Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 25
Identifying the players with four games each week and filling your roster with those players can increase your chances of winning your fantasy hockey matchup. That’s why our Weekly Schedule tool is so helpful!
I combined that weekly schedule with a Team Defense Score I created using key defensive metrics to find which teams/skaters have the best schedule this week.
How it Works:
- Team Defensive Ratings are given on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the best possible defensive team and 100 being the worst.
- SCORE: The sum of all the Defensive Ratings the team will face this week.
- AVG Opponent: The Average Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
- The strength of the Schedule is determined by the sum of defensive ratings because we want players who play the most games but also have the easiest matchups.
- Light Nights: A night in the NHL with eight or fewer games.
Week 25 – Strength of Schedule
Week 25 Streaming Targets
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are tied for the most light-night games in Week 25 and have the most favourable light-night schedule.
Jeff Skinner (LW – 27% Rostered)
With all of the injuries and his recent play, Skinner’s playing time should be as secure as it’s been all season. He’s scored four goals with two assists (six points) in his last eight games, while averaging 2.4 SOG, 1.5 hits and 15:49 TOI/gm.
Viktor Arvidsson (LW/RW – 13% Rostered)
Arvidsson is probably the Oilers’ safest streamer. Thanks to his shot volume, he’s the one with the most consistent usage and floor. The veteran winger has been better over the last month, scoring six goals in 14 games while averaging 2.9 SOG/gm.
Calvin Pickard (G – 27% Rostered)
With Stuart Skinner injured, Pickard should see a lot of action this week. He’s been really good as of late, going 3-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .925 SV% in his last four starts. If you go back even further, he’s 5-2-1 with a 2.28 GAA and .919 SV% in his last nine. With a ton of light nights and a great schedule, Pickard could be a league-winning stream this week.
Vasily Podkolzin (LW/RW – 1% Rostered)
Podkolzin is a banger-league target only. Since the beginning of March, he has just two points (1G / 1A) in 17 games, but he’s averaging 3.7 hits per game during that time and 15:43 TOI/gm in his last eight games. He’ll help in the hits category for sure and can hopefully get back on the scoresheet this week with the increased usage.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks tied for the most light-night games in Week 25 and have the second-best light-night schedule.
Tyler Toffoli (LW/RW – 37% Rostered)
Toffoli has been rock solid as of late, posting seven points (4G / 3A) and 32 SOG (3.2 per game). But if you go back even further, he’s tied for 36th in goals (13), tied for 91st in points (22) and tied for 44 in SOG (92) since mid-January. Those are strong numbers for nearly three months for a player you can add off the waiver wire for the Fantasy Hockey Final.
William Eklund (LW – 20% Rostered)
Similar to Toffoli, Eklund has seven points (3G / 4A) in his last 10 games and has been very good if you go back even further. In his last 22 games, he has seven goals and 11 assists (18 points). His shot volume is somewhat limited, so he doesn’t score a ton of goals, but there’s a chance he could be a point-per-game player this week with the strong usage (19:23 ATOI in his last 10) and great schedule.
Will Smith (C/RW – 11% Rostered)
Smith was scorching hot from Feb.24 to Mar.13, posting 12 points (5G / 7A) in nine games during that time. He’s cooled off a bit in his last nine games, with just three points (1G / 2A), but this shows the high-end upside he could provide this week as a streamer. Smith is an extremely talented young player who has seen his usage climb rapidly in the second half of the season.
Alex Wennberg (C – 1% Rostered)
If the first three are all owned in your league, Wennberg is the deep-league option. His goal-scoring is extremely limited, but he can provide strong assist totals and PP production. Wennberg plays big minutes and is on PP1 in San Jose, and enters Week 25 with 11 points (2G / 9A) in his last 17 games.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Four of the Lightning’s six games are on light nights, tied for the second-most. They have the third-best light night schedule.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (RW – 13% Rostered)
The Lightning don’t have great streaming targets because their production is so concentrated to their top players, but Bjorkstrand is likely the best of the rest. He’s picked up six points (3G / 3A) in his last eight games but has been bumped off PP1 and is averaging just 13:32 TOI/gm during that stretch.
Nick Paul (C/LW – 10% Rostered)
Paul is the opposite of Bjorkstrand. He plays a lot in all situations but hasn’t been all that productive. Paul has just three points (2G / 1A) in his last 10 games, but skating with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel sets him up nicely to potentially be a great stream this week. From Feb.8 to Mar.15, Paul had six goals and three assists (9 points) in 13 games, so he’s capable of getting hot.
Calgary Flames
The Flames are tied for the second-most light nights (4) and have the fourth-best light night schedule.
Blake Coleman (C/LW/RW – 30% Rostered)
Coleman had a great start to April, setting him up to be a great streamer in Week 25. Coleman has two goals and one assist in three games, but it’s his 13 SOG and 24 shot attempts in those three games that stick out as elite. It’s a small sample size, but only seven players in the NHL have more SOG, only eight players have more shot attempts, and only 12 players have a higher ixG than Coleman’s 1.66 in their last three games. If he keeps that up through the rest of the season, he could be a league-winning stream.
Matt Coronato (RW – 6% Rostered)
Coronato has just one goal and no assists in his last six games but had four goals and two assists in four games before that. So he can get red-hot. There’s a great floor built in with Coronato as well. He plays big minutes (18:57) and has steady shot volume (2.5 per game in his last 10).
Detroit Red Wings
Lastly, Detroit is tied with the Lightning and Flames with four light nights and have the fifth-easiest light night schedule in Week 25.
Marco Kasper (C/LW – 11% Rostered)
Kasper is probably the only skater worth considering in Detroit. He’s picked up nine points (6G / 3A) in his last 12 games and has carved out a consistent role in their top 6 and PP2. He’s been a bit fortunate, shooting 26.1 percent during that stretch, so be warned that he could cool off at the wrong time.
Cam Talbot (G – 50% Rostered)
With all the light nights and his recent play, Talbot could get a lot of run down the stretch as Detroit makes a last-second push for a playoff spot. He’s been superb as of late, going 3-1-1 with a 1.72 GAA and .945 SV% in his last five starts.