A busy week one of the NHL season rewarded fans with about as much action as you could ask for and plenty of storylines. We saw four hat tricks in the first two nights and goalies being chased left, right and centre. So chances are, fantasy hockey managers were left with piles of points or a goalie conundrum. It’s still early, so if you’re panicking because your goalies have let you down, fear not. We’re here to help you through it all.
These weekly articles will focus on notable player and goaltending performances and include some potential pickups for the weeks ahead. Ownership rates focus on Yahoo and ESPN leagues. Additionally, Yahoo’s week one runs from October 4th to 15th, while ESPN runs from the 4th to the 8th.
Fantasy Hockey Weekley: Week 1 Review
Perhaps the biggest fantasy hockey story of week one is the amount of scoring. Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Cam Talbot were yanked on Saturday night. Steve Mason, Matt Murray, and Thomas Greiss were pulled in nights prior. With offence taking over early in the year, we look at some notable performances from week one.
Skaters
Just when you start to think Ovechkin is on the downswing, he reminds you why he is this generation’s greatest goal scorer. With seven goals through the first two games, he has a huge head-start on the goal scoring race this year. Evgeny Kuznetsov has been his partner in crime, assisting on all seven goals so far. Two consecutive hat tricks to open the season is truly an incredible feat, one that hasn’t happened in 100 years. He looks to continue scoring with four games in week two, including a favorable matchup against New Jersey on Friday.
Evander Kane has also jumped out of the gate, with 2 goals and 2 assists in two games. Both goals came shorthanded, offering huge value if your league counts shorthanded points. He also leads the league in shots with 19. Always a high volume shooter, Kane will be looking to capitalize more this season and hopefully stay healthy. Kane remains a high-value fantasy player in banger leagues, but hopefully, he offers more value in standard leagues this year.
One of the feel-good stories through week one has been the unexpected success from the Vegas Golden Knights. With two victories to open their inaugural season, the Knights’ James Neal has shone offensively. He has scored three of Vegas’ four goals thus far, as they have relied on him for an offensive spark. Once Vadim Shipachyov is recalled from the AHL, he could help Neal stand out as one of the leagues top triggermen, as we have seen in the past.
Goaltenders
Steve Mason has… struggled, so far. Maybe you thought he could be a decent late round goalie, like me. And you thought he could help stabilize Winnipeg’s net, like me. But now you’re banging your head against the wall, like me. It’s still very, very early, so don’t drop him yet. He has surely ruined the first week of many managers, but its only week one. But don’t double down on Winnipeg and pick up Hellebuyck as a handcuff. Winnipeg has allowed 13 goals through the first two games and continues to struggle defensively. Their discipline hasn’t improved either, and a 60% penalty kill rate does not bode well for their goaltenders. If their struggles continue into the second and third week, think about dropping Mason. If he is your number one goalie option, start looking to make a trade.
Matt Murray
After struggling through the first two games, he posted a shutout in the Stanley Cup rematch against Nashville. Murray allowed 11 goals in Pittsburgh’s first two games, so the 26 save shutout was a relieving result for fantasy owners. A .879SV% is not a good look and is surely dragging down your matchup. Still, his shutout should help and he remains a great goaltending option as Pittsburgh’s number one.
So far, Jonathan Quick has stood out as a goalie of the week. On a questionable Kings team, who many have pegged as regressors for the year, he has backstopped his way to two wins and a shutout. He doesn’t have the season-long upside of a Braden Holtby or Carey Price, mostly because Los Angeles likely won’t put up a huge number of wins. But he has shown in the past that he can put the team on his back for long periods of time and put up some mind-boggling numbers.
Similarly, Fleury has been outstanding through week one. A 45 save performance in Vegas’ first game in the NHL was one of the week’s great performances. He followed it up with a 27 save victory against Arizona on Saturday. He has looked strong for Vegas and will see the lion’s share of starts this year. As long as he stays healthy, he should be a good second goaltender for your team; plenty of shots and saves, but perhaps not as many wins as you expect out of your number one.
Watch List
Skaters
Here, we look at some skaters who may not be on your radar but perhaps should be. Whether you pick them up now or keep them on your watch list, these players could step up in the next few weeks, so take note.
Ownership – 29% in Yahoo, 64% in ESPN
If Brayden Point wasn’t selected in your draft and still hasn’t been picked up through week one, grab him immediately. A dual eligibility player, he has been playing alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov on Tampa’s top line. He’s only 29% owned in Yahoo and 64% in ESPN, but after scoring five points in his first two games, his ownership will surely increase this week.
Ownership – 26% in Yahoo, 44% in ESPN
Everyone knows what playing on a line with Patrick Kane can do for a player. Ryan Hartman is the latest benefactor after potting a goal and adding four helpers for five points in Chicago’s first game. Don’t expect him to put up a point per game pace, but he could be a 50 point candidate if he plays the entire year with Kane.
Ownership – 12% in Yahoo, 35% in ESPN
If you neglected your defence in your draft and are looking for someone to help, Will Butcher looks like a potential stopgap. The highly sought after college free agent and Hobey Baker winner should see plenty of ice time and some powerplay time for New Jersey. Three assists on the power play in his debut may help him win some more ice time, as there is definitely room for him to move up the roster on a weak New Jersey back end.
Ownership – 40% Yahoo, 51% in ESPN
Another defenseman to throw on your watch list is Mike Green. He is the best fantasy option on Detroit’s defense as their powerplay specialist. Four assists in his first game, with two coming on the powerplay, may give some owners hope as a future option. He may be able to offer some peripheral stats (blocks, hits), but his +/- could potentially scare some people off.
Ownership – 50% in Yahoo, 45% in ESPN
Surprisingly, Zibanejad is owned in less than half of fantasy leagues. The first Line centre for the Rangers has four goals through three games with three coming on the powerplay. He replaced Derek Stepan as the Rangers number one centre, so he should routinely see upwards of 20 minutes a night. Even if your roster is deep down the middle, put Zibanejad on your watch list for when injuries begin to pop up.
Ownership – 5% in Yahoo, 6% in ESPN
Perhaps a Rangers consolation prize, Buchnevich could be someone else to put on your watch list. The Rangers have been waiting quite a while to unleash Buchnevich and give him regular NHL minutes, and it looks like the time has come. He has seen top line minutes and was on the first powerplay unit. New York was the fourth highest scoring team of 2016-17 so Buchnevich could be in a great spot to put up numbers and he is very likely to be available in your league.
Schedules
This section will try to help you find some players to pickup or player matchups to focus on by looking at team schedules for the week. Also, back to back games are often an opportunity for goalie spot starts, as backups are likely to play one of the two games.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins have four games this week, with two coming against Colorado. The Bruins’ top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and, hopefully, Patrice Bergeron, will look to have some big games against the Avs. They also have a back to back against Arizona and Vegas later in the week, offering a potential spot start for Anton Khudobin. Regardless, this week is a great opportunity for Boston skaters to put up points.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago has a back to back, playing Toronto and Montreal Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Backup Anton Forsberg should see one of these games, as the Blackhawks have two more games later this week. With the Blackhawks scoring like they have been, Forsberg may be one of the better spot start options this week.
Washington Capitals
Washington also plays a back to back this week, facing New Jersey Friday and Philadelphia on Saturday. The offense has been clicking, so the game against New Jersey may be another high scoring affair. That Friday night game may also see Philipp Grubauer make his season debut against the weaker opponent of the back to back.
Winnipeg Jets
Finally, it may get worse before it gets better for the Winnipeg Jets. They play a high powered Edmonton Oilers team Monday, before playing Vancouver and Carolina later in the week. The two later games are definitely winnable, but try to avoid starting a Winnipeg goalie Monday night, if you can.
And that wraps up a great week one of fantasy hockey in the NHL. Stay tuned for next week’s edition, where we look to see if Winnipeg can rebound if Vegas can continue to find success and if Ovechkin can keep up his exceptional pace.
