the injury, the exciting rookie had slowly started to find his feet in the big league. Seven of Smith's 11 points have come in his past six outings. He has contributed five goals and six assists in 24 games across the campaign. Smith is projected to skate with Alex Wennberg and Barclay Goodrow on the third line. Additionally, he will be working with the second power-play unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sheng Peng
6 days agoCalgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf will be the team's starter between the sticks on Saturday versus the reigning Stanley Cup champions in the Florida Panthers. He will log his 15th start of the campaign with Dan Vladar (lower body) absent from the lineup. Devin Cooley will dress as Wolf's backup. Wolf has had a good rookie season, but he's gone cold in recent weeks, dropping three consecutive starts while allowing 14 goals. He has an 8-5-1 record for the year with a 2.84 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and one shutout. To return to winning ways, Wolf must stop the league's fifth-ranked offense. Florida averages 3.53 goals per game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Pat Steinberg
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