Happy Wednesday, Razzball faithful!
If you’re looking for an LW/RW-eligible breakout with goal-scoring potential, a high volume of minutes, and a healthy dose of power-play time, you may not need to look much further than the Columbus Blue Jackets’ first line.
With 10 points in his last 10 games, it’s becoming pretty clear that opposing teams Kent stop, and won’t stop Kent Johnson (2 G, 1 A, +3, 2 SOG, 2 H, 1 BLK).
The 24-year-old forward is in his 5th full season (excluding a 9-game cup of coffee in 2018-2019), and he’s ready to prove last year’s 22 points in 76 games was an outlier in his development path.
I mentioned in Viz’s post on Monday that I had a dynasty league trade offer involving his Johnson (hey-now) for my Quinton Byfield, but that it felt a bit light.
Will I regret turning down that deal? Maybe.
Is this Columbus forward headed for an increase in his “weekly rostered percentage” of 47% this week? Certainly, if he keeps this up.
Should you be looking to add Kent Johnson in straight points leagues? I think that’s a definite yes.
Are we seeing any other point-scoring, statsheet-padding skaters from an 11-game schedule last night? Well…I’m gonna say that’s a yes. Because…
Most of Buffalo's forwards have started slowly, but their second line has been fantastic. That continued on Thursday, with the majority of the second line out there for four goals, leading the Sabres to a 5-4 OT victory over their rivals in Toronto. For fantasy purposes, it certainly starts with Jack Quinn. Quinn stuffed the stat sheet, scoring two goals, dishing two assists, put four shots on goal, was +4, and got in a fight! That brings him to 4+4 in eight games while pushing close to three shots per game. It's clear how much Ruff trusts this line right now, with Quinn playing over 18 minutes, while Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson each had two assists while playing over 21 minutes. I've been holding Quinn in a 10 man league since the draft, which goes to show you that I think he's a hold in 12'ers. Ostlund has been unbelievable in real life, but I see more middling to solid streamer. Benson falls into the elite streamer category right now. The schedule is pretty light for the Sabres next week with only two games, so I wouldn't prioritize Benson or Ostlund right now, but despite the schedule easing up for a bit, Quinn is standing out enough on a regular basis that I'd be holding him. Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
Happy Wednesday, Razzball faithful!
Well, yesterday was my final Top 100 Starting Pitchers article and Year in Review. (Click on that link if you want to check it out!).
Now, I can officially, and undistractedly, present to you a fully focused MarmosDad who has shifted entirely into hockey gear!
Does that mean I’m fully invested in tracking the ins and outs of the preseason rankings that I ran through in September?
You betcha!
Will I be ready to answer any questions you throw at me here each week with nothing but my day job, fatherhood, mentoring, planning, coaching in school and winter workouts for our baseball team, and the general ridiculousness of life getting in the way?
Absolutely!
Happy Wednesday, Razzball faithful!
I’m back again this week with another Divisional Preview.
Last week, we checked in on the Atlantic Division. If you missed it, you can open that up here.
This week, we’re headed to the Big City to check out the Metropolitan Division.
Can the Capitals charge their way to another divisional title?
Is Jet Greaves going to leave Elvis Merzlikins “All Shook Up” in the Blue Jackets’ crease?
What the heck are we supposed to call Sid “The Kid” Crosby now that he’s 38 years old?!
I might not answer all of these burning questions today, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be checking out the goods in...
We wrap up my goaltending rankings with tiers four and below. Not all 64 goalies that project to be in the NHL will be ranked. For the really bad teams, I will mention their starters but won't mention their backups. I also won't be ranking goalies I have no interest in streaming to start the season, or if the backup goaltending situation is unclear like with Reimer and Levi in Buffalo. If you missed part one, you can check the first three tiers and top 18 goalies here. Let's get to it!
Hello everyone. Welcome to the thirteenth edition of JOT This Down!
Keep the questions, comments, and concerns coming. I’ll be here all week to answer any and everything you may have.
Hello everyone. Welcome to the sixth edition of JOT This Down!
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback in volume five. I appreciate it. Keep the questions, comments, and concerns coming. I’ll be here all week to answer any and everything you may have.
Hello everyone. Welcome to the fifth edition of JOT This Down!
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback in volume four. I appreciate it. Keep the questions, comments, and concerns coming. I’ll be here all week to answer any and everything you may have.
Nobody was expecting much from the Ducks this season, but they're currently on a five game winning streak to get them to a 6-4 record. On Wednesday, their best player (for now) carried them, as Troy Terry scored a hat trick and an assist with six shots in the 4-3 OT win. That brings Terry to 5+4 in ten games, averaging exactly three shots per game. Terry is one of those guys who is always close to the fringe one way or the other. Right now, I have him as a bottom end hold, but I don't expect that to hold for the rest of the season. However, unlike the past few seasons, the talent around him is at such a higher level that he has more upside than usual. While it probably won't last, you can see the core coming together for the Ducks, and it's only a matter of time until they become a force again. Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
We know that Jack Hughes has dominated the first three weeks of the season, but his older brother has started off extremely well, while his teammate and younger brother is starting to get going as well. Let's start with Quinn Hughes. On Friday, Hughes scored two goals on four shots, adding two PIM. Against the Rangers, he had three shots on goal, which sounds disappointing, but it illustrates a large change in Quinn's game. The one thing that has been holding Quinn back for years in terms of fantasy value is his shot rate. This was his sixth straight game with 3+ shots, and 7th in eight total games. It signifies a huge chance in his game, one that does fantasy owners wonders. He has eight points in eight games and certainly can come close to repeating last season's 76 points in 78 games, if not topping it. He was always an elite #2 with flaws, but now, he's a #1. Sure, the hits are dreadful, but everything else is magical.
Hello everyone. Welcome to the first edition of JOT This Down!
For those who do not know me, my name is Julian Tarevski (Jules) and I am a fantasy sports content contributor from London, Ontario. (I may be an Ontarian but please do not assume I am a Maple Leafs fan.) I will be here every week with a newsletter, think of it like a message to start your Monday and help you prepare for your weekly matchup. I will cover notable line changes, guys who jumped up on the top powerplay unit, category fillers to watch, and sleepers to stream with favorable schedules.
Matthew Tkachuk entered the All-Star break on a massive hot streak. He continued it at the All-Star Game, winning MVP honors. Needless to say, it was continued on Monday night against their rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tkachuk had two goals and three assists with six shots in the 7-1 win over Tampa, going +5 in the process. Tkachuk has managed to blow last season's 42+62 out of the water to this point. He's the #3 forward overall on the season and has the most balanced stat line of everyone in the entire league. Marchand was a top five forward for years because of his all-around contribution. Now, that spot is Tkachuk's. He's every bit of a top five player now and going forward. Let's take a look at what else happened over the last two nights:
