NHL Fantasy on Ice

Pete and Rob are joined by guest Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) of NHL Network and SportLogiq to discuss skater point and goalie/team win projections for the new season. The guys debate the ceilings of Connor McDavid, Mikko Rantanen, Jack Hughes and more. Other topics covered include the sustainability of Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz for the Stars, Dougie Hamilton's impact on the Devils, the Bruins vs. Maple Leafs goalie tandems, the Kings vs. Ducks as the potential surprise team in the Pacific Division, Jake Guentzel vs. Alex DeBrincat in fantasy, Michael Bunting as a breakout candidate for Toronto, Calvin Petersen as a potential sleeper for the improving Kings and why Sam Bennett is one of the best category coverage assets in the game.

Pete and Rob are joined by Dom Luszczyszyn (@domluszczyszyn), national NHL reporter for The Athletic, to discuss the fantasy player rankings landscape for the new season. The guys discuss two high-powered offenses in the Canucks and Blackhawks who improved this offseason but still have concerns defensively and what this means for players like Marc-Andre Fleury and Elias Pettersson. The guys also touch on the fantasy concerns surrounding Sidney Crosby and Vladimir Tarasenko, strategies for different league formats and the biggest storylines from the top 250 rankings on NHL.com/Fantasy. Other players covered include the order of rank in the top 5 overall, Connor Hellebuyck, Darcy Kuemper, Robin Lehner, Max Pacioretty, Aleksander Barkov vs. Sebastian Aho, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Philipp Grubauer, Jordan Eberle, Vince Dunn, Seth Jones, Ondrej Palat, Sam Bennett, Ryan O’Reilly, Drake Batherson, Max Comtois and more.

Pete and Rob are joined by guest Chris Meaney (@chrismeaney) from FTN Network to preview this year’s rookie class and other young players to prioritize in keeper and dynasty leagues. Players discussed include Cale Makar, Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, Alex Nedejkovic, rookies Spencer Knight, Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras, Jeremy Swayman, Kaapo Kahkonen, Jamie Drysdale, Vasily Podkolzin, Bowen Byram, Quinton Byfield, Marco Rossi, Moritz Seider and more. The crew also debates potential surprise rebuilding teams (Red Wings, Senators, Kings, Ducks) and the recent moves involving young forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi (now with Hurricanes after successful offer sheet) and Christian Dvorak (acquired by Montreal Canadiens).

Pete and Rob are joined by Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) to discuss players on the essential NHL.com/Fantasy draft prep lists for the upcoming season. Fantasy debates include Kirby Dach, Ilya Samsonov, Jakub Vrana, Thatcher Demko, Jack Hughes, Vince Dunn, Kaapo Kakko, Oliver Wahlstrom and Eeli Tolvanen as breakout players, Mackenzie Weegar, Tony DeAngelo, Linus Ullmark, Conor Garland and Calvin Petersen as sleeper picks, Owen Tippett, Yegor Sharangovich, Adam Boqvist and Evgenii Dadonov as deep sleepers and Darcy Kuemper, Patrik Laine, Viktor Arvidsson, Carter Hart, Tyler Seguin and Jacob Markstrom as bounce-back candidates. The guys also expand on the impact of offseason moves, including the renewed fantasy appeal of the Blackhawks and state of play for the new-look Flyers, as well as various fantasy draft strategies for goalies. 

Pete, Rob and guest David Satriano (@davidsatriano) have full reaction to the first mock draft of the offseason (follow along with the results on NHL.com/Fantasy). The guys debate the consensus top four picks (Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov), goalie tandems that were stacked (COL, NYI, CHI, etc.), players that were reached for (Brady Tkachuk, Robin Lehner, Spencer Knight) and more. Other topics discussed include the Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov situations, Dylan Larkin’s bounce-back potential, the Stars’ strong fantasy depth, sleeper picks, rookies to consider, line stacks and overlooked teams who could surprise in fantasy.

Pete and Rob have full reaction to the biggest free agent signings and trades of the offseason. They run through the fantasy spins and new/old teammates affected by the following moves: Marc-Andre Fleury to the Blackhawks, Philipp Grubauer to the Kraken, Darcy Kuemper to the Avalanche, Dougie Hamilton to the Devils, Sam Reinhart to the Panthers, the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes swapping goalies Petr Mrazek and Frederik Andersen, Zach Hyman to the Oilers, Linus Ullmark to the Bruins and more. The guys also discuss their most improved teams, rankings on NHL.com/Fantasy, the futures betting market and sneaky moves. 

Pete and Rob are back for the fantasy spins on the biggest trades from NHL Draft week, including Sam Reinhart to the Panthers, Seth Jones to the Blackhawks, Pavel Buchnevich to the Blues, Cam Atkinson and Ryan Ellis to the Flyers, Alex Nedeljkovic to the Red Wings, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to the Canucks, teammates affected and top prospects to watch. The guys also react to the Seattle Kraken selections in the NHL Expansion Draft and the highest-upside fantasy players from the roster, including Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle.

Pete, Rob and guest David Satriano wrap up the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs by identifying players who gained the most fantasy value from this postseason (e.g. Nikita Kucherov, Charlie McAvoy, Sam Bennett, Spencer Knight, Cole Caufield) and updating the top 250 rankings landscape for next season. The guys also react to the early Stanley Cup betting odds for 2021-22 with some intriguing teams, including the Panthers, Maple Leafs, Wild and Kings, the impact of potential offseason trades that could involve valuable forwards Jack Eichel and Vladimir Tarasenko and other big storylines entering the NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken and free agency.

Rob Reese is joined by Pete Truszkowski from The Action Network to talk about the Lightning leading the Stanley Cup Final 2-0. They look at the adjust series price, Conn Smythe race and discuss wagering opportunities for the rest of the series. They also talk about Viktor Arvidsson getting traded to the LA Kings and the fantasy impact of the deal. 

Pete Jensen is joined by guests Chris Meaney of FTN Network and Matt Russell of The Action Network in a two-part preview of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and underdog Montreal Canadiens. In each segment, the guys discuss the road to the Final for both teams, series matchups, why Cole Caufield could be the X-factor and whether people who have been on Montreal all along should consider hedging. Pete, Chris and Matt give their picks for the championship series, break down all the biggest storylines and discuss the landscape for the Conn Smythe Trophy after three rounds.