Welcome to Week 1 of the 2023-24 fantasy hockey season.

The Hockey News weekly primer is back, featuring a handy weekly schedule outlining the schedules for all 32 teams. 

Opening night, or as I like to call Connor Bedard Day, will be on Tuesday, Oct. 10 and feature three games, including the highly anticipated debut of the 2023 first overall pick in Pittsburgh against Sidney Crosby.

As per usual, the teams are ranked in order by games played and strength of schedule, which is decided by the difference between the team’s points percentage and the combined points percentage of their opponents. For now, all points percentages will be based on the 2022-23 season, meaning the Bruins are the best team and the Ducks are the worst, even though that does not necessarily hold true today.

Eight teams will play a week-high three games in a shortened week due to Thanksgiving Monday in Canada and Columbus Day in the U.S. Five of the eight teams will play a back-to-back this week, ensuring at least five appearances from backup goalies.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually the busiest nights, but with the season opening on Tuesday, 11 teams will have their season opener on Wednesday. Friday and Sunday feature two games each, while Saturday will feature 14 games. 

At the top of the rankings are the Knights, who host the Kraken on Tuesday – an early preview of their upcoming Winter Classic matchup – and then face the lowly Sharks and Ducks on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. The Knights are also one of eight teams who play a league-high two games at home this week.

Home teams had a distinctive advantage last season with a winning percentage of 52.3% (687 of 1312). Only one team failed to win at least 10 games at home (Sharks) and two failed to win at least 10 on the road (Blue Jackets, Coyotes).

Here’s your Week 1 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.

Start

Ivan Barbashev, C/LW, Golden Knights (45% rostered)

The first game against the Kraken on Tuesday will be difficult, but the rest of the week should be a cinch with the Sharks on Thursday and the Ducks on Saturday. Barbashev has very good multi-category coverage and he will skate on the top line with Jack Eichel. After being acquired from the Blues last season, Barbashev scored 34 points in 45 games with the Knights, regular season and playoffs included.

Reilly Smith, LW/RW, Penguins (58% rostered)

Jake Guentzel is practicing in a non-contact jersey but it will likely be a couple more weeks before he draws into a game. That means Smith will be the top left winger; even if Guentzel comes back, Smith will line up with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, both of whom are excellent playmakers.

Tony DeAngelo, D, Hurricanes (80% rostered)

The Canes seem to be intent on playing DeAngelo and Brent Burns on the top power play and the matchups are extra juicy with the Sens on Wednesday and Ducks on Sunday. The Sens and Ducks ranked second and fifth in penalties taken last season, respectively, and the Ducks will be playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Jonas Johansson, G, Lightning (38% rostered)

As of Sunday evening, the Lightning have yet to acquire a goalie ahead of Monday’s roster submission deadline. It’s looking increasingly like Johansson will enter the season as the Lightning’s No. 1; good thing the first matchup won’t be particularly difficult hosting the Preds. The Lightning should be feeling frisky after a longer-than-usual summer break, and why not roll the dice early in the fantasy season when there’s plenty of time to recover should Johansson turn into a sieve.

Akira Schmid, G, Devils (56% rostered)

The Devils play a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. Both games are at home, which means Vitek Vanecek and Schmid will likely split the starts. Vanecek will likely get the home opener against the Wings, which leaves Schmid against the Coyotes. On paper, it’s the easier matchup.

Sit

Thatcher Demko, G, Canucks (90% rostered)

Demko’s an excellent goalie but it’s a tough start with a home-and-home series against the Oilers. Carson Soucy, signed in the off-season to beef up a thin blueline, is week-to-week with an injury. As a rule of thumb, it’s not smart to start any goalie not named Igor or Ilya against Connor McDavid and the Oilers’ vaunted power play.

Ville Husso, G, Red Wings (70% rostered)

The Wings will go into the season with three goalies: Husso, James Reimer and Alex Lyon. Not sure how that rotation will work out, but it’s a tough start with a roadie against the Devils on Thursday and then hosting the Lightning on Saturday. I’d rather wait-and-see on Husso, though he does tend to start the season hot then fade in the winter and spring.

Weekly Bangers (< 50% rostered on Yahoo, on teams with 3 games this week)

Blocks/GP (2022-23)

Brayden McNabb, D, VEG – 2.41
Ryan McDonagh, D, NSH – 2.32
Connor Murphy, D, CHI – 2.00
Marcus Pettersson, D, PIT – 1.93
Brian Dumoulin, D, SEA – 1.73

Hits/GP (2022-23)

Tanner Jeannot, LW/RW, TB – 3.82
Keegan Kolesar, RW, VEG – 3.77
Parker Kelly, LW, OTT – 3.13
Paul Cotter, C, VEG – 3.05
Erik Cernak, D, TB – 2.99

Short-term streamers (< 25% rostered on Yahoo)

Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW, Hurricanes (16% rostered)

Andrei Svechnikov is unlikely to play in the opener, which means Teravainen moves up the depth chart. Teravainen struggled a lot last season and ended up in the bottom six, but he’ll play with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas to start. This is Teravainen’s chance to reclaim a top-six scoring role.

Mikey Eyssimont, C, Lightning (0% rostered)

It remains to be seen how the Bolts’ lines will shake out, but Eyssimont is an intriguing sleeper. He’s a proven scorer in the minors and offers very good shot volume. He’s expected to play in the middle-six, but hopefully more on the second line, and the Lightning play three games this week. RW eligibility will be coming for Eyssimont before long. 

Brett Howden, C, Golden Knights (0% rostered)

The Knights are a little thin up front after trading Reilly Smith, and it looks like Howden will begin the season on the second line with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. Howden played sparingly last season, but it’s a good spot to be in and the Knights have the best matchups this week. Howden should gain LW eligibility within the first week of the season. 

Ridly Greig, C, Senators (1% Rostered)

There’s already talk that Josh Norris will begin the season on LTIR, which almost guarantees he won’t play the season opener, and Shane Pinto remains unsigned. That means Greig might open the season as the No. 2 center behind Tim Stützle, flanked by some combination of Vladimir Tarasenko, Drake Batherson and Dominik Kubalik. Greig is a feisty center who can score, win draws and hits a lot.

Mid-term holds (< 25% rostered on Yahoo)

Kaapo Kakko, RW, Rangers (11% rostered)

Come aboard the Kakko train with me, where I’m the self-proclaimed conductor. With Alexis Lafrenière struggling all camp and the Rangers hesitating to play Blake Wheeler in a top-six role, Kakko has the most upside among their right wingers. Kakko will likely open the season with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider and, hopefully, plays a lot more minutes this season. The Rangers face the Sabres on Thursday and Jackets on Saturday; despite beefing up their defenses, both teams were horrendous on defense last season.