1. Dylan Guenther (UTA)

Starting us off on this high-ceiling list is Dylan Guenther. Although a small sample size across his first two NHL campaigns, he is producing at over a 50-point pace in a full 82-game season. He will be starting the year on the first power play unit. On the powerplay, he will be playing his off-side with other electrifying talent in Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Barrett Hayton, and the newest addition of Mikhail Sergachev, who will quarterback the unit.

Guenther is fresh off of a new extension that locks him up at $7.14 million AAV with Utah, for the maximum allotted length of 8 years. He possesses an insane release and high hockey IQ. Pairing him with another young gun in Logan Cooley will be lethal for years to come. He’s projected to be on the right wing of the second line, playing alongside Logan Cooley and Jack McBain.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 55 points

2. Brandt Clarke (LAK)

The preseason continues to be a burden across the league as we’ve seen so many big-league names incurring a major injury. Drew Doughty is a big loss for the Los Angeles Kings as they already were on the bubble on making playoffs. With shipping away a majority of their right-handed defensemen (Matt Roy, Brock Faber, Sean Walker) that they’ve drafted for assets to win now — they could be in trouble. I expect Brandt Clarke to step up and possibly run one of the powerplay units. We saw this last year in Minnesota as Jared Spurgeon went down — Brock Faber thrived in the promotion to the top pair and 1st powerplay unit.

PROJECTION: Top-Four Minutes; Similar but slightly lower than Faber’s production in 2023–24.

3. Jake Sanderson (OTT)

Another comparison of the Spurgeon-Faber situation, Sanderson stepped up to fill the shoes of Thomas Chabot on the 1st defensive pairing and 1st power-play unit. This will not fluctuate as we move toward the future. His skating abilities and awareness in all ends of the ice make him an extremely valuable asset to the Senators organization. Sanderson has been able to produce at almost a .5 point-per-game pace in his first two seasons in the league. The pairing of him and Artem Zub is underrated — they complement each other very well in their strive to get back to the postseason. I expect more offensive output to continue rounding out Sanderson’s game.

PROJECTION: Over 45 points — 1st Power Play Production

4. Gabriel Vilardi (WPG)

Vilardi’s 2023–24 campaign was cut short due to injuries, but he was producing at a tremendous pace after being dealt from the Los Angeles Kings, posting 36 points in 47 games. I’m expecting a big year from Vilardi as he’s slated to be on the first power play unit, as well as the first line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. I think he will fit in greatly with those two as linemates as he can dish the puck and dictate the play with his offensive IQ. Vilardi always seems to find himself in the right areas of the ice and scores at a tremendous rate — of his 36 points, 22 of them found the back of the net off his stick.

Although I’m expecting a down year out of the Jets, you can count on few of their stars to continue producing at a good pace.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 55 points

5. Tommy Novak (NSH)

Novak seems to find himself on everyone’s radar to have a huge year. He’s projected to center two Stanley Cup champions — Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos. Novak was a key contributor to the success that the Predators had after the All-Star break when they were able to propel themselves into the postseason. I suppose GM Barry Trotz is to thank as well, as he cancelled the team’s trip to a U2 concert at the Sphere in Las Vegas prior to Preds’ tremendous run.

Last season, he registered 45 points in 71 games played. With more talent surrounding him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he reaches the 60–65 point range.

PROJECTION: Over 20 goals and Over 60 points

6. Adam Fantilli (CBJ)

After a shortened freshman season in the NHL due to injuries, I expect Fantilli to show everyone what the Blue Jackets drafted him for. He’s a franchise center and will make a huge leap in the right direction. Fantilli is elusive, plays hard, and has a good frame to be elite.

The lines of the Blue Jackets will shift significantly over the course of the season as they’re still very much in the rebuilding phase and seeing what pieces go where. They will look acquire more assets as the season moves along, but expect a few of the stars to standout — I’m expecting Fantilli, Werenski, and for Sean Monahan to be the standouts on a bottom-of-the-league team.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals and Over 55 points

7. Casey Mittlestadt (COL)

Mittlestadt has found a home in Colorado. I think he fits perfectly into the Avalache’s system and the second-line center position. After being dealt from the Sabres to the Avalanche for Bowen Byram, he has not looked back. He has brought a tremendous amount of skill, speed, and high hockey IQ to the mile-high city. Mittlestadt provided a much-needed fill to the hole at 2C for the Avalanche. He had a strong remaining portion of the season and provided offense in the playoffs last year.

The Avalanche are going to struggle at times offensively without the depth that they’ve once had, but the anticipation of Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog being back on the ice can’t come soon enough. This will only aid Mittlestadt’s point-projection to rise.

PROJECTION: Over 20 goals, Over 55 points

8. Cole Perfetti (WPG)

Perfetti is fresh off of a new extension as the Jets resign their sole restricted free agent this offseason. The Jets have given him an opportunity to prove himself, after giving him a 2-year, 3.25 million AAV. This bridge deal is similar to the one Martin Necas’ was earning the past few seasons.

Perfetti sees himself starting off the year on the left wing with Nikolaj Ehlers and Vladislav Namestnikov. It’s impossible not to see him find the 20-goal mark in his 4th season with the Jets.

PROJECTION: Over 20 goals & Over 45 points

9. Fabian Zetterlund (SJS)

Zetterlund made a huge jump and established himself a roster spot on a rebuilding team last season. After finishing the 2022–23 campaign with the Sharks, he only put up 3 assists in the final 22 games. He was dealt to the Sharks from the Devils in the huge Timo Meier trade.

Fabian Zetterlund finds himself alongside much more talent than he had last year. He’s poised to be on the second line with Mikael Granlund and Will Smith. He should get PLENTY of looks with his two linemates’ high IQ and playmaking abilities.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 50 points

10. Connor McMichael (WSH)

Overall, I’m not sure how I feel about the Capitals offseason moves. Don’t get me wrong — the additions look great on paper, but who knows how well this group is going to mesh as we have yet to see them in action.

However, Connor McMichael is one I have my sights on to finally break the 20-goal mark. He’s so elusive and possesses a great shot — the speed he has is a huge asset for this Capitals roster too. He’s projected to play on the second line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson to begin the 2024–25 campaign. McMichael posted 33 points in 80 games last season. He’s looking to boost his production significantly as this group is hoping to make it back to the postseason for the second straight year.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 45 points

Honorable Mentions: Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Lane Hutson, Quinton Byfield, Matthew Knies, Marco Rossi, Shane Pinto

Fantasy: My Top 10 Breakout Candidates for the 2024–2025 Season was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As the calendar turns to October and many people stare down a 1–3 start to the fantasy football season, a fresh start awaits in the fantasy hockey realm. As fantasy drafts loom in the coming week, the Fifth Liners are here to provide an overly analyzed take on our Top 200 players to help you rise to glory! These rankings take into consideration the average draft positions and pre-season rankings from each of the available fantasy platforms (ESPN, Yahoo, and NHL), as well as final rankings from last season and projected player statistics for the upcoming season.

1 Nathan MacKinnon

2 Connor McDavid

3 Auston Matthews

4 Nikita Kucherov

5 David Pastrnak

6 Leon Draisaitl

7 Mikko Rantanen

8 Brady Tkachuk

9 JT Miller

10 Artemi Panerin

11 Kirill Kaprizov

12 William Nylander

13 Matthew Tkachuk

14 Sidney Crosby

15 Cale Makar

16 Sam Reinhart

17 Filip Forsberg

18 Elias Petterson

19 Roman Josi

20 Zach Hyman

21 Brayden Point

22 Alex Ovechkin

23 Chris Kreider

24 Evan Bouchard

25 Quinn Hughes

26 Jack Hughes

27 Igor Shesterkin

28 Juuse Saros

29 Jason Robertson

30 Vincent Trocheck

31 Jack Eichel

32 Jake Guentzel

33 Rasmus Dahlin

34 Wyatt Johnston

35 Sebastian Aho

36 Steven Stamkos

37 Jake Oettinger

38 Aleksander Barkov

39 Joel Eriksson Ek

40 Mitch Marner

41 Adrien Kempe

42 Carter Verhaeghe

43 Victor Hedman

44 John Tavares

45 Kyle Connor

46 Adam Fox

47 MacKenzie Weegar

48 Travis Konechny

49 Noah Dobson

50 Dylan Larkin

51 Jesper Bratt

52 Jonathan Marchessault

53 Mika Zibanejad

54 Josh Morrissey

55 Brad Marchand

56 Andrei Vasilevskiy

57 Igor Shesterkin

58 Jordan Kyrou

59 Matt Boldy

60 Dougie Hamilton

61 Owen Tippett

62 Tim Stutzle

63 Nick Suzuki

64 Tage Thompson

65 Connor Bedard

66 Kevin Fiala

67 Connor Hellebuyck

68 Clayton Keller

69 Brock Boeser

70 Matt Barzal

71 Frank Vatrano

72 Cole Caufield

73 Brock Nelson

74 Bo Horvat

75 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

76 Tomas Hertl

77 Alex DeBrincat

78 Mikhail Sergachev

79 Roope Hintz

80 Juuse Saros

81 Charlie McAvoy

82 Anze Kopitar

83 Seth Jarvis

84 Nico Hischier

85 Blake Coleman

86 Moritz Seider

87 Robert Thomas

88 Andrei Svechnikov

89 Patrick Kane

90 Nazem Kadri

91 Brandon Hagel

92 Lucas Raymond

93 Alex Tuch

94 Nikolaj Ehlers

95 Timo Meier

96 Juraj Slafkovsky

97 Evgeny Malkin

98 Kris Letang

99 Miro Heiskanen

100 Devon Toews

101 Alexis Lafreniere

102 Jamie Benn

103 Erik Karlsson

104 Drake Batherson

105 Ryan O’Reilly

106 John Carlson

107 Sergei Bobrovsky

108 Mark Scheiffele

109 Logan Cooley

110 Claude Giroux

111 Alexander Georgiev

112 Matt Duchene

113 Mats Zuccarello

114 Brock Faber

115 Artturi Lehkonen

116 Gustav Forsling

117 Jared McCann

118 Pavel Buchnevich

119 Mike Matheson

120 Jeff Skinner

121 Zach Werenski

122 Dylan Strome

123 Martin Necas

124 Evander Kane

125 Brandon Montour

126 Luke Hughes

127 Mark Stone

128 Tyler Toffoli

129 William Karlsson

130 Sam Bennett

131 Elias Lindholm

132 Brian Rust

133 Lawson Crouse

134 Gustav Nyquist

135 Morgan Rielly

136 Quinton Byfield

137 JJ Peterka

138 Brent Burns

139 Drew Doughty

140 Viktor Arvidsson

141 Eeli Tolvanen

142 Thomas Harley

143 Brady Skjei

144 Oliver Bjorkstrand

145 Jake Debrusk

146 Charlie Coyle

147 Darnell Nurse

148 Jakob Chychrun

149 Alex Pietrangelo

150 Anders Lee

151 Seth Jones

152 Vince Dunn

153 Jake Sanderson

154 Fabian Zetterlund

155 Braden Schenn

156 Jacob Trouba

157 Leo Carlsson

158 Noah Hanifin

159 Trent Frederic

160 Cole Perfetti

161 Tyler Bertuzzi

162 Joel Farabee

163 Kyle Palmeri

164 Linus Ullmark

165 Rasmus Andersson

166 Tyler Seguin

167 Michael Granlund

168 Dylan Cozens

169 Matt Roy

170 Colton Parayko

171 Yegor Sharangovich

172 Travis Sandheim

173 Phillip Kurashev

174 Marco Rossi

175 Neal Pionk

176 Teuvo Teravainen

177 Michael Bunting

178 Ryan Hartman

179 Tyson Forester

180 Matias Maccelli

181 Connor Garland

182 Nicholas Bjugstad

183 William Eklund

184 Dylan Guenther

185 Kirill Marchenko

186 Nino Niederreiter

187 Gabriel Landeskog

188 Sean Monahan

189 Phillip Danault

190 Valeri Nichushkin

191 Cam York

192 Scott Laughton

193 Michael Backlund

194 Yegor Chinakov

195 Troy Terry

196 Zach Benson

197 Adam Larsson

198 Logan Couture

199 Justin Faulk

200 Rickard Rakell

Biggest Draft Values

1. Sebastian Aho (CAR — C)

Sebastian Aho finished last season as the 28th overall player. On certain platforms, he is ranked as far down as 56th. Carolina’s lackluster free agency saw the team lose significant names towards their forward depth and power play units. For that reason, their top stars including Aho who was an All-Star last season will be relied on to provide offense for the team, especially on the man advantage. When drafting with any pick between 28 and 35, Aho is a safe bet to lock in points this season after surpassing a point per game in two of the past three seasons.

2. Quinn Hughes (VAN — D)

Quinn Hughes is coming into the 2024–25 season on the back of being crowned the 2024 Norris Trophy winner, an award given to the NHL’s top defenseman. However, Hughes is not being valued as hugh as you might think. Stocking up on top defensemen early is important, since there are only 32 PP1 quarterbacks in the NHL and leagues often demand four to five starting defenseman and you likely want another on your bench. Hughes excels in skating ability and offensive upside while Vancouver’s team has rapidly gotten better in the past seasons. Last year, he was compared endlessly to Cale Makar who is being drafted in the first round of most leagues but Hughes is ranked in the 40s to 50s on most platforms. I have him ranked at 25 and think he is well worth a late second or early third round draft pick.

3. Brad Marchand (BOS — LW)

The injury report has devastated Brad Marchand’s preseason ranking on most platforms. During the offseason, Marchand revealed he had to undergo three different surgeries on different parts of his body, but more importantly stated he hoped to be back at or near the opening night of the regular season. Marchand has eclipsed a point per game in six of the last eight seasons and this season should be no different with a bit of rejuvenated health. After finishing in the top 50 fantasy finishers last season, his ADP for this year has dropped into the mid 80s. I have him slated to finish right around that top 50 number from last year and see great value in reaching for him.

4. Charlie McAvoy (BOS — D)

When hunting middle round defensemen that will provide top power play exposure, keep an eye on Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy should be front and center on a top ten power play unit alongside David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Elias Lindholm. McAvoy finished last season as the 66th overall fantasy performer, and with the Bruins offseason improvements should be primed for an even better season this year. McAvoy is ranked as low as 131 on some platforms, and should easily be drafted inside the top 80.

5. Brock Boeser (VAN — RW)

Last season, Brock Boeser finished 53rd in fantasy scoring, however he is ranked as high as 130 on certain platforms. Boeser is another player following a breakout last year where he tallied career highs with 40 goals, 33 assists, and 73 points. Boesser has top power play usage with exposure to Quinn Hughes, JT Miller, and Elias Pettersson in Vancouver. I have him ranked 69th, but you can likely wait into the mid 80s or even early 90s to select Boesser.

6. Seth Jarvis (CAR — RW)

Seth Jarvis is a player I will not leave any of my drafts without this year. Jarvis had a breakout year last season in Carolina finishing as the 41st overall for fantasy thanks to a 33 goal, 67 point season. Entering his fourth season in the NHL, Jarvis has continuously grown into bigger roles with the Hurricanes. This year he is projected on the top line and top power play. Jarvis also revealed after the playoffs that he finished the final months of the regular season and the playoffs while playing on a dislocated shoulder, which gives me even more confidence he will skyrocket this season. 83rd in my rankings, Jarvis is a player I am willing to reach into the low 70s of drafts to make sure I have in my lineup.

7. Robert Thomas (STL — C)

Robert Thomas is a name many casual hockey fans may skip over. However, Thomas exploded in the St. Louis offense last season, and should expect a growing workload this year. He will be a key piece of the top power play and could feature on the top line this season. With the wild depth at the center position in Fantasy Hockey, Thomas could fall outside the top 150 in some drafts. If your strategy involves focusing on more sparse positions like goalies, defense, or wings, Robert Thomas might be the perfect fit for your team. Valued at 87 in my rankings, you could easily see his name fall into the 120s during your draft.

8. Morgan Rielly (TOR — D)

Morgan Rielly is one of the latest picks you can steal for defensemen with exposure to top ranked power plays. Last year, the Maple Leafs power play was among the top 10 in the NHL. Reilly is a top pair defenseman on a team that always succeeds in the regular season. Rielly cracked the top 75 in fantasy during 2024–25, and with the Core-Four remaining in Toronto there should be little question around continued success. He is a player that should easily be in the top 100 that you can wait into the last rounds to draft outside the first 125 picks.

9. Mark Stone (VGK — RW)

Mark Stone has the ability to be a league winner for fantasy this year! It is no secret that he has battled the injury bug in the past few seasons, however at 32 years old he enters the new season healthy and remains on Vegas’s top power play. Being drafted in the late rounds of every draft, there is nearly no risk in taking a risk on Stone’s health. If Stone can stay healthy for 50 to 60 games, and hopefully more than that, he will easily bring in. With any pick between 120 and 140, or if he falls to you later, I would keep an eye on Mark Stone.

10. Gustav Forsling (FLA — D)

Gustav Forsling may be the biggest unseen value in fantasy hockey this year. After finishing last season just outside the top 100, his ADP value is as high as 220. Forsling falls into my rankings at 116, and is a great late draft candidate if you are looking for defensemen with upside. Forsling should see a growing role with the Panthers this season after Florida lost a few key names off their Stanley Cup roster during free agency.

Fantasy Hockey Top 200 Rankings and Best Values was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

1. Matty Beniers (SEA)

The 2023 Calder Trophy winner and MA Native, who unfortunately fell guilty into the infamous sophomore slump phenomenon after posting a measly 37 points in 77 games. Not to his fault, the Seattle Kraken as a whole had an upsetting and injury-filled season after they ousted the reigning Stanley Cup Champions — Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2023 postseason.

General Manager, Ron Francis, sees the importance of Beniers’ two-way play and offensive potential as he recently signed a 7-year extension that will see him earn just over 7.1 million per year. He’s in a prominent position to succeed with being trusted with the 1C role. With Dan Bylsma back behind the bench, I expect a bounce-back from the entire Kraken roster after signing missing pieces who possess loads of experience in Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson.

PROJECTION: Over 30 goals & Over 65 points

2. Trevor Zegras (ANA)

The casual fans will have something to say about this solely based on media hate (no idea why), but this guy is an elite talent with a high ceiling. An injury-filled 2023–2024 season resulted in a production dip (15 points in 31 games played), but with all of the young guns and veterans to guide them, Anaheim will make a small leap forward in their rebuild after drafting third overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Trevor Zegras, who is on a bridge deal, has the upside to have a huge season if his health stays intact. He’s a versatile player who COULD play up and down the lineup if needed, but he’ll be the most effective playing top-six minutes. It’ll be interesting to see how the Ducks manage their young core of forwards night in and night out. As of now, Zegras is projected to center the second line with Cutter Gauthier and Frank Vatrano on his wings.

PROJECTION: Over 75 points

3. Martin Necas (CAR)

Can’t spell Canes without Necas. He is back in Carolina on yet another bridge deal that was signed this offseason that puts him on 2-year deal earning 6.5 million annually. I have no doubt that he generated a ton of interest amongst the league this offseason being an RFA. Necas exploded for 71 points in 2022–2023, but this past season was not kind to him as he slipped to just 53 points in 77 games.

I love the way that Necas plays, I think he’s similar to William Nylander in the way that they’re both able to dictate the pace of play and just wheel with the puck in any zone (when they’re on their game). He possesses a great set of hands, a good shot, and a high hockey IQ. However, the center depth and losses at defense is cause for concern. Although, they back-filled their defense in free agency as best they could, I believe the team will decline from their 111-point regular season in 2023–2024.

PROJECTION: Over 65 points

4. Alex Tuch (BUF)

He’s an absolute workhorse and quickly cemented himself into a prominent role during the 2022–2023 season as he posted 79 points in 74 games played. He needs to be great if the Sabres even want to sniff a wild card spot. He’s projected to stay on the top line that finds himself with familiar line mates in Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka.

Tuch, being a Syracuse native, he has dreamt of the moment of taking the Sabres back to the postseason. Lindy Ruff is back in town to turn the wagon around and gives Sabres’ fans a taste of the old days. This team possesses LOADS of young talent, but will it be enough in the 2024–2025 season? We’ll see.

PROJECTION: Over 65 points

5. Andre Burakovsky (SEA)

A gifted offensive talent that we’ve seen flashes of — especially in his last season with the Avalanche (‘21-’22) and first season with the Kraken the following season. He has battled loads of injuries over the course of his career and has yet to put together a full regular season campaign, but his numbers have kept consistent (besides last season). He produced well over the summer when he represented Sweden in the World Championships where he posted 11 points in 10 games. With a newly-tooled Kraken team with loads of talent, I could see Burakovsky come back strong and produce like he used to. As of now, he’s projected to be on right-wing side of the second line, pairing him with Jaden Schwartz and newcomer, Chandler Stephenson.

PROJECTION: Over 50 points

6. Timo Meier (NJD)

Only a few seasons ago (2021–22), he was one point shy of being a point-per-game player on the San Jose Sharks. I love what the Devils did in the offseason to round out their roster, brining in veterans while continuing to give their young guns a chance to succeed — Simon Nemec, Luke Hughes, and possibly Seamus Casey with Hughes currently injured.

Timo Meier is currently projected to be on the left-side of the first line that sees him with electric forwards that have been nothing but consistent for the Devils in Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. With new head coach, Sheldon Keefe, understands the importance of putting the best players on the ice and this will allow Meier to thrive in the top-six. He saw limited minutes in the top-six across the past few coaches in New Jersey. I’m expecting big things from this Devils team for 2024–25 campaign.

PROJECTION: Over 30 goals & Over 60 points

7. Michael Bunting (PIT)

Likely to play alongside Evgeni Malkin and/or Sidney Crosby, he might be a steal in some deeper fantasy leagues. He clicked especially well with Malkin and Rakell as Penguins were attempting to make a push for the postseason towards the end of the season. Bunting was dealt at the Trade Deadline in a trade that sent Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes this past season. After being a Hurricane for the majority of the 2023–24 campaign, he averaged nearly a point per game as a Pen — posting 19 points in 21 games. I expect him to get back into the point range of 55–60 that he had in 2021–2022.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 55 points

8. Barrett Hayton (UTA)

I was debating on putting him amongst the breakout candidates, but it seems more fitting to call it a bounce-back season for Hayton. Riddled with injuries in 2023–24, he’s due to eclipse last year’s performance. With the move to Utah, adding in depth pieces, and winners across the lineup — it is only going to help him and the success of this team (Spoiler; I think they’re going to sneak into the playoffs). He’s been centering the first line of Keller and Schmaltz, and with more experience under his belt — I believe it’s make or break time. Hayton is a dynamic player who can play in all situations, he just hasn’t caught a striking moment yet.

PROJECTION: Over 20 goals & Over 50 points

9. Dylan Cozens (BUF)

I may be expecting a lot from the Sabres’ top-six this upcoming year, with Cozens bouncing back and potential breakout candidates in Jack Quinn and Zach Benson, but it’s time that Sabres at least make it a tight run to the postseason in the Eastern Conference.

As mentioned in the Tuch scoop, Lindy Ruff is back to ideally turn things around. Cozens had an incredible 2022–23 campaign that displayed him showing huge promise for the future — he eclipsed the 30-goal plateau and established 68 points in 81 games played. The 2023–24 season was not kind to the Sabres team in general; Cozens produced just 47 points in 79 games. Nonetheless, he’s projected to center the second line with Quinn and Benson, mentioned above.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 70 points

10. Andrei Kuzmenko (CGY)

Only a few seasons ago, but people forget that the now 28-year old nearly plotted a 40-goal season (39) in his first season with the Canucks. He was dealt to the Flames in the trade for Elias Lindholm just before All-Star Weekend of the 2023–24 season when production fell short of expectations. Once he got to Calgary? He lit it up, no pun intended. He ended the season with 25 points in 29 games played for the Flames. He’s projected to be on the wing of the first line with Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich. I expect the lines to change all-throughout the season as the Flames team is in a “rebuild” stage, but they have a solid top six if they are on their game.

PROJECTION: Over 25 goals & Over 55 points

Honorable Mentions: Josh Norris, Rickard Rakell, Alex DeBrincat, Jakob Chychrun, Patrik Laine (injured)

Fantasy: Bounce Back Candidates for the 2024–2025 Season was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Player Prop Bets

2023–2024 Futures Regular Season: Wins & Odds

Mathew Barzal over 20 goals: +190

Lucas Raymond + Seth Jarvis — both over 20 goals parlay: +410

Wyatt Johnston over 30 goals: +420

David Pastrnak under 48 goals: -113

2023–2024 Futures Regular Season: Losses & Odds

Adrian Kempe (28) over 40 goals: +230

Jason Robertson (29) over 42 goals: -106

Alex Ovechkin (31) over 41 goals: -113

Connor McDavid (32) over 55 goals: -113

Matt Boldy (29) over 30 goals: +124

Team Prop Bets

2023–2024 Futures: Wins & Odds

Los Angeles Kings UNDER 99.5 point regular season: -130

Panthers vs Oilers in Stanley Cup Final: +2500

Dallas Stars to win the Central Division: +170

Arizona Coyotes OVER 73.5 point regular season: -115

2023–2024 Futures: Losses & Odds

Carolina Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup: +900

Panthers, Oilers, and Hurricanes to all win Round 2 matchup: +250

Calgary Flames OVER 94.5 point regular season: -111

2024–2025 Future Regular Season Player Props

Matvei Michkov OVER 46.5 points: -130

Connor Bedard OVER 77.5 points: -114

Connor McDavid OVER 127.5 points: -114

2024–2025 Future Team Props

Nashville Predators to record a 100+ point regular season: -115

Carolina Hurricanes to record a 100+ point regular season: -135

Detroit Red Wings to record a 90+ point regular season: -120

Los Angeles Kings to MISS the postseason: +195

Minnesota Wild to MISS the postseason: +105

New York Islanders to MISS the postseason: -154

Detroit Red Wings to MAKE the postseason: +118

Washington Capitals to MAKE the postseason: +310

Utah Hockey Club to MAKE the postseason: +180

Nashville Predators to WIN the Western Conference: +1800

New Jersey Devils to WIN the Stanley Cup (free bet): +1200

Betting Picks from 2023–2024 & Upcoming Season was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

For the second time in consecutive years, the league’s goals-against-average is below .900. Before the 2022–2023 season, this statistic last happened in the 2005–2006 season. With this being said, it only makes sense to look into what players across the league have the best chance to join the century club, with the net being filled in recent years.

1. Jack Hughes (Career high: 99 in ‘22-’23)

Jack Hughes has quickly become the heartbeat of the New Jersey Devils since being drafted in 2019. A few seasons ago, he broke the Devils’ single-season point record after Patrik Elias potted 96 points in the 2000–2001 season. His ability to create time and space is top-tier and with a newly loaded roster, I expect him to have a mind-blowing season after dealing with injuries throughout the ‘23-’24 campaign.

2. Mitch Marner (Career high(s): 99 in ‘22–’23, 97 in ‘21-’22)

Amidst all of the outside noise this guy has faced, (1st round exits, criticism of his game, and the latest being involved in mock trades/trade rumors) he remains consistent and focused on getting better each year. Newly-acquired tenured Head Coach, Craig Berube, hopes to right the ship to find success for a storied franchise who have come up short year after year. Marner has seen himself surpass the 90-point plateau three times throughout his eight-year career. As a pending UFA in 2025, he enters the ‘24-’25 with something to prove.

3. Brayden Point (Career high: 95 in ‘22-’23)

With Steven Stamkos departing to Nashville in the biggest free agency story of 2024, someone has to step up to fill the void if the Tampa Bay Lightning wish to continue their postseason presence. Point sees himself become the clear first-line center in Tampa. He has tremendous chemistry with Nikita Kucherov; adding Jake Guentzel to his left side will only help his case. It’s hard to believe that he has not surpassed 100 points in his career (yet).

4. William Nylander (Career high: 98 in ‘23-’24)

Nylander shot out of the gates HOT to start the 2023–2024 season where he compiled a 17-game point streak (27 points) that helped him earn an extension with the Leafs in early January. He slowed down quite a bit in the latter half, especially the last eleven or so games of the regular season where he only had four points. When his game is on, his skating and puck-possession abilities allow him to dictate the pace of the game — hope to see more this coming season. Nonetheless, the sky’s the limit after notching his second consecutive 40-goal season of his career. I expect the same for this coming year.

5. Filip Forsberg (Career high: 94 in ‘23-’24)

Forsberg was Nashville’s bright light in their surprisingly good season (especially the latter half as they were able to sneak into the postseason and JUST fell short to the Vancouver Canucks). He set career highs in goals, assists, and points in his 12th season. I expect a better, if not, a similar output as he had in the ‘23-’24 season as the Predators continued to impress this offseason adding some big-name players to their roster to continue their re-tool.

6. Quinn Hughes (Career high: 92 in ‘23-’24)

This may be the year we see the two eldest Hughes brothers notch 100-point seasons. Quinn’s best is yet to come, which is hard to believe after the season he had in his first year as captain. His numbers continue to ascend year over year. He’s been dominant on the offensive end with his puck possession time, which is comparable to the way Cale Makar plays.

7. Cale Makar (Career high: 90 in ‘23-’24)

His consistent engine, and then tacking on the skating and puck-handling abilities allows him to flourish as one of the best in his position. Elite right-handed defensemen are tough to come by, but the Avalanche and their scouting staff found a future hall-of-fame gem coming out of the AJHL in the 2017 Entry Draft. His job has become elevated after we’ve seen numerous injuries, questionable offseason moves, and just overall salary cap implications across the Avalanche lineup.

8. Kyle Connor (Career high: 93 in ‘21-’22)

Dark horse pick out of Winnipeg solely because of his potential. He’s a gifted goal scorer and knows how to find the soft areas of the offensive end. His timing and awareness of plays that are bound to happen is one of the best in the game right now. Whether Connor hits this milestone or not can be dependent on his linemates throughout the season. Unfortunately, his 2023–2024 campaign was cut short due to injuries, but I expect a 40+ goal season from him, yet again.

9. Tim Stutzle (Career high: 90 in ‘22-’23)

The Senators look to find the postseason for the first time since 2017 and they’re going to need Stutzle to break out in a major way. With the one-two punch of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, along with finally having a number-one goalie in Linus Ullmark, it is what the Senators have needed for a long time. Stutzle has been one of the few bright lights in Ottawa as he has put up consistent numbers on horrible lineups.

10. Aleksander Barkov (Career high: 96 in ‘18-’19)

The reigning Stanley Cup champions and their captain look to build on their success leading into the 2024–2025 season. They’ve lost a few members of their winning squad, but have re-tooled in a near perfect way. Barkov continues to lead the charge and build off of his incredible postseason run where he displayed the definition of a perfect 200' game. His offense is just as brilliant. If he can put together a full 82 games in the regular season for the first time since his career-high year, he will reach the 100-point plateau.

Honorable Mentions: Jack Eichel, Sebastian Aho, Dylan Larkin

NHL: Most Likely to Hit 100 Points for the First Time was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Canada, Finland, Sweden, and USA will face off in an Olympic-like tournament where we have an opportunity to see elite NHL talent on display across these four countries. The 2025 Four Nations Cup will be hosted in Montreal, QC and Boston, MA from February 12th–20th. It is the first “best-on-best” tournament since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

Each country was required to submit their first six players to the roster. Team USA started their nominations with Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Matthew Tkachuk, and Charlie McAvoy. The rest of the roster will be announced sometime in December of 2024 as we lead up to the tournament.

I wanted to predict Team USA for this upcoming tournament. Barring any sort of injuries — below you will find my projected 23-man roster that will be named to represent Team USA. The list includes my projected line combinations based on what I believe will work best to obtain a gold medal for my home country.

PuckGM | PuckPedia

Honorable Mentions (Players I was on the fence about — in order):

Thatcher Demko, Brock Faber, Brock Boeser, Jacob Trouba, Cole Caufield, Alex DeBrincat, Tage Thompson, John Carlson, Brett Pesce

Predicting the 4 Nations Roster of Team USA was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I want to share a few of the players that I drafted that helped lead my fantasy team to a championship. Included below are my sleeper picks and players to keep an eye on for the upcoming 2024–2025 season.

Highlighted players on my fantasy roster

Nathan MacKinnon — acquired in draft (#3)

An absolute monstrous season from the Avalanche’s franchise player as he amassed over 50 goals and 140 points in the regular season. He attacked the net with 405 shots on goal in the regular season, absurd. He was awarded honors in receiving the Ted Lindsay and Hart Trophy at the NHL Awards in late June.

Artemi Panarin — acquired in draft (#46)

Another player with an incredible season where he topped career-highs in goals (49) and points (120). He led his team to its first Presidents’ Trophy for most points of any team in the regular season for the first time since the ‘14-’15 season. The Rangers also set a franchise record in wins and points this past year, assisting in the efforts was their star forward.

Filip Forsberg — acquired in draft (#118)

Nashville’s bright-light in their surprisingly good season (especially the latter half as they were able to sneak into the postseason). He set career highs in goals, assists, and points in his 12th season. With the Predators revamping their roster this offseason, I expect a better, if not, the same output as he had in the ‘23-’24 season.

Wyatt Johnston — acquired in draft (#238)

Sophomore slump? Not for this guy. Johnston is so elite and fits perfectly into the top six for the Stars who remain a contender for their first cup since 1999. The 21-year old amassed 32 goals and 65 points while playing in his second full season. Expect similar results for the upcoming season with his ceiling being so high.

Seth Jarvis — acquired in draft (#243)

Another late round steal and breakout season type player in this list. The Hurricanes have been breeding young guns in their roster as he found the back of the net 33 times. Jarvis is a gamer in all situations. We’ll have to wait and see how the Canes handle him this offseason being in cap issues and having him still as an RFA.

Zach Werenski — acquired in draft (#75)

The *only* bright light in Columbus this past season. He is so underrated in my eyes the way he transitions the puck out of his own zone, his ability to lead the rush, and produce as a defensemen on an incredibly-mediocre team. His team finished last in the league with a -63 goal differential, yet he was still able to keep his plus/minus at 0. Werenski put together 57 points in 70 games. Although injury-prone, he’s an elite talent.

Adrian Kempe — acquired in draft (#70)

A small dip in his usual goal totals, but his point production was almost at a point per game. He’s so steady and elusive. The Kings have a great 1–2 punch at the center position with him and Anze Kopitar at the helm. He’s entering his prime so expect the production to remain steady.

Matt Boldy, Carter Verhaeghe, and Jacob Chychrun — acquired by trade (Dec. 16) in exchange for Jared McCann, Brady Tkachuk, and Mikhail Sergachev

Sleepers/Depth Picks/Notables per Team

Anaheim Ducks: Cutter Gauthier, Robby Fabbri, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger

Boston Bruins: Matthew Poitras, Morgan Geekie, Fabian Lysell, Mason Lohrei

Buffalo Sabres: Jack Quinn, Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Calgary Flames: Connor Zary, MacKenzie Weegar, Andrei Kuzmenko, Dustin Wolf

Carolina Hurricanes: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Sean Walker, Shayne Gostisbehere, Pyotr Kochetkov

Chicago Blackhawks: Philipp Kurashev, Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen

Colorado Avalanche: Casey Mittlestadt, Jonathan Drouin, Nikolai Kovalenko

Columbus Blue Jackets: Sean Monahan, Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Yegor Chinakhov, Ivan Provorov

Dallas Stars: Mavrik Bourque, Mason Marchment

Detroit Red Wings: JT Compher, Jonatan Berggren, Erik Gustafsson

Edmonton Oilers: Jeff Skinner, Mattias Ekholm

Florida Panthers: Anton Lundell, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Adam Boqvist

Los Angeles Kings: Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence, Phillip Danault, Trevor Moore, Warren Foegele

Minnesota Wild: Marco Rossi, Brock Faber

Montreal Canadiens: Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, Juraj Slafkovsky

Nashville Predators: Tommy Novak, Brady Skjei, Luke Evangelista

New Jersey Devils: Dawson Mercer

New York Islanders: Anthony Duclair, Anders Lee

Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson, Linus Ullmark

Philadelphia Flyers: Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost

Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust, Michael Bunting

San Jose Sharks: Mikael Granlund, Tyler Toffoli, William Eklund, Macklin Celebrini

Seattle Kraken: Brandon Montour, Joey Daccord, Matty Beniers, Oliver Bjorkstrand

St Louis Blues: Jake Neighbours, Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway

Tampa Bay Lightning: JJ Moser, Anthony Cirelli, Cam Atkinson

Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthew Knies, Max Domi, Joseph Woll/Anthony Stolarz

Utah Hockey Club: Barrett Hayton, Dylan Guenther, Connor Ingram

Vancouver Canucks: Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Conor Garland

Vegas Golden Knights: Alexander Holtz, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson

Washington Capitals: Dylan Strome, Connor McMichael, Charlie Lindgren/Logan Thompson

Winnipeg Jets: Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Perfetti, Alex Iafallo, Neil Pionk

From the above list, the few that are bolded are who I expect the most from if they earn a top-six forward, top-four defenseive, or starting goaltending role in this upcoming season and/or who I like the most based on how I’ve seen them play in prior year(s).

Fantasy Hockey: Recap & Guide for the Upcoming Season was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Monday, July 1 marked a record day for the NHL as 160 free agents signed new contracts amounting to a blistering $1.2 billion total. Tampa Bay and New Jersey made headlines on day two of the NHL Draft in Las Vegas, but Nashville stole the show on the first day of the free agency frenzy.

The Lightning’s long-time captain Steven Stamkos entered Monday without an extension. Stamkos and his team were allegedly offered a contract from Tampa Bay in the range of $3 million average annual value (AAV), which was wildly under the value he found on the open market and the value of a player who scored 40 goals last season and has eclipsed 80 points in three consecutive seasons. Almost immediately after the signing window opened, Nashville announced a four year, $8 million AAV contract confirming that the captain would not be returning to the Lightning. Tampa Bay quickly moved on from Stamkos, signing former Carolina Hurricane Jake Guentzel to a seven year, $9 million AAV deal.

Nashville Predators

Nashville continued their push to add veteran offensive threats by signing another former Stanley Cup Champion, and 2023 Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault, who led the Vegas Golden Knights in scoring last season. Marchessault is following a career high season after scoring 42 goals and recording 69 points for the Golden Knights. The Predators then snagged one of the top available defensemen to pair with Roman Josi, adding Brady Skjei from Carolina. Skjei was one of the quarterbacks for the Hurricanes’ powerplay who also had a career high season with 13 goals, 34 assists, and 47 points. After reaching the postseason, but struggling to find offense in the first round against Vancouver, the Predators’ free agency additions seem to fill the holes that prevented them from being serious Stanley Cup contenders. They now look forward to the 2024–25 season with hopes of returning as one of the top threats in the central division.

Toronto Maple Leafs

After a disappointing finish to their season in a first round exit to the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs quickly improved their roster with new signings. Former Head Coach Seldon Keefe was forced to move on, but the “core-four” of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner remains intact amid rumors that Marner might be moved via trade. Toronto closed the draft by trading for the rights to defenseman Chris Tanev, then signed the 34 year old to a six year, $4.5 million AAV contract. The Maple Leafs added a pair of Stanley Cup champions off the Florida Panthers’ roster, signing defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz. With the extension of Joseph Woll, Stolarz will complete their goaltending tandem next season which was an ongoing struggle for the team during the 2023–24 campaign. Toronto also re-signed Max Domi and Timothy Liljegren. Similar to Nashville, the Maple Leafs addressed their previous weaknesses by adding depth on the blue line and in the crease to raise their hopes of being a top contender next season.

Edmonton Oilers

Just one week removed from their appearance in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers already have their sights set on improvement. Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark both resigned after playing major roles in the team’s postseason success, especially while shorthanded. Brown had a slow start to the season while returning from an ACL injury, but found his form during the postseason. Janmark scored twice shorthanded during the Conference and Cup Finals. Edmonton also resigned veteran Corey Perry who scored a key goal in their Game 5 win over Florida. The Oilers then signed forwards Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson to solve their forward depth. Skinner is one year removed from an 82 point season, but was bought out of his contract by Buffalo after only recording 46 points this year. His one year, $3 million AAV addition to the Oilers could be a steal to get Canada their first Stanley Cup in 31 years. Arvidsson played only 18 games this year, recording 15 points, but reached 49 and 59 points in the previous two seasons.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks could be trending out of their rebuild after signing a few top names to accompany Connor Bedard next season. Teuvo Teravainen won the Stanley Cup in Chicago as a rookie with the Blackhawks. He rejoins the organization on a three year, $5.4 million contract following eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. Chicago also added Tyler Bertuzzi, who will be playing for his fourth Original Six team next season. Both Teravainen and Bertuzzi have multiple NHL seasons with over 50 points. Veteran Alec Martinez signed a one-year deal to likely feature as a top pair defensive defenseman.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals have made their moves this offseason via trade rather than the open market. Before Monday, the Capitals had already made four significant trades to add assets. The first blockbuster was on June 19, where Washington acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from Los Angeles for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. At 25 years old, Dubois has recorded over 40 points in six of his seven years in the NHL, and has three 60 point seasons. The Capitals then filled the missing spot of the former Stanley Cup goaltender, Kuemper, by adding another Stanley Cup Champion, Logan Thompson from Vegas. Washington used a 2025 second round draft pick to acquire Andrew Mangiapane from Calgary, another talented young forward with high scoring capability. On Monday, Washington traded with Ottawa adding one of the Senators’ best defensemen, Jakob Chychrun. Washington seemed to be on pace for regression after barely making the playoffs last season, but these aggressive offseason moves have put them in a position to remain a contender next year.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes were on the losing end of July 1st. Carolina had 20 players on a long list of free agents, 10 restricted and 10 unrestricted. On Monday, they watched five of their notable players sign with other teams, two within the same division. Both defenseman Brett Pesce and forward Stefan Noesen signed with the Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils, joining former Carolina teammate Dougie Hamilton. Skjei and Teravainen also left for previously mentioned contracts with the Predators and Blackhawks, and Guentzel, who was an acquisition at the March trade deadline, was traded to Tampa Bay after talks fell through on an eight year deal with the Canes. Carolina had a very slow start to the free agency frenzy, resigning Jalen Chatfield and extending Jaccob Slavin on very team-friendly deals, but missed on many of the premium names available. They were able to sign Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere later in the day, a pair of defenseman that will solidify their top six, but still have some major pieces missing from the offense.

The New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche were other teams that had nearly non existent starts to their free agency. New York’s only move was in a trade that acquired Reilly Smith, who will be a solid asset in their bottom six forward depth. New York still has nearly $10 million in remaining cap to work with for the remainder of the season, and fortunately they do not have any star players leaving. Colorado is in a nightmare cap situation with Gabe Landeskog potentially returning from LT-IR with five years remaining on a $7 million AAV contract and Valeri Nichushkin in the NHL Player Assistance Program for the second time in two years while occupying six more years of a $6.125 million AAV deal. Yesterday, Colorado had 11 forwards, five defensemen, and two goalies signed with only $300k available in cap space. The Avalanche re-signed Jonathan Drouin and added Calvin de Haan, but have a major uphill battle to get to opening day under their allotted salary.

Winners and Losers Behind Historic Free Agency Frenzy was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Cats third period heroics came to surface when they needed it most; allowing them to narrowly edge the Oilers in a 2–1 nail-biter regulation win. Aleksander (Sasha) Barkov would then become the first Finnish captain in NHL history to raise the cup.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers stormed out to an early lead just 4:27 into the first period of Game 7 courtesy of Carter Verhaeghe displaying a bit of finesse on a beautiful deflection off of a sidewall shot that was directed three feet wide of the net by Evan Rodrigues.

Later, just 4:49 left to play in the second period — Sam Reinhart received a pass in the defensive zone from Carter Verhaeghe to create an odd-man rush chance where he wristed one just under the glove on the short side of Stuart Skinner to take the lead once again. The Panthers went into the locker room prior to the third period with a one goal lead.

Then, their third period mastery was on full display. In a bend or break for this Panthers group, they were able to come out on top after the Oilers had multiple looks to even the score to send it to overtime, but the Panther’s defensive game, one of the best we’ve seen in years, sealed their fate to become the 2024 Stanley Cup Champions.

Paul Maurice

The Head Coach of the Florida Panthers; who now sits second all-time in regular season games coached, has brought this team to the Stanley Cup Final in two consecutive years — the same timeframe he has been with the organization. Most of us know him by his quotes throughout press conferences, but this Panthers group seem to be a mold of the culture that he has created in South Florida. Maurice exemplifies everything that a player wishes to play for in a coach — the endless support and passion for the game reflects the way he describes his players and love he has for his previous team, the Winnipeg Jets. He went on record after winning Game 7 to state that if he could ask for one more thing, it was for the Jets to become the next team to hoist the Stanley Cup.

Maurice waited a long 26 years behind the bench in the NHL to hoist his first ever Stanley Cup, and extended his winning record in Game 7’s to a perfect 5–0 all time — just one shy of the record that is currently held by Dallas Stars’ Head Coach, Peter DeBoer, at 8–0.

Conn Smythe Trophy

The Playoff MVP, Conn Smythe Trophy, was awarded to Connor McDavid after he was able to post an unbelievable 42 points that included shattering a single postseason assist record and dragging his team back from a massive 3–0 hole early in this Stanley Cup Final. Although he didn’t come out to hold the trophy, he was crowned with the honor of having his name as part of the history books. This is the first time since 2003 (J.S. Giguere, Anaheim Ducks) that a player from the losing team was given honors by the voting committee as the most valuable player in the entire postseason.

Predictions and Betting Picks Recap from the Fifth Liners Team:

Casey Ditzel: Panthers in 6 | Series over 5.5 games
Jorge Bannister: Panthers in 6 | Sam Reinhart: Most points in the series
Jenna Bonomo: Panthers in 6 | Carter Verhaeghe: 25+ shots on goal in the series
Khalin Kapoor: Panthers in 7 | Leon Draisaitl — Most points in the series
Matt Leonardo: Panthers in 6 | Zero shutouts in the series
Nick Kozsan: Panthers in 7 | Carter Verhaeghe: Most goals in the series; McDavid breaks the record of assists in single postseason (31)

Panthers Prevail in Game 7 to Hoist their First Stanley Cup was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Zach Hyman: Currently tied for most goals (15) among active skaters in a single postseason with Sidney Crosby ’09 and Alex Ovechkin ’18 — both went on to win the cup that year. Four back from the record that is held by Jari Kurri (’85) and Reggie Leach (‘76).

Connor McDavid: Most assists in a single postseason (34). First among active skaters and fourth all-time behind Wayne Gretzky (twice: ’85, ‘88) and Mario Lemieux (’91) in single postseason points with 42 — Each of them went on to win the cup those years….

Evan Bouchard: Most points (32) among active defensemen in a single postseason; Most assists in a single postseason by a defensemen (26); Third all-time in points in a single postseason behind Paul Coffey (37 in ’85) and Brian Leetch (34 in ’94) — Each of them went on win the cup that year….

Special-teams edge

The start that the Oilers had in Game 6 almost mirrors the one in Game 5 as they stormed off to a 1–0 lead in the first period courtesy of a short-handed goal off the rush. As I’ve mentioned in the Stanley Cup Preview article, the Edmonton Oilers have the edge when it comes to their power play and penalty-kill — just take a peek at the percentages. This has not changed as we’ve gotten into the latter half of the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers’ ability to record a powerplay and shorthanded goal in consecutive games (Games 4 and 5) has lifted them above the Panthers and clawed them back into this series just after we wrote them off. It happens to be the first time since the late 1980’s that this has ever happened in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Oiler’s brilliance with the man-advantage and man-down continues to push their pace of play against opponents. Their powerplay has struggled at times in this series, but it is still at an astounding 30.6% — second among all teams that entered this year’s postseason behind the Colorado Avalanche. The PK? Clicking at an absurd 93.8%. In the last 15 games, the Oilers are near perfect (43 of 44), having allowed just one power play goal. Even on the man-down, the Oilers have fed off of the momentum that their penalty kill has continuously brought to the table in the playoffs.

Connor McDavid

The Oilers’ captain has the ability to completely flip a game on its head. He has cemented himself as one of the greatest players of all time and continues to give everything he has, while somehow finding another gear with his team’s back against the wall. He now has 11 points in the Stanley Cup Final (through 5 games; over 2 PPG), establishing himself as one-back the lead of ‘most points in first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance’ (Mario Lemieux ’91 and Daniel Briere ‘10 with 12).

McDavid’s first goal of Game 5 featured him flying down the left side of the offensive zone after picking up a loose puck and showed signs of ’10 Patrick Kane after sliding it on the ice past Bobrovsky to extend the lead to 3–0 just five minutes into the second period. Not even seven minutes later, Connor McDavid, who was on the tail end of a two-minute plus shift (crazy), decided to take the puck from his defensive end and go right up the gut through four ‘fresh off the bench’ Panthers where he found Corey Perry streaking to the backdoor for a tap-in to keep Oilers lead at three.

He has become the first player in a Stanley Cup Final to record back-to-back 4+ point games and is now sitting five back the single postseason point record that is currently held by the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, in the 1984–1985 postseason. He has legitimately put the entire city of Edmonton and his team on his shoulders to turn their 3–0 hole into a historic run for decades to come.

Stuart Skinner has been nothing short of perfect in the latter half of each series this year’s postseason. He has come up clutch in order for his team to close out the series up to this point. His stats in Games 4–7 are mind-blowing. He is sitting at a current 9–0 record with a 1.56 GAA and .938 SV% that includes one shutout that came in Game 4 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings in a 1–0 victory. He has come up clutch for his team when absolutely needed.

Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers

These past two games for the Panthers and their leading playoff performer in Bobrovsky, seemed to have lost their form. They have consistently been outbattled in the first and second periods — causing them to lose two straight cup-clinching games. The Panthers defensive collapse continued through Game 5 as they’ve now allowed 13 goals against in games 4 and 5. Bobrovsky’s save percentage during these finals is nothing short of eye opening:

Games 1–3: .953 SV% | 82 saves on 86 shots on goal

Games 4–5: .769 SV% | 30 saves on 39 shots on goal

Since the start of the third period in Game 3: Stuart Skinner has posted a ridiculous .943 SV% and 1.71 GAA. Sergei Bobrovsky has shown signs of being human within this timeframe sporting a .756 SV% and 6.43 GAA. Although these numbers aren’t great, he has maintained a ridiculous run this postseason.

Matthew Tkachuk put on a display in Game 5 after expressing his confidence in himself and the team ahead of puck drop. He was dominating the puck in all zones of the ice with his incredible board-play and poise — he was able to get the Panthers first goal of the game after turnover in the defensive end. His 22 points this postseason now lead all Panthers; Tkachuk was held to just one point in the first four games of the series. Can the Panthers get their legs back to finish the job on the road in Alberta?

Game 6 Predictions from the 5th Liners Team:

Casey Ditzel: Edmonton 4–3(OT) Florida; Draisaitl overtime winning goal

Jorge Bannister: Edmonton 5–1 Panthers

Khalin Kapoor: Florida 4 — 3 Edmonton: Florida wins the cup

Matt Leonardo: Florida 5 — 1 Edmonton: Florida wins the cup

Jake Swanson: Florida 3 — 2 Edmonton: Florida wins the cup

Nick Kozsan: Edmonton 4 — 2 Florida

McDavid’s Dominance Drags Panthers Back to Alberta was originally published in Fifth Liners Podcast on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.