James Neal Fantasy Stats

St. Louis Blues winger James Neal will replace Pavel Buchnevich on the top line for Wednesday's matchup against the Golden Knights, with the Russian serving the first game of a two-game ban. The veteran sniper will be back in the lineup after sitting out Monday's 7-4 win over Arizona as a healthy scratch. Neal is also set to get power-play time on the first unit, so it's a perfect opportunity for the 34-year-old to turn back the clock. Buchnevich, who opened the season with two points in two games, is eligible to return to the lineup on Saturday against Los Angeles.

St. Louis Blues winger James Neal will be a healthy scratch for Monday's road outing against Arizona. Klim Kostin will come in to replace him. Neal skated 11:02 in Saturday's season opener against Colorado and was minus-one in a 5-3 win with one shot. The veteran winger created some buzz around him during the preseason when he grabbed a hat trick in his first game for the Blues, but Father Time has done his work and Neal is simply a depth forward in St. Louis, who won't play every night. Kostin spent most of last season in the KHL. He's produced two points in his previous six NHL appearances for the Blues.

Edmonton Oilers forward James Neal's contract was bought out on Tuesday. Neal had two years left remaining on his contract and now will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. He had a horrible 2021 season producing five goals and five helpers in just 29 contests. He spent many games this past season watching from the press box as a healthy scratch. With a quick decline in his game and being 34-years-old, the veteran winger value in fantasy has plummeted.

Edmonton Oilers winger James Neal has been activated from the Injured Reserve and he's set to make his season debut on Friday against Toronto. The 33-year-old will be eased into action on the fourth line, but he'll also feature on the team's first power-play unit. Neal had 19 goals and 31 points in 55 regular season outings last season. Toronto's penalty killing has been mediocre so far at 80 percent, so Edmonton will fancy their chances against them. Neal has managed eight goals and 15 points in 24 career games against the Maple Leafs.