Utah Mammoth outlasted the San Jose Sharks in a wild 6-4 preseason win, weathering a late surge after an early four-goal burst. The victory underscored Utah’s speed, improving footwork, and a coaching emphasis on staying engaged through the full 60 minutes. Keller and Tanev sparked the offense, while Tourigny praised the team’s sharper decisions and tighter structure as they head toward the regular season. Goaltending questions linger, but Utah’s momentum feels real.

Ducks beat San Jose 5-2 in a lively preseason clash, closing it with an empty-net finish. Anaheim leaned on depth and speed, with Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke generating chances while Sam Dickinson and Vincent Desharnais stabilized the blueline. San Jose leaned on Yaroslav Askarov’s acrobatic saves and a late goal from Jeff Skinner to stay in the fight. Rookie Michael Misa flashed two-way pace and offense, and Leo Carlsson plus Alexander Wennberg remained active on both ends.

Calder Trophy candidates Demidov, Snuggerud, Leonard, Koivunen, Misa, Shabanov, Rinzel, Parekh, Buium, Schaefer, Askarov and Merilainen stand out as high-upside targets for dynasty and keeper rosters. Demidov could hit a 65-point ceiling with Montreal if Laine and Dach stay healthy and gel; Snuggerud projects 60–65 on a top line; Leonard brings multi-cat value with scoring and hits; Koivunen could thrive on Crosby’s wing. Deeper leagues eye Misa, Rinzel and Parekh for immediate gains, while Buium and Merilainen loom as longer-term upside.

Value opportunities arise from top-line opportunities, exclusive power-play roles, and the ability to contribute across categories. The mix of young talent across Montreal, St. Louis, Washington, Pittsburgh and San Jose creates multiple viable in-season streams for fantasy managers. Dynasty rosters should pounce on these rookies now, and redraft players may find late-round steals among this group as the season unfolds.

In short, these rookies offer a blend of immediate point upside, multi-category contributions and long-term growth potential. Target the right mix of high-floor producers and high-ceiling dice rolls to build a versatile, championship-ready roster.

Elias Pettersson ended his scoring drought with two goals in 44 seconds during the second period, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. This win halted a three-game winless streak for the Canucks, with contributions from Kiefer Sherwood and Brock Boeser.

Despite the loss, the Sharks saw promising performances from William Eklund and Cody Ceci, while Macklin Celebrini made his hometown debut with an assist. The Canucks capitalized on a surge of goals to secure the win.