It's a busy 12-game slate for Thursday and this column has you covered with players to add and stream.
It’s the second busiest night in Week 4 with 12 games on the slate following a quiet Tuesday (two games) and Thursday (four games).
The action begins with five games at 7 p.m. ET and ends with a late California game (as per usual) at 10:30 p.m. ET.
The Stars and Coyotes are playing their second half of a back-to-back during a busy week where they play four games. The Knights and Flyers are the only other teams to play four games this week, and they’ll play their back-to-back on Saturday-Sunday and Friday-Saturday, respectively.
A few stats from October’s action to share via NHL Public Relations that is also a useful reminder to fantasy managers not to get too caught up when their team is down early in the season and the breadth of talent across the league.
382 – Unique goal scorers, marking the third most in NHL history at this stage in a season behind 2005-06 (395) and 2022-23 (394).
Editor’s note: That number is 383 if you include Sabres forward Brandon Biro, who scored his first and second career NHL goals on Nov. 1 in his season debut. The 25-year-old undrafted Penn State alum was playing in just his second career NHL game, almost nine months after his first game on Feb. 23, 2022.
95 – Lead changes, marking the third most in NHL history at this stage in a season behind 1986-87 (108) and 1982-83 (102).
67 – Comeback wins (47.9% of 140 GP), tied with 1986-87 for the most in NHL history at this stage in a season.
27 – Third-period comeback wins, marking the third most in NHL history at this stage in a season behind 2014-15 (29) and 2008-09 (28).
15 – Multi-goal comeback wins, including one by the Ducks where they overcame a 3-1 deficit in the final 2:00 of regulation en route to their historic overtime victory on Oct. 26.
All positions and rostered percentages courtesy Yahoo Fantasy.
Expected Starters
(ranked by matchup)
Casey DeSmith, VAN at SJ (9% rostered)
This is the perfect game to give Thatcher Demko a break since the Canucks are looking to start him close to 60 times this season. If DeSmith gets the start, it’s still a lopsided matchup in the Canucks’ favor; they’re trending way up, ranked seventh in the latest power rankings, while the Sharks are unquestionably the worst team in the league.
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. NSH (6% rostered)
It’s unconfirmed if Daccord will get the start after losing two straight despite a strong .922 SP and Philipp Grubauer getting the win against the Lightning in his most recent start, but this could be a good start for either goalie. The Preds rank 22nd in GF/GP and the Kraken goal support is picking up.
James Reimer, DET vs. FLA (19% rostered)
Sometimes, you just have to roll the dice in fantasy. Reimer’s numbers have been fantastic so far this season (1.68 GAA, .939 SP), and I’m tempted to roll the dice with Sam Bennett out of the lineup (again) and Evan Rodrigues potentially missing time as well. The Panthers have scored more than three goals just twice this season.
Connor Ingram, ARI vs. MTL (7% rostered)
Ingram is the confirmed starter as the Yotes play the second half of their back-to-back. They’ve historically been very good at Mullet Arena, and Ingram has generally been very good this season save for one six-save performance against the Kings. The danger with this game is the potential for the goals to get out of hand; in their past matchups, they’ve either been close, one-goal games or blowouts.
Forwards (Add/Hold)
William Karlsson, C, VEG vs. WPG (45% rostered)
With Chandler Stephenson struggling to score points, Karlsson has picked up the slack with a seven-game point streak and 11 points in 10 games this season. The good part is Karlsson’s scored only two points on special teams, and continues to win a ton of faceoffs.
Pavel Zacha, C, BOS vs. TOR (44% rostered)
If you were impatient like me, you probably dropped Zacha too soon. After a slow start, Zacha’s been producing like a No. 1 center with a four-game point streak after scoring just one assist in his past five games.
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, ARI vs. MTL (38% rostered)
The broken record continues to play – roster Schmaltz, roster Schmaltz, roster Schmaltz. Both Schmaltz and Clayton Keller were held without a point in a 8-1 shellacking of the Hawks, snapping Schmaltz’s four-game point streak. It’s a blip on the radar for an otherwise point-per-game player.
Dylan Strome, C, WSH vs. NYI (32% rostered)
Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, WSH vs. NYI (24% rostered)
Strome has more upside but I’m putting both in the same boat after Nicklas Backstrom announced he was taking some time away from the team. The Caps didn’t have many options down the middle to begin with, and Backstrom’s absence now means both Strome and Kuznetsov will likely see more ice time, especially on special teams.
Wyatt Johnston, C, DAL at CGY (23% rostered)
Johnston scored only one point in the first three games of the season but the Stars are settling in after a slow start on offense. They’ve scored at least four goals in three of their past four games and Johnston’s contributed three goals and six points. The analytics and eye test indicate it’s no fluke.
Sean Monahan, C, MTL at ARI (23% rostered)
Plays a ton of minutes, wins a ton of draws and currently on a three-game goal streak. No big deal, right? A healthy Monahan is showing how effective he can still be, and he’s going to clean the dot against the Coyotes, who rank 21st in faceoff win percentage.
Forwards (Stream)
Feb 11, 2023; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Kevin Bahl (88) stick checks the puck away from Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Foligno (17) in the second period at Xcel Energy Center.Marcus Foligno, LW/RW, MIN vs. NJ (21% rostered)
When Foligno scored a career-high 42 points two seasons ago, he scored his points in bunches. The same thing is happening right now with his four-game point streak, and his time on the power play is creeping up to with his usage on PP2. Yes, the Devils are good, but they’re also allowing the sixth-most goals per game.
Jaden Schwartz, LW, SEA vs. NSH (14% rostered)
Schwartz has scored two goals and four assists during his four-game point streak while the Preds are trying to avoid losing two straight on their current road trip. Juuse Saros is going to be a tough matchup but the Kraken have typically been quite effective against them, scoring at least four goals in four of their seven matchups.
Ilya Mikheyev, LW/RW, VAN at SJ (10% rostered)
Mikheyev registered another assist – his fourth point in five games – and he’s excelling on a line with Elias Petterson and Andrei Kuzmenko. He’s a puck retriever but plays a vital role on arguably the Canucks’ top scoring line. This is an excellent matchup for the red-hot Canucks against the bottom-dwelling Sharks.
Daniel Sprong, RW, DET vs. FLA (6% rostered)
It doesn’t matter that Sprong is playing on the third line; what matters is Sprong is on one of his heaters again with five points in his past six games. He played a season-high 17:10 against the Isles and ranks fourth among Wings forwards with 26 shots even though he plays four to five minutes less than everyone else ahead of him on the list.
Ridly Greig, C, OTT vs. LA (7% rostered)
Greig took a one-game break from the score sheet but he was right back at it with his first multi-point game of the season in a 5-2 win against the Pens. He’s excellent in banger leagues for his multi-category coverage and continues to be productive even though Vladimir Tarasenko was moved off his line.
Matias Maccelli, LW, ARI vs. MTL (6% rostered)
It’s now a five-game point streak for Maccelli, who faces a middling defense that’s light on depth and features only player who averages more than 20 minutes per game (Mike Matheson). The Habs’ goalies have been much better than expected and that’s going to end sooner or later.
Quinton Byfield, C/LW, LA at OTT (4% rostered)
We’re still waiting for Byfield to break out but at least it’s trending in the right direction. He continues to skate on the top line with Anze Kopitar, but lately the points have piled up with a goal and four assists in his past four games.
Alex Barré-Boulet, C, TB at CLB (1% rostered)
This is a deep sleeper, but I love the matchup. ABB has been trying to crack the lineup for years, and finally he’s breaking through. He’s on a four-game point streak with three goals and two assists and skates on the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov when Steven Stamkos isn't playing with them. The Lightning have blown the doors off against the Jackets in recent matchups, winning eight of their past nine meetings and scoring 41 goals.
Defensemen (Add/Hold)
Ivan Provorov, CLB vs. TB (20% rostered)
I continue to be intrigued by Provorov, who notched his seventh assist in a loss to the Stars. The points are unexpected but very nice, especially in banger leagues where Provorov already has some value with his 24 blocked shots, tied-12th for most in the league.
Defensemen (Stream)
Kevin Shattenkirk, BOS at TOR (1% rostered)
With Charlie McAvoy suspended for four games and Matt Grzelcyk injured, Shattenkirk was spotted quarterbacking PP1 and playing on the top pair with Hampus Lindholm. This is a tough assignment against the Leafs, but it also means Shattenkirk’s going to get a lot of ice time. He’s no longer the power-play specialist he once was, but hopefully for one game he can be productive.
