This week, Brad Marchand continued to prove Florida right for acquiring him at the trade deadline; Thomas Harley’s power play goal in OT propelled Dallas into the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season; and Canada suffered its first loss at the World Hockey Championship, dropping a decision to Finland in a shootout. Other Fantasy hockey stories we’re tracking include…

Joseph Woll Fails to Deliver

The Toronto Maple Leafs again came up short in their quest to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001-02. These playoffs proved to be a real rollercoaster for the Leafs and their fans, as the team vacillated between looking like a contender and a pretender.

In Game Seven on Sunday against defending champion Florida, Toronto turned in another major stinker, getting thrashed 6-1 in front of their own fans.

No clearer did this rollercoaster ride play out for the Buds than between the pipes as backup goalie Joseph Woll – thrust between the pipes when starter Anthony Stolarz suffered a concussion in Game One – had some good outings, but mostly bad ones.

Coming in halfway through Game One, Woll stopped just 17 of 20 shots. He was a bit better in Game Two’s win, stopping 25 of 28, but then surrendered five goals on 36 shots the following game. In Game Four, he was superb in making 35 saves, but then struggled again the next contest (saving just 20 of 25). Woll helped keep Toronto’s season alive in Game Six with a shutout, but in Game Seven, he was shredded for another five goals.

All told, he managed just an .886 save percentage and 3.56 GAA in the playoffs, well below his regular season success rates (.909, 2.73).

Two plus years ago, Woll looked like an exciting dynasty league option, but his numbers dipped last season before bouncing back in 2024-25.

However, based on his postseason performance, he hardly qualified as a Wonder Woll. He really started to degrade in January (which included a stretch during which he allowed four or more goals in three out of four starts), and while he bounced back in February, he was downright awful in March, paving the way for Stolarz to get the nod as the No. 1 for the playoffs.

Former Boston College star Woll will likely again battle Stolarz for crease duties in 2025-26, but will need to show more consistency to be a strong Fantasy choice.

Can Oilers Win West Again?

The Edmonton Oilers returned to the Western Conference Finals when they dispatched Vegas in a surprisingly easy manner, taking the series 4-1. Wednesday’s clincher was a hard-fought game, with the game’s only goal in overtime scored by an unlikely hero -– Kasperi Kapanen.

He had been a healthy scratch through the entire playoffs until being inserted into the Edmonton lineup in Game Four of the second round, and while Kapanen managed two shots in that game, he also took a minor. In Game Five, he looked extremely dangerous, firing six shots on goal before being rewarded with the series-clinching marker to end a 32-game drought.

Once an up and coming prospect in Toronto, Kapanen offered extremely limited Fantasy value this season. After a down season in 2023-24 (despite getting early season PT on a line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich), he again struggled for the Blues to begin this season, and was waived after just 10 games. The Oilers took a shot, but with just five goals in 57 games for Edmonton, he didn’t exactly entrench himself in the lineup.

However, if pending UFA Kapanen is done in Edmonton after this season, he will always be remembered for scoring that one huge goal.

As for the Oilers, they find themselves as the underdog against Dallas (currently -118 to win the series as per FanDuel), so have their work cut out for them if they plan to return to the Finals this season.

Waiver Wire Pick of the Week

Jack Roslovic, C, Carolina Hurricanes (ESPN: 3.7 per cent; CBS: 16 per cent): Pickings are slim at this time of year, but why not take a shot on Roslovic, who stands to pick up a bit of extra PT with Mark Jankowski out for at least Game One? Roslovic has been shuttled in and out of the lineup during the playoffs, but with three points over the last three games, he looks like he’s solidified his role for now. Two seasons ago, we recommended him early on and he wound up enjoying a career high in assists before scuffling through an injury-plagued campaign in 2023-24. This season, Roslovic matched his personal high in goals with 22, so he’s capable of tickling the twine, and with a role as 2C between Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven, he could do some damage. No, Roslovic didn’t enjoy his finest season from a Fantasy perspective, but he was definitely better than he was in 2023-24.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Classic rockers Chicago added to their lineup when Brazlian Laudir de Oliveira joined in 1974 as a second drummer. In 1969, they released their second album, the eponymous Chicago, featuring their first Top five hit, “25 or 6 to 4.”