This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around The Rink
With just one game on tap for Monday – Arizona at Anaheim – I thought I'd take a look at an interesting scenario which popped up in the last week.
Like many sports fans, I collected hockey cards when I was a kid, baseball cards and football card, too. Later, I turned that love into my full-time living, selling cards at a mall. At that time, Upper Deck debuted its first set of hockey cards, with Jaromir Jagr headlining the 1990-91 set. Jagr was new to North America and when he visited my card stand he couldn't stop giggling. Apparently, he'd never seen hockey cards before, let alone his own. He was a heartthrob in Pittsburgh and his cards were better sellers than Mario Lemieux.
Fast forward 25 years. Rookie sensation Connor McDavid scores 12 points in his first 13 games. The generational talent is set to make his debut on an Upper Deck hockey card Nov. 5. Then out of nowhere, he breaks his collarbone against the Flyers two nights before Upper Deck's release and is ruled out for "months and months."
What's a card collector to do, buy now or wait until he proves he's healthy in February?
In fantasy hockey, owners need to decide whether to hold onto McDavid in single season leagues, trade him or even possibly put him on waivers (depending on league parameters).
Even in his short playing window McDavid has pretty much ruled out any chances that he was the next overhyped disappointment. Remember Pat Falloon? Alexander Daigle?
Hockey cards and fantasy hockey both rely on knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them.
Jagr is one player whose career and hockey cards have withstood the test of time. Are you buying McDavid now?
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
Arizona Coyotes (Anders Lindback) at Anaheim Ducks (Frederik Andersen), 10:00 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Monday
Arizona Coyotes
Chris Pronger, D - Pronger was dealt to the Coyotes over the weekend along with defenseman Niklas Grossmann in exchange for forward Sam Gagner, a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2016 or a third-round pick in 2017, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports. (6/29/2015)
Antoine Vermette, C - Vermette (lower body) has been ruled out of Saturday's game against the Rangers, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports. (11/6/2015)
Nicklas Grossmann, D - Grossman left Saturday night's game against the Rangers with a lower-body injury and will not return, according to Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. (11/7/2015)
Stefan Elliott, D - Elliott (upper body) will not play Thursday night when his team faces the Avalanche. (11/5/2015)
Dylan Reese, D - The Coyotes said that Reese (Achilles) suffered a severed Achilles tendon during his off-season training and is out indefinitely. (9/15/2015)
Joe Vitale, C - Vitale will be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 weeks with a fractured orbital bone, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports. (10/21/2015)
Anaheim Ducks
Simon Despres, D - The Ducks placed Despres (upper body) on injured reserve Saturday. (10/17/2015)
Rickard Rakell, C - Rakell (upper body) will miss Friday's matchup with Columbus. (11/6/2015)
Jiri Sekac, RW - Sekac (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports. (11/3/2015)
Kenton Helgesen, LW - Helgesen (foot) was placed on injured reserve Monday, Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports. (10/5/2015)
Nate Thompson, C - Thompson, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, participated in a pregame skate Wednesday, Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles News Group reports. (11/4/2015)
Hot
Jake Allen, G, STL – Allen is trending up while Brian Elliott is trending down. After allowing three goals in each of his first three starts, Allen has recorded two shutouts in his last five starts – including a 45-save effort Saturday in Nashville – while winning four of five. It's too early to say whether the Blues will take the training wheels off Allen, but fantasy owners who drafted the third-year goaltender are being well rewarded.
David Perron, W, PIT – After watching Perron in person in the last year, it almost pains me to put him on the hot list. He is frustratingly inconsistent and continues to get chances on the second line because nobody else on the team really fits there. Perron takes shifts off, nights off, but he's playing really well with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. He's got a goal, three assists and 17 shots in his last six games and warrants a look in leagues as a low-cost acquisition.
Cold
Ryan Strome, C, NYI – Strome collected 50 points in 81 games last year but was sent to AHL Bridgeport on Friday. He skated with John Tavares at the beginning of the season, however things just didn't work out and he was the fall guy. Strome failed to score a point in his last five games prior to the demotion. He was also sent to the AHL, in part, because he was the lone Isles player who didn't need to pass through waivers. Keeper league owners need to hold onto Strome, but those in single season contests might want to scour the waiver wire and keep Strome's name handy for when he gets called back up.
Matt Niskanen, D, WASH – Niskanen has scored zero points in his last six games and just two assists in his last 10. It was thought that the blueliner might get more opportunities on the power play with Mike Green gone, but he has one PP point in 13 games. Confidence has always played a big role in Niskanen's performance and it's easy to see a slump snowball on him. He was a trendy pick in the preseason – and he does have five points in 13 overall games – but he's cooled off after a strong Week 1 showing.
Recommended Pickup
Antti Raanta, G, NYR – If anything happens to King Henrik Lundqvist, Raanta instantly becomes the Rangers' No. 1 goalie the way Cam Talbot did in 2014-15. Raanta has been up to the task in very limited play thus far, going 3-0 with an obscene 0.77 GAA and .977 save percentage. While those numbers will surely regress, Lundqvist is 33 years of age and made just 46 starts last year. No one's predicting the King will get hurt again, but stranger things have happened. At the least, fantasy owners who can afford rostering a goalie who'll start once every two weeks should consider Raanta. New York plays four times in Week 6, meaning Raanta will probably get a start in the coming week.
