Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and got to enjoy some hockey over the long weekend. There’s been a lot of action since I last wrote, so I’m going to hit on every team quickly and write about anything notable that’s taking place that will impact us for fantasy. Today, I’m going to hit on the first 15 teams alphabetically and then I’ll post about the next 16 on Tuesday. Let’s get to it!
ANAHEIM DUCKS
There are only three skaters that are owned in more than 50% of leagues, and I think that’s correct. However, I think two of the people are incorrect. Jakob Silfverberg is in the midst of a cold streak and I wouldn’t be holding him any more. On the other hand, Cam Fowler is an easy hold at the moment. The minutes are huge and while it’s not exactly exciting, it’s plenty good enough to hold in a 12’er.
ARIZONA COYOTES
Jakob Chychrun is making a compelling case to be a hold. The shot rate is very good for a defenseman, the PIM are strong, and the minutes are starting to increase. It’s not an automatic, but he’s played his way onto the fringe. Also, I would stream Antti Raanta in all matchups and I don’t even mind holding him if you need the goaltending help.
BOSTON BRUINS
Once Bergeron returns, I think Jake DeBrusk finally gets on a roll. Krejci is in form right now and his playmaking will do wonders for DeBrusk. Once Bergeron is announced back, which should happen soon, I would stream DeBrusk and see if he turns into a hold.
BUFFALO SABRES
Linus Ullmark is only 4% owned despite being the clear #1 in Buffalo at the moment. He’s been playing much better than Hutton lately and at least for now, Ullmark is the workhorse. I would certainly stream him tomorrow against the Devils assuming he gets the start and I don’t mind holding him either. The Sabres played very well last week despite 5 games in 7 nights.
CALGARY FLAMES
The Flames are in a rough patch right now. The only players above even in PR15 are Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Rittich, and those guys aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire. They don’t have a ton of streamers anyways, but I wouldn’t use any of them. Also, why is Mikael Backlund so highly owned? Makes no sense to me. He’s a mediocre streamer at best.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
Remember when everyone was panicking about Sebastian Aho? Now he has 13 goals and is on pace for more goals than last season. The Hurricanes are very top heavy, but those top guys are really, really good. Also, Jaccob Slavin is underowned despite getting zero power play time. He has plenty of value in most team builds.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
The goalies are in an even time share which makes no sense to me. Robin Lehner currently has a .929 sv% while Corey Crawford is at .912. That’s not to say Crawford has been terrible, but Lehner is clearly superior. I would be holding Lehner in all formats while only streaming Crawford in the best of matchups. Also, Erik Gustafsson is back on PP1 so if you need help there, he’s a decent gamble for the upside.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
Mikko Rantanen is back and Andre Burakovsky is out. The big winner right now is Joonas Donskoi who is riding shotgun with Rantanen and MacKinnon. Donskoi is only 20% owned but he should be held in all formats.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Zach Werenski is out for a month but I don’t see any defenseman stepping into a fantasy relevant role. The good news is that long time Razzball favorite (and by that I mean one of my favorites) Oliver Bjorkstrand is finally getting 18 minutes a night and is producing as a result. He’s only owned in 3.6% of leagues which is far too low. He’s an elite streamer who could be held as a hot schmotato.
DALLAS STARS
I would stream Anton Khudobin in every start he gets. He’s been too good to ignore. Also, the top players on Dallas are starting to show signs of life so I think we could see that surge finally start soon. John Klingberg has five points in his last five games so if you’re in one of the 23% of leagues that he’s available in, I’d probably grab him.
DETROIT RED WINGS
Honestly, with Anthony Mantha out “at least a few weeks,” I don’t want anything to do with anyone on this roster. Obviously I’m still holding Larkin and Bertuzzi, possibly Hronek, but I don’t want to stream anyone else, let alone hold them.
EDMONTON OILERS
Tippett separated McJesus and Draisaitl on Sunday. While it resulted in a win, it wasn’t even strength that was the difference as the first power play unit scored twice. Alex Chiasson was back on the first unit and dished two assists. He’s not the worst stream in deeper leagues but the minutes aren’t great to be used in standard 12’ers. If this lineup configuration holds, the big winner is James Neal getting to play with McDavid.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Honestly, the top skaters on Florida have been their best players lately and there’s not much to say. Props to Chris Driedger on a shutout in his first career start!
LOS ANGELES KINGS
If you need shots, there’s a good chance Jeff Carter is on your waiver wire and he’d be a great help. He may be a plus-minus drain, but the shot rate is pushing towards elite and the penalty minutes are strong. This team is a dumpster fire.
MINNESOTA WILD
Best wishes to Devan Dubnyk and his family as his wife goes through a very difficult time with her health. Alex Stalock is playing well in his stead and should be owned in all leagues at the moment.
That’s all for now guys. As mentioned above, I’ll be hitting on Montreal through Winnipeg tomorrow. Additionally, there will be a post from Sven this afternoon so be sure to check that out. As always, feel free to ask any questions, leave any comments, or give any suggestions below. We will have the Three Point Challenge on Tuesday so plan accordingly. There will be a section on that in tomorrow’s post. Thanks for reading, take care!
