With the most unusual of NHL trade deadlines now just eight short days away, it’ll be fascinating to dissect the fantasy spin of all the wheeling and dealing ahead.
Adding to the uncertainty surrounding next Monday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline is the fact that some fantasy playoffs are actually scheduled to get underway that very same day (April 12).
Suffice it to say, it’s the ultimate catch-22 situation for fantasy owners at the moment. Without question, the mandatory one-week quarantine for players dealt to a Canadian team throws a nice little wrinkle into this year’s festivities.
Outside of Taylor Hall and maybe Kyle Palmieri, the rental market isn’t rich with brand names, at least from a fantasy scope. As for players with term remaining, Rickard Rakell’s name continues to be out there, but no one ever knows what Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray is truly thinking.
Here’s hoping for some creativity, something we definitely got back on Jan. 23 when the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets combined on a multi-player blockbuster. Of the 10 in-season deals so far, that one was indisputably the biggest.
Funny enough, the rewards have been less than appetizing to date.
1. Simply put, it’s time to drop Patrik Laine. The 22-year-old is currently riding a nasty 11-game goalless drought. Additionally, he has just one goal in the past 19 games. Peace out.
2. Trade for MacKenzie Weegar. Already in the midst of a breakout offensive season, the 27-year-old will take on an even bigger role now that Aaron Ekblad is done for the year. On Saturday night in the Florida Panthers' 4-2 win against the Blue Jackets, Weegar snapped a seven-game pointless drought notching a goal and an assist.
3. As for waiver looks to replace Ekblad, your best bet will be plug-and-play options going forward. Currently, I’d take a look at Dmitry Orlov, Alex Goligoski, Gustav Forsling and Jamie Drysdale. Yeah, slim pickings. Good luck.
4. Take a flier on Eric Staal. With a new lease on life in Montreal, the 36-year-old is expected to make his Canadiens debut on Monday night against the Edmonton Oilers. Considering Marc Bergevin always seems to win his trades, don’t be shocked if Staal produces down the stretch.
5. In general, it would be wise to stock up on Habs right now. By my math, they’re scheduled to play 22 games in the next 38 days. That’s a lot.
Having said that, target Tomas Tatar. The dual-eligible winger has 14 points in 16 games under Dominique Ducharme. He’s been hot.
6. First and foremost, all the best to the Vancouver Canucks organization as they deal with this COVID-19 outbreak. Of course, hockey is secondary to everything else right now.
From a fantasy perspective, considering there’s no indication of when or if Vancouver will be able to return to the ice, be ready to cut ties with anybody and everybody on that roster. I know it’s tough, but at this juncture in the fantasy season, there’s no time to wait around.
7. I’m curious to see what happens in Carolina’s crease now that Petr Mrazek is finally closing in on a return. Initially, I expect the Hurricanes to roster all three of their goalies (Mrazek, James Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic). When push comes to shove, I think Reimer ends up being the odd man out. We’ll see.
8. On that note, make sure to keep a close eye on the goalie market as the deadline nears. With teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers, among others, sniffing around for some potential help, names like Devan Dubnyk, Jonathan Bernier and Linus Ullmark could be on the move. Keep tabs.
9. Believe it or not, it’s not outlandish to consider streaming Ullmark, even though the Buffalo Sabres have won just two times since Feb. 23. Good on the Sabres, they’re a respectable 2-4-2 under interim head coach Don Granato. If you can believe it, Ullmark actually has a winning record this season. He’s 7-5-3 while everyone else (Carter Hutton, Dustin Tokarski, Jonas Johansson) is a combined 1-18-3. Ridiculous.
10. Scoop up Casey DeSmith. As Tristan Jarry continues to nurse an upper-body injury, the 29-year-old DeSmith is sure to see some more playing time over the next little while for the red-hot Penguins.
11. It’s buy-time on Kevin Fiala. The Minnesota Wild winger has one goal and five helpers over a modest five-game point streak for the surging Wild.
12. Question, are there any similarities (outside the Nashville Predators connection) to draw between Fiala’s breakout last season and Eeli Tolvanen’s emergence this one? Whatever, I’m running with it.
At this point, Tolvanen should be considered a must-own fantasy file. Over the past eight contests, the 21-year-old has been providing extensive category coverage (4 G, 6 A, 10 P, 5 PPP, 3 GWG).
13. If you’re searching for goal scoring, grab Anthony Beauvillier. The New York Islanders winger quietly has six goals over his past seven outings. Ride him while he’s hot!
14. Ditto for New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt, who’s less than 10 per cent owned in standard leagues right now. He has two goals and eight points in his past 10 outings.
15. As for all the recent NCAA signings, take a wait-and-see approach. As things sit, there’s no one worth picking up just yet. Be mindful.
16. With Anton Khudobin on the COVID-19 protocol list for Dallas, it’s a no brainer to pick up Jake Oettinger. The 22-year-old made a career-high 41 saves in the Stars' 3-2 win over Carolina on Saturday night.
17. Pick up Daniel Vladar. With the Bruins slated to play five times in seven days this week, including two sets of back-to-backs, the 23-year-old rookie should see at least two starts for Boston.
Here’s a closer look at their busy schedule:
Boston Bruins: Mon (PHI), Tues (@PHI), Thurs (@WSH), Sat (@PHI), Sun (WSH)
Waiver Looks: David Krejci, Nick Ritchie
SN Fantasy Pool: BOS Goalies 4, Brad Marchand 4, Matt Grzelyck 1
18. As you see, three of those five games will come against the Flyers, the team that is trying to chase the Bruins down for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division.
Philadelphia Flyers: Mon (@BOS), Tues (BOS), Thurs (@NYI), Sat (BOS), Sun (BUF)
Waiver Looks: Brian Elliott, Nolan Patrick
SN Fantasy Pool: PHI Goalies 3, Claude Giroux 2, Sean Couturier 2
19. Given everything that’s happening with the Canucks right now, this 55-game slate (April 5–11) will very likely change.
Monday: 7 Games
Tuesday: 8 Games
Wednesday: 5 Games
Thursday: 10 Games
Friday: 8 Games
Saturday: 10 Games
Sunday: 7 Games
20. In total, there are 16 teams with four-game slates (ARI, BUF, COL, DAL, LAK, MIN, MTL, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, OTT, PIT, STL, VGK, WSH).
Again, I like Colorado’s schedule the most. They’re really good at hockey.
Colorado Avalanche: Mon (@MIN) Wed (@MIN), Fri (@ANA), Sun (@ANA)
Waiver Looks: Andre Burakovsky, Jonas Johansson
SN Fantasy Pool: COL Goalies 4, Nathan MacKinnon 4, Cale Makar 2
