Welcome to the fantasy hockey stock market. Each week we will look at three players trending up and three players trending down.
Tristan Jarry – G – Penguins – 4 Wins, 2 Losses, 11 Goals Against, 6 Games
Jarry finished up a confidence building back-to-back against the Sabres with just one goal allowed in two games. The talented rookie is one of the best goalie prospects out there and is seizing an opportunity to start for the defending champions with Matt Murray out week-to-week. Jarry will have been scooped up in most leagues by now, but if he’s still available he offers high upside as a filler in net until Murray returns.
Alex Galchenyuk – C/LW – Canadiens – 6 Goals, 10 Assists, 72 Shots, 28 Games
Perhaps the Canadiens need their starting goalie in place to have the confidence to go out and score. They are riding a six-game winning streak, with Carey Price back in the fold, which was capped off by a 10-1 drubbing of the Red Wings. Galchenyuk notched four assists in that match and is on a fine hot streak with eight points in his last five games. Skating 16 minutes a night with Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin, Galchenyuk appears to be out of the doghouse. On pace for over 200 shots, but shooting just 8.3 per cent, the 13.0 per cent career shooter has more to offer still. It’s a good time to grab him while he is on the rise.
Mathew Dumba – D – Wild – 2 Goals, 11 Assists, 40 Shots, 26 Games
With Jared Spurgeon out for a few weeks with a groin strain Dumba has been put into position as the top option on Minnesota’s blue line. Sure, Ryan Suter is still there, but Suter is not an inspired option. Dumba plays a more dynamic offensive game. Dumba has skated over 26 minutes in each of the past two games and will continue to see big minutes with Spurgeon on the shelf. The defenceman has three points in his last four games.
Three Down
Jimmy Howard – G – Red Wings – 8 Wins, 12 Losses, 58 Goals Against, 22 Games
After a hot start Howard and the Red Wings have come crashing back to earth. Howard has lost six in a row and has allowed four goals or more in five of his last seven appearances. There’s no way you can start him with any confidence as the Red Wings’ season spirals downward. Expectations were that Detroit would be a bottom-five team and they’re headed that way. That’s not an environment conducive to fantasy value.
Matt Duchene – C – Senators – 5 Goals, 7 Assists, 55 Goals Shots, 25 Games
The trade to Ottawa was supposed to improve Duchene’s fantasy stock, but has instead sent him drifting to fantasy waiver wires. Duchene has just two points in 11 games with his new squad, a team that has looked derailed since returning from a mid-season trip to Sweden.
Duchene’s minutes are up in Ottawa, skating over 18 minutes per game with the Senators after seeing less than 16 with the Avalanche. In particular, Duchene is seeing more use on the power play, but it hasn’t mattered. Despite exposure to star talents like Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone, Duchene has reached a point where he is no longer worth waiting on.
Ryan O’Reilly – C – Sabres – 7 Goal, 9 Assists, 68 Shots, 27 Games
It certainly feels like time to abort on O’Reilly who is scoreless in six straight games. Phil Housley arrived to Buffalo with pedigree as an offensive defenceman, but the Sabres’ offence has tanked, in particular their power play, which has dropped from first in efficiency to second worst. After getting shutout in three straight games it can’t get much lower for the Sabres and their players, but until he shows signs of life, the place for O’Reilly is on the waiver wire.
