2025-26 NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 17 Primer And Pickups: Kings Have A Busy Schedule

While the Olympic break obviously makes NHL scheduling a lot more difficult, it is curious that Week 17 of the fantasy hockey season ends on Sunday, Feb. 1.

It's a standard seven-day week, but that means Week 18 will run from Monday, Feb. 2 to Sunday, March 1, putting the Olympics right in the middle of the matchup. 

Would it not have made more sense for the Olympic break to be the cut-off between Weeks 17 and 18, and run Week 17 from Monday, Jan. 26 to Thursday, Feb. 5 (11 days) and then Week 18 from Wednesday, Feb. 25 to Sunday, March 8 (12 days)? Anyway, I digress.

(Week 18's primer will likely be split into two parts, one for Feb. 2 to 5, and then an update for Feb. 25 to March 8). 

The Los Angeles Kings are the highlight in Week 17 with a league-high five games, though they're all on the road with two back-to-backs. The matchups are not easy, and with Sunday in Carolina being their fifth game in seven days – that one seems like a scheduled loss. 

There are seven teams – the Islanders, Bruins, Golden Knights, Blue Jackets, Flyers, Mammoth and Rangers – that play four times, including a back-to-back, home-and-home series between the Isles and Rangers. That's a matchup where targeting Isles would be beneficial. Bo Horvat is back in the lineup and providing a more balanced offense, and the Rangers are completely lost in net without Igor Shesterkin. 

It's a very heavy Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule, so plan accordingly, as there's only one game on Friday and three games on Sunday, leaving little wiggle room if you're far behind entering Saturday's games. 

All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy.

Schedule

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. Points percentages are as of Sunday morning.

Season-Long Adds (< 50% Rostered On Yahoo)

Adam Fantilli, C, Columbus (47% rostered)

Fantilli's fantasy value this season has oscillated from potential breakout star to occasional streamer with occasional hot streaks. Note, however, Fantilli's seen increased ice time under Rick Bowness, and he's responded accordingly with plenty of shots, hits and faceoff wins. With increased ice time, the offensive production should come. So far, Fantilli has been underwhelming, and if there's a stat that might point toward a turnaround under Bowness, it's his curiously low 9.3 shooting percentage. 

Kent Johnson was the flavor of the week last week, but the spike in ice time was likely Bowness trying to see what Johnson can do, and the 11:15 of ice time versys Dallas and 13:12 versus Tampa is evidence Bowness wasn't impressed.

NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's Biggest Trade BaitWill there be more trades before the Olympic break? The action's already heating up as we look at one player per team who could be traded in this week's NHL power rankings.

Mid-Term Holds (< 50% Rostered On Yahoo)

Anthony Cirelli, C, Tampa Bay (37% rostered)

Cirelli has two goals and six points in his past three games, taking over L1 from the injured Brayden Point and Nick Paul dropping down to L4. Dominic James gets L2 with Jake Guentzel, but Cirelli is the safer option. The Lightning can change up their lines at any moment – their blueline is decimated once again with Erik Cernak injured – but Cirelli's the most logical player to target for L1/PP2 upside on an excellent team. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Buffalo (45% rostered)

Alex Lyon's 26-save shutout against the Isles gives me pause on holding Luukkonen all season because it gives the Sabres a legitimate case for all three of their goalies to see increased playing time. Remember, too, it was difficult for Luukkonen to get into a rhythm when he played so sparingly upon returning from injury.

With no back-to-backs and only three games in Week 17, it's very probable Luukkonen only sees action once, with Luukkonen, Lyon and Colten Ellis each getting a start. It's not ideal, but the difference between this season and last season is that the Sabres are legitimately good, so it's still worth holding onto Luukkonen just in case he performs the best and gets an extra start or two. 

Samuel Montembeault, G, Montreal (41% rostered)

It was too quick to proclaim Montembeault's return as the No. 1. After a string of five games where he only lost once, Montembeault has allowed seven goals in his two most recent games, both of which were losses. The reprieve for Montembeault is that only three of the goals allowed were at even strength (though one was shorthanded), but it opens the door again for Jakub Dobes to get more playing time. Really tough schedule for the Habs in Week 17 with the Knights and Avalanche at home and then a road date in Buffalo. 

Akira Schmid, G, Vegas (38% rostered)

Considering Adin Hill hasn't exactly been sharp since his return, Schmid still holds plenty of fantasy value as they continue to alternate starts. Long-term, Hill is still the play, but Schmid has generally been quite good this season – 15 wins in 22 starts but a pedestrian .896 SP – and will continue to win games, especially since the Knights are expected to load up ahead of the trade deadline, even after acquiring Rasmus Andersson. 

Short-Term Streamers (< 50% Rostered On Yahoo)

Victor Olofsson, LW/RW, Colorado (11% rostered)

Olofsson scored three points in three games entering Sunday's game against the Leafs, and he has seen his ice time spike to over 20 minutes per game following a promotion to L1 and PP1 with Nathan MacKinnon. (He came skated about 18 minutes on Sunday against the Leafs). He's an excellent shooter but is prone to streaks and inconsistent play, but as long as he's in this role, there's some under-the-radar fantasy value. Olofsson provides good shot volume as long as he gets the ice time, with a pretty good conversion rate at a 13.2 shooting percentage, though he tends to be most effective on the power play. 

Marco Kasper, C/LW, Detroit (5% rostered)

Kasper's had a tough season, but his potential is evident, and that's one reason why the Wings have kept him in the lineup virtually all season. (He was scratched for one game in late December, with Mason Appleton returning from injury).

That patience seems to be paying off; Kasper has two goals and six points in his past five games, with his ice time spiking to 17:29 in a tough matchup in Minnesota. His production was bound to spike if you consider his unsustainably low 6.3 shooting percentage – he shot 13.1 percent last season – and it's always a good sign that a player has confidence when he elects to shoot on a 2-on-1 rush, as he did Saturday against the Jets.

Filip Chytil, C, Vancouver (1% rostered)

It might take Chytil some time to find his rhythm – he narrowly missed an excellent opportunity to convert a goal in his first game back against the Devils on Friday – but still finished the game with 18:29 of ice time, eight faceoff wins, two shots and a hit. Injury risk is always a concern, but the Canucks desperately needed his presence down the middle, and he offers L2 and PP2 upside. 

Chytil's 50-point upside and solid shooting volume – at least two shots per game – make him one of the more worthwhile gambles off the waiver wire at this point in the season, even at a pretty deep position. 

Sean Walker, D, Carolina (11% rostered)

Shayne Gostisbehere is battling a groin issue – again – which puts Walker on PP1. The Canes are hoping Gostisbehere returns before the Olympic break, but if he doesn't, Walker's fantasy value spikes with the new role. Walker obviously doesn't have as much offensive upside as Gostisbehere, and Alexander Nikishin and K'Andre Miller could both challenge for some PP1 minutes (they're on PP2 right now), but Walker can still provide a high floor with hits and blocks. In deeper leagues where defense is thin, Walker is a low-risk pickup with upside.

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