Despite Ben Bishop practicing in the "starter's crease" this morning, head coach Jon Cooper said Vasilevskiy will start tonight vs. the Devils.Bishop had a rough night vs. the Red Wings on Thursday, so they will turn to Vasilevskiy, who draws a great matchup tonight vs. the Devils. Vasilevskiy comes in with an 18-15-1 record while posting a 2.60 GAA and .913 SV% in 40 career NHL games.
Ben Bishop has started 60-plus games in three consecutive seasons, but the Lightning would like that number to be closer to 50 this season, with Vasilevskiy getting around 30 games. Vasilevskiy is 18-15-1 with a 2.60 GAA and .913 SV% in his brief NHL career and is one of the best backup options in the NHL.
Santini was expected to start the season on the Devils’ third pairing, but a late signing of Kyle Quincey will push him out of the lineup tonight. He has offensive potential, but likely won’t be given enough opportunity to make a fantasy impact this season.
Kucherov burst onto the fantasy scene as a member of “The Triplets” line, only to improve on his numbers in 2015-16. Kucherov is coming off of 66 points (30G / 36A) in 77 games and has the potential to be a 70-plus point player who makes under $5 million per year. That’s unheard of.
Vasilevskiy, 21, was the 19th overall pick in 2012 and is ready for his first full NHL season in 2016-17. He was 11-10-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .910 SV% in 24 games with the Lightning and 7-4-1 with a 1.94 GAA and .935 SV% in 12 starts with Syracuse (AHL). Vasilevskiy enters the season as Ben Bishop’s backup, but he is the future of the Lightning’s net.
Hedman is heading into his final year of a five-year, $20 million dollar deal, but was extended through the 2024-25 season. The former second overall pick is coming off of another great season, where he scored double-digit goals (10) for the third straight season and posted 40-plus points (47) for the second time in his career. He has developed into one of the top defensemen in the NHL and now he is getting paid like one.
McDonagh missed the final three games of the regular season and game one. He will sit out at least one more game with a small fracture in his right hand. The Rangers could be playing an important game two without their top defenseman and goaltender.
McDonagh missed the final three games of the regular season and will definitely miss the start of the Rangers’ playoff series with the Penguins. With McDonagh out, Dylan McIlrath will remain in the Rangers’ lineup.
Kucherov missed the season finale on Saturday, but said he will play on Wednesday despite being sore. Kucherov set career-highs in goals (30) and points (66) in 77 games this season. He scored 10 goals in the playoffs last year, but had no goals and four assists in the seven game series vs. Detroit.
Hedman missed the final three games of the regular season, but he likely sat out the final game as a precaution. Hedman’s return is huge for a Lightning team that will be without at least Anton Stralman on the blueline and Steven Stamkos up front. Hedman had 10 goals and 37 assists (47 points) in78 games this season and had three assists in the Lightning’s seven-game series vs. the Red Wings last year.
Kucherov missed the morning skate and will be held out of the lineup in the Lightning’s season finale. Head coach Jon Cooper said he is not worried about Kucherov, so expect him to be ready for game 1.
