<p>In Fantasy Hockey, one of the keys to victory is maximizing the number of games played. It’s not always about who you draft, but when and who your players are playing against can play a key role. A soft schedule or a few extra “light night” games can make a huge difference.</p>



<p>I’ve broken the schedule down into three sections.</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Fantasy Hockey Regular Season — Week 1 to Week 21</li>



<li>Fantasy Hockey Playoffs — Week 22, 23 and 24</li>



<li>Full Fantasy Hockey Season (entire 82-game schedule)</li>
</ol>



<p><strong>The Strength of Schedule calculation includes three layers:</strong></p>



<p><strong>1. Number of Games</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>More games = more chances for fantasy production</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>2. Quality of Opponents</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Not all games are equal; facing weak defensive teams increases your chances for fantasy production.</li>



<li>I ranked each team using defensive metrics (Shot Volume Against, Shot Quality Against, Goaltending Quality, Etc.)</li>



<li>High Score = Easier Matchup, Low Score = Difficult Matchup</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>3. Light Nights</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A light night is classified by eight games or fewer on a given night.</li>



<li>More light night games = more opportunity to get these players into your lineup instead of leaving them on the bench.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Fantasy Hockey Regular Season </strong></h2>



<p>The Fantasy Hockey Regular Season is long, so more importance is put on the total number of games and the quality of the opponents, but Light Nights are still a factor. The Utah Mammoth have the best Fantasy Regular Season Schedule because they rank:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>t-1st in Number of Games (71)</li>



<li>7th in Opponent Quality (51.64)</li>



<li>1st in Light Nights (35)</li>
</ul>



<p>Strength of Schedule shouldn’t be the only factor you consider on draft day, but using it as a tiebreaker can help you make tough decisions. When only considering Fantasy Regular Season Strength of Schedule, <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/clayton-keller/2642">Clayton Keller </a></strong>(ADP: 38.5) will likely help you make the Fantasy Playoffs more than <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/robert-thomas/2810">Robert Thomas</a></strong> (ADP: 40.0), considering the Mammoth have the No.1 Strength of Schedule and the Blues rank 27th.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="189"></div>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Team</th><th># of Gms</th><th>Opp Rating</th><th>Light Nights</th><th>SOS Score</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Utah Mammoth</td><td>71</td><td>51.64</td><td>35</td><td>83.36</td></tr><tr><td>Vegas Golden Knights</td><td>71</td><td>51.75</td><td>27</td><td>80.49</td></tr><tr><td>Washington Capitals</td><td>71</td><td>50.65</td><td>30</td><td>75.62</td></tr><tr><td>Los Angeles Kings</td><td>70</td><td>52.18</td><td>27</td><td>70.19</td></tr><tr><td>Pittsburgh Penguins</td><td>70</td><td>52.04</td><td>26</td><td>66.76</td></tr><tr><td>Edmonton Oilers</td><td>71</td><td>50.65</td><td>21</td><td>60.98</td></tr><tr><td>Carolina Hurricanes</td><td>70</td><td>50.23</td><td>26</td><td>52.27</td></tr><tr><td>Vancouver Canucks</td><td>69</td><td>51.88</td><td>25</td><td>52.08</td></tr><tr><td>Toronto Maple Leafs</td><td>71</td><td>49.87</td><td>22</td><td>51.31</td></tr><tr><td>Boston Bruins</td><td>70</td><td>51.67</td><td>16</td><td>50.18</td></tr><tr><td>Ottawa Senators</td><td>69</td><td>52.80</td><td>22</td><td>50.00</td></tr><tr><td>Minnesota Wild</td><td>71</td><td>49.82</td><td>22</td><td>49.83</td></tr><tr><td>New York Islanders</td><td>71</td><td>49.76</td><td>23</td><td>49.53</td></tr><tr><td>Detroit Red Wings</td><td>70</td><td>50.12</td><td>26</td><td>49.35</td></tr><tr><td>Calgary Flames</td><td>70</td><td>49.70</td><td>28</td><td>43.74</td></tr><tr><td>New Jersey Devils</td><td>69</td><td>50.06</td><td>29</td><td>41.76</td></tr><tr><td>Buffalo Sabres</td><td>71</td><td>47.89</td><td>23</td><td>40.80</td></tr><tr><td>Philadelphia Flyers</td><td>69</td><td>50.38</td><td>25</td><td>40.47</td></tr><tr><td>New York Rangers</td><td>70</td><td>49.36</td><td>27</td><td>38.24</td></tr><tr><td>Winnipeg Jets</td><td>70</td><td>49.80</td><td>24</td><td>38.22</td></tr><tr><td>Anaheim Ducks</td><td>70</td><td>47.30</td><td>33</td><td>37.59</td></tr><tr><td>Montreal Canadiens</td><td>69</td><td>50.88</td><td>18</td><td>36.59</td></tr><tr><td>Colorado Avalanche</td><td>69</td><td>50.79</td><td>21</td><td>36.45</td></tr><tr><td>Tampa Bay Lightning</td><td>69</td><td>50.19</td><td>24</td><td>35.65</td></tr><tr><td>Chicago Blackhawks</td><td>70</td><td>45.31</td><td>32</td><td>31.13</td></tr><tr><td>Florida Panthers</td><td>69</td><td>49.92</td><td>23</td><td>29.36</td></tr><tr><td>St. Louis Blues</td><td>69</td><td>49.22</td><td>27</td><td>25.49</td></tr><tr><td>Columbus Blue Jackets</td><td>70</td><td>48.17</td><td>22</td><td>25.04</td></tr><tr><td>Seattle Kraken</td><td>69</td><td>49.61</td><td>25</td><td>24.49</td></tr><tr><td>Dallas Stars</td><td>70</td><td>46.42</td><td>24</td><td>23.73</td></tr><tr><td>Nashville Predators</td><td>70</td><td>47.14</td><td>18</td><td>17.43</td></tr><tr><td>San Jose Sharks</td><td>68</td><td>45.71</td><td>21</td><td>3.38</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Fantasy Hockey Playoffs</strong></h2>



<p>Making the playoffs is only half the battle. Once you get there, you want players with great schedules. You also want roster flexibility so that you can stream players and maximize your games played, which is more important in a one-week head-to-head than a 21-week marathon. So, for the Fantasy Hockey playoffs, added importance was placed on “Light Night” games. </p>



<p>When you first looked at the Fantasy Regular Season Schedule, you were probably nervous about drafting <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/macklin-celebrini/37106">Macklin Celebrini</a></strong> (ADP: 43.0). But now that you’ve seen the Fantasy Playoffs Schedule, he could be the key to your Fantasy Hockey Championship. Conversely, those Utah and Vegas players who helped you get to the playoffs have by far the worst playoff schedule.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Team</th><th># of Gms</th><th>Opp Rating</th><th>Light Nights</th><th>SOS Score</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>San Jose Sharks</td><td>14</td><td>53.68</td><td>6</td><td>86.46</td></tr><tr><td>St. Louis Blues</td><td>13</td><td>54.43</td><td>5</td><td>75.65</td></tr><tr><td>Florida Panthers</td><td>13</td><td>64.65</td><td>3</td><td>64.34</td></tr><tr><td>Buffalo Sabres</td><td>11</td><td>61.37</td><td>5</td><td>62.09</td></tr><tr><td>Tampa Bay Lightning</td><td>13</td><td>63.06</td><td>3</td><td>62.07</td></tr><tr><td>New York Rangers</td><td>12</td><td>50.18</td><td>7</td><td>60.80</td></tr><tr><td>New Jersey Devils</td><td>13</td><td>61.33</td><td>3</td><td>59.83</td></tr><tr><td>Philadelphia Flyers</td><td>13</td><td>57.42</td><td>3</td><td>57.55</td></tr><tr><td>Ottawa Senators</td><td>13</td><td>44.40</td><td>4</td><td>54.16</td></tr><tr><td>Chicago Blackhawks</td><td>12</td><td>52.72</td><td>4</td><td>52.89</td></tr><tr><td>Anaheim Ducks</td><td>12</td><td>48.85</td><td>5</td><td>52.89</td></tr><tr><td>Colorado Avalanche</td><td>13</td><td>41.18</td><td>4</td><td>49.64</td></tr><tr><td>Vancouver Canucks</td><td>13</td><td>40.46</td><td>4</td><td>48.52</td></tr><tr><td>Nashville Predators</td><td>12</td><td>57.78</td><td>3</td><td>46.14</td></tr><tr><td>Toronto Maple Leafs</td><td>11</td><td>52.69</td><td>4</td><td>44.03</td></tr><tr><td>Carolina Hurricanes</td><td>12</td><td>63.13</td><td>2</td><td>42.74</td></tr><tr><td>Boston Bruins</td><td>12</td><td>44.73</td><td>4</td><td>42.74</td></tr><tr><td>Montreal Canadiens</td><td>13</td><td>41.75</td><td>3</td><td>36.13</td></tr><tr><td>Columbus Blue Jackets</td><td>12</td><td>57.24</td><td>2</td><td>35.95</td></tr><tr><td>Washington Capitals</td><td>11</td><td>54.99</td><td>3</td><td>35.00</td></tr><tr><td>New York Islanders</td><td>11</td><td>54.23</td><td>3</td><td>32.73</td></tr><tr><td>Seattle Kraken</td><td>13</td><td>34.50</td><td>3</td><td>30.46</td></tr><tr><td>Detroit Red Wings</td><td>12</td><td>46.61</td><td>3</td><td>29.20</td></tr><tr><td>Dallas Stars</td><td>12</td><td>52.21</td><td>2</td><td>28.04</td></tr><tr><td>Los Angeles Kings</td><td>12</td><td>42.79</td><td>3</td><td>25.80</td></tr><tr><td>Winnipeg Jets</td><td>12</td><td>49.09</td><td>2</td><td>24.68</td></tr><tr><td>Calgary Flames</td><td>12</td><td>41.97</td><td>3</td><td>24.68</td></tr><tr><td>Pittsburgh Penguins</td><td>12</td><td>36.33</td><td>3</td><td>19.05</td></tr><tr><td>Edmonton Oilers</td><td>11</td><td>49.37</td><td>2</td><td>18.06</td></tr><tr><td>Minnesota Wild</td><td>11</td><td>47.01</td><td>1</td><td>13.55</td></tr><tr><td>Vegas Golden Knights</td><td>11</td><td>37.59</td><td>2</td><td>4.52</td></tr><tr><td>Utah Mammoth</td><td>11</td><td>32.93</td><td>2</td><td>1.12</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Full Fantasy Hockey Season</strong></h2>



<p>When you consider the entirety of the NHL Season, the Devils’ skaters have the best Strength of Schedule. They have rank 16th during the Fantasy Regular Season and 7th in the Fantasy Playoffs. The stark difference between playoff schedules and the overall balance of the Devils’ schedule should be considered when you’re deciding between <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/jack-hughes-30419/30419">Jack Hughes</a></strong> (ADP: 20.5) and <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/mitch-marner/2475">Mitch Marner</a></strong> (ADP: 20.5) on draft day. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="187"></div>



<p>Similarly, the Carolina Hurricanes have a very balanced schedule (7th in the regular season and 16th in the playoffs). In contrast, the Dallas Stars have a seemingly horrific schedule all year (30th in the Regular Season and 24th in the playoffs). This should be considered when trying to decide between <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/sebastian-aho/2677">Sebastian Aho</a></strong> (ADP: 62.5) and <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/wyatt-johnston/30835">Wyatt Johnston</a></strong> (ADP: 63.5) or picking between <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/seth-jarvis/29549">Seth Jarvis</a></strong> (ADP: 81.0) or <strong><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players/news/roope-hintz/2863">Roope Hintz </a></strong>(ADP: 86.0).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Team</th><th># of Gms</th><th>Opp Rating</th><th>Light Nights</th><th>SOS Score</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>New Jersey Devils</td><td>82</td><td>51.84</td><td>32</td><td>87.39</td></tr><tr><td>Washington Capitals</td><td>82</td><td>51.23</td><td>33</td><td>82.55</td></tr><tr><td>Tampa Bay Lightning</td><td>82</td><td>52.23</td><td>27</td><td>80.33</td></tr><tr><td>Carolina Hurricanes</td><td>82</td><td>52.12</td><td>28</td><td>79.97</td></tr><tr><td>Florida Panthers</td><td>82</td><td>52.26</td><td>26</td><td>76.78</td></tr><tr><td>Los Angeles Kings</td><td>82</td><td>50.81</td><td>30</td><td>76.44</td></tr><tr><td>Philadelphia Flyers</td><td>82</td><td>51.50</td><td>28</td><td>75.49</td></tr><tr><td>Ottawa Senators</td><td>82</td><td>51.47</td><td>26</td><td>65.51</td></tr><tr><td>St. Louis Blues</td><td>82</td><td>50.05</td><td>32</td><td>64.85</td></tr><tr><td>Vancouver Canucks</td><td>82</td><td>50.07</td><td>29</td><td>61.30</td></tr><tr><td>Vegas Golden Knights</td><td>82</td><td>49.85</td><td>29</td><td>56.75</td></tr><tr><td>Pittsburgh Penguins</td><td>82</td><td>49.74</td><td>29</td><td>54.51</td></tr><tr><td>New York Islanders</td><td>82</td><td>50.36</td><td>26</td><td>54.17</td></tr><tr><td>Edmonton Oilers</td><td>82</td><td>50.48</td><td>23</td><td>52.61</td></tr><tr><td>New York Rangers</td><td>82</td><td>49.48</td><td>34</td><td>51.94</td></tr><tr><td>Boston Bruins</td><td>82</td><td>50.65</td><td>20</td><td>51.94</td></tr><tr><td>Toronto Maple Leafs</td><td>82</td><td>50.25</td><td>26</td><td>51.93</td></tr><tr><td>Buffalo Sabres</td><td>82</td><td>49.70</td><td>28</td><td>48.40</td></tr><tr><td>Detroit Red Wings</td><td>82</td><td>49.61</td><td>29</td><td>47.72</td></tr><tr><td>Utah Hockey Club</td><td>82</td><td>49.13</td><td>37</td><td>44.86</td></tr><tr><td>Anaheim Ducks</td><td>82</td><td>47.53</td><td>38</td><td>39.03</td></tr><tr><td>Winnipeg Jets</td><td>82</td><td>49.70</td><td>26</td><td>38.42</td></tr><tr><td>Calgary Flames</td><td>82</td><td>48.57</td><td>31</td><td>34.49</td></tr><tr><td>Columbus Blue Jackets</td><td>82</td><td>49.50</td><td>24</td><td>31.92</td></tr><tr><td>Chicago Blackhawks</td><td>82</td><td>46.40</td><td>36</td><td>28.05</td></tr><tr><td>Minnesota Wild</td><td>82</td><td>49.44</td><td>23</td><td>25.52</td></tr><tr><td>Colorado Avalanche</td><td>82</td><td>49.27</td><td>25</td><td>23.88</td></tr><tr><td>Montreal Canadiens</td><td>82</td><td>49.43</td><td>21</td><td>21.26</td></tr><tr><td>Seattle Kraken</td><td>82</td><td>47.22</td><td>28</td><td>19.07</td></tr><tr><td>San Jose Sharks</td><td>82</td><td>47.07</td><td>27</td><td>14.81</td></tr><tr><td>Nashville Predators</td><td>82</td><td>48.70</td><td>21</td><td>14.54</td></tr><tr><td>Dallas Stars</td><td>82</td><td>47.27</td><td>26</td><td>13.57</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
