1 day agoUtah Hockey Club defenseman Michael Kesselring (illness) will play against Calgary on Wednesday. He was a question mark for the clash after missing Tuesday's practice due to an illness. Kesselring has been a two-way force for Utah on the blue line, averaging 20:27 of ice time. His role has grown in recent games due to Sean Durzi's (shoulder) absence. Newly acquired Olli Maatta will make his debut in defense for Utah on Wednesday, meaning Robert Bortuzzo will have to settle for a seat in the press box.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Cole Bagley
1 day agoDetroit Red Wings Vladimir Tarasenko (illness) is considered a game-time decision for Wednesday's tilt against Winnipeg. Tarasenko is battling a flu bug and didn't skate on Wednesday morning. Nine games into the season, Tarasenko has yet to hit top gear, picking up one goal and two assists. Michael Rasmussen is expected to step into a third-line role if Tarasenko can't play on Wednesday. The team has recalled Austin Watson from the AHL on an emergency basis, although Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde has also suggested that he might use seven defensemen against the Jets.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ansar Khan
1 day agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen will make his team debut on Wednesday versus Tampa Bay. Kahkonen was picked up off waivers a few weeks back. He's worked himself into game shape on a conditioning stint in the AHL, going 0-2-0 with the Colorado Eagles while posting a 2.57 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. Alexandar Georgiev, who is off to a horrible 1-4-0 start to the campaign, will dress as Kahkonen's backup on Wednesday. Justus Annunen will sit as a healthy scratch despite riding a four-game winning streak. It's a challenging matchup for Kahkonen against a team that averages 3.78 goals, but a good performance could lead to more playing opportunities for him going forward.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Corey Masisak
1 day agoColorado Avalanche left wing Miles Wood will miss the next 7-10 days with an upper-body injury. Wood joins a number of other attacking players on the shelf, meaning defenseman Oliver Kylington will be used as a forward on Wednesday versus Tampa Bay. Nikolai Kovalenko will move to the first line, while Ivan Ivan gets to roll with the second line. The latter is also expected to be part of the top power-play unit. Despite missing some of its best players, Colorado has the third-best power play in the league with a 33.3 percent efficiency. The team faces a struggling 71.9 percent penalty kill on Wednesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Corey Masisak
1 day agoColorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton (foot) will be out for 6-8 weeks. He broke his foot while blocking a shot in Monday's 5-2 loss to Chicago. In Colton, the Avalanche will lose their top goal-scorer. Colton has lit the lamp eight times in 10 games this season, adding one assist. Nikolai Kovalenko will replace Colton on the top line in Wednesday's matchup against Tampa Bay. The Russian winger has been limited to four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 appearances. But his productivity has improved in recent outings -- Kovalenko has tallied one goal and two assists in the past three games -- and the move to the first line will be a big boost to his fantasy value.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoEdmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (ankle) is expected to miss 2-3 weeks of action. The three-time MVP was hurt on Monday versus Columbus. As a result of McDavid's injury, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to return to a center role, having practiced with Jeff Skinner and Zach Hyman on Wednesday. Leon Draisaitl will skate as the first-line center. He was riding with Viktor Arvidsson and Vasily Podkolzin on Wednesday. The Oilers offense has badly struggled, with the team ranked last in the league with a 2.20 goals-for average. It will be interesting to see if the new-look lines improve the situation.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoOttawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle tallied two goals and two assists as the team cruised to an easy 8-1 victory over St. Louis on Tuesday. Stutzle scored both of his goals during even-strength play and had his assists on the power play. With his seventh career four-point effort, Stutzle passed Marian Hossa for the most by a Senators player age 24 or younger. The young German star is off to an impressive start to the season, going scoreless in only one game and totaling 14 points (five goals, nine assists) across nine outings. He will carry a five-game point streak into the next matchup against the Rangers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoSeattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour crushed it against Montreal on Tuesday night, finishing an 8-2 road win with his first career hat trick and four points. He set a new franchise record for most points scored by a defenseman in a single game. Three of his points, including two goals, came on the power play for Montour, who's only the eighth blue-liner in the past 40 years to score a natural hat trick. Montour hasn't quite found his stride with his new team, but the big performance has provided a nice boost for his stat line. The 30-year-old has scored nine points (four goals, five assists) in 10 games with 33 shots, 11 blocks, and 19 hits.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoSeattle Kraken center Chandler Stephenson came to life with four assists in Tuesday's 8-2 demolition job against Montreal. Stephenson sat on only four points for the year and had gone three games without any points before putting on a playmaking clinic. Three of his helpers came on the power play. The 30-year-old now has one goal and seven assists for the season with 10 games played. Stephenson needs to find consistency on the second line. He has bolstered his points tally in only four games this season while struggling during even-strength play, which has resulted in a minus-five rating for him.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoPhiladelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson logged his first shutout of the season on Tuesday, registering 23 saves in a 2-0 win over the Bruins. He became only the third Flyers goalie ever to shut out the Bruins in Boston and the first since Antero Niittymaki in 2006. With the outstanding effort, Ersson made it back-to-back wins for himself. He's bounced back well from a few rough outings, improving to 3-2-1 for the year. Ersson boasts a 3.00 goals-against average with a .890 save percentage. Out of three Flyers netminders, Ersson has been by far the best performer and should get a chance to extend his winning streak on Thursday versus St. Louis.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoThe Detroit Red Wings have traded veteran defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club. Utah sent out a 2025 third-round draft pick to bolster its injury-hit defense. The NHL's new boys have lost Sean Durzi (shoulder) and John Marino (lower back) to long-term injuries. Maatta, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, has skated in seven games with the Red Wings this season, going scoreless with three shots, seven blocks, and three hits. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much production from him on his new team, either.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoSt. Louis Blues right wing Kasperi Kapanen sustained an upper-body injury in Tuesday's 8-1 loss to Ottawa. He recorded one shot and two hits across 6:37 of action in the contest. Kapanen was drafted into the lineup due to Mathieu Joseph's (lower body) absence. Nathan Walker could now be the next man up. Walker has managed one assist with five shots in five games this season. Fantasy managers should leave him on the waiver wire.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Blues
1 day agoWashington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun was knocked out of Tuesday's game against the Rangers by an upper-body injury. He took only two shifts, exiting after logging 1:50 of ice time. Chychrun has done well for his new club this season, logging four points (two goals, two assists) in eight games with a plus-five rating. Martin Fehervary joined John Carlson on the first defensive pairing following Chychrun's exit on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Alexander Alexeyev is poised to make his season debut if Chychrun is out for the next game. The Capitals will return to action on Thursday versus Montreal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
2 days agoUtah Hockey Club defenseman Michael Kesselring (illness) didn't practice on Tuesday. He has been struck down by an illness, leaving Kesselring questionable for Wednesday's matchup against Calgary. The 24-year-old has played a big role at the back for the injury-hit Utah team, amassing five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games with 14 shots, eight blocks, and 15 hits. Juuso Valimaki will likely re-enter the lineup on Wednesday if Kesselring isn't ready to go. Despite logging regular power-play time, Valimaki has been anonymous offensively this season, going scoreless in eight outings with seven shots on net.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brogan Houston
2 days agoSt. Louis Blues right wing Mathieu Joseph (lower body) will not play on Tuesday versus Ottawa. He's returning to St. Louis to get evaluated for a lower-body injury. Joseph has done a decent job in a bottom-six role for the Blues, amassing two goals and two assists in nine appearances. Kasperi Kapanen will be filling in for Joseph on the third line Tuesday. The Finnish winger has been limited to one goal with nine shots in seven outings this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: TSN 1200 Ottawa
RADIO
