With a thrilling end to the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s time to get back into our regularly scheduled programming in fantasy hockey. I hope you all had a nice break and got a chance to see the action – it was truly must-see TV, and it’s certainly whetted the public’s appetite for the upcoming Olympic games with NHL players participating, and also the 2028 World Cup.
Given the two-week break, Week 19 will include this weekend’s games and also the entirety of next week. It’s an extended week though in chof360 leagues your weekly roster rules will remain the same. That means you’ll need to be even more judicious with your roster decisions.
I would not be surprised, however, if we saw some kind of 4 Nations hangover. (It’s interesting to note the Blues and Jets will face each other Saturday – potentially setting up a Binnington-Hellebuyck rematch immediately after their championship showdown). It was a taxing tournament with its share of injuries – Shea Theodore is expected to miss at least a few weeks, Matthew Tkachuk didn’t play in the final period of the championship game and Sidney Crosby looked less than 100 percent – and for those that didn’t play, it might take a little time to get back into their mid-season rhythm.
Week 19 will feature three teams that play six games, though note all three of them have really tough schedules. There are a combined 24 games on Saturday and Sunday immediately following 4 Nations, which means plenty of back-to-backs, and seven teams will play a back-to-back the following weekend. The team to avoid in Week 19 are the Senators, who play just three games, and two of them are on Saturdays where there’s plenty of action.
Some injury updates:
- The Rangers expect Igor Shesterkin to be available Saturday in Buffalo. His status was previously day-to-day. Look for Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick to split their weekend back-to-back.
- Jacob Markstrom was placed on IR is not ready to return. This means Jake Allen remains the starter for now with Nico Daws, who was recalled Thursday morning, backing him up and likely playing one of their two weekend games.
- Connor Ingram is day-to-day with Utah playing back-to-back this weekend. We’ll get an update before the games, but Andre Tourigny noted he does not expect third-string Jaxson Stauber to play.
- Thatcher Demko is week-to-week with a knee injury, meaning the Canucks will again run with Kevin Lankinen as their starter and Arturs Silovs as their backup. The Canucks have two back-to-backs in Week 19, which puts them in a tough spot since they’ve shown little trust in Silovs this season.
- Jonas Siegenthaler was also placed on IR with Seamus Casey and Simon Nemec getting called up. Recall Casey had a great start to the season in Europe before cooling off and getting assigned to the minors.
- Sean Durzi has recovered from his injury and will play Saturday for Utah. He’s expected to quarterback PP2, leaving Mikhail Sergachev on PP1.
- The Predators announced Jeremy Lauzon will miss another 4-6 months on Feb. 18, which effectively ends his 2024-25 season. It’s time to look elsewhere for hits.
- Charlie McAvoy suffered an infection and a possible shoulder injury at 4 Nations. There is no return date set, but he will definitely miss time. Look for Mason Lohrei to return to PP1.
- Shea Theodore was wearing a cast or a sling on his right wrist during Thursday night’s post-game awards ceremony, having suffered the injury early in the 4 Nations. He’s expected to miss multiple weeks, paving the way for either Noah Hanifin or Alex Pietrangelo to take over PP1.
- Ryan Pulock is expected to be activated off IR before Sunday’s game. He’s of no threat to Tony DeAngelo’s spot on PP1, however.
- Kraken captain Jordan Eberle was recalled from his AHL conditioning assignment but there is no return date set. More details below.
- Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner is expected to return to the lineup.
Schedule
Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstatrick.com. All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of chof360 Fantasy. Points percentages are as of Friday, Feb. 21.
Season-long adds (< 50% rostered on chof360)
Bryan Rust, RW, Penguins (45% rostered) – I am slightly worried about Sidney Crosby’s play since it was clear he wasn’t 100 percent at 4 Nations. However, the Pens play six games in Week 19 and Rust always provides good shot volume.
Marco Rossi, C, Wild (41% rostered) – Joel Eriksson Ek looked good at 4 Nations but I still like Rossi’s fantasy profile far more. He’s the better playmaker, period. I like the Wild’s five-game schedule in Week 19, which includes a home-and-home against the Wings and games on Friday and next Sunday on the less busy nights.
Boone Jenner, C/LW, Blue Jackets (19% rostered) – The Jackets captain provides goals, shots and hits with multi-position eligibility, making him a great option in banger leagues. Jenner has yet to play this season. Hopefully, one of the league’s most surprisingly effective offensive teams can get him going right away and fill part of the void left by the injured Kirill Marchenko.
Mid-term holds (< 50% rostered on chof360)
Filip Hronek, D, Canucks (46% rostered) – Quinn Hughes missed 4 Nations and has no return date set, meaning Hronek remains their top option at even strength and on PP1. He scored five points in five games prior to the break.
Sean Durzi, D, Utah (20% rostered) – I think Durzi is a fine fantasy option with some upside in points and plenty of blocked shots. However, I also think Mikhail Sergachev has PP1 locked down, which caps Durzi’s offensive upside. Nonetheless, on an explosive offensive team, Durzi will have value in very deep leagues.
Jake Allen, G, Devils (38% rostered) – With Jacob Markstrom remaining on IR, Allen stays in the starter’s crease. He shut out the Habs just prior to 4 Nations but has a tough task ahead potentially facing the Stars and Avs in his first two starts since the break.
Connor Ingram, G, and Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah (37% and 28% rostered) – Ingram and Vejmelka are both still listed day-to-day as of Thursday evening but third-string Jaxson Stauber is not expected to play this weekend, indicating Ingram and Vejmelka will be ready for Saturday and Sunday’s games. The Canucks and Hawks are coming up, and those are matchups worth streaming.
Samuel Ersson, G, Flyers (24% rostered) – Avoid the Oilers game, but an upcoming home-and-home against the Pens is really enticing. Ersson looked very good in his lone start at 4 Nations and returns to Philly on a high.
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, Penguins (23% rostered) – Tristan Jarry is back in the AHL, which means Nedeljkovic is the starter. He has value in leagues that emphasize quantity over quality.
Short-term streamers (< 50% rostered on chof360)
Jordan Eberle, RW, Kraken (4% rostered) – Eberle was assigned to the AHL for a conditioning assignment during 4 Nations but did not play in any games, even though he had participated in full-contact practices prior to the tournament. There is no return date set for the Kraken captain but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play this week despite remaining on LTIR. The Kraken have a glut of wingers but, at his best, Eberle’s a good depth scorer with potentially some PP1 upside.
Mason Lohrei, D, Bruins (3% rostered) – McAvoy will miss time, which means Lohrei’s likely back on PP1. I think he’s a low-upside fantasy defensemen even with PP TOI, but still worth noting.
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