To kick off what I hope is a triumphant return to writing about this glorious game we all love, let us look for a Sunday Streamer that can help secure a victory for your fantasy hockey squad! 

There are seven games to look over this week. 14 teams that could have that diamond in the rough that your squad could use. 

My percentage rostered threshold for the Sunday Streamers is 35% on Yahoo and I try to find at least one from each matchup. No one is ever mad at more options.

I may throw a couple players as honorable mentions that are rostered in more leagues, but I like to keep my main choices at a lower percentage. More of a chance that they could be available in your leagues.

I look for point potential players along with peripheral stat players, not everyone needs goals or assists to lock in a win. Sometimes they need that player that will get them a few blocks and a couple hits instead. 

Without further ado, let’s get at it!

Point Potential

To get the obvious choice out of the way first, let’s look at Cole Caufield.

Cole Caufield

26% rostered – 4 goals, 14 shots on goals (SOG) in 16:18 average time on ice(ATOI) in his last 5 games.

A noticeable change kicked in when Montreal made some big changes. I don’t know if it’s because he is playing for his childhood idol or if he is just getting comfortable again. Either way, Caufield has the high end scoring ability that should have him rostered in more leagues.

Mason Marchment

23% rostered – 6 goals, 5 assists, 16 SOG, 13:34 ATOI in his last 5 games.

He doesn’t have any power play time and his time on ice is a concern, but Marchment has been making the most of the time he gets. Florida’s offense has been firing on all cylinders and the third line of Marchment/Lundell/Reinhart has to be one of the best third line in the NHL. The success should continue.

Danton Heinen

2% rostered – 2 goals, 1 assist, 14 SOG, 13:46 ATOI in his last 5 games

This is a bit of a long shot. Heinen isn’t known a big point producer, but he is getting some second line time with Evgeni Malkin. Playing with a center of Malkin’s abilities, the point potential goes up.

Peripheral Stat Finds

Jordan Staal

21% rostered – 1 goal, 3 assists, 9 SOG, 22 Hits, 16:48 ATOI in his last 5 games

Staal has had some success getting some points recently, but his hit totals are more reliable. He has 147 hits so far this season, putting him just outside the top in that category.

Brayden McNabb

16% rostered – 1 assist, 5 SOG, 5 hits, 18 blocks, 21:59 ATOI in his last 5 games.

Leading the league in blocks, McNabb is an obvious choice to secure some blocks in your matchup. He is on the second line with Shea Theodore and top penalty kill unit with Alex Pietrangelo. Both great spots to add up the blocks.

Alex Formenton

6% rostered – 1 goal, 14 SOG, 8 hits, 17:52 ATOI in his last 5 games.

Sitting fourth in Ottawa with 97 SOG for the season, Formenton has found a nice spot on the second line with Tom Stützle and Adam Gaudette. Couple that with some time on the second power play, Formenton is in a great spot to rack up the shots on goal you may need to close out this week.

Honorable Mentions

– Alexis Lafrenière 25% rostered

– Noah Dobson 33% rostered

– Alexander Barbanov 2% rostered

There you have it, the Sunday Streamers for this week! If you have other ideas, drop a comment or hit me up on Twitter, @ FNTSYHCKYTRADES.

Best of luck with your matchups, may the fantasy hockey gods smile upon your squads

Now is as good of a time as anyway to get back to doing a little writing. To kick off my return, I will hopefully be doing a Sunday Streamers post every week. We’ll see how it goes. I will be highlighting one player from each team that could be available and worth picking up if you are in need of some help to close out a win in your fantasy matchup.

Starting of with Week 3, we have five games this Sunday. Should’ve been seven, but COVID issues have cause the postponement of the Avalanche/Blues and Coyotes/Wild matchups.

Philadelphia Flyers vs Washington Capitals, 12:00pmEST

Two of the top 3 teams in the East division this season, both teams have plenty of highly owned fantasy options, finding streaming options could be tricky. Let’s see who is available and worth streaming.

Scott Laughton C/LW Philadelphia Flyers

Yahoo – 6% owned / ESPN – 4.1% owned / Fantrax – 19% owned

Four points in his last five games, Laughton is seeing a nice spike in production. Not a noted point producer, Laughton is more of a banger league option. But, after getting sometime alongside James vanRiemsdyk and Joel Farabee against the Bruins on Wednesday, Laughton could be a sneaky add. JVR and Farabee have been playing great lately and exposure to streaky players during a hot streak is always nice.

Garnet Hathaway RW Washington Capitals

Yahoo – 3% owned / ESPN – 2% owned / Fantrax – 10% owned

Washington is top heavy when it comes to reliable fantasy producers, so finding quality streaming options will be tough. Hathaway has 1 goal and 3 assists in his last 5 games, but his reliable stat category is hits. He is averaging 3 hits per game in his last 5 games, and 39 in his 11 games this season. If your looking for some extra hits, he is worth a look.

Detroit Red Wings vs Florida Panthers 3pmEST

This one should be easy…

I’ve got nothing for Detroit. This team has 2, maybe 3, serviceable fantasy options and they are highly owned or hurt.

Anthony Duclair LW/RW Florida Panthers

Yahoo – 25% owned / ESPN – 53.1% owned / Fantrax – 59% owned

With 6 assists in 7 games, but no goals, Duclair is looking to get that scoring started soon. This weekend could the start of it! A notoriously streaky scorer, Duclair got 11 of his 23 goals last season in one 9 game stretch.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars 3pmEST

Philipp Kurashev C/RW Chicago Blackhawks

Yahoo – 2% owned / ESPN 2.5% owned / Fantrax – 17% owned

Taking over the top line Center role recently, Kurashev is in a great spot for fantasy success. Even with a season low 6:56 TOI on Thursday, Kurashev was still able to produce a PPA with 2 SOG and 1 hit. I don’t believe that TOI will continue to be that low, he has shown that he can produce in a limited role. As long as that role has him playing with Patrick Kane.

Jason Dickinson C/LW Dallas Stars

Yahoo -1% owned / ESPN – 2.1% owned / Fantrax – 11% owned

Spending the majority of his TOI alongside Denis Gurianov, Dickinson has shown glimmers of fantasy production. He has 1G, 1A, 8 SOG, 11 hits and 8 blocks over his last 5 games. Getting minimal special teams minutes, cant really count on him to add to the stellar start the Stars have had on the power play. But, sharing ice time with Gurianov and Roope Hintz, the opportunity is there for Dickinson to help your fantasy teams this weekend.

Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets 3pmEST

This could be a great game for fantasy production. The scoring has been spread out for each team, sneaky pick ups are abundant!

Jordan Staal C Carolina Hurricanes

Yahoo – 17% owned / ESPN 24.3% owned / Fantrax – 28% owned

His recent production has been great! 6 points his last 5 games, 6 SOG, 16 hits and 8 blocks. It always helps having Teuvo Teravainen or Andrei Svechnikov playing on your wing, and Steal has been lucky enough to have some time on ice with this guys recently. Keep an eye on line combinations, if Turbo continues to stay with Staal, he could be a longer term add.

Eric Robinson LW/RW Columbus Blue Jackets

Yahoo – 1% owned / ESPN 0.4% owned / Fantrax – 6% owned

Bouncing around the bottom 9 in Columbus has been the story so far with Robinson. But he has been able to turn the limited minutes into solid production. He has 4 points in his last 5 games, 6 in his last 7, along with 7 hits and 7 SOG. He’s recently been lining up with Cam Atkinson and, new addition, Jack Roslovic.

Los Angeles Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights 3pmEST

The first game in over a week, due to COVID issues, for Vegas. It’s tough to give a streaming option after a break like that, but i do have one name that could be worth a look.

Alex Tuch LW/RW Vegas Golden Knights

Yahoo – 17% owned / ESPN – 24.6% owned / Fantrax – 49% owned

It was a little bit ago, but Tuch was playing well up until the brief shutdown. 5 points in his previous 5 games, Tuch also had 10 SOG with 4 hits and 3 blocks. Not super exciting, but if the offensive touch is still there, he is certainly worth giving a streaming shot.

Alex Iafallo LW Los Angeles Kings

Yahoo – 4% owned / ESPN – 50.7% owned / 33% owned

Its a little surprising to see the disparity in ownership percentages for Iafallo. 3 points in his last 5 games on 18 SOG. He loves to shoot the puck! When looking at streaming options, you have to love to see his willingness, and desire, to get the puck on net. Its always something to keep an eye on when considering streaming options.

There we go, Sunday Streamers for Week 3 are all ready!

Hopefully you found this article helpful and I hope it aids you in securing a win this week. One step closer to a Fantasy Hockey Championship!

Originally posted on Overtime Heroics.

The New York Rangers left wing has been elite since he entered the league in 2015. In the five years, Artemi Panarin has been in the league, he has produced no less than 74 points in each season. Hitting a new career-high with 95 points this past season, Panarin continued his elite level of play in his first season in New York.

As voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA), the Hart Trophy is awarded to the player that was most valuable to his team’s regular-season success. The presumed nominees for the trophy are Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, and Nathan MacKinnon. This year, all the talk is how Leon Draisaitl is going to walk away with the award. He did have a phenomenal season, he put up 43 goals and 67 assists, for 110 points in 71 games. But we aren’t here to talk about how great Draisaitl is, we are here to make the case for Artemi Panarin to win the Hart Trophy.

In 69 games this year, Panarin put up a very impressive stat line.

• 69 games played: 32G / 63A / 95pts / +36 / 71 Even Strength Points / 24 Powerplay Points / 1.38 points per game / 209 Shots on Goal / 15.3% Shooting Percentage / 20:36 Average Time on Ice

Panarin stepped in and took over immediately. Putting up a level of production that New York Ranger fans haven’t seen since Jaromir Jagr was on the team. His dominance was impressive, but what is even more impressive is that he was able to put up those numbers playing the majority of his time on ice alongside Jesper Fast and Ryan Strome.

39% of Panarin’s ice time, along with 38% of his even strength production, came with Fast and Strome. No offense to these guys, but they are not close to what you would call elite talents. Fast is a serviceable middle six/bottom six player and Strome is a solid middle six center. But when you look at the level of talent the nominees played with, there is a huge difference.

Leon Drasaitl

Looking at Draisaitl, he spent most of his time on ice alongside the league’s second-highest scoring player, Connor McDavid. A lot of people like to point out that he finished the season with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto. When you look at his season-long production, Draisaitl produced similarly, at even strength, on both of his top two lines. The more telling stat is his powerplay production. He had, a league-leading, 44 powerplay points, and 40 of those points came while playing with Connor McDavid.

David Pastrnak

On arguably the best line in hockey, Pastrnak almost exclusively played alongside Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron in every aspect of the game. Smart move for the Bruins. He only scored 10 of his 57 even strength points without one of Bergeron or Marchand and only one of his 38 power-play points. Pastrnak was tied, with Panarin, for third in the league with 95 points. Marchand was sixth with 87 points.

Nathan MacKinnon

Mackinnon might be the toughest one to gauge on this list. Yes, he is elite. Yes, he has some elite talent to play with. But that elite talent was banged up this year. Mikko Rantanen only played in 42 games, Gabriel Landeskog only played in 54 games. When they did play together, they produced at the usual rate. When injuries struck, MacKinnon had rotating linemates and saw his production spread out a bit more.

Just a quick recap…

• Draisaitl and McDavid are 1 & 2 on the scoring list, both averaging over 1.50 points per game.
• Pastrnak plays on an elite line, almost exclusively, with another top 6 scoring player.
• MacKinnon had a tough road, but when Rantanen was on the ice he was producing at about a point per game.
• Panarin had Strome, who had 59 points in 70 games, and Fast, who had 29 points in 69 games, and still produced 95 points. With a league-leading 71 points at even strength.

I’m not trying to take anything away from the stellar seasons that Draisaitl, Pastrnak, and MacKinnon had. I think that Artemi Panarin has been overlooked due to the play of the Rangers as a whole. When the season was put on hold, the Rangers were seventh in the Metropolitan division, and 2 points out of a wild card spot. The Oilers, Bruins, and Avalanche were all securely in a playoff spot. That usually brings more weight into nominating players for this trophy, although it shouldn’t.

In Conclusion

Artemi Panarin has more than proved himself worthy of a nomination for the Hart Memorial Trophy. While the other three names mentioned all had seasons of elite production, There is no doubt in my mind that Artemi Panarin was the player that most valuable to the New York Rangers’ regular-season success.

Originally posted at Overtime Heroics, click the link to see the full post!

2018-19 Record (32-36-14) 78 Pts

Season Recap

It has been one full season since the Rangers announced their plans for a rebuild, and it seems to be working out well for them so far. They were able to get the younger players solid NHL experience, without the usual constraints of attempting to squeeze into the playoffs and winging it. They were confident in their plan for the season. They didn’t have too many sustained losing streaks; only two five/six streaks resulting in two points each. However, they proved unable to string together any winning streaks. At season’s end, you can see why the Rangers were sitting so close to the bottom of the division.

• 17th ranked Power Play – 19.4%
• 27th ranked Penalty Kill – 78.2%
• 30th ranked Faceoff Win – 46.9%
• 3rd ranked Shots Against – 33.8 shots
• 27th ranked Shots per game – 29.2 shots
• 19th ranked Shooting % – 9.2%
• 19th ranked Save % – .904%
• 24th ranked Goals Scored – 221 goals

Ranks via NHL.com & Hockey Reference

Seeing the writing on the wall, GM Jeff Gorton made some tough, albeit understandable, decisions in order to keep the rebuild on track. He managed to pull off eight trades during the season, and two after, preparing for the future. The most notable trades were:

• New York traded Mats Zuccarello with 30% of the salary retained to Dallas for a 2019 second-round pick (Matthew Robertson) and a 2020 third-round pick.
• New York traded Kevin Hayes to Winnipeg for Brendan Lemieux and a 2019 first-round pick (WPG – Ville Heinola)
• New York traded a 2019 second-round pick (Mads Søgaard) and a conditional 2020 third-round pick to Carolina for Adam Fox. Conditions can be found at CapFriendly
• New York traded Neal Pionk and Winnipeg’s 2019 first (Ville Heinola) back to Winnipeg for Jacob Trouba. 

These strategic moves set the Rangers up with eight picks in the 2019 Draft, including the second overall pick.  

Season MVP

Mika Zibanejad

Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images

Mika Zibanejad took a huge step forward this past season. Putting up an impressive stat line of 30 goals / 44 assists / 74 points on 236 shots on goal, he has blossomed into the top-line center that they had hoped for when they acquired him in 2016. 

Most Improved Player

Mika Zibanejad

Photo by Sara Schmidle/NHLI via Getty Images

You can call it a cop-out, but Zibanejad was far and away the most improved player on the team this year. Setting career highs for goals, assists, points, total ice time, average time on ice, shots on goal, total shots attempted, faceoff wins, and takeaways, he amassed 27 points more than the 2017-18 season. He’ll likely be wearing the “A” on his sweater next season, but don’t be surprised if he’s chosen to wear the “C”.

Biggest Disappointment

Kevin Shattenkirk

Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

Setting career lows for goals, point per game pace, +/-, shooting percentage and average time on ice, this season was a bitter disappointment for Kevin Shattenkirk. It was essentially comparable to his previous seasons compromised by injury and lockout when he was limited to less than 46 games per season.  

Highlight of the Year

Projected Depth Chart (July 20)

Chart via CapFriendly

Poised for a Breakout

Filip Chytil

Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

A former first-round pick, Filip Chytil could see an expanded role this season for the Rangers. Splitting time between the third and fourth lines, Chytil averaged 13:47 of ice time last season. He’s currently slated as the third line center, but with more trades being rumored, Chytil could find himself securely in a second-line center role. If that happens, a major jump in production should come with it.

Top Prospects

The Rangers prospect pool is looking to be one of the best in the league. Along with these three guys keep a look out for K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist, Ty Ronning, Libor Hajek, and Matthew Robertson. 

Kaapo Kakko

Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

The second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Kaapo Kakko checks all the boxes. Playing on TPS in Finland’s Liiga as a 17-year-old, Kakko put up 22 goals / 16 assists / 38 points in 45 games. He has top-end talent at all aspects of the game. His hockey IQ is extremely high, stick handling and skating are exceptional. Couple that with his toughness and determination, and you have an elite prospect that could be a force in the NHL for a long time.

Vitali Kravtsov

Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

The 6’4″ Russian forward was drafted ninth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, but elected to finish out his contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL. Putting up 21 points in 50 games as an 18-year-old in the second-best men’s league in the world, Vitali Kravtsov was on a similar production pace as Vladimir Tarasenko and Artemi Panarin during their time in the KHL. A safe bet for a top-nine spot this year.

Igor Shesterkin

Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft, Igor Shesterkin looks to be the real deal goalie prospect. Spending the last four years dominating the KHL, Shesterkin has signed his ELC and will join the Hartford Wolfpack this upcoming season. Playing 102 games with SKA St. Petersburg in the last four years, he had a 75-14-10 record with a 1.76 GAA and a .934 save percentage. He is looked at as the next franchise goalie. He may get a little taste of the NHL this season, but it’s much more likely he spends a full season in Hartford and makes the jump in 2020.

Key Additions

• Artemi Panarin, acquired via Free Agency, signed for 7 years, $81.5 million
• Jacob Trouba, acquired via trade, currently unsigned
• Adam Fox, acquired via trade, signed a $925,000 ELC

Trade Bait

• Kevin Shattenkirk 2 years, $6.65 million AAV with a M-NTC/NMC remaining.
• Brendan Smith 2 years, $4.35 million AAV with M-NTC remaining.
• Chris Kreider 1 year, $4.63 million with a M-NTC remains.
• Vladislav Namestnikov 1 year, $4 million remaining.
• Ryan Strome 1 year, $3.1 million remaining.

Trending Up

After landing the second overall pick, the top free agent of the year, and a solid defenseman, the New York Rangers have kicked this rebuild into high gear. Add some top young talent coming up through the ranks, and this team could be a force for years to come. Jeff Gorton and company have done a great job finding talent at the draft and making smart trades to put the team on the right track.

Discuss this article and others at the Overtime Heroics Forums!

Featured image credit to @PhilliesToday

Originally posted on OvertimeHeroics.com

Continuing the road to their inaugural season, the Seattle franchise has chosen their GM. They’ve decided that Ron Francis is the one to build this team.

      Photo by Gregg Forwerck/Getty Images

Ron Francis, 56, spent twenty-two very successful seasons in the NHL, playing for the Whalers, Penguins, and Hurricanes. Amassing 1,798 points and two Stanley Cups, Francis brings a championship pedigree to the brand new team in Seattle. Responsible for drafting the likes of Noah Hanifan, Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas and Alex Nedeljkovic, Francis has found success through the draft as well.

While no specifics have been made public on the terms of the signing, we can venture a guess that there will likely be a 5-year deal. Giving him two years to build the team and three to guide the team, Francis should have a nice home in the Pacific Northwest for the time being.

The comparisons to George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights will be abundant. Francis has a tough act to follow, but we need to temper expectations. What McPhee was able to create was a masterpiece for that first season, but you can see that it came at a cost. Vegas is in salary cap hell at the moment and need to make a couple more moves to get compliant. Francis, on the other hand, played it a little safer over his tenure with Carolina. He didn’t make bad trades and only one “terrible” signing comes to mind, Scott Darling. Nonetheless, he is a very smart GM and has an eye for talent.

In the end, Seattle made the right decision. Francis has the experience to build a team from the ground floor. As well as the contacts needed to build a productive staff and create a successful new franchise.

Discuss this breaking news story on the Overtime Heroics Forums!

Originally posted on OvertimeHeroics.com

Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images

The Buffalo Sabres are a team on the cusp of being playoff contenders. They’ve picked in the top ten in the previous eight drafts, including three top two picks. Those top two picks include Sam Reinhart(2014), Jack Eichel (2015) and Rasmus Dahlin (2018). They have a well-rounded top nine forward crew, and a solid top four defensemen. The one spot that they haven’t been able to figure out has been their goaltender.

The Sabres haven’t seen a starting goalie put up a winning record since the 2015-16 season, when Chad Johnson had a record of 22-16-4. Along with a very solid stat line, with a .920 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average (GAA), Johnson’s season was the best a Sabres goalie had achieved since Ryan Miller was in net. Needless to say, it’s been a while since they’ve had a consistent performance from their goaltending. They thought the answer was found in signing Carter Hutton. The St. Louis Blues back-up put up incredible numbers in the 2017-18 season. Playing behind Jake Allen, Hutton had a 17-7-3 record with a .931 save percentage, 2.09 GAA and 3 shutouts. Buffalo General Manager Jason Botterill liked what he saw, and signed Hutton to a 3 year, $8,250,000 contract on July 1, 2018. Unfortunately, Hutton didn’t take to the starting role in his first season with Buffalo. Starting 48 games, Hutton had a 18-25-5 record with a .908 save percentage, and a 3.00 GAA. Far from the numbers Buffalo had hoped for from their newly signed starting goalie.

So where do they go from here?

There are a few routes to take to remedy this situation. Free agency, trade, or promoting a prospect are the only choices. Let’s take a look at some options.

Free Agency

The free agent market is thin when it comes to goalies. There are a couple worth looking into that could improve the current situation in Buffalo.

Michal Neuvirth

Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

31 years old / 6’1″/ 209 lbs

Michal Neuvirth spent a part of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons in Buffalo. His last four years were spent in Philadelphia, where his career was labile due to the Flyers’ own goaltending issues. Neuvirth has enjoyed periods of success throughout his career, with a career stat line of 105-93-26, .910 save%, and a 2.71 GAA. After an injury-filled year in 2018-2019, Neuvirth posted some lackluster numbers. However, he has a track record of success, has held the role of starter before, and adding him on a cheap deal could help lighten the load on Hutton’s shoulders.

Harri Säteri

Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

29 years old / 6’1″ / 205 lbs

With only one season of NHL experience under his belt, Harri Säteri could be a promising option. Though he has been a part of the Sharks, Panthers and Red Wings organizations, Sateri was only able to crack the NHL roster in 2017-18 with Florida. In the nine games he saw ice time, he had a 4-4-0 record, in seven starts, a .911 save % and a 2.92 GAA. He wouldn’t be vying for the starting role, but he would give Buffalo another option to back up Hutton.

Trades

This is where it gets more fun. Trying to figure out a good trade partner to land a starting-caliber goalie isn’t an easy task. There are some talented back ups looking for a chance to prove themselves on a team that could use the help. There are also some veterans able to step right into the starting role if needed.

Jacob Markström

Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images

29 years old / 6’6″ / 206 lbs

Jacob Markström has been one of the most consistent goalies over the last 4 years, holding a record of 74-74-23 with a stat line of a .912 save % and a 2.72 GAA. He remains a viable starting goalie and would be a great option on most teams. Vancouver has a couple goalie prospects, Thatcher Demko and Michael DiPietro, just about ready to take the next step. With Markström becoming a Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of next season, a mid-season trade could really answer the goalie questions in Buffalo.

Jonathan Quick

Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

33 years old / 6’1″ / 216 lbs

The Los Angeles Kings should be entering a rebuild sooner rather than later, and have two current solid young goalies, Jack Campbell and Cal Peterson. A couple years ago, a trade involving Jonathan Quickwould’ve been unlikely, but could now become reality. He would be a great addition to a young team capable of making playoff runs with the right goalie to lead them. Quick notably took a step back last year, which has people fearing the worst. A 16-23-7 record with a .888 save % and a 3.38 GAA, are numbers we haven’t seen since his rookie season, when he only appeared in three games. The track record is there, and if a trade can be made, it will most likely come at a friendly price.

Goalie Prospects

The Sabres have two goalie prospects coming up through the system. Jonas Johansson (drafted in 2014) and Erik Portillo(drafted in 2019) are names to keep an eye on. But, there is only one clear option right now.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images

20 years old / 6’4″ / 190 lbs

Besides having the most fun name to say in the NHL, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been playing quite well over the last couple years. Spending most of his time with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves, Luukkonen played in 53 games with a .920 save % and a 2.50 GAA. If those numbers aren’t impressive enough, he also appeared in six games with the Finnish team at the World U20 Juniors, where he had a .932 save % and a 1.80 GAA. Ready to make the jump to the AHL this upcoming season, Luukkonen is the future netminder of the Buffalo Sabres. If they can be patient with his development, he could be ready to take over the role in two seasons.

In Conclusion

The time is approaching where the Sabres need to make a decision. Hutton has two years left on his current deal. They need to be ready to choose a path. Whether it’s rolling with Hutton and seeing what happens or making a splash via trade, the clock is ticking. Splashy change by trade looks to be the wisest course of action to keep the Sabres’ playoff hopes alive.  

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