This week's article includes Malkin off to a hot start, Bolduc making a difference in his new home, Swayman looking like it's 2023-24, Trocheck week-to-week, and DeAngelo's value already taking a hit.
This is the first column of the regular season. Please provide any comments at the bottom of the column or to either [email protected] or [email protected].
First Liners (Risers)
Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT: If this is Malkin's last season in Pittsburgh, he may be going out with a bang. Malkin notched five assists the first two contests of the season, two of which have come on the man-advantage. After seeing his production drop from 83 to 67 then to 50 points last season, a strong start was needed by Malkin to restore some fantasy value. He hot start, despite being shut out Saturday, will certainly cool, but ride the wave for as long as it lasts.
Zachary Bolduc, LW, MTL: I thought Montreal stole Bolduc for Logan Mailloux this offseason. If Bolduc remains on the second line and continues to play as he has so far, that deal will look even worse. Bolduc has a goal in each of his first three games in blue-blanc-et-rouge, settling in very nicely next to Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher. In addition, he is seeing first-unit power-play action, which is where he posted both points Saturday. Bolduc posted 19 goals and 17 assists last year, marks he should exceed this season.
Matt Boldy, RW, MIN: Boldy
This week's article includes Malkin off to a hot start, Bolduc making a difference in his new home, Swayman looking like it's 2023-24, Trocheck week-to-week, and DeAngelo's value already taking a hit.
This is the first column of the regular season. Please provide any comments at the bottom of the column or to either [email protected] or [email protected].
First Liners (Risers)
Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT: If this is Malkin's last season in Pittsburgh, he may be going out with a bang. Malkin notched five assists the first two contests of the season, two of which have come on the man-advantage. After seeing his production drop from 83 to 67 then to 50 points last season, a strong start was needed by Malkin to restore some fantasy value. He hot start, despite being shut out Saturday, will certainly cool, but ride the wave for as long as it lasts.
Zachary Bolduc, LW, MTL: I thought Montreal stole Bolduc for Logan Mailloux this offseason. If Bolduc remains on the second line and continues to play as he has so far, that deal will look even worse. Bolduc has a goal in each of his first three games in blue-blanc-et-rouge, settling in very nicely next to Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher. In addition, he is seeing first-unit power-play action, which is where he posted both points Saturday. Bolduc posted 19 goals and 17 assists last year, marks he should exceed this season.
Matt Boldy, RW, MIN: Boldy had a career-best season last year, could a new best be set this year? He posted 39 points in 47 games as a rookie in 2021-22 but was just getting started. Boldy notched 63 points the following season, 69 in 2023-24 and 73 points last season. Boldy tallied a goal and an assist Opening Night followed by a power-play goal and two power-play assists Saturday. Skating on the top line with Marco Rossi and Kirill Kaprizov, Boldy could hit the 80-point mark this season.
Kyle Connor, LW, WPG: Connor's goal production has gone from 31 to 34 and then 41 goals last season. His value to the Jets was recognized by the organization, who inked Connor to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension with the Jets this past Wednesday. Connor immediately paid dividends on that deal, notching a hat trick Opening Night on Thursday. Skating next to Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi, Connor could hit the 50-goal mark this season.
Adam Fox, D, NYR: Fox had – for him – a poor 2024-25 campaign. Looking limited due to a possible injury, Fox "fell" to 61 points last season after posting campaigns of 74, 72 and 73 points the prior three seasons. In addition, now playing a zone defensive system under new coach Mike Sullivan as opposed to the man-to-man coverage under Peter Laviolette, Fox has looked better on both ends of the ice. Fox had a pair of power-play goals Saturday and now has three markers on the season.
Nils Lundkvist, D, DAL: Lundkvist, a former first-round pick of the Rangers in 2018, has struggled to produce in the NHL. Last year was no different, as he posted just five points in 39 contests. Lundkvist was in and out of the lineup in the first half of the season, and then shoulder surgery wiped out the second half of his 2024-25 campaign. This season has started much better, as Lundkvist notched a goal and an assist Opening Night, then a helper Saturday while skating on the second pair.
Jeremy Swayman, G, BOS: Swayman had a terrible 2024-25 campaign, posting a 22-29-7 record with a 3.11 goals-against average (GAA) and a poor .892 save percentage. He sat out training camp last season waiting to sign a long-term contract, which happened just before the start of the season. Swayman never settled in and also struggled as the team's top netminder with Linus Ullmark in Ottawa. He wiped the slate clean this offseason and has gotten off to a strong start with two goals allowed in two starts and two wins.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, FLA: No Aleksander Barkov. No Matthew Tkachuk. No problem. Florida and Bobrovsky are 3-0 with the Bob allowing just five goals on 67 shots in those three contests. Bobrovsky has a strong chance at posting 30-plus wins for the third time in four seasons and fourth time in five campaigns. Winner of back-to-back Cups and with 432 wins in his career, Bobrovsky looks like a future Hall of Famer and potential first ballot selection.
Others include Nick Suzuki, Sidney Crosby, Mika Zibanejad, Connor Bedard, Andrei Kuzmenko, David Pastrnak, Filip Forsberg, Kirill Kaprizov, Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand, Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexander Nikishin, Matthew Schaefer, Luke Hughes, John Klingberg, Igor Shesterkin, Joey Daccord, Scott Wedgewood and Jet Greaves.
Buy Low
Frank Nazar, C, CHI: The primary focus in Chicago is still rightfully on Connor Bedard. Our recommendation is to expand your horizons. Nazar, the Blackhawks' second line pivot, is off to a strong start and worth a roster spot in almost all formats. The 21-year-old posted 24 points in 21 AHL games and 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 53 NHL games. He was a major part of Team USA's win at the 2025 IIHF World Championship with six goals and six assists in 10 games. Nazar has carried that success into this season with a goal and four assists through the first three contests of the season. He is buy low based on name recognition in some circles.
Training Room (Injuries)
Vincent Trocheck, C, NYR: Trocheck is week-to-week with an upper body injury suffered last Thursday against Buffalo. Due to Trocheck's absence, Mika Zibanejad moved from wing on the first line to center on the second line, playing between Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere on Saturday. Trocheck fell from 77 points in 2023-24 to 59 points last season but had notched an assist versus the Sabres before he was sidelined.
Others include Aleksander Barkov (knee surgery, injured in training camp, out for the season), Jamie Benn (collapsed lung, out until mid-November), Josh Norris (upper body, put on injured reserve Saturday), Matthew Tkachuk (hernia surgery, back December-ish), Jaccob Slavin (undisclosed, left Saturday's game), Kris Letang (undisclosed, left Saturday's game) and Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body, injured in camp, not yet ready to return).
Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)
Steven Stamkos, C, NAS: Stamkos went from 40 goals and 41 assists with a minus-21 rating in his last season with the Lightning to 27 goals and 53 points over 82 outings for the Predators, with his minus-36 rating by far the worst of his career. He has gotten off to a slow start to the 2025-26 season, failing to score in his first two contests. One big driver for his decline offensively was a drop in shots on goals from 262 in 2023-24 to just 174 last season. In two games, he has just four shots on net, which does not bode well for a substantive change in fortunes for Stamkos.
Yegor Sharangovich, RW, CGY: Sharangovich was limited to 32 points in 73 contests last year after posting a career-best 59 points in his first season in Calgary. Skating on the second line, Sharangovich should have a slight rebound this season, but he is off to a slow start with just an assist his first three games. Blake Coleman and Adam Klapka loom as possible options if Sharangovich is unable to regain his 2023-24 form.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, TB: The tide should turn – or at least I hope so, as Vasilevskiy is my No. 1 goalie in my home draft league – but his start this season certainly has been suboptimal. Vasilevskiy is 0-2 with a 4.66 goals-against average (GAA) and .855 save percentage. Those numbers are on the heels of the Future Hall of Famer going 38-20-5 with a 2.18 GAA and a .921 save percentage over 63 games last season, Remain calm, or, that is what I keep telling myself.
Others include Tage Thompson, Michael Misa, Anthony Duclair, Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan Donato, Filip Hronek, Jackson LaCombe, Jordan Binnington.
Sell High
Tony DeAngelo, D, NYI: On paper, DeAngelo was the Islanders' power play quarterback to start the season, but that is written in pencil. We all knew it was just a matter of time before a switch would be made. Saturday, Matthew Schaefer took over the role, scoring his first goal on the man-advantage while skating 2:40 on the man-advantage. The situation may be fluid, but Schaefer is the future on the blueline. If TdA does not see top-unit power-play duty, his value takes a significant hit.
