Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: The impact of returning players from injury

December 31, 2021, 10:35 AM

Welcome back.

From Brayden Point to Aleksander Barkov to Patrik Laine, it’s been a big week for injury returns in the NHL world. And over the next few days, more are on the way.

Weirdly enough, all the noteworthy returnees are forwards, undeniably music to the ears of depleted rosters, fantasy or reality —for that matter.

It goes without saying but there’s tons of value to unpack in the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool right now. Moving forward, you might want to consider rostering a couple of these players.

In addition to those prolific names, Nikita Kucherov and Jack Eichel are also on the mend and could resurface again sooner rather than later. Suffice it is to say, fantasy owners are waiting with bated breath for their returns.

Now to your questions:

Because Kuemper has been unable to demonstrate any level of consistency to this point, the obvious answer is Binnington.

To put it mildly, it’s been a turbulent start for Kuemper in Denver, despite the firepower in front of him. As the season progresses, I fully expect backup Pavel Francouz to push the former Coyotes number-one for playing time. Having said that, considering the price the Avalanche paid to acquire him from Arizona, I still have Kuemper as the inside track on the starting job. Considering he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent following the season, it would be in the 31-year-old’s best interest to finish strong. We’ll see if he’s up to the task.

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As for Binnington, I’m a firm believer in what the Blues are doing this season. In my estimation, they have the makeup to do something substantial. In general, the goaltending has been fantastic; Binnington’s been lights out from the get-go. Most importantly, he’s been super consistent, obviously a very attractive quality for fantasy owners.

It’s close but side with the feisty Binnington.

Personally, I’d swap Suter for Orlov in a second. You should be all over that.

Paired with All-Star John Carlson, Orlov’s having an outstanding season. With four goals and 28 points in 32 games, he’s currently on pace to smash his career highs across the board. I’m buying.

As for your second question, I’d still take a wait and see approach when it comes to Rask. Even if he does sign, I expect the Bruins to implement a tandem system with Linus Ullmark, much similar to what we saw in the past with Rask and fellow veteran Jaroslav Halak.

With that in mind, I like the Islanders more than the Bruins in the second half. Plus, most recently, Varlamov has been showing signs of turning things around.

Varlamov for me.

Yup, I would do that.

Put it this way, Varlamov has a better shot of challenging Ilya Sorokin for playing time than Koskinen does of taking the number-one job from Mike Smith in Edmonton. In my piece last Sunday, I actually identified Varlamov as an outstanding buy-low option right now. Do it up.

Until he sees consistent top-six minutes and power play time, I’m inclined to fade on the standout rookie forward for now. With that being said, there’s no question Tanner Jeannot has stepped up large lately for the depleted Predators. He’s got my attention, that’s for sure.

At this point, I view Jeannot as strictly a solid DFS play. He’s got a bright future, I just don’t think he’s a roster mainstay, at least not right now.

Sell high.

While I appreciate what Milano has brought to the table this season for the surprising Ducks, I’m just not sure the staying power is there long-term. For that reason, I’d be looking to trade him as soon as possible with hopes of netting a semi-decent return. He has just one point in the past six games, so you’d better act quickly.

Full disclosure, this question was asked before the Golden Knights announced that Pacioretty would be out indefinitely following wrist surgery. I guess you had a hunch, eh?

Honestly, I would just play it by ear, Vegas should have no problem scoring, even without Pacioretty for the foreseeable future.

Let’s hope this isn’t another Nikita Kucherov cap situation where we don’t see Pacioretty until the Stanley Cup Playoffs. From a fantasy standpoint, that would stink.

Considering how difficult it is to find consistency on the blue line in fantasy hockey, regardless of who you’re after, be prepared to pay a premium.

The names you provided lack the sex appeal that would entice someone to deal with a top-end talent, so you’re probably looking at the secondary market. Some names to target: Kris Letang, Torey Krug, Erik Karlsson and Rasmus Dahlin. I’d even have a look at Orlov, too.

For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t get too carried away with trying to improve your defence. Unless you’re getting an absolute stud, it would be wise to stay away. There’s no point overpaying for someone, depending on your league configuration, of course.

Honestly, take your pick. Give me Durzi, I guess. Cool league rule.

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