Games & off-nights
Fantasy Hockey Schedule Optimizer
Games & off-nights for every NHL team in any fantasy week, so you know who to stream. Rank teams by off-night games and back-to-backs, look two and four weeks ahead, then switch to Players for low-rostered streamers on those teams over any dates. Week 2 (Oct 5–11): 4 teams with four or more games and 5 off-nights.
Games, week 2
47
Lightest night
3 games
Game-day distribution: when to stream
NHL games each night of week 2. Nights with fewer than 10 games are off-nights: fewer of your regular starters play, so a streamer fills an empty slot. Busiest night: Sat (14); average 6.7 games per game night.
- Mon 54off-night
- Tue 69off-night
- Wed 73off-night
- Thu 810busy
- Fri 94off-night
- Sat 1014busy
- Sun 113off-night
Teams ranked by games and off-nights: week 2 (Oct 5–11)
Most games first, then most off-night games, then fewest back-to-backs. Green dates are off-nights; * marks the second game of a back-to-back.
| # | Team | Games | Off-night | Home | Away | B2B | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Mon vs WPGWed @ WSHFri @ CBJSat vs DAL* |
| 2 | Carolina Hurricanes | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Tue @ MTLThu vs VANSat @ CHISun @ PHI* |
| 3 | Ottawa Senators | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Mon @ BOSTue @ DET*Thu vs PHISat vs NSH |
| 4 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Mon @ TBLThu @ OTTSat @ BOSSun vs CAR* |
| 5 | New York Rangers | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Tue vs NYIFri @ WSHSun vs VAN | |
| 6 | Seattle Kraken | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Tue vs VGKFri @ DETSun @ WSH | |
| 7 | Washington Capitals | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Wed vs PITFri vs NYRSun vs SEA | |
| 8 | Winnipeg Jets | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Mon @ PIT*Wed vs COLFri vs ANA |
| 9 | Anaheim Ducks | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Wed vs EDMFri @ WPGSat @ CGY* |
| 10 | Detroit Red Wings | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Tue vs OTTFri vs SEASat @ MTL* |
| 11 | Boston Bruins | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Mon vs OTTThu vs UTASat vs PHI | |
| 12 | Buffalo Sabres | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Tue vs MINThu vs DALSat vs UTA | |
| 13 | Chicago Blackhawks | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Tue vs STLThu @ NYISat vs CAR | |
| 14 | Dallas Stars | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Mon vs SJSThu @ BUFSat @ PIT | |
| 15 | Minnesota Wild | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Tue @ BUFThu @ TBLSat @ FLA | |
| 16 | Montreal Canadiens | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Tue vs CARThu vs NSHSat vs DET | |
| 17 | Nashville Predators | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Tue @ TORThu @ MTLSat @ OTT | |
| 18 | New York Islanders | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Tue @ NYRThu vs CHISat vs TBL | |
| 19 | San Jose Sharks | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Mon @ DALThu @ STLSat vs EDM | |
| 20 | St. Louis Blues | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Tue @ CHIThu vs SJSSat vs CBJ | |
| 21 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Mon vs PHIThu vs MINSat @ NYI | |
| 22 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Tue vs NSHThu @ VGKSat @ COL | |
| 23 | Utah Mammoth | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Tue @ NJDThu @ BOSSat @ BUF | |
| 24 | Vegas Golden Knights | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Tue @ SEAThu vs TORSat vs LAK | |
| 25 | Colorado Avalanche | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Wed @ WPGThu @ CGY*Sat vs TOR |
| 26 | Vancouver Canucks | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Thu @ CARSat @ NJDSun @ NYR* |
| 27 | Edmonton Oilers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Wed @ ANASat @ SJS | |
| 28 | Florida Panthers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tue @ LAKSat vs MIN | |
| 29 | Los Angeles Kings | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tue vs FLASat @ VGK | |
| 30 | New Jersey Devils | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Tue vs UTASat vs VAN | |
| 31 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Fri vs PITSat @ STL* |
| 32 | Calgary Flames | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Thu vs COLSat vs ANA |
Next 2 weeks: short-term streaming (weeks 2–3)
Oct 5–18
| # | Team | Games | Per week | Off-night | B2B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Senators | 8 | 4.0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 7 | 3.5 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Minnesota Wild | 7 | 3.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | Carolina Hurricanes | 7 | 3.5 | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | Buffalo Sabres | 7 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | Philadelphia Flyers | 7 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | Vegas Golden Knights | 7 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Washington Capitals | 6 | 3.0 | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | New York Rangers | 6 | 3.0 | 3 | |
| 10 | Seattle Kraken | 6 | 3.0 | 3 |
All 32 teams
| # | Team | Games | Per week | Off-night | B2B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Winnipeg Jets | 6 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 12 | Colorado Avalanche | 6 | 3.0 | 3 | 2 |
| 13 | Boston Bruins | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 14 | Dallas Stars | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | Detroit Red Wings | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | Florida Panthers | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Montreal Canadiens | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | New Jersey Devils | 6 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Chicago Blackhawks | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 20 | Nashville Predators | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 21 | New York Islanders | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 22 | San Jose Sharks | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 23 | St. Louis Blues | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 24 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 25 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 26 | Utah Mammoth | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 27 | Vancouver Canucks | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 |
| 28 | Anaheim Ducks | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 29 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 30 | Calgary Flames | 5 | 2.5 | 1 | |
| 31 | Edmonton Oilers | 5 | 2.5 | 1 | |
| 32 | Los Angeles Kings | 4 | 2.0 | 1 |
Next 4 weeks: roster holds (weeks 2–5)
Oct 5–Nov 1
| # | Team | Games | Per week | Off-night | B2B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Senators | 15 | 3.8 | 5 | 4 |
| 2 | Minnesota Wild | 14 | 3.5 | 5 | 2 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 13 | 3.3 | 6 | 2 |
| 4 | Winnipeg Jets | 13 | 3.3 | 6 | 2 |
| 5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | 3.3 | 4 | 1 |
| 6 | Carolina Hurricanes | 13 | 3.3 | 4 | 2 |
| 7 | San Jose Sharks | 13 | 3.3 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Colorado Avalanche | 12 | 3.0 | 7 | 3 |
| 9 | Anaheim Ducks | 12 | 3.0 | 5 | 2 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 12 | 3.0 | 5 | 2 |
All 32 teams
| # | Team | Games | Per week | Off-night | B2B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Edmonton Oilers | 12 | 3.0 | 4 | 1 |
| 12 | Montreal Canadiens | 12 | 3.0 | 4 | 1 |
| 13 | New Jersey Devils | 12 | 3.0 | 4 | 2 |
| 14 | Utah Mammoth | 12 | 3.0 | 3 | |
| 15 | Buffalo Sabres | 12 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 16 | Dallas Stars | 12 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 17 | Detroit Red Wings | 12 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 18 | Vegas Golden Knights | 12 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 19 | New York Islanders | 12 | 3.0 | 2 | |
| 20 | Boston Bruins | 12 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 21 | Nashville Predators | 12 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 22 | Vancouver Canucks | 12 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 23 | St. Louis Blues | 12 | 3.0 | 1 | |
| 24 | New York Rangers | 11 | 2.8 | 6 | |
| 25 | Washington Capitals | 11 | 2.8 | 6 | 2 |
| 26 | Seattle Kraken | 11 | 2.8 | 5 | |
| 27 | Florida Panthers | 11 | 2.8 | 5 | 2 |
| 28 | Calgary Flames | 11 | 2.8 | 4 | 1 |
| 29 | Chicago Blackhawks | 11 | 2.8 | 3 | |
| 30 | Los Angeles Kings | 11 | 2.8 | 2 | 1 |
| 31 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 11 | 2.8 | 2 | 1 |
| 32 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 10 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 |
Want this for your own roster? Connect your league (Fantrax, ESPN or a public Yahoo league) for matchup projections and available-in-league filters.
Streaming by schedule: fantasy week 2 (Oct 5–11)
In fantasy week 2 (Oct 5–11), 4 teams play 4 games (Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins), while 6 teams play only 2 games.
Most off-night games in fantasy week 2 (Oct 5–11): Pittsburgh Penguins (3), New York Rangers (3), Seattle Kraken (3), Winnipeg Jets (3), Washington Capitals (3) and Carolina Hurricanes (2). Their skaters are the first place to look for a streamer.
- 3 games
- Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Utah Mammoth, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals
Off-nights: the edge in daily-lineup leagues
An off-night is any night with fewer than 10 NHL games. Your regular starters crowd the busy nights, so a streamer whose team plays on off-nights adds games you would otherwise leave empty. A four-game week with two off-nights beats a four-game week that lands on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Open the Players view to rank available players by off-night games and expected shots, points, hits, blocks or goalie stats over any dates, then export the list as CSV. For goalies, pair it with tonight's starting goalies and Back-to-backs & rest; for skaters, check NHL lines today before you add a depth player.
Need the whole season at a glance? The NHL games per week grid lists every team's game count for every week. Then plan categories in the Week Planner or rank pickups with projections and deployment in Streamer Finder.
Schedule Optimizer FAQ
What does a fantasy hockey schedule optimizer do?
It turns the NHL schedule into streaming decisions. For any fantasy week it ranks all 32 teams by games, off-night games and back-to-backs, shows which nights are light, and looks two and four weeks ahead. The Players view then lists low-rostered skaters and goalies on those teams for any date range up to 90 days, sorted by off-night games and expected production.
What is an off-night in fantasy hockey?
An off-night is a night with a light NHL schedule. We count any night with fewer than 10 games as an off-night. In daily-lineup leagues most of your starters play on busy nights, so a pickup who plays on off-nights fills empty roster slots instead of sitting on your bench.
How do I stream by schedule?
Pick teams with four games this week, prefer the ones whose games fall on off-nights, then add the best low-rostered player on those teams for the category you need. Back-to-backs are fine for skaters but usually mean a goalie split. Check the two- and four-week views before you drop a player for a one-week bump.
Where did the weekly streaming planner go?
It is the Players view of the Schedule Optimizer now: the same any-date-range search (up to 90 days), off-nights-first sort, maximum rostered %, minimum games and CSV export, with current projections where we have them and last season's rate otherwise. Old streaming planner links open the Players view.
How is this different from NHL games per week?
NHL games per week is the season-long reference grid: every team's game count for every week of the season on one page. The Schedule Optimizer is the decision tool for one week at a time: off-night timing, back-to-backs, the day-by-day distribution, multi-week outlooks and the players to stream.