Facing Halloween head-on and a fresh month thereafter, it's once again time to hack the schedule in your fantasy favor, as a way of maximizing every player's opportunity to contribute. Setting the benchmark at six games, as usual -- when another 20 teams, at minimum, are idle -- a handful of teams are worth recognizing when deciding which available players to keep or stream, all else being equal, on so-called slower nights from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30.
The New York Rangers lead the way in competing on seven such occasions when most of the rest of the league is off, while several others do so on six dates. The ability to roll out the following fantasy figures when few others are active, in timely fashion, then bench them when off on busier slates, helps to provide a winning formula in competition where lineups are set every day.
All advance metrics compliments of Evolving Hockey.
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San Jose Sharks
Not only does Ryan Warsovsky's crew compete on more lightly-scheduled dates (six) this coming month than most of the league, but they hop that train immediately post-Halloween. San Jose faces the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday -- when the overwhelming majority of teams are idle -- before visiting Dallas on a busy Saturday. Although not terribly deep in fantasy talent beyond superstar center Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks aren't lacking either. We'll see how long the experiment lasts but, as of this moment, rookie Ivar Stenberg is skating on a top line with Celebrini, in addition to the No. 1 power play. If those two exceptionally gifted, yet different, young skaters can figure out how to forge some dangerous chemistry, Stenberg will start adding to his production numbers quickly. He already has nine points though 13 contests.
In leagues that reward physical play, Kiefer Sherwood remains an appealing option. No one in the NHL is banging their body around more, averaging 5.6 hits per game. While his current collection of two goals and four assists through 13 games serves as mildly underwhelming, Sherwood's individual Corsi metric (44 iCF) suggests he should have more points to show for his shooting efforts. Which means we may be in for a productive bump soon. The physical forward remains available in 66.7% of ESPN leagues.
Peering through the fantasy lens, there's more and more to like from Yaroslav Askarov. After a shakier start, the 24-year-old netminder is holding his own with a .956 SV% and 1.68 GAA in his past three starts. In fact, he's more than holding his own, harboring an 11.4 Goals Save above Expected (GSAx) since initial puck drop, third only to Jesper Wallstedt and Jacob Fowler. Once the Sharks' offense gets humming, and its newly-cobbled defense tightens up a bit, the victories will come easier. If you need a netminder, know that Askarov is available in 84.5% of ESPN leagues.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is another NHL squad that competes on an appealingly staggered schedule beginning next week. Embarking on a road trip to the east coast, the Golden Knights make stops in Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Buffalo on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday. Fantasy-wise, a rather pleasing slate indeed. While inconsistent, Ivan Barbashev sports tangible fantasy upside. Skating on a No. 1 line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone and secondary power play, the veteran winger has six points in his past six games. Better yet, according to Evolving Hockey, he should have three goals on the year, not just one. Not a jarring gap by any means, but serves as reminder that Barbashev is a 25-goal scorer in a full season. He's there for the taking in 65.9% of ESPN leagues.
But Vegas's shiniest accessible fantasy gem resides in net. Outside of one singularly deplorable start in St. Louis, Adin Hill has been good to great this season (5-1-0, 2.63 GAA). After Carter Hart suffered an undisclosed injury earlier this week, the Stanley Cup Champ could be much busier for a solid Golden Knights' squad going forward. Hill won't be available in 78.8% of ESPN leagues for long.
New York Rangers
Leading the charge by competing on seven sparser dates through the month of November, the Rangers boast a rather limited list of attractive and available fantasy performers. Still, skating on a line with J.T. Miller, forward Tye Kartye sports growing charm in his first full season with the Rangers. The 25-year-old quietly amassed 14 points in 24 games after joining New York this past campaign, and is on pace for 60 this full round. I also wonder if we're going to see the winger enjoy regular minutes with the extra skater in the not-too-distant future. Right now, New York's power play is middling at best. Ideally, you want to just flag Kartye, and any other Ranger of interest, until the week of Nov. 9, when New York competes on three off nights, against the Edmonton Oilers, Flames and Vancouver Canucks. A rather attractive western Canadian swing as far as fantasy potential production is concerned.
It's also time to keep closer tabs on the return of Joonas Korpisalo. While Dylan Garand lacks NHL experience, the James Reimer experiment isn't going all that well. This reasonably competitive Rangers crew desperately needs a competent, seasoned netminder to shoulder a good portion of the load before Igor Shesterkin returns next year. At last check, Korpisalo was tapped to return in early November. Fantasy managers with issues in net should remain on alert.
Vancouver Canucks
Outside of the crease -- the Canucks lose too often to justify trusting any Vancouver netminder -- there's a small handful of largely available skaters worth investment in deeper fantasy leagues this month, led by Jonathan Lekkerimaki. The rookie is sizzling right now, with four goals and three assists in his past five contests. Rewarding him with heavy minutes on a top-six scoring line, coach Manny Malhotra is clearly pleased with the Canucks' first-round draft pick (2022). Oh, and guess who's now skating on the club's No. 1 power play along with Elias Petterssen, Jake DeBrusk, and Filip Hronek? Right. While Vancouver's game rhythm really starts to shine in the latter half of November, Lekkerimaki merits grabbing now. There's an excellent chance he won't be unaccounted for in two weeks' time.
At the opposing end of the busy-night spectrum, the Kings, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals play only once when most of the rest of the league is off.