This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Everybody knows about the Toronto Maple Leafs big three rookies, or at least everybody should. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander are all having impressive seasons. However, there is another, better team with a trio of rookie contributors as well. That team? The New York Rangers.
You may be familiar with Jimmy Vesey. He was one of those college free agents who get a bidding frenzy going, and Vesey ended up in New York, where he has helped take their offense to another level. Then, there's Pavel Buchnevich. The Russian missed a few games this season, but when he's been healthy, he's been an impressive offense force. Don't forget Brady Skjei, though. The 22-year-old was a first-round pick in 2012, and after getting a cup of coffee with the Rangers last year, he's taken up a position on the blueline. While he doesn't have a goal yet, he has nine assists.
Toronto's rookies are helping to rebuild the Leafs and turn them into contenders again. The Rangers trio may help keep the window open for New York a little longer.
Featured Matchups
Penguins (PP: 3, PK: 16) at Capitals (PP: 24, PK: 20), 7:30 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Marc-Andre Fleury (6-3-2, 3.06, .910), Philipp Grubauer (2-1-0, 2.00, .925)
Key Injuries:Derrick Pouliot (undisclosed), Daniel Sprong (shoulder)
It's always exciting when these two teams play one another. Such, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are no longer the fresh, young faces of the NHL, but they are still two of the league's best players. The Capitals played Tuesday night, losing to the Blue Jackets 2-1 in overtime. That's indicative of the surprising issues Washington has had scoring goals. Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson both have seven, while T.J. Oshie has six. It should also probably be noted that the Capitals decided to start Grubauer on Tuesday, which means Braden Holtby will actually likely be getting the start for Washington. That's not good for the Penguins, as Holtby is one of the league's best goaltenders. The Penguins have three players, Crosby, Patric Hornqvist, and Phil Kessel, who have at least three goals on the power play. Both Kessel and Hornqvist have shooting percentages that are likely to improve a bit, although the fact Kessel has only taken 34 shots in 15 games is a bit concerning.
Coyotes (PP: 25, PK: 28) at Flames (PP: 29, PK: 29), 10:00 p.m.
Expected Goalies:Louis Domingue (4-8-0, 3.42, .899), Chad Johnson (2-2-1, 2.93, .893)
Key Injuries:Martin Hanzal (lower body), Mike Smith (lower body), Kris Versteeg (groin)
This game is the polar opposite of Penguins-Capitals. That game is between two likely Stanley Cup contenders and longtime Eastern Conference rivals. This game is between two afterthoughts with terrible goaltending. However, bad goaltending often leads to good fantasy days. Much like the Capitals, the Flames played on Tuesday, and they went with Johnson in net, which could mean Brian Elliott in net for this game. However, considering that Elliott has a .882 save percentage, maybe they will go with Johnson, who played well against the Wild on Tuesday. The Coyotes' scoring leaders are a contrasting pair. On the one hand, you have Radim Vrbata, the 35-year-old veteran who has been oft overlooked in his career. On the other hand, there's Max Domi, a 21-year-old in his second season who is considered part of Arizona's future. Both have 11 points, although Domi has done that while only scoring one goal. His shooting percentage is 3.4. That's going to improve. For the Flames, Johnny Gaudreau scored Tuesday, an encouraging sign considering his slow start to the season. On the other hand, Sean Monahan continues to struggle. Both should be fine in the long run, and Gaudreau actually leads the Flames in scoring so he's only been off by his standards. A game against the Coyotes can be good for what ails you.
Recommended Pickup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, EDM – Nugent-Hopkins was selected first overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. However, because the Oilers kept getting high draft picks, and because The Nuge has had trouble staying healthy, his role is a little smaller this year. Even with Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov both traded, Nugent-Hopkins is playing the fewest average minutes per game of his career. However, while this may have dropped RNH's stock, don't give up on him. He's still a 23-year-old who is a first overall pick and he's taking a lot of shots. His numbers are bound to improve, and if you pick him up you can take advantage of it when they do.
