It's a loaded week in the NHL, in the sense that there are 15 games both Tuesday and Saturday, 14 on Thursday, six on Sunday, two each Wednesday and Friday and only one game Monday.
If you play daily transactions, the Rangers play on the four off-days, while Boston, Buffalo, Chicago and Philadelphia play twice. You can really add points in daily transactions, likely enough to enable you to win your quarter-final match in head-to-head leagues.
Visit RotoWire's NHL Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!
WEEK OF MARCH 23-29
4 Games - Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay
3 Games - Anaheim, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Vegas, Washington, Winnipeg
Chicago plays all four games on the road.
The New York Rangers play all four games at home.
Anaheim, Dallas, Minnesota, New Jersey, San Jose. Seattle and Toronto play three games at home.
Buffalo, Calgary, Nashville, the New York Islanders, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa Bay play three games on the road.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
I made a comment in last week's column about Leo Carlsson. He had 17 goals and 41 points in his first 33 games, but has fallen upon hard times of late, managing four goals and seven assists in
It's a loaded week in the NHL, in the sense that there are 15 games both Tuesday and Saturday, 14 on Thursday, six on Sunday, two each Wednesday and Friday and only one game Monday.
If you play daily transactions, the Rangers play on the four off-days, while Boston, Buffalo, Chicago and Philadelphia play twice. You can really add points in daily transactions, likely enough to enable you to win your quarter-final match in head-to-head leagues.
Visit RotoWire's NHL Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!
WEEK OF MARCH 23-29
4 Games - Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Florida, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay
3 Games - Anaheim, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver, Vegas, Washington, Winnipeg
Chicago plays all four games on the road.
The New York Rangers play all four games at home.
Anaheim, Dallas, Minnesota, New Jersey, San Jose. Seattle and Toronto play three games at home.
Buffalo, Calgary, Nashville, the New York Islanders, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa Bay play three games on the road.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
I made a comment in last week's column about Leo Carlsson. He had 17 goals and 41 points in his first 33 games, but has fallen upon hard times of late, managing four goals and seven assists in his last 21 contests. Well, since then he has three goals and one assist in three games… Troy Terry has played 49 games this season and has yet to pick up a hit.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Toronto, @ Buffalo, vs. Minnesota, @ Columbus
Tired: @ Buffalo (Wednesday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Bruins play a pair of back-to-back games as part of their four-game week… Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo should share the net… Fraser Minten has moved up to the top line with David Pastrnak… Lukas Reichel played his first game with the Bruins on Thursday and found the back of the net… Viktor Arvidsson has three goals and 11 points in his last 10 appearances.
BUFFALO
Games this week
vs. Boston, vs. Detroit, vs. Seattle
Tired: vs. Seattle (Saturday)
Rested: vs. Boston (Wednesday)
Notes
The Sabres are still atop the Atlantic Division standings and have had a tremendous run since firing general manager Kevyn Adams on Dec. 14… The Sabres were 14-14-5 at the time and have gone 30-6-1 under new GM Jarmo Kekalainen… Rasmus Dahlin has been through a lot this season, especially with his fiancée undergoing a heart transplant. He has been outstanding despite the setbacks, with 15 goals and 63 points in 66 appearances.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, vs. Anaheim, vs. Vancouver
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
Connor Zary (upper body) was injured Friday when he was shoved into the boards by Florida's A.J. Greer… Yegor Sharangovich had a breakout season back in 2023-24, scoring 31 goals and adding 28 assists. He has since taken a serious step back, accumulating 17 goals and 15 assists in 73 games last season and tallying 14 goals and 11 assists in 65 games so far in 2025-26.
CAROLINA
Games this week
@ Montreal, vs. New Jersey, vs. Montreal
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Hurricanes play a pair of games against Montreal this week, so tempers could flare. If they do, look for Nicolas Deslauriers to add to his penalty minute total… Shayne Gostisbehere missed his seventh straight game Friday with a lower-body injury… K'Andre Miller has taken over quarterbacking the first power play with Gostisbehere out of action. Miller has two goals and six assists in his last nine games.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ New York Islanders, @ Philadelphia, @ New York Rangers, @ New Jersey
Tired: @ New York Rangers (Friday)
Rested: @ New Jersey (Sunday)
Notes
The Blackhawks are on the road for all four games this week, including three games in four nights… Spencer Knight should see action in three games with Arvid Soderblom playing once… Andre Burakovsky remains on the top line alongside Connor Bedard, despite having just one goal and one assist in his last 25 games… Bedard, by comparison, has nine goals and 21 points in 24 games (missing one game with an illness).
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, @ Winnipeg, vs. Winnipeg
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Avalanche play a home-and-home series with the Jets this week. Look for Josh Manson, who has four majors, to be involved if tempers flare… Nathan MacKinnon has five goals and 18 assists in his last 13 games… Nazem Kadri has two goals and a pair of assists in seven games since his trade from Calgary. Kadri is lining up on the second line left side with Nicolas Roy on the right wing and Brock Nelson centering.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ Philadelphia, @ Montreal, vs. San Jose, vs. Boston
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Blue Jackets are on the ice for four games this week, including three in four nights… Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins are expected to share the net… The Blue Jackets are 7-0-3 in their last 10 games and have climbed into third place in the Metropolitan Division… Zach Werenski picked up three helpers Saturday and has 20 goals and 75 points in 62 contests. He certainly will be a finalist for the Norris Trophy.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. New Jersey, @ New York Islanders, @ Pittsburgh, @ Philadelphia
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Stars play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Jake Oettinger should play three times with Casey DeSmith starting once… Miro Heiskanen has 49 assists in 67 games, as well as nine goals… Jason Robertson had two straight 80-point seasons after picking up 109 points in the 2022-23 campaign. The 100-point mark is not out of the question this season as he has 38 goals and 82 points in 69 games.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, @ Buffalo, vs. Philadelphia
Tired: vs. Philadelphia (Saturday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Red Wings dropped another game Saturday as divisional rival Boston dumped Detroit 4-2… The Red Wings are 4-4-2 in their last 10 contests and are hanging on by a thread in the Eastern Conference standings. They currently hold the second wild card spot, one point ahead of the Islanders and three up on Ottawa… Moritz Seider has 11 points in his last 13 games, giving the talented blueliner 48 points in 70 appearances, two points shy of tying his career high, set in his rookie season of 2021-22.
EDMONTON
Games this week
@ Utah, @ Vegas, vs. Anaheim
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Oilers could be in big trouble as they lost Leon Draisaitl for the remainder of the regular season Monday with a lower-body injury… The Oilers are currently second in the Pacific Division, but their advantage is precarious, as they have played more games than any other team in the West… Connor McDavid potted his 38th of the season Saturday, but gave up his lead in the scoring race as Nikita Kucherov has 118 points, two better than McDavid.
FLORIDA
Games this week
vs. Seattle, vs. Minnesota, @ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers
Tired: @ New York Rangers (Sunday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Panthers play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week… Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov are expected to share the net… Seth Jones returned to action Tuesday after missing 26 games with an upper-body injury… Carter Verhaeghe tallied his 20th goal of the season Thursday, the fifth straight season he has hit the plateau… Sam Bennett has six goals and five assists in his last 10 games.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Vancouver, vs. Utah
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Kings are one point back of the second wild card in the West after they lost 4-1 to Buffalo on Saturday and Nashville upended Vegas by the same 4-1 count… Anze Kopitar is in his final season and has come alive of late, as he is on a five-game scoring streak with four goals and two assists… Adrian Kempe has to pick up the pace if he wants to hit the 70-point mark for the third straight season. He needs 11 points in his last 13 games, as he has 26 goals and 59 points this season.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, @ Boston
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Wild have been without the services of Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) the last two games and hope to get him back this week… The Wild have the fifth-best record in the NHL, but are in third place in the Central Division and it's looking like they will start the playoffs on the road in Dallas or Colorado… Bobby Brink had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 2-1 overtime win over Dallas. He has two goals and an assist in five games with the Wild.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Carolina, vs. Columbus, @ Nashville, @ Carolina
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Canadiens play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Jakub Dobes should get at least two starts and the Canadiens could use the recently recalled Jacob Fowler to play the remainder, leaving Sam Montembeault on the bench… Montreal plays a pair of contests versus Carolina and if tempers flare, the Habs could use Arber Xhekaj, who has 108 PIM despite being a healthy scratch in five of his last six games… Patrik Laine (abdomen) has been practicing for 10 weeks and is still on injured reserve. The $8.7 million man has played only five games this season, garnering one measly assist.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
vs. San Jose, vs. New Jersey, vs. Montreal, @ Tampa Bay
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Predators play four games this week, including three games in four nights… If he's healthy, Juuse Saros should get three starts with Justus Annunen playing once. Should Saros (upper body) miss action this week, Annunen and Matt Murray are expected to share the crease… Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist Saturday, as the Predators have won three in a row to move into the second wild card spot in the West. O'Reilly has 24 goals and 64 points in 68 games.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ Dallas, @ Nashville, @ Carolina, vs. Chicago
Tired: vs. Chicago (Sunday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Devils play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week… Jacob Markstrom will likely play at least twice and possibly three times with Jake Allen appearing in the remainder of the outings… Defenseman Luke Hughes is without a point in his last three games, but had a goal and five helpers in his prior seven contests… Jack Hughes has been on fire since the Olympics, tallying six goals and 19 points in 12 games… Connor Brown has been excelling on the wing with Hughes as his center, picking up 12 points in his last 10 appearances.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
vs. Chicago, vs. Dallas, vs. Florida
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Islanders were shellacked by the Canadiens 7-3 on Saturday… Matthew Schaefer continued his unprecedented play by an 18-year-old defenseman, tallying his 22nd goal of the season. Schaefer has 51 points in 70 games and is one goal shy of Brian Leetch's rookie record (though Leetch was 21 years and 12 days when he scored his 22nd) of 23… Ilya Sorokin has given up nine goals on 59 shots in his last two appearances.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. Toronto, vs. Chicago, vs. Florida
Tired: vs. Ottawa (Monday)
Rested: vs. Toronto (Wednesday), vs. Chicago (Friday), vs. Florida (Sunday)
Notes
The Rangers are in the midst of a 10-game homestand… Alexis Lafreniere has seven goals and seven assists in his last 10 games and he hit the 20-goal mark for the second time in his career Thursday… Adam Fox has a goal and seven helpers in 12 games since he returned to action after missing 27 of 30 games with an upper-body injury, followed by a lower-body injury… Mika Zibanejad surpassed his 62-point total of last season and has 29 goals and 66 points in 68 games this season.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Detroit, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Tampa Bay
Tired: None
Rested: @ New York Rangers (Monday)
Notes
The Senators play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week… Linus Ullmark is expected to play at least twice with James Reimer picking up the remainder of the starts… The Senators are pulling out all stops in their attempt to garner a playoff spot. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are three points in arrears of the second wild card spot, currently held by Detroit… Jake Sanderson (upper body) could return to action in 7-10 days to boost those playoff hopes... Claude Giroux had a goal on seven shots on net Saturday, giving him 12 goals and 43 points in 69 appearances.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
vs. Columbus, vs. Chicago, @ Detroit, vs. Dallas
Tired: None
Rested: @ Detroit (Saturday)
Notes
The Flyers play four games this week, including three in four nights… Dan Vladar will get at least two starts while Samuel Ersson will be between the pipes in the remaining games… The Flyers won their seventh straight game on the road Saturday to move to within four points of a wild card spot… Trevor Zegras picked up an assist Saturday to snap a three-game scoreless streak. Zegras has 22 goals and 55 points in 69 games.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Ottawa, vs. Dallas
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Penguins got Sidney Crosby back this week after he missed 11 games with a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics. Crosby had a goal and an assist Wednesday in his return, while chipping in with an assist in Saturday's 5-4 shootout win over Winnipeg… Bryan Rust has 10 points in his current six-game scoring streak, while Rickard Rakell has 10 points during an eight-game streak… Erik Karlsson had a pair of goals Saturday and has 11 goals and 54 points in 64 contests.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
@ Nashville, @ St. Louis, @ Columbus
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Sharks are three points out of the second wild card… Yaroslav Askarov is out of action with a lower-body injury that has already cost him six games… Michael Misa has six goals and 13 points in his last 21 games. Not too bad for the 19-year-old rookie… Macklin Celebrini is also 19 and he has 35 goals and 96 points in 68 appearances this season. He is one point out of fourth place in NHL scoring, and with Leon Draisaitl out of action for the remainder of the regular season, Celebrini looks like a cinch to finish fourth in the Art Ross Trophy race and easily surpass 100 points.
SEATTLE
Games this week
@ Florida, @ Tampa Bay, @ Buffalo
Tired: None
Rested: @ Buffalo (Saturday)
Notes
The Kraken are two points in arrears of second wild card Nashville, after Seattle dropped a 5-2 decision Saturday to Columbus… Vince Dunn scored his first goal in eight games Saturday. He has 11 goals and 41 points in 68 games this season… Kaapo Kakko has two goals and six points in his last four games… Bobby McMann has four goals and six points in five games since his trade from Toronto.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
vs. Washington, vs. San Jose, vs. Toronto
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Blues are making a charge up the Western Conference standings, as they are 8-2-2 in their last 12 games and are only six points away from the second wild card with 13 games remaining… Robert Thomas has five goals and 13 points in his last 10 games… Dylan Holloway is even hotter with seven goals and 15 points in his last 12 outings, giving the 24-year-old 15 goals and 32 points in 46 games this season.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Minnesota, vs. Seattle, @ Ottawa, vs. Nashville
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Lightning play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Look for Andrei Vasilevskiy play three times with Jonas Johansson playing once… It's quite a battle for first in the Atlantic Division as the Lightning trail the upstart Sabres by four points, but have a pair of games in hand… Victor Hedman missed Saturday's tilt with an illness after leaving Thursday's game in Vancouver with the ailment. Hedman is having a fantasy nightmare season with one goal and 16 assists in just 33 games.
TORONTO
Games this week
@ Boston, @ New York Rangers, @ St. Louis
Tired: @ New York Rangers (Wednesday)
Rested: None
Notes
Auston Matthews is expected to be fully healed for training camp in September after undergoing MCL surgery this week. The recovery time is expected to be 12 weeks… The Maple Leafs continue to drop like a stone, though they had a mini-streak, going 2-0-1 before losing their last three games… Anthony Stolarz was hit in the throat by a shot during pregame warmups Saturday and was sent to the hospital… Joseph Woll should get the starts this week, if Stolarz is unable to play.
UTAH
Games this week
vs. Edmonton, vs. Washington, @ Los Angeles
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Mammoth inked Michael Carcone to a two-year, $3.5 million contract extension Friday… MacKenzie Weegar has not been a fantasy asset since his trade from Calgary. Weegar has one assist, 16 hits and 11 blocked shots in eight games with Utah… Logan Cooley only has a pair of assists in his last seven appearances… Dylan Guenther has seven goals and 10 points in his last 10 contests.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Los Angeles, @ Calgary
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Canucks continue to wallow at the bottom of the NHL standings… Elias Pettersson snapped a 20-game drought without a goal, scoring twice on St. Patrick's Day in a 5-2 win over Florida. He has 15 goals and 41 points in 61 games, not the kind of production the Canucks were expecting when he signed an eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension in March of 2024… Liam Ohgren has seven goals and seven assists in 38 games with Vancouver since his trade from Minnesota earlier in the season.
VEGAS
Games this week
@ Winnipeg, vs. Edmonton, vs. Washington
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Golden Knights have really been slumping of late, going 3-7-0 in their last 10 games… They could be in danger of missing the playoffs, as they are four points ahead of the Kings who are ninth overall, with the Kings holding a game in hand… Akira Schmid has lost his last four starts and is 16-10-6 this season… Jack Eichel has gone four straight games without a point… Mitch Marner is not much better, going three games without hitting the scoresheet.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
@ St. Louis, @ Utah, @ Vegas
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Capitals are six points out of the second wild card and only have 12 games left in their schedule… Alex Ovechkin has three goals and four assists in his last 16 outings… The Capitals signed Cole Hutson to an entry-level contract this week and immediately put him in the lineup. The defenseman scored in his first NHL game (power play, empty netter) and is expected to be a major force next season.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Vegas, vs. Colorado, @ Colorado
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Jets play a home-and-home series with Colorado this week and if there are any fisticuffs, look for Adam Lowry, who has three majors, to take care of things… Connor Hellebuyck has had 37, 37 and 47 wins in each of the last three seasons heading into 2025-26, but this has not been his year. Hellebuyck is 17-19-10 with a 2.85 GAA and an .897 save percentage across 47 appearances. He won't win his third straight Vezina Trophy.
