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The BIG news
- Jeff Skinner is a GTD for the Sabres tonight. If he can’t go, upgrade the Canucks (Demko), downgrade the Sabres. Consider
- Vincent Trochek is expected to return tonight for the Panthers – though it’s not 100% certain. If he does, he’ll centre the second line between Huberdeau and Bjugstad. Borgstrom would centre FLA3 between Hoffman and Malgin, and FLA1 would remain the same.
- Thomas Tatar moves up to MTL2 with Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen tonight. Charles Hudon is on MTL3 with Kotkaniemi and Armia. Paul Byron has been suspended for three games.
- Nicklas Backstrom is back up on WAS1 between Ovechkin and Wilson. Slumping Evgeny Kuznetsov is on WAS2.
- New lines for the Hurricanes. Svechnikov-Wallmark-Martinook have been reunited on CAR2. McKegg centres newly acquired Nino Niederreiter and Justin Williams. McGinn moves down to CAR4.
- Patric Hornqvist might return tonight for the Penguins. He also might not. He skated with Kessel and Malkin yesterday at practice and was on the PP2. But this morning he skated with other injured Penguins at an optional skate. We likely won’t know until just before puck drop.
- Bo Horvat is skating this morning and is expected to suit up with Brock Boeser and Antoin Roussel on his wings. Sven Baertschi moves down to VAN2 with Sutter and Virtanen. Goldobin sits again, as does Pettersson.
- Andreas Johnsson and Zach Hyman have switched spots on TOR1 and TOR2.
Advice:
- Hornqvist is intriguing, especially if he’s on a line with Malkin and Kessel. He won’t be owned at all if he goes, and Malkin and Kessel also might not be rostered together. I am going to save a few lineups with PIT1, and then, if that line goes, make sure I have enough cap to switch over. That line is cheaper than PIT1, so if you want to pivot to a lesser owned combo, you can.
- I’ll have a lot of CAR3 tonight. Their numbers together are too good to ignore.
- Sabres one takes a hit if Skinner can’t go and because it’s the last lock of the night, you don’t have a lot of switch options if you use BUF1. I’d correlate them with Ullmark and then just pivot to VAN1-Demko if he can’t go.
The little news
- Brandom Dubinsky draws in on CBJ3 with Alex “15 shot attempts this season” Wennberg and Kevin Stenlund, who has 16 points in 33 AHL games this season. Duclair is a healthy scratch.
- James Neal returns for the Flames on CGY3 with Jankowski and Bennett.
- Travis Hamonic likely returns for the Flames, likely alongside Noah Hanifin.
- MacKenzie Weegar (PP2) is on IR for the Panthers. Ian McCoshen draws in. Trockeck takes his spot on the PP2.
High 5v5 ice-time
CBJ1: 30%
TOR3: 27%
OTT3: 34% (shutdown line against COL1 at home)
Low 5v5 ice-time
OTT2: 14%
DET1: 18%
DET2: 14%
HDCF/HDCA
TOR1: 15.12 for, 11.2 against (full season)
TOR2: 16.32 for, 8.16 against (full season)
TOR3: 13.06 for, 13.06 against (full season)
OTT2: 12.93 for, 14.01 against
OTT1: 16.42 for, 15.25 against
CAR2: 21.45 for, 11.41 against
CAR1: 14.98 for, 13.27 against
CBJ1: 12.24 for, 8.87 against
CBJ2: 10.51 for, 10.71 against
WAS1: 11.31 for, 12.2 against
WAS2: 18.65 for, 6.52 against (20 mins)
FLA1: 7.99 for, 7.99 against (20 mins)
