In my preseason rankings, I wrote the following about Chris Kreider: “He’s good for 20+20 with strong penalty minutes but I’m not expecting much more even though he has a ton of potential.” What I meant to include was 20+20 at the halfway point! For years, Kreider has been talked about as an elite talent but somebody who hasn’t been able to put it together. Like a few other players on the Rangers, Kreider has seemingly put it all together at this point and the results are outstanding. In the 6-2 win over the Avalanche on Saturday, Kreider scored a hat trick on six shots extending his point streak to 4 games (8 total points). In 33 games, Kreider now has 15+14 with 19 PIM and 91 shots. Add in Kreider being +6 and you’re looking at a contributor in all categories. At this point, we’re looking at a guy who should push towards the top 50 at the end of the season and going forward; he’s still only 25 years old. Let’s take a look at what happened to close 2016 and the opening day of 2017:
Friday’s Games:
Vinnie Hinostroza – Goal on four shots playing over 17 minutes. He’s been forced into a bigger role pushing Hinostroza into streamer status.
Michal Kempny – Goal and an assist with two shots. This game matched his point total from the first 24 games so you know what to do with Kempny. Nothing!
Jonathan Toews – Two assists with three shots. I think his numbers will see a slight uptick but it’s far from spectacular. I doubt he finishes in the top 100 at this point.
Cam Ward – 27 saves on 29 shots in the 3-2 win over the Blackhawks. This would probably be a good time to sell high on Ward if you can. In the next three weeks, they play the Blues, Blackhawks, Columbus 3 times, Pittsburgh and Washington.
Elias Lindholm – Goal on five shots. He now has a point in three straight and the shots are up quite a bit. He’ll probably be one of my streamers for Tuesday night.
Juuse Saros – 25 save shutout in the 4-0 win over the Blues. My frequent readers know my love for Saros at this point. If I needed goaltending help in deep leagues, I would grab him now since he has earned more starts. In any dynasty, I would grab him because I think it’s his job sooner than later. Honestly, he’s probably the Predators best goalie already, it’s just a question of whether or not Laviolette is willing to roll him over Rinne.
P.K. Subban – Being reevaluated in two to three weeks with his herniated disc. Definitely not good but the Preds are hoping he’ll be able to avoid surgery. Here’s to hoping that’s the case.
Filip Forsberg – Goal and an assist with two shots. We’re finally getting the Forsberg we drafted in the third or fourth round. He has as many goals in the last five games as he did in the first 31.
Mike Ribeiro – Two assists. 29 shots in 36 games is so absurd.
Ryan Getzlaf – Goal on three shots with two PIM playing 24:55. The shots have dipped below two per game for the first time since 2010 but that year he had 57 assists in 67 games. He’s also -8 when he’s been double digit plus for 4 years running. The assists and special teams points are great but that’s about it.
Rickard Rakell – Goal on two shots. The shots have started to come down a bit which obviously is going to limit his goal production. I think he’s a good sell high candidate if you can do it.
Loui Eriksson – Goal and an assist with three shots. The minutes are up a bit lately but I’m still only streaming him. The poor plus-minus and lack of penalty minutes are too much to hold.
Henrik Sedin – Goal on three shots. Three shots on net! That’s normally a week’s worth for Cyborg 2.
Aaron Dell – 21 save shutout in the 2-0 win over the Flyers. He’s been solid in his starts this year but the problem is he’s only started 5 games. At this point, it’s worth streaming every time he does start.
Kevin Labanc – Assist with four shots and two PIM. Labanc is on a mini-heater right now putting him firmly on the streaming radar.
Patrick Marleau – Goal and an assist with five shots. I’d still prefer to stream Marleau than hold but he’s arguably the best streamer in the league while he’s playing with the Joes.
Saturday’s Games:
Jack Eichel – Goal on four shots with two PIM playing over 21 minutes. He was pissed off after the game at the team for its effort over the last week or so. I’m glad he was willing to say something despite being a 20 year old. Eichel has been great in his 15 games as expected.
Evander Kane – Five shots and twelve PIM. This is why I’ve held Kane; he contributes even when he doesn’t score and in a big way.
Sam Reinhart – Assist with five shots playing 21 minutes. Quick, who has the longest point streak in the NHL? The answer is Reinhart (and the Norwegian Hobbit) with a 6 game streak. Own him.
Tuukka Rask – 26 saves on 27 shots in the 3-1 win over the Sabres. Nothing fixes a cold streak for a goaltender like playing the Sabres. Okay, maybe Colorado or Arizona.
Ryan Spooner – Assist with two shots. Firmly back on the streaming radar.
Frank Vatrano – Goal on three shots. I like him better than Spooner for streaming only because he’s the trigger man on the second line at the moment.
Philipp Grubauer – 21 saves on 23 shots in the 6-2 win over the Devils. Automatic streamer every time he gets the nod.
Matt Niskanen – Two assists with a shot. It’s bottom end but he does just enough to be a hold in 12’ers.
Brooks Orpik – Two assists with a shot. And there’s your annual Orpik update!
T.J. Oshie – Goal and an assist. The assists are down quite a but but Oshie is crushing the rest of the categories.
Alex Ovechkin – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM. Here comes the heater for The Great Eight. If you haven’t checked out his story with Miles Wood, you should definitely check it out.
Justin Williams – Goal and an assist with three shots and four PIM. Williams has come back from the death to be an elite streamer.
Cam Atkinson – Two goals as the Jackets extended their winning streak to 15 games over the Wild. Atkinson has 29 points in his last 23 games. That’s not being on fire, that’s being a flamethrower destroying everything in your path. The PIM won’t be there but it’s truly elite in the other 5 categories.
Brandon Saad – Two assists with three shots. Five game point streak for Saad who is also crushing the same five categories as Atkinson, just marginally less so.
Mikael Granlund – Goal and an assist with four shots and two PIM. He has four multi-point games in his last five which seems good. Bruce Boudreau is bringing out the best in everybody.
Jared Spurgeon – Two assists with a shot playing 25 minutes. Spurgeon has a point in four of his last five games; combine that with the fact that he’s +23(!) on the season and it’s worth holding if you need the +/- boost.
Josh Bailey – Two assists. Solid streamer, especially at the moment with six assists in his past five, but there’s not enough in the other categories.
Brock Nelson – Two assists with three shots. I’ve been holding Nelson in 12’ers and while it’s towards the bottom end, it’s still plenty to hold.
Ryan Strome – Goal and an assist. That’s five points in the last four for Strome; I’m still not streaming but it’s close.
John Tavares – Goal and an assist with three shots and four PIM. It’s been a down year to this point for JT although there’s still a chance for him to pick it up. Regardless, even his current pace should still get in the top 50 overall.
Thomas Greiss – 32 saves on 34 shots in the 6-2 win over the Jets. Jaroslav Halak has been waived and isn’t in the picture at the moment. It’s Greiss’ show now so if you need goaltending help, go grab him. The Isles are on their week break right now but the Isles get the Avalanche and Coyotes Friday and Saturday. Those are starts that everyone will want to use.
Sebastian Aho – Goal on five shots. He’s really heating up right now and it’s to the point where he’s a borderline hold. I’d still prefer to stream but it’s close.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – 26 saves on 27 shots in the 3-1 win over the Canes. It’s still his show and Jon Cooper has said that Vasilevskiy should see all of the action until Ben Bishop is back so keep rolling him.
Victor Hedman – Two assists with two shots. He’s been a monster in all categories all season.
Nikita Kucherov – Two assists with four shots. Kucherov has 5 points in 3 games since he came back. In non-breaking news, Kucherov is pretty good at the hockey game.
Paul Byron – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM. This is one of the most surprising seasons to this point in my eyes. I’m not expecting it to last so I’m still only streaming Byron but props to him for the offensive explosion.
Carl Hagelin – Two assists with a shot. Still the same situation for Hagelin for me; I prefer to own him in deeper leagues and not stream him in standard leagues because of the lack of power play time.
Phil Kessel – Goal and an assist with four shots. He’s fifth in the league in points and third in assists. Pretty, pretty good <Larry David voice>.
Kris Letang – Two assists with a shot in his return from injury. Get him back in your lineups immediately.
Evgeni Malkin – Goal and an assist with seven shots. Every game Malkin is widening his margin as the #1 skater in fantasy. Just stay healthy!
Justin Schultz – Assist with two shots playing 23 minutes. Letang’s return will hurt his value but it certainly won’t cripple Schultz. He still needs to be held.
Ryan McDonagh – Assist with three shots and four PIM. He’s pushing towards the top 10 overall defenseman on the season with seven points in his last four games. I bet McDonagh finishes in the top 10 if he fines some luck in the goal department.
J.T. Miller – Two goals on three shots. I feel like there’s a heater coming up for Miller. I hope that feeling is not indigestion.
Derek Stepan – Two assists. I’d like the shots to go back up since we know the penalty minutes will be low but Stepan is looking at a top 100 season regardless.
Mats Zuccarello – Two assists with four shots. As mentioned above, he’s on a six game point streak and has eight assists in his last five. Back to back 60 point seasons is within striking distance.
Henrik Lundqvist – 25 saves on 27 shots in the 6-2 win over Colorado. Honestly, anything less than this against the Avs would have been disappointing.
Tyson Barrie – Assist with two shots. He has six assists in his last five; whether or not you want to hold Barrie comes down to whether or not you want to stomach the plus-minus.
James Reimer – 35 saves on 36 shots in the 3-1 win over the Stars. That’s four strong starts for Reimer so I feel confident streaming him every time out for the time being.
Jaromir Jagr – Goal and an assist with two shots and four PIM. He’s a top 50 forward again and I pray to God he plays until he’s 50.
Vincent Trocheck – Goal and an assist with five shots. He’s moved onto the top line with Sasha out and Trocheck was already on a tear. He has a goal in three straight and 24 shots in his last 5. Trocheck is must own everywhere now but he’s available in 50% of leagues. Go get him.
Jamie Benn – Assist with three shots and two PIM. He exited the game hurt but did come back. Lindy Ruff said after the game that Benn is “dinged up” and “we’ll have to see where he’s at the next couple of days.” It doesn’t sound serious regardless but hopefully Benn doesn’t miss any time.
Martin Hanzal – Goal on three shots playing over 21 minutes. The plus-minus has gotten to the point where I wouldn’t hold but I still think he’s an elite streamer for his contributions in multiple categories.
Brian Elliott – 27 saves on 29 shots in the 4-2 win over the Coyotes. He currently has a four game winning streak but those games were against the Canucks, Avalanche and Coyotes twice. Let’s not get too excited over this. I still think it’s Ochocinco’s team for now.
Mikael Backlund – Goal extending his goal streak to four. I’d hold him while he’s this hot but I’m prepared to cut bait after a couple pointless games.
Michael Frolik – Goal and an assist with three shots. Same deal as Backlund but if I had to choose one, it’s Backlund.
Matthew Tkachuk – Assist with a shot and six PIM. Still widely available, still the best option for PIM with solid points.
Jacob Markstrom – 42 saves on 44 shots in the 3-2 SO win over the Oilers. Still firmly in the “desperate for starts” category.
Sven Baertschi – Goal and an assist with four shots. He’s at 20 points in 35 games which is a solid step forward for Baertschi. Hell, being even in plus-minus is a modern miracle on Vancouver. It’s definitely worth streaming but with 0 PIM on the season and slightly below 2 shots per game, that’s all for now.
Bo Horvat – Two assists with two shots. I’m definitely holding Horvat right now and I can already see a “Bo Horvat, 2017-18 Sleeper” post in his future.
Drake Caggiula – Goal on seven shots. Bottom end streamer for now until the shots go up on a regular basis.
Connor McDavid – Goal on four shots playing almost 27 minutes. I feel like he’s bound to go on a massive goal streak at some point to supplement his league leading assist total.
Brent Burns – Goal on three shots with four PIM. Can you imagine a 30+40 season from a defenseman? Burns is well on his way at the moment being halfway there through 37 games.
Jeff Carter – Goal on four shots with two PIM. The assists have dropped significantly but I don’t think his owners are complaining about Carter having 20 goals already.
Alec Martinez – Two assists. He’s a monster in leagues that count hits and blocks. In standard leagues, it’s bottom end but worth holding for a decent line across the board.
Tanner Pearson – Goal and an assist with three shots. I’m holding him for the moment with the Kings desperate for scoring from his line right now. No offense to Pearson, he’s a solid player, but it’s sad when he’s your team’s best healthy winger.
Sunday’s Games
Auston Matthews – Two goals on three shots. He’s tied for second in the league in goals now with his recent heater. I knew Matthews was going to be good but damn, I didn’t expect this at 19. I’m going to talk with Reid on tomorrow’s podcast about where these young guys will be ranked for next season.
Connor Brown – Goal and two assists with two shots and two PIM playing with Matthews. He’s an elite streamer at the moment with seven points in his last five.
Zach Hyman – Two assists. Same story as Brown with points in four straight.
Mitch Marner – Goal on three shots. The goals are down a bit but I’m still holding.
Dylan Larkin – Goal on four shots. He’s looked much better lately and he’s still 72% owned so I’d still hold tight if I owned him. I wouldn’t be in a rush to grab him if he’s available though.
Anthony Mantha – Two goals and an assist with four shots playing over 21 minutes. That’s what I’m talking about! He’s on a five game point streak and the shots are back up. Mantha should be owned everywhere.
Tomas Tatar – Two assists with two shots. I’m still only streaming Tatar; he just doesn’t do enough to warrant holding.
Henrik Zetterberg – Three assists with two shots. He’s caught fire with seven points in his last five. That said, 8 PIM on the season and barely over 2 shots per game isn’t exactly exciting. As I said before the season, it’s a yawnstipating stat line.
Braden Holtby – 23 saves on 24 shots in the 2-1 win over the Senators. He’s been overlooked because of how well the top few guys have played but Holtby is still firmly a top 5 goalie for the season.
Travis Konecny – Goal on five shots with two PIM. He was surprisingly scratched on Friday despite being healthy so it was nice to see the kid bounce back in a big way. He remains among the best streamers out there.
Brayden Schenn – Goal on seven shots. Five category stud.
Wayne Simmonds – Assist with five shots and seven PIM. So. Damn. Good.
Ryan Kesler – Hat trick on five shots. To say that I whiffed on Kesler is like saying the sun is hot. He’s a huge plus in five categories and is still a solid contributor in shots.
John Gibson – 51 saves on 54 shots in the 4-3 SO win over the Flyers. He was pulled for 3 minutes in the second period to settle him down and it clearly worked. Gibson is finally starting to string some games together.
Monday Streamers:
Sven Baertschi (3.2%) – Go with Horvat if you can but he’s too high owned by my rules of streaming calls. The Canucks are at home against the Avalanche putting Baertschi in prime position to extend his point streak to four games.
Mikko Rantanen (6.8%) – Rantanen is cold at the moment but he’s still on the top line. The Canucks should have no answer for them.
Frank Vatrano (6.6%) – As mentioned above, he’s the shooter on the second line right now. He’s been a prolific scorer at all levels and gets a nice matchup with the Devils.
That’s all for now guys. I’ll be back on Tuesday with a new podcast with the next set of daily notes coming out on Wednesday morning. As always, feel free to ask any questions or leave any comments below. Take care!
