2026-27 NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 3 Primer And Pickups

Injuries, man.

You wonder if the shortened pre-season and camp had anything to do with it, or maybe we’re just having a really unlucky year.

Igor Shesterkin left Friday’s game after jamming his right leg into the post, and the following day the Rangers announced he was done for the season. It’s a huge punch in the gut when a team loses their starting goaltender, especially when they’re off to a great start and sitting first in the East with eight points heading into the weekend.

As to how it relates to your fantasy team, know there’s no replacing Shesterkin without at least giving up another elite fantasy player or high draft pick. That means you’re either already hunting for goalies on the wire (some recommendations below, and more on the Rangers' goalie situation below highlighting Dylan Garand) or maybe you’ve already decided to punt the goalie categories because it’s just one of those years where the hockey gods aren’t on your side.

It also highlights the number of injuries we’ve already had this season, especially to key players, in just two weeks. If I listed each player on a single line you’d be scrolling forever, so I’ve put them into groups. The list is not exhaustive and some players may be missing, but you get the idea.

Injured this season:

Cutter Gauthier, LW, Ducks (left Saturday’s game); Marco Kasper, C/LW, DET (played one game) Zach Hyman, LW/RW, EDM (played one game); Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (6-8 weeks); Brad Marchand, LW, FLA (6 weeks); Mats Zuccarello, RW, LA; (placed on IR); Brock Faber, D, MIN (indefinitely); Ivan Demidov, RW, MTL (2-4 weeks); Sam Montembeault, G, MTL (placed on IR); William Eklund, LW/RW, OTT (placed on IR); Jake Sanderson, D, OTT (played one game); Jacob Melanson, RW, SEA (indefinitely); Victor Olofsson, LW/RW, VGK (week-to-week)         

Yet to play this season:

Troy Terry, RW, ANA; Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, CGY; Seth Jarivs, LW/RW, CAR; Matt Duchene, C/RW, DAL; Connor Bedard, C/RW, CHI; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C/LW, EDM; Matt Savoie, C/RW, EDM; Frederik Andersen, G, EDM; Kevin Fiala, LW, LA; Filip Gustavsson, G, MIN; Mathew Barzal, C/RW, NYI; Joonas Korpisalo, G, NYR; Rasmus Ristolainen, D, PHI; Ryan Graves, D, PIT; Tyler Tucker, D, STL; Yanni Gourde, C, TB; Dakota Joshua, LW, TOR; Filip Chytil, C, VAN; Thatcher Demko, G, VAN

Out for the season or at least most of the season:

Alexander Romanov, D, NYI (torn ACL); Igor Shesterkin, G, NYR (lower body); Max Domi, C/LW, TOR (failed physical); Elvis Merzlikings, G, TOR (shoulder); Rasmus Sandin, D, WSH (torn ACL)

We’re still early in the season, and in time most of the players listed above will return. That’s the good news. The fantasy season is long, and even if your roster has been hit with some big injuries, know that nobody knows what’s going to happen this season, and that means there’s always a chance.

Okay, on to Week 3, which is a terrible schedule, by the way, with a total of nine (!) games on off-days but all 32 teams will be in action on a stupendous Tuesday. All six teams (OTT, VGK, FLA, MIN, NJ, BUF) that play four games in Week 3 will have a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday, and eight other teams (CAR, WSH, BOS, COL, DAL, PIT, MTL, CBJ) have back-to-backs later in the week.

The most interesting part of the schedule is the number of home-and-home series, including an exciting Dallas-Colorado matchup on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Edmonton-Utah on Thursday and Saturday. Those are big litmus test games and we'll get a better read on all four teams. Can the Stars score? Are the Mammoth for real?

Because the games are so cramped on the busy days, managers will have to make decisions on who to start and bench. If you’re hoping to pick up a player on a team that plays four games for that extra game, note the Wild might be your best option because they play Monday and Sunday.

It’s also about time we start getting position eligibility added to certain players. (Note commissioners can add additional positions themselves through league settings). Yahoo’s system has pre-emptively given players multiple positions to start the season, though some of them don’t make any sense, such as leaving C eligibility for William Nylander and Mitch Marner, and RW eligibility for Mika Zibanejad. Because they’ve added so many positions already, I don’t expect much to change this season. In leagues that count faceoffs though, two players I’m keeping an eye on in Utah: Vincent Trocheck getting RW and Logan Cooley getting LW.

As an aside, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving and I hope you’re sharing good food with your friends and family.

All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy.

Schedule

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. Points percentages are from the 2026-27 season.

Season-long adds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Dylan Strome, C, WSH (51% rostered)

Four assists in four games for Strome, but he’s played less than 15 minutes in three of the four games and in his last game took just 15 shifts, third-fewest among Caps forwards. All due respect to Alex Ovechkin, the greatest goal scorer of all-time, but he’s kind of dragging down Strome.

He’s the center Spencer Carbery trusts most with Ovechkin, but unfortunately any line with Ovechkin will not get the most ice time. Stome still has plenty of season-long value but, obviously, the fewer the minutes, the lower the production.

Alex Laferriere, C/LW/RW, LA (46% rostered)

Three points, seven shots, 15 hits in three games. We’re almost there, fellas.

Will Cuylle, LW/RW, NYR (43% rostered)

Has yet to sore a goal on 15 shots so it should come soon, but also on pace for another 300-hit season.

Pyotr Kochetkov, G, CAR (32% rostered)

I kind of thought it would play out this way with Kochetkov getting an easy win against the Canucks after Brandon Bussi faces the Habs (four goals allowed), setting another easy matchup in Philadelphia and maybe forcing an alternating goaltender rotation. Which the Canes do all the time. We’ll see if it plays out this way, and it could be one of those things where we wonder why we ever thought it was going to any different.

Mid-term holds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Mikael Granlund, C/LW, ANA (29% rostered)

I like Granlund for one particular reason: PP1. Their top unit with Granlund has taken nearly 70 percent of their power play ice time, per Dobberhockey, and they’ve been an incredibly effective unit so far helping the Ducks rank second in the league. The Ducks captain has scored three of his seven points with the man advantage, and adds plenty of faceoff wins.

Jake DeBrusk, LW/RW, VAN (29% rostered)

Tough schedule coming up with a road trip to the East, but if you need goals and shots, DeBrusk is a good option. He’s already looked far better this season than last season – applies to most Canucks, actually – and he’s already halfway to tying his total even-strength goals last season.

Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, DET (21% rostered)

No question the return of Dylan Larkin has given the Red Wings offense a boost, even if they were shut out by Jacob Fowler last game. Arvidsson’s off to a terrific start with three goals and 15 shots in five games, doing exactly what he’s expected to do. The biggest reason has been his ice time (18:25 TOI/GP), which is the most since his 34-goal season with the Preds. It’s a favorable schedule coming up with three home games against teams with either shaky defense or shaky goaltending, or both. If you need goals and shots, Arvidsson’s worth considering.

Shane Pinto, C, OTT (15% rostered)

I’ve been pretty impressed with Pinto so far, who has four assists, nine shots, 15 hits and 41 faceoff wins through five games. He’s the Sens’ leader in both faceoffs taken and wins, and clearly Travis Green’s preferred option in the dot in most situations. In multi-category leagues, I think Pinto’s a very useful bench player.

Jared Spurgeon, D, MIN (20% rostered)

The Wild captain has stepped up in a big way with five points in five games in Brock Faber’s absence. Over the past few seasons he’s been little more than a streaming option for modest counts in shots and blocks, but he’s playing far more than he did last season at even strength and on the PK. I don’t expect the point production to last, but if he’s playing more minutes, that means a higher number of shots and blocks.

Dylan Garand, G, NYR (49% rostered)

I hesitate to say Garand has season-long value only because the Rangers are reportedly in the market for another goalie, but I also don’t see an immediate solution for the Rangers. We'll also know if a big move is imminent if Shesterkin gets moved to season-ending LTIR, which gives the Rangers full cap relief instead of partial cap relief when he was placed on IR. 

Could the Rangers make a deal, perhaps for Connor Hellebuyck? Possible, but given that both teams are trying to win now, the Jets' reported asking price, and Shesterkin's expected return next season with Hellebuyck signed to a long-term contract, no trade makes sense. Jonathan Quick coming out of retirement? I thought he looked washed last season, and he won’t be able to handle a big workload.

Garand was assigned to the minors to start the season so he could get more reps (and also because the Rangers don’t like rookie backups, apparently) but he has the most upside among Rangers goalie not named Shesterkin and he should be their top choice for the foreseeable future; fantasy managers have been quick to roster him, and it’s a smart, reasonable move. The first test will be an easy one Sunday against the Canucks.

Jacob Fowler, G, MTL (37% rostered)

Fowler looked very good with a 30-save shutout win against the Red Wings, and he’s slated to get another start in D.C. on Wednesday in the second half of a back-to-back. This is setting the stage for a potential time share with Jakub Dobes, who’s been up-an-down with two straight poor showings against the Pens (6 GA) and Canes (5 GA). The Habs are a good team, putting Fowler in a good position to win games. Could we see Fowler supplant Dobes in the immediater term if he has another strong start? Possibly; we know Martin St-Louis isn’t afraid to give players a chance, even if they’re still young and inexperienced.

Devon Levi, G, EDM (33% rostered)

Asides from his first game against the Canucks, Levi’s been quite strong in net though the Oilers have had a really easy schedule so far. They have a big test (literally) against the Mammoth later this week, and that will be far more telling. I certainly prefer Levi over Tristan Jarry, but admittedly both have looked better than I thought they’d be. On a team that’s going to win a lot of games, Levi belongs to be rostered in most leagues.

Joseph Woll, G, PHI (26% rostered)

The Flyers have yet to win a game entering Sunday’s match against the Canes, but it’s pretty clear Woll has been the far superior goalie. The lack of offense is really concerning because it’s become a hallmark of Rick Tocchet’s teams, but they should snap their losing streak sooner than later. I like Woll for his quality starts, but the wins might be really hard to come by.

Short-term streamers (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Trevor Connelly, LW, VGK (3% rostered)

He’s one of Ryan Craig’s guys, along with Braeden Bowman, who came up from the farm club and now a regular for the Knights. Both Bowman and Connelly have been entrusted with significant roles already, including PP1 for Connelly. The Knights might be the best team in the league right now and I’m eyeing a Thursday matchup at home against the Flames where Connelly could be a good streaming option.

Anthony Stolarz, G, TOR (24% rostered)

Stolarz continued his strong start to the season in a comeback win against the Preds, moving him to 2-for-2 this season. It was a little surprising to see the Leafs go to Sergei Bobrovsky for two straight tough road games, especially after he lost the first one in Vegas, but I think we’ll see Stolarz in net again soon. If he starts in Utah on Tuesday, I’d stay away, but a home matchup against either the Sabres or Isles should make him worth streaming.

Leevi Merilainen, G, VAN (5% rostered)

Merilainen’s .929 SP is one of the bigger surprises so far, considering the Canucks plucked him off waivers and he’s coming off a terrible season with the Sens. History has shown, though, that the Sens love giving away quality goalies for nothing, which bodes well.

The Canucks won’t win many games but Merilainen’s going to see a lot of shots, and he’s done a great job of stopping most of them so far with only one even-strength goal allowed so far (.986 SP). In leagues that value quantity, such as saves over wins or save percentage, Merilainen might have sneaky value.

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