NHL Fantasy on Ice

Pete is joined by NHL.com staff writer David Satriano to break down all four matchups in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and give their early leanings. The guys discuss the impact of the Philipp Grubauer and Erik Johnson injuries on the Avalanche, why the Lightning’s power play continues to struggle and preview the Flyers-Islanders series before Game 1 on Monday. They also react to impressive starts by the Stars and Golden Knights and give their player rankings for the new snake draft DFS contests on FanDuel.

Pete is joined by Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga to bounce around the League and highlight the teams who have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The guys debate whether the Capitals can mount a comeback against the Islanders, react to the Canucks’ rapid rise this postseason and discuss why the Canadiens are a legitimate threat to the Flyers. The guys also touch on the Stars-Flames series, the Blues‘ goalie situation and provide DFS picks and best bets for the upcoming games.

Pete and Rob discuss all the playoff series, including what has gone right & wrong for the five teams in position to advance as of Tuesday. They react to Jake Allen starting over Jordan Binnington and winning back-to-back games for the Blues against the Canucks and how the Bruins took command against the Hurricanes with a big third-period rally. The guys also give their best bets and DFS locks for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pete is joined by NHL.com fantasy correspondent James Harding to catch up about each Stanley Cup Playoff series. The guys react to Jaroslav Halak's win after Tuukka Rask opted out of the playoffs and how the Andrei Svechnikov injury could change the course of the Bruins-Hurricanes series. They also discuss the Islanders' success against the Capitals and whether the Blues can mount a comeback. Other topics include the Golden Knights' ongoing goalie debate, power-play struggles around the League, whether Darcy Kuemper and Joonas Korpisalo can sustain their strong play, best bets for Monday games and even a golf pick from James.

Pete and Rob react to the opening games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs first round, including the five-overtime classic between the Lightning and Blue Jackets. They discuss what's wrong with the Dallas Stars, the New York Islanders comeback against the Washington Capitals, the bounce-back performance by the Boston Bruins and how the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche look to be on a collision course in the Western Conference. The guys also give their best bets and DFS lineup locks for the games ahead and discuss the fantasy impact of the New York Rangers winning the NHL Draft Lottery on likely pick Alexis Lafrenière.

Pete and Rob give their first impressions and picks for the first round matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The guys debate the winners of rematches like the Lightning-Blue Jackets and Bruins-Hurricanes series and whether teams like the Islanders and Canucks stand a chance against the past two championship teams in the Capitals and Blues. The guys also break down the key injury storylines and how all the matchups impact fantasy playoff pools.

Pete and Rob are joined by Action Network analyst Michael Leboff to discuss his hot start to wagering on the NHL postseason and which ways he is leaning ahead of the upcoming elimination games in the six remaining series. Mike weighs in on which underdog he thinks will close it out, his patience with the Minnesota Wild and how the Columbus Blue Jackets flipped the script in their series. The guys also discuss updated series prices, the goalie situations and long-term outlooks for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators, whether to trust the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs to bounce back and the final round-robin games to determine the top seed in each conference.

Pete and guest Chris Wassel break down the surprising Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens, who are on the verge of upsetting the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The guys also debate whether Sebastian Aho or Mika Zibanejad is the more valuable asset in keeper leagues and how high the Carolina Hurricanes ceiling could be after sweeping the Rangers. The guys also discuss the impact of Jake Muzzin’s injury on the Maple Leafs and all the fantasy and wagering trends from the other qualifying series.

Rob and Pete react to the qualifier games and round robin matchups. They are particularly interested in the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets series and debate why the Oilers have looked shaky in their first two games. They provide their top DFS targets and throw out some of their best bets for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Rob and Nick react to the first qualifier games and discuss whether the Winnipeg Jets could still win the series with injuries to Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine. They debate whether Chicago and Montreal could defy the odds and win their Qualifiers matchups. Best bets and DFS locks are given for Monday’s slate and general themes are previewed for the week.

Pete and Rob react to the first two days of exhibition games and discuss whether their opinions of teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers have changed. The guys give their Stanley Cup Final picks and DFS lineups for Saturday’s five-game slate to begin the Qualifiers. They also debate the sneaky appeal of players like Nicholas Robertson, Dylan Strome, Conor Sheary and provide wagering coverage for the first games of the postseason.

Pete and Rob are joined by David Satriano to discuss their second fantasy hockey mock draft for pools counting the entire 24-team tournament. The guys discuss the value of Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers players, why Nathan MacKinnon went No. 1 over the Edmonton Oilers stars and various strategies for drafting defensemen, goalies and stacking teammates. The guys also discuss the status update on Corey Crawford, fallout from general manager John Chayka leaving the Arizona Coyotes and what the injury to Ilya Samsonov means for Braden Holtby’s fantasy value.

Pete and Rob are joined by wagering analyst Michael Leboff of Action Network to discuss his best bets for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The guys explore some intriguing longshots to win the Stanley Cup, which teams they trust to go deep and the potential impact of the uncertainty surrounding players like Dougie Hamilton, Sidney Crosby and Carter Hart. Leboff also gives his pick for the toss-up series between the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers.

Pete and Rob are joined by guest Harry Gagnon from Against All Odds and Odds Shark to give his wagering picks for the Western Conference. He talked about the sneaky appeal of the Arizona Coyotes, whether the Edmonton Oilers can win multiple rounds and if he thinks the Colorado Avalanche can win the Stanley Cup. The guys also discuss Harry’s Eastern Conference sleeper teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers, as well as all the news from the weekend out of training camps.

Pete, Rob and Sportsnet's Nick Alberga dish out advice for fantasy playoff pools after all the updates from training camps this week and some tweaks to NHL.com's rankings. They give their picks based on odds for the Round Robin in the Eastern and Western Conferences and discuss the concerns surrounding David Pastrnak, Tuukka Rask and the Boston Bruins. The guys also debate the Edmonton Oilers' betting appeal, Dave Tippett's playoff pedigree and whether Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov or New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin will return more fantasy value next season.

Pete and Rob are back to break down all the early storylines from training camp, including line combinations, key injury returns and players not practicing (Steven Stamkos, Corey Crawford, Max Domi, Patric Hornqvist). The guys finally get the chance to react to the Minnesota Wild signing high-end forward Kirill Kaprizov and the Islanders agreeing to terms with goalie-of-the-future Ilya Sorokin. They also discuss Edmonton and Toronto being named hub cities and compare the sneaky wagering appeal of the Oilers and Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup.

Pete, Rob and guest David Satriano discuss their first mock draft for the NHL’s 24-team postseason tournament. They debate which players to take at the top, identify the teams they trust most, give their sleeper picks and react to players who went higher or lower than their NHL.com rank.

Pete and Rob discuss their first and second line rankings for 2020 Stanley Cup fantasy pools. The guys break down the teams that roll three strong lines like the Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals and how some teams that have potent first lines but depth concerns, like the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, could run into problems. The guys also discuss how some goalie tandems and trios could pay dividends given ongoing player health concerns and identify their best bets for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

Pete and Rob are joined by Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga to identify the X-factors for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. They go back-and-forth about players like Jake Guentzel, Dougie Hamilton, Kevin Fiala, Chris Kreider, Semyon Varlamov, Mike Hoffman, David Rittich and more. The guys also discuss the Penguins chances at a deep run, the Coyotes’ offensive ceiling, the Predators’ center situation and the Calgary Flames’ sneaky potential against the Winnipeg Jets.

Pete and Rob are back for another episode previewing sleeper candidates for Stanley Cup fantasy pools. The guys break down underrated options like Robin Lehner, Kailer Yamamoto, Jason Zucker, Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jakob Chychrun and debate whether Roope Hintz and Jonathan Drouin can elevate their game on the big stage. They also discuss Sami Vatanen’s value if he returns from injury and finally debuts for the Carolina Hurricanes, the Edmonton Oilers goalie tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen and whether Alexandar Georgiev or even Henrik Lundqvist can steal starts from rookie standout Igor Shesterkin in the postseason.

Pete and Rob discuss bounce-back candidates for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and entire 24-team postseason tournament. They explain their positional rankings for fantasy pools and the appeal of players like Sergei Bobrovsky, Philipp Grubauer, Alex DeBrincat and Brock Boeser. They also pinpoint players from teams that could collectively rebound from regular-season offensive struggles like the Dallas Stars (John Klingberg, Joe Pavelski) and Nashville Predators (Matt Duchene, Pekka Rinne). The guys identify some of the best active playoff goal scorers and point producers and gauge where to target players expected to return from serious injuries that have elite potential, such as Jake Guentzel, Vladimir Tarasenko and Dougie Hamilton.

Pete and Rob are joined by Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga to preview fantasy pool rankings for the 2020 Stanley Cup. The guys debate candidates to be taken No. 1 overall and the sneaky upside of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators, two teams that have made coaching changes this season. They also discuss how home/road splits could translate to neutral-site games and whether the Montreal Canadiens can pull off the upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pete, Rob and guest David Satriano dive deeper into fantasy pool rankings for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. They identify the top-ranked individual goalies, team tandems and discuss the value of the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild trios. The guys also start building their top 10 overall player rankings and defenseman lists for formats that weigh deep playoff runs and name their favorite under-the-radar players to target deep in drafts. They also debate various players (Patrick Kane vs. Mark Stone; Jacob Markstrom vs. Philipp Grubauer) and identify which coaches are most worthy of trust in big games.

Pete and Rob are joined by NHL.com fantasy correspondent James Harding to discuss their early player rankings for playoff pools. The guys identify strategies for different formats and potential difference-makers in the Eastern and Western Conference. They debate the Edmonton Oilers' chances of winning multiple rounds, Vladimir Tarasenko vs. Mikko Rantanen in a playoff pool and whether breakout players like Bryan Rust, Tony DeAngelo and Neal Pionk can carry it over to the postseason. James also gives his take on the New York Islanders' postseason outlook.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese are joined by Chris Wassel, host of Fantasy Hockey X, to discuss Stanley Cup odds and preview the eight teams in the Seeding Round Robin of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The guys discuss which team in each conference has the most to gain from the round-robin, whether the St. Louis Blues will repeat as champions, the impact of Steven Stamkos' likely return on the Tampa Bay Lightning and why the Dallas Stars are undervalued from a betting standpoint. The guys also break down the Philadelphia Flyers' ceiling this postseason and goalie situations for the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.

Pete and Rob are joined by David Satriano to digest the Qualifying Round odds and give heir early picks, value plays and best bets. The guys discuss why the Rangers, Jets and Oilers are likely to advance, dive deep into toss-up series like Islanders-Panthers and Predators-Coyotes and dish out some appealing wagering odds. They also debate value picks to win the Stanley Cup based on odds released after the Return to Play Plan announcement and their best series bets.

Pete and Rob are joined by Sportsnet's Nick Alberga for an early 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs preview and reaction to the NHL's Return to Play Plan announcement. The guys banter about the 24-team tournament, including each Qualifying Round matchup, their early leanings in each series and key storylines. The guys discuss potential upsets in the Qualifying Round, players who could return from injuries, goalie tandems, the Seeding Round Robin and general betting strategies for this modified postseason format.

Pete and Rob are joined by David Satriano to discuss the storylines that would surround a potential 24-team Stanley Cup Playoff format and which teams could be dark horses that may have not been in the postseason under normal circumstances. They banter about teams that have gone through adversity and injuries like the Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets, young teams that could spring an upset like the New York Rangers and hungry teams with something to prove like the Tampa Bay Lightning. The guys also debate whether the Chicago Blackhawks could stand a chance if they sneak into the playoffs.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese are joined by Sportsnet's Nick Alberga to discuss recent signings around the League, including Mikko Lehtonen to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Grigory Denisenko to the Florida Panthers and Alexander Romanov to the Montreal Canadiens. The guys discuss where to consider drafting likely top pick Alexis Lafraniere in fantasy and his possible landing spots, potential restart storylines surrounding the NHL Draft and Stanley Cup Playoffs and updated championship odds. Other topics include the Matt Murray vs. Tristan Jarry trade debate, injury updates surrounding the sneaky Columbus Blue Jackets and which Canadian team is most likely to end the country's Cup drought.

Pete Jensen is back with Rob Reese to catch up on some long-term fantasy developments, including notable NHL signings from overseas like goalie prospects Alexei Melnichuk (San Jose Sharks), Justus Annunen (Colorado Avalanche) and defenseman Mikko Lehtonen (Toronto Maple Leafs). The guys discuss the high upside of goalie Ilya Sorokin if he signs with the New York Islanders, injury updates on Steven Stamkos, Chris Kreider and the top five call-ups of the NHL season.

NHL.com’s Rob Reese and David Satriano are joined by Waiver Wire James Harding to discuss Keeper and Dynasty Leagues. They break down their top targets and drafting strategy. They discuss the value of Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Samsonov, Carter Hart, Ilya Sorokin, Kirill Kaprizov and others.

NHL.com’s Rob Reese and David Satriano chat about their top keeper league targets, Dustin Byfuglien’s status and Sorokin’s potential jump to the NHL.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese are joined by guests David Satriano of NHL.com and Nick Alberga of Sportsnet to rap about fantasy hockey during the pause and identify what the postseason matchups would look like if they were based strictly on team points percentage. The guys also discuss the injury update on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones, this year's rookie class (for better or worse), varying expectations for the New York Rangers moving forward, picks for NHL.com’s “Greatest Moments of NHL Season ... So Far” bracket and more.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese check in during the NHL's pause to reflect on the season to date and some of the best fantasy hockey storylines. They debate recent fantasy poll questions like best waiver-wire pickup, goalie tandem, category coverage asset and most valuable player to his team. The guys also react to injury updates on elite forward Jake Guentzel and defenseman Dougie Hamilton, their top 250 rankings on NHL.com/Fantasy and discuss all the teams that could be at full strength after the pause.

Pete and Rob discuss the injury to elite center Nathan MacKinnon and what it could mean for the Colorado Avalanche and his fantasy owners. The guys also discuss the value of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly and Carolina Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek upon their expected returns and the Brock Boeser vs. Tyler Toffoli debate for the Vancouver Canucks after some good news on the Boeser injury front. Pete, Rob and Bob Bender then dive into the Tuesday slate and give their DFS plays and best bets, including an intriguing hockey/college basketball parlay.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese are joined by waiver wire James Harding to discuss goalie decisions for the fantasy playoffs involving Juuse Saros, Igor Shesterkin, Tristan Jarry, Alex Stalock, Calvin Petersen and more. The guys debate whether to trust Petr Mrazek ahead of his upcoming return for the Carolina Hurricanes this week and identify replacement options on defense for injured Victor Hedman and Cale Makar. Pete and Rob then break down the Monday slate and identify which team had the biggest letdown over the weekend.

Pete and Rob are joined by David Satriano for reaction to Mika Zibanejad's five-goal game and some context on the New York Rangers' offensive explosion this season. The guys explore fantasy options from surprising contenders in the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks, including Alex Stalock, Zach Parise, Dylan Strome, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford. The guys also discuss the Philadelphia Flyers' winning streak, respond to a listener who said that they don't believe in the Colorado Avalanche and preview the Friday and Saturday slates.

Pete and Rob preview the fantasy hockey playoffs, which begin this week in some leagues, with waiver wire pickups, schedule notes, line trends and more. They discuss injury replacements for valuable forwards Steven Stamkos, Mark Stone and Chris Kreider, answer fan questions about players from around the League and revisit the Stanley Cup Playoff picture after a wild weekend.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese discuss the New York Rangers dominance this calendar year, including how they are riding the hot hand with Alexandar Georgiev in the absence of injured rookie Igor Shesterkin and not playing veteran Henrik Lundqvist. The guys also break down Mikael Granlund's staying power after a slow start, react to updated Stanley Cup championship odds, the Carolina Hurricanes' goalie situation and preview the Friday and Saturday slates with best bets and DFS picks.

Pete Jensen and David Satriano discuss the value of Ondrej Kase ahead of his Boston Bruins debut and the strong category coverage of Alec Martinez since joining the Vegas Golden Knights. Pete and Davey take sides on the Carter Hart-Ilya Samsonov debate for keeper leagues, identify goalies to pick up after injuries to Jacob Markstrom and Igor Shesterkin and discuss Mackenzie Blackwood's quiet success. The guys also give their best bets and DFS lineups for the 10-game Thursday slate.

NHL.com's Pete Jensen and Rob Reese break down all the moves leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, including how Andreas Athanasiou could fit well with elite center Connor McDavid for the Edmonton Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes upgrades in Vincent Trocheck and Sami Vatanen. The guys discuss the rest-of-season value of Robin Lehner with the Vegas Golden Knights, Jean-Gabriel Pageau with the New York Islanders, Ondrej Kase with the Boston Bruins, Ilya Kovalchuk with the Washington Capitals and many other players on the move.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese are joined by David Satriano to preview the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, which is Monday, Feb. 24. The guys discuss potential landing spots for trade candidates around the League, including Chris Kreider, J.G. Pageau, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jeff Petry, Robin Lehner, Erik Gustafsson and Rasmus Ristolainen, as well as glaring needs for contending teams like the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders. The guys also discuss the New York Rangers' stance at the deadline, break down the Alec Martinez trade to the Vegas Golden Knights and give their DFS picks and best bets for Thursday's slate.

Pete and Rob break down all the angles of the trade that sent Tyler Toffoli to the Vancouver Canucks, including his lineup placement, which players to drop for him and where the Los Angeles Kings go from here. The guys are joined by DFS expert Chris Wassel, who breaks down the Blake Coleman trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning and reacts to injury news around the League. The guys debate the value of Toffoli and Coleman, give replacement options for Mikko Rantanen, Philipp Grubauer and Erik Karlsson and also their DFS plays and best bets for the Tuesday slate.

Rob Reese and David Satriano discuss the best players to pick up on the waiver wire for Weber and Radulov owners. They banter about their best Stanley Cup winner value picks, and break down the Thursday slate with their best bets and top DFS plays.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese break down all angles of the Jason Zucker trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins, including what it means for Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup chances and the Minnesota Wild's rebuild. The guys take fan questions on which players to drop for Zucker in fantasy and discuss the tight Eastern Conference playoff picture. Pete and Rob give their best bets and DFS picks for the big Tuesday slate and discuss the return of Anthony Mantha, William Karlsson and replacements for injured Nazem Kadri.

Pete Jensen and Rob Reese are joined by waiver wire James Harding to discuss injury replacements for Seth Jones, Brock Boeser and Alexander Radulov and the top players available at each position. The guys also react to Jack Campbell being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the upcoming returns of Carter Hart, Darcy Kuemper and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and give their best bets and DFS plays for Monday.

Pete Jensen is joined by goalie master David Satriano to discuss the injury to Frederik Andersen of the Toronto Maple Leafs and offer potential replacements, including outside options Brian Elliott, James Reimer and Alexandar Georgiev. Pete and Dave also debate the value of Brock Boeser and Johnny Gaudreau for the rest of the season and whether to drop Matt Duchene for surging Joe Pavelski. The guys also give their best bets and DFS picks for the big Tuesday slate.

Pete Jensen is joined by NHL.com fantasy correspondent James Harding to discuss the latest waiver wire trends, including the value of secondary scorers with elite linemates, such as Kailer Yamamoto and Josh Archibald of the Edmonton Oilers and Brandon Saad and Kirby Dach of the Chicago Blackhawks. The guys debate which of those teams is more intriguing in fantasy and discuss goalie pickups around the League, replacements for injured San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl and more. Pete then breaks down the Monday slate with injury updates and also gives his take on whether Kieffer Bellows can boost the Islanders offense.

Pete Jensen is joined by guest Nick Alberga, fantasy writer for Sportsnet and host of the Unmuzzled podcast, to discuss all the relevant topics around the League. The guys discuss the surprising value of Zack Kassian and his new contract with the Edmonton Oilers, replacement options for injured Linus Ullmark and preview the Thursday and Friday slates with DFS picks and best bets. The guys also field a bunch of fan questions and give their take on the latest wagering odds in the tight Pacific Division and for both conference titles with an early look ahead to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Pete Jensen and NHL.com staff writer Brett Amadon discuss Jeff Skinner's return, including multiple fan questions about the goal-scoring left wing, and the Buffalo Sabres' appeal in the coming weeks with a home-heavy, favorable schedule. They also discuss the fantasy potential of Rasmus Sandin after Jake Muzzin's return, Jake Virtanen's success on a line with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, the keeper-league debate between Cale Makar and Elvis Merzlikins and preview the Tuesday and Wednesday slates.