*Note – These write-ups will be more detailed during the regular season as skater lines, data, and other factors are more clearcut.
Games on the Slate
Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets
Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals
Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs
Dallas Stars at St. Louis Blues
Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights
Top Goalies
Frederik Andersen (TOR)
Andersen should get the full game tonight against the Red Wings as he rounds into form for the start of the regular season. Toronto should handle Detroit and Andersen stands out as the safest play in net to pick up a win post a solid save number.
Jake Allen (STL)
Allen will play the full sixty minutes tonight for the Blues as they take on a high-powered Stars offense. Allen is a risky play and is very boom or bust. He should see plenty of shots and stands out as a high upside play.
Phillip Grubauer (COL)
Grubauer is slated to start for Colorado tonight, but it is unclear at this time whether or not he’ll go the full game. My guess is that he would with Semyon Varlamov likely getting the net for the Avs last preseason game. Grubauer is priced at $7,500; $100 more than Jake Allen and $300 less than Frederik Andersen suggesting that Grubauer will go a little lower owned. Colorado should win this game and Grubauer is one of the better backup goaltenders in the league.
Key Three Skaters
This section will cover my three favorite skaters for a particular slate overall.
Cam Atkinson (CBJ)
Columbus will deploy their projected opening night lineup up front. Atkinson is expected to skate on the Jackets’ first line with Artemi Panarin and centered by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Atkinson is a good value in a game that should see ample scoring from both sides at $5,200 and has done well against Pittsburgh. In his last seven games against the Pens, Cam has three goals, two assists, and 28 shots on goal.
Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
Malkin presents as a good pivot off of Sidney Crosby at $900 cheaper. In his last six games against Columbus, Geno has two goals, five assists, and 18 shots on goal. The line of Malkin, Phil Kessel, and Carl Hagelin combined for two goals, two assists, and seven shots on goal.
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
The Blues will skate a full lineup tonight against the Stars and goaltender Landon Bow who has allowed five goals on 24 shots thus far in the preseason. Tarasenko has yet to find the back of the net in his two preseason games but as one of the better goal scorers in the league, he can only be held down for so long. In five games against the Stars last season, he had three goals, two assists, and 17 shots on goal.
Sneaky Skater
Kasperi Kapanen (TOR)
Kapanen is getting an opportunity tonight to skate on the Leafs’ top line with John Tavares and Mitch Marner. Kapanen has a goal in each of the last two games and comes in at a great value at $4,600.
Top Positional Plays
Center
Sidney Crosby (PIT)
Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
John Tavares (TOR)
Auston Matthews (TOR)
William Karlsson (VGK)
Evgeni Kuznetsov (WAS)
Ryan O’Reilly (STL)
Brayden Schenn (STL)
Nicklas Backstrom (WAS)
Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ)
Alex Wennberg (CBJ)
Wing
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
Patric Hornqvist (PIT)
Phil Kessel (PIT)
Jonathan Marchessault (VGK)
Cam Atkinson (CBJ)
Artemi Panarin (CBJ)
Mitch Marner (TOR)
Mikko Rantanen (COL)
Patrick Marleau (TOR)
Gabriel Landeskog (COL)
Reilly Smith (VGK)
Jake Guentzel (PIT)
Defense
Kris Letang (PIT)
John Carlson (WAS)
Morgan Rielly (TOR)
Alex Pietrangelo (STL)
Tyson Barrie (COL)
Dougie Hamilton (CAR)
Zach Werenski (CBJ)
Jake Gardiner (TOR)
Erik Johnson (COL)
Jaccob Slavin (CAR)
Colin Miller (VGK)
Matt Niskanen (WAS)
Brayden McNabb (VGK)
Favorite Line Stacks
Pittsburgh Penguins Second Line
Hagelin – Malkin – Kessel
Columbus Blue Jackets First Line
Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson
Toronto Maple Leafs Second Line
Marleau – Matthews – Ennis
Vegas Golden Knights First Line
Marchessault – Karlsson – Smith
GOOD LUCK!!