Canucks rookie sensation Brock Boeser became the fastest player in franchise history to score 25 career goals Thursday night.
Boeser scored his 21st goal of the season against the Chicago Blackhawks, combined with his four goals from last season he now has 25 goals in 44 career games.
Bure previously held the club record, scoring 25 times in his first 55 games.
Boeser set the record in impressive fashion, too, as his one goal capped a four-point night and a 5-2 Canucks victory.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 21, 2017
The Golden Knights will be the only team in recent memory with grey as the color of their primary home jersey. The gold, as it should, really stands out. Yet, undoubtedly the most questionable decision of the uniform design is pairing white gloves with the dark jersey.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 21, 2017
The Golden Knights weren't the only team to disclose a new jersey design. Several clubs made significant changes to their get-ups, with the most notable uniform alterations made by the following teams:
Carolina Hurricanes: The Canes added a significant amount of black trim and brought back the warning flag pattern along the bottom of the jersey.
New Jersey Devils: The Devils have worn pretty much the exact same uniforms since 1992, but finally added a new wrinkle. The sleeve stripes are now bold and the bottom stripes are gone.
Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers will commit to orange home jerseys full time. The biggest changes include what is seemingly a darker shade of blue, the sleeve number has been removed outside of the blue shoulders, and the stripes along the sleeves and bottom are noticeably thinner and more spread out.
The Toronto Maple Leafs surpassed everyone's expectations in 2016-17. Not only did they qualify for the playoffs, but they took the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals to six games in the first round, with five of them needing overtime.
All this one year after the Leafs finished dead last in the league.
The Leafs have a legitimate chance to challenge for a Stanley Cup over the next few seasons before their young core of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner get paid top dollar. This could arguably be the most important offseason in the history of the franchise.
Despite the rapid growth of this young team, there are still pressing issues that need to be taken care of this summer.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Acquire 3 defensemen
Easier said than done, but possible nonetheless.
One of these defensemen must be capable of logging top-four minutes, while the other two would need to be able to make up the third pairing.
In an ideal world, this fourth defenseman is a right-handed shot, a stable presence, brings some much-needed size and physicality to the table, and fits the timeline with regard to the rest of the team.
The problem is, blue-liners like this are rare, and teams that have one that fits the description likely aren't willing to part ways with him.
Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba would be a perfect fit, though it would likely cost the Leafs one of Nylander or Marner - an avenue they probably don't want to take.
One team that may be open to trading a young defenseman that can play top-four minutes is the Carolina Hurricanes. Here's a look at their situation on the back end:
Name
Age
Contract Status
Justin Faulk
25
$4.83M cap hit through 2019
Noah Hanifin
20
RFA 2018
Brett Pesce
22
RFA 2018
Ryan Murphy
24
RFA 2018
Klas Dahlbeck
25
RFA 2018
Jaccob Slavin
22
RFA 2018
Matt Tennyson
27
UFA 2017
It's highly unlikely the Canes are able to hang on to the five defensemen who are restricted free agents following the 2017-18 season. Given the demand for young blue-liners around the league, Carolina is in the driver's seat when it comes to making a deal.
The one the Leafs would be smart to target is Jaccob Slavin. Though he isn't a right-handed shot, or all that physical, he brings size (6-foot-2) and is already mature beyond his years.
This past season he ranked second in the NHL with 82 takeaways, while only giving the puck away 54 times, despite logging over 23 minutes per game. It's no wonder he was plus-23 on a non-playoff team. He probably wouldn't cost Toronto one of its "big three."
However, if the trade route doesn't work out, Toronto will have to turn to the free-agent market to acquire a top-four D-man.
It's possible the Leafs could splurge on Kevin Shattenkirk or Karl Alzner to help solidify their back end, but both will likely come with hefty asking prices.
Options who will come cheaper but are still somewhat capable of playing top-four minutes include Michael Del Zotto, Michael Stone, and Dmitry Kulikov. Serviceable, but less than ideal.
As for the fifth and sixth defensemen, it's possible Toronto brings back Matt Hunwick and Roman Polak, both unrestricted free agents. However, upgrading the bottom pairing could go a long way in providing more depth and stability on the blue line. Signing veterans on short-term deals here isn't out of the question, considering prospects Andrew Nielsen and Travis Dermott, both 20, are only a year or two away from being NHL-ready.
Lock up Nikita Zaitsev
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
TSN's Bob McKenzie reported March 30 that the Leafs and Zaitsev were working toward a seven-year contract extension. Later that day, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the deal would be worth $4.5 million per season.
Not much has been reported since, but talks will likely heat up now that the Leafs' season's over.
In his first NHL season, Zaitsev averaged 22:01 per game and tallied 36 points. At 25, he was old for a rookie, but a deal such as the one reported above would take him through the prime years of his career at a reasonable rate.
Zaitsev isn't anything to drool over, but he is an exceptional skater who can move the puck and play reliably in his own zone.
If the reported deal comes to fruition, Toronto would have Rielly, Gardiner, and Zaitsev under contract at $5 million or less per year.
Trade James van Riemsdyk
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
James van Riemsdyk is a legitimate top-six forward, but it's difficult to imagine him being a part of this team long term since he's an unrestricted free agent after next season. As a perennial 25-30 goal-scorer who currently makes $4.25 million per year, he's due for a hefty pay raise.
If the Leafs were to hang onto van Riemsdyk, they would likely have to pay him $6 or $7 million per year. That may sound like a bit much, but take a look at what some comparable players are making per season:
Player
Cap Hit
Bobby Ryan
$7.25M
Brandon Saad
$6M
Loui Eriksson
$6M
Kyle Okposo
$6M
Milan Lucic
$6M
Andrew Ladd
$5.5M
A case can be made that van Riemsdyk is better than all of these players. With even larger pay increases on the horizon for Matthews, Nylander, and Marner, it doesn't make much sense for Toronto to invest a hefty sum in JvR.
Since van Riemsdyk is in his prime (he'll turn 28 on May 4), Toronto could use him as its primary trade chip in order to acquire a top-four defenseman.
The Leafs have a plethora of internal forward depth that could be used to replace van Riemsdyk's top-six role. Kasperi Kapanen had a great year in the AHL and scored some clutch goals for the big club down the stretch and in the postseason. He seems primed for a promotion.
In addition to Kapanen, Josh Leivo was excellent whenever he was called upon. Brendan Leipsic had a superb season in the AHL and seems ready for a full-time role in the NHL. With the projected growth of its young core in place, Toronto could survive the loss of their second-leading point-producer.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Wednesday, Feb. 1:
Dynamic Duos
C Jeff Carter (62K) & LW Tanner Pearson (49K), Kings (vs. Avalanche): The Avalanche surrender a league-high 3.4 goals against per game. Carter is tied for second in the league with 24 goals, yet he remains relatively affordable.
C Nicklas Backstrom (55K) & LW Alex Ovechkin (74K), Capitals (vs. Bruins): Bruins GTuukka Rask has a save percentage of just .869 in his last nine games. Knowing Ovechkin will take a healthy amount of shots each game, he is bound to find twine at least once.
C Eric Staal (39K) & RW Nino Niederreiter (41K), Wild (at Flames): The Flames have lost four of their last five games, surrendering at least four goals in all four of those losses. Minnesota is on the second of a back-to-back while Calgary hasn't played since Jan. 26, but it's still tough to ignore the bargain of Staal.
Bargain Plays
G Devan Dubnyk (75K), Wild (at Flames): The Wild may have played last night, but Dubnyk did not. The road matchup against a rested team is likely the reasoning he is just 75K, but the guy is a near lock to win the Vezina Trophy. Don't overthink this.
LW Matthew Tkachuk (29K), Flames (vs. Wild): Tkachuk is having a fantastic rookie season with 31 points. He has additional value in Squad Up thanks to his 92 PIMs and 51 hits. A matchup with Dubnyk is daunting, but he can return value in other ways.
C Frank Vatrano (29K), Bruins (at Capitals): Vatrano has just eight points in 18 games this year, but he is averaging nearly three shots per game. He has also chipped in with 25 hits. The matchup is tough, but bargain plays are limited on a three-game slate.
Top Fades
C Patrice Bergeron (53K), Bruins (at Capitals): Bergeron isn't having the type of offensive season to which we've become accustomed. Yet, he is still priced like a valuable offensive fantasy asset. His main priority will be shutting down Ovechkin and Co., so don't expect much offensive production.
RW Kris Versteeg (40K), Flames (vs. Wild): To be frank, Versteeg has done absolutely nothing to warrant a salary of 40K, especially with a matchup against Dubnyk and the first-place Wild.
D Jake Muzzin (38K), Kings (vs. Avalanche): Even against the lowly Avalanche, it's not worth investing 38K in Muzzin with cheaper options who can provide the same results.
Contrarian Options
LW Johnny Gaudreau (64K), Flames (vs. Wild): The Flames are the only team on Wednesday's slate who didn't play last night. Gaudreau and his high salary will be faded by most against Dubnyk, but Johnny Hockey is by far the most dangerous offensive talent Calgary has to offer.
C Anze Kopitar (72K), Kings (vs. Avalanche): Carter is having a better season and comes cheaper than Kopitar, so the Slovenian's ownership will surely be down despite the great matchup. He has 10 points in his last nine games.
RW David Backes (36K), Bruins (at Capitals): Backes is averaging just 0.5 points per game, but he makes up for it with 115 shots, 121 hits, 54 PIMs and a surprising 32 blocks for a forward. Any points he can muster up would be a huge bonus.
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If you're in a 12-team league, chances are you've struggled at the goaltending position in some capacity this season. There just aren't enough elite netminders to go around.
The following four goaltenders have struggled lately, or for the majority of the season. Three represent excellent buy-low options, while the fourth could wind up being a savvy waiver-wire pickup.
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Carey Price hasn't played like Carey Price lately. His save percentage is just .896 in his last 16 games, compiling a record of 6-7-3. His asking price is certainly lower now than it was at the beginning of the season.
Despite Devan Dubnyk's spectacular season, Price is still the best goaltender on the planet. While Minnesota is a superior team compared to Montreal, the Habs play in a weak division and have a favorable schedule down the stretch. Here's a look at Montreal's final 12 games and where their opponents rank in goals for per game:
OPPONENT
GF/G RANK
@ Senators
18
vs. Senators
18
vs. Red Wings
25
vs. Hurricanes
19
vs. Senators
18
vs. Stars
14
vs. Panthers
27
@ Lightning
16
@ Panthers
27
@ Sabres
24
vs. Lightning
16
@ Red Wings
25
As you can see, the Canadiens won't face any high-octane offenses down the stretch. Ten of their final 12 games are against divisional opponents and Montreal has dominated the Atlantic this season with a record of 10-2-5.
The team in front of Price should only get better too, as Montreal will certainly be a buyer at the trade deadline and still await the returns of C Alex Galchenyuk and RW Brendan Gallagher from injury.
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
Crawford has struggled to the tune of an .891 save percentage over his last nine games. This might just be enough for his fantasy owner to trade him. He hasn't been at his best this season, but as the starting goaltender of the Blackhawks, he will always have immense fantasy value.
The Hawks could stand to add a top-six forward as well as a top-four defenseman. If they can address these needs in front of Crawford, it will certainly lead to much more success for the goaltender.
Crawford's schedule isn't as favorable as Price's, but his workload is; Chicago will play four games in the fantasy playoff quarter-finals, three in the semi-finals and four the week of the fantasy championship.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
Fleury is having his worst season since Mario Lemieux was still playing for the Penguins. Despite his struggles, he continues to share the crease with youngster Matt Murray.
In fact, Murray has been the one struggling lately, posting an .892 SV% in his last nine games. It's possible the 22-year-old is showing signs of fatigue in his first full NHL season.
Fleury has failed to string together a long run of strong play. His home/road splits are a big reason why:
STAT
HOME
ROAD
REC
11-2-1
2-5-3
GAA
2.60
4.06
SV%
.924
.878
Fortunately, the Penguins close out the fantasy playoffs with six home games in their final nine outings.
If Murray continues to struggle and Fleury can figure out his road woes, the veteran could be in line for more work down the stretch.
Michal Neuvirth, Philadelphia Flyers
As a whole, the goaltending tandem of Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth has been terrible. Neuvirth has started only 12 games because of injury, but he has allowed at least three goals on seven occasions.
However, Neuvirth has drastically outplayed Mason since returning from injury Jan. 7. He has a .919 SV% in his last six games, while Mason's SV% sits at .891 in his last nine games.
Neuvirth was the more effective goaltender last season and could see more starts down the stretch as the Flyers are desperate for a solution in goal. He is worth an add if he is available in your league.
