Another eventful week in the National Hockey League has come and gone.

The Flames fired their head coach moments after winning a game, hiring Darryl Sutter for round two. Sidney Crosby had a COVID-19 scare but only ended up missing one game, and Tom Wilson received a seven-game suspension for a hit that didn’t even garner a penalty.

What a weird week.

With that all behind us, it’s time to look forward to Week 8. It’s time to take advantage of some favourable schedules in what will be another busy week, with 14 teams set to play four games each.

The Flames draw the short stick this week as the only team with two games, with the remainder of the teams playing three each.

Wednesday and Friday are the lightest nights with just five games on tap, while Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will remain the busy nights, with no less than nine games on those days.

There are a few teams that stand out as the best streaming options for Week 8.

 

Edmonton Oilers

It’s no secret the Oilers are slumping offensively. They were held to just one goal over a three-game stretch against the Maple Leafs last week, before somewhat breaking the slump by scoring three against the Flames on Saturday. They haven’t scored more than three in a game since Feb. 23.

Maybe all they need is an extremely favourable Week 8 schedule. The Oilers will face the Senators at home three straight times to open the week, before making a trip to Vancouver to take on the Canucks on Saturday.

The Senators are still at the bottom of the NHL, giving up a league-high 3.89 goals per game, while the Canucks sit fourth-worst, allowing 3.32 goals per game.

Jesse Puljujarvi (33 per cent rostered) has a modest two goals over his past seven games – even during the team’s slump. He just got bumped off the top line, but he’s still playing with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and they’ve shown some chemistry. If the floodgates open this week for the Oilers, expect Puljujarvi to be involved.

 

Ottawa Senators

Speaking of the Senators, they’ll also benefit from the triple-header with the Oilers to start the week. The teams have combined for 28 goals in four meetings thus far, and we should expect more of the same in Week 8.

It’s likely too late to add Drake Batherson but his linemate Tim Stutzle is available in 63 per cent of leagues. He’s put up three straight donuts, but prior to that he had seven points in six games.

 

New York Islanders

The Islanders get a tough matchup with the Bruins on Tuesday, but finish the week with three straight games against the struggling Devils. New Jersey is giving up 3.67 goals per game over their past six, and those numbers looked a lot worse before Sunday’s 1-0 win over the Bruins.

Ilya Sorokin (37 per cent rostered) will get at least one start against the Devils on the weekend, and possibly more. Remember him if you’re starved for goalie stats at the end of the week.

Nick Leddy has seen his ownership skyrocket over the past few days, jumping up to 50 per cent. He’s still available in half of leagues and should help out on both ends with the favourable schedule. Leddy has 10 assists over his past 12 games.

 

Rising stock

W, Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks (27 per cent rostered, up 5 per cent)

Rickard Rakell has been on a heater over his past five games with three goals and six assists, and he’s doing it mostly at even strength. Despite playing on the top power-play unit, only three of Rakell’s 16 points this season have come with the man advantage. Rakell has actually been getting unlucky. His 4.9 shooting percentage is 6.5 per cent lower than his career average, and his 3.14 points per 60 with the man advantage is down from his career average of 4.47. Rakell should improve in both areas as the season progresses and we could be in store for a great second half from the two-time 30-goal scorer.

 

W, Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton Oilers (78 per cent rostered, down 7 per cent)

Kailer Yamamoto has been dropped in a lot of leagues, and deservedly so with just 13 points in 26 games this season. However, Dave Tippett recently reunited Leon Draisaitl on the top line with Connor McDavid, with Yamamoto on the opposite wing. Needless to say, the opportunity is there. Yamamoto put up a goal and an assist on the line’s first look on Saturday, and Tippett said Sunday he plans on keeping them together moving forward. You’ll want a piece of that while it lasts.

 

W, Alex Tuch, Vegas Golden Knights (60 per cent rostered, up 25 per cent)

Alex Tuch might be the hottest player in the league right now. He has eight goals over his past seven games, doing so on just 19 shots over that span. As good as he’s been, it definitely seems unsustainable. His shooting percentage is sitting at an astronomically high 27 per cent, that’s the highest in the league among those with at least 40 shots. His career average is just 10.6 per cent and he’s never finished a season above 11.1, so expect that percentage to cool off. He’s still locked on the third line and second power-play unit, not the best situations. Despite the eventual regression, he’s still worth an add while he’s hot. He’s currently eighth in the league, scoring 1.75 goals per 60 at 5-on-5, three spots ahead of Auston Matthews.

 

Falling stock

G, Mackenzie Blackwood, New Jersey Devils (78 per cent rostered, down 12 per cent)

The Devils have been in a free fall over the past two weeks, and Blackwood is suffering from it the most. He actually started the year on a tear, putting up a .945 save percentage winning four of his first five games, but since then, he’s 1-6-0 with an .865 save percentage. The Devils as a whole have been one of the weaker teams defensively, giving up a 3.05 goals per game. This isn’t a situation we want any part of. It’s also worth noting that backup Scott Wedgewood is coming off a 40 save shutout and might get a few more starts moving forward.