1 week 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
1 week agoSt. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas has been ruled out for at least six weeks with a fractured ankle. The team plans to re-evaluate him in six weeks after Thomas was injured while blocking a shot in Tuesday's matchup against Winnipeg. St. Louis also announced that Thomas has been placed on Injured Reserve. Thomas skates as the first-line center and will be a massive miss for the Blues, who are off to a good 4-3-0 start to the year. Brayden Schenn was moved to the first line in Wednesday's practice and should now play a more prominent role for the team until at least early December.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 week agoWashington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson will finish off a back-to-back against Philadelphia in the crease on Wednesday. Charlie Lindgren collected a 4-1 victory against the Flyers on Tuesday with a 17-save effort. Both netminders have enjoyed good starts to the season, and Thompson hasn't yet suffered a single defeat with his new team. He is 2-0-0 with a 3.41 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. The Capitals offense has provided a lot of support for Thompson, and he will have to improve his performances to keep his winning streak going. Thompson is 1-0-1 against the Flyers in his career.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Tom Gulitti
1 week agoPhiladelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov will pick up his third start of the season in Wednesday's matchup against Washington. The two teams meet for a second consecutive night, and the Flyers will try to bounce back from a 4-1 loss. Samuel Ersson gave up four goals on 25 shots on Tuesday, with his record dropping to 1-2-1. Fedotov could earn more playing time for himself with a good outing on Wednesday. However, he needs to significantly improve his form after struggling in both of his previous appearances. The Russian netminder enters Wednesday's action with a 6.09 goals-against average and has recorded a .818 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Flyers
1 week agoPhiladelphia Flyers right wing Bobby Brink will sit out Wednesday's matchup against Washington as a healthy scratch. Flyers head coach John Tortorella has played around a lot with his lineup, and the changes continue on Wednesday, with Brink sitting and Tyson Foerster rejoining the action. Brink is among Philadelphia's top scorers with four points (one goal, three assists) in six games but finished with a minus-two rating and saw less than nine minutes of ice time against the Capitals on Tuesday in a 4-1 loss. Foerster bagged a goal in the season opener, but this has remained his only point so far.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Philadelphia Flyers
1 week agoNashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros recorded 33 saves as the team finally got its first victory of the season on Tuesday by beating Boston 4-0. Entering Tuesday, Nashville was 0-5-0 for the season, even losing four contests at home. But things finally clicked for the team on Tuesday, as there were four different goal-scorers, and Saros showed off top form with his 24th career shutout. Despite the team's struggles, Saros has actually logged a decent 2.89 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. He now sits on a 1-4-0 record and should start to improve steadily, as the Predators are simply too good to remain at the bottom of the league table.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoDetroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon stoned the Islanders on Tuesday, finishing a 1-0 victory with a 29-save shutout. Patrick Kane scored the only goal as Lyon played a key role in the win. He needed to make nearly three times as many saves as Ilya Sorokin in the other net, with Detroit only firing off 11 shots on goal. This was Lyon's fourth career shutout. The 31-year-old has been a late bloomer and will be delighted with his early season form. Lyon carries a 2-1-0 record and has allowed only 1.46 goals with a .955 save percentage. He's competing for playing time with Cam Talbot, who's gone 1-1-0 so far while also boasting one shutout with a 3.31 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoTampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel potted his third career hat trick in Tuesday's 8-5 win over New Jersey. He scored three straight goals inside 6:25 in the second frame and added an assist to match a franchise record for most points scored in a single period. Hagel doubled his points tally for the year and now boasts five goals and three assists through six games. Tampa Bay made a small tweak to the lineup on Tuesday by adding Conor Geekie next to Hagel and Anthony Cirelli on the second line, and the move paid big dividends as the trio combined for nine points. They will head out next against the Wild, a team that is ranked second in the league with a 1.83 goals-against average.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoVegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl had a memorable night against L.A. on Tuesday, matching his career high with four points in a 6-1 victory. He recorded two goals and two assists, with two points coming on the power play. Hertl also made his presence felt without the puck by delivering three hits. He led all skaters with five shots on goal. The Czech star is now averaging a point per game through seven outings this season. He's had three goals and seven assists with 13 shots. The Golden Knights are rolling and get a couple of juicy matchups next against Ottawa and San Jose, putting Hertl in a good spot to keep up his form.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSt. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Winnipeg. Thomas had his second multi-point night of the campaign with a pair of assists but was hurt when he blocked a shot. The severity of the injury is currently unclear. The Blues will start a four-game road trip on Thursday in Toronto and will be desperate to have Thomas available. The 25-year-old went scoreless in three games prior to Tuesday's outing, but he still sits among St. Louis' top scorers with six points (one goal, five assists) in seven games. Brayden Schenn will likely move into the top six if Thomas needs time off to heal. This would significantly increase his fantasy value.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Matthew DeFranks
1 week agoMontreal Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron was unable to finish Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers due to an upper-body injury. He exited the action in the third period after taking a big hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. Barron spent 15:01 on the ice but didn't register any stats in the contest. The 22-year-old has posted one goal, eight shots, eight blocks, and 13 hits through seven games this season. With Montreal off until the weekend, Barron gets some time to recover, but it might not be enough to face St. Louis on Saturday. Arber Xhekaj is in line to hop back into the lineup if Barron isn't available. Xhekaj has sat out a couple of games as a healthy scratch. He has gone scoreless in five outings this season, recording five shots, five blocks, and 10 hits with a minus-four rating.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Eric Engels
1 week agoToronto Maple Leafs left wing Max Pacioretty suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to Columbus. He was limited to 9:58 of ice time and had two penalty minutes with two hits before exiting. The team expects to know more about Pacioretty's injury on Wednesday. The veteran winger had just scored his second goal of the year after sitting out a pair of contests as a healthy scratch. Pontus Holmberg might be Pacioretty's replacement again on the third line if he misses time. Holmgren has logged one assist with six shots on goal in seven appearances during a quiet start to the campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
1 week agoVancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (undisclosed) will be in the lineup against Chicago on Tuesday. According to Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, Miller is "dealing with some stuff," and he was a game-time decision for Tuesday's contest, but the prolific American is set to remain in the lineup. Miller hasn't yet made much noise this season, logging two goals and one assist in five contests. However, he has been a point-per-game player for three consecutive campaigns, and it should only be a matter of time before Miller regains his scoring form. A matchup against a weak Blackhawks squad seems to be a good spot for picking up some momentum.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Batchelor
1 week agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (lower body) has been activated from Injured Reserve ahead of Tuesday's matchup against Seattle. This strongly indicates that Toews is ready to return from a four-game absence. Before sustaining a lower-body injury, Toews had one assist in two games with three shots and three blocks. He should rejoin his regular running mate, Cale Makar, on the first defensive pairing on Tuesday. Makar has been red-hot to start the year, and Toews has extra fantasy value as his partner. Calvin de Haan and John Ludvig are in danger of being scratched to make room for Toews.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL Rosters
1 week agoAnaheim Ducks center Isac Lundestrom (upper body) is ready to return to the lineup on Tuesday against San Jose. He has been on the shelf for a couple of games because of an upper-body injury. Lundestrom has been limited to a fourth-line role this season, registering one goal in three games with three shots. However, he is projected to move up to the third line to join Trevor Zegras and Alex Killorn. With more talent around him, Lundestrom will be in a better position to perform well offensively. This is also a favorable matchup for the Ducks versus a team that allows over four goals per game (4.17).
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Derek Lee
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