Hockey’s back! And with that, so is my fantasy mailbag.
If you’re unfamiliar, it’s pretty self-explanatory: Every Friday during the NHL regular season, sourced from questions via social media, I’ll offer tips, advice and opinions on how to improve your fantasy roster moving forward.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to sign-up for the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool. On a weekly basis, build your roster and compete for a share of $50,000 in cash prizes.
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Now to your questions.
If you’re looking to compete this season, I think it’s a no-brainer to throw Eichel on the trade market and see what you can fetch.
Not only is there no telling when a trade might go down, but once it does, Eichel’s likely to undergo disc surgery, a procedure that would sideline the 24-year-old indefinitely. We’re talking months. Translation: Eichel may have minimal impact on this fantasy season, if at all.
As far as a potential return package goes, a combination of picks and young players seems fair. Having said that, you’ll be hard pressed to get fair market value right now. Just be mindful of that.
I like DeBrincat a lot, I think Necas is a strong regression candidate this season.
@tunsquad42 asks: Is Seth Jones this bad?
Classic overreaction, it’s one game. Against Colorado.
From a fantasy standpoint, I think Jones has a lot to offer in Chicago. He’s going to a play a ton, especially on the power play with the big boys. Give Jones a couple games to get his feet wet, he’ll be fine. Offence won’t be a problem for the Blackhawks this season.
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Good question.
Short-term, it’s Raanta. Long-term, it’s Oettinger by a country mile.
The decision to start Oettinger in the AHL this season is more about protecting Dallas’ assets then it is anything else. He’s young (22) and still waiver exempt, so the Stars were able to send him down to the minors without consequence. Regardless of all that, Oettinger’s too good to keep out of the NHL. He’ll be back up soon.
As for Raanta, his stock takes a significant boost with the move over to the Hurricanes. I’m curious to see what Rod Brind’Amour does with the goaltending, is Frederik Andersen the No. 1, or will they employ a timeshare? Also, Raanta gets injured quite a bit, so be cognizant of that, too.
Khudobin, and it’s not even close.
Furthermore, if you ask me, you’re pretty set in goal. Why do you need a fourth option? You’re better off utilizing that roster spot to address another need on your roster.
Love the idea. In fact, I often employ that very same strategy myself.
Bottom line, there’s not much depth on the blue line when it comes to finding consistent fantasy contributors. The drop off is significant, that’s why securing a stud or two is pivotal.
All things being equal, I think there’s more value in keeping that fourth D slot empty than there is in rostering someone who will only chip in from time to time. You can always stream someone on busy nights, right?
For what it’s worth, I like both Mantha and Petersen this season, all dependent on your team needs, of course.
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Of those three guys, I think Kaliyev has the best shot to stick, at least in the short-term. I expect Lapierre and McTavish to get a taste, but ultimately, it’s probably smarter for Washington and Anaheim, respectively, to have the long game in mind. We’ll see what happens.
Here’s a sleeper: Kings winger Vladimir Tkachev. He’s 26, playing on the top power play unit and could factor into Los Angeles’ top six sooner rather than later. For more, take a quick glance at my rookie piece, The 10 rookies to target in your fantasy draft, from the pre-season.
Right on cue, Peterson scored a beauty in his NHL debut on Broadway on Thursday night. Suffice to say, he’s making the most of his opportunity.
Due to injuries and circumstance, the 22-year-old winger came out of nowhere to crack Dallas’ opening-night roster. As long as he stays in the top six, I think Peterson’s a fantastic waiver stream and DFS play. Enjoy!
Off the top of my head, John Gibson is the guy. He’s just 46 per cent owned right now, mostly because the Ducks aren’t expected to be good this season. Additionally, I think there’s an outside shot that he’s moved before the trade deadline. His numbers will be good, just don’t expect the wins to be there.
Three other targets: Elvis Merzlikins, Calvin Petersen and Kaapo Kahkonen.
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