Ramblings: Patrick Roy & Samsonov Victorious; Streaming Options for the Week; Injury Updates on Barkov, Scheifele, Kane & More (Jan 22)
Brennan Des
2024-01-22
Before we get into Sunday's games and streaming options for the week ahead, let's run through some noteworthy injury updates from around the league.
Winnipeg's top center won't be available against the Bruins on Monday. Considering he just started skating by himself, I wouldn't expect him to play against Toronto on Wednesday either. Adam Lowry has enjoyed an expanded role in Mark Scheifele's absence and could be a strong streaming option if you need a center for Monday and Wednesday.
Florida's captain won't be available for Monday's game against Nashville, but could return for Wednesday's clash with the Coyotes. That gives 22-year-old Anton Lundell at least one more game in Florida's top six. Lundell has three points in two games since Aleksander Barkov went down with a lower-body injury.
Not only is he travelling with the team, but Zach Werenski was a full participant in Sunday's practice. Both of those events suggest his return to the lineup is imminent. This could spell bad news for Adam Boqvist, who has five points in his last six appearances. Four of those points came with the man advantage as Boqvist has been seeing a big role on the top unit during this stretch. That role is likely to evaporate once Werenski returns to the lineup.
It seems Patrick Kane is expected to miss a few more games. In Kane's absence, Robby Fabbri has been skating on Detroit's second line with J.T. Compher and Alex DeBrincat. The promotion hasn't resulted in much offense from Fabbri, but it seems Fabbri has more time to change that.
Owen Tippett left Saturday's game against Colorado with a lower-body injury. Although he wasn't feeling well enough to face Ottawa on Sunday afternoon, he was able to skate by himself Sunday morning. Fortunately, early indications are that the injury isn't too severe. Tippett is on quite the run, with eight points in his last seven games. His 4.43 shots per game during this stretch rank top-10 in the league.
Looks like Jacob Markstrom is ready to return. The Flames have a favourable schedule this week, up against the Blues, Blue Jackets and Blackhawks. Markstrom had been playing really well before getting injured, so I expect a high level of play this week. Make sure to activate him if he was sitting on your injured slot.
Dillon Dube is taking some time away from the game to focus on his mental health. After posting a career-high 45 points last year, he's scored at a 13-point pace this year, seeing his average ice time drop from 15 minutes to 11 minutes. At the end of the day, those stats are meaningless when compared to whatever he's going through. All we can do is wish him the best and hope that this break brings him to a happier place.
Reports indicate Corey Perry is set to sign with the Oilers for the rest of the season. Looking at Edmonton's roster, it's hard to see Perry getting anything more than a bottom-six/second power-play unit role. He won't enjoy the same opportunity/production that he'd seen earlier in the year with Chicago – a team devoid of talent. I don't expect Perry to be relevant in many fantasy formats.
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On Sunday, the Senators picked up their sixth win in Game 16 of the modern Jacques Martin era. So much for that new coach bump. Although Ottawa's offense ranks ninth in the league during this stretch (3.44 goals per game) they've averaged a shocking 4.06 goals against per game. Only the Sharks have given up more (4.07).
With his assist on Sunday, Thomas Chabot now has seven points in 11 games since Martin took over. Although most of those points have come at even strength, Chabot has been deployed as Ottawa's top power-play defenseman. He's enjoyed a 56% share of the team's total time with the man advantage since December 18th – when Martin became head coach. During the same stretch, Jake Sanderson and Jakob Chychrun sit at 48% and 42%, respectively.
Tim Stutzle picked up two goals on Sunday, giving him nine points in his last five games. He had just one point in seven outings before that.
Shane Pinto made his season debut on Sunday, slotting in between Mathieu Joseph and Vladimir Tarasenko on Ottawa's third line. He saw a secondary power-play role and finished with 14:33 of ice time. Pinto's debut had been delayed so long due to a 41-game suspension for violating the league's sports gambling policy. The 23-year-old forward racked up 20 goals in his first full season last year. He adds another layer of scoring to an Ottawa team that was already dangerous offensively. Poor goaltending is sinking the Sens this year, but don't sleep on their offense.
Egor Zamula had a memorable Sunday, posting the first three-point game of his young career. Two of those points came with the man advantage as Zamula continues to see a prominent role on Philly's top power-play unit. He hasn't been ousted by Jamie Drysdale just yet.
Joel Farabee also registered a point on all three of Philadelphia's goals Sunday. The 23-year-old forward quietly has 24 points in his last 22 appearances. He ranks top-15 in scoring since December 7th.
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A Kirill Kaprizov hat trick lifted Minnesota to a 5-2 victory over Carolina on Sunday. Kaprizov's been heating up lately, racking up 18 points in his last 11 outings.
Kaprizov isn't the only one lighting it up in Minnesota. With two points Sunday, rookie defenseman Brock Faber now has 11 points in his last nine appearances. His offensive opportunity has increased over the course of the season, and I think he could provide really strong value in the second half. He's still available in most Yahoo Leagues, but I expect that'll change very soon.
Filip Gustavasson had a strong showing, stopping 40 of the 42 shots the Hurricanes threw his way. Gustavsson had been struggling immensely prior to this game. In seven games leading up to Sunday, he'd posted a 4.96 GAA and .849 save percentage. Let's see if this performance can get him back on track.
With an upper-body injury keeping Andrei Svechnikov out of Sunday's game, Michael Bunting stepped up to the top line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. In this elevated role, Bunting scored a goal and saw nearly 19 minutes of action. He hasn't seen more than 18 minutes in a game since October 27th – nearly three months ago! If Svechnikov ends up missing any more time, Bunting could benefit from an increased role.
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Alex Lyon had a strong showing on Sunday, stopping 27 of the 28 shots Tampa threw at him. He holds a 2.47 GAA and .924 save percentage through 17 appearances this year, taking a stranglehold of the starting role in Detroit. Ville Husso may be returning from injury soon, but Husso's numbers have been awful since he joined the Red Wings last year. I expect Lyon to maintain his starter status in the second half.
He didn't find the scoresheet on Sunday, but I stumbled across an interesting stat about Brandon Hagel, so I thought I'd share. Only 13 players in the league have more even-strength points than Hagel (34) right now. He's in a great spot on Tampa's top line beside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. If the team ever opted to give him top power-play time instead of Nick Paul, Hagel could be a top-tier fantasy asset.
Another goal on Sunday for Daniel Sprong, giving him 11 points in his last 14 outings. That's excellent offense considering he's averaged just 11 and a half minutes of action during this stretch. I'm really surprised the Red Wings haven't tried him in a bigger role – especially now that Patrick Kane is sidelined.
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Patrick Roy won his first game as head coach of the Islanders. He did it on the back of an excellent performance from Ilya Sorokin, who stopped 41 of the 43 shots directed his way. Sorokin has posted a save percentage above .920 in 15 of the 34 games (44%) he's played this year. He'd accomplished that same feat in 22 of his first 34 games last year (65%). It's no secret that Sorokin hasn't been as good as he was last season, but it'll be interesting to see if having one of the greatest goalies of all time as his head coach inspires better play down the stretch.
Noah Dobson picked up two assists on Sunday to give him 47 points through 46 games. His current 84-point pace represents a massive improvement from the 52-point pace he'd posted last year and the year before that. He sits third in scoring among defenseman, behind only Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. Heading into this season, I don't think anyone was talking about Dobson as a top-three fantasy defenseman, but here we are.
Joe Pavelski added two more points to his resume, giving him 42 in 46 games this season. A 75-point pace for a 75-year-ol – I mean 39-year-old forward. Seriously though, it's remarkable how he's defied Father Time.
Jake Oettinger was originally slated to start against the Islanders, as Scott Wedgewood had just played on Saturday. Surprisingly, Wedgewood was put in the unenviable position of starting back-to-back nights, leaving many concerned since Oettinger had just missed a month of action due to a lower-body injury. Fortunately, it sounds like Oettinger simply missed Sunday's game due to illness, which should quell any concerns that he reaggravated his previous injury.
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He didn't have the busiest night, and it wasn't against the most dangerous offense, but Ilya Samsonov took a big step in rebuilding his confidence on Sunday. Samsonov stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced from the Kraken, posting his first win since December 9th. Although this is an encouraging development, I'm not sure Samsonov has enough runway to become Toronto's starter again. The Leafs play just two games over the next two weeks – both against the league-leading (by points percentage) Jets. I'm not sure if this win against the Kraken is enough to prepare him for Winnipeg. After these two weeks, I imagine Joseph Woll will be on the cusp – if not already ready – to return. Woll has played well this year, albeit in a small sample, but I think he's most deserving of Toronto's starting role once he's healthy.
Jake McCabe potted the empty netter on Sunday, giving him goals in back-to-back games. He has 17 points in his last 28 appearances – a 48-point pace. That's impressive offense from a player who doesn't really see any power-play time. Take a flyer on him if you need more offense from the blueline in a league that also tracks hits and blocks.
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Although the Ducks fell short against the high-powered Rangers, we saw an impressive performance from their first line on Sunday. Adam Henrique, Troy Terry, and Leo Carlsson all got a point on both of Anaheim's goals. There's budding chemistry between those three, so I'm interested to see what they can do over the next little while. Terry's overall numbers may not look that impressive, but he has 15 points in his last 16 games.
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Streaming Options
Ukko-Pekka Luukonen – G – Buffalo Sabres (Rostered: 41% Yahoo; 57% Fantrax)
The 24-year-old netminder has some of the best numbers in the league since December 30th, posting a 5-2-0 record, 1.29 GAA and .948 save percentage. He's benefitted from facing weaker teams during this stretch. Although that may cast doubt on how sustainable this run is, it shouldn't be an issue this week as the Sabres are set to face struggling offenses in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose. All three of those teams rank bottom-five in goals per game over the past few weeks. With Buffalo playing Anaheim and LA back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday, UPL will probably get two starts this week.
David Rittich – G – Los Angeles Kings (Rostered: 7% Yahoo; 13% Fantrax)
Rittich boasts a 1.58 GAA and .937 save percentage through seven appearances this season. He was called up in mid-December when backup Phoenix Copley went down with an injury. Although Rittich saw sporadic action at first, he's now started three of the Kings' last four games. This increased opportunity is a product of Cam Talbot's recent struggles. Although Talbot has played well for most of the year, he holds a 4.20 GAA and .874 save percentage in his last five outings. Talbot and Rittich have similar contracts, so there's no obligation for the Kings to play one over the other. Since Rittich is currently the hot hand, I expect he'll get at least two starts this week. The Kings are set to face San Jose, Buffalo, Colorado, and St. Louis this week. Aside from that clash with Colorado, I'd feel confident riding Rittich. Most of that confidence comes from LA's strong team defense, which makes his life easier than most netminders around the league.
Phillip Danault – C – Los Angeles Kings (Rostered: 26% Yahoo; 44% Fantrax)
LA has the ideal schedule this week, as the only team with four light-night contests. Since the Kings play on days when most teams aren't in action, it should be easier to incorporate players from LA into your fantasy roster this week. It'll be worth checking to see if guys like Quinton Byfield (first power-play unit) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (first line at even-strength) are available. However, you're more likely to find a guy like Danault sitting there. He has eight points in his last eight games and sees a high volume of opportunity every night.
Charlie Coyle – C – Boston Bruins (Rostered: 39% Yahoo; 64% Fantrax)
The 31-year-old center is currently skating on Boston's top line, in between the team's most talented wingers, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Coyle has been on a heater recently, racking up 15 points in his last 13 appearances. Across the league, only 14 players have more points than Coyle during this stretch. With Boston playing three games over the next four days, and with two of those games being on light nights, Coyle is a solid option for the first half of this week. Don't be coy; pick up Coyle.
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Thanks for reading! If you ever have any fantasy hockey questions, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza and shoot me a message!
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