Fantasy Hockey: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 1
Identifying the players with four games each week and filling your roster with those players can increase your chances of winning your fantasy hockey matchup. That’s why our Weekly Schedule tool is so helpful!
I took that weekly schedule and combined it with a Team Defense Score I created using key defensive metrics to find which teams/skaters have the easiest schedule this week.
Week 1 — Strength of Schedule
Easiest Schedules
New Jersey Devils
The Devils’ season gets off to a pretty easy start as they head to Philadelphia to take on a Flyers team that doesn’t project to be very good this season. They follow it up with a home matchup vs. a Red Wings team that should be better this season, but it’s still too early to tell how much better. The difficulty with streaming the Devils this week is their games are on the two busiest days, Thursday (10 games) and Saturday (14 games).
Potential Streaming Targets:
- Dawson Mercer (C/RW – 21% Rostered) – Mercer is expected to centre the second line and second power-play unit this week, with Nico Hischier starting the year on IR.
- Alexander Holtz (RW – 4% Rostered) – The 2020 No.7 overall pick cracked the Devils opening night roster and is expected to skate on the top line with Jack Hughes. He’s the kind of high-upside streamer that may never leave your team if he gets off to a hot start.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have a nice three-game schedule to open the season. Matchups vs. Montreal and Ottawa should be high-scoring and the Capitals should be around the middle of the pack defensively. They have one game on a quieter night (Wednesday), so Maple Leafs’ players are more attractive streaming options than Devils.
- Denis Malgin (C/RW – 2% Rostered) – Malgin is back with the Maple Leafs after two years in Switzerland. The 25-year-old is expected to start the year on the second line with John Tavares (if healthy) and William Nylander, as well as PP2. This makes him the Maple Leafs’ most intriguing streaming option. He had three goals and three assists in five preseason games.
- Calle Jarnkrok (C/RW – 2% Rostered) – Jarnkrok will be on the third line with Alexander Kerfoot and Pierre Engvall (if healthy) so he has less upside than Malgin but will also see time on the second PP unit.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are the only team with a good schedule in terms of matchups and playing on the right days. Both of their games come on slower nights in the NHL (Wednesday and Friday), and both come against teams that were in the bottom third of the league defensively last season.
- Martin Necas (RW – 8% Rostered) – Necas will start the season on the second line and second PP unit, both with Andrei Svechnikov. Last year, Necas had 27 games with at least three shots on goal and recorded points in 31 games, so he has a chance to make a fantasy impact. He was also terrific in the preseason, recording six points (3G / 3A) in three games.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C/LW – 3% Rostered) – Kotkaniemi is the Hurricanes’ new No.2 centre and will look to build on a strong preseason showing. He had four points (1G / 3A) in four games, and his line with Svechnikov and Necas were a load (3.55 xGF/60).
Other Streaming Options
[TBL] Alex Killorn (LW/RW – 36% Rostered) – The Lightning don’t have the easiest schedule with matchups vs. the Rangers, Blue Jackets, and Penguins, but they play on Tuesday (2 games) and Friday (4 games) so it will be easy to get Killorn in your lineup. He had at least one point in 57.3 percent of his games last year and will be on their lethal top PP unit to open the season.
[NYR] Kaapo Kakko (RW – 12% Rostered) – Like Killorn, it’s not the easiest schedule but you’ll be able to play him on Tuesday (vs. TBL) and Friday (@ WPG). Kakko will start the year on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, so there will be opportunity for him to produce.
[MTL] Brendan Gallagher (RW – 3% Rostered) – The Canadiens have games on Wednesday (vs. TOR), and Friday (@ DET), and both have the potential to be high-scoring. Gallagher is looking to have a bounce-back campaign and typically brings reliable shot volume, so he shouldn’t be a total dud while skating in the Canadiens’ top-6 and top PP unit.