It's hard to focus on fantasy hockey so soon after Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were senselessly taken from us by a suspected drunk driver.

Although we don't know players personally, there's a closeness that develops as we watch them play and become invested in their performance. I was caught off guard by the sadness I felt, but seeing others echo those emotions reminded me that there are no rules to grief. When the news broke, Ian did an incredible job of paying tribute to Gaudreau while raising awareness about drunk driving and the importance of showing consideration for cyclists and pedestrians. You can read his piece here. 

The main sentiment I want to echo is please never drive under any influence or distraction. The inconveniences associated with calling an uber/taxi, or sleeping away from home, pale in comparison to the life-altering consequences of drunk/distracted driving. Most of you probably understand that already, but I implore you to make sure those around you understand it too. It takes a lot of strength to speak up when someone's about to make a dangerous decision, especially when you risk coming across as overbearing, uptight or uncool. But you can wear those labels proudly knowing you've saved lives. 

It's almost impossible to shift from such a serious topic to a discussion of fantasy hockey. However, in the name of providing distraction and appreciating the small joys we're so fortunate to experience, I'll switch gears.

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In today's Ramblings I wanted to discuss a few internal battles for power-play opportunity.

Detroit Red Wings – Gustafsson vs. Seider vs. Edvinsson

Given their similar offensively focused skillsets, it's hard to see Erik Gustafsson as anything other than a Shayne Gostisbehere replacement. Considering Gostisbehere's main role with Detroit last year was quarterbacking the top power play, it's only logical that Gustafsson fills that role this year. Some will rightfully question Gus' competence in such a role considering he's only really had one standout season and that was roughly five years ago. However, I'm encouraged by the fact that two players who were part of that 60-point campaign in Chicago – Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat – are now with Gustafsson in Detroit. Moritz Seider is certainly capable of stepping up to the top unit if Gustafsson falters, but given Seider's all-round excellence, it would be nice if someone else could manage power-play minutes so he's fresh for other situations. It's worth noting that when comparing career numbers, despite having 300 more power-play minutes under his belt, Gustafsson only has 11 more PPPs than Seider. Simon Edvinsson has offensive upside and could see top unit power-play time at some point in his career, but he's only 25 games into his NHL career and has just four points to his name. He'll need some more time to settle in before taking on such a high-profile role.

Florida Panthers – Ekblad vs. Forsling vs. Boqvist

As it stands, I think the top candidate for Florida's top PP QB role is Aaron Ekblad. When he was given the keys to Florida's power play in 2021-22, he racked up 57 points in 61 games – including 20 points with the man advantage. Gustav Forsling might be considered the better player right now, but he doesn't have as much experience on the power play. Given Forsling's well-rounded ability, the team might want to lean on him for more even-strength and shorthanded minutes, leaving the 'cushier' PP role to someone else. 24-year-old Adam Boqvist – who Florida signed to a one-year deal this summer – has shown flashes of offensive ability that have been impeded by injury. There's certainly some untapped potential there and I wouldn't be surprised if he stole that PP1 role.

Montreal Canadiens – Matheson vs. Hutson

If the discussion is solely about offensive talent and who makes Montreal's power play better today, the answer might already be Lane Hutson. However, for the sake of his learning and development, it might be easier to start Hutson in a smaller role so he can focus on defensive adjustments, before gradually adding other responsibilities to his plate. We saw last year how Martin St. Louis waited for Juraj Slafkovsky to improve his overall play before rewarding him with first line power-play time. While Mike Matheson likely mans the top unit to kick off the campaign, it wouldn't surprise me if Hutson started seeing reps on PP1 to end the year. 

New York Rangers – Alexis Lafrenière

After last season's impressive 57-point breakout, expectations are understandably high for the first overall pick of the 2020 draft. At first, I was concerned that a lack of power-play production would prevent him from taking another big step this year. The Rangers' ranked third overall with the man advantage last season, so it's unlikely they break up that top group of Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox any time soon. However, an injury or sustained stretch of poor play might open the door for Lafrenière sooner than later. Even if he's stuck in a secondary power-play role, there's room for his overall ice time to increase another minute or two as he only averaged 17 minutes a night last year. More even-strength opportunity beside two talented players in Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck certainly can't hurt. It's rare for an elite talent like Lafreniere to miss out on top PP minutes, but it's reassuring that Brandon Hagel managed 75 points last year (66 at even strength) in similar circumstances.  

New York Islanders – Duclair vs. Palmieri

New York's top power-play unit is sure to feature top offensive threats like Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson, and Noah Dobson. That leaves one opening for either Kyle Palmieri, or newly signed Anthony Duclair.

Palmieri held the role last year and performed decently, posting 20 points with the man advantage – more than both Nelson (19) and Horvat (18). He also racked up 57 shots on power play, ranking second on the team behind only Nelson (60). Palmieri might not be the biggest name, but he's made some contributions and isn't deserving of a demotion based on production alone. However, Patrick Roy – hired as New York's head coach in January 2024 – said in March that he wanted New York's power play to move more quickly. With that mindset, it seems logical to swap the slower Palmieri with a much speedier Duclair. Although Duclair hasn't been used on the power play very much in his career, when promoted to Florida's top unit in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, he racked up 17 PPPs through 45 games. There's also the investment factor to consider as Duclair has four more years left on his deal while Palmieri is a free agent after this season. It may take some time, but I predict Duclair finishes this season on PP1.

New Jersey Devils – Hughes vs. Hamilton

Of all the battles discussed, this one is the hardest for me to call. A torn pectoral muscle limited Dougie Hamilton to just 20 games last year, thrusting Luke Hughes into an elevated role. The 20-year-old rookie experienced his fair share of growing pains but finished with an impressive 47 points, including 25 on the power play. It seems logical to conclude that Hughes saw an expanded power-play role as a result of Hamilton's injury – but that wouldn't be accurate. When both players were in the lineup, Hughes saw 62% of New Jersey's total power-play time while Hamilton was down at 39%. In other words, Luke's status as PP1 QB precedes Hamilton's injury. However, that was last season, and with a new coaching staff this year, there's potential for change. In a recent interview, head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke about having two strong power-play units that challenge each other. Perhaps that means Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier don't all end up on the same unit? Although most successful teams stack their top group, two balanced units would make it easier for Hughes and Hamilton to coexist in harmony.