The New York Islanders’ COVID outbreak has thrown another curveball into the NHL schedule this week.

Their game that was initially scheduled for Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers has already been postponed, while their remaining three games this week are still on the schedule, but could be postponed at any time depending on how the situation plays out.

If the Islanders are able to play, we’ll actually have one of the more balanced schedules we’ve seen so far this season, with all but six teams playing three games in week 8.

The Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning are the only teams to play four times, while the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers will play just twice.

With a season-high 26 teams playing three times this week, it’s likely that fantasy matchups will be more evenly balanced in terms of games played.

The best way to gain an advantage will be focusing on top or back heavy schedules, and those teams playing on NHL off nights.

Calgary Flames

The Flames have the best schedule on paper this week. They play four times, with three of those games coming on off nights.

They’ll play the Penguins on a light Monday, the Los Angeles Kings on a busy Thursday night, before finishing off the week against Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and Sunday, which are both lighter nights in the NHL.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks’ schedule is enticing as well, assuming their game on Thursday with the Islanders is a go.

They’ll play two of their four games on off nights, and all four of their matchups are against teams that have struggled at the defensive end of the ice this month.

The Islanders, Blue Jackets, and Rangers are giving up the sixth, seventh and eighth-most goals per game in the month of November, while the Devils sit a modest 18th and are giving up just under three goals per game.

Keep an eye on the wire in your league and adjust accordingly.

Chicago Blackhawks

Of the teams scheduled to play three times this week, only the Blackhawks will play all three of their games within the final four days of the weekly schedule.

This gives us a prime opportunity to make a very productive mid-week add ahead of their Thursday game.

You might want to take a flier on Kirby Dach or Brandon Hagel if they are available in your league.

Top Streamers and Waiver Adds

D, Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames (50 per cent rostered, up one per cent)

Calgary had a brutal schedule in Week 7 and a lot of managers may have dumped Andersson off to the waiver wire. Well, it’s time to pick him back up if that’s the case in your league. The Flames are one of four teams playing four times this week. Andersson is quarterbacking the top power play unit, which sits seventh in the league at 25 per cent. He’s yet to score a goal this season, but he does have 11 assists in 21 games, with five of those coming on the power play. He’s also seventh in the league with a plus-15 rating. Andersson is playing over 22 minutes a game and will be relied upon heavily this week. Go grab him if he’s available.

C, W, Jonathan Dahlen, San Jose Sharks (Two per cent rostered, down one per cent)

Jonathan Dahlen is back in action after missing three games with an arm injury. He was immediately put back on the top line with Timo Meier and Logan Couture, while manning the wing on the top power play unit. The rookie has been impressive in the early parts of the season with seven goals through 17 games – a 34 goal pace. Dahlen led the Swedish Hockey League last season with 71 points in just 45 games. He was second in league scoring the previous year with 77 points as a 21-year-old. He’s an offensive stud, whether he can keep it up in his rookie season at the NHL level remains to be seen, but for now he makes for a great streaming option, especially with the Sharks favourable schedule this week.

D, Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks (50 per cent rostered, up 10 per cent)

For those in leagues that count hits and blocks, Mario Ferraro is likely already rostered. He leads the league with 67 blocks, 17 blocks clear of the next closest player, making him extremely valuable in those leagues. But for those looking for a boost in other categories, he could still be worth a look as a streamer this week. Ferraro has nine points in his last 13 games playing close to 25 minutes a night on the top defensive pairing with Brent Burns. Ride the hot hand and move on once he cools off.

C, W, Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres (10 per cent rostered, up eight per cent)

Tage Thompson has six goals and eight points over his past eight games while averaging over three shots per game. He’s up to 10 goals in 21 games this season – a 39-goal pace – although the inflated 17 per cent shooting percentage is likely unsustainable. However, the deployment is there. The 2016 first round pick is playing on the top line and top power play unit, and only Rasmus Dahlin has more power play time on the team. He’s effective at even strength as well; he currently ranks 15th in the NHL in 5 on 5 goals per 60 minutes played. Thompson is still available in nine out of 10 leagues.

W, Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks (15 per cent rostered, up seven per cent)

Rickard Rakell finds himself on the list of top streaming options on a fairly regular basis, mostly because he’s a streaky player, which keeps his roster percentage down. He just returned after missing close to a month with an upper body injury and has four points in four games since. He’s now up to six goals in just 12 games played this season, a fantastic pace. If he got dropped during his lengthy stint on the IR, pick him up. The Ducks have a top-heavy schedule with games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. If Rakell stays hot, he’ll be easy to keep rostered as the Ducks are the only team with five games next week.

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