With the 2024-25 campaign set to kick off in North America tomorrow, I thought we'd start today's Ramblings with a fantasy question facing each team this season. Let's get into it!

Anaheim Ducks

What will Anaheim's power play look like? The Ducks split time evenly between two units last year, but that could change this season with new assistant coach Rich Clune overseeing the team's man advantage and potentially implementing new strategies. Clune helped the Toronto Marlies' PP jump from 13% to 22% last year.  Late in the preseason, we saw Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier and Jackson LaCombe together on one unit, which suggests they'll kick off the campaign together. Based on talent alone, that has to be classified as the top group.

Boston Bruins

Will Elias Lindholm bounce back from a lacklustre 2023-24 campaign and thrive beside David Pastrnak in Boston? I say yes, but only time will tell.  

Buffalo Sabres

Can the power play bounce back? After finishing 9^th in the league with a 23.4% success rate during the 22-23 campaign, the Sabres posted a shocking 16.6% last season. An improved power play will be integral to a guy like Tage Thompson rebounding from last year's underwhelming 65-point pace. Unfortunately, Buffalo is off to a rough start after going 0/6 with the man advantage through games one and two.  

Calgary Flames

Will 23-year-old netminder Dustin Wolf provide strong fantasy value despite the underwhelming roster in front of him? I personally think he needs more time to develop before becoming the kind of goaltender that carries a team.  

Carolina Hurricanes

Can Jesperi Kotkaniemi handle the second-line center role? It seems like forever ago that the 24-year-old Finn was drafted third overall, now having six seasons and ~400 games under his belt. He couldn't handle the 2C role last year but is set for another opportunity, flanked by two talented players in Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov.  

Chicago Blackhawks

Who plays beside Connor Bedard? Tyler Bertuzzi will be one of Bedard's wingers based on what we've seen in training camp, but that second wing slot doesn't seem to have a concrete candidate. It sounds like Teuvo Teravainen will get the first look in that role, but he could easily be replaced by Taylor Hall or Philipp Kurashev if early results are disappointing. Kurashev showed strong chemistry with Bedard last year, so it wouldn't be surprising to see those two reunited at some point this season.

Connor Bedard has been skating on a line with Tyler Bertuzzi all training camp.

Luke Richardson said Teuvo Teravainen is expected to be the third member of that line on Friday, and if that goes well, the three of them will likely start together on Opening Night. #Blackhawks

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 3, 2024

Colorado Avalanche

How will returning players impact line combinations? Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen won't be in Colorado's opening night lineup, but each is expected to return at some point this season. Although guys like Jonathan Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt may enjoy top six/top power-play duties early on, things will probably change once the team is at full strength.  

Columbus Blue Jackets

Which youngsters will earn bigger roles? Columbus' current roster features a lack of bona fide stars, but many young talents capable of getting there some day. Spots in the top-six and top power-play are up for grabs, and guys like Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov will have opportunities to earn or maintain prime roles if they play well.

Dallas Stars

What does Wyatt Johnston's ceiling look like? Johnston took the league by storm as a 20-year-old sophomore, racking up 65 points. With a top-power play role added to his repertoire, how high will he fly in year three?

Detroit Red Wings

Who's the top power-play quarterback? Offseason acquisition Erik Gustafsson seemed likely to fill this role since his playstyle is similar to Shayne Gostisbehere – who held the top PP QB role last year. While we've seen Gustafsson skate with the top group at times during training camp, latest configurations feature Moritz Seider on PP1. That'll be an interesting battle to monitor as the season progresses.

#RedWings power play units in practice:
1. Raymond (net front), Larkin (bumper), DeBrincat-Kane (flanks), Seider (point).
2. Compher (net front), Veleno (bumper), Berggren-Tarasenko (flanks), Gustafsson (point). pic.twitter.com/syhzaUZ9QK

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) October 2, 2024

Edmonton Oilers

Can Stuart Skinner be consistent? Looking at Skinner's save percentage from last year, he had a hideous first quarter, outstanding second quarter, good third quarter and okay fourth final quarter. It's hard to confidently start a goalie on your fantasy team when his play is so erratic. Skinner should post a solid number of wins because the Oilers are a good team, but he'll need to be more dependable than last year to justify this year's high draft position.

Florida Panthers

He's had strong offensive stints through 200 NHL games, but can 24-year-old Adam Boqvist finally stay healthy and make the most of his projected PP1 role on a new team?

Los Angeles Kings

How long can Alex Laferriere hold onto his new roles? The soon to be 23-year-old forward is expected to start the year on LA's top line beside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe – a role previously held by Quinton Byfield, who's making the full-time move to center this year. It's not the only place Laferriere has replaced Byfield as we've seen a similar switch on the power play this preseason, with Laferriere on PP1 and Byfield on PP2. However, it's hard to imagine Byfield stays down on the second unit all year considering how talented he is.

Minnesota Wild

Which version of Filip Gustavsson will we see? From a sparkling 2.10 GAA and .931 SV% in 22-23, to a shocking 3.06 GAA and .899 SV% last year. The team in front of him has proven to be competent defensively, it's just a matter of him playing at the high level he's shown before.  

Montreal Canadiens

How long will it take Lane Huston to steal PP1 duties from Mike Matheson? Given Hutson's unique talent and preseason performance, this seems more like a matter of when, not if. Coach Martin St. Louis will want his rookie defenseman to develop other aspects of his game en route to earning that top-unit role, which means Matheson probably starts the year on PP1.

Nashville Predators

How does the addition of two high-volume shooters affect the Preds' power-play dynamic? Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi like to put pucks on net, but so do the newly acquired Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. All four players ranked in the top 50 for power-play shots last season, but there will only be so many shooting opportunities now that they're all on the same unit. Keep a close eye on early shooting stats to see who remains a trigger man, and who transitions into more of a playmaking role.   

New Jersey Devils

Luke Hughes has another three to five weeks left in his recovery from an offseason shoulder injury, solidifying Dougie Hamilton as New Jersey's top power-play quarterback to start the season. It's Hamilton's spot to lose, but could Hughes swoop in and steal it if Hamilton falters early on?

New York Islanders

Will Maxim Tsyplakov be this year's biggest surprise? After potting 31 goals through 65 KHL games last year, the 26-year-old forward had an excellent camp and preseason with the Islanders, earning a second-line role beside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. More importantly, with strong play down low and in front of the net, Tsyplakov has recently earned a spot on New York's top power-play unit. Despite this favourable projected deployment, he's currently rostered in just 3% of Yahoo Leagues.

New York Rangers

Will PP1 struggle for long enough to warrant a shakeup? We saw the Rangers experiment with different combinations early in preseason, but the team ultimately reverted to the usual top group of Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck. Those five excelled together last year and will likely join forces again – assuming Panarin, who's currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury, is ready for Wednesday's opener. The team wants to reward Alexis Lafreniere with power-play time after the massive strides he took last year, but that can't happen unless the top unit falters for a sustained stretch and tinkering becomes necessary. There's no need to fix that isn't broken.

Ottawa Senators

Can Linus Ullmark bring his brilliance from Boston into the Canadian capital? I'd say yes. Perceptions might paint Boston as a better defensive team than Ottawa, but both performed similarly last year based on expected goals against. It's also unfair to suggest that Ullmark's success was solely due to the Bruins' team in front of him considering he'd performed well during his early days with the Sabres. One major difference this year might be workload as Ullmark takes on the role of undisputed starter, likely to eclipse his previous high of 49 games played.

Philadelphia Flyers

How will coach John Tortorella deploy Russian rookie sensation Matvei Michkov? There might be a disconnect between old-school defensively minded coach and offensively inclined young skater, but Tortorella seems open to giving Michkov freedom due to his elite ability. Will defensive mistakes result in healthy scratches and reduced ice time or will Michkov see the consistent opportunity needed to post lofty point totals?

Pittsburgh Penguins

Can the power play bounce back from an abysmal showing last season, where they ranked 30^th in the league with a 15.3% success rate? Reports indicate Pittsburgh has looked much better with the man advantage during the preseason, but that's with Kris Letang quarterbacking PP1 since Erik Karlsson has been injured. Coach Mike Sullivan anticipates both Letang and Karlsson on PP1 this year, which would be a unique dynamic from what we've seen recently.

Coach Mike Sullivan says he anticipates two defenseman (Karlsson, Letang) being on top PP unit for Penguins.

— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) October 5, 2024

San Jose Sharks

How much can Macklin Celebrini improve a San Jose offense that finished second-last in the league with just 2.20 goals per game last season? Probably not very much. Although Will Smith, Tyler Toffoli, and Celebrini give this year's group more offensive punch than last year's, results are likely to be similar as young players continue to develop. This is still a team I'd be confident playing my goalies against.

Seattle Kraken

Will it be another year of PP1 and PP2 seeing similar amounts of action? Looking at current configurations, the answer seems to be yes. Unfortunately, such a set up prevents Kraken players from achieving the same offensive heights that other players in the league are positioned to reach.

St. Louis Blues

Despite being stuck in a secondary power-play role, Justin Faulk has flirted with the 50-point mark twice in his last three years with St. Louis. Set to fill in for the injured Torey Krug on PP1 this year, Faulk has potential to reach new offensive heights and provide excellent value in multicategory leagues. How soon will his ownership in Yahoo Leagues skyrocket from its current 42%?

Tampa Bay Lightning  

Who rounds out the top power-play unit? Through preseason and training camp, we've seen Brandon Hagel, Cam Atkinson and Darren Raddysh fill the final spot on PP1. Hagel is the obvious choice based on talent, but it worries me that he was taking reps on PP2 during Sunday's practice – so close to the regular season opener.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The offseason acquisition of Chris Tanev sets Toronto up to be better defensively than they were last year, but who will be the main beneficiary? Can Joseph Woll stay healthy and build on the promise he showed in short stretches over his 43 NHL appearances, or will Anthony Stolarz thrive in an expanded role after excelling as Florida's backup last season?

Utah Hockey Club

What does Barret Hayton's role look like this year? There's been a lot of hype surrounding Utah's young talent, specifically directed towards Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther. Flying under the radar is Hayton, who missed most of last season due to injuries. He could take a big step this year as he's set center Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz on Utah's top line, and should also start out on PP1.

Vancouver Canucks

With Thatcher Demko nursing a unique injury that lacks a concrete recovery timetable, can Arturs Silovs hold down the fort? The 23-year-old netminder has just 19 NHL games under his belt across the regular and post-season, and results haven't been spectacular. He benefits from playing behind a strong team in Vancouver but will likely need support from the more experienced Kevin Lankinen to weather this storm.

Vegas Golden Knights

Shea Theodore or Noah Hanifin on PP1? Just over a week ago, coach Bruce Cassidy said it would be Hanifin, but more recent configurations feature Theodore on the top unit, so it seems like Shea's spot to lose at this point.

Here's how the Vegas power plays look like today, most likely how they'll start the season (if Karlsson doesn't play)

PP1: Eichel, Stone, Hertl, Olofsson and Theodore

PP2: Roy, Barbashev, Holtz, Pietrangelo and Hanifin

If Karlsson is back he'll center PP2

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) October 3, 2024

Washington Capitals

Both Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson have displayed strong individual ability in relatively small samples. Behind a revamped blueline in Washington, will we see both netminders share the net equally, or will one emerge as the stronger option?

Winnipeg Jets

'Underutilized' has often been the word to describe Nikolaj Ehlers, but now that he's set to hold a secure PP1 role for the first time in his career, will he finally eclipse the 70-point mark? My money says yes.

~

Streaming Options for Week 1

As a reminder, 'light nights' are nights with fewer games scheduled around the league. Since most players don't play on these days, those that do should be easier to incorporate into your fantasy lineup. You can use Dobber's Schedule Planner to take a look at this for yourself.

Pavel Dorofeyev (LW) – Yahoo: 3% Rostered

Vegas has the ideal streaming schedule this week with games on all three light nights (Wednesday, Friday & Sunday). After posting a respectable 23-goal pace last year, Dorofeyev is set to take on a bigger role as a member of Vegas' top six this season. He had a strong training camp, headlined by a hat trick in Saturday's preseason finale, and should carry that momentum into the team's first few regular season games. Victor Olofsson is another potential streamer given preseason deployment on the first line and power-play unit. However, reports indicate he hasn't had the greatest camp, so he could fall down the depth chart quickly.

Gabriel Vilardi (C/RW) – Yahoo: 42% Rostered

Winnipeg is another team with the ideal Wednesday/Friday/Sunday slate next week. Among players who play in both the top six and top power-play, Vilardi is the most attainable option, but he's probably too popular to call a streamer. You're more likely to find Cole Perfetti on your league's waiver wire. He only sees secondary PP time, but exposure to Nikolaj Ehlers on line two should help Perfetti put up a point or two this week.

Jake Neighbours (LW/RW) – Yahoo: 28% Rostered

If you're looking to maximize games played, grab someone from St. Louis until Friday since they're the only team with three games between now and then – every other team plays either one or two. After Friday, you can drop your Blue for one of the many skaters in action on the weekend. My top pick from St. Louis would be Jake Neighbours, given the fact that he's fresh off a 27-goal season and holds a spot on the team's top line and top power play unit. However, if you're in a deeper league, Alexandre Texier might be a more attainable option. He's only on the second power play, but in a nice situation beside Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou at even strength on line two.  

Adam Boqvist (D) – Yahoo: 11% Rostered

It's surprising that the QB of one of the league's most talented power-play units is still available in so many fantasy formats. He won't put up many hits or blocks, but if you need points and power-play points, Boqvist might be a guy you add now and roster all season. Florida has three games on the schedule this week, but it's worth noting that their season opener on Tuesday may be affected by Hurricane Milton – which already caused the cancellation of Monday's Stanley Cup ring ceremony.

Joel Hofer (G) – Yahoo: 28% Rostered

The Blues have a back-to-back set scheduled this week, visiting the Sharks on Thursday and the Golden Knights on Friday. St. Louis' top netminder Jordan Binnington will likely get the call against the more formidable foe in Vegas, setting Hofer up to face San Jose. Although the Sharks have more talent in their ranks compared to last year, their offense still projects to be around league-bottom level. Hofer will look to carry momentum from a strong 2023-24 campaign into this new season.

Calvin Pickard (G) – Yahoo: 4% Rostered

The 32-year-old netminder figures to have a relatively cushy role this season, playing backup behind one of the league's strongest rosters. Edmonton has a back-to-back set this week, playing Chicago on Saturday and Calgary on Sunday. The Blackhawks had the league's worst offense last year at 2.17 goals per game, but they've bolstered their attack in the offseason and should be more dangerous this year. That said, they still project to have a below-average offense. Calgary finished 19^th in goals per game last year, but looking at their current roster, it's likely they're even worse this year. I'm not really a believer in Pickard's individual ability, so proceed with caution here. I just see a team mismatch between Edmonton and Chicago/Calgary.  Let's hope the Battle of Alberta doesn't turn into a barnburner though…

~

Sunday's News

With concerns growing that he'd miss the start of the season due to contract negotiations, Jeremy Swayman signed an eight-year deal at an AAV of $8.25 million on Sunday. He excelled in a time share with Linus Ullmark over these past few years but will now get a chance to prove he can maintain a high level of play over 50-60 games each season.

Swayman and Boston: 8 x $8.25M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 6, 2024

Sticking with the topic of extensions, Nils Hoglander and the Canucks agreed to an AAV of $3 million for three more years, which kicks in next season.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announces that the #Canucks have agreed to terms with forward Nils Höglander on a three-year contract extension with a $3 million AAV.

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 6, 2024

That wasn't the only move the Canucks made Sunday, as they also sent a fourth-round pick and Tucker Poolman to the Avalanche in exchange for Erik Brannstrom. Vancouver then placed Brannstrom on waivers for the purpose of AHL assignment. It wouldn't be surprising to see him claimed by another team given his offensive pedigree and supposedly untapped potential. I say supposedly because he's now 25, but it's hard to write off an offensive blueliner who hasn't had a shot at consistent top power-play duties over his 266 NHL games. From Vancouver's perspective, this move was mostly to get Poolman's $2.5 million cap hit off the books.

General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have acquired D Erik Brannstrom from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Tucker Poolman (20% salary retained) and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 6, 2024

With teams due to submit their 23-man rosters on Monday, many players were placed on waivers today. One of the most intriguing names on that list was Jakob Pelletier, Calgary's 26^th overall pick from the 2019 draft. He didn't have a great camp but there may be some untapped potential as he's posted roughly a point per game rate in the AHL.

~

Thanks for reading! If you ever have any fantasy hockey questions, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza and shoot me a message!