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It wouldn't be the first time that a Sabres trade acquisition got off to a hot start before flaming out, but this one looks different.  Bowen Byram was a monster again on Tuesday, scoring two goals on four shots finishing +4 in the 7-3 win over the Red Wings.  They'll have to win their next two games against the Islanders and Red Wings again, but the Sabres are creeping back onto the fringe of the playoff race.  Byram's workload in his three games as a Sabre are that of a #1 defenseman, even if that honor goes to Dahlin.  There's no doubting Byram's ability, and he's looking like a guy who can be a huge difference maker down the stretch this season and beyond.  He's clear must own everywhere.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
Hello everyone. Welcome to the twenty-second edition of JOT This Down! Keep the questions, comments, and concerns coming. I’ll be here all week to answer any and everything you may have. With the fantasy season dwindling, the slate is what matters most this time of year. Be sure to drop fringe players if they only play 2 games, and replace them with guys that will play 4 games.
Fantasy Hockey Weekly Newsletter: Week 21 Hello everyone. Welcome to the twenty-first edition of JOT This Down! Keep the questions, comments, and concerns coming. I’ll be here all week to answer any and everything you may have.
A rare cold patch left Sam Reinhart sitting on 39 goals for almost three weeks.  On Thursday, he reached the 40 goal mark for the first time in his career, and found another to get back to second in the league in goals.  Reinhart scored two goals, one on the power play and one shorthanded, while also adding an assist with five shots in the 4-3 SO win over the Canadiens.  Is this season sustainable for Reinhart?  Definitely not while he's shooting over 25%.  That said, he's in the perfect situation to be a point per game player going forward, assuming he stays in Florida.  It seems likely he stays in free agency, but you never know if someone takes top dollar.  Regardless, Reinhart certainly won't be in my top 20 next season like he is so far this year, but I expect him to be around 50th overall for me if he stays.  He can counteract the crazy shooting percentage a bit by getting back to his usual shot rate, and Reino should remain elite on the power play.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
For most of last season, Zach Hyman led the league in expected goals.  By the end of the season, he had a career high with 36 goals, but didn't even sniff the league lead.  This season, he's starting to finish at an elite level, resulting in him pushing towards the league lead in goals.  Hyman had a hat trick on eight shots on Saturday, carrying the Oilers to a 3-1 win over the Senators.  That gives Hyman 25 goals on the season to go along with 15 assists, a +13 rating, 32 PIM, and almost four shots on goal per game.  He's been a top ten forward so far, and while I expect a bit of a drop off in the second half, I don't see much of one coming.  That's how good Hyman has been.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the weekend:
It's not too often that an NHL record that's stood for over one hundred years gets broken.  That happened on Wednesday night.  Despite his role shrinking, Kris Letang had the period of a lifetime.  Letang dished five assists in the second period in a seven minute span, becoming the first defenseman in NHL history to record five assists in a period.  He finished the game with six assists, all at even strength to give him a +6 rating in the 7-0 win over the Islanders.  Even with this game, Letang is far from the defenseman he used to be, partially due to age, and partially due to the arrival of Karlsson.  He's under two shots per game, and has only three goals as a result.  However, the assists are still very good, the hits and blocks are solid, and the PIM are much higher than they've been.  He's the perfect #3/4 defenseman on most teams since he's hitting most of the categories and piling up assists.
At the end of the day, Patrick Kane chose playing with a former linemate over his best chance to win a Cup, and his hometown.  Kane signed a one year deal with the Red Wings, the rival of the team he's most known for, the Blackhawks.  Boy, it's going to look weird seeing him in that jersey.  Anyways, most would assume that Kane will play on the wing with DeBrincat and Larkin because of his connection with DeBrincat.  I'm a little skeptical, except on the power play.  No matter how Kane looks physically, Kane is a lock for Detroit's top power play unit.  That alone puts him on the fantasy radar.  However, there hasn't been one skater that has returned to peak form after a hip resurfacing.  It would not surprise me if Kane struggles at even strength, and at the least, I expect Detroit to ease him back in.  That means cushy minutes in a limited even strength role, plus the power play time.  How good is that going to be for fantasy?  I wouldn't be spending a ton of FAAB to get him if he's available.  If you have nothing to lose, I'm fine with making a spec add on him if you're in a 12'er or deeper, but keep expectations in check.  I would guess the most likely outcome is Kane is a solid streamer who goes back and forth between a bottom end hold and slightly usable.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
How does Sidney Crosby keep getting better at 36 years old?  Crosby had a hat trick and an assist on Tuesday, leading the Penguins to a 5-3 win over the Blue Jackets.  He opened the scoring in the game, he got the lead back in the last six minuets and then sealed the game with an empty netter.  That brings Crosby to 10 goals and 9 assists in 14 games while pushing four shots per game.  He's on a nine game point streak and is a top 20 forward again.  With the arrival of Erik Karlsson (goal and an assist, two shots), Crosby has a great chance of getting to 100 points for the first time in five seasons and 40 goals for the first time since 2016-17.  I think at this point, he has to be considered a top five player of all-time.  If you have him in fantasy, enjoy it, because there's no reason to expect regression.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
Vincent Trocheck was off to an awful start this season with only four points in his first ten games with no positive signs.  Well, Chytil went down injured, and that set Trocheck off on a resurgence.  Trocheck had a goal and two assists with two shots in the 4-1 win over the Wild.  That give Trocheck six points in his last three games, but more importantly, the playing time has skyrocketed.  He played only 16:46 on Thursday because the game was in hand, but before that, Trocheck had topped 20 minutes in four of the last five games.  Now, it hasn't been perfect.  The shot rate is down quite a bit, and it hasn't changed that much with more playing time.  I lean towards holding him again in all formats, but if you include SOG, Trocheck is on the very bottom end of holds towards the fringe.  Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights: