Fantasy Hockey

Horvat assisted on both of Sven Baertschi's first two goals of the season Sunday against Detroit.

It certainly a good sign for Horvat fantasy owners that his linemate Baertchi is off the schneid. Horvat has been solid this season, managing three goals and five points through eight games, so look for his production to increase now that Baertschi is scoring again. The 22-year-old isn't on the power play right now, but that trend shouldn't continue much longer, as he's tallied seven power-play markers over the last two seasons and is one of Vancouver's best offensive players.

MacKenzie recorded four hits and blocked five shots in Saturday's 4-1 victory over Washington.

MacKenzie is still searching for his first point in 2017-18, but Florida's captain is still filling out the stat sheet with his physicality and defense. Look for another season of 15 or so points from the 36-year-old veteran.

Brodziak was able to collect a secondary assist in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to Vegas.

The 33-year-old made a slick zone entry pass, which Magnus Paajarvi buried seconds later on a wraparound. Brodziak has now recorded two points in his last three games after going pointless over the first six games of the season. Still, with Brodziak only averaging 11:26 of ice time and a bottom-six role seemingly set in stone, he'll be hard-pressed to sustain consistent offensive production.

Dano was scratched for the second time this season in Friday's contest against Minnesota.

It appears that Dano is struggling to gain the trust of head coach Paul Maurice, as he's only averaged 6:58 of ice time through five games -- down nearly four minutes from last year. The Austrian has yet to record a point as well, and dating back to last season, he's been held off the scoresheet for 11 straight games. The 22-year-old will look to return to the action Thursday against Pittsburgh.

Jost (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.

This move doesn't come as a surprise, as Jost will miss 2-to-3 weeks with the ailment. He has a goal and an assist while averaging 13:33 of ice time through six games.

Hanzal failed to register a point for the fifth consecutive game during his team's 4-3 win over Carolina on Saturday.

On the season, Hanzal has scored just one goal and has a minus-5 rating through eight games. The 30-year-old forward posted 20 goals and 39 points with Minnesota and Arizona last year, so the rough start is disappointing for Dallas. He'll try to bust out of the slump on Tuesday in Colorado.

Dorsett scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season in Sunday's win over Detroit.

We keep telling you his goal-scoring will slow down and he keeps proving us wrong, so maybe it's time to get on board with the Dorsett hype. There's no denying what he's doing is impressive, but realistically there's no way he keeps it going. The fourth-liner is usually known for his PIM contributions and his previous career-high in goals is 12. The fact he's outscoring Connor McDavid this season is just absurd, but be smart about it and know this won't last. He can be be of value in deeper formats, but take advantage and sell high if there's someone looking to acquire him for a slumping top-six forward.

Virtanen scored his first goal of the season and fired eight shots on goal in Sunday's win over the Red Wings.

Virtanen has points in back-to-back games after being held off the scoresheet in his first six contests. He hasn't been seeing very many minutes, but Virtanen did skate on the top line with the Sedin twins Sunday and looked dominant. He doesn't offer much fantasy-wise right now, but a potential lethal combination of goal-scoring and strong hits totals makes him worth keeping an eye on in deeper fantasy leagues.

Baertschi potted his first two goals of the season in Sunday's win over Detroit.

Baertschi finally got on the board in the eighth game of the season after failing to cash in on some prime opportunities in his previous outings. The second-line winger has had a mediocre start to the year, posting five points and a plus-4 rating. Having Bo Horvat has a linemate is a great perk, so look for Baertschi to turn it up a notch. The 25-year-old is known for being streaky, but he put up a career-high 18 goals last season and when he gets going, he can be a lethal fantasy threat.

Bellemare has posted one assist in seven games to start the season, averaging 12:03 of ice time.

Bellemare has never been known for his offensive prowess, but he has still been playing well and taking on a penalty-killing role with Reilly Smith.

McCarron was called up from AHL Laval on Sunday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

McCarron appeared in 32 games last season with Montreal, including one playoff game, but only managed five points in that stretch. While it's uncertain how long the Michigan native will remain in the NHL, with Jeremiah Addison (shoulder) and Ales Hemsky (upper body) on injured reserve, McCarron should receive some ice time until they return.

Scherbak was recalled from AHL Laval on Sunday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

After starting the AHL season with nine points in his first six games, the 21-year-old has officially earned a call to the show. Scherbak has a wicked wrist shot and lots of offensive potential, but he's unlikely to receive more than a bottom-six role from Montreal -- at least initially.

Lovejoy recorded three hits and blocked one shot during Friday's 3-0 defeat to San Jose.

After appearing in all 82 games for New Jersey last year, this was only the third time Lovejoy has played in the 2017-18 season, as he was scratched four of the previous five games. Although the 33-year-old has never been a consistent point scorer -- his career high is 18 -- he's reportedly looked lost on defense recently, so don't expect him to gain any fantasy relevance anytime soon.

Coburn notched a primary assist while blocking two shots during Saturday's 7-1 victory over Pittsburgh.

That brings Coburn to three points in nine games. Still, since the stay-at-home defensemen doesn't have a power-play presence and is averaging similar ice time to last year, so don't expect a prolonged scoring outburst from the veteran.

Stecher left during the second period of a 4-1 victory over Detroit on Sunday with an apparent lower-body injury, Sportsnet reports.

Tomas Tatar struck Stecher with a knee-to-knee collision. After the soft-handed defensemen posted 24 points in 71 games last season, Stecher was logging minutes on the first power-play unit. If Stecher misses any time, Alex Biega will likely take his place.

O'Gara has been sent to AHL Providence.

O'Gara logged 14:17 worth of ice time in Saturday's loss to Buffalo, with his assignment to Providence possibly an indicator that Kevan Miller (knee) is nearing a return in advance of Thursday's game against the Sharks.

Goligoski failed to register a point in his team's 4-2 loss to Chicago on Saturday, but did manage to block four shots and total three shots on goal.

The 32-year-old blueliner picked up three helpers on Opening Night, but has failed to register a point in the seven games since then, posting a minus-7 rating along the way. Over the last three seasons, Goligoski has been remarkably consistent, logging point totals of 36, 37, and 36, respectively. He'll look to get back on track against the Islanders on Tuesday.

MacDonald (lower body) will miss 4-to-6 weeks of action, Bill Meltzer of NHL.com reports.

The 31-year-old blueliner has just one goal in eight games this season, but averages 19:36 of ice time. Despite not being much of a fantasy asset, MacDonald does have 15 shots on goal and 18 blocked shots. While he's out, Brandon Manning will likely slide into a more consistent role for the Flyers.

Howard surrendered four goals on 37 shots in Sunday's loss to the Canucks.

Howard was the much busier goaltender and he actually played quite well despite the loss. The 33-year-old isn't helping fantasy goers lately, however, having been burned for at least three goals in each of his last three starts. Howard has otherwise had a strong start to the season and is currently sporting a .916 save percentage, so don't be too concerned. The veteran should continue to split time with Petr Mrazek in the cage and makes for a decent play in most fantasy leagues.

Markstrom stopped 20 of 21 shots in Sunday's win over the Red Wings.

Markstrom has now put up back-to-back wins, bringing him up to 3-2-1 on the season. His .908 save percentage certainly leaves lots to be desired, but things appear to be trending in the right direction. Markstrom hasn't been great this season, but a strong showing against Detroit should be good for his confidence moving forward. He makes for a decent fantasy option in the cage considering the back-to-back victories and the fact Anders Nilsson hasn't really impressed since arriving in Vancouver.

Lagace was summoned from AHL Chicago on Sunday.

With Malcolm Subban (lower body) going on injured reserve, Vegas will call upon Lagace to serve as the backup to Oscar Dansk. After Lagace appeared in 32 games last season for AHL Texas (posting a 3.56 GAA and .886 save percentage), the 24-year-old hasn't fared much better this season in mustering a .870 save percentage through three AHL games. Lagace will likely remain with the team until Subban or Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) return to the action.

Subban (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Sunday. He's estimated to be out four weeks.

Subban originally sustained the injury Saturday late in the third period after stopping 37 of 38 St. Louis shots. The 23-year-old had been thriving in his role as the starting goaltender for Vegas, posting an impressive 2.06 GAA and .936 save percentage in his three games. The good news for Subban is his injury reportedly won't require surgery, so after plenty of rest and rehab he should be 100 percent within a month or so. Look for Vegas to now turn to Oscar Dansk as the next starter in the goalie carousel with Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) also sidelined.

McIntyre has been sent to AHL Providence.

McIntyre's demotion would seem to bode well for the potential return to action of starter Tuukka Rask (concussion). McIntyre spent the last two games with the big club as Anton Khudobin's backup before starting for Providence on Sunday, Mark Divver of The Providence Journal reports. It's still possible that McIntyre could be back up with the B's in short order, though, if Rask needs more time.

Schneider (lower body) will be held out of practice Monday and re-evaluated Tuesday, Andrew Gross of The Bergen Record reports.

With the Devils off until Friday, the 31-year-old netminder still has a shot at suiting up for that contest against the Senators. The injury was suffered during his Oct. 19 appearance, with Keith Kinkaid replacing him in the third period. Schneider is 4-1-0 to start the season despite a .907 save percentage and a 3.30 GAA.