The greatest goal scorer added himself to another list on Thursday: players who scored a hat trick at age 40 or above. He became the sixth person ever to do that, joining Jagr, Howe, Selanne, Bucyk, and… Lidstrom! You could have given me 100 guesses, and I’m sure I’d have gotten the first three, and probaly Buyck, but never Lidstrom. Anyways, Ovechkin scored only two goals in his first 12 games, but since then, he has seven in the past six. Add in three assists, and we’ve seen Ovechkin get back on track lately. An ugly start is now a thing of the past, and while I still think a repeat of last season is too farfetched, a monster season is possible again. MarmosDad covered the early part of the week here, so please check that out if you haven’t. Now, it’s time for me to recap Thursday night after a depressing Bills loss (fire McDermott!):
Sergei Bobrovsky – 31 save shutout beating Jake Allen (23/24) and the Devils 1-0. Bob has been very disappointing in the save percentage department, but the wins have been great at least. He has a #2 floor with top 5 upside which is better than most. Allen has played his way into a hold everywhere.
Zach Werenski – Three assists with six shots. What an animal. Werenski has clearly played his way into being the #2 overall defenseman. Still a mile behind Makar though.
Adam Fantilli – Two goals and an assist with three shots playing over 22 minutes. It’s only a matter of time until Fantilli reaches superstardom. All in long term.
Dmitri Voronkov – Goal and an assist. The shot rate is still below average, but Voronkov is taking a bigger step forward offensively. It’s on the fringe, but I lean towards hold.
John Tavares – Goal and an assist with five shots. Even as someone who has Tavares stock this season in normal leagues and best ball, I’m shocked how good he’s been. Hopefully he dodges the wall in his age 35 season.
Justin Faulk – Two goals on three shots. Faulk used to be a big shots add in his prime, but now, he’s neutral at best there. That said, he’s putting up enough points to get on the fringe for the time being.
Travis Konecny – Two assists with two shots. I think he’s going to lose his Team Canada spot to one of the up and comers, but Konecny is donig the same things he’s done for the past three years.
Ethen Frank – Two goals and two assists with four shots and two PIM. While Frank is getting PP2 time, he’s on the fourth line. In my decade of doing this, I can’t remember somebody else scoring four points with less than 9 minutes of ice time. Nothing to see here for now. Welcome to the Razzball Database!
Dylan Strome – Three assists with a shot. John Carlson dished two assists. Can’t stop, won’t stop!
Sonny Milano – Two goals on three shots. Milano played just over 6 minutes in this game. Next!
Brendan Gallagher – Goal and an assist with two shots. There was a time when Gallagher was one of the best play drivers in the league. That time is not now. Forget it.
Mike Matheson – Goal and an assist with two shots and four PIM. Despite being passed by Hutson and the acquisition of Dobson, Matheson is definitely a hold in banger leagues and on the fringe of standard leagues.
Ilya Sorokin – 29 save shutout in the 5-0 win over the Red Wings. There’s no denying the upside, but this version of the Isles gives Sorokin a lower floor. He could be a #1, but he looks like a #2 for now.
Max Shabanov – Two goals and an assist. The young Russian has six points in nine games (nice) as a rookie. The shots are rough and the minutes aren’t really there, so for now, he’s a middling streamer.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – 24 saves on 25 shots in the 2-1 win over the Oilers. Three straight games where Vasilevskiy has allowed one goal against. The tide appears to be turning.
Brandon Montour – Two assists with three shots. It’s a good enough contribution across the board where Montour is a #2 in 12’ers.
Teuvo Teravainen – Goal and an assist, as did Tyler Bertuzzi. Both played over 20 minutes, showing how much Chicago is riding their top forwards right now. Teravainen is an elite streamer, while Bertuzzi is on the fringe with a lean towards holding.
Akira Schmid – 25 saves on 26 shots in the 4-1 win over the Mammoth. Ride Schmid while you can, but his time is running out.
Shea Theodore – Three assists with three shots. His role transitioned this year into a more defnesive one, but Theodore has adjusted. He has seven points in his last six games, with 19 shots in that time frame. He’s back to elite status.
Jack Eichel – Two goals and an assist with five shots. He hadn’t scored in ten games, but Eichel has had at least three shots in eight of those nine games. Safe to say that the goals are going to start flowing again.
Braeden Bowman – Goal and an assist with two shots and two PIM. Bowman was undrafted, but looks to be a late bloomer. The 22 year old is temporarily on the first line and top power play unit, scoring three goals and an assist in five games. He’s an elite streamer in 12’ers for now, and a hold in anything deeper.
J.T. Miller – Two goals on three shots, both assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. Depsite this, Miller was a -4, as was Fox. The Rangers are in a bad way right now, and their captain isn’t helping matters. He’s on the fringe now in non-hits leagues, as is Zibanejad.
Nathan MacKinnon – Two goals and an assist wiht four shots. Cale Makar also had two goals and an assist with nine shots, while Martin Necas dished three assists. MacKinnon is the best player in the league, full stop. Makar is the best defenseman in the league, and it’s non-negotiable. He destroys the Rangers every time to spite Fox. Necas is playing at a pace that would blow the best Rantanen seasons out of the water. Love to see it.
Anze Kopitar – Goal and an assist with two shots. It’s pretty boring, but Kopitar is still on the fringe for 12’ers. Enjoy the last ride.
Ty Dellandrea – Goal and an assist with two shots. The third line did some work in this game with Collin Graf dishing two assists, but it’s hard to buy any of it. Not really interested in either, although in super deep leagues, Dellandrea has streaming value for his monster hits and faceoff wins.
That’s all for now guys. My plan is to do some notes for the weekend on Monday, and then have an updated hold/stream list on Friday for everyone. As always, feel free to ask any questions, give any comments, or give any suggestions below. Thanks for reading, take care!
