Frozen Fantasy: Take a Breath

The Flames and Oilers head into Sunday night with a combined 3-10-2 record. Both are desperate for a win. Are their problems real or a mirage?

And is your fantasy team the same?

Some fantasy teams are off to hot starts. Others are struggling. Some managers are already stressed and want to trade. Others are happy to wait it out. 

Where are you?

I tend to be in the take-a-breath crowd. In leagues with playoffs, I've always been OK with slow starts. Quick ones can create overconfidence, and I don't want to be fooled into thinking my team is something it's not. 

I wonder if these same thoughts are in play in Calgary and Edmonton. The Flames thought Darryl Sutter was its problem, but I'm not so sure. The roster doesn't seem to fit coach Ryan Huska's play-fast, skilled and creative approach. They can't seem to sustain offensive pressure. Jacob Markstrom (77 percent Yahoo!) has been their best guy, and he can't do it all. 

Further north, the Oilers boast electric skill that simply hasn't delivered goals. They keep changing the Wikipedia definition of checking to fit their needs. And it's pretty obvious what a collective .861 save percentage means, but it's more problematic when that checking is suspect. 

One of these two clubs seems like it'll find its feet. The other? I'm not so sure. 

Like you, I've had a few great fantasy starts. But I also have a couple leagues that carry an odor. One feels like the Oilers – a play-six roster that seems sure to rise, that's constructed around Auston Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov and Jason Robertson (all 100 percent Yahoo!), with Connor Bedard (98 percent Yahoo!) and Carter Hart (80 percent Yahoo!) in tow. 

But I don't know what to think about a true dynasty format where offseason moves to boost offense haven't really helped. A roster built around Kaprizov, Mitchell Marner, J.T. Miller (98 percent Yahoo!), Anze Kopitar (80 percent Yahoo!), Martin Necas (89 percent Yahoo!) and Thatcher Demko (91 percent Yahoo!) should be decent. Right?

Well, I'm in last place in that 12-team league behind teams that tanked their whole rosters last year in pursuit of Connor Bedard. I worry this roster is like the Flames – constructed in a way that simply doesn't fit its league. And if so, it's going to be an expensive and frustrating year. 

Let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. There are a lot. You can see where my mind is.

Casey DeSmith, G, Vancouver (13 percent Yahoo!) – I snapped up DeSmith on Thursday to complete a Canucks tandem, and I'm glad I did. He's been more than solid this season. He went into Saturday's start with two wins, a 2.73 GAA and .926 save percentage. And Vancouver looks for real (yes, knock on wood). Saturday against the Rangers was tough, but DeSmith will go every three games or so to keep Thatcher Demko (91 percent Yahoo!) fresh. 

Phil Di Giuseppe, LW, Vancouver (1 percent Yahoo!) – Di Giuseppe is the first of several, top-six sidekicks on this list with underrated potential. He's 30, but has never played a full NHL season – the buses of the AHL have called his name too many times. But right now, he's keeping his bed in an NHL city with old-fashioned hard work and a willingness to muck out pucks for teammates like J.T. Miller (98 percent Yahoo!) and Brock Boeser (80 percent Yahoo!). And he's capitalized on that plum spot on line two – Di Giuseppe rode a three-game, three-point streak that included two goals into Saturday. It was snapped – you can't score in them all. But, in today's NHL, a lot of teams build lines with two talents plus a filler. Di Giuseppe is living his dream, so his motor will never shut off. And that means he'll hold some value in deep leagues if he stays in that spot. 

Marcus Foligno, LW/RW, Minnesota (24 percent Yahoo!) – The oft-injured Foligno is healthy right now (knock on wood again), and he's quietly producing beside (and mentoring) young pivot, Marco Rossi (4 percent Yahoo!). He skates into Sunday's contest on a three-game, three-point streak that includes two goals with seven hits and six shots. Foligno is a reliable hitter with 237 in only 65 games last season. So if he can keep contributing a bit of offense, he can provide a big bump in that muscle category. 

Ridly Greig, C, Ottawa (5 percent Yahoo!) – Never, ever discount Greig. He's fiery, tenacious, and never stops moving his feet. His skills aren't elite, but they add up to a lot more when coupled with his drive. Greig has notched seven points (two goals, five assists) from his last seven games alongside 14 hits and 16 shots. He still gets schooled in the faceoff circle too many times, though there's real value in deep leagues. And with Shane Pinto (3 percent Yahoo!) sidelined for half the season, Greig will use that time to cement his role. 

Alex Iafallo, LW, Winnipeg (5 percent Yahoo!) – Iafallo has gone scoreless in three games, so why is he here? There's no reason for a top-six player – or in his case, a first-liner – to be unrostered in so many leagues. Even if Iafallo's the complementary scorer on the line. Sure, his best-ever point total is 43. But an opportunity in the Peg beside Mark Scheifele (86 percent Yahoo!) and Kyle Connor (98 percent Yahoo!) is like hitting the jackpot. I stashed him to hold for a couple weeks. I still think it's a risk worth taking. 

Marcus Johansson, LW, Minnesota (8 percent Yahoo!) – Johannson is here like he is almost every year. The quiet and underappreciated veteran delivers steady production for solid stretches almost every season. But he's often overlooked perhaps because his NHL passport has so many cities on it. Johansson is currently hopping the boards on the second trio and heads into Sunday night on a five-game, six-point run (one goal, five assists, 11 shots). He's even on PP1. Steady may be boring, but boring can still be good. 

Philipp Kurashev, C, Chicago (0 percent Yahoo!) – Kurashev is the latest pylon – I mean, winger – to skate alongside Connor Bedard (98 percent Yahoo!). If he sticks there, he could register a 45-50-plus point campaign simply by keeping his stick on the ice. If not, he's an auto-discard. Kurashev is a simple transaction if you're into market timing - but don't overinvest. 

Mike Matheson, D, Montreal (52 percent Yahoo!) – Matheson was a revelation last season and has continued that success. He's now a top-15 fantasy defender, but remains available in half of Yahoo! leagues. That shouldn't be the case. Matheson left Saturday's contest with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. If he's not out long, he could easily be a 50-point defender with loads of power-play production. Even if Matheson isn't available, watch for drops if he's out for a few weeks. There's no-one else in Montreal who can do what he does. And Matheson will do it when he returns.

Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim (7 percent Yahoo!) – I told you about Mintyukov last week, so I won't belabor this. He's still going. And since he turns 20 before the end of this year, he can be sent to the AHL if he falters – he doesn't have to go back to junior. That makes Mintyukov the most flexible young defender on the Ducks roster. Right now, he's also the team's most productive one – one goal, three assists, 17 hits, 14 shots and 14 blocked shots. With Jamie Drysdale (12 percent Yahoo!) on IR, Mintyukov is Anaheim's best offensive blueline option. 

Jack Roslovic, C, Columbus (2 percent Yahoo!) – I bought heavy on the Roslovic-to-Columbus trade in 2021. The second coming for a hometown kid. His game would grow and he'd be a hero. Yah, right. Roslovic is as streaky as ever and has never delivered more than 45 points. But at 26, he may be maturing. Maybe. He's a top-line winger who was riding a four-game, six-point streak heading into Saturday. The streak was snapped, yet Roslovic still fired five shots. And 19 in his last five. Like Iafallo, there's no reason for a top-liner to be this underrostered. At worst, you can catch lightning in a bottle for one of his streaks and then let him loose. 

Travis Sanheim, D, Philadelphia (48 percent Yahoo!) – Fantasy managers jumped on Sanheim hard Friday and early Saturday with a 43 percent jump in rostering after a three-point performance against Minny. I refuse to think Philly can keep up this strong start – it already takes far too much effort for them to sustain their intensity. But Sanheim is looking every bit the part of a top-pair defender, and he's playing his best hockey in the NHL. He's produced at least a point in six of the Flyers' first eight games (one goal, seven assists) and lines up on PP1. Sanheim won't keep this pace up, but remember he managed a 35-point sophomore season after only logging 49 games during his rookie year. And he delivered two consecutive 65-point campaigns in the WHL after being drafted. Sanheim boasts the pedigree to be a 45-point defender, maybe more. 

Dylan Strome C, Washington (36 percent Yahoo!) – Strome has potted five goals in his last four games (12 shots) that includes two on the power play. He's Alex Ovechkin's (99 percent Yahoo!) center and beside him on PP1. And he's winning more faceoffs than he's losing (52-for-101). The Caps look old and slow, though the club has bought into getting Ovie his goals. Strome will be a big part of that. You might not like how he moves on the ice, but he can help you in fantasy even if his plus-minus ends up a risk. 

Ryan Strome, LW/RW, Anaheim (12 percent Yahoo!) – This Strome brother is playing well above his head. He's riding a four-game, seven-point (two goals, five assists) streak heading into Monday and linemate Frank Vatrano (63 percent Yahoo!) is ripping twine like never before. Neither can sustain this pace, especially on a team that's one of the thinnest in the NHL. But short-term, you can milk one or both for all they're worth. Be ready to move off them as fast as you get on as their sharp up will be followed by an equally sharp down. It's simple physics.

Joe Veleno, C, Detroit (2 percent Yahoo!) – Goals command a premium in fantasy, which makes Veleno look like a shiny new toy. He can't keep up a five-goals-in-five-games pace and he's never been a shoot-first guy. But he's hot now and could deliver a few more snipes the next week or so. Consider Veleno in a spot-start situation or if you're streaming, but don't drop someone who's struggling to get him. This won't last. 

Back to taking a breath. 

I'm doing my best to breathe with my last place team. After all, I've started with four straight weekly losses in both hockey and baseball leagues and won both. 

I'll admit that this feels a little different. The fact I've had no traction against last year's tankers is churning my gut. My one-more-year goal for this roster is making me queasy. 

I'm going to hold on for a bit longer. I think. Maybe watching the Heritage Classic Sunday night will help. Or not. I'll keep my antacids close. 

Until next week.