Kirill Kaprizov Posts Four Points as Minnesota Beats San Jose, Josh Norris Scores Twice for Buffalo and Beckett Sennecke Stays Hot in Calgary: Friday NHL Fantasy Notes

Friday's light NHL slate still carried fantasy weight. Kirill Kaprizov posted four points as the Minnesota Wild beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1, Josh Norris scored twice and Owen Power had three assists as the Buffalo Sabres handled the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2, and Beckett Sennecke added two more assists in the Anaheim Ducks' 5-3 win at Calgary. Here is what each result means for your lineup this weekend.

Wild 4, Sharks 1: Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes drive the offense

Kaprizov scored a goal and added three assists, continuing a start to the season strong enough to earn him a spot among the league's three stars of October. Defenseman Quinn Hughes chipped in a goal and two assists, and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves.

Fantasy takeaway: Kaprizov is a top-five fantasy forward and should be started every night. The more interesting note is Hughes, whose power-play quarterbacking and point production make Minnesota's top unit one of the most fantasy-friendly in the league. Wallstedt is a strong start whenever he draws a weak opponent, and he has earned a larger share of the crease.

On the other side, San Jose's slide continued. The loss came two days after the Sharks held a players-only meeting following a 7-2 defeat in Los Angeles. San Jose's skaters are difficult to trust right now, and opposing goaltenders facing the Sharks are among the best streaming options on any given night. Next up for San Jose is a Saturday visit to Dallas, where the Stars may be without Miro Heiskanen.

Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 2: Norris and Power lead Buffalo

Norris scored twice and Power had three assists as the Sabres improved to 8-5-3, winning for the fourth time in five games. Jack Quinn added a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves.

Fantasy takeaway: Power's three-assist night is a reminder of his ceiling from the blue line. He has the skating and passing to rack up points in bunches, and he deserves a roster spot in all leagues that count defenseman scoring. Norris, when healthy, gives Buffalo a legitimate second-line scoring threat, which should keep him in the conversation as a streamer. Quinn is a waiver option in deeper formats. Luukkonen is a startable goaltender against weaker opponents while Buffalo is winning.

Ducks 5, Flames 3: Sennecke keeps producing

Anaheim won 5-3 in Calgary with Ville Husso earning the victory in goal. Sennecke recorded two assists, one on the power play, along with three shots on goal and a plus-2 rating. He now has multiple points in three straight games, with two goals and seven assists in that span, and he entered Friday with 10 goals in 16 games.

Fantasy takeaway: Sennecke is no longer a speculative add. He is producing like a top-six forward with power-play time, and he should be rostered in all 12-team leagues. Anaheim's offense, which has also featured a red-hot Cutter Gauthier, is one of the season's most productive surprises, and the Ducks' top-unit forwards are fantasy starts until the team cools off.

For Calgary, the loss on home ice raises questions about the Flames' defense, and opposing forwards are worth targeting when they face Calgary in the coming week.

Goalie notes for the weekend

Daily Faceoff confirmations are the key check before each slate. On Friday, Wallstedt, Luukkonen and Husso all delivered wins, and each is a reasonable start in his next appearance depending on opponent. Back-to-back situations are common on Saturday, so verify starters about two hours before puck drop.

Weekend waiver priorities

Friday's results sharpen the waiver list for the weekend. Beckett Sennecke is the top add if he is still available, because his power-play role and recent production give him a weekly floor that few waiver forwards offer. Owen Power is the top defenseman add in leagues where he was left on the wire after a quiet start, since three-assist nights tend to come in bunches for blueliners with his skating. Jack Quinn is a deeper-league option whose value depends on staying in Buffalo's top six.

On the drop side, managers holding San Jose skaters who are not on the top power-play unit can move on. The Sharks' scoring has dried up, and a players-only meeting has not yet changed results. The same applies to fringe Columbus forwards after the Blue Jackets managed only two goals against Buffalo. Roster spots are more valuable on hot depth players than on cold teams.

In goaltending, the pattern is consistent: target the netminder facing San Jose, and be cautious with goaltenders facing Minnesota's top unit, which has been one of the league's most efficient power plays with Kaprizov and Hughes together.

The Verdexed angle

The nightly NHL picks are published from Verdexed's model on the blog, and the NHL predictions page has win probabilities for every game. For fantasy, Friday's lessons are straightforward: start Kaprizov and Hughes every night, roster Power and Sennecke everywhere, and stream goaltenders against San Jose until the Sharks find answers.