As a change of pace from my usual daily notes, I’m going to focus on one player on each NHL team whose value has changed recently, or could as the trade deadline approaches. Let’s get to it!
In his last four games, Mason McTavish has four goals and three assists. His line has dominated despite Anaheim’s overall struggles. McTavish is still available in over 50% of leagues, and if anything, his minutes should increase down the stretch once Henrique is moved out. I have confidence in McTavish becoming a top 50 player sooner than later, potentially next season. For now, I would definitely own him if your league doesn’t have plus-minus. If it does, he’s on the fringe.
As Arizona falls out of the playoff race, Dylan Guenther has moved onto the top line and top power play unit. While he doesn’t have McTavish’s upside, you can see the path to Guenther being a hold in all leagues eventually. His shot is lethal, and Cooley taking a step forward can only help. He’s a solid streamer for now.
Not much has changed for Boston lately. I just want to give some additional props to Charlie Coyle. He’s up to 20+28 and is a big reason why Boston has been successful despite Bergeron’s retirement. He’s another guy on the fringe depending on team needs.
With Power and Samuelsson out, Henri Jokiharju is getting massive minutes along side Dahlin. He has a point in three straight games, and while I wouldn’t consider him for 12’ers, Joki has gained some deep league value. He’s a shockingly good +12 on this Sabres team.
It’s been a whirlwind for Oliver Kylington, and most of all, it’s great to see him back playing hockey again. He’s scored a goal in two straight games, but the big thing here is that Calgary could really shake things up at the deadline. If Tanev and Hanifin go, that’s going to open up real minutes for Kylington. He had stretches in his last full season where he was a borderline hold, so I would definitely target him in deeper leagues and monitor him for shallower.
Despite playing on the third line recently, Seth Jarvis is getting big minutes, especially by Brind’Amour standards. Given his spot on PP1, Jarvis is on the fringe with a lean towards holding.
Chicago is truly a one man team right now, but the minutes that Nick Foligno is getting is borderline insane. He has to be on the radar for streaming in anything deeper than a 12’er.
It’s kind of stunning that Jonathan Drouin isn’t doing more with his workload. It also says a lot about Colorado’s depth that he’s still getting 20+ minutes every night. There’s massive upside on a nightly basis, but I can’t get him past a middling streamer anymore because of that shot rate.
The last ten days have been the best Johnny Gaudreau has looked since going to the Blue Jackets. He’s back on the fringe for me while he’s on fire. He’s available in about 35% of leagues, so at the least, I would stream him against the Sabres tonight. After that, two games against the Rangers before a Carolina game is pretty ugly.
Loyal readers are probably sick of me talking about Wyatt Johnston, but he’s back on the first line for Dallas. We’ll see if it lasts after a dreadful performance against the Senators, but I’m holding right now.
Why is Alex Lyon still available in two-thirds of leagues? He’s won 60% of his starts, has an above average save percentage, and while the GAA isn’t good, it doesn’t have to be in order for Lyon to be a middling #2 in 12’ers. I would own him in all formats now that the volume is there as well.
Warren Foegele bumped onto the first line with RNH out last game. Does it last? I think there’s a chance, or at the least, he should stay in the top six with Draisaitl. Foegele even received some PP2 time, so he’s pushing towards elite streamer in the short term.
Gustav Forsling left the game against Carolina on Thursday due to injury, as did Tkachuk. Both were deemed day to day after the game with more news to come. If Forsling misses time, look for OEL to get a big short term boost.
Is Brandt Clarke bad defensively right now? No doubt. But he can do things offensively that very few players in the league can do. Certainly, nobody on the Kings blue line is near his offensive level. Considering how bad defensemen are at the bottom of rosters in 12’ers, I’m shocked he’s owned in under 5% of leagues.
The Wild used to be a team that beat you with their depth. Now, they’ve turned extremely top heavy. After a slow start, my preseason bullishness on Matt Boldy has been rewarded. He should finish right around a point per game and three shots per game, which gives him the makings of being a top 50 player next season.
Montreal is doing what a bad team should do: forcing minutes to their young players. Well, at least at forward, St. Louis is still playing Matheson way too much. But Juraj Slafkovsky is getting all the minutes he can handle and he’s been excellent. He has 22 points in his last 26 games and the shot rate is much improved. He’s an elite streamer with upside for a real breakout in season three next year.
Speaking of teams with poor depth, Smashville has no offensive depth to consider for fantasy hockey. The goals have completely dried up for Gustav Nyquist despite top minutes. He’s a middling streamer now.
In the short term, Erik Haula gets a boost to elite streamer. Ruff is easing Hughes back into the lineup by playing him at wing, putting Haula between him and Toffoli.
I’m so disinterested in the Isles right now. They have their stars and nobody I want to stream besides Kyle Palmieri. Palmieri has been taking a ton of shots over the last month. As long as he stays in the top six and PP1, he’s a solid streamer.
With Wheeler done for the season, there’s a spot open on the top line. For now, Laviolette seems content keeping Kakko on the third line, and there’s no way that Drury will be content rolling Jimmy Vesey on the first line. Vesey has some super deep league value right now, but that’s it.
The Senators have balanced out their top nine and their power play units, which I absolutely hate. The big winner of the changes has been Shane Pinto. In 13 games, he has 4+6 and three shots per game. That’s fringe worthy.
This is a friendly reminder that sometimes, it takes five years for a top prospect to really find his game. That’s Mittelstadt for the Sabres, and Owen Tippett for the Flyers. Tippett is averaging almost four shots on goal per game. That’s a number that makes it a near guarantee he scores 30 goals even with bad shooting luck. It also shows you that sometimes, a guy you think would be a terrible fit for his coach is actually a great one.
The Penguins are a mess right now. Sully has Eller on PP1 while Malkin is on PP2. Like, what are we even doing here? A name to keep on at the deadline is Reilly Smith. He’s signed for another season which could be appealing to some teams. That said, his offensive game has really dried up, so I don’t expect a big boost to his fantasy value even if he goes to a new team.
Do I really have to talk about the Sharks? With no Hertl or Couture, William Eklund is getting all of the minutes that he should. He’s only a middling streamer, but it’s good for his long term upside that he’s getting force fed 20+ minutes.
Jared McCann is doing his best to drag Seattle back into the playoff race. He now has a point in twelve of his last thirteen games. It’s annoying that Hakstol isn’t giving him more minutes, but it’s still enough for McCann to be a clear hold in all formats.
The Blues are a one line team, through and through. I assume they won’t trade Buch given how close they are in the wild card race, but if he does, that’s a guy who can make a real difference. Props to Jordan Binnington for getting back on track after some rough seasons.
Anthony Cirelli moved onto the first line and PP1 two games ago. It didn’t last for all of the game against the Capitals, but he played over 22 minutes on Thursday. That alone makes him a solid streamer with upside from there.
Max Domi has gotten a boost with Nylander moving onto his wing with Bertuzzi. If your league has PIM, he’s an elite streamer. Otherwise, Domi is a middling one.
The Canucks power play has been incredible all season. So why is Tocchett messing around and putting Filip Hronek on PP1? It’s nothing against Hronek, who has had a very good season, but two defensemen on the power play just doesn’t work in today’s NHL. They gave up a lot for Lindholm, and they’re playoff locks, so give him an extended run there.
The Vegas lineup is disgusting right now without Eichel and Stone. That said, it’s great to see Shea Theodore back on the ice. He has three assists in the two games since he’s returned. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a #1 defenseman.
Washington is finally starting to give Connor McMichael some real run, and he’s rewarded Carberry with five goals in the last three games. He’s even moved onto PP1. Washington is shockingly in the playoff race, but he’s their best bet right now. At least there’s upside on a nightly basis.
Sean Monahan has been better than I expected for the Jets. He has five goals in seven games on Winnipeg and is on the first power play unit. If he gets to stick with Ehlers, Monahan has the chance to be an elite streamer.
That’s all for now guys. I’ll be back on Monday recapping the weekend’s action. As always, feel free to ask any questions, leave any comments, or give any suggestions below. Thanks for reading, take care!
