Busy two days here with my salary projections coming out yesterday, cap league skater rankings this morning, and cap league goalie rankings tomorrow. I'm going to say a quick work on each of those before getting into a few other thoughts.

Salary projections: I've been working on these for the last five years, and they're a lot of fun. I try not to take them too seriously, but they are also something I work hard on to try and make it a little better each time around. Check them out, and whether you're in a cap league or not, I think you'll find something interesting in there.  

Cap league skater and goalie rankings: These I've been doing the last couple of years, and though they are a lot more work, they're a little more rewarding as there is something a little more substantial outputted. They've constantly getting tweaked, and with comments from readers on what their leagues are looking for, I can also take those notes into account to make sure the numbers check out for the wide range of league styles and formats that we're all trying to manage. Personally, the lists really help me out with finding new names to target in the offseason, guys who are underrated, be it on the lower end of the spectrum, or even star players that should be considered more valuable than their peers who are being drafted higher. Jack Campbell, Vincent Trocheck, and a few others are guys I was able to key in on last summer and acquire for 80 cents on the dollar. Take a look and see if you can find your own names this summer.

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On that note, Rick Roos has his latest fantasy hockey poll article out this morning, and he's challenging you to pick out the top players who are going to be the biggest UFA disappointments this year. The poll is live now over on the forums too.

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Sticking with free agents, one of the key fantasy changes is possibly going to be when Kris Letang leaves the Penguins, and they need to find someone to fill that void. Mike Matheson is the player that some are thinking may see a big jump in deployment, however over the course of the season, it was very close between Matheson and John Marino. Marino saw a bit more deployment with the man advantage, had slightly better shot results, though both defencemen finished the season with two power play points.

Matheson is more of a shooter, which would replace Letang's style of play a little better, and it's tough to want to mess with such an effective power play over the last number of seasons. On that note, Marino does have the better track record with the Penguins over the last few years, and is also a right-handed shot, just like Letang. Working against him, is that he is also a bit more responsible than Matheson (who is a left shot), and because Marino can be used more in an array of situations, it almost pigeonholes Matheson into defaulting to the better asset to put on the power play, regardless of how anything else looks.

Keep both in mind through the summer and watch how things unfold in training camp. The better odds seem to lean towards Matheson though, so if you want to try and get ahead of this, then maybe check in with the Matheson owner now before things progress.

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The St. Louis Blues organization, and a whole lot of other people in power are eerily silent on the racist attacks that Nazem Kadri has faced over the last number of days. It's unacceptable, but even more than that it's something that keeps coming up with nothing being done and no changes. We are allowed to dislike players who play a style we don't like, or for a team we don't favour. What is not okay, is attacking someone because of their race or religion, and it has no place anywhere. We all deserve to be judged based on our actions, our achievements, and our words, nothing more. I don't have the answers on how we get there, but by having the conversation I'm hoping we can start down that path.

Some words on Nazem Kadri, and why we owe him more than reducing his story to one of vile racism serving as a catalyst for greatness.

Let's stop short of hanging the glory on the hate speech, and seeing winning as solution enough to what's been endured: https://t.co/uxEIg6eZs0

— Sonny Sachdeva (@SachdevaSonny) May 25, 2022

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Ryan Lindgren, Andrew Copp, and Frank Vatrano all put up multi-point nights last night. Vatrano has been excellent since joining the Rangers, and has rebuilt his value. It would surprise me if they let him walk, because when you find a player that fits like this, both the team and the player end up wanting to make it work. As Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere grow though, he could see his role reduced, so don't go expecting 13 points every 20 games like he finished the regular season with.

Copp should be able to parlay these playoffs into a big contract as one of the better centres on a market that is really just a lot of wingers this summer. He averaged 19 minutes per game for the first time in his career, but with the Ranger his ice time dropped, and in spite of that he put up 18 points in 16 games. That point-per-game pace is hidden behind his struggles on a flat Winnipeg team earlier in the year, so it could be that he is underappreciated on the market, but then gets put into a situation next year where he can take on a larger role and he really thrives. As long as he doesn't end up on the third line somewhere, then I think 60 points is an easy target.

Lindgren is a few games away from the 200-game threshold in the regular season, but typically defencemen need closer to 400 before they really hit their stride. He is the steady presence on a top pair with Adam Fox, and just by proxy of that he is going to get a few points and plusses throughout the year. As the Rangers grow as a better offensive team, in addition to being carried on the back end by Igor Shesterkin, it feels like the kind of situation where a rising tide will lift all of the boats. That being said, his career high is 16 points, and he had under one shot per game this year. He's a great multi-category contributor, but those of you waiting for the offence to come as well are going to be left wanting for a long time.

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More hockey!

JUST IN: The PWHPA has entered into a formal relationship with Billie Jean King Enterprises and The Mark Walter Group (led by Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers) to explore the launch of a new professional women's hockey league. https://t.co/Mf5O5U75DF

— Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) May 25, 2022

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Chris Tanev made his return to the lineup, and having him really changes the complexion of the series, that is, if he is healthy. If he can play, then he frees up the other Flames defencemen from the heavier matchups, and makes life a lot easier for Jacob Markstrom. It may not be enough to slow down the Oilers' steamroller right now, but it does show just how important he is to this team.

Him being paired with Oliver Kylington all year is a big reason that Kylington was able to break out in the way that he did. It cannot be understated just how much Tanev means to Kylington's production, and Calgary on a whole. With Kylington and RFA, he should be back next season, but it is no guarantee. If he doesn't return then he is primed to be one of those new team disappointments.

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Over at the worlds, we're seeing the two Slovaks Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec make their cases to be picked first and second overall in the NHL draft. It likely won't happen, but it's great to see from one of the hockey countries that aren't typically considered a solid threat to medal at these tournaments. If I did own the top pick in a prospect draft this year, I would certainly reach out to see if I could swap it for second or third overall, and end up with one of Logan Cooley or Slafkovsky plus an extra asset. I'm not quite ready to put Nemec in that tier, but he's not far off.

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Please listen to Steve Kerr for what I wasn't able to find the words to express.

Steve Kerr on today's tragic shooting in Uvalde, Texas. pic.twitter.com/lsJ8RzPcmC

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 24, 2022

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Find me on Twitter @alexdmaclean if you have any fantasy hockey questions or comments.