The Week Ahead: Kraken Play Four at Home

After a hiatus of two-plus years, The Week Ahead is back. I'll break down the schedule, give you some fantasy tips, as well as giving you some injury reports.

All statistics are through Saturday's games unless otherwise noted.  

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 11-17

4 Games: Carolina, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis, Vancouver, Vegas

3 Games: Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, Toronto, Washington, Winnipeg

2 Games: Anaheim, Chicago, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Utah

Seattle plays all four games at home.

Nashville plays all four games on the road.

Colorado, Florida, Pittsburgh and Vancouver play three games at home.

Detroit, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, San Jose, St. Louis and Winnipeg play three games on the road.

ANAHEIM

Games this week: vs. Vegas, vs. Detroit

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Ducks only play twice this week, both at home...Anaheim is having trouble finding the back of the net as they are last in NHL scoring, averaging 2.08 goals...Troy Terry leads the Ducks with 10 points in 13 games...Cutter Gauthier is still looking for his first career NHL goal after 14 games.

BOSTON

Games this week: @ St. Louis, @ Dallas, vs. St. Louis

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Bruins are off to a slow start...Elias Lindholm was pointless in seven straight games but has an assist in four of his last six contests...Charlie McAvoy has only two goals and four points through 16 games...I'm disappointed with the start of Trent Frederic. He has a goal, two assists and a minus-11 rating through 16 games after posting 18 goals and 40 points last season.

BUFFALO

Games this week: vs. Montreal, vs. St. Louis, @ Philadelphia

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Rasmus Dahlin started the season with only two assists in eight games but has turned it on of late, scoring twice and adding seven assists in seven games...Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn have a combined three goals thus far, a far cry from two seasons ago when they combined for 45 goals. That's not great production for two players drafted seventh and eighth overall in 2019 and 2020.

CALGARY

Games this week: vs. Los Angeles, @ Vancouver, vs. Nashville

Tired: @ Vancouver (Tuesday)

Rested: vs. Nashville (Friday)

Notes: The Flames placed Anthony Mantha on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. He had four goals and seven points in 13 games before his injury...Rasmus Andersson has one assist in his last seven games after starting the season with four goals and 10 points in his first eight contests...Jonathan Huberdeau has two goals and one assist in his last 11 games.

CAROLINA

Games this week: @ Vegas, @ Utah, vs. Ottawa, vs. St. Louis

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Hurricanes play four times this week, including back-to-back games on the weekend...Look for Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin to share the net...Jack Roslovic has been on fire this season with nine goals and an assist in 12 games heading into action Saturday. He is seeing plenty of first line time alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov...Brent Burns has five assists in his last seven games after starting the season pointless in his first five games.

CHICAGO  

Games this week: @Seattle, @ Vancouver

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blackhawks are in the Pacific Northeast for a pair of games this week...Taylor Hall has only two goals and six points in 15 games...Connor Bedard has 13 points in 15 games, but has been held off the scoresheet in four of his last six games...The Blackhawks are 10-45 on the power play and have been way more successful on the road where they are 7-25.

COLORADO

Games this week: 

vs. Nashville, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Washington

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder surgery) returned to action Tuesday for the first time this season and had a goal and an assist...Valeri Nichushkin is expected back in time to play against Washington after his suspension of six months is slated to be lifted...Only two regulars, Samuel Girard and Joel Kiviranta are in the plus column ahead of action Saturday, and both are plus-1.

COLUMBUS

Games this week: @ Seattle, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Montreal  

Tired: @ Montreal (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Blue Jackets have surprised in the early going, especially in the goalscoring department as they are averaging 3.33 goals, almost half a goal ahead of last season's pace...Kirill Marchenko leads the way with 13 points in 12 contests, while free agent signing Sean Monahan has 11 points and a team-leading six goals...Elvis Merzlikins is 2-3-1, but his 2.69 GAA and .910 save percentage are a huge improvement over the last two seasons.

DALLAS

Games this week: @ Pittsburgh, vs. Boston, @ Minnesota

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Jason Robertson is off to a mediocre start with four goals and seven points in 13 games...It's surprising to see Matt Duchene leading the way offensively with seven goals and 15 points...Rookie Logan Stankoven is second in points with 12...Wyatt Johnson got off to a great start with a point in each of his first five games, but he has only one assist in his last nine outings.

DETROIT

Games this week: @ Pittsburgh, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles   

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Red Wings play three games in four nights on the road...Cam Talbot should get three starts while Alex Lyon (lower body) will get one start if healthy. Otherwise, look for Ville Husso to get the extra start...Lucas Raymond has only one goal but leads the team with 13 points, one better than Alex DeBrincat...Dylan Larkin has always had more goals than assists since his age-20 season in 2016-17, but he has nine goals and only two helpers in 2024-25.

EDMONTON

Games this week: vs. New York Islanders, vs. Nashville, @ Toronto

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Oilers are off to another slow start, sitting 6-7-1 heading into Saturday's game in Vancouver...Connor McDavid should get going soon as he has only 10 points in 11 appearances...Evan Bouchard has also been a disappointment with seven points in 14 games after a career-high 82 points last season...Leon Draisaitl leads the team with nine goals and 16 points...Zach Hyman has three goals in his last four games after starting the season on the schneid in his first 10 contests.

FLORIDA

Games this week: vs. New Jersey, vs. New Jersey, vs. Winnipeg

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Panthers play back-to-back games with the Devils at home as part of their three-game home schedule this week...Sam Reinhart has been a gem again this season with 11 goals and 23 points in 15 games...I think Spencer Knight is going to get a lot more starts in the near future...Sergei Bobrovsky is 36 and while his 8-2-1 record is great, he has a 2.95 GAA and an .895 save percentage.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week: @ Calgary, @ Colorado, vs. Detroit

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: I've been quite impressed with the play of Brandt Clarke, who has a goal and 11 assists in 15 games, including a pair of three-point efforts...Clarke has taken over quarterbacking the first unit from Drew Doughty (broken ankle) who may not return until January...Anze Kopitar leads the team with 15 points.

MINNESOTA

Games this week: vs. Montreal, vs. Dallas

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Kirill Kaprizov leads the NHL in scoring with 27 points heading into action Saturday...Marco Rossi has excelled since he was placed on the top line. He has four goals and 13 points in his last 13 games...The move allowed the Wild to use Joel Eriksson Ek as their second-line center, giving the Wild a pair of outstanding lines up front. Filip Gustavsson has returned to form this season after a lackluster 2023-24 campaign. He is 7-2-1 with a 2.30 GAA and a .920 save percentage.

MONTREAL

Games this week: @ Buffalo, @ Minnesota, vs. Columbus

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Columbus (Saturday)

Notes: The Canadiens have no players on the plus side in plus/minus. Kirby Dach is the worst on the team at minus-14...The Canadiens were counting on Patrik Laine to add to their scoring but his knee injury in training camp put a crimp into those plans...The Canadiens are still hopeful he is able to return before Christmas...Montreal has had the worst goaltending in the league as they are averaging 4.07 goals against heading into action Saturday.

NASHVILLE

Games this week: @ Colorado, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary, @ Vancouver

Tired: @ Calgary (Friday)

Rested: @ Vancouver (Sunday)

Notes: The Predators play all four games on the road, including three games in four nights...Look for Juuse Saros to play three times while Scott Wedgewood is expected to play once...Steven Stamkos is coming on strong after a weak start. Stamkos has three goals and seven points in his last seven games. He began his Nashville career with a goal in his first eight games.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week: @ Florida, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Devils are in the state of Florida this week with a back-to-back against the Panthers and one game in Tampa Bay...The Devils have received solid goaltending from their tandem of Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen as the team is eighth-best in the NHL...Jesper Bratt leads the team with 19 points in 17 games...Luke Hughes is off to a slow start with an assist in eight games. He missed the first nine games of the season recovering from a shoulder injury.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week: @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Seattle

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Islanders are hoping that Alexander Romanov (upper body) is able to return after missing four games...Noah Dobson has only six assists in 15 games, after he had a breakout campaign in 2023-24, scoring 10 times while adding 60 assists in 79 contests...Ilya Sorokin is back to his old self after a tough season last year. He is 4-3-2 with a 2.52 GAA and a .916 save percentage and has returned to being a top-10 goaltender in the NHL.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week: vs. Winnipeg, vs. San Jose, @ Seattle

Tired: None

Rested: @ Seattle (Sunday)

Notes: The Rangers' top line of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere has combined for 43 points in 13 games, with Panarin leading the team with 21 while Zibanejad and Lafreniere each have 11...Adam Fox has had three straight seasons of at least 72 points but he has only nine assists in 12 contests, a pace of 62 points, heading into action Saturday...Igor Shesterkin gave up five goals on 12 shots Thursday, but he is still 6-3-1 with a 2.62 GAA and a .920 save percentage.

OTTAWA 

Games this week: @ Toronto, vs. Philadelphia, @ Carolina

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Senators hope to get Shane Pinto (undisclosed) back in the lineup Nov. 9 as they are 2-5-0 in his absence...Tim Stutzle likely was the best player in his 2020 Draft year and is well on his way to a career year with 19 points in 14 games. Stutzle had 39 goals and 90 points as a 20-year-old in 2022-23...Claude Giroux is without a point in his last six games but still has five goals and 11 points in 14 contests.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week: vs. San Jose, @ Ottawa, vs. Buffalo

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Flyers have been impressed with the play of rookie Matvei Michkov, who had four goals and 10 points in 13 games...Still, coach John Tortorella made him a healthy scratch Thursday and Saturday, as Michkov had only one point in his previous five games...Jamie Drysdale continues to baffle me. He was selected sixth overall in 2020 by the Ducks and has struggled to remain healthy ever since, but he has only a goal and two assists in 15 games this season, all on the power play. He should be a lot better than that.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week: vs. Dallas, vs. Detroit, @ Columbus, vs. San Jose

Tired: vs. San Jose (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Penguins play four games this week, including three in four nights...The Penguins recalled Tristan Jarry on Saturday from a two-week conditioning stint and will carry three goaltenders...Look for Alex Nedeljkovic to play twice while Jarry and Joel Blomqvist should each get one start...Sidney Crosby continues to defy Father Time. The 37-year-old has six goals and 16 points in 16 games...Evgeni Malkin is a touch better with five goals and 18 points as a 38-year-old.

SAN JOSE

Games this week: @ Philadelphia, @ New York Rangers, @ Pittsburgh

Tired: None

Rested: @ Pittsburgh (Saturday)

Notes: The Sharks got Macklin Celebrini back this week after he missed 12 games with a lower-body injury...Celebrini, who was selected first overall in 2024 and could be a generational talent, has three goals and four points in three games...Keep an eye on Yaroslav Askarov. He was sent to the minors after he was hurt all training camp and has been wonderful at AHL San Jose, going 5-1-0 with a 1.51 GAA and a .950 save percentage. He is the goalie of the future for the Sharks and his future could be imminent.

SEATTLE

Games this week: vs. Columbus. vs. Chicago, vs. New York Islanders, vs. New York Rangers

Tired: vs. New York Rangers (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Kraken play all four games at home, including three in four nights...Look for Joey Daccord to play three times if Philipp Grubauer (home accident) is not able to play...Ales Stezka was recalled to replace Grubauer in the interim...  The Kraken were hoping that Vince Dunn (upper body) would return this week but it appears that around Thanksgiving is a more reasonable timeline.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week: vs. Boston, @ Buffalo, @ Boston, @ Carolina
Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blues play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Jordan Binnington should get three starts with Joel Hofer picking up one...The Blues were hurt hard when Philip Broberg suffered a lower-body injury Nov. 2 that will keep him out of action 4-6 weeks. He had two goals and seven assists in 12 games before the injury...Jordan Kyrou leads St. Louis with five goals and 13 points.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week: vs. Winnipeg, vs. New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Lightning only play twice this week...Brayden Point could return this week from a lower-body injury that has cost him two games...He is off to another great start with eight goals and 13 points in 12 games as he hopes to hit the 90-point mark for the third straight season...Victor Hedman has three goals and 13 points in 14 games and is tied for fourth in defenseman scoring.

TORONTO

Games this week: vs. Ottawa, @ Washington, vs. Edmonton

Tired: @ Washington (Wednesday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Maple Leafs hope to get Auston Matthews back against the Senators as he missed all three games this past week...Matthews has five goals in 13 games, a far cry from his pace of last season when he had 69 goals in 81 appearances...William Nylander leads the team with 11 goals...Morgan Rielly has six points in his last three games, giving him 12 points in 16  contests.

UTAH

Games this week: vs. Carolina, vs. Vegas

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Utah is 6-6-3 in their first season in Salt Lake City...Dylan Guenther leads the team with seven goals while Clayton Keller has 13 points, tops on the squad...Mikhail Sergachev has given the team a top-notch defenseman, after the offseason deal with Tampa Bay...He has two goals and 10 points, including a goal and two assists on the power play.

VANCOUVER

Games this week: vs. Calgary, vs. New York Islanders, vs. Chicago, @ Nashville

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Canucks play four games this week, including three games in four nights...Kevin Lankinen should get three starts with Arturs Silovs picking up the remaining game...Lankinen has been everything the Canucks could have ever asked for. He signed just before training camp and has been sensational, going 7-0-2 with a 2.08 GAA and a .923 save percentage heading into action Saturday, making most forget about the knee woes of Thatcher Demko.

VEGAS

Games this week: vs. Carolina, @ Anaheim, @ Utah, vs. Washington

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Golden Knights are off to a great start as they are 9-3-2. They are getting great production out of their top line of Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone, who have combined for 59 points in 14 games...Stone missed Friday's game with a lower-body injury...Alex Pietrangelo has two goals and 13 points in 14 games...Vegas has been scoring at a tremendous clip: 4.36 goals per game, second-best in the NHL.

WASHINGTON

Games this week: vs. Toronto, @ Colorado, @ Vegas

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Toronto (Wednesday)

Notes: The Capitals have been the surprise team in the league this season...They are 10-4-0 as Logan Thompson is a perfect 7-0-0 between the pipes...He has been sharing the net with Charlie Lindgren and that seems to be working...Alex Ovechkin seems revitalized after last season's slump in which he potted only 31 goals in 79 games. He has 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games, but has only two goals and two assists on the power play.

WINNIPEG

Games this week: @ New York Rangers, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Jets are the best team in the NHL at this time...They are 14-1-0 and lead the league in scoring with 67 goals and have allowed the least (per game) with 31...Connor Hellebuyck has been sensational with a 11-1-0 mark, to go with a 1.83 GAA and a .935 save percentage...Up front, they are led by Kyle Connor, who has nine goals and 19 points, and Mark Scheifele, who also has 19 points.