Fantasy Hockey News

Tage Thompson recorded his first goal of the preseason during Friday's loss to Toronto.

Fantasy Impact: Thompson made a fantastic toe drag around the defender and ripped it top shelf for the goal. He'll have to earn his way onto the roster, but he's a big name to watch in fantasy leagues. Even if he doesn't play in the NHL right off the bat, it shouldn't take long for him to get there. This kid possesses some serious skill and fantasy owners need to take notice.

Linus Ullmark stopped 27 of 31 shots against the Maple Leafs on Friday, but made several impressive stops.

Fantasy Impact: The game could've easily been higher scoring, but Ullmark kept Buffalo in it with key stops in the third period. While he allowed four goals, the Sabres didn't have an NHL-heavy lineup and the Leafs were closer to that. He played the whole game and could be a sneaky draft pick later in fantasy leagues.

Boris Katchouk scored his first goal of the preseason on Tuesday against the Hurricanes. Katchouk played over 14 minutes and saw action the power play and penalty kill units.

Fantasy Impact: Katchouk is just 20 years old and coming off of a break out OHL season. Katchouk will most likely be in the AHL most if not all of the 2018 season, but is a name to watch for 2019.

Sam Reinhart and the Sabres reached an agreement on a two-year deal worth $7.3M on Wednesday. (Source: Buffalo Sabres)

Fantasy Impact: It was a long process to get him signed and with just a couple weeks until the season, both sides can shift their focus to hockey. Reinhart has been a solid player, but Buffalo are hoping he can become a great player. The two-year deal tells us that the Sabres expect more out of him. He had a career-best 25 goals and 50 points last season. He should be capable of surpassing those numbers moving forward, especially if the Sabres start turning things around. Don't draft him too early, but he's a solid pick in fantasy leagues.

Carter Hutton played two periods and stopped all 14 shots before giving way to Linus Ullmark.

Fantasy Impact: Hutton led the NHL in save percentage last season, and is tabbed as the "starter" in Buffalo. If he starts to struggle at all, Phil Housley could make a quick switch to Ullmark. Hutton is a solid goaltender to own and could be available later in drafts.

Jake McCabe potted a goal and logged seven hits in Tuesday's win over Pittsburgh.

Fantasy Impact: McCabe missed a lot of time last season and is finally healthy once again. He's an underrated player who can make an impact, though. He's a sneaky play in deeper leagues, especially for those who count hits and blocks.

Lawrence Pilut earned his first point of the preseason on Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

Fantasy Impact: He played just under 18 minutes in the victory, and will fight for a roster spot this season. It may be tough for him to crack the lineup this year, but he'll be a name to watch very soon either way.

Vladimir Sobotka collected a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Fantasy Impact: Sobotka was all over the scoresheet and may have gone overlooked in the Ryan O'Reilly trade. He's not going to put up points often, but could be worth a look in deeper leagues.

Jack Eichel scored a nifty breakaway goal during Tuesday's preseason victory over Pittsburgh.

Fantasy Impact: The Sabres featured an NHL-heavy lineup and the Penguins did not, but this doesn't take away from Eichel's goal. It's nice to see him involved in the game like this, but there's no doubt he's going to have a huge impact on fantasy squads. This year, he may have Jeff Skinner on his line, too.

Alexander Nylander dished out a pair of assists in Buffalo's preseason victory over Columbus.

Fantasy Impact: The former eighth overall pick in 2016 hasn't lived up to expectations thus far. However, he has looked like a different player over the last few weeks. We'll need to see some results carry over into the regular season, but he could very well earn a spot on the team.

Jonas Johansson stopped all 16 shots he faced through 20 minutes in the Sabres' first preseason game on Monday.

Fantasy Impact: Johansson looked very good, but he's not expected to make the team. With Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark as the top two, there's no room for Johansson. He's just a dynasty stash right now.

Erik Karlsson, one of the best defenseman in the NHL, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in return for some draft picks and young players. He will join an elite team and strengthened their strong playoff prospects. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Karlsson is 28 years old and already has 518 points, which is the most by a defenseman during his time in the NHL. He will join a very strong team and is expected to be a key part of their power-play. Karlsson should be among the first defenseman drafted this season.

Henrik Zetterberg gutted his way through the end of last season battling a back injury. However, the injury has been hurting him all off-season and he has revealed that he has been unable to train for the upcoming season. The head coach of the Red Wings has expressed concern that Zetterberg could miss the entire season. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: This is terrible news for the team, fans, and fantasy owners. Zetterberg has been a great player but his draft stock has to plummet into being an end of the draft lottery pick unless we hear uplifting news before your draft. It is possible his career on the ice may be over.

Ryan Callahan is less than three months removed from shoulder surgery at the end of May. He's spent the past 11 weeks rehabbing and returned to the ice on Wednesday. Callahan told reporters that he's not shooting yet, but was skating and stickhandling. He also added that he's still on track to be ready to play in November. (Source: NHL.com)

Fantasy Impact: Callahan played in 67 games last year and had five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. Now 33 years old, Callahan is focused on returning to the ice healthy for the 2018-2019 season.

John Tavares has signed a seven-year deal worth $11 million dollars annually with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. (Source: TSN)

Fantasy Impact: Coming off a season where he registered 37 goals and 84 points with the lowly Islanders, expect John Tavares to post career best numbers playing with the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitchell Marner on a now lethal Maple Leafs offense.

Mike Hoffman along with Cody Donaghey were traded to the San Jose Sharks for Mikkel Boedker and Julius Berman. (Source: TSN)

Fantasy Impact: This move was clearly to help keep Erik Karlsson happy and keep him in Ottawa. The big news last week around the team was that Hoffman's wife was cyber-bulling Karlsson's family. The details were disturbing and Hoffman or Karlsson had to leave and it was an easy decision.

Martin Jones saves 28 of the 30 shots he faced in the 3-2 victory in Game 2 versus Anaheim.

Fantasy Impact: He was a great goalie this season and finished with 30 victories and a GAA around 2.5 in 60 games.

Tomas Hertl scored the eventual game-winner in the 3-2 Game 2 victory.

Fantasy Impact: Hertl is a solid fantasy option who is over 40 points this season.

Logan Couture scored a power-play goal and then assisted on the game-winner.

Fantasy Impact: Couture is a strong fantasy asset who should be owned in all seasonal leagues.

Tuukka Rask allowed three goals on 33 shots in Game 2 in a 7-3 victory.

Fantasy Impact: He is one of the best goalies in the NHL and should be owned in most leagues.