Wow, that was a blast! The NHL action has been non-stop, and we’re two weeks into the 2023-24 season. We’ve had a chance to see who’s making an impact in fantasy hockey. After a light day on Wednesday, we’re back to a full schedule on Thursday and Friday. Let’s take a look at some teams and players to watch.
The Carolina Hurricanes have a great schedule coming up. They’re facing the Seattle Kraken and the San Jose Sharks, two teams that haven’t been performing well. This is a golden opportunity for the Hurricanes to rack up some points. Their goalies, Frederik Andersen, Antti Raanta, and Pyotr Kochetkov, should have a good chance at getting wins. The Minnesota Wild also have a favorable schedule against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals.
Speaking of undefeated teams, the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights are looking strong. They have tough matchups this week, but they could very well remain undefeated. The Bruins are hosting the Anaheim Ducks, the Avalanche are visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Golden Knights are welcoming the Chicago Blackhawks.
Now let’s talk about some players who are on the rise. Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators is making a name for himself. He’s been getting more ice time in each game and has already scored three goals and four assists. Keep an eye on him, he’s going to be a star. Ilya Mikheyev of the Vancouver Canucks is back from injury and playing on the top line with Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko. He’s already scored a goal and is looking good. Kyle Palmieri of the New York Islanders is off to a hot start. He’s been contributing on the scoresheet in almost every game and is playing on the top power play unit. Alex Iafallo of the Winnipeg Jets is also worth mentioning. He’s been playing on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele and has two goals and an assist. Lastly, Pavel Buchnevich of the St. Louis Blues is back from injury and making an impact. He scored a goal and an assist in his first game back and is playing on a scoring line and the top power play unit.
On the goalie front, Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been impressive. He’s been solid in net and has earned the trust of his coach. Darcy Kuemper of the Washington Capitals, on the other hand, has been struggling. The Capitals’ offense has been weak, and Kuemper hasn’t been able to make up for it. Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins has also been having a tough time. His stats haven’t been great, and his team hasn’t been helping him out. Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames is in a similar situation. The Flames’ offense has been lacking, and it’s affecting Markstrom’s fantasy value.
That’s it for now. Keep an eye on these players and teams as the season progresses. There’s a lot of exciting hockey ahead!