Vanecek will get the nod against the Wild on Sunday, making him the first of the Devils' two goaltenders to start consecutive games this season. He allowed four goals on 27 shots enroute to a 5-4 victory over the Sabres on Friday. Vanecek owns an .891 SV% and a 3.30 GAA to go along with his 3-2-0 record on the season. He and the Devils are -170 favourites to pick up the victory over Marc-Andre Fleury and the Wild on Sunday.
Fleury will make his second consecutive and fourth start of the season on Sunday against the Devils. The 20-year veteran is coming off his best start of the young season. Fleury stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Capitals. He owns an .895 SV% and a 2.96 GAA along with a 1-1-1 record on the season. Fleury and the Wild draw a difficult assignment on Sunday with the Devils being sizable favourites at -170.
Georgiev will get the nod in net for the Avalanche for the eighth time in as many games. Georgiev and the Avs suffered their first loss of the season last time out after they were shut out by the Penguins on Thursday. The 27-year-old netminder will be looking to bounce back after giving up four goals on just 24 shots in the losing effort. Despite the poor performance on Thursday, Georgiev remains one of the most effective and reliable goaltenders in fantasy hockey. He owns a .918 SV% and a 2.31 GAA to go along with his 6-1-0 record and has a great chance of notching a league-leading seventh victory today with the Avalanche being -175 road favourites.
Sharks Head Coach David Quinn says he expects to have Granlund available on Sunday for the first time since he suffered a lower-body injury in the team's season opener on October 12th. Granlund was acquired in the off-season as part of the three-team trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins. Granlund registered ten goals and 31 assists in 79 games split between the Predators and Penguins last season.
Blackwood struggled his last time out against the Lightning on Thursday, surrendering five goals on 21 shots enroute to a 6-0 defeat. Like the Sharks, Blackwood is winless on the season despite some terrific individual performances. San Jose has scored just eight goals in eight games, and that glaring lack of goal support combined with Blackwood's own inconsistencies leave him with little to no fantasy value. He's nothing more than a desperation play on Sunday in Washington.
McDavid missed the last two games with an upper-body injury that he suffered last Saturday vs. the Jets. However, he was a full participant in Saturday's practice and appears to be on-track to play in Sunday's Heritage Classic vs. the Flames. McDavid, who has eight points (2G / 6A) in five games, skated next to Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele in Saturday's session.
The Oilers are expected to give Stuart Skinner the nod in Sunday's Heritage Classic against the Flames. Both Skinner and fellow Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell have struggled to find their form early on in the 2023-24 season, but Skinner did enjoy his finest start of the season in Edmonton's most recent game against the Rangers on Thursday. The 24-year-old netminder stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced in a losing effort as the Oilers were uncharacteristically shut out on home ice. Outdoor games always bring some extra uncertainty with them, but the Oilers are -155 favourites to pick up the win on Sunday, and the line could move further in their favour if Connor McDavid is able to return to the lineup.
