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

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1. The Edmonton Oilers are returning to the Stanley Cup Final. This time, they hope to finish the job against the Florida Panthers. Could be quite the series.

Edmonton 6, Dallas 3 (Oilers win series 4-1):

The Oilers scored three goals in the first eight minutes of Game 5. From there, they let the Stars get within a goal at two different moments during the game, but the Oilers would restore the two-goal lead shortly after.

The story of this game was Pete DeBoer’s decision to replace Jake Oettinger with Casey DeSmith after Oettinger allowed two goals on the first two shots of the game. Perhaps the goalie change gave the Stars a reset, but DeSmith didn’t exactly bail out the Stars (3 GA on 20 SA). I’m not sure it makes a lot of sense to have your starting goalie sitting on the bench during an elimination game while opting for a backup goalie who had not seen any game action since the first round. The Stars might have lost regardless of who was in net, but this decision was a head scratcher. Oettinger’s numbers during the Conference Final: 3.93 GAA, .853 SV%, 1 QS, 2 RBS. Not his best series, but he was facing an opponent firing on all cylinders. (may30)

Ed. note: Coach DeBoer later revealed that the team discussed starting Casey DeSmith in Game 4, as Oettinger was dealing with an upper respiratory issue. (June 1)

2. Corey Perry scored his seventh goal of the postseason in that game, tying him with Leon Draisaitl for the team lead. No one would have called that, but that’s quite an impressive return if you drafted him in your playoff pool. Boosting his value even further, Perry scored his Game 5 goal on the top power play, where he replaced the injured Zach Hyman, who will miss whatever remains of Edmonton’s postseason run due to an upper-body surgery (per Jim Matheson). It is a very unfortunate end to his season as he’s not only a big part of the team but had seemed to find his scoring touch with four goals in nine games before the injury. 

The 40-year-old Perry will be playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the fifth time over the last six seasons, although he is 0-4 in his previous four trips to the final. Before you feel sorry for him, remember that he won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim early in his career. (may30)

3. Hyman’s injury also resulted in Jeff Skinner re-entering the lineup for the first time since Game 1 of the first round. Skinner scored a goal while on a line with Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic. You’d have to figure that Skinner will remain in the lineup with Hyman (upper body) out for the rest of the playoffs. Skinner’s playoff journey has been unusual and highly disappointing, having never played in a playoff game prior to this season. Yet he has a chance to win a Stanley Cup while hardly breaking a sweat (literally) in his playoff career.    

Mattias Ekholm made his playoff debut in Game 5 after being sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Ekholm registered an assist in 15:52 while returning to the top pairing with Evan Bouchard. To make room for Ekholm, the hard-working Troy Stecher was made a healthy scratch. (may30)

4. After a dry spell of no goals in his first eight playoff games, Jason Robertson heated up in the Conference Final with four goals in his last three games while averaging four shots per game over those three games. Too little, too late, unfortunately, as Dallas had a widespread secondary scoring problem throughout the playoffs. In addition to Matt Duchene (no points in his last four games and just six points in 18 playoff games) and Jamie Benn (3 PTS in 18 GP, and a minus-11), Tyler Seguin finished the playoffs with eight points in 18 games, Mason Marchment had just five points in 18 games, while Evgenii Dadonov had four points in 16 games. After the Conference Finals, Mikko Rantanen is the only Star in the top 10 in playoff scoring. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Stars make quite a few roster changes this offseason to surround Rantanen and their other core players. (may30)

5. As for the Florida Panthers, they are heading to their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance thanks to a 5-3 win over Carolina in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The Hurricanes had their chances to extend the series, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period and having a 3-3 game with eight minutes left in the contest, but Aleksander Barkov had a great individual effort to set up Carter Verhaeghe late in the third period to give the Panthers the 4-3 lead. A Sam Bennett empty net goal sealed the 5-3 win, giving the Panthers the 4-1 series victory. (may29)

6. The Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday. Look for our writers to provide their Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe picks before the puck drops for Game 1. The Oilers will be hoping they can follow the same pattern with the Panthers as the Oilers squad of the 1980s did with the Islanders, losing in the 1983 final before knocking off the Islanders for their first cup in 1984. (may30)

7. Two days after their elimination at the hands of the Panthers, the Hurricanes held their year-end press conferences. Some takeaways from the interviews:

Seth Jarvis said he had re-injured his shoulder early in the season after rehabilitation in the offseason. He plans to rehab his shoulder again without surgery. Jarvis could be playing for Canada at the Olympics in addition to the Canes, but he may need to address the surgery at some point. Despite the nagging shoulder issue, Jarvis set a career high in points per game (0.92 PTS/GP), equaling his career high of 67 points while playing eight fewer games. Jarvis had a long season, playing in the 4 Nations in addition to 15 playoff games. If his shoulder is in better shape, he seems like a good bet to crack the 70-point mark next season. (may31)

Brent Burns seemed noncommittal about his future plans. Now 40 years of age, Burns is a pending UFA, so retirement has to be on the table. Burns also underwent surgery at the end of last season. The aging curve has definitely hit Burns, who was at one time a high-event multicategory beast. Burns was limited to 29 points last season, including a meager three power-play points. He also averaged only two shots per game with a Phil Kessel-like 11 hits, both of which were much lower than he provided in his prime. Burns is still the NHL’s ironman, appearing in 925 consecutive games and 139 games behind Kessel. Hey, the key to being an NHL ironman is not to hit anything! (may31)

8. The New York Islanders held a press conference on Thursday officially announcing Mathieu Darche as new general manager, with two additional news items surfacing.

First, Patrick Roy will be returning as head coach, although assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin were let go. It seems as though Roy is receiving an audition, with Darche likely hiring his own guy should the Islanders stumble in 2025-26.

Also, Bo Horvat will need 4-6 weeks of recovery time from an ankle injury that he suffered during the World Hockey Championship. Based on that timeline, Horvat should be ready for training camp as normal. (may30)

10. Still with the Islanders: they will be retaining Kyle Palmieri, signing him to a two-year contract with a cap hit of $4.75 million. The 34-year-old Palmieri was set to become an unrestricted free agent. In his four full seasons with the Islanders, Palmieri has consistently averaged between 39 and 54 points over an 82-game pace. His production fell from 54 points in 2023-24 to 48 points in 2024-25, both in 82 games. However, Palmieri’s power-play production fell from 20 PPP to just 9 PPP, due to not only a slight dip in his own power-play time but also the Isles’ sharp team power-play decline from 20.3% to just 12.6% (second-worst in the league).

The Islanders also signed Adam Boqvist to a one-year, $850,000 extension. Boqvist registered eight points in 17 games after being claimed off waivers from Florida. Boqvist was a healthy scratch at times in addition to being Band-Aid Boy certified, so his fantasy value is probably limited to a Noah Dobson injury replacement. Tony DeAngelo leaving via free agency might clear something up for Boqvist, though.

These contracts might seem like quick business for new GM Mathieu Darche. But according to Elliotte Friedman, these deals were believed to be agreed upon while Lou Lamoriello was still the GM. They were probably left in the drawer. (may31)

11. Flying completely under the radar, the Seattle Kraken announced Lane Lambert as their new head coach. Lambert previously coached the Islanders for a season and a half before being replaced by Patrick Roy. The Kraken didn’t exactly make a splash in hiring Lambert, both in terms the coach himself and the timing. However, coaches learning and improving from their previous stints is something that should be accounted for.

Lambert has plenty of coaching experience, both as a head coach in the WHL and AHL and as an assistant coach in the NHL. His job will be to get the most out of a rather ordinary Seattle roster. His strength was defensive play when coaching the Islanders, which probably won’t be fantasy friendly but could be beneficial for Joey Daccord. (may30)

12. False alarm on a Alex Ovechkin retirement from the NHL in 2026, at least for now. Capitals season-ticket holders were reportedly sent an email that 2025-26 would be Ovechkin’s final season, but the team said the statement was made in error. Despite the denial, it’s still possible that Ovechkin doesn’t sign another NHL contract after his current contract expires next offseason now that he has broken the goal record.

Ovechkin retiring after 2025-26 would greatly affect the Capitals’ window of competing, as he led the team in goals (44) and finished second in points (73) despite missing 17 games. For now, assume that window is one more season but unknown beyond that. Anyone with Ovechkin in a keeper league should simply be thinking year to year anyway, since Ovechkin will turn 40 about when training camp is starting. (may30)

13. According to Pierre LeBrun, Jonathan Toews has told his agent that he is 100 percent committed to returning to the NHL next season. Toews has missed the past two seasons due to chronic immune response syndrome and long COVID. Now 37, Toews finished with 31 points in 53 games in his last NHL seasons. Since he has missed two full seasons and may still be dealing with health complications, expectations from a fantasy perspective should be minimal. However, it is great to see Toews potentially making a return, and it will be interesting to find out where he lands if so. (may30)

14. The Flyers have re-signed Tyson Foerster to a two-year contract with a $3.75 million AAV. Foerster has quietly recorded back-to-back 20-goal seasons, including a 25-goal season in 2024-25. That 25-goal total was just one behind Matvei Michkov for the team lead. Foerster is also effective defensively, which should be viewed as a positive under new head coach Rick Tocchet. Although Foerster’s career high is 43 points, the Flyers are getting him at a very affordable cap hit, since he is only 23 years of age and has room to grow. (may30)

15. The Sharks have re-signed defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to a one-year, $1 million contract. The 23-year-old Mukhamadullin split time between the NHL and AHL last season, finishing with nine points in 30 games at the NHL level. Mukhamadullin underwent surgery following a shoulder injury in early April, but he is expected to be ready for the 2025-26 season. Jan Rutta is set to become an unrestricted free agent, which could free up a full-time roster spot for Mukhamadullin. (may30)

16. The Utah Mammoth have signed both Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But to their entry-level contracts. The former was the sixth overall pick in 2023 while the latter was 12^th overall in the same draft. They are coming over from the KHL, fresh off a league championship, and both should figure into the long-term plans of the team. Of importance here is that including Maveric Lamoureux and Kevin Connauton, the Mammoth have nine defencemen signed for next season, which makes Simashev earning a regular, fantasy-relevant role a tall order. Something to keep in mind before you dynasty leaguers get too excited out there. (may29)

17. Today I’m going to go off the board a bit with a topic I don’t usually cover: the AHL. As a Canucks fan, there wasn’t a lot to get excited about in a disappointing 2024-25 season filled with drama. However, one glimmer of hope for the Canucks is the performance of their AHL team, the Abbotsford Canucks, who are in the conference final of the Calder Cup playoffs. I’m happy to say I’ve attended two of their games this season, including a recent playoff game.

As hockey fans from Canada know, one Canadian-based team has Stanley Cup hopes. But did you know that two Canadian-based teams can still win the Calder Cup? The Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver) face the Texas Stars (Dallas) in the Western Conference championship, while the Laval Rocket (Montreal) face the Charlotte Checkers (Florida) in the Eastern Conference championship. Currently the Checkers have a 2-0 series grip on the Rocket, while the Canucks are up 1-0 in their series with the Stars.

With that in mind, here are some players making some noise in the AHL playoffs. These players could be coming to an NHL rink near you soon. Keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily a list of the leading scorers, as the AHL’s top point-getters are often veterans who may not have many NHL games in their future:

18. Matej Blumel, RW, DAL

Blumel has been knocking on the door for an NHL job for the past couple seasons, posting back-to-back 30-goal, 60-point seasons. Unfortunately, the Stars have boasted one of the deepest NHL rosters, limiting the 24-year-old Blumel to just 13 career NHL games. This season, he led the AHL with 38 goals and finished third with 69 points, following that up with 10 points in nine playoff games. A fourth-round pick in 2019, Blumel’s development curve hasn’t resembled that of a top NHL prospect, but he has a good chance of earning a full-time role on the Stars in some capacity next season. (may31)

19. Justin Hryckowian, C, DAL

Hryckowian’s path to the AHL playoff scoring lead is an interesting one. After recording over a point per game in his last two NCAA seasons, he signed an amateur tryout with the Texas Stars, which led to an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars. Now 24 years of age, Hryckowian followed up a strong first full AHL season (60 points in 66 games) by leading Texas in both goals (7) and points (15) during the playoffs. The Stars have numerous veteran forward UFAs this offseason, including Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund, and Evgenii Dadonov. If they subtract more than they add, that could create potential roster spots for Hryckowian or Blumel. (may31)

20. Arturs Silovs, G, VAN

Silovs’ 2024-25 NHL regular season (10 GP, 3.65 GAA, .862 SV%) demonstrated that he wasn’t ready for full-time NHL duty even after filling in admirably during last season’s playoffs. However, Silovs has been outstanding during the Calder Cup playoffs with a 1.74 GAA, .937 SV%, and a league-leading four shutouts. The Canucks appear set on a Thatcher Demko – Kevin Lankinen duo for at least one more season, with Demko a UFA in 2026. Demko’s recent injury history and even some trade rumors result in a possibility that Silovs plays some NHL games next season. He may still not be ready, but at least he has a reputation of delivering in the biggest moments, including the AHL playoffs, NHL playoffs, and World Hockey Championship. (may31)

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21. We have spent the last month doing two things: Comparing my preseason projections with how things actually went, and the changes to the NHL environment in terms of goals and assists, the distribution of those points, rates of shots, hits, blocks, and more. Here are the links for the forward/defence projection comparisons: 

• Forwards who underperformed goal-scoring projections.
• Forwards who overperformed goal-scoring projections.
• Forwards whose goal-scoring landed close to their projection.
• Forwards who underperformed points projections.
• Forwards who overperformed points projections.
• Forwards whose point production landed close to their projection.
• Defencemen who underperformed points projections.
• Defencemen who overperformed points projections.
• Defencemen whose point production landed close to their projection.

After those comparisons were made, we moved to how the NHL changed in the 2024-25 season. This is what we looked at:

• Declining shot totals, changes in block/hit numbers, and improvement in bottom-6 scoring.
• Production changes from young players in the league.
• Players who saw some key improvements but did not produce well.

Finally, we finished with how those changes affected my projections:

• Goals from top-6 forwards, declining power-play production, and how the power plays affected the top players.
• Goals and assists from defencemen, and the rising middle- and lower-class of point-producing blue liners. (may29)

Seeing as the last month has been nothing but research, let’s do something a bit more fun. How about we look at the fantasy hockey MVPs this season?  We are going to start with the forwards, and we’re going to focus on value – the fifth overall pick performing as the third overall pick is great, but having guys that are 10^th or 15^th-round picks perform as fifth-round picks is what we have in mind. We are going to limit it to players who played at least 60 games, or about three-quarters of the season. That gives us 331 forwards to work with.

Also, we are going to try to get everything to one number. This is how we’re going to do that:

• There were 6001 goals from the 331 forwards in the sample, or an average of 18.1 goals each. We are going to award or subtract 0.06 points for every goal above or below 18 goals scored (1/18).   
• There were 8169 assists from the 331 forwards, or an average of 24.7 assists each. We are going to award 0.04 points for every assist above or below 25 assists (1/25).  
• This process will be repeated for shots (0.007), hits (0.01), blocks (0.02), and power-play points (0.1).
• We are going to add the fantasy points from each category to get us to one number. Then we’re going to multiply their average ADP across CBS, Yahoo, and ESPN (perFantasyPros) by that number of fantasy points to get to an overall value.

This is imperfect, of course, but considering the breadth of fantasy hockey leagues, it seems like a fair enough way to get close to where we need to go. It doesn’t account for positional scarcity, so keep that in mind. There are also a lot of players without average ADPs who were very valuable, and we’ll get to them later.

There are three forwards who separated themselves from everyone else… (may29)

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