Long time readers know that I’ve long been a fan of Bo Horvat‘s game. Horvat scored two goals on four shots with two PIM in the 4-0 win over the Ducks on Monday, getting him to 23+25 on the season. The big deal here is that Horvat is averaging almost three shots per game, now a massive jump from previous years where he was below 2.5. He also has 29 PIM, a career high. Look, Horvat is never going to be a fantasy superstar. He’s destined to be the #2 center in Vancouver behind Pettersson. However, now that there are other young players blossoming around him, his quality of teammate is so much better that his offense should continue to improve. Horvat is on pace for over 60 points, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him in the 70-80 range once he enters his prime in a year or two. In dynasties, he’s a guy I’d target because while he’s established himself over the last five seasons, the best is yet to come. For a look at all of the trades from yesterday, read here. Let’s take a look at what else happened on Monday:
Connor Carrick – Two assists with three shots in 18 minutes. Carrick looked fairly good in his Devils debut. I expect him to get a chance in New Jersey and suspect that he’s going to be better for them than Lovejoy was. I wouldn’t grab him yet but there could be something here for those of you in deep leagues.
Cory Schneider – 34 saves on 35 shots in the 2-1 win over the Canadiens. First he couldn’t win a game for over a year, now Schneider has played extremely well in 4 of 5 appearances. I have severe doubts that this is real but I wouldn’t mind streaming him in quality matchups.
Jack Eichel – Two goals on four shots. He was the best player on the ice in this game by a country mile. Eichel has been spectacular all season and there’s still room for him to get better.
Sam Reinhart – Goal and an assist with four shots. Reinhart is one of the most underappreciated players in hockey. He does all of the little things that lead to success for him and his teammates. He’ll never be a fantasy superstar with the lack of penalty minutes but if the shot rate goes up, we could be looking at quite the player.
Rasmus Dahlin – Two assists with four shots. Dahlin is going to be incredible sooner than later. It’s just a matter of when, not if.
Frederik Gauthier – Goal and an assist with three shots. And there’s your annual Gauthier update!
Kasperi Kapanen – Goal and an assist with six shots. Kapanen is starting to pick it up again with 10 points in his last 10 games. I lean towards holding him while he’s a hot schmotato but at the least, he’s an elite streamer.
Eric Staal – Signed a two year extension in Minnesota. While the Wild traded a bunch of players around him, Staal should be just fine going forward. Hopefully he finds some chemistry with one of the young guys they brought in.
Austin Wagner – Goal and an assist with three shots. Wagner’s success to this point is a complete fluke based on his shooting percentage and low playing time.
Steven Stamkos – Two assists with seven shots. I can’t call it a vintage Stamkos year since he’s not going to reach 45+ goals barring a massive heater down the stretch, but this is the best hockey we’ve seen from Stammer in almost a decade.
Leon Draisaitl – Two goals. Draisaitl has solidified himself as a second round pick in drafts next season. If only Edmonton had more quality players around him, he could maybe push for being a late first rounder.
P.K. Subban – Goal and an assist with four shots. Very disappointing season for Subban to this point. However, all of the underlying numbers are in the right place, so we could see a big finish from him. Don’t rule it out just yet.
Mike Hoffman – Goal and two assists with seven shots. What a great trade the Hoffman acquisition turned out to be, which comes as no surprise. The plus-minus is rough but Hoffman is crushing everything else. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s still on Florida at the start of next season or if he’s moved.
Keith Yandle – Two assists with four shots. He’s not exciting but Yandle gets the job done.
MacKenzie Weegar – Two assists with a shot. Welcome to the Razzball Database!
Tyson Barrie – Two assists with a shot. He’s hit a bit of a rough patch but I’m still holding Barrie without hesitation.
Derick Brassard – Goal on three shots in his Avalanche debut. Brassard played 13 minutes centering the third line so for now, he’s a bottom end streamer.
Elias Pettersson – Two assists. Once he gets his shot off more consistently, the sky is the limit. Very few players have the offensive ceiling that Pettersson does.
Jacob Markstrom – 29 save shutout. Markstrom has been the same goalie for the last four seasons. Use him against the bad teams and bench him against the good. He’s a step above desperation. Keep using goalies against the Ducks!
Tuesday Streamers
Danton Heinen (7.2%) – I don’t love the matchup with the Sharks, but as long as he’s on the first line with Marchand and Bergeron, Heinen is near the top of the streamer list.
Jakub Vrana (15.5%) – Vrana has been playing well, but most importantly, he’s going against the Senators. The Senators roster is such a disaster that you should be targeting players against them down the stretch every chance that you get.
Filip Zadina (2.4%) – More of a shot in the dark here, but I love Zadina’s upside and they catch Montreal on the second of a back to back.
That’s all for now guys. I’ll be back on Wednesday recapping Tuesday night’s action. As always, feel free to ask any questions, leave any comments, or give any suggestions below. Thanks for reading, take care!
