Mason McTavish’s Ducks contract talks anchor camp chatter as cap totals surge. Luke Hughes and Luke Evangelista push for long‑term deals while Anaheim, New Jersey and Nashville watchers weigh leverage and benchmarks. Kaprizov, McDavid and Robertson anchor a broader market, underscoring how quickly salaries shape lineups and opportunities ahead of opening night.

The human side stays front and center: Skinner’s mental game, Kopitar’s retirement note, and the ticking clock that fantasy managers must parse for ice time, PP exposure and role clarity as the season approaches.

High-risk, high-reward targets shape this fantasy hockey season, with Roman Josi anchored as a floor-leaning star despite age and injury risk; Evander Kane and Josh Norris illustrate ceiling-plus-peripherals as bounce-back bets. The show tees up a Vegas-forward-centric draft strategy, banking on elite forwards first, then pouncing on dynamic defensemen like Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel’s deck.

Canucks stalwarts Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko emerge as potential rebounds, while Kaprizov–Eriksson Ek in Minnesota offer hefty upside if health holds. The tone blends bold risk with disciplined timing to maximize weekly wins and per-game production.

Two hosts run a mock draft focused on best-available value, weighing a bold early goalie pick against a stacked forward core. Matthews appears as a late-first-round value, Hellebuyck anchors a zero-G strategy, and the duo pairs Eichel, Nylander, and Robertson with high-upside wingers. They highlight dual-eligibility plays, Montreal’s young back-end, and Philly/Carolina pivot points, while outlining signup details for listener leagues and the September windows to enter.