The Chicago Blackhawks are making their means in direction of one other Draft Lottery, which is symbiotic with a current roster transfer as they known as up 2024 second total decide Artyom Levshunov for Monday night time’s recreation in Colorado. Maybe sending the defenceman out in opposition to the Avalanche is not a really perfect strategy to get him acclimated to the NHL, however by the identical token, it’s a prime check to see simply how he can deal with that sort of state of affairs.
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Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 video games to be used of a banned substance:
https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/standing/1899215006635286950
Florida has 18 video games remaining within the common season, which implies Ekblad will miss the primary two video games of the postseason. It should not be an enormous deal for his or her development within the playoffs, however between that and the ever-present damage of Matthew Tkachuk, this workforce is just not with out its points as they appear to defend their title.
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Jiri Kulich was out of the Buffalo lineup once more on Monday, so take it with a grain of salt and all that, however current acquisition Josh Norris was on the highest line with JJ Peterka and Tage Thompson for Monday night time’s recreation. He additionally skated on the highest power-play unit with these two and a returning Jason Zucker. Alex Tuch is relegated to second line/second energy play standing for now.
Buffalo managed to win that residence recreation in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers by a 3-2 margin. The Oilers hit three (!) posts within the first interval and the writing was on the wall that it wasn’t going to be their night time.
Thompson scored twice, Alex Tuch tallied his 25th aim of the season, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 of 34 photographs within the victory. These two objectives from Thompson have been each at 5-on-5, so he extends his 5-on-5 goal-scoring lead with 26 such markers on the season. The one different participant with greater than 20 is Rickard Rakell with 21. Thompson has additionally missed six video games and isn’t a adequate participant to make the 4 Nations Cup roster, apparently.
Norris assisted on Thompson’s second aim, his first level as a Sabres. He added successful in practically 18 minutes of ice time.
Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard (PP) scored the objectives for Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl assisted on each objectives, registered 4 photographs, and added a block alongside the way in which. He wants 4 objectives the remainder of the season to put up his third 50-50 season within the final 4 years.
Stuart Skinner allowed three objectives on 22 photographs for the loss.
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Oliver Bjorkstrand was skating on the second line at Tampa Bay’s follow on Monday:
https://twitter.com/EddieInTheYard/standing/1899114756067209326
This appeared a possible vacation spot given the rotation of wingers that second line has had this season. What I’ll say is that I might not be shocked to see Bjorkstrand get moved to the third line with some frequency. Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli have largely been capable of carry nearly any winger, and Bjorkstrand on the third line would assist give them extra scoring depth. We’ll see.
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Juuso Valimaki goes to be out till late 2025 with a knee surgical procedure. Välimäki had been having simply his worst season since becoming a member of the Utah/Arizona franchise and hadn’t performed since January. I did not see any updates on when this occurred, so it very effectively may very well be he had been taking part in by some type of knee downside, which might assist clarify why his efficiency had taken such a pointy downturn.
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Andrei Svechnikov was not at Carolina follow on Monday and Taylor Corridor was in his spot on the highest power-play unit.
Corridor was additionally on the highest line with Sebastian Aho. Simply one thing to keep watch over right here as video games performed change into paramount for fantasy house owners. There was no replace on Svechnikov apart from he was being evaluated.
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The Ottawa Senators managed their largest win of the season on Monday night time with a 2-1 regulation win at residence in opposition to the Detroit Pink Wings. The 2 groups are battling for one of many two Wild Card spots, and this was an enormous increase to Ottawa’s total probabilities of making it to the postseason for the primary time in eight seasons.
Appropriately sufficient, the win was largely because of offseason acquisition Linus Ullmark, who stopped 48 of the 49 photographs he confronted within the win. It was the primary time in Ullmark’s profession he made not less than 45 saves in a regulation common season recreation, and essentially the most saves he is made in a daily season recreation since a 54-save additional time win over two years in the past.
Additionally appropriately sufficient, deadline acquisition Dylan Cozens scored his first aim in an Ottawa uniform as an important passing play, the final contact from Jake Sanderson, led to Cozens tallying an influence play aim late within the third interval to provide the Senators the 2-1 lead and ultimately the win. He completed the sport with three photographs and eight hits.
David Perron additionally scored on the ability play earlier within the recreation. Brady Tkachuk assisted on the Cozens aim and had three photographs and 6 hits within the win.
Dylan Larkin had the lone aim for the Pink Wings, totaling 4 photographs and successful. Lucas Raymond assisted on that aim and managed 5 photographs and two hits.
Cam Talbot allowed simply the 2 objectives on 23 photographs for the loss.
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The Commerce Deadline is behind us however the subsequent five-and-change weeks will decide fantasy championships. Utilizing the Schedule Planner over at Frozen Instruments, listed here are three forwards keep watch over when digging by the waiver wire.
Fabian Zetterlund (Ottawa Senators – W)
It’s not the most effective begin to Zetterlund’s tenure that he opened Monday night time’s recreation skating on the fourth line. Regardless, I don’t suppose he is lengthy for that position and will not less than transfer as much as the third line in fast order. That, mixed with secondary power-play time, can supply fantasy worth in non-shallow codecs.
The explanation why Zetterlund is right here is Ottawa’s schedule. Beginning at present, they’ve 19 video games remaining, tied for the second-most within the league. Past that, their opponents have mixed for essentially the most objectives in opposition to per recreation of any workforce’s remaining schedule, and their mixed .531 factors share is the fourth-worst mark. That could be a nice ending stretch for Zetterlund and the Senators which shouldn’t solely assist them attain the playoffs however present a lift in fantasy worth for his or her gamers.
One caveat right here: Simply 5 of 19 video games are on ‘mild’ days. That’s tied for the fourth fewest within the league. There are a whole lot of Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday video games forward for Ottawa, so Zetterlund could be onerous to roster in some codecs. All the identical, he’s a proficient scorer who can supply round 1.5 hits per recreation. Simply keep watch over line combos within the near-future.
Sam Colangelo (Anaheim Geese – W)
It did not take lengthy for Colangelo to graduate from the AHL after posting 20 objectives and 19 assists throughout 42 video games, averaging 3.5 photographs per recreation alongside the way in which. The second-round decide from 2020 has discovered that scoring contact within the NHL with seven objectives in 21 video games throughout the final two seasons. Sure, he is taking pictures 23.1%, but it surely’s nonetheless good to see, nonetheless.
Colangelo has discovered some chemistry with fellow rookie Cutter Gauthier because the Geese have averaged 56 photographs makes an attempt, 2.8 anticipated objectives, and 11.8 high-danger shot makes an attempt per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with these two on the ice. It’s a small 62-minute pattern, however discovering some early offensive chemistry is healthier than not.
Over the remainder of the season, Anaheim is tied with 10 different groups with 19 video games remaining (Los Angeles has essentially the most with 20). What separates Anaheim from most of them is that 10 of these 19 video games are on ‘mild’ days. It’s not a simple schedule – sixth-hardest by opponent factors share – however it’s a good alternative to rack up some video games performed from a man who has 41 hits in 21 profession NHL video games. Simply this week alone, Anaheim has video games on every of Wednesday-Friday-Sunday.
Andrei Kuzmenko (Los Angeles Kings – W)
One other acquisition on the deadline, Kuzmenko debuted for Los Angeles of their 6-5 win on Sunday night time. He did not get on the scoresheet, however he was on the ice for 3 of the Kings’ six objectives, two at 5-on-5 and one on the ability play. He was skating on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe at each strengths as effectively. That duo had onerous instances during the last couple of months, however perhaps that is the increase they will have to regain that scoring contact.
I’m personally not a fan of Kuzmenko as a result of he would not shoot or hit a lot, is not an important playmaker, so he depends closely on taking pictures share for fantasy worth. That could be a very harmful strategy to dwell within the fantasy recreation, however there may be excellent news: As talked about earlier, the Kings have essentially the most video games remaining of any workforce within the league, and 14/20 of these video games are at residence. This season, Los Angeles is 25th within the league by objectives per minute on the street and 11th by objectives per minute at residence.
5 of Los Angeles’ subsequent six video games are on heavy days, however after that, 5/14 are on mild days. Perhaps Kuzmenko is not somebody so as to add proper now until there may be an unused roster spot, however he’s somebody to keep watch over over the subsequent 10 days.
