Frozen Fantasy: Love-Hate is Real

You know you've trained your AI muse well when you ask it to spit out a personalized definition of love-hate. And then nails the answer.

Fantasy hockey playoffs. 

Yes, I'm particularly miserable this year. All of my teams stumbled at the wrong time. OK, that's not entirely true. My team built around Auston Matthews (62 percent Yahoo!), Kirill Kaprizov (100 percent Yahoo!) and Connor Bedard (99 percent Yahoo!) pretty much fell on its face in the first two weeks. And I roll with only three forwards in that format. Yeah, what do I know. 

I told you about a couple big deals in the RotoWire Staff League, but my team coughed up hairballs for about three weeks right after the Olympics. It was too much to overcome, and I'm watching from the sidelines. I'm also mourning my trade of Cutter Gauthier (93 percent Yahoo!). But I digress. 

I was second in a dynasty league that I had a real shot to win. The playoffs are head-to-head in a three-week round robin. I went 1-6-2 and finished last in the top bracket. 

That's what happens when Dylan Larkin (93 percent Yahoo!), Brad Marchand (66 percent Yahoo!), Sam Reinhart (93 percent Yahoo!) and Jake Sanderson (90 percent Yahoo!) all go down at the same time. Long-term. And right before the playoff rounds began. 

Love-hate. No team would have had enough depth to come back from that. 

I'm sure you've experienced this same pain. Fantasy sports are both beautiful and infuriating because there are so many things beyond a manager's control. Sometimes we catch lightning in a bottle. And sometimes we end up in the ditch. 

It's not like we can fire the coach like Vegas did on Sunday. Even if we've both considered it. 

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, Boston (27 percent Yahoo!) -- I've recently pumped Arvidsson's tires, so I will simply say this. His trio of assists Sunday gave him six points - including four assists - in his last three games. Two of the helpers on Sunday came on the power play. Arvidsson also put up eight shots, four hits and a plus-5 rating during that span. Surely you have room for this kind of heat.

Ivan Barbashev, LW, Vegas (28 percent Yahoo!) -- Barbashev remains an underrated fantasy option. He takes a four-game, five-point streak (two goals, three assists, three PPP) into Monday and still skates on the Golden Knights' lead trio. The team has scuffled of lately, though he's a top-line player yet is rostered in fewer than one third of leagues. Anyone who hops the boards with Jack Eichel (99 percent Yahoo!) and Mark Stone (80 percent Yahoo!) is going to help… unless he wilts under new coach John Tortorella. He has a way of doing that to players. 

Matthew Coronato, RW, Calgary (7 percent Yahoo!) -- Coronato has always boasted a fantastic shot and turbo-charged motor, and he's making the most of both the last couple weeks. He heads into Monday night on a five-game, seven-point run that includes two goals, seven assists and three power-play points (one goal, two assists). And Coronato has produced nine points (three goals, six helpers) and 18 shots from his last seven. He won't help you in blocks or hits, but his scoring might give you a boost. 

Charle-Edouard D'Astous, D, Tampa Bay (6 percent Yahoo!) -- D'Astous is an offensive defender who made his NHL debut this season at the ripe old age of 27. He chased his NHL dream through Europe for three years and is making the most of that experience and talent as the Bolts adjust to another Victor Hedman (personal; 77 percent Yahoo!) absence. D'Astous has compiled a four-game, six-point streak where he's registered five assists, five blocks and eight hits. He isn't Darren Raddysh (92 percent Yahoo!). But then again, Raddysh wasn't Raddysh until this year. And he's 30, so never say never. 

Mikael Granlund, LW/RW/C, Anaheim (27 percent Yahoo!) -- Granlund had a four-game, seven-goal streak snapped on Saturday. But that doesn't change my thinking as he was the top-rated skater in Yahoo! on Sunday going back seven days. Granlund's injury-riddled season has kept his involvement and output relatively low, though he's still chugging away at a near-60 point pace. His consistency is remarkable - I'm adding him. A veteran who knows how to produce is more of a guarantee than a hot-shot rookie signing. No offense, but the leap is huge. 

Matvei Gridin, RW, Calgary (0 percent Yahoo!) -- Gridin is the second of three Flames on this list as they're playing loose and free with no playoff spot within reach. He's managed a five-game, five-point (one goal, four assists) stretch heading into Monday. And nine of his 15 points through 29 contests have come in the last 12. The first-rounder is playing to convince the Flames he deserves a permanent role next season. That kind of energy makes Gridin worth a look. At minimum, consider it scouting as you'll soon find out if he's figured out how to drive the net or if he's still tapping his toe at the edge of the dance floor. Hey, sometimes perimeter players actually figure things out. 

Philipp Grubauer, G, Seattle (11 percent Yahoo!) -- Seattle was within two points of the second Wild Card in the Western Conference, and they're clearly prepared to do everything in their power to get there. Enter Grubauer - or as we have come to know his type - the hottest leather in the Kraken's paint. For now. Grubauer is winning more than Joey Daccord (57 percent Yahoo!), so they have no choice. You may not have one either if you're as desperate as them. 

Elias Lindholm, C, Boston (30 percent Yahoo!) -- Lindholm goes into Tuesday with five points - four of those goals - and 47 faceoff wins (59.5 percent) in his last five games to go with 15 shots and five blocks. We all know he caught lightning in a bottle during his Calgary era, and that forever soured dynasty managers who failed to cash out at his peak. The Bruins have nine matchups left, and Lindholm is delivering at better than a 60-point pace. That's a solid combination with his overall category coverage. 

Connor Ingram, G, Edmonton (22 percent Yahoo!) -- The great Tristan Jarry (20 percent Yahoo!) experiment hasn't worked out, so the crease is Ingram's. And he's done well(ish). Ingram beat Vegas on Thursday and Anaheim Saturday going 4-2-0 during his last six starts (.898 save percentage). The Pacific Division is an absolute train wreck for goal differential as the Oilers are the only ones on the positive side of that ledger. The offense is enough to get wins, so Ingram may be your guy to deliver. 

Adam Klapka, RW, Calgary (4 percent Yahoo!) -- Yes, I watched too many Flames hockey this week. But they're a fun team as they seem to genuinely like each other while their energy is great. Klapka is no exception. He's been a wrecking ball this season and the 6-foot-8 behemoth laid out 16 hits last week alongside seven PIM and even a rare goal. Klapka has racked up 267 hits overall, so he can help you make a run on that category. He's two back of Jack McBain (15 percent Yahoo!) for second overall, and there's no catching Yakov Trenin (18 percent Yahoo!) at 371. But second? Someday that will be a fabulous story to tell over a wobbly pop with the boys. By then, he'll have finished one behind Trenin…

Olli Maatta, D, Calgary (0 percent Yahoo!) -- Maatta has been thrust into a leadership role with Calgary and has been outstanding. Not only is he sheltering the team's younger defenders, but he's scoring. A lot. Maatta is riding a three-game, five-point streak that includes two goals and three assists with 10 points and 25 blocks in 12 outings with the Flames. He's not simply being lucky as he established two 29-point performances in Pittsburgh early in his career. He won't keep this up, yet is worth a flyer until the wheels fall off. 

Jake McCabe, D, Toronto (17 percent Yahoo!) -- It's hard to stomach any Leaf right now, but McCabe was sneakily good last week. He heads into Monday on a three-game, three-point run that covers two goals, one assist, five blocks, five shots, four PIM, a plus-4 and three hits. McCabe is a bit like a good steak seasoning as the little bits are nothing alone while delicious together. 

Akira Schmid, G, Vegas (19 percent Yahoo!) -- This is a complete flyer. Schmid is 1-6-1 with 26 goals allowed over his last eight starts and hasn't won since Feb. 4. So why is this anchor here? John Tortorella is what gives. The Vegas goalies will be the biggest beneficiaries of Torts' focus on defensive systems, so Schmid will be a solid daily play when he hits the paint. 

Zach Whitecloud, D, Calgary (1 percent Yahoo!) -- Need blocks? Whitecloud is your man. He led all NHLers last week with 15 blocks. He also supplied seven hits, six shots and two helpers (bonus!) Whitecloud has gotten in the way of 53 pucks in only 22 outings with Calgary - that's almost double his pace in Vegas. And his hit heavy approach in Sin City that never sleeps has also picked up in the Stampede City, albeit to a lesser extent elsewhere. Whitecloud is almost universally available and double-digit anything in a week is a great way to make a last ditch run. 

Back to love-hate.

I love fantasy hockey nonetheless. Even if it drives me mental. I think the joy of life comes from a complete lack of control. Hang the toes over the proverbial board and enjoy the ride. But that's an ENTIRELY different article.

I hope your playoffs are going better than mine. What am I saying - I'm sure they already are. 

Until next week.