A number of not too long ago acquired gamers performed their first video games with their new groups on Saturday, so let’s test in on a few of these key names.
Two gamers that put on the quantity 96 made their debuts with their new groups in Edmonton. We’ll begin with Mikko Rantanen, who jumped into the Stars’ lineup a day after formally being acquired from Carolina. Rantanen appeared to suit proper in together with his latest crew, scoring a objective and including an help (each on the ability play) with 5 pictures on objective in 19 minutes. Matt Duchene set him up with a pleasant cross on this objective.
Rantanen began the sport on a line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, however then Hintz left the sport within the second interval after being hit within the face with a puck. Hintz was proper in entrance of the shooter and was bleeding, which did not look good. After Hintz left, Rantanen gave the impression to be deployed all through the lineup with numerous linemates. Rantanen already appears to be like like a greater slot in Dallas than he was in Carolina (6 PTS in 13 GP), which is a optimistic signal for these rostering Rantanen. The Stars play once more tonight (Sunday) in Vancouver, so we received’t have to attend very lengthy to see Rantanen once more and discover out the severity of Hintz’s damage.
Fantasy Take: Rantanen Moved to Dallas, Will get His Extension
Jake Walman, the opposite 96, made his Edmonton debut on the fitting aspect of an all-left-handed-shot pair with Darnell Nurse. Walman completed with an help, plus-3, three pictures, three blocks, and two hits in 24:40, which was the second-highest icetime whole on the crew after Nurse. Each Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg missed this recreation with accidents, so what the Oilers protection will actually appear to be has but to be decided. I am guessing Klingberg and Troy Stecher are the odd males out if everyone seems to be wholesome. The Oilers didn’t have an influence play on this recreation, so we have now but to see how Walman matches in there both. The icetime and peripherals protection appears encouraging so far as him enjoying a key position, although.
Fantasy Take: Walman Traded to Edmonton
Within the 5-4 win for the Oilers, Zach Hyman scored a pair of objectives and added an help. Connor McDavid had a objective and an help, with the objective one other one so as to add to his spotlight reel.
Matt Dumba scored his first objective in 70 video games for the Stars. Bear in mind when he was a participant you needed to have in your fantasy crew?
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A day after breaking down when requested about Josh Norris being traded to Buffalo, Brady Tkachuk demonstrated his ardour for his crew on the ice. Tkachuk scored a pair of objectives, together with the time beyond regulation winner, within the Senators’ come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Rangers. In a recreation with playoff implications for each groups, Tkachuk additionally contributed his ordinary peripherals with 9 pictures and 4 hits. Tkachuk now has objectives in 5 consecutive video games relationship again to earlier than the 4 Nations Face-Off.
In his Senators debut, Dylan Cozens registered an help on Ridly Greig‘s objective. Cozens performed 17:27 whereas on an even-strength line with Drake Batherson and David Perron and the second energy play.
Fantasy Take: Sabres Ship Cozens to Senators for Norris
With Adam Fox out, Zac Jones has been elevated to the Rangers’ prime energy play. In 4 video games the place he has acquired over 50 p.c of the Rangers’ out there power-play minutes, Jones has two assists – neither on the ability play. Jones was a frequent wholesome scratch previous to Fox’s damage, so he might want to make good on the chance to remain within the lineup. The Rangers additionally created extra competitors for minutes on their blueline by buying Carson Soucy from Vancouver simply earlier than the deadline.
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Within the Kraken’s 4-1 win over Philadelphia, Matty Beniers scored a objective and added an help in 19:41 of icetime. The truth that the Kraken have been sellers on the deadline would possibly end in further icetime and power-play time down the stretch for Beniers, as Seattle will not have the type of depth that it’s used to.
In his first begin since January 28, Philipp Grubauer stopped 23 of 24 pictures in incomes his first win of 2025. Grubauer had been recalled from the AHL earlier within the week. Given his league-worst minus-19.62 GSAx, his $5.9 million cap hit for 2 extra seasons after this one, and the emergence of Joey Daccord, Grubauer looks as if an offseason buyout candidate.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning have been the customer, and the Boston Bruins have been the vendor on the commerce deadline. But the Bruins got here out on prime on Saturday by a rating of 4-0. Jeremy Swayman made 26 saves in choosing up his fourth shutout of the season, whereas Cole Koepke scored two of the Bruins’ objectives.
Oliver Bjorkstrand seems to be in for a lift in worth after being traded to Tampa Bay. Bjorkstrand is on the Bolts’ prime energy play, and he skated on a line with Brayden Level and Jake Guentzel. That looks as if a greater state of affairs than being one in every of an infinite variety of middle-6 forwards in Seattle. At simply 19 p.c rostered on Yahoo and 24 p.c rostered on Fantrax, Bjorkstrand looks as if a participant to focus on. Another excuse: Tampa performs 4 video games throughout the first fantasy playoff week (March 17-23) in lots of leagues.
Fantasy Take: Lightning Land Gourde and Bjorkstrand in Blockbuster with Kraken
Victor Hedman didn’t go well with up after the Lightning flip-flopped on whether or not he would play. One in all my pet peeves in fantasy hockey is scratches simply earlier than recreation time. I perceive that gamers are testing accidents in warmup and don’t all the time know earlier than the sport whether or not they’re able to play. However for those who’re like me, you do not all the time have time to make a fast substitution. You could not be capable to see the whole tweet beneath, however you’ll be able to determine the way it performed out.
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Vitek Vanecek was most likely a goalie you have been staying away from whereas he was in San Jose. That could possibly be a special story in Florida, as he posted a 21-save shutout in his Panthers debut in opposition to Buffalo. The Panthers try to win the Atlantic Division to keep away from a first-round matchup with both Tampa Bay or Toronto, so Sergei Bobrovsky will nonetheless probably begin the majority of the video games throughout the remaining quarter. Vanecek is perhaps a worthwhile streaming possibility throughout that point, and he’ll most likely begin much more as soon as the Panthers have a greater thought what their playoff place will likely be.
Fantasy Take: Panthers Shortly Handle Goaltending by Buying Vanecek
In three video games with the Panthers, Seth Jones has but to select up some extent, and he has not bumped Aaron Ekblad from the highest energy play. Nevertheless, Jones took 4 pictures in Saturday’s recreation.
Fantasy Take: Jones Get His Want, Traded to Panthers
Josh Norris made his Sabres debut on Saturday, logging 20 minutes whereas on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. That’s most likely one of the best place for him to be so far as his fantasy worth goes.
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Dustin Wolf made one other case for the Calder Trophy on Saturday, stopping all 26 pictures in choosing up his third shutout of the season. Wolf’s 11.65 GSAx is simply exterior of the highest 10 within the league, whereas he’s tied for fourth with a number of different goalies with 6 steals (new stat on Frozen Instruments). Wolf is the primary purpose the Flames at the moment sit in a playoff spot – someplace they did not anticipate to be earlier than the season.
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The Brock Nelson acquisition has had a right away impression on Valeri Nichushkin. In Nelson’s debut with Colorado, Nichushkin picked up a hat trick and an help with a plus-2, 5 pictures, and three hits in a 7-4 win over Toronto. The Nichushkin – Nelson – Jonathan Drouin second line could possibly be one to look at down the stretch. Nelson, by the way in which, completed with “simply” one help. Drouin scored a objective.
Fantasy Take: Avalanche Purchase Nelson from Islanders
Nathan MacKinnon scored two objectives, turning into the primary participant to achieve 100 factors this season. Nate Dogg has reached triple-digits in factors for 3 consecutive seasons.
Mitch Marner, who was reportedly requested to waive his no-trade clause (and did not) in a proposed Rantanen commerce, scored two objectives within the first interval for the Leafs. John Tavares additionally scored a pair of objectives, whereas Auston Matthews chipped in with three assists.
In his Leafs debut, Scott Laughton centered the third line with Max Domi and Bobby McMann. Laughton was held and not using a level with a minus-2 in 11:54 of icetime.
Fantasy Take: Leafs Land Laughton
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The Kings are the most recent crew to provide Andrei Kuzmenko a trial. They did not waste any time discovering out whether or not he can click on with their prime scorers, inserting him on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe whereas additionally including him to the highest energy play. Kuzmenko completed and not using a level (or a lot of the rest) in 16 minutes of icetime within the Kings’ 2-1 time beyond regulation win over St. Louis. Kuzmenko is on the ultimate 12 months of a contract value $5.5 million, so his stick with the Kings might not final past this season anyway. Do not anticipate constant scoring, even with this best deployment.
Fantasy Impression: King Kuzmenko – Andrei Traded to Los Angeles
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Did you drop Steven Stamkos throughout his lengthy hunch? Should you did, you would possibly wish to test into his availability once more. Stamkos scored all three objectives for the Predators with seven pictures of their 3-2 win over Chicago. How’s this for scorching and chilly: Stamkos went 13 video games with out choosing up a single level. Since then, Stamkos has 4 objectives and 4 assists over his final three video games. Typically, it simply takes one optimistic break for the floodgates to open. For Stamkos, that was Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to Boston, when he broke the prolonged slumber with a objective and two assists.
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Jean-Gabriel Pageau was talked about in commerce rumors earlier than the deadline, however he managed to remain put. That call turned out effectively for the Islanders, as he scored a objective and added two assists in a 4-2 win over San Jose. With Nelson gone, Pageau has a possibility to play in additional of a scoring position on the middle place. That would make him wanted in multicategory leagues, as he persistently offers over successful per recreation and a plus-50% faceoff win proportion.
Macklin Celebrini assisted on each Sharks’ objectives whereas firing a career-high 10 pictures on objective. The rookie is now flirting with point-per-game numbers (48 PTS in 53 GP). Solely 18 years previous, Celebrini seems to be on the quick monitor to stardom.
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