And just like that, the penultimate scoring period of the fantasy hockey season is upon us. Yes, it’s almost April. Yes, the regular season is over on April 16. And yes, weekly lineup leagues will only have this Monday, March 30, and next Monday, April 6.
But the hustle never ends. There are still schedule nuances, depth-chart changes and injury news that can inform your roster decisions to push across the finish line.
Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Forwards
Troy Terry, C/RW, Anaheim Ducks (1.83 FPPG, 49.0% available): The Ducks are one of two teams set up well for daily lineup leagues this week. The Ducks play on all four of the lighter scheduled nights (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), making the players ideal for slipping into your lineup between heavy slates. Terry has been in and out of the lineup a bit with injury, but is rolling on the top line and top power play when healthy.
Anthony Mantha, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (1.68 FPPG, 57.6% available): The Penguins go into a huge week with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin listed as day-to-day. It’s a big week for them in the standings, but a big week for fantasy managers in weekly leagues, too, because the Penguins have the rare five-game schedule. With games Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the Pens offer a quantity advantage if you can squeeze them into your lineup. Of course, weekly leagues would have to commit to an injured Crosby or Malkin for the whole week on Monday, which isn’t an easy call. An easier call would be to add Mantha to the mix, as he is the first one up the depth chart as either veteran misses time, including on the power play.
Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings (1.62 FPPG, 59.2% available): On quite the heater in recent weeks, Kane has eight points in his past six games. And, while he does play on the top unit, only one of those points has been on the advantage. As their center, Andrew Copp seems to have found the right touch to balance with the chemistry that Alex DeBrincat and Kane have at even strength.
Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, St. Louis Blues (1.63 FPPG, 77.7% available): Snuggerud continues to shine for a Blues team that you wouldn’t know was just playing out the string. Thanks to time on the top line with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway, Snuggerud has maintained a 2.50 FPPG pace across his past 10 games and is among the top 50 skaters for total fantasy points since the start of March.
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Jimmy Snuggerud scores goal vs. Maple Leafs
Jimmy Snuggerud nets goal for Blues
Bobby McMann, C/LW/RW, Seattle Kraken (1.69 FPPG, 73.4% available): Who knew the hottest trade deadline acquisition would be the scoop of McMann by the Kraken from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since coming over to Seattle, McMann has been on beast mode: Seven goals, four assists and 24.0 total fantasy points across eight games. That’s 15th best among all skaters since he made his Kraken debut on March 14. McMann is up to 20 minutes of ice time in his past three games.
Connor Brown, RW, New Jersey Devils (1.26 FPPG, 95.8% available): Getting minutes on the top power play is nice, but the matchups have to be there for Brown to make sense in your lineup. This week, the Devils face four opponents all in the bottom third of the league for power-play goals allowed per game. In deeper formats, Brown could bring some value to the bottom of your roster.
Anton Frondell, C, Chicago Blackhawks (1.97 FPPG, 86.8% available): So far, so good, for the prospect winger with a long-term future as the building-block winger for Connor Bedard: Four games and four assists. He’s not rolling with Bedard at even strength every game, but they meet up on the power play.
See also:
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Alexis Lafreniere, LW/RW, New York Rangers (1.67 FPPG, 47.0% available)
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Calum Ritchie, C, New York Islanders (1.10 FPPG, 99.6% available)
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William Eklund, LW, San Jose Sharks (1.61 FPPG, 43.2% available)
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Pavel Zacha, C/LW, Boston Bruins (1.80 FPPG, 46.5% available)
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Egor Chinakhov, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (1.27 FPPG, 86.1% available)
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Eetu Luostarinen, LW, Florida Panthers (1.27 FPPG, 97.8% available)
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Gage Goncalves, C/LW/RW, Tampa Bay Lightning (1.06 FPPG, 97.0% available)
Defense
Philip Broberg, D, St. Louis Blues (1.26 FPPG, 89.8% available): The Blues gave Logan Mailloux a bit of run after trading away Justin Faulk at the deadline, but as they keep winning games, they’ve gone back to Broberg to be the power-play quarterback. While he’s not your usual offensive dynamo on the blue line, the opportunity to be on the ice with an effective power play can’t be overlooked. The Blues will face the Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Ducks, all teams that allow plenty of power-play goals, before closing the week with a tougher match against the Colorado Avalanche.
Rasmus Sandin, D, Washington Capitals (1.60 FPPG, 93.2% available): He’s not a full-blown shutdown defender with gaudy blocked shots and hits, and he’s not an offensive catalyst from the blue line with points galore. But Sandin has found a nice middle ground that is keeping him in the fantasy mix and pushing him ever-closer to 20 minutes per game for the Caps.
Carter Yakemchuk, D, Ottawa Senators (1.80 FPPG, 97.0% available): Thomas Chabot is shut down, so for however long Jake Sanderson continues to miss time, Yakemchuk is going to get the run of the Sens power play. However, it could be a short-lived opportunity unless we get bad news about Sanderson, who is traveling with the team.
Goaltenders
Jakub Dobes, G, Montreal Canadiens (2.34 FPP60, 67.2% available): Admittedly, the Lightning on Tuesday are a tough start to the week, but the Habs then face the Rangers, followed by a home-and-home with the Devils. Dobes and Jacob Fowler are both prime choices in the crease and should split time. Sam Montembeault hasn’t been in the Canadiens crease since March 6.
Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah Mammoth (1.92 FPP60, 38.9% available): The Mammoth play only twice, but the games are not back to back and the opponents are both top 12 for fantasy points allowed to opposing goaltenders, including the No. 1 best matchup in the Vancouver Canucks (3.06 FPPG to opposing goalies). Vejmelka could have a good week, if not a busy one.
Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights (-0.13 FPP60, 47.9% available): He’s been fantasy poison of late, but there’s a world in which Hill can be a hero to start the week. If you stream him in to take on the best and second-best opponents for fantasy goaltenders in the Canucks on Monday and the Flames on Thursday, it’s a desperate move that could pay dividends. Just know the risks based on his poor play of late. Maybe the coaching change shakes things up for the positive. Or maybe Carter Hart makes his return and is the one we should be targeting instead.
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Adin Hill makes beautiful save
Adin Hill makes beautiful save
See also:
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Joel Hofer, G, St. Louis Blues (2.79 FPP60, 74.8% available)
Looking ahead
Looking at the rest of the season as a whole, we have only one scoring period left after this week; and it’s an extended one lasting from April 6 to the final day of the regular season on April 16.
The best schedules for fantasy points (based on fantasy points allowed by opponents per game) among skaters all belong to teams in the Western Conference: In order, the Sharks, Canucks, Avalanche (ranked higher for forwards than defense), Blues (ranked higher for defense than forwards) and Kraken.
The worst fantasy schedules, starting at the worst, belong to the Buffalo Sabres, Rangers (worse for forwards than defense), Bruins (worse for forwards), Capitals and Dallas Stars.
Remember that looking at the schedule like this doesn’t mean William Eklund is greater than Alex Tuch for fantasy over the rest of the season. It just means Eklund’s schedule is going to make it easier relative to his own potential, whereas Tuch faces a tougher time to produce fantasy points relative to his usual self.
In the crease, the best schedules for fantasy potential belong to the Sharks, Avalanche, Kings, Ducks and Kraken. It’s notable that the Sharks have three back-to-back sets remaining, compared to two for most teams. It’s also worth noting that the team with the sixth-best schedule, the Golden Knights, have no back-to-back sets left this season.
The toughest remaining schedules in the crease belong to the Lightning, Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets (careful if you are relying on Jet Greaves), Rangers and Bruins.
For daily lineup leagues with transaction limits or tough timing windows for additions: The following combinations play on different days of the week the 16 times through the rest of the season, which is the most unique days for duo schedules: Ducks-Rangers, Bruins-Sharks, Sabres-Blues, Canadiens-Sharks, Devils-Sharks and Flyers-Sharks.
Overall, the Ducks have the most efficient schedule for streaming off your bench, with an average of 14.78 other NHL teams playing on the same nights as them. The Hurricanes have the toughest, averaging 22.33 opponents playing on the same nights. The Sharks have the quantity advantage with 11 games remaining and 16.27 opponents in action on the same nights.
