Montreal Taps Antti Niemi for Consecutive Starts

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Antti Niemi will get his second straight start on Monday as he faces the Detroit Red Wings. Niemi made 25 saves on 28 shots in his first start on Saturday and then stood tall in the shootout to earn the win. As sharp as he looked in the shootout, there was room […]

Two-Point Evening For Brendan Gallagher Against Pittsburgh

Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher posted a goal, an assist, a plus-two rating and six shots on goal with a blocked shot and three hits in Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 26-year-old Alberta native entered the game with just one goal across his first three games, a goal in Pittsburgh […]

Jeff Petry Chips In With A Pair Of Helpers In Win

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry picked up two assists with a minus-one rating and two hits over 25:13 of ice time in Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Petry and Mike Reilly continue to gobble up a lion's share of the rearguard minutes for the Canadiens. They might not be the most attractive […]

Tomas Tatar Records Three-Point Night In Win

Montreal Canadiens left wing Tomas Tatar posted two goals with an assist and a plus-two rating in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout. He let six shots fly to tie a team best while also delivering a hit in 21:30 of ice time across his 26 shifts. He was shipped […]

Antti Niemi Earns Victory Against Visiting Pens

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Antti Niemi allowed three goals on 28 shots in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran backup did a pretty good job against the high-octane Pens, and the game-tying goal midway through the third period by Phil Kessel came on the power play and was not Niemi's fault. […]

Antti Niemi Set to Start Against Penguins

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Antti Niemi will get the start on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carey Price will miss tonight's game due to illness which pushes Niemi into the starter's role as Montreal looks for their second win of the season. This will be Niemi's first start of the season and fittingly comes against the […]

Carey Price Mediocre In Thursday's Loss

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price allowed three goals on 29 shots in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Price has been decent at the start of the 2018-19 campaign posting a 1-1-1 record to go along with a 2.32 GAA and .909 SV%. While his Hart Trophy days may be […]

Shea Weber Back at Practice, Getting Closer to Return

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber skated in full gear at practice for the first time since undergoing surgery back in June. Weber is expected to return to the lineup sometime in December, but his return to practice is encouraging for anyone holding out hope for the veteran blueliner. Weber has scored 0.56 points per game […]

Top 25 Goaltenders: Weekly Fantasy Hockey Rankings (Week 1)

Over the course of the 2018-2019 NHL season, RotoBaller will be breaking down our fantasy hockey player rankings by position. These positional rankings will be updated and posted on a weekly basis, starting with forwards every Sunday, defensemen on Monday, and goaltenders each Tuesday. Note: Rankings are determined considering a standard Yahoo league format (wins, […]

Top 75 Forwards: Weekly Fantasy Hockey Rankings (Week 1)

Over the course of the 2018-2019 NHL season, RotoBaller will be breaking down our fantasy hockey player rankings by position. These positional rankings will be updated and posted on a weekly basis, starting with forwards every Sunday, defensemen on Monday, and goaltenders each Tuesday. Note: Rankings are determined considering a standard Yahoo league format (goals, […]

Big Day From Paul Byron in Win Over Penguins

Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron scored two goals and added an assist as the Canadiens downed the Penguins 5-1. Byron led Montreal in goals and points in the game and racked up two hits and three blocks along the way. Playing on the third line in Montreal is not exactly the road to fantasy relevance […]

Top 25 Fantasy Hockey Goalie Rankings for 2018-2019

Over course of the 2018-2019 season, RotoBaller breaks down the fantasy hockey player rankings by position. The rankings will be updated and posted on a weekly basis, starting with forwards every Sunday, defensemen on Monday and goaltenders each Tuesday. Note: Rankings are determined considering a standard Yahoo league format (wins, goals against average, save percentage, […]

Carey Price Confirmed To Start On Opening Night

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will get the start on opening night on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Price will look to bounce back from a rough year, in which he collected a 16-26-7 record, along with only a .900 save percentage. He still remains as one of the top goaltenders in the […]

Alex Galchenyuk To Start On IR

Arizona Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk (lower body) has been put on the injured reserve list. The newly acquired Coyotes forward was injured in a pre-season game, and while the extent of the injury has not been released, he's not expected to be out too long. He should be owned in all deep formats and could […]

Top 75 Fantasy Hockey Forward Rankings for 2018-2019

Over course of the 2018-2019 season, RotoBaller breaks down the fantasy hockey player rankings by position. The rankings will be updated and posted on a weekly basis, starting with forwards every Sunday, defensemen on Monday and goaltenders each Tuesday. Note: Rankings are determined considering a standard Yahoo league format (goals, assists, plus-minus, power play points, […]

Shea Weber Named Montreal Captain

The Montreal Canadiens named defenseman Shea Weber team captain on Monday. The 33-year-old becomes the franchise's 30th captain. Since being acquired via trade back in June 2016, Weber has registered 58 points (23 goals, 35 assists) in 104 games with the club. Unfortunately, the British Columbia has had issues staying healthy during his short time […]

Alex Galchenyuk Doubtful For Opening Day

Arizona Coyotes center Alex Galchenyuk (groin) is doubtful to play in the regular season opener and has been listed as week-to-week. It appears he sustained the injury during a preseason game last Tuesday. Galchenyuk has breakout potential playing with the Coyotes top-six, so hopefully, he can return soon. He was underutilized in Montreal but should […]

Nick Suzuki Returned Back To OHL

Montreal Canadiens prospect Nick Suzuki was part of the latest round of training camp cuts on Tuesday morning. Suzuki was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Max Pacioretty deal earlier this month. The supremely skilled center looked like he had a decent shot at cracking the Canadiens roster due to their lack of […]

On The Rebound - Five Wingers Who Will Bounce Back in 2018-19

Every year it happens. A forward inexplicably falls short of expectations and fantasy owners are left with a terrible taste in their mouth for years to come. Determining if that slump in production was a one-year aberration or a sign of things to come is an integral part of taking home a league title. Take […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019

Over course of the offseason, RotoBaller contributed a six-piece feature breaking down the top 100 fantasy hockey player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 season. This article (the final edition) features some movement up and down the rankings as a result of trades, signings, injuries, etc. When the puck drops and the 2018-2019 season is officially […]

Paul Byron Inks Four-Year Extension With Montreal

Montreal Canadiens winger Paul Byron signed a four-year, $13.6 million contract (average annual value of $3.4 million) to remain with the club through the 2022-2023 season on Sunday. Byron is coming off one of his better NHL seasons, having posted 35 points (20 goals, 15 assists) in all 82 games last season. The 29-year-old forward […]

Nick Suzuki Included In Trade to Montreal

The Montreal Canadiens acquired top prospect Nick Suzuki (along with Tomas Tatar and a 2019 second-round pick) in exchange for Max Pacioretty on Monday. Suzuki, the 13th overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft, is fresh off a 100-point (42 goals, 58 assists) season playing for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. The undersized […]

Tomas Tatar Shipped To The Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Tomas Tatar, prospect center Nick Suzuki and a second-round selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft from the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday in exchange for veteran forward Max Pacioretty. Tatar was operating as a top-six forward with the Western Conference champions after coming over in the middle of the […]

Max Pacioretty Acquired By The Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired forward Max Pacioretty on Sunday in exchange for forward Tomas Tatar, prospect center Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, originally belonging to Columbus. Pacioretty seems like he's been around a while, but he is still just 29 years old and in the prime of […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019 (80-61)

Over the next few weeks, RotoBaller will be kicking off the NHL offseason with a feature breaking down the top 100 player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 fantasy hockey season. The top 100 rankings will be released in six segments, starting from the bottom (100-81) and concluding with a two-piece set featuring our top 20 […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019 (100-81)

Over the next few weeks, RotoBaller will be kicking off the NHL offseason with a feature breaking down the top 100 player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 fantasy hockey season. The top 100 rankings will be released in six segments, starting from the bottom (100-81) and concluding with a two-piece set featuring our top 20 […]

Shea Weber Will Miss Start of Season After Knee Surgery

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will be sidelined approximately five to six months after undergoing knee surgery. Weber was limited to just 26 games last season due to foot and knee injuries and was due for a minor arthroscopic procedure on June 19 as part of his rehabilitation. It was discovered during the procedure that […]

Tomas Plekanec Returns To Montreal On One-Year Deal

The Montreal Canadiens announced they are bringing back 35-year-old center Tomas Plekanec on a one-year deal. Plekanec was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the deadline last season and scored two of his 26 points in 17 games with the Buds. Aside from those 17 games, Plekanec has played his entire 998-game NHL career […]

Alexander Romanov Selected 38th Overall by Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens selected defenseman Alexander Romanov with the 38th overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft. With two picks early in the second round, Montreal was looking to add scoring and defense, and with Romanov they may be getting both. The 5-foot-11 left-handed defenseman from Russia is at his best in transition and is […]

Canadiens Add Forward Depth, Take Jesse Ylonen 35th Overall

The Montreal Canadiens took Jesse Ylonen with the 35th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. The US-born right winger most recently played in Finland, where he scored 27 points in 48 games. Ylonen is a very strong skater and excels around the perimeter of the ice, but he will need to improve his defensive […]