Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets may be a worthy pickup for fantasy hockey with Gustav Nyquist out injured.
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It’s the last weekend before the All-Star Game, so enjoy the games that actually count in the standings. A few teams have already played their final games before the break, but for many other teams, this weekend will be their last action for a while.
It explains why only one team plays back-to-back this weekend (Bruins) and there are only two games on Sunday. The injuries are piling up again, so below are a few names that would be of interest to fantasy managers looking for some streaming options, including a few rookie goalies in Mack Guzda and Kevin Mandolese, forwards Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Ridly Greig, Kirill Marchenko and a potential pickup in Owen Power.
Here’s your weekend rundown.
SATURDAY
Blues at Avalanche, 3 p.m. ET
The Blues are in a freefall with five losses in their past seven, and there’s been talk of an impending firesale, which means that Jordan Binnington’s already mediocre season (18-16-3/.891/3.28) might get even worse. They’ve allowed five goals in three straight games, and Brandon Saad is clearly a few steps down from Pavel Buchnevich on their top line.
It’s going to be really tough to match the Avs, who are 7-3-0 in their past 10. The trade for Matt Nieto, who re-joins his former team after a three-year stint with the Sharks, meant Jared Bednar mixed up the lines. Mikko Rantanen is expected to play with Nathan MacKinnon on a stacked top line, with J.T. Compher centering Nieto and Denis Malgin. Evan Rodrigues also joins Alex Newhook and Logan O’Connor. No doubt Compher and Rodrigues’ fantasy values take a hit with the new configuration.
Bruins at Panthers, 6 p.m. ET
This matchup would’ve been more interesting a year ago when the Bruins weren’t so dominant and the Panthers weren’t so… bad. The big question is if the Bruins start Jeremy Swayman in this spot and save Linus Ullmark against the Canes tomorrow.
The big question for the Panthers is also who gets the start, but the choices aren’t so appetizing. Third-string Alex Lyon started against the Kings last night and lost, and with Sergei Bobrovsky on injured reserve and Spencer Knight not even healthy enough to dress as the backup, that could mean undrafted 22-year-old goalie Mack Guzda, signed last season and on loan from AHL Charlotte, could become the first Tennessee-born player to play in the NHL.
Flyers at Jets, 7 p.m. ET
That the Flyers have hovered around .500 is already a testament to the job John Tortorella has done. Remember, they have not had two of their presumed top players, Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis, all season. But after a red-hot start to January, they’ve gone 0-1-2 in their past three and now face the Jets again after losing to them last Sunday. Travis Konecny (49 points in 44 games) has been their best player, but pay attention to Morgan Frost (10 points in 13 games) and Scott Laughton (21 points in 27 games).
Nikolaj Ehlers is a top-tier offensive player, but the Jets confusingly don’t play him like one. It’s been 12 games and 14 points since his injury, yet he’s sixth in even-strength ice time per game among Jets forwards, averaging just 13:25. He’s not far off from last season’s overall TOI/GP (18:04 versus 16:52), but it does feel like the Jets are wasting the 26-year-old’s prime years by not giving him more playing time. Ehlers remains a very good offensive producer in fantasy, but the relatively low ice time really caps his value.
Kings at Lightning, 7 p.m. ET
Presumably, Jonathan Quick will get the start after Pheonix Copley faced the Panthers last night, and Quick hasn’t won since… Dec. 1. That’s going to put a lot of pressure on the Kings’ offense against a Lightning team that has won seven of their past nine and comes off a 3-2 win against the league-leading Bruins. Speaking of offense, Jared Anderson-Dolan is an intriguing fantasy pickup. Though he plays on the third line, Kevin Fiala is playing on the opposite wing, and both of them are featured on PP1. While the Kings won their first meeting this season in October, the Lightning won their previous 10 (!) matchups.
Canadiens at Senators, 7 p.m. ET
It was an impressive performance by the Sens in a 6-2 triumph over the Leafs last night, and their offense should bail them out even though fourth-string Kevin Mandolese could make his NHL debut. Usually, teams play better defensively with an inexperienced goalie in net, and they won’t have to worry much about the Habs’ offense that’s been playing with 11 forwards.
Up front, Ridly Greig made a strong debut with eight shots and a power-play assist in his NHL debut against the Isles and played 15:41 against the Leafs, including 4:08 on the power play. He’ll be battling Shane Pinto for playing time behind top center Tim Stutzle, and Pinto and Greig present some offensive upside as a streaming option.
Sharks at Penguins, 7 p.m. ET
The Sharks blew a lead after scoring an empty-netter and allowed the Canes to rally with three goals in three minutes (including overtime) to lose their fourth straight. Things are probably not going to get any better in Pittsburgh, even with Casey DeSmith in net, who was unusually excellent in an overtime loss to the Caps in his previous start with 43 saves.
Golden Knights at Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Knights were defeated 4-1 by the Rangers last night and suddenly dropped to third in the Pacific. They’re 3-6-1 in their past 10, and Jack Eichel slumped yet again, playing less than 16 minutes and finishing with a minus-3 and only two shots on goal. He extended his points drought to four games. When the Knights have key players missing from their roster or simply slump, their best trio remains the ‘Misfits Line’ with William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. All of them are viable streaming options because Bruce Cassidy might start benching Eichel even more.
The Isles are – hopefully – trending in the other direction with a 2-0 win against the Wings to snap their six-game losing streak. It helps when Brock Nelson and Anders Lee play on the same line and score, making them both fantasy-relevant again, but pay attention to top prospect Aatu Raty, who finished with one shot, one block and four hits. He even skated a couple shifts with Mathew Barzal.
Sabres at Wild, 9 p.m. ET
The Wild’s goalie performances toss and turn more than an apple turnover. They’ve alternated a three-game losing streak, a three-game winning streak and then another three-game losing streak. Other than Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov, both of whom are on four-game point streaks, their depth offense has gone completely dry and, coincidentally, has not scored more than three goals since their Jan. 7 overtime loss in Buffalo.
Being at home should give them a matchup advantage, but the Sabres are incredibly tough to defend against and now have Owen Power on a three-game goal streak. He’s been steady all season, but he’s been shooting the puck a lot more, and it’s about time his low shooting percentage reverted back to the mean. He’s worth a speculative pickup in most leagues, and if he continues to flourish, Power might end up being keeper material.
Blue Jackets at Kraken, 10 p.m. ET
Both teams are coming off losses, but it’s clear the Kraken have the edge. Elvis Merzlikins is expected to start, but it probably doesn’t matter. The Kraken keep scoring goals no matter the opponent. The Jackets just don’t have the offense to match without a top-tier center, and it was just recently announced Gustav Nyquist would be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. However, that does mean Kirill Marchenko will get a bigger role, and he’s got the hot hand with a three-game goal streak, including two goals against the Canucks on Friday. He’s worth streaming with additional upside playing on PP1.
Blackhawks at Oilers, 10 p.m. ET
Their past two games have averaged 10 goals, though it might be a more muted affair even with Evander Kane back in the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game due to his bankruptcy trial. It’s not that the Oilers’ offense can’t do it, it’s the Hawks’ league-worst offense. Jonathan Toews is questionable after missing Thursday’s game, which means Max Domi has moved down to fill Toews’ spot, and Jason Dickinson (!) moved up to center Patrick Kane. It’s tempting to stream Dickinson, and there’s some logic in that because he plays with Kane, but the upside is so limited because Dickinson plays limited minutes, gets no power-play time and his career-high is 22 points. Although, it is possible the Oilers score all 10 goals…
Coyotes at Ducks, 10:30 p.m. ET
Two bad teams facing each other usually means bad offense with a low-scoring matchup or bad defense with a high-scoring matchup. The Ducks and Coyotes met just four days ago in a 5-2 win for the Ducks, and in their past 12 matchups, at least one team has scored more than four goals seven times. Either way, the quality of hockey is not good, though it is my duty to inform you that Barrett Hayton has scored in consecutive games playing on the top line, making him a viable streaming option, and so is Frank Vatrano, who is coming off a hat-trick performance against the Avs.
It’s a good thing the California games are always the last ones to finish because this matchup could instantly put anybody to sleep.
SUNDAY
Bruins at Hurricanes, 5 p.m. ET
As the NHL closes in on the all-star break, Sunday will feature a light slate, but this game will be a big litmus test for both teams. A loss for the Bruins will be the first time all season they’ve lost consecutive games, and after losing to the Lightning on Thursday, another loss to an intraconference heavyweight might cast a little doubt on the Bruins’ dominance. The Canes will likely start Frederik Andersen, and his performance may play a role in how they juggle their rotation going forward, keeping in mind Pyotr Kochetkov will also be available in the playoffs.
Capitals at Maple Leafs, 5 p.m. ET
It has not been a good stretch for the Capitals lately, though it’s notable they outplayed their rival Pens and defeated them in a shootout. The Caps also have a little more to play for since they have a precarious hold on the first wild-card spot, while the Leafs are almost assured to finish second in the Atlantic (and face the Lightning again).
The Leafs lost 6-2 in their first game since losing Auston Matthews to a knee injury amidst some confusion over who was expected to start in the Battle of Ontario; Matt Murray was the first off the ice in the morning but ended up suffering an injury later and pressed Ilya Samsonov to start for the sixth straight game. The absence of Matthews elevated John Tavares to the top line with Pontus Holmberg playing with William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok, but the lineup may change since Sheldon Keefe was displeased with Holmberg’s six penalty minutes. This will be Samsonov’s third start against his former team, and he has not fared well with a .870 SP and 3.50 GAA against them.
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