This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
The number of quality rookies and sophomore skaters this season is astounding. Connor McDavid leads the NHL in points (46). Two of the top four goal scorers are natural rookies with Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews tied for third with 21 apiece. Rookie netminder Matt Murray — yup, he's still a rookie — ranks sixth in save percentage.
But that makes it tough for other rookies who are playing well to get noticed. Two, in particular, have become noteworthy for fantasy discussions. Calgary's Matthew Tkachuk and Carolina's Sebastian Aho are begging you to take a deeper look.
With an assist Saturday, Tkachuk has points in nine (NINE!) straight games. His ice time hasn't been huge, but if he keeps up this production, he's going to demand more ice with his play.
Sunday, Aho scored a pair of goals, including the overtime winner. Since Dec. 13, Aho has six goals and 10 points in 12 games. That's accompanied by a plus-5 rating and an average of 2.83 shots per game. He's been an incredibly useful secondary producer.
No, neither is McDavid or Matthews or Laine, but there's real value to be gleaned from giving them consideration for your roster.
Featured Matchups
Capitals (PP: 21, PK: 3) at Canadiens (PP: 10, PK: 21), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Braden Holtby (18-8-4, 1.93, .931), Carey Price (20-5-4, 2.06, .930)
Key Injuries:Paul Byron (upper body), David Desharnais (knee), Alex Galchenyuk (knee), Brendan Gallagher (hand), Andrei Markov (lower body), Greg Pateryn (ankle), Andrew Shaw (concussion), T.J. Oshie (upper body)
This is the night's marquee match and it should be a fun game. Both teams are offensively productive and have stalwart defenses with thriving goaltenders, both of whom carry at least a .930 save percentage.
The Caps rank 12th in shots per game and ninth in goals per game. They've been strong offensively, even if it feels like Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov haven't broken through in the way that they should. The two Washington forwards are producing far less than expected. Neither are hitting their career average shooting percentage and Ovechkin isn't producing the shot volume we've come to expect. Yet, the Caps are ok anyhow.
Meanwhile, the Habs rank eighth in shots per game and fifth in goals per game. It creates a bit of an immovable object meets an unstoppable force situation. Even their special teams match up in an odd way. Montreal's penalty kill ranks 21st and could be seen as a weakness, but the Caps power play isn't the powerhouse it has been in so many seasons past. Flip it around and Montreal has a strong power play, but the Washington penalty kill has been lights out.
Here are two teams that are producing offense and have deep forward corps. Though, the Gallagher injury is going to hinder Montreal's offense more than expected, especially with Galchenyuk out already. Nonetheless, there's a lot of depth to be mined here for fantasy rosters on any given night.
Flames (PP: 12, PK: 17) at Jets (PP: 18, PK: 26), 8:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Brian Elliott (8-10-1, 2.95, .889), Connor Hellebuyck (15-13-1, 2.75, .910)
Key Injuries:Troy Brouwer (finger), Marko Dano (lower body), Patrik Laine (undisclosed), Tyler Myers (lower body)
Losing a rookie shouldn't be such a big deal, but the loss of Laine for any amount of time will be a big blow to the Jets. He's not only their leading scorer but the lifeblood of their power play. Without him, that 18th ranked power play becomes magnitudes more tepid.
But this still manages to rank as an important game in terms of fantasy. Neither team is known for their ability to keep pucks out of the net. The starting goaltenders aren't posting impressive numbers. Both penalty kills rank in the back half of the league. The Jets allow the 15th most shots against per game, while the Flames rank 24th. In goals against per game, the Flames rank 17th and the Jets sit back at 26th.
It certainly raises the possibility that both teams open things up and look to score rather than retreating into a defensive shell. With teams that have weaker defense and goaltending all-around, it means there's a little more meat on the opposing team's depth chart.
Whether that means banking on someone near the top of team scoring that can be a little cheaper like Nikolaj Ehlers or rolling the dice on someone who has been having some success lately like Shawn Matthias (three goals, 13 shots in last five games), it's worth trotting down the depth chart in this game since it's such a thin night overall.
Other Matchups
Panthers (PP: 23, PK: 6) at Devils (PP: 29, PK: 13), 7:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:James Reimer (6-6-3, 2.59, .916), Cory Schneider (12-13-6, 2.78, .908)
Key Injuries:Aleksander Barkov (undisclosed), Nick Bjugstad (lower body), Seth Griffith (concussion), Jonathan Huberdeau (achilles), Roberto Luongo (upper body), Greg McKegg (upper body), Alex Petrovic (ankle), Yohann Auvitu (lower body), Vernon Fiddler (lower body), Andy Greene (upper body), Jacob Josefson (illness), John Moore (concussion)
The Panthers should be an outstanding match for just about any team right now. They're struggling with their identity, adjusting to a new coach, and have been absolutely decimated by injuries. Lately, it feels like they've lost a player every game.
Yet, the Devils are tied for 27th in the league with 2.24 goals for per game and their 27.4 shots per game is tied for dead last. Down a couple of forwards and a couple of defensemen, it's hard to see how they can break things open and take advantage of Florida being shorthanded.
On the other hand, the Panthers underlying numbers remain decent, but they just can't seem to turn possession into goals. They're down four of their top forwards, a top defenseman, and McKegg, who has been filling in the gaps scoring two goals in the two games before he was injured. How can you expect them to blow things open and take advantage of a struggling Schneider? They could, certainly, but it's hard to make that bet.
Stars (PP: 17, PK: 29) at Kings (PP: 19, PK: 7), 10:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Kari Lehtonen (9-10-4, 2.82, .900), Peter Budaj (18-10-3, 2.03, .919)
Key Injuries:Jamie Benn (foot), Ales Hemsky (hip), Mattias Janmark (knee), Jonathan Quick (groin), Tyler Toffoli (lower body)
In the preseason, you might have assumed this would be a marquee match-up. But neither team has been quite what was expected. The Stars have started to round the corner, but they're still floundering behind mediocre to poor goaltending and a young blue line that has, kindly, been hit and miss.
Dallas is allowing 29.9 shots against per game (19th in the league) and 3.03 goals against per game (28th in the league). Even without Benn, arguably one of the top five forwards in the league, the Stars have the ability to score. That's especially true with defenseman John Klingberg rediscovering his offensive edge.
But they're about to face one of the stingiest defensive teams in the league. No one gives up fewer shots than the Kings at 25.8 per game and their 2.4 goals against per game ranks seventh.
Despite facing a poor defense and even worse goaltending, the Kings offense hasn't been reliable. At just 2.43 goals per game, they rank 22nd. It doesn't jive perfectly with their shot production, which ranks significantly better, but that doesn't make you want to dig deep into their lineup for fantasy options. However, it might be worth a look on a thin night, since it's a situation where Dallas could easily cede a few.
Recommended Pickup
Matthew Tkachuk, LW, CGY — We talked a little bit about him above, but it's not just his recent performances that merit note. Tkachuk is on a run, but through 38 games this season he has seven goals and 25 points. He is also contributing penalty minutes and seeing power play time. Best of all, he's not working alone. His whole line is clicking. He's putting up solid possession numbers with Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik. It helps cement that argument that things are going well and there's a fair chance they keep on going that way.
