2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Week 25 Primer and Pickups: 2024-25 Season Wraps Up

This is it – the last week-and-half of the 2024-25 regular season.

Most fantasy leagues have already finished, but if your league continues to the end of the season on April 17, then this one’s for you. Thank you all for reading this season and in past seasons, too. Without you, this column would not exist.

See below for the expanded schedule that runs from April 7 to 17. Starting Monday, 13 teams will have six games remaining, 14 with five remaining and five with four remaining. It’s important to note when each team’s regular season will finish – game 82 for each team is highlighted in yellow in the schedule matrix – because it will be a significant determining factor in which players you stream, add or drop.

The Avalanche, for example, finish their regular season in Anaheim on Sunday, taking the final half-week off. If you’re in a non-keeper league, this is the time where you can drop Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar without worry. It feels strange to do (and to see), but it makes sense because they have zero fantasy value beyond the final game of the regular season.

Note only the Kings and Red Wings play three games over the final four days. You may want to target players on both teams as the season winds down. Note also that there’s some weird travel schedules in there with numerous teams playing a single game at home sandwiched between road games, or playing a single road game and heading back home.

The Oilers, for example, play in Winnipeg on Sunday, head back to Edmonton for Monday’s game for the second half of a back-to-back and then hit the road to San Jose on Wednesday.

The other significant factor to consider is injuries. Last week, injuries to numerous key players wreaked havoc on fantasy rosters. Leon Draisaitl was injured again, and Dylan Holloway’s hot streak was disrupted.

Depending on where the team sits in their playoff (or lottery) races, it also gives them a chance to insert role players or younger players for increased minutes. Minor leaguers having strong seasons (Justin Robidas) and recent NCAA signees (Ryan Leonard, Jimmy Snuggerud among others) will get good looks as teams prepare to either gear up for the playoffs or audition them for the 2025-26 season.

A new episode of the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast will be published Monday at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET to discuss the final week, and to wrap-up the 2024-25 season with our best and worst picks.

Schedule

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstatrick.com. All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy. Points percentages are as of the conclusion of Saturday’s games. Last game of the regular season highlighted in yellow.

Final Week Streamers (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Matvei Michkov, RW, PHI (48% rostered)

Michkov should be a good hold for the rest of the season and beyond. His minutes haven’t yo-yoed as much under Brad Shaw, and he played 23:04 against the Habs in his previous game. He’s a high-upside offensive player with good shot volume with a few games against defensively porous opponents.

Pavel Buchnevich, C/LW/RW, STL (42% rostered)

Buchnevich has a chance to finish the season strong. He’s scored three goals in four games since returning to the lineup and his line with Robert Thomas has managed to stay productive even without the injured Dylan Holloway. Snuggerud has taken Holloway’s place, and he possesses some good offensive upside with a similar style of play with a mix of scoring and physicality.

Marco Rossi, C, MIN (34% rostered)

Joel Eriksson Ek should return soon, which actually should help Rossi’s production because it takes some pressure off Rossi. The young Austrian center has gone through stretches where he’s been quiet, but he’s scored three points in his past three games and the Wild’s season finishes on Tuesday, giving managers a chance to roster a player for Wednesday and Thursday games.

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW/RW, LA (20% rostered)

The Kings have a great schedule with four of their remaining six games at home, and don’t be surprised if they sweep; they recently set a franchise record for most wins at home. Asides from a Saturday matchup against the Avs, it’s relatively easy the rest of the way through. Kuzmenko has brought offensive flair to the Kings’ top line and finally looks comfortable after bouncing around the past couple of seasons.

Ryan Leonard, RW, WSH (4% rostered)

Leonard’s fighting for minutes on a pretty balanced Caps team, which caps his fantasy upside. He scored his first NHL goal on an empty netter but his real value has been hits. His physical play has helped him tally 14 hits in four games.

Rutger McGroarty, RW, PIT (3% rostered)

McGroarty moved up to Sidney Crosby’s line and it immediately paid dividends with McGroarty scoring three points in two games. He’s getting top-six minutes and auditioning for a spot next season. With playoffs likely out of reach, the Pens will be looking to give McGroarty as many minutes as they can afford.

Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, STL (1% rostered)

Snuggerud’s first goal should come soon after scoring two assists in his first three games. He played just 10:43 in his NHL debut but played at least 16 minutes in each of his subsequent games filling in for Dylan Holloway on the Blues’ top line. Snuggerud’s upside is offense after leading the Golden Gophers in scoring in his junior season before turning pro. Among the recent NCAA signees, he might be in the best position to score points.

Filip Hronek, D, VAN (46% rostered)

There’s a part of me that wonders if the Canucks will shut down Quinn Hughes once they’ve been eliminated from playoff contention. It’s quite obvious he has not been 100 percent this season, and should he sit out, look for Hronek to be their No. 1 defenseman yet again. He’s scored at a 43-point pace this season with big scoring spikes when he’s PP1 QB with Hughes out of the lineup.

Matt Grzelcyk, D, PIT (6% rostered)

Grzelcyk had five assists in seven games heading into Sunday’s game and currently lines up on their top PP unit with Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang on the second unit. Grzelcyk has quietly had a solid season with 35 assists and counting in 77 games, and he’s a good under-the-radar pickup for points from a defensemen when there isn’t much on the waiver wire at this point of the season. The Pens have only four games left, which is a bummer, but don’t play their last game until the final day of the regular season on April 17.

Karel Vejmelka, G, UTA (41% rostered)

Vejmelka has now appeared in 20 (!) straight games and just took down the Jets, 4-1, with 32 saves on 33 shots (.970 SP) in his most recent start. Even with nothing to play for, there’s still a chance Utah keeps rolling with Vejmelka as they audition him for the No. 1 role next season, and also to keep Utah competitive until the end as a young team trying to build good habits. Utah’s further worth highlighting because of their relatively easy schedule the rest of the way, facing the Preds twice and Kraken once in their final five games.

Calvin Pickard, G, EDM (27% rostered)

No word on when Stuart Skinner will be back, so look for Pickard to be the starter the rest of the way. If Skinner doesn’t return, expect Pickard to get at least five of their six games, save for one of their back-to-backs. The matchups aren’t daunting with two more games against the Sharks and one more for the Ducks. It’s a worrisome situation to be in as they enter the playoffs, but we’re only concerned with the regular season at this time, potentially giving Pickard lots of value down the stretch.

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