Week 9 features 14 teams playing four games, the highest total of the season. It's also your chance to roster Gabe Vilardi, Simon Nemec and Leo Carlsson before anyone else.
Over the next two weeks, only the Bruins will play a league-low five games, including just twice in Week 9. As the holidays approach, they’ll be the ideal team to fade since quantity is king in head-to-head. All the other teams will play at least six games, including the Hurricanes’ league-high eight-game slate. Times get busier at the end of the season, and if you’re looking to plan ahead, I’d keep that in mind.
The 54 games in Week 9 are more spread out than usual, though Thursday and Saturday remain the busiest nights. Wednesday and Friday are your off-days with four and three games, respectively, which is better than what we had in Week 8 with three and two.
There are 14 teams playing four times, the most in a week so far this season, with the aforementioned Bruins and Maple Leafs as the only teams playing twice. It should be noted the Senators play only three times, and remain well behind the other teams in the league. That’s going to lead to a cramped schedule later in the season, and perhaps all the more reason to make a coaching change now, if they’re even contemplating it, since their new coach will have more games in hand to play catch-up.
Goaltending remains a big story in fantasy this season. Note the Golden Knights top the schedule matrix with a fairly soft schedule save for the Stars, and with Adin Hill day-to-day with a lower-body injury, this is opening the door for Logan Thompson to start at least three games. The numerous back-to-backs also ensure that competitions for playing time will be on-going, including Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov in Carolina, Charlie Lindgren and Darcy Kuemper in D.C., and Elvis Merzlikins and Spencer Martin in Columbus.
Could the Canucks’ recent moves that netted them Nikita Zadorov, and the Leafs’ continued pursuit of Chris Tanev, open the doors for more moves? Note there is a holiday trade freeze coming out later this month, and plenty of teams need goaltending help.
The big story to note in Week 9 is the usage of Devils rookie Simon Nemec, who played over 22 minutes in his NHL debut and scored two assists. Called up to replace Dougie Hamilton, who’s out indefinitely with a torn pectoral, Nemec looks like he could be a major force on PP2, and worth rostering for managers in need of defensemen and need a high-upside option. The Devils play four times this week, and three of their opponents – Kraken, Oilers, Canucks – rank near the bottom 10 of the league in PK.
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 as of Saturday.
Weekly Bangers
(< 50% rostered on Yahoo, on teams with 4 games this week)
Hits/GP
Tanner Jeannot, LW/RW, TB – 3.44
Sammy Blais, LW, STL – 3.23
Keegan Kolesar, RW, VEG – 3.20
Paul Cotter, C, VEG – 2.96
Jeremy Lauzon, D, NSH – 2.96
Blocks/GP
Brayden McNabb, D, VEG – 3.28
Kaiden Guhle, D, MTL – 2.85
Nick Seeler, D, PHI – 2.71
Jonas Brodin, D, MIN – 2.68
Jamie Oleksiak, D, SEA – 2.64
Season-long adds
(< 25% rostered on Yahoo)
Gabriel Vilardi, C/RW, WPG (12% rostered)
Vilardi averaged a little under 15 minutes in the two games he played upon his return. His first game was quiet; only 13:02 TOI and zero points with only one shot, but in his second game notched his second assist of the season and finished with an additional shot and three faceoff wins. The Jets have elected to keep Nik Ehlers on the top line for now, but Vilardi’s fantasy value remains elevated playing with Cole Perfetti on L2 and PP1. Vilardi’s underlying number remain excellent, in 88 percent of leagues, he can provide fantasy managers with top-six upside for free.
Mid-term holds
(< 25% rostered on Yahoo)
Gustav Nyquist, LW, NSH (24% rostered)
I am still a Nyquist believer and he will have fantasy value as long as he remains on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. The Preds may have games against the Lightning and Leafs this week, but neither team has been defensively sound. With the Hawks and Habs also on the docket, this could be a big week for the Preds’ offense and top line. Since Nov. 1, Nyquist has scored 13 points in 14 games.
Jake Neighbours, LW, STL (14% rostered)
Neighbours started the season in the bottom six on a pretty crowded forwards corps, but he’s made his way up and now playing both L1 and PP1. He’s now the team leader with nine goals, eight of which were scored in November alone. Neighbours is not considered a high-end prospect with he’ll have plenty of value with this kind of deployment.
Simon Nemec, D, NJ (15% rostered)
It was a given that Nemec would take Dougie Hamilton’s spot on PP2, but not many expected Nemec to play over 22 minutes and score two assists in his NHL debut. It was impressive; the 2nd overall pick from 2022 has been excellent in the pros in North America, finishing second among defensemen in scoring with AHL Utica, and he was also their leader this season prior to his call-up. A smooth skater with good passing ability and offensive instincts, Nemec is worth the gamble.
Short-term streamers
(< 25% rostered on Yahoo)
Leo Carlsson, C, ANA (9% rostered)
With 12 points in 16 games (pro-rated 61-point pace), including three in his past two games, Carlsson is a high-upside fantasy option as long as he plays. With three games this week and no back-to-backs, we could see Carlsson play in all of them.
Alexander Holtz, RW, NJ (3% rostered)
Holtz seems to have found his footing with three goals and five points in his past five games. One of the Devils’ top prospects, Holtz has provided depth offense on a team that’s already very good at scoring. With Timo Meier dropping out of the top six and playing opposite Holtz, it now gives the Devils a third scoring line, and both of them also play PP2 for additional upside.
