<p>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&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/nhl-weekly-schedule/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weekly Schedule tool</a>&nbsp;is so helpful!</p>



<p>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. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How it Works:</strong></h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Team Defensive Ratings are given on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the best possible defensive team and 100 being the worst.</li>



<li>SCORE: The sum of all the Defensive Ratings the team will face this week.</li>



<li>AVG Opponent: The Average Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week. </li>



<li>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.</li>



<li>Light Nights: A night in the NHL with eight or fewer games. </li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-week-26-strength-of-schedule"><strong>Week 14 – Strength of Schedule</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1016" height="810" src="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-193611" srcset="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM.png 1016w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM-300x239.png 300w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM-768x612.png 768w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM-150x120.png 150w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM-600x478.png 600w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-06-at-10.25.15-AM-696x555.png 696w" sizes="(max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px"></a></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity">



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Week 14 Streaming Targets</strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Vegas Golden Knights</strong></h2>



<p>Vegas has the No.1 ranked schedule this week, but only one light game. Tuesday and Thursday aren’t overly busy, though, so check ahead. You may have an open spot or two in your lineup, and light nights won’t be that impactful this week.</p>



<p><strong>Pavel Dorofeyev (LW/RW – 10% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L2 &amp; PP1</em></p>



<p>Dorofeyev opened the season with 17 points (12G / 5A) in his first 24 games but went goalless with just one assist in his next 10 games. He’s showing signs of returning to his early-season form, scoring two goals with one assist and 15 SOG in his last five games. He was on a line with William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl in their previous game, and he could have a big week if he retains that spot.</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>



<p><strong>Tanner Pearson (LW – 1% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L1 &amp; PP2</em></p>



<p>Pearson earned a promotion to the top line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone thanks to a strong showing over the last couple of weeks. In his first complete game on the top line, he had two assists and two SOG in 15:43, giving him seven points (3G / 4A) in his last seven games. Pearson should remain on the top line to begin the week, but could lose his spot on PP2 when Victor Olofsson (illness) returns to the lineup.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Seattle Kraken</strong></h2>



<p>Seattle has the No.2 ranked schedule this week and two light-night games. They open the week with a challenging matchup vs. the Devils but it gets much easier from there as they travel out East to face the Blue Jackets, Sabres and Red Wings.</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="135"></div>



<p><strong>Jaden Schwartz (C/LW – 11% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L1 &amp; PP1</em></p>



<p>Since acquiring Kaapo Kakko from the Rangers, the line of Schwartz-Beniers-Kakko has played extremely well. They’ve generated 3.33 xGF/60 and scored five goals in just 52:22 TOI together. Schwartz has done most of the damage, scoring five goals with two assists (seven points) in his last six games. He’s playing big minutes with strong shot volume (2.8 SOG/gm during that stretch), giving him a solid floor with four games this week.</p>



<p><strong>Matty Beniers (C – 11% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L1 &amp; PP2</em></p>



<p>If Schwartz isn’t available, Beniers has been solid lately. He has five points (3G / 2A) and 13 SOG (2.6 SOG/gm) in his last five games. He doesn’t offer the same floor as Schwartz, but his upside for the week is just as high.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="135"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ottawa Senators</strong></h2>



<p>The Senators have been scuffling since Christmas, losing four of their last five while scoring just 1.6 goals per game. An easy offensive schedule may be just what the doctor ordered for this offence to get back on track.</p>



<p><strong>Shane Pinto (C – 5% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L1 &amp; PP2</em></p>



<p>The trio of Tkachuk-Pinto-Greig has been solid together, averaging 3.38 xGF/60, so they should continue to be productive this week. Pinto enters the week with five goals and two assists (seven points) in his last 10 games. During that stretch, he is second on the Senators (behind only Tkachuk) in ixG (4.1).</p>



<p><strong>Ridly Greig (C/RW – 1% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L1 &amp; PP2</em></p>



<p>Greig has recently been skating in the Senators’ top-6 with Brady Tkachuk, and his goal-scoring and usage have spiked. He has scored three goals while averaging 18:31 TOI/gm in his last four games. Before that, he had just three goals and averaged 14:53 TOI/gm in his previous 31 games. If Pinto isn’t available, Greig is also a solid option. Over their last 10 games, Greig is third on the Senators with 3.1 ixG.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="184"></div>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Dallas Stars</strong></h2>



<p>The Stars have the fourth-ranked schedule this week, as they’ll play four of five games on their East Coast road trip. Matchups with the Rangers without Igor Shesterkin, the Flyers potentially without Sam Ersson, and the Canadiens and Senators without Linus Ullmark set them up for a big week.</p>



<p><strong>Evgenii Dadonov (RW – 1% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L1 &amp; PP2</em></p>



<p>With Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment both sidelined, Dadonov has been the big beneficiary of the Stars’ new line configuration. He’s landed with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, who have finally started to heat up offensively. Dadonov has been solid recently, posting five points (2G / 3A) in his last five games. The increased playing time and elite linemates make him a solid streaming option in deeper leagues.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Washington Capitals</strong></h2>



<p>Washington has the fifth-ranked schedule this week and is one of two teams with three light-night games. They’re the easiest to stream this week.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="152"></div>



<p><strong>Aliaksei Protas (C/LW – 30% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L2</em></p>



<p>Protas continues to be highly productive at 5v5, scoring six goals with one assist (seven points) in his last eight games. On the season, he is tied for 13th in the NHL in 5v5 points (25) and tied for 18th in 5v5 goals (11). Protas has only played 2:42 on the power play this season. The lack of power-play usage will continue to limit his upside, but he’s a safe streaming target thanks to his high-end 5v5 production.</p>



<p><strong>Pierre-Luc Dubois (C/LW – 30% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L2 &amp; PP2</em></p>



<p>Dubois is on an absolute heater right now, having picked up 16 points (3G / 13A) in his last 16 games. He’s topped his production from his first 23 games (14 points) in seven fewer games. Dubois doesn’t provide a lot of goal-scoring upside, but he should continue to be a reliable source of assists this week.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="153"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Vancouver Canucks</strong></h2>



<p>Vancouver might be a situation to avoid right now, but they have a nice schedule (8th ranked) this week and are the only other team with three light night games.</p>



<p><strong>Conor Garland (RW – 42% Rostered)<br></strong><em>Current Deployment: L2 &amp; PP1</em></p>



<p>The Canucks are a mess right now, but Garland’s production has been fairly consistent all season. He’s scored two goals with two assists and 14 SOG (2.3 per game) in his last six games. Aside from one bad week in December, Garland has been reliable. Don’t forget he opened the season with 25 points (8G / 17A) in his first 27 games–a 24-goal, 52-assist (76 points) pace.</p>



<p></p>
