Just like that, we’re another week closer to the conclusion of another fantasy hockey season.
Kudos and good luck to those of you moving on in your playoffs, every move and decision you make from here on out will become even more amplified.
While most of you in head-to-head leagues are winding down, there’s still plenty of racetrack remaining in roto-league formats. With 19 days remaining in the regular-season, schedule manipulation becomes even more important.
1. In total, there are 51 games upcoming in the NHL this week.
Monday: 1 Game
Tuesday: 14 Games
Wednesday: 4 Games
Thursday: 12 Games
Friday: 2 Games
Saturday: 14 Games
Sunday: 6 Games
2. When it comes to the waiver wire, there are 11 four-game teams to target: BUF, DET, MIN, MTL, NSH, NYI, PHI, SJS, STL, TOR, WPG.
3. Of those 11 slates, I like these three the most:
Montreal Canadiens: Mon (WPG), Wed (@CBJ), Fri (NYI), Sat (WSH)
Waiver Looks: Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Carey Price
SN Fantasy: Cole Caufield 1, Nick Suzuki 1
New York Islanders: Tues (PIT), Thurs (@PIT), Fri (@MTL), Sun (@TOR)
Waiver Looks: Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Kyle Palmieri
SN Fantasy: NYI Goalies 3, Mathew Barzal 2
Winnipeg Jets: Mon (@MTL), Wed (SEA), Fri (@FLA), Sat (@TBL)
Waiver Looks: Paul Stastny, Evgeny Svechnikov, Josh Morrissey
SN Fantasy: Pierre-Luc Dubois 2, Nikolaj Ehlers 2
4. Lastly, steer clear from adding any Vancouver Canucks. They play just twice, which is unfortunate, because they’ve been scoring goals left and right lately.
5. The Carey Price watch is officially on in Montreal, especially now that Jake Allen is on the shelf again. Pick him up immediately.
6. Ahead of his expected NHL debut for Buffalo on Tuesday night in Toronto, add Owen Power. Following Michigan’s exit from the Frozen Four, the 2021 first overall pick inked his entry level contract on Friday with the Sabres. Right away, I expect Power to take on a significant role, which should include top four minutes and power play time, too. He’s a stud.
7. Along those lines, go out and grab Power’s college teammate Kent Johnson, who signed his ELC with Columbus. The 2021 fifth overall pick could be on track to make his NHL debut as soon as Wednesday night against Montreal. I expect Johnson to take on a prolific role right away too, which means potential exposure to Patrik Laine right off the hopper.
8. Hands up if you saw this offensive explosion coming from Mathieu Joseph going from Tampa to Ottawa? It’s okay, you’re not alone. But full credit to the 25-year-old, he’s made the most of his new opportunity. In 9 games so far with the Sens, Joseph has notched four goals and 11 points. Grab him, especially now that he’s with Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris.
9. Put Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood on your watch list. It sounds like the much maligned 25-year-old, who’s currently traveling with the team on its five-game road trip, could be making a return this season after all. He hasn’t played since Jan. 19 due to a heel issue. There’s been some whispers Blackwood could be had via trade this summer, so it’s integral the Devils get him out for a couple games to wrap up the season.
10. The simple and easy in-house replacement option for Jack Hughes, who’s done for the year, is the red-hot Nico Hischier. The Devils captain has four goals and 16 points in his past 12 outings. Prorated over 82 games, that’s a 69-point clip.
Nice.
11. Externally, Joel Eriksson Ek, Chandler Stephenson and Trevor Zegras can also help fill the massive void for you.
12. Unequivocally, Ryan Johansen should be viewed as a must-own file for rest of season purposes. The 29-year-old Preds centre, who has five goals and two helpers in the past four contests, is up to 22 goals and 56 points in 68 games on the season. Talk about value.
13. Ryan Strome is another guy who deserves more play right now. The attachment to Artemi Panarin and the red-hot Andrew Copp alone should be reason enough to take the plunge. Do it.
14. In Boston, the top-six has been thrown into the blender yet again with David Pastrnak sidelined (undisclosed). The obvious add is Jake DeBrusk, who’s been skating on line one with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
15. Elsewhere, Robert Thomas, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Andrew Copp are four other solid right-wing eligible options worth rostering.
16. Believe it or not, there’s tons of attractive D options on the waiver wire right now providing some pretty sublime category coverage. Chris Wideman, Noah Hanifin, Mark Giordano, Gustav Forsling and Nick Leddy are five names worth taking a flier on.
17. Another guy who’s on an absolute heater right now is St. Louis’ Justin Faulk. The 30-year-old has five goals and nine points in the past five games. Faulk and the aforementioned Leddy have really stepped up offensively in the absence of Torey Krug.
18. Dump Logan Couture. The Sharks’ captain has just two points – both goals – over the past seven games. Now’s not a time to wait around.
19. Feel free to drop Mark Stone. Crazily, the Golden Knights – due to cap restrictions – have been unable to active their captain off injured reserve. It’s unfortunate, but rules are rules.
20. Auston Matthews is good at hockey. What a statement, right? The Leafs sniper has 51 goals in his past 50 games. I know it’s early, but Matthews has superseded Nathan MacKinnon and ranks third behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in my ‘it’s way too early top-250 fantasy rankings’ for next season. We’re witnessing greatness. That’s it, that’s all.
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