It’s time to start hammering out those New Year’s resolutions. Another Christmas has passed and the countdown to 2019 is on.
We’re already essentially at the midway point of another fantasy hockey season. If you’re currently in a precarious position, the next month could make or break your championship aspirations.
When it comes to the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool, make sure to keep up-to-date on the latest trends and themes around the NHL. For instance, juggernauts like Nashville and Minnesota have had their struggles as of late. You might want to hold off on selecting players from those squads for the time being.
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Now to your questions:
Travis Houthuys – @TravisLeafs
Who are some breakout candidates for the rest of the season?
James Neal (Calgary Flames): The 31-year-old has a lot of work to do in the second half of the year if he wants to register an eighth consecutive 20-goal season. Neal is currently mired in a 23-game goalless drought. He’ll bust loose eventually. He’s low-hanging waiver fruit at this point and is worth the gamble.
Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues): Not to be outdone, Tarasenko has two measly points – both goals – over the last eleven contests. Similar to Neal, the track record is there to suggest a turnaround is coming. The 27-year-old has potted four consecutive 30-goal seasons. It’ll come eventually.
Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia Flyers): Simmonds has one goal over the last nine games. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s dealt by the Feb. 25th trade deadline. The pending UFA undoubtedly has his sights on one last big pay-day in his career, but he has a lot of work to do.
Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets): With seven goals and 19 points through 37 games, the 21-year-old is on pace for approximately 12 goals and 40 points. I still think he hits another gear and flirts with the 50-point mark this season. Columbus, in general, is a team to keep close tabs on leading to the deadline. They’ve been excellent lately.
Martin Jones (San Jose Sharks): This one’s a no brainer for me. After Thursday night’s 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Sharks are now 6-1-2 over the last eight games. Simply put, they’re finding their game, especially defensively. Jones is one of the top goalies to obtain for the balance of the year. His numbers will improve significantly, too.
Who are some regression candidates?
Jeff Skinner (Buffalo Sabres): You should be selling high on Skinner pronto. He’s currently on pace for 56 goals, 19 more than his career high of 37 set back in 2016-17 with Carolina. It’s an unsustainable pace.
Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators): Can a 21-year-old defenceman really notch a point per game over a full season? I guess we’ll find out in due time although it’s highly unlikely. You can’t ignore Chabot’s elite fantasy trade value right now, though.
Max Domi (Montreal Canadiens): After a blazing start, Domi has just three goals since November 23rd. Suffice it to say, he’s come back to earth, and that was expected. That being said, the 23-year-old should have no problem setting new career highs (19 goals and 53 points). Just be realistic when you’re trying to analyze long-term fixtures.
Elias Lindholm (Calgary Flames): Lindholm has been arguably the biggest revelation in fantasy hockey this season. He’s currently on pace for 36 goals and 90 points. The 24-year-old is already one goal and six points off setting new career highs. Easy money suggests a bit of regression is coming.
Jaroslav Halak (Boston Bruins): At this point in his career, we know Halak. He’s a strong backup capable of shouldering the load for a decent amount of time. Mark my words: Tuukka Rask will grab that No. 1 job back in Boston.
Joe Bond – @joexbondo
Which player would you keep for the rest of the season: Claude Giroux or Elias Pettersson?
Damn, this is a difficult question.
Since it’s a young man’s game and Elias Pettersson is showing no signs of slowing down, I’ll go with the Swedish phenom. He’s slick, shifty and effective with his minutes. Additionally, the Canucks have nothing to lose and I think they’ll play loose down the stretch.
For context, Claude Giroux is my favourite player but I just don’t know what to make of Philadelphia. I’m not sure they’ll come back to make the playoffs which may put them in a position to give some of their youngsters some talent.
Go with Pettersson.
Gordon McEachern – @OrilliaG
Pavel Buchnevich and Tyson Jost are both killing me when it comes to my no-move fantasy team. Who are some under-achieving fantasy players poised for strong finishes?
That’s a very common question this time of year. Here are some players to keep tabs on going forward this season:
Philipp Gruabuer, Ilya Kovalchuk, Mathew Barzal, Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Jakub Voracek, Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere, Brayden Schenn and William Nylander.
You can find decent value putting faith in players who’ve gotten the job done before. 82 games is a long enough span for someone to figure it out eventually. Have faith in the process.
Kyle Snell – @KyleSnell81
What’s your expectation for Anze Kopitar for the balance of this season?
For starters, you can throw last season’s 35-goal, 57-assist output out the window. From the get go, it wasn’t a realistic bench mark for LA’s captain.
After a slow start, Kopitar has been extremely consistent over the last month or so. He’s still very valuable in the fantasy world. A fair expectation for Kopitar would be 20 goals and maybe 55-65 points.
When it comes to the second of the fantasy season, the Kings really intrigue me. They’re tons of talent and pride up and down that roster, starting in goal with Jonathan Quick. Don’t be shocked if they go on a bit of run. This current four-game winning streak isn’t a mirage.
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