1 month agoFlorida Panthers center Sam Bennett (undisclosed) will rejoin the lineup on Saturday against Tampa Bay. After scoring in back-to-back games, Bennett missed Thursday's matchup against Carolina with an undisclosed ailment. The 27-year-old centers the second line in Florida and will be joined by Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe on Saturday. Bennett has totaled 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 54 outings in 2023-24. He's had two goals and two assists in two meetings with the Lightning this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jameson Olive
1 month agoToronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov will be between the sticks when the team hosts Carolina on Saturday. Samsonov's status for the game was initially thrown up in the air after he was hurt during the morning skate. The Russian netminder has been in spectacular form lately, turning his season around after getting waived and dropped to the minors. Through his last 15 starts, Samsonov has gone 13-2-0, allowing two or fewer goals eight times. It's a tough matchup for Samsonov on Saturday, but it won't be easy for the Hurricanes to beat him, either.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Elliotte Friedman
1 month agoChicago Blackhawks netminder Arvid Soderblom will be back between the pipes for a home game against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night. The 24-year-old has been alternating starts with veteran Petr Mrazek and that pattern continues on Friday. Soderblom enters this one sporting a tough 3.88 goals-against average and an .879 save percentage across 25 outings (23 starts) on the season, going a disastrous 4-18-1 in that time. Furthermore, his -18.16 goals saved above average is the worst mark in the league among 68 qualified netminders, according to Hockey Reference. The Blackhawks sit second-last in the NHL with an 18-43-5 record while the Kings could move two points ahead of the Golden Knights for third place in the Pacific Division with a victory.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Charlie Roumeliotis
1 month agoWinnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will not be in goal for Friday's home game against the Anaheim Ducks. Rather, backup Laurent Brossoit will start his 18th game of the season with a stellar 2.11 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage across 17 appearances. As for Hellebuyck, he is enjoying another fine season that could net him his second career Vezina Trophy. The 30-year-old sports a 2.33 GAA and a .921 Sv%, going 30-15-3 across 48 starts. His 25.07 goals saved above expected are by far the most in the NHL ahead of second-place Sergei Bobrovsky and Thatcher Demko (18.7). It's a good time to get Hellebuyck off his skates against a Ducks offense that ranks 30th with just 2.55 goals per game on the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Mitchell Clinton
1 month agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is likely to return to the lineup for Saturday's contest versus the Washington Capitals. Myers was possibly going to return for Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche but ended up missing his fourth straight game. Myers returned to practice on Tuesday. "It was good to get back out with the guys," Myers said following Tuesday's skate. "It's getting pretty close here, so we'll see in the next day or few days what game it's going to be." The veteran has recorded four goals and 23 points on the season while blocking 114 shots and posting a plus-12 rating. The Canucks enter Saturday's game sitting first in the Pacific Division with a 42-17-8 record, nine points clear of the second-place Oilers.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoChicago Blackhawks forward prospect Landon Slaggert will make his NHL debut for the Blackhawks on Friday when the team takes on the hosting Los Angeles Kings. "You can't really put it into words," the 21-year-old said on Friday. "This is a dream of a lot of hockey players growing up. Obviously tonight to live out that dream is pretty special." Slaggert is joining the Blackhawks following the conclusion of his college season at Notre Dame, where he recorded 20 goals and 31 points across 36 games in his senior season. A third-round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2020 NHL Entry draft, Slaggert recorded 92 points across 136 games in his four-year tenure with the Fighting Irish.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoWinnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (illness) will return to the lineup on Friday when the team hosts the Anaheim Ducks. The Jets captain missed Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators due to an illness. "I feel 100 percent now," Scheifele said after Friday's morning skate. The 31-year-old will play on his birthday on Friday. He has recorded 19 goals and 57 points across 58 games on the season. He has added 124 shots on goal and is a healthy plus-20 on the campaign, his 13th in the NHL. The Jets sit third in the Central Division with a 41-19-5 record, but they have multiple games in hand on both the second-place Dallas Stars (three) and first-place Colorado Avalanche (two).
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoToronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is listed as week to week with a hand injury, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. The veteran went into the side boards awkwardly during the second period of Thursday's 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers and did not return. Jarnkrok has been promoted to the team's top line alongside Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi with Mitch Marner out of the lineup but the promotion will be short-lived. The Swede has tallied 10 goals and 21 points in 52 games this season as part of his 14:23 of average ice time per game. He previous missed time this season with a broken knuckle suffered after getting hit with a shot during practice.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoSan Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund suffered a right leg/foot injury in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran forward got tied up with Penguins forward Bryan Rust and was unable to put weight on his right foot while being helped off the ice by teammates late in the third period. He skated 21:41 in the contest and recorded a pair of assists, two shots on goal, and was a plus-two despite the loss. It's been a nice season for the 32-year-old who has tallied nine goals and 42 points in 52 games, a solid total considering the Sharks sit 31st with just 2.20 goals per game. Grandlund has reportedly dodged a serious injury but it's worth monitoring for fantasy managers.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Seth Rorabaugh
1 month agoDetroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin is set to miss at least the next three games due to a lower-body injury. He suffered the injury in a 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on March 2 and was initially given a two-week timeline to return. It's been another productive season for the Red Wings captain as Larkin has tallied 26 goals and 54 points on 166 shots on goal across 55 games played. He has hovered around a point-per-game pace for the third straight season at this point, although his 15.7% shooting rate is well above his 10.8% career mark, so some goal-scoring regression could be on the horizon. The Red Wings have lost seven straight games entering Saturday's home game versus the Buffalo Sabres.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Ted Kulfan
1 month agoDetroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer will get the starting nod for Saturday's contest against the visiting Buffalo Sabres. It's a seldom start for the veteran as Alex Lyon has taken over the crease in Detroit, starting 10 of the team's last 12 games, including seven of the last eight. It hasn't been a great season for Reimer who owns a 3.09 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage across 19 games (14 starts), going 6-7-2 in that time. He also struggled last season with the Sharks when he posted a 3.48 GAA and an .890 Sv% across 43 outings, posting a 12-21-8 record in the process. He remains well off the fantasy radar, even with Lyon showing some significant regression of late. The Red Wings have lost seven straight games entering Saturday's action.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Max Bultman
1 month agoToronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain suffered on an awkward fall against the Boston Bruins on March 7. However, the Maple Leafs reportedly believe it's a very minor sprain compared to a normal one that would usually require a six-week timetable to return. He hasn't been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Maple Leafs will proceed with caution, however, as the heavily-used Marner is averaging 21:20 of ice time per game on the season. He has tallied 25 goals and 76 points across 62 games on the season while adding 145 shots on goal. Calle Jarnkrok had been elevated to Marner's spot on the top line but he was injured in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers and will miss some time himself.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: David Alter
1 month agoToronto Maple Leafs left winger Tyler Bertuzzi continued his hot stretch as part of a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. The 29-year-old was reunited with Auston Matthews on the Leafs' top line and notched a goal and an assist on two shots and was a plus-three as part of his 18:04 of ice time. Once mired in a lengthy goal drought, Bertuzzi now has six goals over his last nine games, giving him 13 goals and 31 points on 123 shots and 75 hits across 64 games on the season. Signed to a one-year deal last summer, Bertuzzi posted 30 points in 50 games last season and posted a career-high 30 goals and 62 points across 68 games in the 2021-22 season. As long as he remains on the top line, he carries additional fantasy value down the stretch.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 month agoWinnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi has been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen and will miss at least the next five games as he did not travel with the team for their upcoming road trip that begins Saturday in Columbus. He is without a timetable to return. The 24-year-old has been out since Feb. 29 when he skated just 10:31 in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. Vilardi has enjoyed a nice, but injury-shortened season with the Jets after an offseason trade from Los Angeles as he has scored 16 goals and notched 30 points along with 93 shots and a plus-12 rating across 38 games. With the acquisition of fellow right-winger Tyler Toffoli combined with Vilardi's long-term absence, it's likely the latter has lost his spot in the Jets' top six, significantly decreasing his fantasy value down the stretch.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: Mike McIntyre
1 month agoMinnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) hasn't traveled with the team to St. Louis, meaning he will miss a second consecutive contest on Saturday against the Blues. Minnesota's first-line center, who has posted 60 points (29 goals, 31 assists) in 66 appearances this season, was injured earlier in the week in a clash with Arizona. Ryan Hartman moved to the top line as Eriksson Ek's replacement in Thursday's 2-0 win over Anaheim, while Marcus Johansson rejoined the top six on the second line. Both players have elevated fantasy value until Eriksson Ek's return.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Michael Russo
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