Kubalik Coming On Hot

With Tyler Bertuzzi injured and Jakub Vrana in the league’s assistance program (best wishes to him), the Red Wings needed somebody to step up on left winger.  Dominik Kubalik, come on down!  Kubalik wasn’t given a qualifying offer by the Blackhawks after last season, leaving him to sign in Detroit as a free agent.  The first two weeks couldn’t have gone better, especially the last weekend.  Kubalik had a goal and an assist with 4 shots against the Blackhawks on Friday, before having a goal and two assists with six shots against the Ducks on Sunday.  With eight points in his last four games, Kubalik is in must-own territory right now.  There’s no guarantee it lasts, but he’s shown he can thrive next to Larkin and Kubalik has been a 30 goal scorer before, so we know he has the upside.  Let’s take a look at what else happened over the weekend:

Friday’s Games

Brayden Point – Two goals on five shots playing almost 23 minutes. The Bolts pushed hard in this one, with Steven Stamkos (1+1) and Nikita Kucherov (2A, 5 SOG) also playing over 21 minutes and 23 minutes respectively.  After being a bit disappointing the last few seasons following his massive breakout, it’s nice to see Point start off on the right foot.

Brandon Montour – Two assists with a shot and two PIM.  He’s must own everywhere with Aaron Ekblad on LTIR.

Matthew Tkachuk – Goal and an assist with six shots and six PIM.  Tkachuk was everything I expected in his first game in the battle of Florida teams.  He’s been outstanding so far for the Panthers.

Sam Lafferty – Two assists with three shots and two PIM.  Lafferty is off to a strong start offensively, but I would only stream him in deep leagues that include hits.

Jaden Schwartz – Goal and an assist.  Schwartz is back up to elite streamer status with a strong start to the season in Seattle.

Jared McCann – Goal and an assist with five shots.  McCann is also off to a strong start.  I marginally prefer Schwartz because the minutes are better, but it’s close.

Bowen Byram – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM.  Byram is thriving while Toews is out.  The bad news with regards to Byram’s fantasy value is that Toews’ injury is short term.  Byram is still worth owning in 12’ers, but keep expectations in check.

Valeri Nichushkin – Two assists.  Nichushkin has been fantastic from the start this season.  As much as I liked him this year, I still may have underrated him.

Saturday’s Games

Jared Spurgeon – Goal and an assist with two shots.  Spurgeon is on the fringe of 12’ers now that his role is diminished.  That’s assuming that your league doesn’t include blocks because if it does, Spurgeon is must own everywhere.

Mats Zuccarello – Two assists with three shots.  The team has been a mess, but Zucc has 10 points in his first five games taking over four shots per game.  That’s what I’m talking about!

Taylor Hall – Goal and two assists with five shots.  The second line was dominant again with David Pastrnak totaling a goal and an assist with five shots, while David Krejci dished two assists.  Hall and Krejci have solidified themselves as holds in all formats after it being in question in preseason, especially in Krejci’s case.

MacKenzie Blackwood – 21 saves on 22 shots in the 2-1 win over the Sharks.  That’s three solid starts in a row for Blackwood, all of which were wins, but he’s still sitting at a .904 because the Devils are really limiting the shot attempts against.  I’m still skeptical of Blackwood going forward, even though the upside is undeniable.

Jordan Binnington – 23 save shutout in the 2-0 win over the Blues.  It’s gone a bit under the radar because somehow the Blues have only played three games so far, but Binnington has picked up where he left off in the playoffs against the Avalanche.  If the 2018-19 Binnington comes back, the Blues’ trajectory changes.  Binnington should have been drafted as a #2 with upside from there.

Jack Campbell – 20 saves on 21 shots as the tough luck loser.  It’s been an ugly start for Campbell, but I have minimal concern.  He’s always been a streaky goalie, and the Oilers as a team have been up and down so far.

Tyler Motte – Goal and an assist.  I’m still not buying it, even though I like Motte as a fourth liner.

Drake Batherson – Two assists with five shots.  Excellent start to the season across the board for Batherson.

Brady Tkachuk – Two goals on four shots and two PIM.  Tkachuk is arguably playing the best hockey of his career in the early going.  It will be interesting to see if he can come close to sustaining this offense because it’s a level higher than he’s done before.

Shane Pinto – Goal and an assist with two PIM.  With Josh Norris leaving the game, a bigger role for Pinto would be in the cards if Norris misses extended time.  There’s a lot of talent here so it’s worth monitoring.

Tim Stutzle – Two assists with a shot and two PIM.  I’d like to see the shot rate higher, but Stutzle has been noticeable on a regular basis.

Jake Sanderson – Two assists with a shot.  Sanderson’s shot rate is so poor that it’s hard to hold him in redrafts.  That said, I’ve been stashing him in a roto league because the upside is huge and perhaps he starts to shoot more as he gets more comfortable in the NHL.

Joe Pavelski – Hat trick and an assist with five shots.  Pavelski only needed to play 13:33 to destroy the Canadiens.  Pavelski has done just fine under Bowness, but it could get even better in a better offensive system.

Jamie Benn – Two assists with five shots.  Benn is the fifth wheel on PP1 right now which makes him a middling streamer.

Roope Hintz – Two assists.  Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist.  The top line has been excellent per usual

Arber Xhekaj – Goal and an assist.  Wifi!  Xhejak doesn’t have a lot of offense in his game, but the hits are through the roof if you need them for deep leagues.  Welcome to the Razzball Database!

Brandon Hagel – Goal and an assist with two shots.  Hagel is getting every chance to run with the LW1 role with Point and Kucherov.  He’s a middling streamer with upside if it starts to click.

Nick Paul – Goal and an assist with six shots.  Bottom end streamer, even though his role is bigger with Cirelli out.

Viktor Arvidsson – Goal and two assists with two shots.  I’m a big fan of Arvidsson’s game, but he’s off PP1 making him a bottom end streamer.

Trevor Moore – Two assists with two shots.  Same story as Arvidsson, except I rate Moore even lower.

Dmitry Orlov – Three assists with three shots.  Orlov is a solid choice of okay points, hits and blocks in leagues with extra categories.

John Carlson – Goal and an assist with eight shots.  After a slow start, Carlson has been excellent in the past three games.  While an upcoming road trip isn’t ideal, that could mean more minutes for Carlson.

Ilya Samsonov – 30 saves on 31 shots in the 4-1 win over the Jets.  Samsonov has been superb so far.  We know Toronto goalies carry a lot of upside and downside, so ride the good wave while you can.  He’s clearly must own everywhere.

John Tavares – Two goals on four shots.  Tavares has looked better than expected in the early going, although a good chunk was on the power play.  It will be interesting to see if his legs can hold up for a full season.

Auston Matthews – Three assists with four shots.  He has only one goal, but Matthews is still pushing five shots per game so it’s only a matter of time.

Danton Heinen – Two goals on four shots.  Heinen played on Sidney Crosby‘s (1+2) wing, and looked the part.  Heinen is an elite streamer while Guentzel is out, which shouldn’t be for too long.

Kasperi Kapanen – Two assists with five shots.  Kapanen has had a great start, but his minutes are limited on the third line.  I’d leave him for deep leagues.

Jan Rutta – Goal and an assist with two shots.  Rutta is a super league deep option only.

Jack Roslovic – Goal and an assist with two shots.  Roslovic has always been a streaky player and he’s in the midst of a hot streak right now.  I don’t mind streaming him as a hot schmotato.

Carter Hart – 31 saves on 32 shots in the 3-1 win over the Predators.  Hart has been as good as any goalie in the league so far.  I mentioned this as a possibility with Torts, and while I’m skeptical it will continue, there’s no denying Hart’s talent.  If you took him as your third goalie, ride with it.

Joel Farabee – Goal and two assists with three shots.  This is the only game Farabee has points in this season, but his shot rate has been excellent.  I’m bumping him to an elite streamer.

Kevin Hayes – Goal and an assist with two shots.  Must own now while he’s on this massive tear.

Tyler Toffoli – Goal and an assist with four shots.  Toffoli has been very good despite the top line struggling a bit at even strength.  In other words, I’m expecting it to get better and am buying Toffoli stock.

Rasmus Andersson – Two assists with two shots and two PIM.  Great start for Andersson across the board.  Huge fan of his game overall.

Mark Stone – Two assists with a shot, as did Jack Eichel.  I think it would do wonders for Vegas playing these two together, for their team and for their fantasy values.

Craig Anderson – 29 saves on 30 shots in the 5-1 win over the Canucks.  Anderson was very good again.  Somehow, the Sabres are getting elite goaltending so far.  I am confused, especially in Anderson’s case.  That said, I still would only stream him in the best of matchups.

Victor Olofsson – Two goals and an assist.  It’s weird because having watched all of the games, Olofsson seems like one of Buffalo’s worst skaters so far, but he has 4 goals in 5 games.  Granted, two were empty netters, but still.  He’s an elite streamer.

Rasmus Asplund – Two assists with a shot.  Asplund is an elite defensive forward who makes everyone on his line better.  For now, that’s Olofsson and Casey Mittelstadt (2A, SOG).  Asplund isn’t of fantasy use now, but Mittelstadt is a solid streamer.

Rasmus Dahlin – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM.  That’s five straight games with a goal to open the season for Dahlin.  That extends the record to open a season from a defenseman, and ties him with Josi and Makar for the longest goal streaks in the last 13 years.  It’s an absolute joy watching him play right now.

Sunday’s Games

Patrick Kane – Two assists with two shots and two PIM.  It’s been a brutal start for Kane despite Chicago playing better than everyone anticipated.  I don’t have any Kane stock this season, but I’d be patient if I did.

Tyler Johnson – Two goals on four shots with two PIM.  Johnson is on the first power play unit and second line making him a middling streamer.

Seth Jones – Two assists with four shots, four PIM, and a -2 rating.  Jones has been piling up hits and blocks, but that’s about it.  He’s even on the season which is huge, but I can’t expect that to last.

Dylan Larkin – Goal and an assist with five shots.  Larkin has been excellent despite the players shuffling on his wings due to injury and line balancing.  His looming contract situation is one of the biggest questions of the season.

Ville Husso – 32 saves on 33 shots in the 5-1 win over the Ducks.  Two great starts and one dreadful start for Husso so far.  He has a wide variety of outcomes, but Husso’s median is of a #2 goalie.

Daniil Tarasov – 30 saves on 31 shots in the 5-1 win over the Rangers.  Tarasov has some talent, but like Elvis, I just don’t have interest in using him in Columbus’ current style.  Welcome to the Razzball Database!

Jakub Voracek – Two assists.  Voracek is a bottom end streamer if you’re desperate for assists, but that’s about it.

Liam Foudy – Two assists with a shot.  The former first round pick doesn’t have a solidified role so it’s hard to use him in any redraft format.

Anders Lee – Two goals on three shots and two PIM, both assisted by Mathew Barzal.  Lee is playing his best hockey in a few years to start the season.  I’m holding him everywhere.  It hasn’t clicked for Barzal, but he’s averaging an assist a game and a decent shot rate, so improvement should be coming.

Eetu Luostarinen – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM.  Luostarinen is a decent NHL player, but his shot rate is poor and his role isn’t big enough to produce consistent results.

James Reimer – 30 save shutout in the 3-0 win over the Flyers.  Despite the Sharks struggling, Reimer has actually been quite good so far.  I have no problem holding him depending on your league format.

Three Point Challenge:  We will bring back the Three Point Challenge for Tuesday’s games.  For those that are new, you pick a player that is going to score 3+ points on Tuesday.  You can’t pick anyone in the top 10 in points in the league, and can’t repeat a pick in a two week span.  Early in the season, we use the top 10 points from last season, so you can’t select McDavid, Gaudreau, Huberdeau, Draisaitl, Kaprizov, Matthews, Stamkos, M. Tkachuk, Miller, or Marner. I’ll go with Reinhart getting on track against the Blackhawks.