Dobber’s 2026 Midseason Information is now out there! It’s a downloadable PDF and Excel spreadsheet constructed that can assist you flip your fantasy hockey season round with second‑half projections, superior‑stat insights, prospect evaluations, and strategic schedule evaluation. It continues a 19‑yr custom of Dobber’s midseason breakdowns. Get yours immediately!
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Connor Bedard returned to the Blackhawks’ lineup on Friday after lacking practically a month with a shoulder damage. His return did not lead to a positive end result for the Blackhawks, who misplaced 5-1 to Washington. Bedard was held with out a level whereas taking 4 pictures in practically 17 minutes of icetime. Bedard was on an even-strength line with Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis, which may be one thing to look at in the case of the fantasy worth of those two gamers. Bedard is having by far his finest season and must be again in fantasy lineups ASAP.
By the way in which, in case you are in a league that counts faceoffs, coach Jeff Blashill has said that Bedard will not take faceoffs for the foreseeable future. It’s possible you’ll recall that Bedard was injured on a faceoff.
Within the Capitals’ win, Connor McMichael scored a objective whereas including an help. McMichael was a strong add for me about 10 minutes earlier than gametime on Friday. Adore it when that occurs. I added him as a result of Washington additionally performs on Sunday (towards Nashville), so he has the potential for extra this week with out me making an attempt to squeeze him in on a busy Saturday. McMichael has had an amazing week with six factors and eight pictures over his final three video games.
McMichael has been on a line with Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif, the latter of whom additionally has six factors this week and 10 factors over his final six video games, together with a objective on Friday. Sourdif had a powerful WHL profession with Vancouver and Edmonton; actually, I keep in mind him scoring a hat trick in a sport that I attended not lengthy earlier than COVID hit. The Capitals acquired Sourdif in an under-the-radar offseason commerce with Florida for a 2026 second-round choose and a 2027 sixth-round choose, which can have appeared like a bit a lot on the time. Maybe I am extra inclined to love gamers that I am extra accustomed to, however I would not have a difficulty with including Sourdif in a mid-to-deep league and seeing the place this goes. The query is what occurs with him when Pierre-Luc Dubois returns.
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The Winnipeg Jets touchdown on the backside of the league on the halfway level of the season wasn’t one thing most of us had predicted. Nevertheless, the Jets offered a glimmer of hope that not all is misplaced on the season, defeating the Kings 5-1 on Friday. The Jets ended an 11-game winless streak with the win and now sport an an identical 16-22-5 file with the Vancouver Canucks for 31st within the league.
Mark Scheifele led the Jets with a pair of objectives, giving him seven factors over his final 5 video games. Regardless of Winnipeg’s struggles, Scheifele and Kyle Connor have an an identical 52 factors in 43 video games this season.
Eric Comrie stopped 23 of 24 pictures in incomes the win and high quality begin – his first of every since December 5.
Just lately named to Staff Canada for the Olympics, Darcy Kuemper was pulled after two intervals. Kuemper allowed 5 objectives on 16 pictures.
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Within the Mammoth’s 4-2 win over St. Louis, Nick Schmaltz led the way in which with two objectives and an help and 5 pictures, whereas linemates Clayton Keller had three assists and Lawson Crouse had a objective and an help. Schmaltz has been cold and hot this season, however he’s again on the recent facet with eight factors and a plus-8 over his final six video games. After a gradual begin to the season, Crouse has seven factors and a plus-9 over his previous six video games. Crouse (17% Yahoo/28% Fantrax) has worth in hits leagues when he’s scoring, as he frequently averages over 100 hits per season.
Robert Thomas left this sport early within the third interval after hitting his face on the ice following a collision with Crouse. Fortuitously, Thomas was in a position to return to the sport. It’s possible you’ll need to double-check on his standing for tonight’s (Saturday’s) sport in Vegas simply to be secure, as this regarded painful. On one other busy Saturday, you might even need to go along with an earlier-game possibility over Thomas, because the Blues/Golden Knights sport is likely one of the two newest video games on the schedule (10 pm ET). A number of occasions this season, I’ve seen gamers who returned to a sport after an damage, solely to overlook the next sport and maybe past. Even because the Blues’ main scorer, Thomas’ manufacturing is beneath the point-per-game mark, which is properly down from the previous two seasons.
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James Reimer might seem in an NHL sport this season in any case. Reimer has agreed to an expert tryout with the Ottawa Senators’ AHL affiliate in Belleville. In line with Darren Dreger, Reimer may report back to Ottawa in just a few days with an NHL contract. Reimer was on a PTO with the Leafs throughout coaching camp, however he was launched from it simply earlier than the season began.
With Linus Ullmark on private depart, the Senators are quite skinny in web with the inexperienced Leevi Merilainen and Mads Sogaard dealing with the goaltending. On prime of some on-ice struggles which have resulted in three consecutive losses together with an 8-2 catastrophe in Colorado on Thursday, the Senators are additionally coping with a nasty off-ice rumor that resulted in a strongly worded assertion from GM Steve Staios on Thursday. The one different remark that I’ll make about this topic is that it’s best to in all probability avoid Sens’ goaltending for the second.
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In line with Elliotte Friedman, the Hurricanes are contemplating commerce gives on Jesperi Kotkaniemi. I had written this about Kotkaniemi in Carolina’s On the Block part of the Midseason Information:
Carolina cannot be glad with Kotkaniemi’s manufacturing—simply six factors in 22 video games as of late December. He has additionally missed time with an ankle damage. The workforce reportedly explored a Kotkaniemi-for-Phillip Danault swap with Los Angeles, however the Kings have been unwilling to tackle the 5 years remaining on his contract. Anticipate the Hurricanes to proceed searching for alternatives to maneuver him.
To offer you an concept of how a lot Kotkaniemi has fallen, I had dropped him in a 20-team league lately. (He is nonetheless out there, if any of you from my league are studying!) This can be a wage cap league, so he’s hardly a productive participant in that format together with his contract. Kotkaniemi was drafted again in 2018 and we’re nonetheless ready for him to come back round. Truly, his manufacturing has gotten rather a lot worse this season and he is even being wholesome scratched now. A commerce may breathe new life into his fantasy worth, however the a lot stronger guess is that fantasy relevance is not going to occur. A buyout of his contract ultimately would possibly, although.
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Let’s get you arrange for the weekend push.
Groups with video games each Saturday and Sunday: Boston, Columbus, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Vegas. All 32 groups play a minimum of one sport this weekend.
Gamers you could possibly think about that play twice this weekend:
Viktor Arvidsson – Rostered in simply 2% of Yahoo leagues and 17% of Fantrax leagues, Arvidsson has 5 factors in his final 4 video games. The Bruins look like spreading out their scoring proper now, which implies Arvidsson lands on a line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt. With Arvidsson, staying wholesome appears to be the primary difficulty, however you may be okay so as to add him now.
Denton Mateychuk – The Blue Jackets’ defenseman was a well-liked waiver-wire add this previous week resulting from a current manufacturing surge. Nevertheless, Zach Werenski is again within the lineup, which implies Mateychuk’s power-play time is now minimal. As well as, Mateychuk has no factors in his final two video games. But the truth that Mateychuk has offensive upside and is on a 40-point tempo anyway makes him value an add.
Kris Letang – Now 38 years outdated, Letang is not scoring like he used to. Nevertheless, he’s nonetheless frequently logging over 20 minutes per sport. Letang additionally has six factors in his final eight video games, and he’s additionally on a 40-point tempo on the season. He nonetheless has some identify recognition in being rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues and 67% of Fantrax leagues, however Letang is an possibility if he occurs to be out there in your league.
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Comply with me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social
