One thing is for sure: the intensity has picked up significantly around the NHL over the last couple of weeks. After all, meaningful spring action is rapidly approaching. Most importantly – to us at least – the fantasy hockey playoffs are almost here.
What’s at stake at the end of the year? Oh, I don’t know – some bragging rights, maybe a couple bucks and also the opportunity to trash talk your friends all summer long. Sounds appealing to me.
Jokes aside, it’s never a bad game plan to target players in the midst of a playoff chase when it comes to constructing your Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool roster. You won’t have to look hard right now – especially in the West – to find some value. I’m loving St. Louis right now. Ride that Jordan Binnington hot hand in the crease!
Now to your questions:
[snippet id=4234155]
Brandon F. – @Brandon_73
Carter Hart or Jonathan Quick? (Rest of Season)
I’ll go with Hart, but the small sample size scares me. Can the Flyers keep up this ridiculous pace for the duration of the season? Unlikely.
Funny enough, it was Quick and the Kings that snapped Philadelphia’s eight-game win streak with a shootout victory on Thursday night. Anthony Stolarz made 37 saves for the Flyers.
That said, there’s no question who Philadelphia’s starter is right now. Over 16 outings, Hart has registered a 10-5-1 record, 2.48 goals-against-average to go along with a .925 save-percentage.
On the other hand, Quick has been grossly inconsistent this season – like his team. Los Angeles has won three in a row and four of five. Never underestimate Quick’s abilities. He’s overdue for a super-hot stretch.
To answer, Hart over Quick but it’s very close.
John Puppyfan – @josh_islesfan
What should I do with Shayne Gostisbehere?
Now that he’s back in the lineup after missing a couple of games due to a lower-body issue, I’d give Gostisbehere a couple more weeks before cutting bait. He’s left a lot to be desired in the fantasy world to-date.
Maybe he’s finding his way just a tad? The 25-year-old has notched at least one point in four of his last six outings. Still, Gostisbehere is on pace for the lowest offensive seasonal output of his NHL career (eight goals and 27 assists).
If his production doesn’t pick up soon, don’t be afraid to move on. At this point in the season, you don’t need anchors on your roster.
[snippet id=4269767]
Andre Poirier – @PoirierAndre
Who are some solid fantasy defenceman to potentially pick up right now?
T.J. Brodie – Calgary Flames (Last 10 games played: two goals, 11 assists, 13 points, three power-play points)
Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) – Nine assists in last 11 games played.
Troy Stecher (Vancouver Canucks) – Increased responsibility with Alex Edler out due to a concussion.
Justin Schultz (Pittsburgh Penguins) – Close to returning from an ankle injury; sneaky value.
Jake Muzzin – (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Four games played: one goal, two assists, plus-three, one power-play point, eight shots on goal.
Bri Avila – @Bri963
Time to move on from Charlie McAvoy? What do you think of Justin Schultz as a replacement?
It’s time to drop McAvoy. Some applicable replacement options can be found above.
It’s been a frustrating season for McAvoy owners. For starters, he’s missed a lot of time due to injury. The 21-year-old has spent the majority of the year trying to catch up. Secondly, as long as Torey Krug is with the Bruins, it will be difficult for the Boston University product to tap his offensive ceiling.
The Bruins are essentially a one-line team. McAvoy won’t become relevant until he sees power play exposure to Boston’s big boys (Marchand, Pastrnak, Bergeron). That won’t be happening anytime soon. Long-term, McAvoy will be a fantasy stallion, just not now.
Jared Sved – @theJaredSved
Is it finally time to move from Jake Allen? (I have Hellebuyck, Brossoit & Greiss)
Yeah, no need to own Jake Allen right now. It’s definitively Jordan Binnington’s crease in St. Louis for the foreseeable future. This turnaround for the Blues has been downright incredible. Who would’ve thought that the answer in goal was sitting in the American Hockey League? Mike Yeo must be losing it.
[snippet ID=3322139]
TinyTimSilver – @silver_tiny
Sergei Bobrovsky is my number-one goalie. Who’s a good number two option? (Howard, Kuemper, Koskinen, Delia, Anderson or Hutton) – Standard categories head-to-head
Tough question, especially with so many moving parts this late into the season.
I think the best goalie of the bunch is Jimmy Howard, but unfortunately, he’s currently on a bad team. All that could change if Detroit elects to trade the veteran before the deadline, so monitor that situation closely.
If everything stays status quo, I’d go with Carter Hutton. He’s been struggling recently, but I think the Sabres have one more run left in them this season. Truthfully, none of your options excite me but Hutton would be my choice if I had to pick.
Juuse Saros is a good look too.
Kyle – @boringname11
Is Micheal Ferland worth keeping in a 12-game banger redraft? Do you think he’ll get traded?
Such an intriguing situation to follow. According to recent reports, the Hurricanes have pulled Ferland off the trade market – for the time being. Carolina is 12-4-1 over the last 17 games and are back in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. Obviously, all that can change in the next couple of weeks.
I’m a big fantasy fan of Ferland. I think he’s super valuable, affordable and can cover multiple categories when situated with the right players. Keep him.
[relatedlinks]
