Fantasy Hockey
If you have read this column before, you know I love to lean heavily on the upcoming schedule to spot hidden gems each week. But last year, there were requests for more advanced notice for some of these scheduling trends.
That’s what I am here to bring you, for the rest of the calendar year.
Scheduling advantages are highlighted in this year’s cheat sheet to note players with on- and off-day heavy schedules, as well as the strength of competition. But sometimes, when picking fringe players late in the draft, it helps to know who can help sooner or later. That applies to early-season pickups and injury replacements.
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As usual, I will delve into the nitty-gritty each week with specific player suggestions to match all advantageous scheduling (note: this column will officially run on Thursdays, starting next week). For now, we’ll buzz through some noticeable trends. 
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In Week 1, only one team appears four times: the Rangers, including two games that are on light nights (days with five games or fewer on the schedule). But after Week 1, the standouts are the Oilers, Kings, Predators, Mammoth, and Canucks with back-to-back four-game slates. So if you’re on the fence about drafting Barrett Hayton late, or taking a leap on one of the Oilers’ rookies, this could be your sign. Utah is especially valuable in Week 2, with three light nights ahead. 
Later in the month, New Jersey, San Jose, and Calgary have two straight weeks with four games on the agenda. So if you’re thinking about betting on a Dawson Mercer rebound, or want to get in on the fun in San Jose, this could be the moment — worst case, you swap those players out in November when some surprises start to emerge. In Week 3, the Flames have three light nights, so that could put Zayne Parekh onto your radar.
The Red Wings are another team to watch in October — after two games in Week 1, they have a 4-3-4 slate, with light nights in all three weeks.
I am not going to pretend to know exactly who will be hot in November, when the season hasn’t even started yet, but 12 teams have two four-game slates that month: the Ducks, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Oilers, Predators, Islanders, Rangers, Kraken, Blues, Golden Knights, and Capitals. The Mammoth are the only team with four games in three of the four weeks of the month. 
On the other hand, Montreal does not have a single light night in November. The Senators, Kings, and Avs each have only one.
The scheduling advantages are strong for Utah through the rest of 2025, with another string of four-game slates and eight more light nights. The Canadiens will also be very busy to open the month. The Devils, Sabres, Ducks, Sharks, and Jets also have three light nights in Week 9. 
Again, there’s only so much to take from all of this right now, but maybe it will help guide some late-round draft decisions and early-season roster changes.
(Photo by Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn Images)
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Shayna Goldman is a staff writer for The Athletic who focuses on blending data-driven analysis and video to dive deeper into hockey. She covers fantasy hockey and national stories that affect the entire NHL. She is the co-creator of BehindtheBenches.com and 1/3 of the Too Many Men podcast. Her work has also appeared at Sportsnet, HockeyGraphs and McKeen’s Hockey. She has a Master of Science in sports business from New York University. Follow Shayna on Twitter @hayyyshayyy
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