The first week of fantasy hockey is filled with excitement, hope and stupidity all bundled together. Panic sets in. There are hot starts, slow ones, and everything in between.
Welcome back. And yes, we choose to do this to ourselves every year.
Pavel Dorofeyev (86 percent Yahoo!) is the real deal, though he won't lead the league in goals. Shane Pinto (17 percent Yahoo!) has caught lightning in a bottle, but he's a gritty top-nine center on a roll. And 27-year-old Justin Brazeau (5 percent Yahoo!) - he of 98 NHL games - is not the next Michael Bunting (2 percent Yahoo!) circa 2021-22. Even if he's making Evgeni Malkin (40 percent Yahoo!) look like a star again.
We all need to take a deep breath. I had to do that Saturday when I heard someone raving online about 29-year-old David Tomasek (1 percent Yahoo!). Better fit on the top line than Trent Frederic (13 percent Yahoo!), they said. That may actually be true -- it's Trent Frederic after all.
I got all the way to picking my drop when I took a breath. The risk was too high to drop a slow starter for a maybe reward. It's not like I had Patrik Laine (29 percent Yahoo!) to cast aside.
What's that saying? A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush?
Bottom line? Breathe. Things would be different if you don't have an IR spot to accommodate a long-term injury. You can't afford a slow
The first week of fantasy hockey is filled with excitement, hope and stupidity all bundled together. Panic sets in. There are hot starts, slow ones, and everything in between.
Welcome back. And yes, we choose to do this to ourselves every year.
Pavel Dorofeyev (86 percent Yahoo!) is the real deal, though he won't lead the league in goals. Shane Pinto (17 percent Yahoo!) has caught lightning in a bottle, but he's a gritty top-nine center on a roll. And 27-year-old Justin Brazeau (5 percent Yahoo!) - he of 98 NHL games - is not the next Michael Bunting (2 percent Yahoo!) circa 2021-22. Even if he's making Evgeni Malkin (40 percent Yahoo!) look like a star again.
We all need to take a deep breath. I had to do that Saturday when I heard someone raving online about 29-year-old David Tomasek (1 percent Yahoo!). Better fit on the top line than Trent Frederic (13 percent Yahoo!), they said. That may actually be true -- it's Trent Frederic after all.
I got all the way to picking my drop when I took a breath. The risk was too high to drop a slow starter for a maybe reward. It's not like I had Patrik Laine (29 percent Yahoo!) to cast aside.
What's that saying? A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush?
Bottom line? Breathe. Things would be different if you don't have an IR spot to accommodate a long-term injury. You can't afford a slow start because of something like that. Take a look at the Sabres - they're already at risk of flaming out of a postseason spot after just two games.
(See what I did there? City of fires? Flaming out? Sometimes I slay myself.)
Wait a couple weeks before you get tense about your start. That said, here are a few players to consider if you need to clear out those bottom-of-the-roster types that were flyers on draft day. Some make it, some don't. Some get plum roles, some don't. We all have examples like that. Those spots are designed to stream.
Zachary Bolduc, RW, Montreal (23 percent Yahoo!) -- Bolduc has been a revelation in bleu, blanc et rouge. It's not like he was invisible in St. Louis last season as he put up 19 goals and 36 points, including 14 from Feb. 5 to season's end to led the club during that span. Bolduc has a motor that won't quit, is an unrelenting forechecker, and is happy to be the net-front digger. He's not an elite scorer, yet doesn't look out of place with skill guys. And so far, he's on a three-game goal streak (three goals, one assist) to start off. Bolduc won't keep this up, but we can both use his touch right now.
Harrison Brunicke, D, Pittsburgh (0 percent Yahoo!) -- Kris Letang (31 percent Yahoo!) left Saturday's contest with a lower-body injury after only one shift. He's day-to-day, but at 38 it can take a lot to keep that vintage body on the ice. Brunicke, who skates well and offers offensive upside, may see an uptick in ice time. Sure, rookie defenders get a lot of scars in their first couple seasons. But Brunicke has strong defensive skills and that will carry him a long way, especially as a right shot. Keep an eye on him. He may surprise.
Filip Chytil, C, Vancouver (3 percent Yahoo!) -- Chytil isn't a natural second-line pivot, but he's the best the Orcas have right now. He sniped twice on Opening Night. And neither one was pretty, though they all count the same way. Chytil's a volume shooter with a career-high 264 last season between the Rangers and Canucks. He offers more value in an F-only format, yet could also be a streaming option on light nights.
Matthew Coronato, RW, Calgary (19 percent Yahoo!) -- Coronato's two-goal outburst on Saturday wasn't sexy, but it showed how the young winger can seize the moment. He even scored on the power play. Coronato posted 24 goals, 23 assists, 17 power-play points and 180 shots in 2024-25. A 60-point campaign and maybe even 30 goals is within reach, and he'll help you as long as plus-minus isn't a risk. I like his situation, even if I'm not sold on the Flames.
Colton Dach, LW/C, Chicago (1 percent Yahoo!) -- Dach is auditioning to be Connor Bedard's (99 percent Yahoo!) wing man. That alone will make him a popular pickup. Dach isn't exactly lightning on ice, though he has good offensive instincts and projects as a true power forward if he can consolidate his game. He'll be a great value if he can stick with Bedard. Otherwise, he's a middle-six power forward with size whose value lies in matchups and spot starts… as long as his plus-minus doesn't drag him (and you) down.
Jiri Kulich, C, Buffalo (1 percent Yahoo!) -- Kulich isn't ready to be a 1C, but this is Buffalo and the air blows through that city in a different way. Josh Norris' (22 percent Yahoo!) injury opened the door, and the Sabres have no choice but to draw on the kid. Kulich is a talented two-way player who needs time to develop. And he's the man if Lindy Ruff doesn't move Tage Thompson (99 percent Yahoo!) to the middle. Every NHL 1C needs to be rostered in the majority of leagues, even if their team destroys their development in the process.
Anton Lundell, C, Florida (25 percent Yahoo!) -- Lundell is first up to fill the void created by Aleksander Barkov's (28 percent Yahoo!) injury. I love his defensive conscience, yet I worry he'll rely too much on that skill set instead of stepping up into offense. I've been proven wrong so far as Lundell's goal on Saturday was his second in three games, and I loved that he wired six shots Thursday against Philly. He's worth a flyer and maybe more. If Lundell can be Barkov-lite, then…
K'Andre Miller, D, Carolina (32 percent Yahoo!) -- Miller had a massive Saturday with two goals and three blocks while working on PP2. He's going to be the most picked-up D-man on the waiver wire the next few days, especially with Jaccob Slavin (10 percent Yahoo!) out with an undisclosed injury. Will Miller have a breakout year? Yes. Can he top his 43-point season (2022-23)? I'm not sure. But nabbing and then trading him is a savvy move. Buy in, cash out. It's hard to market time for anything, but this may be one of those moments to try.
Frank Nazar, RW/C, Chicago (28 percent Yahoo!) -- Nazar has been on fire riding a three-game, five-point scoring streak (one goal, four assists) and has been all over the ice. He will cool down as this season is going to be a long haul in Illinois. But Nazar showed me a lot at the World Championships back in May by leading Team USA with 12 points (six goals, six assists) and carrying them to the gold. Beware the plus-minus if your league counts that stat. But if not, Nazar's RW designation can make him a sneaky play.
Dmitry Orlov, D, San Jose (8 percent Yahoo!) -- I'm kicking myself a little bit today. I dropped Orlov in a keeper league before the season as I thought San Jose's futility would hurt his game. So far, he's been a rock with three assists that includes one on the power play. His best season came in 2021-22 when he delivered 12 goals, 35 points, four PPPs, 127 shots, 124 hits and 94 blocks. Orlov could deliver more this year and even avoid the plus-minus shark trap. That's the kind of production that can lift your fantasy floor for nothing more than a waiver grab. Or a cheap FAAB buy.
Jack Roslovic, RW/C, Edmonton (3 percent Yahoo!) -- Roslovic will be the latest winger to audition with an Oilers star. That alone puts him on my radar. He's fast with a great shot and tied for the Canes' lead last year with 21 even-strength goals. Roslovic can snipe - that's four more than Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) put up 5v5. Trouble is, he disappears during the postseason, but that doesn't matter in fantasy. Scoop him up and see what happens. Roslovic took less to play for a contender and could be more motivated than he's shown in his many other NHL stops. Worst case you can drop him and snap someone else off the wire.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D, Detroit (4 percent Yahoo!) -- I watched Sandin-Pellikka against the Leafs on Saturday, and I came away impressed. Not Lane Hutson (99 percent Yahoo!) impressed, but that name kept popping into my head. ASP is poised beyond his years. And while he doesn't have any points so far, he could end up being the most productive defender in this year's rookie class. He's smooth and seemingly unflappable. Don't be stupid and drop someone good for him. But keep him on your watch list and watch him play some games. Then make your move.
Arturs Silovs, G, Pittsburgh (25 percent Yahoo!) -- I don't know what to make of Silovs, the goalie the Orcas didn't think was good enough. Can he be an NHL starter? Who knows, but he sure is trending upwards. The bar in Pittsburgh is low, what with Tristan Jarry (16 percent Yahoo!) the only competition. Silovs has gotten better every season. He could be a mid-grade starter if that continues. And he could end up in that role fast in Pittsburgh. He impressed with a shutout on Opening Night, even if the Rangers were putrid. I have him stashed.
Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus (11 percent Yahoo!) -- Voronkov was one of my favorite late-round sleepers at the draft. Why? He's great on the wall, happy to battle in front of the net, forechecks like a torpedo, and boasts skill - A lot for a someone 6-foot-5. He skates like a big man, though is part of the top line as the perfect complement to Sean Monahan (48 percent Yahoo!) and Kirill Marchenko (92 percent Yahoo!). And he's on PP2. Voronkov's 23 goals last season were third-best on the team, and his eight PPG topped the team. He already has a goal and two assists in two games. Voronokov isn't sexy, but I think he can deliver Aliaksei Protas (73 percent Yahoo!) numbers. And that's pretty darn sharp in my book.
Back to patience. And not hitting drop with a beer in your hand.
I live near Toronto. The Leafs sub-Reddits are burning like a lithium ion battery in a subway car (Toronto joke IYKYK). Maybe that's why I preach patience because I've endured this kind of trauma my whole life. In idle chat at the office. In coffee shops. At home.
I get it. I've never seen a Stanley Cup in my lifetime, and I may never. A World Series? Two and hopefully three. But I digress…
These are the people you can prey upon in fantasy. They panic and drop players they never should. And likely because there's someone on a Canadian team who's getting a shot beside those with names like McDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews… see my point?
Keep your nervous system calm. Then pounce like a big cat when someone goes fight or flight and does the dumb thing. The catch may be delicious.
Until next week.
