Hockey fantasy update
Canada’s hero, fantasy zero ./Michael Miller
Trades, trades, and more trades
Author: Jhett Folk – Contributor
Alright, I’m going to start this off with a quick reminder that the Duclair, Domi and Hanzal line is unreal. So, yeah, I’m assuming you can’t get any of them by now, but if you can, you’ve got to do that.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Yak Attack (Nail Yakupov) would be a sick pick up and, well, needless to say, he’s flourished with Connor McJesus on his line. The success that this line has seen will continue, regardless of what the Edmonton Oilers record looks like. Please, if Nail is out there, drop Carl Soderberg already and go get him.
Next, I mentioned the dropping of Nichuskin that you should have done by now. Honestly, the kid is so sick, but Dallas has no idea what to do with him right now. If you’re in a dynasty/keeper league, by all means, think about stashing him on your bench, but Valeri will not be fantasy-relevant this season.
My iffiest (is that a word?) piece of advice last time was the pickup of Danny DeKeyser. Yeah, yeah, I know. He doesn’t have any points yet, but he’s only played two games thus far and he’s knocking the rust off. Wait it out; he’s going to be well worth the pickup. As for the other D-man I mentioned, I’m standing pat on my opinion of David Savard. He’s in an organization with two potentially elite offensive defensemen in Jack Johnson and Ryan Murray, so don’t expect much fantasy-wise from Savard as the team won’t be using him in that way.
As for my last piece of advice, which was about grabbing a back-up tendy off a good team, that’s just always a good general idea if you have an open bench spot, so use your own discretion there.
I’m leading off this week’s advice piece by looking at a potential trade option for you. I don’t know if you noticed, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are hella hard to watch. You know that Sidney guy? He’s got five points so far. If you can find someone in your league desperate and stupid enough to trade you the best player in the world, you should go for it. The thing about fantasy hockey is, a lot of the time, guys get frustrated easily and will look to make any type of move to make their team good immediately, while totally forgetting how hot and cold hockey players actually are. If you’ve got an elite player off the guys’ favourite team and another solid player he’d be interested in, I would offer him that and see what he says. More often than not, guys will bite because they go with their heart and hate how cold their supposed superstar is.
Next potential trade target is Corey Perry. The guy has appeared virtually useless, just like the entire Ducks roster. He literally has one point so far, and you know whoever drafted him in the first round is sweating a bit. This is the time to pounce, because Perry can literally do no worse than he is right now. At very least, kick the tires on a trade idea and see what would interest them. Send an opening offer and see how far off you are. If his price is unrealistic after that, you know he’s not stupid, because he realizes the streak won’t last forever.
This is where your own personal convincing abilities will be tested. You’ve got to remember that you have to be willing to get so be ready to give up a star. In the same breath, however, understand if you pull off a trade for Perry, involving a star of your own, it will be okay because Perry is a perennial high-point-getter. He’s merely in a funk that his team also shares, and they are sure to shake it off soon. Make your move.
If Logan Couture was dropped due to the injury he’s sustained, pick him up, waste the roster spot if you don’t have an IR, and thank me later. If you do have an IR and the owner of Couture has an ugly roster aside from the rat-looking bugger, I would thoroughly contemplate offering for him. When healthy, Couture is one of the top thirty forwards in the league, which is saying a bunch. His price should be slightly lower because you will have to wait out his injury, but it is well worth the return when he is healthy. The Sharks forward core is elite and when Logan is on the ice, this team is a danger to score every time. Again, it’s a case of, “desperate times call for desperate measures,” as this offer will likely only work if the rest of the guys’ team is relatively weak. But, hey, it’s worth a shot if you’re willing to wait four to six weeks.
My final piece of advice is for you to consider grabbing the young Oscar Lindberg off of the New York Rangers. Every time I watch the kid, he seems to score. Scoring goals seems to be routine for him, and with veteran line mates such as Viktor Stalberg and J.T. Miller, I would expect this to continue. Lindberg will begin to get more power play time, as well, if he keeps finding the back of the net, which bodes very well for all types of fantasy owners in all forms of fantasy hockey. Even considering the fact he’s only on the third line, to be posting the numbers he is, is quite a feat and I would expect to see him somewhere in the thirty-to-fourty-point range, which is very good. If the pace he’s on can continue, though, look for him to be an elite player and a big part of the Rangers offence moving forward.
As always, if you’ve got any fantasy hockey questions, or just want to make fun of my advice, tweet me at @JhettFolk18 and don’t forget to keep your head up out there. Good luck this week, owners!
