Is a roster battle real simply because it gets written or talked about? I think I should rephrase that. Who cares about a fourth-line position battle, even if a hot-shot rookie is involved? Feels rhetorical, doesn't it?
This article doesn't touch on bottom-line, last-pairing discussions. The preseason is littered with homer-centered analyses that make your head spin. Those make me see red because they're packed with oversimplified overanalysis. And that means they lack the practicality that fantasy managers need to get a leg up on the competition.
You might find some of these obvious. Others, not so much. I hope they make you think and take pause in some cases. Who knows - a little luck in one or two of these situations, and you could be bringing home some serious coin. Let's dive right in.
Boston's Goaltender
Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo - Yes, Swayman is the No. 1, but he's never played more than 44 games in any regular season, and he's holding out for a new deal, so there's an immediate risk that Korpisalo gets thrust into the net to open the year. Even when Swayman signs, there's every chance the Bruins may decide to alternate starts, the same way they've done it for the last while. The bottom line is that they need Swayman to be fresh in the postseason, so a platoon makes sense. Can Korpisalo deliver? Many fantasy managers will avoid him at the draft because of his awful numbers in 2023-24, but he's only one year removed from a strong season the year before – 39 games with a 2.87 GAA and .914 save percentage. He performed well in a platoon in 2019-20, too. The Bruins know they need to pay Swayman, and his contract will be big, but they'll measure their ROI on the deal by their success in the unpaid season. Korpisalo will be a fantasy steal in the Bruins' structure.
Detroit's Goaltender
Cam Talbot vs. Alex Lyon vs. Ville Husso vs. Jack Campbell - The Yzerplan is more than five years old with nothing to show. Last season, Detroit's net was a hot mess - Yzerman hated the three-headed goalie system, but the Wings opened camp this year with not three, but four twine-tenders competing for starts. Talbot is first in line, but he won't replicate his L.A. numbers. The Detroit defensive system pales in comparison to the structure he left. Husso looked like a rising star in St. Louis, so the skills may be there, but he sure hasn't shown them lately. Lyon was great last season in 44 games, but can a journeyman with 39 previous NHL starts over six seasons really become a No. 1 at almost 32? Then there's Campbell, who's beloved wherever he goes, but being liked doesn't earn anyone a job. He's likely AHL bound. Talbot will get the majority of starts, at least to start the season, but Husso's motivation will be high as he tries to earn another contract. Steer clear of this battle - it's hard to milk value from any three-headed situation.
Nashville's No. 2 Center
Steven Stamkos vs. Thomas Novak vs. Colton Sissons - This situation would be clearer if Stammer hadn't already made the transition to the wing. Still, he'll see time at second-line center because he's the shiny new toy in town, but Novak may be the more useful fit. Novak's offensive is solid, and his 45 points from 2023-24 could scale up to 60 skating with Stamkos as his wingman. Novak, as the No. 2 center, leaves Stammer to be Stammer, and a repeat of 40 goals and 81 points becomes more likely because there's no extra responsibility of middle ice. Sissons is the long shot here. He played on the second line a fair bit last season, but his grit is better served on the third line.
Pittsburgh No. 2 Rightwing
Rutger McGroarty vs. Rickard Rakell - The search for the "mythical winger for Sid or Geno" may be over. McGroarty arrived this summer after 52 points in 36 games at Michigan and a gold medal at the World Juniors while wearing the C. He's just 20, but he's already making waves at camp. Rakell is a fine two-way player, but none of his skills stand out, and his 60 points from two seasons ago were an outlier. Sure, the Pens might insulate McGroarty on the third line to start, but this kid is as advertised. A future star. He'll play his way to Malkin's wing and never look back. The Pens need him to do that, given the issues of aging that affect their roster. They need some kind of hope. McGroarty is that hope.
Toronto's No. 2 Leftwing
Max Pacioretty vs. Nicholas Robertson vs. Max Domi - Pacioretty is in Leafs' camp on a PTO, but it feels like a wink-wink-nudge-nudge situation. There's talk around town that the gig is his, and a contract is waiting in the wings. Two goals in the Leafs' first preseason games showed those sniper's hands are as sharp as ever. Max Domi is going to start on the wing this season, so watch for him to slide to the right-wing No. 2 role - he excelled as the top-line leftwing last season when Mitch Marner was injured. Robertson is a long shot for this spot, although his skills would be a nice fit with William Nylander as the second-line center. I'm counting on MaxPac to emerge and to get time on the No. 2 power-play unit, as the guy can straight-up score.
Two Spots in Vegas's Top-6
Ivan Barbashev, Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexander Holtz, and Victor Olofsson - Two spots in the Knights' top six are wide open with the departure of Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson. Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl are top-six locks, although you should watch Eichel's troubles at the dot - they may eventually push him off center, given Karlsson and Hertl's skills in that world. Meanwhile, Stone only seems healthy in a COVID-shortened season, so who's first in line for the next two spots? It's a fresh start for Holtz, who hasn't developed like many thought. He shoots right, which is material in a sea of lefties. Dorofeyev had chemistry with a couple of the top-six locks last season, so it seems like he has a leg up. Still, this is a dice roll, so watch camp closely. Whoever emerges will have some fantasy value because of 5-on-5 play and the halo effect of the teams' good plus-minus.
Vegas' Netminder
Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov - Hill should be the 1A, and Samsonov should get 30 games tops, but should is a word laced with judgment, and it's awfully toxic. It reminds me of how the Vegas braintrust views their netminding. There's no loyalty to past success. Hockey is a cold, precise business, especially in a city that never sleeps. That means this duo could easily be a platoon, even with Samsonov coming off a horrendous season. There's only one way, and that's up for him, and he'll pull it off with this new team. The goalie system somehow works in Vegas, but I'm still staying away. Hill deserves better, like Marc-Andre Fleury and Logan Thompson before him, but volatility in your fantasy net is a recipe for a season of misery.
Washington's No. 2 Leftwing
Connor McMichael vs. Sonny Milano vs. Ivan Miroshnichenko
vs. Jakub Vrana - McMichael was pushed to the wing when Pierre-Luc Dubois arrived. He's not without talent, but is he a top-six guy? His floor and ceiling aren't far apart, so that means there's potential stability with McMichael as their man. Milano goes on hot streaks all the time, but they don't last long enough to move him to the second line more permanently. Vrana has talent but needs a perfect fit, and that doesn't feel like the Caps. Enter Miroshnichenko, who is no longer the dark horse. He led the team in skate testing in training camp, has looked at home with the veterans, and has even had observers saying he reminds them of a young Alex Ovechkin. Now, wouldn't that be a fascinating combo – Ovie and Miro together on Capitol Hill?
