Heading into the final weekend of action before the league takes a break for the 4-Nations Face-Off, there's plenty of fantasy-relevant fodder to mull over. Astute managers won't want to forget any of the following notes, even when our attention turns to watching some of the best players on the planet compete in Montreal and Boston.
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Stolarz back in winning form: Playing his first game since undergoing bit-removing knee surgery, Anthony Stolarz stopped all but one of 28 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Kraken, earning the game's first-star honors and 7.2 fantasy points in standard ESPN Fantasy leagues. Need goaltending help? Grab the Leafs' No. 1A right this very minute. He should compete more than Joseph Woll through the final few weeks.
Guenther returns for Utah: A little quietly, Dylan Guenther made his healthy return to the ice this week after missing a dozen games with an injury. After scoring two goals and an assist against the Philadelphia Flyers this past Tuesday, the young forward potted the winner in OT versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. He averaged 22 minutes and rifled 13 total shots on net through both contests. Barrett Hayton's linemate should be rostered in just about every form of fantasy competition going. He's available in about a quarter of ESPN Fantasy leagues at present.
Harley anchoring Stars' No. 1 power play: With Miro Heiskanen out for months after undergoing knee surgery, the top special teams' gig falls to young Thomas Harley. Unless GM Jim Nill trades for another defender who better fits that role, and goodness knows the cap space is now there to make more than just one move, Dallas' first-rounder from 2019 should enjoy an extra-productive finish to the 2024-25 campaign. He won't be available in almost 35 percent of ESPN Fantasy leagues for long.
Freddy back for Carolina: Splitting starts evenly with Pyotr Kochetkov, Frederik Andersen's showings have ranged from great to just so-so in his first few appearances since returning from a long-term knee injury. Battling to maintain a hold on second spot in the Metropolitan Division, the Hurricanes will side more often with the netminder who gives them the greater chance on a nightly basis. Once truly back in the swing, that could be Andersen, who's available in more than a third of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
Comrie set to play more: Already up to 42 starts, Connor Hellebuyck is again ready to rock against the Islanders Friday evening. Then there's at least a pair of expected appearances in representing the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-off. In face of all that busyness, you can bet your bottom buck the Jets are already thinking about managing the Vezina favorite's workload with an aspirational eye to prolonged playoff success.
Enter Eric Comrie, who performed perfectly in a recent shutout victory over the Hurricanes, and pretty well against the Flames his previous game. Solid altogether this season, Comrie's record would appear much more impressive had his teammates managed to provide a reasonable amount of scoring support between mid-November and mid-January. Look to see more of Winnipeg's backup in the campaign's waning weeks while the club tries to avoid exhausting it's goaltending star.
Marchenko out indefinitely: After taking a puck to the face on the bench, Kirill Marchenko is out for an undetermined period of time with a broken jaw. A lousy blow altogether for a club that's managed to remain competitive in the Eastern playoff race. Hopefully the Blue Jackets' leading scorer is in position to return by mid-March. Meanwhile, Cole Sillinger is subbing in on a top scoring line with Adam Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov. Although Kent Johnson leapfrogs Sillinger as Columbus's go-to waiver grab in the here-and-now, the 22-year-old is sizzling with five goals and six assists in 11 games.
In better news, Boone Jenner appears ready to return shortly after the break. Yet to play this season after suffering a nasty shoulder injury in autumn practice, the veteran center should slide into the top-six when ready to go. Sean Monahan isn't expected back until mid-March.
Nichushkin anticipated back post-4 Nations: When healthy, Valeri Nichushkin is a game-changer for the Avalanche and a fantasy hockey star. Yes, he's worth the injury gamble, the fantasy payoff is just too great. Only rostered in 38% of ESPN Fantasy leagues, the power forward serves as a valuable addition to any roster in any league. Snatch him up ASAP. The top-six winger will also provide a productive boost to whoever slides in next to him at center, whether that's Casey Mittelstadt or someone else.
Red Wings are winning: Heading into Saturday's final pre-break tilt with the Lightning, Detroit is riding a seven-game win streak, helpful enough to bring them to just a single point behind the Senators for third spot in the Atlantic. Which means, among other things, the club's two goalies are putting up some largely impressive fantasy figures. Keep a view of how the Wings manage, or not, once action resumes in late February. If the good times continue to roll in the Motor City, consider hitching your fantasy cart to either Cam Talbot (assuming he remains in Detroit) or Alex Lyon. Whoever emerges as Todd McLellan's go-to down the stretch.
Kings becoming homebodies: With two tilts scheduled before the break, the Kings have played only 20 games at home in contrast with 31 on the road. That's quite a gap. One that, after hammering out a little arithmetic, tells us they're due to play 21 of their final 31 at Crypto.com Arena. All the more compelling since L.A. is monstrously more successful at home (16-3-1) than away (12-14-5). Also no more arduous travel out East as those interconference visits are also done. Unless they completely flip the home/away script, the Kings could win a lot more than lose down the stretch. Now go add goalie Darcy Kuemper if possible.
Kaprizov expected back early March At which point managers should check in on the availability of Mats Zuccarello, who's enduring a cold spell while his favorite linemate remains shelved. Despite missing 18 games, Kirill Kaprizov still leads his team in scoring with 23 goals and 29 assists. Zuccarello benefits from such kept company on-ice.
Laine ice-cold: Logging 11 minutes on the third line his last game, Patrik Laine hasn't dented the scoresheet in six-straight. Move on from the streaky performer until he shows signs of turning matters around. The reduced ice-time is an especially glaring concern.
Devils missing Markstrom/Hischier: Fortunately, while Jacob Markstrom might require another week or so of recovery post-break, Nico Hischier could be back in action immediately. Coach Sheldon Keefe implied as much Thursday. Even if you don't have an IR spot available, the Devil's captain remains a roster-keeper through this idle rough patch.
Check out Canada, Finland, Sweden and the USA face off in the 4 Nations tournament beginning February 13th.
Tony DeAngelo: the real deal: The KHL export has four points in six games while averaging more than 25 minutes/contest. The Isles are 5-1 with him aboard. Averaging 2.3 fantasy points/game, the defenseman should be rostered across the ESPN Fantasy board. Even once Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov return from injury. Bonus note: The Islanders recently placed Mathew Barzal on IR, not LTIR. Which means, at least right now, the forward could return to action shortly after the February break.
Zibanejad heating up Since J.T. Miller made his way over from Vancouver, and onto the Rangers' top scoring unit and power play, Mika Zibanejad boasts a goal and five assists through three contests. If somehow available in your league -- as he is in about 12% of ESPN Fantasy leagues -- secure Zibanejad without delay. The final few weeks of 2024-25 should be rather fruitful for the club's top trio, also including Artemi Panarin.
Ullmark in/Norris out: The Senators' top goalie is back between the pipes; pick up Linus Ullmark if available. On the fantasy flip side, labelled week-to-week, Josh Norris can be dropped in any and all leagues that don't provide an excess of IR slots. Consider giving center Ridley Greig a fantasy whirl instead.