Half of the teams in the NHL have back-to-backs this week, giving a chance for backup goalies to shine in fantasy hockey matchups. Jason Chen has that and more.
We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with 12 games each on Tuesday and Thursday and a week-high 13 games on Saturday. With Christmas break just around the corner, the league has started to pack the schedule, meaning there will be no off nights.
There will be 13 teams playing a week-high four games this week with the Canucks being the only laggard with only two games on the dock. The team to target this week will be the Wild, who play all four of their games at home and play Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the least busy nights of the week. Half the teams will have a back-to-back this week, so look for plenty of backups to be in action once again.
Legend:
P% = season points percentage
Opp. P% = opponents’ season points percentage
Diff. = difference between P% and Opp. P%
Green is good. Red is bad. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstatrick.com. All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo fantasy.
Top 10 Weekly Banger Picks (< 50 percent rostered on Yahoo, on teams with four games this week):
Blocked Shots (BkS/GP):
1. Jake McCabe, D, CHI (2.65)
2. Chris Tanev, D, CGY (2.30)
3. Connor Murphy, D, CHI (2.04)
4. Dylan Samberg, D, WPG (2.00)
5. Dmitry Kulikov, D, ANA (1.86)
6. Noah Hanifin, D, CGY (1.81)
7. Jack Johnson, D, CHI (1.81)
8. Neal Pionk, D, WPG (1.78)
9. Ryan Lindgren, D, NYR (1.78)
10. Jacob Middleton, D, MIN (1.74)
Hits (Hits/GP):
1. Jarred Tinordi, D, CHI (3.90)
2. Tanner Jeannot, RW, NSH (3.80)
3. Artem Zub, D, OTT (3.71)
4. Marcus Foligno, LW/RW, MIN (3.50)
5. Sammy Blais, LW/RW, NYR (3.46)
6. Jeremy Lauzon, D, NSH (3.24)
7. Ryan Reaves, RW, MIN (3.05)
8. Jani Hakanpaa, D, DAL (2.79)
9. Cole Smith, LW, NSH (2.76)
10. Brenden Dillon, D, WPG (2.74)
Goalies:
James Reimer, Sharks
Rookie Eetu Makiniemi won his first career start against the Ducks, 6-1, but with Reimer expected to return on Tuesday, Makiniemi will likely return to the AHL. The Sharks are lottery bound so there’s not much upside with Reimer, but he’s posted respectable numbers so far and is still worth the occasional streaming start. After Tuesday’s match against the Coyotes, they get a three-day break before a back-to-back over the weekend that will feature both Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen.
Charlie Lindgren, Capitals
There’s no return date set for Darcy Kuemper so expect Lindgren to keep taking the starts for now. He’s started the past five games and won four of them, pushing the Caps from being one game below. 500 to two games over .500 and back into the playoff race. As long as Lindgren continues to play well, there’s no rush for Kuemper to return. The Caps have another easy matchup on Tuesday against the Hawks before facing the Leafs and Stars later this week.
Dan Vladar, Flames
It was very telling that Darryl Sutter elected to save Vladar for the Saturday night matchup against the Leafs, but it was a moot point since both Vladar and Jacob Markstrom lost their games. This puts the Flames in a tough spot, but I suspect they will form some type of rotation until one goalie stands out. The Flames have a really easy schedule coming up facing only two teams with winning records (Habs, Kings) until Dec. 23. This is their chance to make up some lost ground, and they have to capitalize. Sutter’s always been pretty good at pushing the right buttons.
Filip Gustavsson, Wild
Gustavsson is coming off a 35-save shutout against the Canucks, and with four home games this week, it’s likely he’ll start at least one of them. The matchup to avoid is Tuesday against the Oilers, but that’s followed by matchups against the Wings, Hawks and Sens, and the Wild have a good chance to win each of those.
Short-Term Streamers (< 50 percent rostered on Yahoo):
Paul Stastny, C, Hurricanes
Sebastian Aho did not play Saturday and he’s not expected to miss much time, and Paul Stastny skated on the top line in his absence. The veteran center responded with a goal against the Islanders and played 14:39, his third-highest total of the season.
Kirill Marchenko, RW, Blue Jackets
Marchenko was ripping up the AHL with 19 points in 16 games before his call-up and scored his first NHL goal Sunday against the Kings. He’s getting limited minutes, but the Jackets have stacked up their young talent with Marchenko opposite Kent Johnson with Cole Sillinger in the middle. It’s doubtful this line stays together, but the offensive upside is obvious and Marchenko always played a little on the power play. He’s a name to keep an eye on because the Jackets have a tough week ahead with the Panthers, Lightning and Bruins, all on the road.
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Coyotes
Not sure how long Gostisbehere’s hot streak will last, but he’s scored a point in seven of his past eight games but only once on the power play. He’s riding a spike in shooting percentage and some puck luck at even strength, and even though he’s getting ice time on PP1, it’s Jakob Chychrun who’s generating most of the offense. Gostisbehere is a short-term hold for now.
Mid-Term Holds (< 50 percent rostered on Yahoo):
Boone Jenner, C, Blue Jackets
Jenner’s recorded five helpers in his past five contests, and there’s no coincidence that the Jackets’ offense has woken up a little with the return of Patrik Laine. In roto leagues, Jenner’s an excellent option because he can pile up the hits and faceoff wins, and now that he’s added point production to his repertoire, he’s going to be a popular add over the next little while. The Jackets’ weakness used to be generating offense, but it’s been quite the opposite now with Laine and Johnny Gaudreau. Their depleted defense is their big headache right now.
Kevin Hayes, C, Flyers
It shouldn’t be long before Hayes gets LW eligibility, just like Jack Hughes who plays the middle of the ice but has Erik Haula taking a lot of the draws. The Flyers aren’t a very good team, but Hayes gets a lot of ice time in all situations. He’s scoring at a point-per-game pace right now though his points usually come in spurts. However, if Hayes gets dual-position eligibility, he’ll get a boost in fantasy value in roto leagues.
Long-Term Rosters (< 50 percent rostered on Yahoo):
Anthony Cirelli, C/LW, Lightning
Cirelli now has four points in his past four games along with 15 shots and 22 faceoff wins, making him a fantastic addition to any roto league roster. He’s stuck on the third line with Ross Colton and Patrick Maroon on his wings, capping his offensive upside, but it hasn’t really stopped Cirelli from producing. There’s always a chance Cirelli moves into the top six, but Nick Paul seems to be a great fit on the second line, so don’t hold your breath.