NHL money chaos drives the summer chatter as Kirill Kaprizov’s nine-figure extension anchors cap talk, with peers like McDavid following suit in the bigger-money era. The goalie market is a focal point, from Connor Ingram’s breakout to the risk of overpaying stars like Hellebuyck and Shesterkin in volatile environments. Mental health pressures in net, analytics-driven insights, and a new Grill the Panel bit set the tone for fantasy-minded listeners navigating contracts, workloads, and midseason value.

Luke Hughes and other young talents get highlighted amid cap inflation, while Leafs, Rangers, and Oilers loom large in the revenue landscape. Bottom-tier clubs face relative financial limits, underscoring the need to blend upside with cost control. The hour ends with practical takeaways for fantasy managers: anticipate goalie usage, cap crunches, and strategic depth moves as teams balance performance and payroll.

Connor Hellebuyck anchors the top-5 fantasy goalie list, with Andrei Vasilevskiy close behind and Jake Oettinger rounding out the trio. Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky slot in at 4 and 5, respectively, as teams with elite defenses and strong workloads buoy their fantasy ceilings.

Florida’s stout blue line, Dallas’ balanced forward corps, Winnipeg’s workload monster, Tampa Bay’s system, and New York’s revamped roster drive the value of these anchors. Expect heavy starts, big win totals, and some bounce-back potential from Shesterkin in a rebound year.

Draft strategy centers on locking in an elite anchor early and snagging supportive options on top-tier teams, then hunting depth later in the draft to sustain a high-win, high-save pace throughout the season.