Stephen Johns Out With Post-Traumatic Headaches

Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns will begin the 2018-2019 season on the team's Injured Reserve list, as announced on Tuesday. While the 26-year-old's headaches do not classify as a concussion, Johns has missed most of camp with the issue and hasn't played in a single preseason contest. The Pennsylvania native provides value in fantasy leagues […]

Miro Heiskanen Makes Stars Opening Night Roster

The Dallas Stars announced on Tuesday that defenseman Miro Heiskanen has made the team's official opening night roster. The third-overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft is coming off an excellent season HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish Elite League, having finished with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 30 games while winning the league's […]

Mike Green To Miss At Least One Month

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green (virus) is expected to miss at least one month, per head coach Jeff Blashill. The veteran rearguard was the Red Wings most utilized defenseman last season but still sorely lacks fantasy value. He tallied 33 points, 38 penalty minutes, and a -14 rating through 66 games last season. In […]

Top 75 Fantasy Hockey Forward Rankings for 2018-2019

Over course of the 2018-2019 season, RotoBaller breaks down the fantasy hockey player rankings by position. The rankings will be updated and posted on a weekly basis, starting with forwards every Sunday, defensemen on Monday and goaltenders each Tuesday. Note: Rankings are determined considering a standard Yahoo league format (goals, assists, plus-minus, power play points, […]

Stars Acquire Defenseman Connor Carrick

The Dallas Stars acquired defenseman Connor Carrick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2019 on Monday. The conditional pick will become a sixth-round selection if Carrick dresses at least 50 games with the Stars. The 24-year-old had issues finding a regular spot in the Leafs' lineup over the […]

Torey Krug Out Three Weeks Following Ankle Injury

Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug will be sidelined for at least three weeks after suffering an ankle injury in a preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Krug is coming off another excellent season with the Bruins in 2017-2018, having posted 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists), 24 power play points and 197 shots […]

Shea Weber Named Montreal Captain

The Montreal Canadiens named defenseman Shea Weber team captain on Monday. The 33-year-old becomes the franchise's 30th captain. Since being acquired via trade back in June 2016, Weber has registered 58 points (23 goals, 35 assists) in 104 games with the club. Unfortunately, the British Columbia has had issues staying healthy during his short time […]

Five Sleeper Defenseman Who Will Outperform Their ADP

Drafting defenseman can be one of the most difficult components of a fantasy hockey draft. Excluding goalies, the defenseman position is easily the shallowest of the bunch as value seems to drop drastically once the elite blueliners get scooped up. You enter a draft without a strategy or knowledge of the options at the position […]

Breakout NHL Defensemen You Have To Own In 2018-19

On fantasy hockey draft day, forwards are generally the belle of the ball. While getting top-end forward talent is always a good plan to start the draft, a solid stable of blueliners is integral to championship aspirations. Last season, Vladimir Tarasenko was a top 15 pick in a majority of fantasy drafts. Likewise, John Carlson […]

Seth Jones Expected To Miss Four To Six Weeks

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones (knee) is expected to be out four to six weeks after suffering an MCL sprain in a preseason game on Tuesday. This timeframe has him set to return somewhere between October 24 and November 7. Jones was the 13th ranked defenseman on Yahoo Fantasy heading into the regular season. […]

Shea Theodore Signs Seven-Year Deal With Vegas

The Vegas Golden Knights signed restricted free-agent defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year, $36.6 million contract ($5.2 million average annual value) on Monday. The 23-year-old rearguard posted 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 61 games last season, emerging as a valuable second-pair defenseman as the year progressed. Theodore's season was his first full season […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019

Over course of the offseason, RotoBaller contributed a six-piece feature breaking down the top 100 fantasy hockey player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 season. This article (the final edition) features some movement up and down the rankings as a result of trades, signings, injuries, etc. When the puck drops and the 2018-2019 season is officially […]

Banger League Beauties - Productive Players That Pile Up Hits

Most of the focus in fantasy hockey goes to the marquee names that show up in highlight reels. The goal scorers, the playmakers, the kinds of players that keep opposing goalies up at night. These are the types of players that will go in the early rounds of drafts, and rightfully so, but with all […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019 (10-1)

Over the next few weeks, RotoBaller will be kicking off the NHL offseason with a feature breaking down the top 100 player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 fantasy hockey season. The top 100 rankings will be released in six segments, starting from the bottom (100-81) and concluding with a two-piece set featuring our top 20 […]

Darnell Nurse Inks Two-Year Deal With Edmonton

The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Darnell Nurse to a two-year, $6.4 million contract ($3.2 million average annual value) on Monday afternoon. The former 2013, seventh overall draft pick led all Oilers blueliners with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) and earned 22:15 in ice-time per game in 2017-2018. The big, physical defenseman also registered a […]

Josh Morrissey Signs Two-Year Contract Extension

The Winnipeg Jets signed defenseman Josh Morrissey to a two-year, $6.3 million contract ($3.15 million average annual value) on Monday. Morrissey, a solid two-way defenseman, is coming off a 2017-2018 season in which he posted 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists) to go along with a plus-15 rating, 47 penalty minutes, 102 shots and 139 […]

Chris Tierney, Dylan Demelo Part Of Package Heading To Ottawa

Something tells us that Ottawa Senators fans will be quite unhappy with the return they received for Erik Karlsson. Heading back to Ottawa are Chris Tierney, Dylan Demelo, Rudolfs Balcers, Josh Norris, a first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, and a second round pick in 2019. Tierney scored a career-high 40 points in 2017-18 but […]

Erik Karlsson Traded To San Jose Sharks

The trade of the NHL offseason went down on Thursday afternoon as two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson has been traded to the San Jose Sharks. Karlsson had been the subject of rampant trade speculation for the past few months, and it was seeming more likely that Karlsson would start the season with the Senators. […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019 (20-11)

Over the next few weeks, RotoBaller will be kicking off the NHL offseason with a feature breaking down the top 100 player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 fantasy hockey season. The top 100 rankings will be released in six segments, starting from the bottom (100-81) and concluding with a two-piece set featuring our top 20 […]

Nate Schmidt Suspended 20 Games For PED Violation

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt was handed a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's Performance Enhancing Substances Program. A microscopic amount of a banned substance was found in his system, and he vehemently denies that he intentionally took any performance enhancers. Schmidt will still be able to attend training camp with the team, but […]

Shea Theodore Still Unsigned Heading Into September

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore still remains unsigned with training camp just weeks away. Theodore is a restricted free agent with no arbitration rights, but he projects to be a big piece of the Golden Knights blueline going forward. He recorded six goals and 23 assists in 61 games last year while seeing some […]

Top 100 Fantasy Hockey Rankings for 2018-2019 (80-61)

Over the next few weeks, RotoBaller will be kicking off the NHL offseason with a feature breaking down the top 100 player rankings heading into the 2018-2019 fantasy hockey season. The top 100 rankings will be released in six segments, starting from the bottom (100-81) and concluding with a two-piece set featuring our top 20 […]

Shea Weber Will Miss Start of Season After Knee Surgery

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will be sidelined approximately five to six months after undergoing knee surgery. Weber was limited to just 26 games last season due to foot and knee injuries and was due for a minor arthroscopic procedure on June 19 as part of his rehabilitation. It was discovered during the procedure that […]

Hurricanes Bolster Defense Further, Sign Calvin de Haan

The Carolina Hurricanes have reached a four-year agreement with former New York Islanders defenseman Calvin De Haan. Coming off a shoulder injury that limited him to only 33 games last season, de Haan will be looking to return to his 2016 form when he scored a career-high 25 points in 82 games. More highly regarded […]

Erik Karlsson Reportedly Offered Extension From Senators

The Ottawa Senators have stayed true to their word and have offered defenseman Erik Karlsson a contract extension. Karlsson is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, completing his current seven-year deal. Karlsson has been a topic of much conversation of late, being a focal point of trade rumors, and it was […]

Bruins Sign John Moore For Five Years

Free-agent defenseman John Moore signed on with the Boston Bruins for five years, earning $2.75 million annually. The former first-round pick spent the last three seasons with the New Jersey Devils. He set career highs in 2016-17 for both goals (12) and points (22). The Bruins will be Moore’s fifth NHL team, and he’ll be […]

Greg Pateryn Signs Three-Year Deal With Minnesota

The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Greg Pateryn to a three-year, $6.75 million contract soon after Free Agency opened up on Sunday. Pateryn established himself as very valuable defenseman in his own end last season, helping shut down his opponent's top offensive players on a nightly basis in Dallas. With just 13 points (one goal, 12 […]

Kings Sign Drew Doughty to Eight-Year Extension

The Los Angeles Kings finally put pen to paper to ink defenseman Drew Doughty to a eight-year, $88 million contract extension on Sunday. Doughty, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with L.A., registered 60 points (10 goals, 50 assists) in 82 games this past season and has established himself as one of league's top defensemen over […]

Mike Green Reportedly Staying with Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green has reportedly reached a two-year agreement with the team worth $10.75 million. Coming off of a 33 point season in Detroit that ended early due to a neck injury, Green is taking a pay cut to stay with the Red Wings. Regarded as one of the top available offensive […]

Capitals Sign Michal Kempny To Four-Year Deal

The Washington Capitals have retained the services of defenseman Michal Kempny on Friday, signing the 27-year-old to a four-year, $10 million deal. Kempny, acquired from Chicago back on February 19, proved to be an incredibly steady presence on Washington's blue line, pairing up and playing huge minutes with John Carlson throughout the team's successful playoff […]