The time has arrived. Fantasy hockey playoffs in some leagues will be beginning this coming week, which means there’s some big decisions for fantasy managers ahead. Even if your league won’t be starting the playoffs until the week after, the coming week will be massive either way as teams jockey for playoff spots or battle in the first round of the playoffs.
Having a good idea of the incoming schedule across the NHL is always a great way to gain the upper-hand in tight matchups. Identifying teams to target and avoid when it comes to streaming options can give you a big advantage over your opponent by optimizing the man games available to your team.
Let’s take a look at some optimal streaming targets for Week 23 in fantasy based off of their teams schedule, as well as some teams to avoid.
Jared McCann – C – Seattle Kraken
Week 23 games: @LA, vs. VGK, vs. VGK, vs. DAL
Jared McCann continues to fly under the radar on a bad inaugural Seattle Kraken team. One of the more underrated players in the NHL, McCann is also highly underrated in fantasy. McCann has produced an impressive 23 goals and 37 points in 56 games this season. He’s also put up 156 shots, good for just under three shots per game.
He’s currently second on the Kraken in scoring and leads the team in goals by a wide margin. Among forwards league-wide, his 23 goals rank 55th. He currently sits tied for goals with the likes of Brayden Point, Andrei Svechnikov, and Sidney Crosby to name a few. His 1.29 goals/60 sits 23rd in the NHL among forwards with at least 25 games played.
Despite this, he’s currently just 19% owned in Yahoo! leagues. He’s got four points in his last five games, and with four games on the slate next week for the Kraken, including back-to-back home games against the struggling Vegas Golden Knights, McCann offers some great value as a streamer option.
Trevor Moore – LW – Los Angeles Kings
Week 23 games: vs. SEA, @EDM, @CGY, @WPG
Trevor Moore has quietly flown under the radar over the past three months on a surprise Los Angeles Kings team. His ice time and role on the Kings has risen significantly over the past couple months, and as a result he’s racking up points. As it stands, Moore currently sits second on the Kings for points—behind only Anze Kopitar—with 41 in 66 games.
Over his last 10 games, Moore has put up four goals and five assists for nine points. Over that stretch he’s also posted 33 shots, good for 3.3 per game. If we go back even further to January 1, right around when he was given an expanded role on the team, Moore has produced 34 points in 34 games. That total ranks 38th in the NHL among forwards in that time span. That’s not a short sample size either. Moore’s production is clearly for real.
With the Kings scheduled for four games next week and Moore rolling right now he’s a great streamer option for the week as he’s currently just 12% owned in Yahoo! leagues.
Brandon Saad – LW – St. Louis Blues
Week 23 games: vs. VAN, @VAN, @EDM, @CGY
Brandon Saad is in the midst of his best season offensively since the 2016–17 season in which he posted 53 points in 82 games. So far this season, he’s put up 36 points including 19 goals in 59 goals on a deep Blues team.
Saad has bounced around the Blues lineup, but recently he’s been playing on the team’s top line alongside Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron. He’s also playing on the Blues’ second power play unit. Over the last seven games, he’s posted two goals and six points to go along with 15 shots.
As long as Saad is playing on the Blues top line he provides some solid value in fantasy. With the Blues set to play four games next including a matchup with the Oilers’ bottom-10 defence, Saad should be considered a great streaming option sitting at just 11% owned in Yahoo! right now.
Adam Henrique – C – Anaheim Ducks
Week 23 games: vs. DAL, vs. DAL, vs. ARI, @EDM
Adam Henrique may not be a flashy name, but he’s put up some solid production this season with the Anaheim Ducks which has gone mostly unnoticed across the league. Henrique has battled some injuries this season which have kept him out of 22 games, however in the 44 games he’s played, he’s posted a very solid 31 points.
In particular, he’s been on a tear over the past month. Over his past 15 games dating back to February 17, Henrique has eight goals and 14 points. He’s also posted 31 shots, good for just over two per game. Over those 15 games, he’s played at least 18 minutes eight times, so he’s getting a ton of opportunity on a young Ducks roster. He’s also centring the Ducks’ top power play unit, which ranks 11th in the NHL.
Henrique has four games this week, including two against bottom-10 defences in the NHL. In the form he’s currently in and sitting at just 12% owned in Yahoo!, he’s a great streaming option for teams in need of forward help.
Spencer Knight – G – Florida Panthers
Week 23 games: vs. MTL, vs. CHI, @NJ, @BUF
Rookie Spencer Knight has recently taken a much larger role in the Panthers’ crease, as starter Sergei Bobrovsky has been out with a nagging injury. Knight’s taken full advantage of it too. In the six games he’s started dating back to March 7, he’s posted a record of 4–2–0 along with a GAA of 2.00 and a save percentage of 0.925.
Even better for his status going into this week is the fact the Panthers have a cake walk four-game schedule. The Panthers face four bottom-10 teams next week, including a back-to-back against the Devils and Sabres. Even if Bobrovsky is back, Knight should still get some easy starts next week and is well worth an add. At 54% owned in Yahoo!, he should be available still in some leagues.
Streaming teams to avoid
If you are looking for some streaming options for next week, it’s probably best to avoid both Nashville and Washington players as the two teams each only have two games in week 23. Using a valuable pickup during the playoffs on a player on set to play two games during that matchup is almost never worth it.
Playing for the playoffs
With lots more on the line in fantasy hockey, now’s the best time to pull out all stops and be strategic. It can be the difference maker and knowing who to add can help elevate you past your opponents. Good luck in the fantasy playoffs if you’re in them!
