Fantasy Hockey Playoff Preview: Best Schedules, Trade Targets & Weekly Streaming

Fantasy Hockey Playoff Preview: Who Wins on Volume

If your fantasy playoffs begin Monday, March 16, schedule volume becomes the most important edge you can gain. More games mean more chances for points, shots, hits, blocks, and power-play production — and over a three-week playoff window, even one extra game can decide a matchup.

Hopefully you have gotten off to a great start and can begin looking ahead to what matters most... The Playoffs. If this is the case for you it is a great time to begin thinking about playoff roster composition and who you can afford to move on from. Do this now and you can put yourself in a great position to hoist the trophy at seasons end.

This guide breaks down:

The best and worst playoff schedules for week over week volume
Playoff-winning trade targets from the top schedule teams
A week-by-week streaming breakdown to maximize volume

Best & Worst Playoff Schedules March 16 – April 5

Best Schedules (12 Games)

These teams offer the biggest edge over the full playoff window:

New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Boston Bruins

Strong Schedules (11 Games)

Still excellent volume across three weeks:

CAR, CBJ, CHI, COL, DAL, FLA, MTL, NJD, NYI, OTT, PHI, TBL

Players on these teams certainly won't hurt your chances and may even offer you an edge in 2/3 of the playoff weeks.

Middle Tier (10 Games)

Playable, but not gaining ground on volume alone:

ANA, BUF, CGY, DET, LAK, NSH, SJS, VAN, VGK, WPG, WSH

Worst Schedules (9 Games)

These teams provide the least opportunity for volume:

EDM, MIN, SEA, STL, TOR, UTA

I would be looking to move players from these teams. Sell high on what you can or move on from a player for an equal 11/12 game player.

Playoff Trade Targets: Teams That Can Win You the Championship

The following players come from the three 12-game teams. These are skaters who benefit the most from playoff volume and can meaningfully help you win your league.

New York Rangers (12 Games, 10 at Home)

The Rangers play 12 games over the playoff window, though 10 are at home — something that hasn’t always worked in their favor this season. Even so, the sheer volume makes New York one of the most important teams to target.

Artemi Panarin (LW)
Panarin remains a reliable playoff anchor. He averages over three shots per game with consistent point production, giving you a safe floor and strong weekly upside.

Adam Fox (D)
Currently on long-term IR, Fox offers elite upside if healthy. Expect power-play points, assists, and solid contributions in shots and blocks from the blue line.

J.T. Miller (C/RW)
Miller hasn’t hit his ceiling this season, but his shot and hit volume remains strong. With power-play upside, he’s well suited for a heavy playoff schedule.

Mika Zibanejad (C/RW)
Zibanejad provides steady offense, nearly three shots per game, and added hit production, making him dependable in category formats.

Vincent Trocheck (C)
A multi-category standout, Trocheck averages over 3.5 hits per game, contributes in shots and blocks, and plays on the top power play.

Will Cuylle (LW/RW)
A playoff-style contributor. Cuylle delivers elite hit volume, solid shots, and occasional blocks, with some power-play exposure.

Braden Schneider (D)
In deeper leagues, Schneider’s shots, blocks, and hits add up quickly across 12 games, even without strong point totals.

Pittsburgh Penguins (12 Games, Including 5 in the Finals)

Pittsburgh stands out with five games in the final playoff week, the largest single-week advantage of any team. If the Penguins are still battling for position, expect fast, physical games with heavy usage for their core players.

Sidney Crosby (C)
Crosby remains elite, producing over a point per game, strong power-play numbers, and consistent shot volume.

Erik Karlsson (D)
Karlsson provides offense from the back end, especially on the power play, with over two shots per game but do not expect much else in the way of peripherals.

Bryan Rust (RW)
Rust contributes across the board with scoring, 2.5+ shots per game, and steady usage with top players.

Evgeni Malkin (C/LW)
When healthy, Malkin has turned back the clock this season with elite offense and power-play production, making him extremely valuable in a five-game finals week. (Assuming he picks up where he left off)

Rickard Rakell (C/LW/RW)
One of the most valuable playoff pieces available. Rakell offers triple-position eligibility, strong scoring, power-play points, 2.5+ shots, and solid peripheral contributions.

Kris Letang (D)
Letang still provides a steady floor in points, shots, hits, and blocks, making him valuable depth in deeper formats.

Boston Bruins (12 Games)

Boston combines elite stars with high-utility depth players, all benefiting from a full 12-game playoff schedule.

David Pastrňák (RW)
An elite fantasy asset with massive shot volume, high-end scoring, and added physical play. Although he would be difficult to acquire he would be worth going all in for this season.

Morgan Geekie (C/LW/RW)
Geekie’s scoring pace may regress, but four games each week, strong shot volume, hits, and power-play usage keep his playoff value high.

Charlie McAvoy (D)
McAvoy provides a stable floor in shots, hits, blocks, and occasional power-play points while logging heavy minutes. Being a hard to play against defender also ensures he takes the odd trip to the sin bin.

Nikita Zadorov (D)
A category monster. Zadorov averages 2.5+ penalty minutes, heavy hits, strong block totals, and plays over 20 minutes per night. In a banger league I would pay a hefty price for this man mountain.

Honorable Mentions (Deep Leagues)

Pavel Zacha (C/LW) – secondary scoring, power-play usage
Elias Lindholm (C) – steady points and power-play usage
Mark Kastelic (C/RW) – hits and penalty minutes
Tanner Jeannot (LW/RW) – pure physical volume

Players to Consider Selling: Low-Volume Playoff Teams (9 Games)

Not all playoff schedules are created equal. While elite players can overcome almost anything, low-volume teams put unnecessary pressure on your roster, especially in category leagues where every shot, hit, and block matters.

The teams below play just nine games across the three-week playoff window. That doesn’t mean their players are bad — it means their name value may outweigh their playoff value, creating an opportunity to trade into more volume.

St. Louis Blues (2–3–4 Weekly Split)

St. Louis presents an interesting case. They play just two games in Week 1, followed by three and four games in Weeks 2 and 3. If you survive the opening week, Blues players become far more usable — but that early deficit can be costly.

Robert Thomas (C)
Thomas provides strong point production but very little in peripherals. Given his high roster percentage and name value, he may be easier to move now for a higher-volume, multi-category contributor.

Justin Faulk (D)
Faulk is having a solid season, logging heavy minutes with good shot and block totals. That steady production makes him a reasonable trade chip to target a defenseman with more games played in the playoffs.

Colton Parayko (D)
Parayko excels in blocks but offers little elsewhere. Unless you plan to specifically target him for Weeks 2 and 3, he may not provide enough total value across the full playoff window.

Utah Mammoth (4–3–2 Weekly Split)

Utah is the inverse of St. Louis. They start strong but fade badly, finishing the playoffs with just two games in the fantasy finals. That makes their high-end players far less appealing when it matters most.

Clayton Keller (LW/RW)
Keller brings strong scoring and shot volume, but limited peripherals. Find a league mate that prioritizes points, his name value could help you land a higher-volume, multi-category asset for the finals.

Dylan Guenther (LW/RW)
Guenther offers goals and shots, but little outside of scoring. With only two games in the finals, his upside is heavily capped unless he posts a massive individual week.

Mikhail Sergachev (D)
Sergachev contributes across all categories and carries strong name recognition. That alone may be enough to swap him for a similar defenseman on a team with significantly more playoff volume.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3–3–3 Weekly Split)

Toronto’s schedule is flat but limited. Three games per week won’t sink you outright, but it does open the door to trading elite names for equal talent plus extra games.

Auston Matthews (C)
Even in a down year by his standards, Matthews still delivers goals and elite shot volume. His name alone could return a top-tier player with two or three extra playoff games.

William Nylander (C/RW)
Nylander scores at a high rate but doesn’t contribute much peripherally. In category leagues, he’s an ideal candidate to flip for a more balanced, higher-volume playoff asset.

John Tavares (C)
Tavares is having a strong offensive season, which makes this an excellent sell window. His peripheral output is modest, but his point totals could command a premium return.

Matthew Knies (LW)
Knies averages over two shots and more than two hits per game. He’s usable, but if you can turn him into a similar physical winger on an 11- or 12-game team, it’s worth exploring.

Minnesota Wild (3–3–3 Weekly Split)

Minnesota’s stars are still stars — but limited volume creates an opportunity to pivot into even stronger playoff coverage.

Quinn Hughes (D) Quinn will continue to put up elite points for a D man. Anyone in their right mind would want to trade for him, especially with the new team buzz. If you move on from him you will need to ensure his PP point production is made up for and that you've added high end volume to replace his elite talents.

Kirill Kaprizov (LW)
Kaprizov is elite and not a forced sell. However, if a deal nets you comparable production with significantly more games, it’s worth listening (David Pastrnak???).

Matt Boldy (LW/RW)
Boldy is producing at an elite rate with heavy shot volume. This may be the perfect time to sell at peak value for a high-end, high-volume playoff return.

Brock Faber (D)
Faber doesn’t dominate offensively but contributes solid shots and blocks. He’s serviceable, but upgrading to a defenseman with more games could pay off.

Joel Eriksson Ek (C)
Eriksson Ek’s season hasn’t quite matched past highs, but his all-around game still carries value. He may help you land a stronger volume play for the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers (3–3–3 Weekly Split)

Edmonton is the hardest team to sell from — but also the team that could return the biggest volume upgrade.

Connor McDavid (C)
McDavid is nearly irreplaceable. The only reason to move him is a massive return — think elite (Mackinnon?) talent plus two to three extra playoff games.

Leon Draisaitl (C/LW)
Same logic as McDavid. Someone needs to overpay, or offer a similarly elite player with far better playoff volume.

Evan Bouchard (D)
Bouchard’s offensive output from the blue line is rare, but his name and role could fetch a high-end defenseman with more games played.

Zach Hyman (LW/RW)
After a slow start, Hyman has picked it up. We may be approaching an ideal sell-high window to secure a higher-volume asset.

Darnell Nurse (D)
Nurse delivers across peripherals and penalty minutes. While hard to replace directly, you may be able to swap him for a similar stat profile on a 11 or 12-game team.

Seattle Kraken (3–3–3 Weekly Split)

Seattle doesn’t offer much in terms of high-end fantasy value, but two defensemen may still carry trade appeal.

Brandon Montour (D)
Currently on IR, Montour has name recognition, decent offense, and respectable peripherals. That alone may help you pivot into more playoff volume.

Vince Dunn (D)
Dunn provides steady points and modest peripherals, but limited schedule volume caps his upside. If possible, upgrading to a higher-volume defenseman is the safer playoff play.

Weekly Streaming Breakdown (Playoff Weeks 1–3)

We will put out the weekly blogs for these weeks, but just to look ahead...

Week 1 (Mar 16–22): 4-Game Priority Teams

BOS, BUF, CAR, CBJ, CGY, CHI, COL, DAL, LAK, NSH, NYI, NYR, PIT, TBL, UTA, VGK, WPG

Avoid skaters from St. Louis (2 games).

Week 2 (Mar 23–29): Best Streaming Pool

BOS, CBJ, CHI, DAL, FLA, MTL, NJD, NSH, NYR, OTT, PHI, TBL

There are no 2 game teams this week so gaining the edge will be crucial with no room for error. (If you like playing in the finals)

Week 3 (Mar 30–Apr 5): Finals Week Edge

PIT: 5 games
Strong 4-game teams include BOS, NYR, CAR, COL, NJD, FLA, MTL, OTT, PHI, WSH

Avoid NSH and UTA fringe players (2 games).

Final Thoughts

Fantasy hockey playoffs are won on volume, not name value. The Rangers, Penguins, and Bruins give you the most chances to pile up stats, and targeting the right players from these teams can provide a decisive edge.

Use this guide to:

build your roster around strong playoff schedules
stream intelligently each week
maximize shots, hits, blocks, and power-play production when it matters most

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