Bobrovsky stopped 38 of 39 shots in the Blue Jackets’ win over the Rangers last night. It was another stellar outing for Bobrovsky, who has stopped 103 of 105 shots (.981 SV%) that he has faced so far this season. Bobrovsky draws a strong start on no rest as the Wild come into tonight extremely banged up up front.
Dalpe has not recorded a point in his first two games of the season and was a healthy scratch in the Blue Jackets last contest. Tonight he will replace Markus Hannikainen in the lineup vs. the Rangers.
Bobrovsky stopped 37 of 38 shots in the Blue Jackets’ win in Carolina on Tuesday. Bobrovsky has had an excellent start to the 2017-18 season, winning his first two starts while stopping 66 of 67 shots (.985 SV%). Tonight Bob will face a Rangers team that has gone 1-3-0 while averaging 2.50 goals for and 3.75 goals against through four games.
Bitetto has split time between the AHL and NHL over the last two seasons, but it looks like he will be a full-time NHLer this season—even if it’s as a seventh defenseman. Bitetto had seven assists in 29 games with the Predators last season and tonight he will replace Alexei Emelin in the lineup.
In 2016-17, Bobrovsky had a Vezina-winning campaign posting 41 wins with a 2.06 GAA, .931 SV% and seven shutouts across a career-high 63 games. Injuries have been a bugaboo for Bobrovsky over his career, starting just 86 games in the two years prior to 2016-17—that ranked 24th during that span. However, if Bobrovsky can stay healthy, he is as good of a bet as any goalie to finish the year in the top-5.
Bobrovsky is coming off of a Vezina-winning season in which he started a career-high 63 games, 41 wins with a 2.06 GAA, .931 SV% and seven shutouts. Injuries have been a bugaboo for the 29-year-old netminder, who ranked 24th in games stared (86) in the two years prior. If he can stay on the ice, the Russian netminder has as good of a shot as any to finish as a top-5 fantasy netminder.
Forsling, 21, was “sent down” yesterday as a paper transaction to get under the salary cap ceiling before they put Marian Hossa on LTIR. In 2016-17, Forsling split time between the NHL and AHL, collecting five points (2G / 3A) in 38 games with the Blackhawks. He is expected to open this season on the Blackhawks’ third pair.
Verhaeghe, 21, was a third round pick (No.82 overall) in 2013 but has split his last two seasons between the AHL and ECHL. Last season he had 29 points (16G / 13A) in 45 games with Bridgeport (AHL) and an impressive 32 points (12G / 20A) in just 16 games with Missouri (ECHL). Verhaeghe will likely report to the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) to start 2017-18.
Berube was a part of a goaltending trio in Brooklyn for the last two seasons and will likely have to battle with Anton Forsberg for the backup job to Corey Crawford. The 25-year-old has posted a career 3.10 GAA and .900 SV% in 21 career NHL starts, but has amassed impressive numbers at the AHL level.
Kulikov broke into the NHL with a bang, but has struggled in recent years, culminating in him being traded to Buffalo last summer and him only posting five points (2G / 3A) in 47 games with the Sabres. Still only 26-years-old, the Jets obviously see something they like in the former No.14 overall pick (2009). Kulikov will be leaned on as a No.4/No.5 defenseman in Winnipeg, which should help him in the defensive aspect of the game.
Megna, 24, was a seventh round pick in 2012 and made his NHL debut in 2016-17, appearing in one game with the Ducks. He had a career-high 27 points (5G / 22A) in 62 AHL games with the San Diego Gulls.
