It's a four-game slate for Wednesday as the Avs try to avoid a second consecutive 4-0 loss and the Ducks look to extend their winning streak to five games.
It’s a slow start to Week 4 with four games on Wednesday after just two games on Tuesday.
The Blues, in particular, should be well-rested following a four-day break, and they should be eager to get back on the ice to avenge a 5-0 loss to the Canucks in their previous game.
As we enter the late fall and winter months, this is the part of the season where lineup changes happen due to injuries, and prospects and younger players being assigned back to their junior teams. Lukas Dostal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are expected to start for the Ducks and Sabres, respectively, due to injuries to goalies ahead of them in the depth chart, but both have put in excellent performances to deserve more playing time.
Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov and Bruins center Matthew Poitras are expected to play their 10th games of the season on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. This is an important milestone; not only will playing their 10th game burn the first year of their entry-level contracts, it’s an indication that they will stay in the NHL for the time being.
They’re still eligible to return to their junior clubs at any time, but burning the first year means their on-ice contributions have so far outweighed any cap considerations in the longer term. Both Mintyukov and Poitras are off to terrific starts and, with more clarity on their future, now potentially have a lot of fantasy value for the rest of the season.
Expected Starters
(ranked by matchup)
Lukas Dostal, ANA vs. ARI (7% rostered)
John Gibson is doubtful with an upper-body injury, which means Dostal will likely get the start. It’ll be his third start in four games and a chance to extend his personal winning streak to four games for the suddenly high-flying Ducks. Defensively, they can be a lot better, but the big difference has been their goal support, ranking 15th in GF/GP after ranking 31st last season.
Don’t overlook the Coyotes’ offense; they’re coming off an 8-1 drubbing of the Hawks and rank 11th in GF/GP and sixth on the power play. Start Dostal if you need the start but this is shaping up to be a high-scoring coin-flip matchup.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF at PHI (16% rostered)
Luukkonen is coming off a 4-0 shutout against the Avs and will likely get his fourth straight start with Devon Levi and Eric Comrie out with lower-body injuries. Luukkonen started the season as their third-string option but gets pushed to the forefront due to injuries. He doesn’t have as much upside as Dostal though the Sabres matchup is more difficult because they’ve been unable to string together consecutive wins all season and this will be their third road game over the past week.
Forwards (Add/Hold)
Mason McTavish, C/LW, ANA vs. ARI (52% rostered)
McTavish had his second straight multi-point game, extending his point streak to five games, and his second goal was a highlight-reel, shorthanded game winner to send the Pens to their fifth loss in six games. He was rostered in just 40 percent of Yahoo leagues last night but that number has since climbed, and at over 50 percent rostered, McTavish will graduate from this list.
He is, by my estimation, already the Ducks’ best forward and his value is skyrocketing in keeper leagues. Leo Carlsson may be the new shiny toy, but Carlsson doesn’t play every game like McTavish due to load management.
Owen Tippett, RW, PHI vs. BUF (40% rostered)
Tippet’s put together a four-game point streak and playing on the top line with Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson. John Tortorella is spreading out the ice time but Tippett has a high floor leading the Flyers in shots and ranks fourth among forwards in hits per 60 minutes.
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, ARI at ANA (39% rostered)
So strange that neither Schmaltz nor linemate Clayton Keller didn’t score a single point even though the Yotes banged eight goals past the Hawks on Monday. Never fear; Schmaltz remains a point-per-game player in a potentially high-scoring matchup.
Ryan Johansen, C, COL vs. STL (32% rostered)
The bet is the Avs will not get shut out 4-0 for the third straight game. It’s strange to see Johansen putting up goal scorer-like stats with four goals and one assist and a 235-shot pace, which would be close to a career high (237). At the very worst, Johansen has been providing plenty of faceoff wins and shots and there’s always a good chance he scores a point playing PP1.
Sean Couturier, C, PHI vs. BUF (27% rostered)
An assist against the Canes pushes Couturier’s point streak to three games. He’s registered at least two shots in all but one game so far this season, and his rostered percentage continues to climb, albeit slowly. In 12-team leagues that count faceoffs, Couturier is invaluable.
Forwards (Stream)
Ryan Strome, LW/RW, ANA vs. ARI (35% rostered)
Riding the coattails of Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano, Strome has put together a five-game point streak and gone from a fantasy nobody to somebody in a hurry. On pace for a career-high 173 shots, it also gives Strome a nice floor just in case he doesn’t score any points.
Matt Duchene, C/RW, DAL at CGY (27% rostered)
Duchene scored his first goal the season Monday against the Jackets and now has a point in three straight games after starting the season with zero points in the first four games. The Flames are in shambles; despite Jacob Markstrom’s strong play, they’re a mess everywhere else on the ice. According to naturalstattrick.com, Duchene has generated the most expected goals at 5-on-5 among Stars forwards.
Robert Thomas, C, STL at COL (23% rostered)
The big news out of Colorado today was the absence of both Cale Makar and Bowen Byram at practice, taking out half of the Avs’ top six. Thomas and the Blues have struggled, but hopefully this will make it easier to generate offense. If anything, Thomas should provide some shots and a lot of faceoff wins.
Wyatt Johnston, C, DAL at CGY (20% rostered)
Johnston’s two-point effort was his second multi-point effort in four games and he's finally getting on the board after a quiet start to the season; it's long overdue considering how well he's been playing. After some line shuffling, Johnston’s back on a line with Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov, a combo that produced very good results last season.
Matias Maccelli, LW, ARI at ANA (6% rostered)
Take advantage while the streaky Maccelli still has the hot hand. He’s on a five-game point streak with an assist against the Hawks with a good chance to extend that against a team that’s allowing the 10th-most shots per game and ranks 22nd on the PK.
Defensemen (Add/Hold)
Pavel Mintyukov, ANA vs. ARI (14% rostered)
The Ducks will burn the first year of Mintyukov’s entry-level contract if he plays against the Coyotes, his 10th game of the season. It does not mean Mintyukov will stay with the Ducks for the season – the Ducks can still return him to junior at any time – but it’s a clear indication that the 19-year-old 10th overall pick in 2022 will be sticking with the big club for the foreseeable future.
This provides clarity on Mintyukov’s future and also a lot of potential fantasy value for the remainder of the season. He’s playing the most minutes on the PP among Ducks defensemen and scored four assists in his past four games.
Defensemen (Stream)
Bowen Byram, COL vs. STL (38% rostered)
Keep an eye on this one. Both Byram and Cale Makar were absent from Tuesday’s skate due to injuries, though Jared Bednar indicated that he doesn’t expect both players to sit out. If Makar’s out, expect Byram to see time on the power play behind Devon Toews. Byram doesn’t shoot the puck very often, but he has supplied a decent number of shots and blocks.
