Fantasy Hockey 2025-26: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 6
Finding an edge in fantasy hockey often comes down to maximizing your man games — and targeting players with favourable matchups. Our Fantasy Hockey Strength of Schedule tool helps you do precisely that.
Each week, we evaluate every NHL team’s upcoming slate using three key factors:
- Games Played: More games mean more opportunities for fantasy points.
- Strength of Schedule (SOS): Based on opponent difficulty, the higher the score, the easier the matchups.
- Light Nights: Nights with eight or fewer NHL games, when it’s easier to fit extra players into your active lineup.
By combining these three components, the tool highlights which teams — and streamers — are best positioned for fantasy success this week.
If you’re looking for a full breakdown of every team’s upcoming schedule, check out our Fantasy Hockey Strength of Schedule Tool — updated daily to show which teams have the most games and valuable light-night matchups each week.
Week 6 Strength of Schedule
Week 6 Streaming Targets
The schedule is fairly balanced this week, with only one super heavy night (Saturday). Just three teams have three Light Night games, so they’ll be our main focus.
That said, take a look at your lineup on Tuesday and Thursday, there’s a good chance you’ll have an open roster spot or two. If so, consider targeting teams that play four total games with favourable matchups, like the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
New York Rangers
The Rangers have the easiest schedule among teams with three Light Night games this week, but two of those contests are on home ice, which hasn’t exactly been kind to them. This is partly tongue-in-cheek, but it’s hard to ignore that they’ve yet to win at Madison Square Garden, averaging just 0.86 goals per game and getting shut out in five of seven home outings.
Still, Light Night matchups against the Predators, Lightning, and Red Wings offer some upside — one great matchup, one average, and one below-average.
Will Cuylle (LW/RW – 39% Rostered)
Cuylle is up to 39 percent rostered, but most of that is in banger formats, where he averages 3.3 hits per game. In standard formats, he’s still widely available. Like most of the Rangers’ lineup, Cuylle has been the victim of poor puck luck early in the season. He’s shooting just 7.5%, with 2.7 Goals Scored Below Expected, and owns an on-ice shooting percentage of only 8.4% (-7.3 on-ice Goals Scored Below Expected).
If the Rangers finally get some positive regression this week, Cuylle is in a great spot to benefit. With Vincent Trocheck expected to return on Monday, Cuylle will be bumped down to the third line but remains on the top power-play unit. He enters the week as New York’s hottest forward with six points (2G / 4A) in his last seven games.
Alexis Lafrenière (LW/RW – 18% Rostered)
Few players have endured worse puck luck than Lafrenière this year. His 4.04 Goals Scored Below Expected ranks 5th-worst in the NHL, and his 11.5 on-ice Goals Scored Below Expected ranks 7th-worst. Like Cuylle, he’s been limited by a 5.7 SH% and 6.9 on-ice SH%, but there are encouraging signs. Lafrenière has six points (1G / 5A) in his last eight games.
Lafrenière’s was bumped from PP1 last week, but he remains well-positioned, averaging 18:06 TOI/gm over his last 13 games and still skating in a top-six role. The return of Trocheck should be huge for Lafrenière as well. The trio of Trocheck, Lafrenière and Artemi Panarin have averaged 3.1 xGF/60, 31.7 SCF/60 and 11.8 HDCF/60 together since the beginning of 2024-25.
Gabe Perreault (RW – 2% Rostered)
Perreault was recalled from the AHL on Sunday after an impressive start with 10 points (5G / 5A) in nine games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He’s expected to jump straight into a top-six role, skating alongside Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller at 5-on-5.
That kind of deployment gives him immediate fantasy relevance in deep leagues, making Perreault a worthwhile streaming option this week.
New York Islanders
The Islanders have three Light Night games this week, but the matchups are anything but friendly. They open the week in New Jersey before heading out west to face Vegas, Utah, and Colorado, a brutal stretch of travel and competition. Those Light Night games come against teams ranked 12th, 18th, and 2nd in Goals Against/60, so offense may be tough to come by.
Emil Heineman (LW/RW – 26% Rostered)
Like Cuylle, Heineman is heavily rostered in banger formats, where he averages 3.7 hits per game, but he remains widely available in standard leagues. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has started adding offense to his physical game, recording 10 points (6G / 4A) in his last 13 games.
His usage has been somewhat inconsistent, but he’s spent 86% of his 5v5 ice time alongside Bo Horvat, and that duo has been effective — averaging 2.8 xGF/60, 33.6 SCF/60, and 12.7 HDCF/60 while outscoring opponents 10–7. Patrick Roy seems to like the chemistry between the two, putting Heineman in a strong position to contribute again this week.
Kyle Palmieri (RW – 15% Rostered)
Palmieri remains a streaming staple, always productive enough to be on the radar but rarely a long-term hold. He’s tallied 11 points (4G / 7A) in 15 games, while averaging an impressive 3.0 SOG and 5.3 shot attempts per game.
His combination of volume and usage (19:20 TOI/gm) makes him one of the more reliable short-term options. Palmieri also looks due for some positive regression: he’s shooting just 8.9%, below his 12.5% career average, and currently sits at 1.4 Goals Scored Below Expected.
Anders Lee (LW – 17% Rostered) | Jean-Gabriel Pageau (C/RW – 11% Rostered)
NYI3 has quietly been excellent at 5v5 this season. The line is averaging 3.4 xGF/60, 33.8 SCF/60, and 15.6 HDCF/60, strong underlying metrics that give them consistent scoring potential.
Lee is the preferred streaming option, driven by his shot volume. Over his last 11 games, he’s produced 11 points (3G / 8A) while averaging 3.1 SOG, 5.1 shot attempts, and 1.1 hits per game. Like Palmieri, he’s due for some regression — shooting just 7.1% with 3.1 Goals Below Expected.
Pageau has been equally productive on the scoresheet, with 11 points (5G / 6A) over his last 13 games, but his low shot volume (1.3 SOG/gm) makes him less likely to sustain that pace moving forward.
Nashville Predators
The Predators’ schedule is a bit more favorable than the Islanders’, but they lack a fourth game this week, which limits their streaming appeal if you have open lineup spots on Tuesday or Thursday. Offensively, Nashville has struggled, ranking bottom-three in the NHL with just 2.48 GF/60.
Jonathan Marchessault (RW – 30% Rostered)
Marchessault brings outstanding shot volume and a reliable fantasy floor. Excluding opening night, he’s recorded six points (4G / 2A) in his last 13 games, while averaging 2.7 SOG, 5.6 shot attempts, and 1.8 hits per game.
Those are elite peripheral numbers for a streamer. The underlying metrics suggest he deserves a bit more production, but the Predators’ overall lack of offense keeps him in the high-floor, low-upside streaming tier.
Ryan O’Reilly (C – 20% Rostered)
O’Reilly recently admitted he hasn’t been pleased with his own play, but he’s started to turn things around with one goal and two assists in his last two games. On the season, he’s produced 12 points (6G / 6A) in 17 games while shooting 20.7%, a rate likely to regress.
However, his on-ice Goals Scored Below Expected (–8.05) suggests Nashville’s offense could start clicking soon, and O’Reilly’s steady usage keeps him relevant for another solid streaming week.
Luke Evangelista (RW – 1% Rostered)
Evangelista’s season started late due to contract negotiations, but he’s settled in nicely with nine points (2G / 7A) in 16 games. Over his last six outings, he’s rediscovered his shooting rhythm, averaging 2.7 SOG, 4.0 shot attempts, and 18:46 ATOI. Playing on the top line and top power-play unit make him a streamer worth considering in all formats.
That kind of volume and ice time gives him a decent shot at producing a goal, an assist, and around eight shots on goal across three games this week, making him a sneaky under-the-radar stream in deeper leagues.
Matthew Wood (RW – 1% Rostered)
Ranked as Nashville’s No. 5 prospect by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, Wood has impressed early in his rookie campaign. The 2023 15th overall pick has seven points (3G / 4A) in 10 games, despite a limited 12:31 ATOI.
Even with modest minutes, he’s averaging 2.2 SOG and 3.7 shot attempts per game, showing encouraging offensive ability. In deep formats, he’s a name worth monitoring as his role continues to expand.
Names to consdier if you have an open roster spot on Tuesday/Thursday:
- Jack Roslovic (EDM – C/RW) – 19% Rostered
- The Oilers have four games, the best SOS of the week, but only two Light Night games. If you have roster spot on Thursday, Roslovic is a great streamer while skating on L1 and PP1 in Edmonton.
- Ivan Barbashev (VGK – LW) – 37% Rostered
- The Golden Knights have four games, including two Light Nights, so you could get three games out of Barbashev if you have a spot in your lineup on Thursday. He’s remains a great streamer while he’s skating on L1 and PP2.
- Dmitri Voronkov (CBJ – LW) – 39% Rostered
- Sean Monahan (CBJ – C) – 33% Rostered
- Adam Fantilli (CBJ – C) – 36% Rostered
- If you have lineup spots on Tuesday and Thursday, you’ll be able to squeeze any of the Blue Jackets into your lineup for three games to start the week. They play @ EDM on Monday, @ SEA on Tuesday and vs. EDM on Thursday.
- Arseny Gritsyuk (NJD – RW) – 2% Rostered
- The Devils have games on Monday and Wednesday to open the week, so Gritsyuk could be a short-term stream and drop mid-week.