Fantasy Hockey News: John Tortorella Fired, while Brad Marchand, Andrei Svechnikov and Others Return from Injuries

More high profile players in the league are either returning, or set to return which will be immediately impactful to their NHL teams, and your fantasy team. We will also discuss a huge coach firing, which resulted in a win in the first game under the interim coach. 

And of course, we will check on the goal scoring record, too!

Lots of big news today, so let's get into it.

Philly Punts Torts

The Philadelphia Flyers have fired head coach John Tortorella, and we're all sad about it. Their last game resulted in a 7-2 blowout defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This loss marked a six-game losing streak, and may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Torts is known for his no-nonsense approach to media relations, often giving from the heart and emotional responses in media scrums and interviews. But he is also known for his genuine good guy and family first caring approach to his players off the ice.

He is kind of a mixed bag, with the ability to draw blood from a stone from his players, leaning on veteran players, and not trusting young superstars. 

Fans were outraged this season at the deployment of future franchise player Matvei Michkov, who warmed the bench on more than one occasion. Michkov has often been under deployed and not given a chance to do what he does best. Handcuffed by Torts' strict systems, Michkov was arguably held back and already in his first game without his former head coach put up two goals and an assist.

The Flyers posted on X that “Associate Coach, Brad Shaw, has been named interim head coach and will assume duties immediately.”

Brad in the Sunshine State

Will seeing Brad Marchand in anything but a Boston Bruins sweater be really weird, or is it just me? I think it will take everyone some time to get used to. He is scheduled to suit up for the Florida Panthers on Friday, March 31.

Marchand has 21 goals, 26 assists, and 13 powerplay points as a forward in 61 games played. He also has 175 shots on goal, 66 hits, and 27 blocked shots.

If you are a Marchand owner, this is what you have been waiting for. He is going to be seeing top six, and top powerplay unit deployment. He will also be on a winning team. Not that the Bruins weren't winners, just not this year. They were headed to the bottom of the Atlantic faster than the titanic.

The Panthers will likely make a deep push into the playoffs, and being afforded some time to rest his injuries, coupled with the fact that Marchand is a postseason impact player, his gritty in-your-face pest style of play will surely bring rats raining onto the ice. Surely, they will be for the Panthers and not the rat himself.

Eye of the Storm

The Carolina Hurricanes are getting back a much needed Andrei Svechnikov after being sidelined with an upper body injury for most of March. He practiced with the team and is likely to return in their Friday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.

Svechnikov has 18 goals, 25 assists, and 17 powerplay points as a forward in 63 games played. He also has 167 shots on goal, 131 hits, and 16 blocked shots.

His return will be a great increase in your fantasy team points production. He will be resuming his solidified spot as a top six forward with number one powerplay deployment time. Just in time to finish your matchup, so make sure you are watching for his official return so you don't lose him to the bench for an important playoff night.

Backlund Back

The Calgary Flames saw the return of Mikael Backlund, who is down the middle on their third line, and second powerplay unit, as well as second penalty kill unit time.

While Backlund's return might be too little too late for the Flames, he might be a decent add for some playoff time in fantasy, if not owned. He has about a 40% roster rate in fantasy leagues, and has decent peripherals if needed.

Backlund has 11 goals, 13 assists, and six powerplay points as a forward in 64 games played. He also has 146 shots on goal, 33 hits, and 39 blocked shots.

Max Cap Shinanagains

The Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Max Pacioretty has been declared ready to go... for the playoffs. While in and out of the lineup, Patches turned from a depth scorer into a grinder who throws the body. It's been wild to watch his transition as an older player from someone who was known for his scoring ability to someone who gives devastating hits.

Patches threw just as many hits as enforcer Ryan Reaves, but was contributing on the scoreboard also.

This return has zero fantasy impact, but I thought was both funny and interesting that the Maple Leafs have taken something out of the Tampa Bay Lightning playbook announcing that a player is ready to return; in game one of the playoffs! Coincidentally enough, this means there is no impact on the salary cap or AAV constraints. What a happy accident.

Patches has five goals, eight assists, and 16 penalty minutes as a streaky forward in 37 games played. He also has 70 shots on goal, 104 hits (somehow), and 14 blocked shots.

Ovi Scores Again

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored again against the Winnipeg Jets on March 25, bringing his career goal tally up to 889. He needs 894 goals to tie Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record, and needs 895 goals to beat it. 

He is still somehow on pace to break that record this year, however I kind of hope he ties it by season end, so we can all anticipate it during the offseason and be able to have a huge planned out celebration next season as soon as he beats it.

Ovi has 36 goals, 24 assists, and 15 powerplay points as a forward in 56 games played. He also has 206 shots on goal, 98 hits, and 11 blocked shots.