Every Sunday, we share 21 Fantasy Rambles from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week’s 'Daily Ramblings'.

Writers/Editors: Ian Gooding, Michael Clifford, Alexander MacLean, Brennan Des, and Dobber

—

1. That was a fun week and a half, wasn’t it? As a Canadian, I was 100% prepared to say that even if Canada didn’t win. If you’re an American, hopefully you concur. In the end, the big winner is the game of hockey, which generated the kind of buzz that it hasn't had for quite a while among even casual fans with the 4 Nations Face-Off. You can’t say that about a typical All-Star break.  

When Connor McDavid‘s career ends, his overtime winner in the 4 Nations championship game will be remembered as part of his legacy – even if a 4 Nations Face-Off championship doesn’t hold the same prestige as the Stanley Cup or an Olympic gold medal. Yet the combination of no best-on-best tournaments for nearly a decade and the suddenly uneasy relations between Canada and the US made this win seem just as historic, even if the trophy didn’t look as familiar.

Maybe the difference in this game (and ultimately the tournament) – as slim as that margin could be – was that Canada has the best player in the world in McDavid. Number 97 led all forwards in this game with 23:05 in icetime, finished the tournament with three goals, and had plenty more scoring opportunities.

2. Canada’s biggest question mark was in net, yet Jordan Binnington silenced the doubters by adding to his reputation as a clutch goalie in this game. Binnington stopped 31 of 33 American shots, including some incredible saves in overtime.

Nathan MacKinnon was named the tournament MVP, leading all players with four goals. MacKinnon’s all-around game showed that he has that dog in him with five shots, three hits, and two blocked shots in the championship match.  

Sam Bennett also showed up with a goal, six shots, and five hits. I have to admit I thought Canada left better players off the roster than Bennett, but he showed his big-game experience here.

Cale Makar led Canadian skaters with 28:17 of icetime in this game. His average icetime of 26:47 was also the highest of the tournament.

I can’t write about this tournament without mentioning Connor Hellebuyck. As much as Binnington was able to dial it up when it mattered the most, Hellebuyck was easily the best goalie of the tournament. In three games against (most of) the best of the best, Hellebuyck finished the tournament with a 1.59 GAA and .932 SV%.

3. Every hockey fan would agree that the 4 Nations Face-Off has been a better use of the All-Star break than the All-Star Game itself. In addition, the NHL can put the “what to do with the All-Star Game” debate to bed for at least one more season, as NHL players will be participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The NHL has also agreed to participate in the 2030 Winter Olympics in France, which means that the league only has to think about 2027, 2028, and 2029 for the rest of the decade.

[Follow the link for more…]

4. Charlie McAvoy‘s injury and subsequent health questions, in addition to Matthew Tkachuk getting banged up, Brady Tkachuk being unable to finish the game against Sweden, Shea Theodore being week-to-week, and other injuries piling up through the tournament makes me glad that the NHL already announced a plan to the return to the Olympics. Otherwise, we might have had owners clamouring to keep players out of action anywhere but for league games. (feb19)

5. Kevin Lankinen entered the season as an insurance experienced backup goalie for the Canucks, who didn’t know how long Thatcher Demko would be sidelined. With Lankinen providing steady goaltending and Demko held to 17 games and injured again, Lankinen’s stock has soared to the point where the Canucks have extended Lankinen for a five-year extension worth $4.5 million per season.

No, that doesn’t mean Arturs Silovs has peaked. At all. Silovs turns 24 in March, which is still a very young age for a goalie. Take a look at the league’s top goalies and they generally range in age between 26 to 32. It’s possible that the best of Silovs will always be the World Hockey Championship and the 2024 playoffs, but another year or two in the AHL would be beneficial in adding to that resume. At that point he might be ready to be an NHL backup, perhaps even Lankinen’s. Or even a 1A or 1B in a goaltending tandem. That’s because… (feb22)

6. I’d be worried about Demko’s long-term health. Demko was out for the better part of nine months because of an obscure injury that doctors had trouble pronouncing (popliteus), let alone treating. He has another year left on his contract, which means the Canucks will have $9.5 million allocated for goalies next season. By signing Lankinen to five years, it seems as though they are betting on Demko still not being 100%. Regardless, Demko would need a full injury-free 2025-26 season before any team will feel comfortable issuing anything more than a short-term contract his way. If he gets a long-term deal, it probably won’t be in Vancouver. For what it’s worth, Lankinen and Demko are the same age (29). Demko has more upside than Lankinen as a past Vezina nominee, but at this point Lankinen is the much safer bet. (feb22)

7. Now that NHL play has resumed, many fantasy teams will be in must-win mode as they attempt to secure a playoff spot. In fact, the fantasy playoffs aren’t too far away, as standard Yahoo leagues show only three more scoring periods. If you are in that position, here are a few teams and players to consider over the next few weeks based on strength of schedule.

To align with the last three weeks of the regular season in many fantasy leagues (not the NHL regular season), I’ll use the date range of February 22 to March 16 in the Frozen Tools Schedule Planner, which you can view here.

Anaheim

Anaheim is one of two teams to play 13 games, the largest number of games over the next three weeks. On top of that, the Ducks play their usually high number of light days (6), so this is a great time for a Ducks streamer at the very least. Maybe this is the right time to roll the dice on Trevor Zegras, who is just 6 percent rostered. However, Mason McTavish seems like the safer option at the moment, and he has been hot with seven goals and two assists over his past 11 games. If McTavish isn’t available, then Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Strome, or Alex Killorn might do the trick. (feb22)

8. NY Rangers

The Rangers are the other team to play 13 games over the next three scoring periods, and they also play on an equal number of light days to the Ducks (6). Will Cuylle‘s scoring has dried up after a hot start, but he is still a consistent contributor of hits. Currently he is third in the NHL in that category with 204 hits. Cuylle is rostered in 29 percent of Yahoo leagues, so he isn’t necessarily widely available. If you’re looking for a Ranger with a similar profile, consider adding Braden Schneider or K’Andre Miller to your blueline. Neither blueliner scores a lot, but each has at least 150 combined hits and blocked shots.

9. Winnipeg

The Jets make their way onto the list with 12 games, including six light days. Their opponents over the next three scoring periods have a combined .509 winning percentage, so this is a nice opportunity for the Jets to feast. Cole Perfetti has moved up to being 28 percent rostered in Yahoo as a result of a recent run with nine points over his last seven games. Perfetti is a mainstay on the Jets’ second line with Nikolaj Ehlers and Vladislav Namestnikov, who is hot himself with six points over his last four games. Namestnikov is just 12 percent rostered, so look to him if Perfetti isn’t available. (feb22)

[Follow the link for more…]

10. The Montreal Canadiens got some good news as prospect defenceman David Reinbacher returned to action in the AHL.

This is good timing for Reinbacher as the Trade Deadline is approaching (two weeks from tomorrow), and there may be a spot on the roster over the final 4-6 weeks of the season. It seems likely they give him lots of time to get up to speed in the AHL, so do not expect a full-time spot for him until late in the season, and more likely next season. (fev20)

11. Over the Four Nations Cup break, we have been reviewing some of my preseason projections. We did this in December, and are updating what has gone on since. We started with players I was high on that were successful early in the season, and moved to players I was high on that were not successful earlier in the season. On Tuesday, we covered players I was low on that found early-season success, and today it’s moving to players I was low on that did not find early-season success. As always, data from Natural Stat Trick or Frozen Tools )at time of writing):

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Preseason Projection: 34 goals, 56 assists, 23 PP points, 260 shots, 37 blocks, 100 hits
As of Today (55 games): 17 goals, 41 assists, 17 PP points, 156 shots, 31 blocks, 52 hits
Full-Season 82-Game Paces: 25 goals, 61 assists, 25 PP points, 233 shots, 46 blocks, 78 hits

As things stand, the only real deviation for Crosby from my preseason projection is his goal total. He is within 10% of assists, PP points, shots, and hits+blocks (well, the hits+blocks are off by 10.4%, but close enough). The problem is he’s shooting 10.9%, a career-low mark for any season where he’s played at least 50 games, and a good bit lower than the 14.3% he has across the prior three seasons. If he’s shooting 13%, he’s on pace for a 30-goal season, and that would make things look a lot better.

The December update came out the morning of December 19^th, and Crosby had a four-point game that very night. Since that update, he has 9 goals, 18 assists, and 9 PP points in 22 games. That is a pace of 34 goals, 68 assists, and 34 PP points over a full season, so his production has certainly seen a huge increase since the update. That has pushed him to a top-50 player in standard Yahoo! leagues and a top-40 player in ESPN points formats. The problem is that he was sometimes a late-second round pick, more often a third-round pick, and he’s not quite at that level yet. If the next two months brings per-game production like he’s had over the last two months, he will achieve close to his ADP value. If he doesn’t, he won’t.

Power-play production has been a big part of Crosby’s recent surge and therein lies the problem. Across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Pittsburgh shot 12.8% with Crosby on the ice for the power play. As of the morning of the December update, Pittsburgh was shooting 13.5% with Crosby on the ice for the power play. Since that update, they are shooting 20% with him on the ice. If there is a big PP shooting percentage pullback, Crosby maintaining this level of value is unlikely. (fev20)

[Follow the link for more…]

12. Through Drew O’Connor‘s tenure with the Canucks, he has played mostly on a line with Brock Boeser and Filip Chytil, adding two points in four games (entering Saturday action). The Canucks had seen enough though, and signed Drew O’Connor to a two-year extension, worth $2.5 million per year. It’s a nice raise for O’Connor in his second full season, and he’s an under-valued piece in dynasty leagues – less so as a driver of his own line, but mainly as a productive complimentary piece who can play up the lineup. (feb19)

13. The Nashville Predators acquired former first-round selection Grigori Denisenko from the Vegas Golden Knights for future considerations. There’s likely nothing fantasy relevant to see here, as Denisenko’s development has completely hit a wall the last few years, despite tantalizing with potential tools for years as a prospect. (feb19)

14. For Black History Month I thought it might be fitting to take a look at every Black player in the NHL who holds a regular lineup spot at the moment and see how they’re doing from a fantasy perspective.

Quinton Byfield

The six-foot-five centre entered the break on a hot streak with six points in four games, but he’s still taking the expected slower development curve that we see from larger players like him. The last season and a half have been a good step forward though, as he is blossoming into a top-six player, and the streaks of great production are showing what he can become. He’s playing a lot more centre now (243 FOWs already compared to 41 all of last season), which is an additional adjustment and challenge in his development. The point-per-game production will come, though it’s likely still another season and a half away. (feb19)

15. Jalen Chatfield

It’s been another solid season in a bigger role for Chatfield, who puts up some excellent possession numbers. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Chatfield’s scoring and peripherals have remained stagnant despite the increase in ice time. His role could see another increase with the departures of Brent Burns and/or Dmitry Orlov in the summer.

Anthony Duclair

I discussed Duclair in depth a couple weeks ago here. The bottom line is he’s had some weird luck the last few seasons but seems to match the production level of whatever line he is placed on. His best bet to regain a higher level of production is with a trade to a new team.

Matt Dumba

The pectoral injury a few years ago that derailed a breakout campaign leaves us with a huge “what if” on Dumba’s career, as we won’t know whether he could have built on that momentum if healthy, or if the production would have flattened out anyways as the sample size got bigger. (feb19)

[Follow the link for more…]

16. I thought we could spend last Monday‘s Ramblings looking at some interesting stats in 2025. Here are 16 to keep in mind before the fantasy campaign resumed on Saturday (yesterday)!

(92)

That’s the number of goals saved above expected by Spencer Knight in 2025 (via EvolvingHockey). It also happens to be the league’s third highest GSAx during this timeframe. In the same span, Sergei Bobrovsky sports a much more modest 2.44 GSAx. Bob is still the starter in Florida, but don’t be surprised to see Knight steal a few starts down the stretch based on his strong play of late. (feb18)

17. (58%)

That’s the share of Calgary’s total power-play time that Matt Coronato is seeing. It's significant because he has five PPPs through 18 games in the new year. To give you some perspective, prior to this stretch, he was seeing 40% of Calgary’s time with the man advantage and posted a modest seven PPPs through 32 games. This isn’t the only area of growth for Coronato, who has been trusted with more responsibility because of his strong play, with his ice time increasing from 16:35 to 18:02 between the 2024 and 2025 portions of this season. With more opportunity he’s been able to use his strong shot more frequently, going from 2.2 to 2.7 shots per game.

It’s encouraging to see Coronato produce so much offense despite being part of the Flames’ shutdown line for most of the season. Alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, Coronato outscored opponents 21 to 13 even though he started most of his shifts in the defensive zone. He earned a promotion to the top line beside Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau shortly before the 4 Nations Face-Off break and should enjoy some more offensive freedom in that role when the campaign resumes. Currently rostered in just 6% of Yahoo Leagues, Coronato could be a sneaky smart addition to your fantasy roster down the stretch. (feb18)

18. (6.3%)

That’s Carolina’s power-play success rate since the new calendar year began. It’s a drastic drop off for a team that ranked fifth in the league with a 25.6% success rate from October to December. Desperate to shake things up, the Canes swapped Shayne Gostisbehere with a nearly 40-year-old Brent Burns shortly before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. We’ll see how long that lasts, but I think there’s reason to believe brighter days are ahead. The Hurricanes hold a comically low PP shooting percentage of 4.55% during this stretch (via Natural Stat Trick), which suggests they’ve suffered from a bit of bad luck that probably won’t last forever. It’s natural to question whether the Mikko Rantanen–Martin Necas trade threw off the team’s chemistry here, but we’re talking about the power play being bad over an 18-game sample and only six of those games were played after the trade. Sure, it might take some time to integrate Rantanen into the top unit, but I don’t think you can justify blaming this on him right now. (feb18)

19. (0.94)

That’s how many points per game Ryan Donato has in 2025. Donato’s 16 points through 17 games matches that of superstar teammate Connor Bedard, who he has skated beside frequently during this stretch. Donato provides good value in multicategory leagues, chipping in a decent number of shots, hits and faceoff wins each game. The Blackhawks have a lot of light-night games between now and the end of the season, so Donato could be an easy player to grab from the waiver wire and integrate into your lineup down the stretch. (feb18)

20. (6.65)

That’s the number of goals saved below expected that Juuse Saros holds in 2025 (via Evolving Hockey). Based on that metric, Saros has been the league’s second worst goalie in the calendar year. It’s particularly disheartening because Nashville has been playing well during this stretch, so there’s nowhere to shift the blame here. Any hope of bouncing back on the international stage has gone out the window as Saros just lost his starting role on Team Finland to Kevin Lankinen. Despite Saros’ pedigree, I wouldn’t blame you for benching him in fantasy formats until he shows some consistency. (feb18)

21. (3.33)

The number of shots per game Brandon Hagel is averaging in 2025. He’s been able to put more pucks on net thanks to more opportunity as he’s seeing two more minutes of ice time compared to last year. (feb18)

[Follow the link for more…]

—

Have a good week, folks!

Thanks for continuing to support the website and if you’re bored and need a fantasy hockey fix – visit the gang in the forum here.