On the last podcast, Reid and I looked at a bunch of players who were under 50% that I thought were must-own. I made a massive oversight leaving somebody off that list: Conor Sheary. I just looked and saw that he’s 45% owned which absolutely blows my mind (I thought he was in the 70’s or 80’s). Sheary had an excellent weekend scoring twice on three shots on Friday and then getting two goals and an assist with four shots on Sunday. That brings Sheary’s totals to 17+17 while being +17 in 39 games. Seventeens are wild! Anyways, Sheary is on pace for 35+35 over 82 games with an excellent plus-minus and decent enough shots. That’s closer to a top 50 player than someone who is on the waiver wire. We’ve seen guys in the past be excellent fantasy values being a passenger on Crosby’s line so if you’re in one of the leagues where Sheary is available, pick him up immediately (I’d put him ahead of everyone discussed on the podcast). Then come back and read what else happened around the league this weekend!
Friday’s Games:
Scott Darling – 30 save shutout in the 1-0 win over the Bruins. He’s a must stream every time he gets the nod for Chicago.
Tuukka Rask – 21 saves on 22 shots taking the loss. The Bruins are in a rough patch right now and considering that they’ve played 50 games already, I may try to sell high on him if you can get a top goalie back (e.g. Martin Jones) plus something else small.
Anders Nilsson – 32 saves on 34 shots in the 3-2 OT win over Detroit. We have to take his .925 sv% seriously at this point. I wouldn’t hold him because the volume isn’t there but in most matchups I’d look to use him.
Ryan O’Reilly – Goal and an assist with four shots. His goal was a thing of beauty just throwing Danny DeKeyser to the side before walking out in front and burying his shot top shelf. After his strong game on Saturday as well, RoR is almost at last season’s point pace.
Rasmus Ristolainen – Assist with three shots. We know what Risto is at this point, I’m just including here because he played 35:24 in this game including the entire 4:34 of overtime! Yes, Jake McCabe was hurt early in the game which made this somewhat of a necessity but good lord, that’s insane.
Phil Kessel – Goal and an assist with four shots. The plus-minus is right at even which is a surprise given how well the Pens have played but no complaints here with Kessel just below a point per game.
Evgeni Malkin – Goal and an assist with five shots. Dude is a machine right now; just stay healthy!
Bryan Rust – Two assists with two shots. He’s playing on the first line right now making Rust a top end streamer.
Justin Schultz – Two assists with two shots and two PIM. I still would be looking to sell high on Schultz if you can, especially in dynasties. Someone is going to pay him a lot of money this offseason and he’s certainly going to be in a worse spot than he’s currently in.
Matt Murray – 27 saves on 28 shots in the 7-1 win over Carolina. Overall numbers are great, especially in the wins column. Another guy who just needs to stay healthy.
Al Montoya – 16 saves on 17 shots in the 3-1 win over the Devils. Nothing fixes a rough patch like facing the Devils and seeing 17 shots. Montoya is a nice streamer in good matchups but I’m not rolling him every time he starts.
Alex Galchenyuk – Goal and two assists. The only thing holding him back from crushing all of the categories is his shot rate. If he can get it back to around 2.5 per game like last season, he’s a top 50 player. If he keeps it where it is, it’s fringe top 100.
Pekka Rinne – 30 saves on 32 shots in the 3-2 SO win over the Oilers. Good Rinne has been around lately; he’s allowed 2 goals or less in each of his past 5 starts counting Sunday. Perhaps getting some additional games off is helping him.
Ryan Ellis – Goal on four shots with two PIM. P.K. Subban returned in this game (3 SOG) but I’m still holding Ellis everywhere.
Ryan Johansen – Two assists with four shots. And it wasn’t his best game of the weekend (spoiler alert)!
Cam Talbot – 42 saves on 44 shots taking the loss. Talbot has been a great value this season for where he was drafted. He’s a bottom end #1 given the volume of starts.
Milan Lucic – Goal with seven penalty minutes. He’s been ice cold lately and the shots are starting to drop off again. He’s still a fine hold for the PIM boost but it’s bottom end.
Jaromir Jagr – Goal on four shots. He’s nowhere near last year’s level in terms of points but the shots and PIM are way up.
Henrik Sedin – Goal on two shots with two PIM reaching 1,000 career points. That’s a five game point streak for Cyborg #2 who is doing what he normally does. It’s very bottom end and is really just a play for assists now. AAGNOF!
Ryan Miller – 34 saves on 35 shots in the 2-1 win over the Panthers. He’s a clear must own right now with how well he’s playing.
Saturday’s Games
Jaden Schwartz – Two assists with two shots and two PIM. Another multi-point game for Schwartz who has 7 points in his last 5. Keep rolling him.
Kevin Shattenkirk – Two goals on five shots. That’s his tenth multi-point game this season. The plus-minus has sucked but otherwise it’s excellent.
Paul Stastny – Goal and an assist with four shots and two PIM. Stastny is right on the fringe for me.
Dustin Byfuglien – Two assists with four shots. Big Buff starting to pick things up across the board. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t finish as a top 5 defenseman.
Nikolaj Ehlers – Goal and an assist with two shots. He now has more goals and assists than last season and I can’t say I’m shocked. Ehlers is so smooth on the ice.
Bryan Little – Two goals on three shots. Mr. Underrated just continues to produce at an excellent clip.
Mathieu Perreault – Two assists with four shots. He’s starting to pick things up getting back on the top end of streamers.
Mark Scheifele – Goal and an assist. The shots are really drying up but nobody can be complaining with Scheifele’s season long stat line.
Jacob Trouba – Two assists with four shots and two PIM. Good enough across the board to be held in everything but the shallowest of leagues.
Blake Wheeler – Goal and an assist with three shots. Wheeler hasn’t had any massive games but he just consistently puts up points.
Elias Lindholm – Assist with four shots. He’s slowed down a but but the Canes are going through a tough stretch of games. I still like Lindholm as a streamer and in dynasties.
Scott Hartnell – Two goals. Carrot Top has been surprisingly effective given his lack of minutes. I’d probably try to sell high if I could but odds are you won’t be able to so just ride it out.
Dalton Prout – Two assists with two PIM. And there’s your annual Dalton Prout update!
Sergei Bobrovsky – 35 saves on 37 shots in the 3-2 win over the Hurricanes. All he does is win, win, win no matter what. I apologize for writing the previous sentence.
Mike Condon – 31 saves on 33 shots in the 3-2 SO win over the Maple Leafs. He followed this game up by allowing 7 against the Blue Jackets. Regression fairies found Mr. Condon and it was honestly long overdue.
Nazem Kadri – Two assists with three shots. Kadri has been outstanding this season yet it’s gone completely under the radar.
Robin Lehner – 36 saves on 38 shots in the 3-2 OT win over the Canadiens. I’m back from vacation so I’m going to mess around with putting gif’s into articles. Lehner’s save in OT on Galchenyuk was arguably the save of the season. Starting goalies who have a better save percentage in the east than Lehner: Bob and Holtby. /list
Evander Kane – Two assists with six shots. It’s not great in points but man, the PIM and shots are through the roof. As talked about repeatedly and in the podcast linked above, he needs to be owned everywhere.
Ryan O’Reilly – Two assists with two shots. RoR is almost at 3 shots per game which is an excellent boost. His ceiling is capped because he doesn’t take penalties but he’s absolutely in the top 100 with this shot rate.
Jeff Carter – Goal on four shots. He’s currently second in the league in goals. Seems good.
Drew Doughty – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM. Doughty’s numbers are solid across the board now. It won’t reach last season’s level though barring a massive heater.
Nick Leddy – Two assists. Nothing has changed for Leddy. It’s bottom end but defensemen suck on the whole so he probably needs to be owned.
Anders Lee – Two goals on seven shots. He’s rolling again and is putting on a ton of shots. At the least, Lee is an elite streamer right now.
John Tavares – Goal and an assist with four shots and two PIM. He didn’t score Sunday but had 10 SOG. Tavares is on fire right now and is showing why he was a top 15 pick.
J.F. Berube – 34 saves on 36 shots in the 4-2 win over the Kings. His story is hilarious over the last couple seasons being the third goalie and rarely playing. It’s his backup role now but I wouldn’t touch him. Not that way you perv.
Keith Kinkaid – 35 saves on 36 shots in the 4-1 win over the Flyers. The save percentage is at .923 despite allowing six goals in one game. I’d stream him in good matchups.
Michael Cammalleri – Two assists with two shots. At this point, I’d rather stream Cammy. It’s decent enough across the board that you can hold him but not great anywhere.
Miles Wood – Two goals on five shots with nine PIM. If you haven’t heard the story, google Miles Wood and Ovechkin. Wood has shown some signs so I’m watching him for dynasties. Nothing there at the moment though.
Ben Bishop – 12 saves on 17 shots before being pulled after the second period in the 5-3 loss to the Coyotes. Good lord, just when it looks like Bishop turned the corner he poops the bed. He has to be the biggest bust of the season.
Ondrej Palat – Goal and an assist with four shots and two PIM. I still would lean towards holding him right now although it’s not as clear as it looked a week or two ago.
Martin Hanzal – Goal and two assists with two shots. I could see Hanzal being a difference maker in fantasy playoffs for teams if he’s moved at the trade deadline. The PIM and shots are there and the plus-minus should get fixed if he switches teams.
Tobias Rieder – Goal and two assists with four shots. Rieder could be a nice flier in drafts next season on a presumably better Coyotes team but there’s not enough there right now.
Radim Vrbata – Goal and three assists with five shots. I keep flip flopping on Vrbata between hold or the top end of streamers but I’m back to holding him with his excellent shot rate. Again, it comes down to whether or not you want to stomach the plus-minus. Like Hanzal, he could be moved at the deadline and become a clear must-own.
Nicklas Backstrom – Two assists with a shot. He’s right at a point per game now which is obviously excellent. The shots are starting to fall off a bit again which is unfortunate but Backstrom owners have to be thrilled on the whole.
Matt Niskanen – Three assists with two PIM. John Carlson is still out so Niskanen is getting a huge boost a la Justin Schultz. He should be owned anyways but there’s no debate at the moment.
Alex Ovechkin – Goal on three shots. He’s really rolling right now and I wouldn’t put it past him leading the league in goals still. I would still bet on Crosby but I think Ovechkin makes it a race.
Jamie Benn – Goal on six shots despite breaking his nose during the game. I’m still hopeful that Benn has a huge second half.
Patrick Eaves – Goal and an assist with two shots. I’m back to holding him again now that the minutes are back up (19:27 in this one).
Tyler Seguin – Assist with seven shots. Same story as Benn although Seguin has been better than Benn.
Cam Fowler – Goal and an assist with four shots. He’s really dropped off in the last month to the point where Fowler is kind of fringe. That said, we’re back to the same thing; defensemen is so thin that Fowler needs to be held.
Charlie Coyle – Assist with a shot and two PIM. The shots have fallen off quite a bit but Coyle has still been fantastic.
Erik Haula – Two goals. Great example of a player who is much better in real life than fantasy.
Ryan Suter – Goal and two assists. Before Sunday’s game, Suter is sitting at +30 on the season. Is that good?
Jason Zucker – Two goals on four shots. Zucker has been a huge surprise this season and clearly needs to be held.
Jordan Eberle – Two goals and two assists with six shots. Eberle has been fine yet unspectacular. It’s unfortunate for him that he’s not playing with Connor McDavid (goal, two SOG, two PIM) that much.
Oscar Klefbom – Goal and an assist with two shots. I’d let him sit on the waiver wire unless you need shots. His shot rate is excellent for a defenseman so Klefbom can provide a nice boost there.
Adam Larsson – Three assists with a shot and two PIM. Reid is ready to officially open the Adam Larsson Fan Club after this one! Nothing to see here though for fantasy.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Goal and an assist with two shots. The shot rate has raised dramatically yet the points haven’t really been there. RNH is firmly on the fringe.
Benoit Pouliot – Two assists with a shot. I’m surprised how poorly Benny has done this year. It would take an injury or two for him to regain his value.
Matthew Tkachuk – Goal on two shots with fourteen PIM. This is why we’re owning Tkachuk everywhere.
Chad Johnson – One save on four shots in 5:58 before getting pulled. One save! He allowed more goals than he made saves. Unbelievable. I’m just throwing this one game away especially since Brian Elliott didn’t do that well either.
Nathan MacKinnon – Assist with seven shots. Man, I’m in love with MacKinnon in dynasties. It’s only going to get better.
Martin Jones – 31 saves on 33 shots in the 3-2 OT win over the Avalanche. Jones has been extremely consistent this season being exactly what we hoped for.
Sunday’s Games
Henrik Lundqvist – 21 save shutout in the 1-0 OT win over the Red Wings. This was one of the worst games I’ve watched all season. Just like the football games, woof. That’s two solid games after a horrible stretch. If I could buy low, I probably would.
Jared Coreau – 18 saves on 19 shots taking the loss. He’s been okay during his ten games so far. I have no idea what to make of the Red Wings goaltending situation in dynasties so there could be some value there. When Jimmy Howard returns from injury, he’ll be back in the AHL killing any short term value he has.
Sidney Crosby – Goal and two assists with three shots. It’s not fair that the Pens can have this 1-2 punch down the middle.
Evgeni Malkin – Two assists with three shots and two PIM. It’s not fair that the Pens can have this 1-2 punch down the middle. And that’s me copying and pasting me!
Bryan Rust – Goal and two assists with two shots. Okay, Rust is being streamed on Tuesday against the Blues.
Matt Murray – 44 saves on 45 shots in the 5-1 win over the Bruins. So damn good right now and it’s going to last.
Cam Atkinson – Two goals on four shots. Ranking Atkinson for next season is going to be so tough. For now, just ride it out and enjoy the goodness.
Scott Harrington – Goal and an assist with two PIM. He was a second round pick in 2011 that’s bounced around quite a bit. I doubt much is there but maybe it’ll click like it is for almost everyone in Columbus.
Seth Jones – Two assists with two shots. So yawnstipating. You can hold Jones but I wouldn’t feel great about it.
Alexander Wennberg – Three assists with two PIM. He’s been cold but the assists are so damn good that he has to be held if you need them.
Derick Brassard – Two assists with three shots. He’s finally picking things up lately. I’m tempted to say hold Brassard but stream him at the least.
Cody Ceci – Two assists with two shots and two PIM. I thought Ceci could break out this year but he’s been a huge disappointment. Hard pass.
Mike Hoffman – Two goals with four PIM. Hoff is heating up with five goals in his last four. Don’t hassle the Hoff, man!
Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Two assists with three shots and two penalty minutes. Pageau had a huge second half last season so there’s a chance he puts it together again but for now, leave him on the wire.
Zack Smith – Two goals and an assist with four shots. Great streamer right now with the added bonus of PIM potential.
Steve Mason – 36 saves on 38 shots in the 3-2 OT win over the Islanders. He’s been so poor lately that I’ll put Mason back in the “desperate for starts” category.
Brayden Schenn – Two assists with four shots. The plus-minus is rough but Schenn has been excellent otherwise.
Wayne Simmonds – Goal and an assist with two shots. He’s been cold lately but you can’t keep a good man like Simmonds down. Same story as Schenn except with better shots and a ton of PIM.
Corey Crawford – 26 saves on 28 shots in the 4-2 win over Vancouver. He’s been pretty poor lately but I’m not concerned about it.
Richard Panik – Goal and an assist with three shots. Panik has fallen off a cliff and it’s to the point where I wouldn’t even stream him.
Jonathan Toews – Goal and three assists with three shots. I’d try to use this game to sell high on Toews but I don’t own him anywhere.
Ryan Ellis – Two assists with three shots. Still available in over 50% of leagues, still needs to be picked up.
Filip Forsberg – Two goals on four shots. Forsberg is finally starting to pick things up. I see a big second half again like last season.
Ryan Johansen – Goal and two assists with four shots. Would it shock me if Johansen gets to 45 assists this season? Not really. The goals aren’t great but it’s been solid enough everywhere.
James Neal – Goal on five shots with two PIM. He’s been cold lately so I’d try to throw some buy low offers out there.
Monday Streamers:
Jussi Jokinen (13.1%) – He hasn’t been good lately but the minutes are there and the Coyotes are a mess defensively. It’s a bigger Monday slate than usual but I’d look to the Panthers first for streamers. You can use a bunch of them but Jokinen is my top choice.
Mikkel Boedker (11.7%) – Boedker has also cooled off lately but this is a great spot against the Avalanche for him to turn things around.
Connor Brown (15.5%) – The minutes are up for Brown quite a bit lately, especially in terms of the power play. The last three games for the Flames have been very high scoring and I can see that becoming four in a row tonight.
That’s all for now guys. I’ll be back tomorrow with daily notes recapping the six games from tonight. We’re going to have a slightly different podcast schedule this week. We’ll be recording on Tuesday to go up Wednesday and we’ll have a second podcast for either Thursday or Friday (probably Friday). As always, feel free to ask any questions or leave any comments below. Thanks for reading, take care!
