Hockeywiztalks Hockey Blog

 Here are some Centers you should drop: Ryan O'Reilly Ryan O'Reilly is having a dreadful season so far, putting up just 9 goals, 15 points, 2 PPP, along with 315 Faceoff wins and is a -26. The only value O'Reilly has now is faceoff wins and with his +/- being so bad, it almost offsets how good his Faceoff wins is.You would be better off finding other players that can fill up the faceoff win category. Kevin Hayes Kevin Hayes started off the season fairly well, but in the last month of the season, he only has 3 goals, 8 points, 4 PPP, 35 FW, 37 SOG, and is a -4. He has also been dropped in the lineup to play on the wing along with Scott Laughton and Wade Allison, which will be a massive hit to his fantasy value because he won't be taking as many faceoffs as before. Ryan Strome Ryan Strome is having a horrid start to the season, with only 8 goals, 14 assists, 2 PPP, 57 SOG, and 241 Faceoff wins so far this season. Strome doesn't stand out in any particular category and...

 Here are some players you should drop in Fantasy Hockey: Seth Jones Although Seth Jones is having a solid year, he is playing on the worst teams in the league, which has resulted in him getting the worst +/- in the league. Jones has 1 Goal, 8 assists, and 5 PPP but is a -21, which in some leagues may be bad enough to offset his offensive production. I don't see Seth Jones turning it around this season, so you should consider dropping Seth Jones if you still have him on your team. John Klingberg John Klingberg has decent offensive production, with 4 goals, 7 assists, and 3 PPP but is a -15 because he plays for a terrible Anaheim Ducks team. Unless Klingberg is traded to a contender, I don't see him having significant fantasy contributions, and you can definitely find a better replacement on the waiver wire than him. Cam Fowler Cam Fowler is having a decent season so far this season, with 4 goals, 12 assists, and 7 PPP but is a -9 because he plays for a bad Anaheim Ducks team. I...

 Here are some Goalies to Drop in Fantasy Hockey: Thatcher Demko Thatcher Demko was having a terrible season before getting injured and being placed on IR, putting up a 3-10 with a 3.93 GAA and .883 SV% this season. He is still owned in 66% of Fantasy Leagues and should be dropped in one-year leagues because the Canucks are not going to be good this season, especially if they trade Bo Horvat. Demko is only worth holding in keeper leagues but only if you are desperate for goalies. Jack Campbell Jack Campbell has not lived up to expectations in Edmonton and as a result, recorded a 7-6 record with a 4.12 GAA and .872 SV%. He has lost his starting job to Stuart Skinner, who has outplayed him and Campbell has only had 1 start in the last two weeks. Campbell is owned in 61% of Fantasy leagues, but if he continues to play like he has at the beginning of the season, that percentage will be lower. Jonathan Quick Jonathan Quick has really struggled recently mostly due to the poorly in front ...

Injuries are starting to really pile up, so here are some tips on who you should consider picking up to replace some of those players out long term. Nick Bonino Nathan MacKinnon was injured in Monday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and is expected to miss some time. It is nearly impossible to replace a player of MacKinnon's caliber, so you will have to get a player who can fill up some other categories. Nick Bonino is a good player to have in a league with Faceoff wins and Blocks, and will occasionally chip in some points. Noah Cates Tyler Bertuzzi had surgery on Friday and is expected to miss 6 weeks, this marks the second time this season he has missed extended time this year. Noah Cates is playing on the Flyers 1st line and 1st PP unit and is listed as both a center and Left Winger. Cates is only owned in 1% of Fantasy Leagues and is a player who can stuff the stat sheet and get a little bit of everything. Dillon Dube Jakub Voracek will likely miss the rest of the sea...

Here are some players you should Trade Away: Brock Nelson Brock Nelson has a track record of having hot starts to the season and then cooling off in the second half of the season. Nelson already has 11 goals, 22 points, and 6 PPP so far this season, but his best scoring season was last year when he had 37 goals and 59 points. It's already established what type of player Brock Nelson is, he is a player who excels in the first half of the season but cools off in the second half. For this reason, it would be best to trade away Brock Nelson.  Dominik Kubalik Dominik Kubalik is arguably the biggest steal in fantasy hockey this season, as he wasn't drafted in many leagues, however, his hot start has him rostered in 81% of Fantasy leagues. Kubalik has 9 goals, 13 assists, 10 PPP, and is a +4 so far this season, playing on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond and Detroit's 1st PP unit. It would be a good idea to trade Kubalik now while his value is sky-high. Martin Necas Mart...

 Here are some Right Wingers to pick up on the Waiver Wire: Owen Tippett Due to injuries, Owen Tippett has been pushed up to the top line of the Flyers and is also playing on their top powerplay unit. He has 3 goals, 5 points, 1 PPP, 24 SOG, 13 hits, and 8 blocks in the last two weeks, but he is a -9. This could be a risky pickup due to his +/- but because all of his other categories are pretty strong, he is worth picking up. Jordan Eberle Eberle has 2 goals, 5 points, 1 PPP, and 12 SOG in the last two weeks and is a solid option to have in a deep league, as he plays a top 6 role for Seattle and plays on the 1st PP unit. In leagues with hits and blocks, there could be better options, but for leagues with just goals, points, and PPP, he is worth a pickup. Garnet Hathaway Garnet Hathaway is a 5-star play to have in a cat league; he is a stat sheet stuffer and will get a little bit of everything. Hathaway has 1 goal, 13 SOG, 22, and 9 blocks in the last two weeks on a Washington team ...

 Here is a list of Left Wingers to pickup: Zach Parise Zach Parise has worked his way back into the Fantasy scene in deeper leagues as he has quietly has put together a very solid statline. He has 5 goals, 3 assists, 1 PPP, 1 SHP, 40 SOG, 15 Hits, 19 blocks, and is a +9. This is a great all-around statline, and while he isn't going to produce offensively every night, he will get a healthy dose of SOG and he has a good +/-. Nick Ritchie Despite the recent slump, Nick Ritchie still has played very well for the Arizona Coyotes this season. Ritchie has 6 goals, 6 PPP, 22 SOG and 32 Hits so far this season and has been a major part of Arizona's lethal Powerplay. Adam Henrique Adam Henrique is definitely not the same player he once was but he can still be a solid option in fantasy leagues because of he is eligible to play both the Center and Left Wing. Henrique has 5 goals, 2 assists, 1 PPP, 27 SOG, 74 FW, 14 Hits, and 5 blocks so far this season playing on the Wing with Trevor Zegra...

 Here are some Centers to pick up on the Waiver Wire: Adam Lowry Adam Lowry is one of those players that are more valuable in fantasy hockey than he actually is in real life. So far this season, Lowry has 3 goals, 5 assists, 1 PPP, 2 SHP, 82 FW, 31 hits, 7 blocks, and is a +5.  Lowry is only owned in 7% of fantasy leagues and should be owned in any CAT league. Charlie Coyle  Charlie Coyle has been a huge part of the Boston Bruins success early on this season, putting up 5 goals, 2 assists, 25 SOG, 79 FW, 13 Hits, and 12 blocks, and is a +6. Coyle is only owned in 7 % of fantasy leagues, and should only be reserved for being owned in deep leagues, as he has a reputation for being inconsistent during his career. Scott Laughton Scott Laughton may only have 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 PPPs in the last two weeks, but he also has 70 FW, 14 SOG, and 17 Hits. Laughton is only owned in 4% of fantasy leagues but he should definitely be owned in leagues with Faceoff wins and hits. Morgan G...

Here is some Defenseman to pickup in Fantasy Hockey:   Alec Martinez Alec Martinez may not have the offensive production he used to have and he is almost allergic to throwing hits, but he league leader in blocked shots with 51. Vegas has played 11 games this season, which means that Martinez has an average of 4.63 blocks per game, which is remarkable at the age of 35. Martinez doesn't really do much else besides blocking a lot of shots but if your team does need more blocks, Martinez is the guy to add, if still available. Adam Larsson Surprisingly Adam Larsson has 2 goals and 3 points and is a +7, early in the season, but what is not surprising is that he has 16 SOG, 23 hits, and 21 blocks. Larsson has been consistently a reliable source of hits and blocks in the past few years, and while his offensive production drops off, he should help you garbage categories. Larsson is owned in 18% of fantasy leagues and would be a very valuable defenseman in a CAT league. Connor Clifton Connor...

 Here are players you should Trade For in Fantasy Hockey: Elias Lindholm Elias Lindholm has gotten off to a slow start to the season; he only has 2 goals, 2 PPP, 10 SOG, 50 FW, and is a -3 so far this season. He is a player you definitely want to target in a trade, as some impatient managers may be willing to trade away players who don't produce immediately. Of course in order to get a player of Lindholm's caliber, you would need to give up a ton, but it would be worth it at the end of the year. Teuvo Teravainen Teuvo Teraveinen is another player who has gotten off to a slow start to the season; he only has 2 assists, 16 SOG, and is a +5 so far this season. Teravainen doesn't have much value if he isn't racking up assists, which will come in the second half of the season, which is when the points really matter. It would be a smart idea to trade for him while his value is low, using the buy-low strategy. Jordan Kyrou Jordan Kyrou has had a rough start to the season; he o...

 Here are some players you should consider picking up for Fantasy Hockey: David Krejci David Krejci is back and it seems like he never left; Krejci centers  "The Czech Line", which features David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The line has gotten off to a terrific start and he has done a great job filling in for Brad Marchand on the Powerplay as well. Krejci has 1 goal, 3 assists, and 1 PPP, along with 15 FW so far this season.  Nic Dowd Nic Dowd is not a player who should be owned in standard leagues, but if you are in a CAT league, which includes FW and Hits, he should definitely be rostered. Dowd is top 50 in FW amongst centers so far this season and he leads Centers in hits. Down has 1 goal, 1 assist, 23 FW, 19 hits, and 3 blocks, which makes for a very good fantasy stat line. Jaden Schwartz Jaden Schwartz has gotten off to a terrific start to the season, putting up 2 goals, 1 assist and 2 PPP along with 13 SOG, and 8 hits. When healthy Schwartz is a very productive player...

 Here are some Overrated Players and players to avoid in Fantasy Hockey this season. Overrated Players Jack Eichel On paper, Jack Eichel is set up to put up some great numbers playing on a line with Mark Stone and Phil Kessel, but he hasn't played in 80 games since his rookie season in Buffalo. You would expect Eichel to put up better numbers playing with more talent in Vegas than he did in Buffalo, but he had some trouble finding chemistry with his linemates last season. Vegas hopes Eichel is fully healthy this season and forms a dynamic duo along with Mark Stone, but it might be wishful thinking because Eichel has lost a step since returning from his neck injury. It is not worth picking him in the 4th round when you can get players such as Elias Lindholm, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Elias Pettersson, John Tavares, and Claude Giroux. Chris Kreider Chris Kreider is overrated in Fantasy hockey because of his production from last season, in which he put up some unreal stats: 52 goals, 35 PPP, ...

 Here is my list of Breakout players and Sleepers this year in Fantasy Hockey. Breakout Players Tim Stutzle Tim Stutzle is my big Breakout candidate this year because he will be playing on a line with Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. He put up 52 points last year playing with different linemates every other game, so you can expect a 70+ point season playing with these two star players. Tim Stutzle is finally surrounded by great offensive talent that can feed off his, so be ready for a great campaign from the German pivot. Matt Boldy Matt Boldy burst onto the NHL scene putting up 15 goals, 39 points, and 10 PP in 47 games last year with the Minnesota Wild. Boldy is projected to play on Minnesota's 3rd line alongside Sam Steel and Fredrick Gaudreau, and it's 2nd PP unit; however, I can see Marco Rossi overtaking Steel in the lineup eventually. It is not out of the possibility for Boldy to score 60+ points, and 15+ PP this season, considering how productive he was in the second h...

 It is no secret that many teams around the league are trying to tank this season in order to land Connor Bedard, a potential generational talent. One of those teams that is among the favorites to land Bedard is the Montreal Canadiens, who are in dire need of game-changing talent. However, the Canadiens team is it is right now is too good, and would win too many games, so it would be best for them to trade away their valuable players. This is what the Montreal Canadiens need to better their chances at landing Connor Bedard. At the Trade Deadline, Montreal makes a few trades Montreal Canadiens trade Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffman, and Josh Anderson to the Dallas Stars for Denis Gurianov, Ty Dellandrea, 1st round pick '24. This is a massive haul to get in return for three good players, who will instantly make the Dallas Stars better, while Montreal gets younger and are in better shape for the future. The Canadiens also trade Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson to the  New York ...

Nicklas Backstrom is expected to miss the 2022-23 season after undergoing hip surgery, so if the Washington Capitals are to make the playoffs, they might need to do more than they have already done in the offseason to improve their team. This is what I would to ensure the Washington Capitals remain contenders without Nicklas Backstrom. With Backstrom, Tom Wilson, and Carl Hagelin on LTIR, they can spend 17.11 million over the cap; they already have a payroll of 88.82 million, which is already 6.32 million over the cap. Wilson and Hagelin are expected to be back this season, so they really only have 2.88 million to spend, if Backstrom is remaining on the LTIR the whole season. Washington added a bunch of rental players to replace their injured offensive players, but they haven't done much to improve their defense. The Offense of the Capitals is fine, but Washington really needs to improve their defense, if they are to contend in their division. Washington Capitals Make the following...

The New York Islanders missed the playoffs last season, and they didn't really do anything in the offseason to improve the team. In order for the Islanders to be a contender this season, they will need to make some moves to improve the team. This is how the New York Islanders can become a Contender this season. Before the season, the Islanders make two trades New York Islanders trade Josh Bailey, Kieffer Bellows, 2023 2nd round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for Shayne Gostisbehere, Nick Ritchie and a 2023 3rd round pick. The Islanders and Coyotes basically swap Bailey and a 2nd round pick for Gostisbehere and 3rd round pick, as well as Kieffer Bellows for Nick Ritchie. The Islanders also trade Semyon Varlamov to the Vegas Golden Knights for Laurent Brossoit, 2024 2nd round pick. The Golden Knights acquire a proven veteran goalie, who can help them while Robin Lehner is out this season. At the Trade Deadline, One major trade is made New York Islanders trade Simon Holmstrom, Nick Ritch...

The Columbus Blue Jackets have quietly put together a dangerous team and depending on the development of their young players and what other moves they make, they could make a push to be contenders this season. This is how the Columbus Blue jackets can be a contender this season. At the Trade Deadline, a few trades are made Columbus Blue Jackets trade Gustav Nyquist, Liam Foudy, Vladislav Gavrikov, 2023 2nd round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Mike Hoffman, and Joel Edmundson. This trade works out for both teams, as both Nyquist and Hoffman could use a change in scenery, and Edmundson would be an upgrade on the blueline over Gavrikov. Montreal also gets Liam Foudy for taking on Nyquist's bad contract. Columbus Blue Jacket acquire Derek Grant from the Anaheim Ducks for 5th round pick '24. Derek Grant is a great depth piece to have on the team for a contending team. Joonas Korpisalo is dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for Sam Montembeault, conditional 4th round pick '23.   ...

The Vancouver Canucks are a borderline contending team right now and are unlikely to make the playoffs if they don't make any significant changes. This is what the Vancouver Canucks should do to improve the team. Vancouver Canucks make a few trades: Vancouver Canucks trade Tyler Myers and Tanner Pearson to the Buffalo Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt, Jacob Bryson, 2023 2nd round pick. This trade helps both teams address their needs but most importantly, Vancouver adds a young center with top 6 potential. JT Miller is traded to the New York Rangers for Nils Lundkvist, Vitali Kravtsov, 2023 1st round pick.  The Rangers get JT Miller to bolster their top 6, while the Canucks get two top prospects and a 1st round pick for a pending UFA. Vancouver Canucks sign the Following Free Agents: Tyler Motte-3yrs/1.8M per This is how the lineup looks like this season 2022-23 Vancouver Canucks N.Hoglander-E.Pettersson-B.Boeser C.Garland-B.Horvat-A.Kuzmenko I.Mikheyev-C.Mittelstadt-V.Podkolzin T.Motte...

The Vegas Golden Knights are in trouble now with Robin Lehner expected to be out the entire season and with Laurent Brossoit also out with injury. With their goaltending situation uncertain, Vegas will need to make some moves to improve their goaltending in order to be a contender this season. These are the moves that the Vegas Golden Knights should make: Vegas Golden Knights acquire Semyon Varlamov from the New York Islanders for a 2023 3rd round pick, and a 2024 5th round pick. This trade benefits both teams because the Islanders don't really need a $5 million backup with Ilya Sorokin primed to be the workhorse next season, while the Golden Knights really could use a veteran goalie to tandem with Logan Thompson in the absence of Robin Lehner. Vegas Golden Knights acquire Mike Hoffman from the Montreal Canadiens for Sakari Manninen, a 2025 3rd round pick. If Vegas Makes the playoffs, the 3rd round pick becomes a 2nd round pick. Mike Hoffman adds some scoring punch to their top 6 ...

With the Chicago Blackhawks seemingly in a state of rebuild, I think it makes sense for the Chicago Blackhawks to trade Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Here are some trades that would make sense for the two franchise stars. Patrick Kane Trade Destinations: New York Rangers Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres   Patrick Kane Trade 1: NY Rangers get Patrick Kane CHI Blackhawks get Kappo Kakko/Vitaly Kravtsov, Nils Lundkvist, cond. '23 2nd round pick, cond. '25 3rd round pick.  If the Rangers make the second round of the playoffs, 2nd round pick becomes a 1st round pick.  If Patrick Kane re-signs with the Rangers, Chicago gets a 2025 3rd-round pick. This trade benefits both teams and the deal will reunite him alongside his former linemate Artermi Panarin. Patrick Kane Trade 2: EDM get Patrick Kane CHI Blackhawks get Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyson Barrie, 2024 1st round pick. Chicago retains 25% of Patrick Kane's Contract.  This trade is strictly a rental for Edmonton, while for Chi...

The San Jose Sharks aren't quite good enough to be contenders, yet they aren't bad enough to be a lottery team yet, so they must make some moves to improve the team if they are to be a contender this season. Here is what I would to improve the San Jose Sharks. Before the season a few trades are made San Jose Sharks trade Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils for Damon Severson, Jesper Boqvist, Fabian Zetterlund, 1st round pick '24. The Sharks get a pretty good haul for Timo Meier, who is a good player, but he might not fit into the Sharks' long-term plan. On the flip side of the trade, Meier will make the Devils' top 6 a lot more lethal. The Sharks also trade Radim Simek,  '23 2nd, '25 3rd to the Chicago Blackhawks for 3rd round pick '23. The Sharks use a 2nd-round pick and 3rd-round pick to unload Radim Simek's contract. James Reimer is traded to the Buffalo Sabres for 2nd round pick '23, 6th round pick '24. The Sabres need a starting goalie a...

The Florida Panthers juggernaut of an offense last season, but not after losing a few key players in free agency and trading for Matthew Tkachuk, it seems like the Florida Panthers aren't as good a team heading into next season as they were in 2021-22. Here is what the Florida Panthers need to do to remain a contender. Florida Panthers make a few trades: Florida Panthers trade Sergei Bobrovsky to the LA Kings for Jonathan Quick, Gabriel Vilardi, 3rd round pick '23.   Florida retains 50% of Bobrovsky's contract. The Panthers are able to move Sergei Bobrovsky but they have to retain 50% of the contract; this is the best that Florida can hope for with a deal involving Bobrovsky. Florida also trades Anthony Duclair and Brandon Montour to the Dallas Stars for Jani Hakanpaa,  '24 2nd. The Panthers move some salary of their books, while at the same time adding some depth and physicality to their blueline. Florida Panthers acquire Bryan Little from Arizona Coyotes for Aleksi He...

The Boston Bruins only have about 4.75 million in cap space to re-sign Patrice Bergeron and Pavel Zacha, so in order to make some cap space, they will need to make some salary off their books. This is what the Boston Bruins need to do to remain a Contender in the Eastern Conference. Boston Bruins make a few trades Boston Bruins trade Nick Foligno, and John Beecher to the Arizona Coyotes for 5th round pick '24. The Bruins manage to dump Nick Foligno's contract, at the same time, it helps Arizona Reach the cap floor. Boston Bruins also trade Mike Reilly, Chris Wagner to the Anaheim Ducks for Derek Grant, 6th round pick '23. The Bruins shed 2.85 million in cap space while adding some depth to their fourth line. Craig Smith is traded to the Nashville Predators for Eeli Tolvanen. Boston saves 1.65 million in cap space, at the cost of a proven veterna scorer in Craig Smith. Boston Bruins re-sign the following players: Patrice Bergeron-1yr/8M per Pavel Zacha-3yrs/2.75M per This is...

 The first day of NHL Free Agency starts tomorrow, so I thought it would be fitting to do a preview the class of free agents and make some signing predictions. Top Free Agent Centers Claude Giroux Nazem Kadri Vincent Trocheck Ryan Strome Dylan Strome Paul Stastny Evan Rodrigues Chris Tierney Top Free Agent Left Wingers Johnny Gaudreau Ondrej Palat Evander Kane Max Domi Nino Niederreiter Andrew Copp Andre Burakovsky Ilya Mikheyev Dominik Kubalik Calle Jarnkrok Oskar Lindblom Sonny Milano Mattias Janmark Top Free Agent Right-Wingers David Perron Phil Kessel Reilly Smith Alexander Radulov Frank Vatrano Vladislav Namestnikov Danton Heinen Tyler Motte Top Free Agent Defenseman John Klingberg Nick Leddy Olli Maatta Josh Manson Justin Schultz Ben Chiarot PK Subban Dan DeKeyser Anton Stralman Calvin DeHaan Nikita Zadorov Ian Cole Brett Kulak Justin Braun Top Free Agent Goalies Darcy Kuemper Jack Campbell Ilya Samsonov Thomas Greiss Martin Jones Braden Holtby Jaroslav Halak Free Agent Signi...