Magical Michkov

If the early returns are any indication, the Flyers hit a massive home run picking 7th last year.  Matvei Michkov dished two assists with three shots on Tuesday, giving him a five game point streak in which he has ten points.  That brings him up to a point per game on the season as a 20 year old rookie (he turned 20 two days ago).  We’re starting to see the shot rate tick up a bit, and if you’re in a league without hits but have PIM, Michkov is a top 20 forward on the season.  Now imagine when the minutes increase, the team improves around him, and he grows into a better player.  I don’t think there’s ten players in the league with more offensive talent than Michkov, and if the shot rate continues to grow, we’re looking at a fantasy superstar for years to come.  Let’s take a look at what else happened on Tuesday night:

Travis Konecny – Two goals on three shots with two PIM.  Konecny is a top 20 player on the season now.  I didn’t expect him to blow his previous two seasons out of the water, but he looks likely to do so.

Morgan Frost – Goal and an assist with four shots.  Bottom end streamer with upside.

Kent Johnson – Goal and an assist.  Johnson now has 9+7 in 14 games.  While the shooting is going to regress, it looks like the former top five pick is really rounding into form.  I’d hold him everywhere for now.

Nathan MacKinnon – Goal and four assists with three shots.  I’d have featured MacKinnon or Mikko Rantanen (hat trick, two assists) but we know how good they are.  MacKinnon has 46 points in 30 games and he’s been unlucky shooting.  Unreal.  Rantanen is getting ready for the Brinks Truck to back up.

Devon Toews – Two assists.  It’s been a slow start for Toews, but he does have four assists in his last five games.  He’s on the fringe because the upside is a top 20 fantasy defenseman.

Anthony Stolarz – 38 saves on 39 shots in the 2-1 OT win over the Devils.  Stolarz completely stole this game and has separated himself as the clear #3 overall goalie to this point in the season.

Luke Kunin – Two goals.  There’s some big deep league value with his hits and blocks for a forward.  In shallower leagues, he’s a streamer if you need help in the side categories.

Darcy Kuemper – 19 saves on 20 shots in the 3-1 win over the Islanders.  This Kuemper season is exactly why I’m always bullish on Kings goalies.  Even with a mediocre save percentage, the GAA is very good and so are the wins.

Adrian Kempe – Goal and an assist.  Kempe’s shot rate is slightly down, but he’s currently playing at a 41+41 pace while crushing across the board.  That’s a borderline top 25 player.

Connor Hellebuyck – 23 saves on 24 shots in the 8-1 win over the Bruins.  Boy, this game got out of hand late.  Hellebuyck is right there for a third Vezina and is clearly the #1 goalie right now.

Mark Scheifele – Two goals and an assist with four shots.  I always liked Scheifele in fantasy, although I didn’t see him quite at this level this season.  Scheifele and Kyle Connor (1+2) are playing at a superstar level.

Jonathan Huberdeau – Goal and an assist with two shots.  After a strong start, Huberdeau completely collapsed.  Now, he has a point in five straight.  He’s a fine streamer, but not really in the hold conversation right now.

Kevin Rooney – Goal and an assist with two shots.  And there’s your annual Rooney update!

Jonathan Marchessault – Two goals on three shots, both assisted by Filip Forsberg.  Marchessault is a solid streamer because of his shot rate, but I can see him playing back into hold status, or at least the fringe.

Leon Draisaitl – Goal and an assist with three shots.  This moves Draisaitl into the league lead in goals.  I wouldn’t want to bet against him doing it for the full season.

Stuart Skinner – 21 saves on 22 shots in the 2-1 win over the Lightning.  That’s five great starts in a row for Skinner.  Could he finally be turning the corner like he did last season?

Marcus Johansson – Goal and two assists with two shots playing over 20 minutes.  With Zucc and JEEK out, Johansson is getting quality ice time.  Even with it, he’s only a bottom end streamer.

Clayton Keller – Two goals on four shots, both on the power play and both assisted by Dylan Guenther and Mikhail Sergachev.  The goals are down for Keller right now, but he points are right in line with normal.  The shot rate needs to uptick a bit.  Guenther’s breakout continues to happen, while Sergachev has been solid across the board.

Sergei Bobrovsky – 17 saves on 18 shots in the 2-1 SO win over Joey Daccord (32/33) and the Kraken.  Bob’s ratios are bad, but the wins are truly elite.  Daccord has been a clear #1 goalie in fantasy, proving that last season wasn’t a fluke.

Robert Thomas – Goal and two assists.  It’s just a matter of health, as Thomas continues to crush.

Dylan Holloway – Goal and an assist with five shots.  The minutes are solid under Montgomery, and Holloway currently has a seven game point streak.  The shot rate is through the roof lately with 29 shots in his last eight games.  He’s on the fringe while he’s a hot schmotato.

Elias Pettersson – Goal and an assist with five shots.  Pettersson has turned his season around and is back on track.  Love to see it.

Brock Boeser – Two assists with two shots and two PIM.  Boeser is on the fringe with a lean towards holding.

Conor Garland – Two assists with a shot.  Same deal for Garland as Boeser, but a slight lean towards Garland.

We will do the Three Point Challenge on Thursday.  I will post the details here tomorrow afternoon.

That’s all for now guys.  I’ll be back later in the week with another update.  As always, feel free to ask any questions, leave any comments, or give any suggestions below.  Thanks for reading, take care!