Frozen Fantasy: Big Risks

Last week, I said get aggressive or get left behind. Do I have a story to tell you.

Only time will tell how it works out.

I co-manage a keeper team with a great friend. The league rules are wildly complex, so I'll spare you the confusion. Put simply, it's an auction with salaries that roll rosters over three times each year with mid-season auctions. Escalating salaries but keep as many as you want within budget.

We're building for next season and the one after. We competed for third last year and came oh-so-close. But we're focused on our goal.

An incredibly aggressive manager approached, trying to get Connor Hellebuyck. I still don't know why, given he has Robin Lehner, Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek in just a nine-team league.

We weren't going to move him, but…

He was smitten with Helly's elite shine. And he had just watched Elias Lindholm go wild against his Caps (and his goalies). He's sitting middle of the pack in a league where he wants to be at the top from start to finish.

Us? If we get into the top-three, then great. If we don't, our goal remains next season.

Out went Hellebuyck, Lindholm and Colton Parayko. In came Nikita Kucherov, Morgan Rielly, and Jake Oettinger.

Oh yah. Kucherov's salary is $24 in a league where Auston Matthews went for $51. And Rielly is also cheap and keepable.

Both teams stayed true to their goals. That's how every trade should be.

Our view? We netted a huge talent upgrade on the cheap. Rielly will get 50 points. Kucherov will return right around our January draft. And our net is still strong. We intend to be a problem for the leaders in the second half.

We both took risks. Big ones. It's what we needed to achieve our goals.

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

Laurent Brossoit, G, Vegas (4 percent Yahoo!) – Vegas rolled the dice on Robin Lehner for this season and so far, so good. So why grab Brossoit? Today's NHL is built on the strength of two-goalie systems, even if one's a true stud. Vegas is a great team that plays exceptional 200-ft hockey. Brossoit is going to be a strong single-game activation when he's in the blue paint. And maybe more if Lehner needs rest - or worse, is recovering from injury.

Blake Coleman, LW/RW, Calgary (42 percent Yahoo!) – Coleman is the one that got away from Tampa. The two-time Cup winner is lighting it up in a top-six role in Calgary. Coleman led all fantasy shooters with 21 shots in the last seven days – yes, more than Alexander the Gr8 himself. Couple those shots with top-15 hit totals and three points - including two goals - and you have a guy tracking to a quiet top-60 fantasy finish. Multi-category production cannot be overstated.

Andrew Copp, LW/RW, Winnipeg (59 percent Yahoo!) – Don't discount Copp's hot start. Sure, he's stepped up with so many Jets in quarantine… to the tune of nine points, including five goals, in just seven games. But Copp's talent is real. He delivered at a 60-point, 100-hit pace last season and that's more than enough for be a fantasy regular in most leagues. Copp's worth the add if he's out there.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Winnipeg (66 percent Yahoo!) – Pick Dubois up if he's on your wire. He's finally becoming the power pivot the Jackets imagined when selected third overall. This feels like a 30-goal, 80-point season with bonus hits, blocks and FW for those in banger formats.

Noah Hanifin, D, Calgary (3 percent Yahoo!) – Hanifin's upper-body injury has him sidelined, but he's a must monitor right now. The Flames D is still settling into roles and Hanifin has a good a chance as any at a long-term role on the PP. Remember his draft year? He was supposed to be the second coming of Scott Niedermayer. Even a slice of that is fantasy-worthy.

Ville Husso, G, St. Louis (4 percent Yahoo!) – Husso started this season like he ended the last – with a shutout. His totals last season were bad, so he was left on the wire at drafts this season. But strip out Husso's first two and an ugly one against Vegas later on, and his .893 save percentage would be around .920. The Blues' net belongs to Jordan Binnington, but Husso is a great spot starter. And who knows in today's NHL? Platoons are more common than not, so snap him up if you have room to stash.

Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle (7 percent Yahoo!) – Oleksiak has new life with the Kraken. He's now a top-pair defender with a surprising two points in eight games. But more importantly, he's already laid 31 hits and that puts him on target for more than 200. A lot more. If Oleksiak can put up even 20-25 points, he's worth as much as Radko Gudas (48 percent Yahoo!). Or more.

Lucas Raymond, LW/RW, Detroit (49 percent Yahoo!) – Raymond exploded last Sunday with his first NHL hat trick and added an assist, and now has eight points in eight contests. Fantasy managers have fallen hard for his fast feet, great hands and nose for the puck, but he's still available in over half of fantasy leagues. Sure, Raymond will slow down. But roll him until he does. Or trade him – shiny toys almost always result in an overpayment.

Back to big risks.

I would be remiss if I didn't address the bravery of Kyle Beach. 

Those 26 minutes of courage and selflessness. His words drenched in pain.

His tearful "I'm sorry" directed to a 16-year-old victim of the same man. Kyle Beach led with his heart, which is more authentic and far more powerful than the so-called leaders who failed him. Then and now.

Hockey needs to be better. We need to be better.

Growth comes through innovation and change. The reconstruction of the greatest game on Earth is on all of us.

Thank you, Kyle. I only hope we can find a fraction of your courage.

Until next week.