3 years agoCalgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 22-of-24 shots on goal in Monday's 5-2 victory against the Blackhawks. The 32-year-old allowed a pair of even-strength goals in each of the first two periods, but he locked in and remained perfect for the rest of the contest before the Flames added two empty-net goals late in the third period. Markstrom is one of the candidates for the Vezina Trophy after an incredible season, and managers across all formats should be prepared to draft him in the early rounds of drafts for the upcoming fantasy hockey season in the fall.--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

3 years agoNew York Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (lower body) is listed as week-to-week after suffering yet another injury over the weekend against Detroit. He had only recently returned to action from a lengthy layoff and managed to skate in just four games before getting hurt again. Kakko took an awkward fall in the opening period and appeared to have hurt his right leg. The team expects to get him back for the playoffs, and he could even be available for the final few regular season games. Injuries have limited Kakko to just 41 games this season. He's scored seven goals and boasts 16 points.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Arthur Staple

3 years agoMinnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno is set to miss some action after he entered COVID-19 protocols on Monday. The Wild return to the ice on Tuesday against Montreal and the team then has three more games coming up this week. Foligno has been a very nice fantasy piece this season with his all-around ability. The 30-year-old has recorded 22 goals and 39 points with 234 hits and a plus-23 rating. Minnesota has called up Mitchell Chaffee as a potential replacement for Foligno on Tuesday. He's set for his NHL debut after impressing with 37 points in 45 AHL outings this season. --Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Michael Russo

3 years agoDetroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin underwent core muscle surgery on Monday and will miss the team's final six games of the season. His recovery time is expected to be 8-10 weeks. Larkin had a nice bounce-back year in 2021-22 with 31 goals and 69 points across 71 outings. Pius Suter might finish the season as Detroit's top-line center now. He's gone for 14 goals and 33 points in 76 appearances. Playing with Lucas Raymond and Tyler Bertuzzi, who have combined for 111 points this season, should give Suter a good chance to improve his productivity. --Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com

3 years agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews and forward Andrew Cogliano will both miss Monday's contest against Washington with undisclosed injuries. Head coach Jared Bednar hinted on Sunday that Toews is set to miss some time with a nagging injury and he'll indeed sit out Monday's game. Additionally, Toews won't join the team when Colorado heads on a three-game road trip later in the week. Jack Johnson is set to replace Toews on the first defensive pairing Monday, while Kurtis MacDermid will get drafted into the lineup. Darren Helm will fill in for Cogliano on the fourth line. --Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Chambers

3 years agoVancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (upper body) will be back from a five-game absence Monday against Dallas. The team managed to win every game without Boeser, but he makes a welcome return as the Canucks try to push hard for a playoff spot. Boeser has been quiet this season with 19 goals and 38 points across 64 outings and should aim to at least have a strong finish to the campaign. He enters Monday's matchup with a four-game point drought. --Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brendan Bachelor

3 years agoCarolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (upper body) is considered day-to-day after getting hurt over the weekend against Colorado. He took a massive hit from Cale Makar in the third period and wasn't able to complete the game. Staal was, however, on the ice Monday morning, and it appears that he isn't badly hurt, although it looks like he won't play in Monday's game against Arizona. The veteran forward scored twice against the Avalanche on Saturday and has been very sharp in front of the net lately with six goals in four games. He's managed 16 markers overall for the campaign in 74 games, adding 18 assists to his tally with 206 hits.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Crammer

3 years agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (lower body) is set to miss at least a week of action. He was hurt in Saturday's 7-4 loss to Colorado and won't be able to help his team in the next four games, with Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour saying that Andersen will be re-evaluated in a week. The Danish netminder has enjoyed a spectacular debut campaign with the Hurricanes, posting a 35-14-3 record. He's recorded four shutouts and owns a 2.17 goals-against average with a .922 save percentage. Antti Raanta will cover for Andersen until he's able to return to the crease. The Finnish veteran has been very solid with a 12-5-4 record and should do a good job for the team and fantasy managers alike.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Crammer

3 years agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews looks set to miss some time as he is dealing with "some nagging things", according to head coach Jared Bednar. The 28-year-old has had a huge year with 57 points and a plus-52 rating in 64 games. Toews has averaged over 25 minutes per game for the season, so there will be a huge gap to fill if he indeed sits out some action. His absence should lift Bowen Byram into a bigger role. Colorado has a four-game week coming up, starting with Monday's matchup against the Capitals.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Peter Baugh

3 years agoColorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (upper body) will likely return to the lineup in the upcoming week. The team will start the action on Monday against Washington and will have four games in total. Kadri has missed the past seven games, but he has been back at practice for a while. The 31-year-old has had a career year with 83 points in 65 games. He was red-hot before getting hurt, going for seven points in four games. Kadri's return will bump J.T. Compher down from the second line, which lowers his fantasy appeal considerably.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Peter Baugh

3 years agoPhiladelphia Flyers goaltender Felix Sandstrom will head out for his third start of the season Sunday against Buffalo. It's going to be his second appearance this week after Carter Hart (lower body) got sidelined. Sandstrom didn't get any goal support in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Rangers and his only other appearance in 2021-22 came on Dec. 30 in a 3-2 loss to San Jose. The 25-year-old Swede has logged a 15-18-4 record in the AHL for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, giving up 2.93 goals per game with a .901 save percentage, while posting one shutout. The Flyers have dropped nine of their last 11 games, so it's pretty hard to trust Sandstrom in fantasy hockey.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jordan Hall

3 years agoPhiladelphia Flyers right wing Cam Atkinson (upper body) will sit out another game Sunday against Buffalo. There were hopes of him rejoining the lineup after missing two games but the team will still be without its top scorer for the time being. Atkinson has recorded 23 goals and 50 points in 73 games this season. Owen Tippett covered for Atkinson on the top line Saturday against the Sabres and even scored a goal. He'll likely remain in the role for Sunday's rematch and that gives him some appeal in DFS competitions.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Adam Kimelman

3 years agoSan Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau will make his NHL debut on Sunday against Minnesota. He has just signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the club and will try to impress after a productive spell with the University of Michigan. Bordeleau, whose father Sebastien used to play for the Wild, posted 37 points in as many games for Michigan this season and he also skated in a pair of AHL games before getting the call to the big league, logging three assists in two games. The 2020 second-round pick is among San Jose's biggest prospects and should see plenty of action in the final few games of the season as the team will want to have a very close look at him.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Curtis Pashelka

3 years agoNew York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov will sit out Sunday's contest against Toronto with an illness. The veteran netminder has caught a stomach bug and is currently being kept away from the team. Varlamov has put together a 9-15-2 record this season, with six of his wins coming since the start of last month. Ilya Sorokin, who is 25-15-7 for the year, will get his 48th start on Sunday. He's just posted his seventh shutout of the season against Montreal and has some really strong numbers with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. However, Toronto has lit up a lot of goalies lately, and picking Sorokin for Sunday's action might not be a smart choice for fantasy managers.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Gross

3 years agoColumbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly has cleared COVID-19 protocols and is set to rejoin the lineup Saturday against Los Angeles. He was forced to sit out two games after landing in the protocols last week. Kuraly has put in solid work all around for the team this season, recording 28 points with 216 hits in 72 appearances. He was showing some good offensive form right before dropping out of the lineup, averaging a point per game in four outings. The 29-year-old was the fourth-line center at Friday's practice, but the Blue Jackets lines always tend to be very fluid and Kuraly should have a decent role to play against the Kings.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brian Hedger