All eyes will be on Ilya Samsonov as he starts his second straight game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Wednesday, Jan. 24. Seven-game slate.
* = confirmed or probable
Karel Vejmelka, ARI* at Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA* (7 p.m. ET)
Laurent Brossoit, WPG* at Ilya Samsonov, TOR* (7 p.m. ET)
Spencer Martin, CAR* at Linus Ullmark, BOS (7:30 p.m. ET)
Charlie Lindgren, WSH* at Alexandar Georgiev, COL* (9:30 p.m. ET)
Arvid Soderblom, CHI* at Joey Daccord, SEA (10 p.m. ET)
Joel Hofer, STL at Casey DeSmith, VAN* (10 p.m. ET)
Devon Levi, BUF* at Cam Talbot, LA (10:30 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
( < 50% rostered on Yahoo, ranked by matchup)
(NEW) Casey DeSmith, VAN vs. STL (22% rostered)
This is a likely win for the Canucks. Their offense is solid and certainly have enough defensive depth to make up for Carson Soucy's absence. DeSmith is a top streaming option for Wednesday's slate.
Laurent Brossoit, WPG at TOR (15% rostered)
Normally, I'd be pretty bullish Brossoit, especially with a goaltender who's been really struggling at the other end of the ice. Though he's going for his fifth straight win, this will be a tough test for Brossoit against the Leafs' elite scoring talent.
The Jets have the edge, but I think it's going to be a closer than usual; they've lost three straight against the Leafs by a margin of at least three goals in each game, but they have also not played each other since last January. I see a potential win but not a great save percentage for Brossoit.
Jan 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) defends the goal against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena.Ilya Samsonov, TOR vs. WPG (37% rostered)
This is an interesting decision by Sheldon Keefe. We shall see if they'll split the starts between Samsonov and Martin Jones in their home-and-home series against the Jets, but following Samsonov's 3-1 win against the Kraken after a frustrating loss to the Canucks with Jones in net, it certainly looks like the Leafs' have some level of confidence in their former starter.
Samsonov has been much better after his assignment to the minors, but this will be his toughest test. I'm of the mind that Samsonov will be much improved for the remainder of the season compared to his disastrous first half -- not hard to do, I know -- but it also means that Samsonov may have some sneaky upside in his fantasy value because the Leafs can win games in spite of poor goaltending. I think you can roll the dice on Samsonov if you've already got a decent lead in your goaltending categories in head-to-head matchups. Another strong performance and Samsonov might start the second Jets game and beyond. Keep an eye on him.
Antti Raanta, CAR at BOS (30% rostered)
This will be Raanta's seven straight start and the Bruins are on a roll with five straight wins. The Canes have hit a rough patch again and I'm just really wary of Raanta given he's posted a save percentage in the .830 range for three straight games.
You could make the argument the Canes have a deeper, more talented team, but I'd choose the Bruins' consistency over the Canes' inconsistency any day of the week. I'd really be cautious about starting Raanta now and going forward, especially with Pyotr Kochetkov close to clearing his concussion protocols.
Editor's note: Spencer Martin gets the start and will make his Canes debut. Needless to say, I feel less confident in Martin than Raanta, and this almost feels like a schedule loss for the Canes.
Devon Levi, BUF at LA (35% rostered)
This will be Levi's first start since Jan. 9 after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen went on his hot run and started six straight games. This is the second half of a back-to-back for the Sabres while the Kings are playing the final game of their four-game homestand, and likely eager to avenge a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sharks.
I think this is a risky start for Levi, who's been very inconsistent this season despite the Kings' recent struggles.
Joel Hofer, STL at VAN (6% rostered)
The Canucks have been absurdly good, going 8-1-1 in their past 10, with the only regulation loss coming in St. Louis on Jan. 4. This is a revenge game, and though they were lackluster Monday against the Hawks, they still managed to win, 2-0.
This is a tough assignment against an elite offense, and a few things have to go the Blues' way for them to win. It just seems unlikely, however, since they're playing the second half of a back-to-back while the Canucks have been dominant at home (17-4-1). Even if the Canucks toss the Blues a bone and start Casey DeSmith, they still have the clear advantage.