John Chayka did his holiday shopping early. Hopefully, you did too.
We’re now five sleeps away from Christmas, six until Kwanzaa commences and two before Hanukkah begins. For the record, I’m the type of person that puts off their holiday shopping until the last waking moment. Thank goodness for the Internet, baby.
In the fantasy world, the presents aren’t just limited to the holiday season. Imagine unwrapping Connor McDavid? How about John Carlson? As is the case every year, strong drafting and stealth maneuvering could provide fantasy owners with an endless supply of satisfaction.
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Meantime, the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool is a whole different animal. In a 30-point cap system, it’s integral to extract as much value as possible out of your roster. That’s why it’s imperative that you infiltrate your weekly lineup with cheap value options.
Here are five gifts that keep on giving at each position:
| Player | SN Pool Value |
|---|---|
| BUF Jack Eichel | 3 |
| FLA Jonathan Huberdeau | 3 |
| STL David Perron | 2 |
| VGK Max Pacioretty | 2 |
| CAR Andrei Svechnikov | 1 |
| WSH John Carlson | 3 |
| CAR Dougie Hamilton | 2 |
| COL Cale Makar | 2 |
| NSH Roman Josi | 2 |
| VAN Quinn Hughes | 1 |
| WPG Connor Hellebuyck | 3 |
| ARI Darcy Kuemper | 3 |
| CGY David Rittich | 2 |
| PIT Tristan Jarry | 2 |
| BUF Linus Ullmark | 2 |
Now to your questions:
It’s still weird to see number-91 blazing down the ice for the Arizona Coyotes. Props to Coyotes general manager John Chayka for pulling it off and making it a reality.
As things lay right now, Christian Dvorak is in a pretty favourable position to succeed. He’s centreing Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel. Not bad, eh? You definitely want to target Dvorak, at this point.
Additionally, the new toy in the desert should also kick-start the first power play unit, currently quarterbacked by team captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Lastly, both crease options stand to gain an uptick in value. With Hall, the Coyotes are a better team. That should, in turn, translate to more victories. Boom!
Easy decision for me because I love Nick Schmaltz.
Even with Dvorak getting the first kick at the can to play with Hall and Kessel, I do think Schmaltz will get a shot eventually too. He has a way higher ceiling.
In Colorado, Donskoi is only fantasy relevant when playing in the top-six. The Avalanche are deep up front, bad news for the former Shark Donskoi. He’s a great replacement option when someone gets injured, nothing more at this point. With the big boys back and healthy, the 27-year-old Donskoi is unlikey to see much of MacKinnon, Landeskog and Rantanen much anytime soon.
Go Schmaltz or go home.
Cirelli is a prime example of a second half-sleeper to keep a close eye on. In general, I expect the Lightning to pick up the pace soon.
When rolling, Tampa possesses an abundance of depth scoring. In the past, that’s what has made them so difficult to beat. At this juncture, Cirelli should be viewed as no more than a solid waiver addition amidst a busy slate for the Lightning. Of course, all that can change with a promotion up the lineup. As the losses continue to pile up, the desperation level will grow in Tampa.
Monitor closely. The future is bright.
Buy Lows & Sell Highs again! Thanks
— Liam (@LiamPrice_19) December 19, 2019
Timely question! On Thursday, I guested on the NHL Fantasy on Ice podcast with Rob Reese and Pete Jensen. We discussed this very topic. Here are five players for each topic:
Buy low: Phil Kessel, Filip Forsberg, Nick Backstrom, Alex DeBrincat, Tyson Barrie
Sell high: Evander Kane, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Strome, Bryan Rust, Tristan Jarry
Yes, I’d pull the trigger on that deal.
At this point, I’d say it’s nearly a lost season for Subban. Clearly, he needs to make some alterations to his offseason training regimen. He’s visibly slower and no one can challenge that. Amazingly, the 30-year-old is currently mired in a dismal 21-game pointless drought. Fingers crossed that it ends soon so I can stop tweeting about it.
By far, Nylander is a way more attractive file. He’s become attached at the hip of Auston Matthews. That continuous exposure, alone, makes Nylander extraordinarily appealing. Compared to last year, he’s playing with way more confidence.
Lots of value to be found in this transaction. Nylander over Subban.
https://twitter.com/BostonDiGiorgio/status/1207038506545090561
Unsurprisingly, most major award winners from last season are experiencing a hangover of sorts. Yes, Giordano is among them.
It is what it is at this point. I’m not sure how many takers you’ll find on the trade market right now, either. You’re better off keeping Giordano at this point and hoping for the best.
Revisit this in the new year.
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