Yahoo Sports Feature
RotoWire Staff Hockey League is at a critical moment. The final week of the regular season. With three days left, I face a tough battle to stay in sixth and final playoff spot. If you win, you will participate. Good luck! (But not to my opponent! Just kidding. He's a nice guy.)
My roster has recently run into problems with several players getting injured and several key producers suddenly leaving the job. The goalie bulk streaming situation also doesn't work as it consistently picks the wrong two of him. But all I need this week is a W. And breathe a sigh of relief before you start worrying about another scary matchup right away.
In case you're facing a similar roster decision, we've listed some players that could help you clinch a postseason berth.
(Name list fee as of March 22nd)
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Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars (Yahoo: 43%)
Seguin had enjoyed a productive season, but a lower-body injury sidelined him for about a month. He returned on Wednesday, reuniting with his familiar linemates Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment, where he scored the winning goal and made four shots. Seguin also resumed his role on Dallas' strong second power play, along with Duchesne and talented youngsters Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Thomas Hurley. More coverage should come as he's skating in favorable situations, nearing the points-per-game average he regularly achieved during his peak years.
Dylan Strome, Washington Capitals (Yahoo: 39%)
Life as a center in Washington is always exciting as there's always a chance to skate next to Alex Ovechkin. Strome has gotten a fair share of that responsibility the past few seasons, but Connor McMichael now has an equally strong diversion, and Hendricks Lapierre has secured some chances. Still, Strom piled up 33 points in 34 games in 2024, putting 65 pucks on net and winning 280 faceoffs. He and Ovi continue to enter the game at the top of the man advantage field, and are three PPP away from matching last year's career best of 21. That's a lot of output for someone who has access to about 60% of the Yahoo format.
Viktor Arvidsson, Los Angeles Kings (Yahoo: 36%)
Arvidsson also made his long-awaited return on Wednesday after missing 14 games and 64 of the first 69 games. He quickly entered the lead PP and skated 5:05, which is not surprising since he was a prominent player there last season. And he scored 25 points. Arvidsson has also been in the third unit at 5-on-5, but there may be room for him to move forward. Given his missed time, there's probably no need to rush to increase his playing time. And even if Arvidsson isn't used often until the playoffs, he'll still get a decent amount of fantasy stats.
Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild (Yahoo: 30%)
Once Hartman gets going, there's little that can stop him. He is on another winning streak since February 19th with 3 goals, 10 assists, 35 shots, 24 PIM, 22 blocks, and 21 hits. Hartman is also in the top six, having filled in for Joel Eriksson Ek on his first power play the last few games while maintaining his spot. He ended up receiving a double minor and a game misconduct in Wildwell's loss on Wednesday. Whether or not it leads to any disciplinary action, Mr. Hartman's primary involvement (18:05 every night throughout the aforementioned period) will mean he will continue to contribute fully.
Michael Bunting, Pittsburgh Penguins (Yahoo: 28%)
Bunting finished his brief Carolina career with 10 points in his final 23 games, a far cry from his previous 26 points in 37 games. Although he did get some ice time last summer, his move to Pittsburgh was a bit of a surprise since he signed a three-year contract with the Canes. He started shrinking towards the end. And Bunting has already settled in well at his new club, averaging two goals, two assists and 23 shots on goal in just under 18 minutes. His outlook also strengthened towards lead PP and a permanent position behind either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in all scoring situations.
Shane Pinto, Ottawa Senators (Yahoo: 22%)
There's no reason Pinto would only be featured in one of the four Yahoo Leagues other than lining up as a center on a lower-tier team in the league. Think of him as the middle of a top trio alongside Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson. Or the fact that the 23-year-old has 11 points and 39 shots in 17 minutes, 53 seconds over his past 13 appearances. As the Sens consider future evaluations, they owe it to Pinto to take on as much responsibility as possible.
Nick Bjugstad, Arizona State Coyotes (Yahoo: 12%)
Bjugstad happens to be in the best phase of his 12-year career, something that not many people realize. Fast forward a month and he has seven goals, four assists, 32 shots, 26 hits, and 95 wins on faceoffs. Vygstad has worked his way around Arizona's roster, but Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz appear to have found a spot with even strength. And all of that combined with averaging just over 17 minutes and being in both special teams groups means he deserves serious consideration for addition to the team.
Alexander Nylander, Columbus Blue Jackets (Yahoo: 12%)
Hard work and determination have paid off for Nylander, who has only had bit parts in the NHL thus far. Things never really worked out for him in Buffalo, Chicago, or Pittsburgh, but he still managed to score 210 points in parts of seven seasons in the minors. When Nylander was traded to Columbus in February, he could easily have predicted that this too would only end in disappointment. But with eight goals, three assists, and 42 shots on goal, highlighted by a hat trick against the Golden Knights, he proved to be one of the most talked about fantasy players. It definitely helps that Nylander has teamed up with Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner, but the talent in his family is clearly there and it's finally shining through.
defense personnel
Jacob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes (Yahoo: 32%)
Lots of people will flock to Dmitri Orlov for his four points Sunday and back-to-back PPAs, but his power play role is far from guaranteed. And let's not forget his recent scoreless streak in which he contributed just one assist in 17 games. Slavin gives you more ice time and consistency. He's a top short-handed blueliner while skating alongside Brent Burns on the 5-on-5 top pairing, but he doesn't have much of a man advantage. Over the past 12 days, Slavin has recorded five assists, 14 shots, and 13 blocks. He's not elite in fantasy, but he's a guy you know can stay in the middle of the lineup and help in several categories.
Sean Walker, Colorado Avalanche (Yahoo: 15%)
Walker's minutes may have decreased since coming to Colorado, but he's still as active as ever, with 15 shots, eight blocks, and seven hits in five games. During that span, he recorded an assist while shooting eight pucks on net last Tuesday and scored two goals on Sunday. Walker isn't looking to wow with his scoring, considering his current 25 points are a career high. However, there is enough charm in his game that we are confident that he will be able to perform well in fantasy. And since the Abs have the best offense in the league, Walker should have an opportunity to inflate his offensive stats.
Timothy Liljegren, Toronto Maple Leafs (Yahoo: 11%)
When Liljegren first appeared here in January, he had recently returned from injury and was well on his way to recovery. That was quickly followed by an 11-game scoreless streak, and he took advantage of Morgan Rielly's absence, recording seven assists in four games, including three on the lead ppl. The past two weeks have been great for Liljegren, as he has five points, 12 shots, 16 blocks, and 10 hits. He also capitalized on Toronto's elite advantage by reclaiming his spot at quarterback — or at least replacing Riley.
Darren Radish, Tampa Bay Lightning (Yahoo: 3%)
Radish also made headlines shortly after the new year, as he was paired with Victor Hedman and logged some time with the backup man advantage. Since then, neither situation has changed, but there was a period of about a month when their offensive performance declined. And what better way for Radish to break that slump than by recording five assists on two of those PPAs on March 9th? His overall involvement may not be high, but he's averaging over two shots, one hit, and three blocks over his last five games, so it's hard to complain about his placement and offense. do not have.
goaltender
Jake Allen, New Jersey Devils (Yahoo: 28%)
Participating in a three-head goaltending scenario is not ideal. Especially if the third option gets hot enough with little involvement. Allen was more or less an oddball in Montreal, so his move to Jersey at the deadline was a huge relief. Kaapo Kahkonen was also called up at the same time, but he was pulled after giving up three runs in the first period against Arizona, and did not hit in two games in his new field. Allen fought back by allowing a total of seven goals in four starts, including wins over the Stars, Penguins and Jets. With his contract remaining through next season, he has the incentive to prove he can be a viable No. 1, or at least a useful netminder on a team with an upstart offensive line. be.
Dustin Wolfe, Calgary Flames (Yahoo: 9%)
Jacob Markstrom's request to join the Devils fell through earlier this month, then he suffered an injury. Dan Vladar scored the first two goals without a lead and then allowed 13 goals. Wolf jumped into the final three games and immediately impressed with wins in Las Vegas and Montreal before losing to Washington. He has been the Flames' top goaltender for the past few years and has put up some great numbers in the AHL, but he only played in one game with Calgary last season. Considering Markstrom will likely leave in the summer and Vladar is scheduled to undergo hip surgery, Wolf will have ample opportunity the rest of the season to prove he can handle NHL opponents. It should be.
Players to watch from past columns: Seth Jarvis, Juraj Slavkowski, Ryan O'Reilly, Mason McTavish, William Karlsson, Jonathan Huberdeau, Dylan Couzens, Johnny Gaudreau, Wyatt Johnston, Quinton Byfield. , Boone Jenner, Gustav Nyquist, Egor Sharangovich, Troy Terry, Robert Thomas, Sean Monaghan, Anthony Duclair, Nazem Kadri, Andrei Kuzmenko, Lukas Raymond, Artturi Lehkonen, Nikolai Ehlers , Chandler Stevenson, Brayden Shen, Ivan Barbashev, Charlie Coyle, Mason Marchment, Pavel Zaka, Adam Henrique, Morgan Geekie, Jake Nabors, Jonathan Drouin, Jake DeBrusk, Anthony Mantha, Nino Niederreiter, Marco Rossi, Jack Roslovic, Nick Foligno, Scott Laughton, Nick Schmalz, Logan Stankoven, Trevor Moore, Sam Bennett, John-Jason Peterka, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Casey Mittelstadt, Tyler Bertuzzi, James van Riemsdyk, Kyle Palmieri, Bobby McMann, Blake Coleman, Egor Sharangovich, Filip Kurashev, Ross Colton, David Perron, Matthias Macelli, Mathieu. Joseph, Alex Killorn, Daniel Sprong, Jake Sanderson, Mike Matheson, Seth Jones, Brock Faber, Bowen Byram, Noah Hanifin, Philip Hronek, Thomas Hurley, Travis Sanheim, Owen Power. , Tori Krug, Matthias Ekholm, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Cam Fowler, Neal Pionk, Pavel Minchukov, Ivan Provorov, Darren Radish, Justin Falk, Cam York, Pyotr Kochetkov, Marc-Andre Fleury, Anthony Stratz, Joey Daccord, Ilya Samsonov, Ukko-Pekka Lukonen, Jonathan Quick, Philipp Grubauer, Laurent Brossoit, Casey Dessmith, Elvis Merzlikins, Justus Anunen, Caden Primeau
