Spencer Knight has had his moments, but also frustrations, in the Blackhawk net. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
This week, Joel Erkisson-Ek showed zero rust in his return from a 21-game absence, potting four goals in his first contest back; Ottawa is considering shutting down captain Brady Tkachuk (UBI) until the playoffs; and Washington has turned its focus to clinching home ice advantage through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Other Fantasy hockey stories we’re tracking include…
Spencer Knight’s Frustration
You have to go back to 2019-20 to find the last time the Chicago Blackhawks finished over .500 and made the playoffs. It’s been all downhill since as the club shed virtually all veteran talent and has attempted to rebuild from the group up.
And while this is another campaign outside the playoffs, Chicago has slowly started to rise from the ashes, having already surpasses last season’s point total. Baby steps.
Still, with 13 losses over the last 15 games heading into their Original Six matchup with almost equally inept Boston, it’s been a slow slog to finish the schedule for the Blackhawks.
If you’re seeking a bright spot for the Hawks, look no further than the net, where recently acquired Spencer Knight gives the team a legitimate potential No. 1 goalie. He’s definitely suffered from inconsistent results since being traded from Florida, but what can you expect considering he’s playing behind a team that ranks dead last in the NHL in expected goal percentage (43.15)?
Knight has had his moments; on Sunday he stopped 28 of 29 shots to beat Pittsburgh, and two games before that he turned aside 29 of 31 shots to help the team earn a loser point against Colorado. He’s played better so far this month (2.95 GAA, .906 save percentage), but the promising first half he had with the Panthers (2.40 GAA, two shutouts) has disappeared since the trade (3.16 GAA).
Reports suggest that Knight is getting frustrated about being hung out to dry and has made his thoughts known to his teammates so we’ll see how this shakes out.
Taken 13th overall in 2019, he has tremendous talent and the required tools to be a quality Fantasy starter, and he could even provide some value in deeper formats down the stretch. But before you invest heavily in Knight next season, be sure that Chicago has improved its supporting cast. Oh, and keep him away from Miles Wood, please (see video below).
The Ducks Keep Fighting
Two seasons ago, the Anaheim Ducks suffered through the worst season in franchise history, finishing dead last in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. And while they improved to seventh last season and are currently in sixth, they are looking at a seventh straight campaign without a postseason berth.
Still, the Ducks are not going away quietly, winning their last two games and going 6-4 over the last 10 to get a bit closer to fifth place Vancouver and tighten their grip on sixth over Seattle.
Beyond the team not simply mailing it in down the stretch, another bright spot has been the recent play of rookie Cutter Gauthier. We recommended him over a year and a half ago when he was still in college as someone to consider once he turned pro near the end of the 2023-24 season, and while he only played in one game that season, he did manage an assist.
This season, Gauthier started slowly, began to produce over the next couple of months and then hit the skids again in January. Since February, however, the most hated man in Philadelphia has really turned it on with 11 goals and 10 assists over the last 27 games.
Gauthier has recorded back-to-back two-goal efforts (including the overtime winner on Wednesday) as he finishes his first full season strong, and the fact he’s posted a +10 mark for a meh team is impressive. He’s a very good bet (-118 as per FanDuel) to record at least one shot on goal in the first period against the Kings on Thursday.
Still just 21, the fifth overall pick from 2022 looks like an interesting waiver wire add for the final stretch. As much as Flyers’ fans want to see him flop, Gauthier has a bright future and must be considered a major sleeper heading into 2025-26.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Elmer Soderblom, LW, Detroit Red Wings (ESPN: 0.1 per cent; CBS: 2 per cent): Soderblom is a deep league special only at this point, but his mix of ridiculous size (6’8”, 246) and skill really intrigues us. He’s dealt with some injury issues of late (and his status Thursday is unclear), but recently flashed some offense with points in three of four games and while his scoring hasn’t popped quite the same as last season (five goals in 21 games vs. four in 26), that’s mostly because he had a somewhat unsustainable shooting percentage in his first taste of the NHL. Soderblom likely tops out as a third liner (maybe middle six), but there’s some upside here judging by the 21 goals he posted in just 52 games in the SHL in 2021-22 as a 20-year-old.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
American nu metal band Korn got their start in 1993 and are still at it today. In 1999, they released their fourth album, Issues, and the first single “Falling Away from Me,” became their first top 100 hit after debuting on an episode of South Park.