Frozen Fantasy: Changing of the Guard

Sidney Crosby's and Ryan Getzlaf's struggles continue to weigh on my mind. Are they simply having bad seasons, or has there really been a changing of the guard?

Banish that thought … or not?

Let's be honest – the guard changed a long time ago. The NHL was already a young man's game. Now, it's a league of babes. Young guys hit the league and start to dominate in their second or third years. The "prime" no longer starts around 27.

But great is still great – we only have to peer west to see what the now-35-year-old Sedin twins are delivering. And Jaromir Jagr is perhaps better at protecting the puck at 43 than he was at 25.

Still, the recent influx of young stars has been nothing short of remarkable. And that got me to thinking about its impact on the 2018 Olympics. And that got me to Sid and Getz. Will they still be on Team Canada's squad? Will the depth of Canadian talent down the middle force one – or both – off the team?

Whoa – stop swearing at me. I didn't spill your beer. You did that all on your own.

I want Getzlaf and Crosby there, too. But only one still fits on my early depth chart because of all those talented youngsters.

Do-it-all line: Ryan O'Reilly – Jonathan Toews – Brendan Gallagher
Something-to-prove snipers:Steven Stamkos – John Tavares – Claude Giroux
Get-out-of-their-way line:Jamie Benn – Sidney Crosby – Tyler Seguin
Speed burns. And kills:Taylor Hall – Connor McDavid – Matt Duchene
13th man (depending on need):Nathan MacKinnon (Matt Duchene circa 2014) or Patrice Bergeron (faceoffs)

Norris combo one:Shea Weber – Drew Doughty
Norris combo two: Duncan Keith – P.K. Subban
Top combo on many other teams: Alex Pietrangelo – Marc-Eduoard Vlasic
Seventh man (Norris future?): Morgan Rielly

Vezina/Hart/Ted Lindsay: Carey Price, backed up by Braden Holtby and Jake Allen

On the bubble: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Sean Monahan and Ryan Johansen up front. Mark Giordano and Ryan Murray on the back end. Corey Crawford and Marc Andre Fleury in net.

Yas, Canada. YAAAAASSS.

And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Team Canada fanatic. I'm saying that because I'm gobsmacked by some of the guys on the bubble. Or should I say outside, looking in.

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. But start making your own depth chart while you do. We can compare notes at the end.

Trevor Daley, D, Pittsburgh (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – New city. New role. And a whole new squad. Daley is a way better fit in Pittsburgh than he ever was in Chicago, and now he's become Kris Letang's replacement on the Pens' potentially potent power play. He heads into the Christmas break on a three-game point streak, with two of his points in that span on the power play. Letang is due back soon, so Daley may lose this prime gig. But the Pens are desperate for defenders who can pass the puck or even lug it up ice, and Daley can do just that. He doesn't fix the Pens' stunning blue-line woes, but he'll help. And the Pens have to score at some point. Don't they? He'll be in on a bunch of that if they do.

Louis Domingue, G, Arizona (6 percent Yahoo! owned) – I could throw shade at this guy, but even he knows he's nothing more than a potential backup. So why pick on a guy who's self-aware? He's never really established himself as an AHL starter, so who's to think he can pull off being a starter in the NHL? Mike Smith is down for the count, so the battle for starting minutes comes down to Domingue and Anders Lindback. The 'Yotes are only a couple points from a playoff berth, but the same number from the bottom of the Western Conference. Ugh. Domingue won't save the day, but he has picked up two wins this week and allowed just two goals on 64 shots. He's for the truly desperate, but he could bring you a win or two. Just be sure to play matchups or you'll start to seriously lose ground on some of your counting stats.

Joonas Donskoi, RW, San Jose (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Donskoi is the one who got away from the Panthers. They didn't sign him, and he promptly posted 61 points in the Finnish league last year between the regular season and playoffs. The Sharks leapt at the chance to ink him as a free agent and his sweet mitts are now delivering points at the SAP Center. Donskoi is talented and fast, and he knows how to play all three zones. And he has six points, including five assists, in his last eight games. He's not a household name – and it'll probably stay that way playing on the left coast. That works to your advantage. Snap him up.

Vernon Fiddler, LW/C, Dallas (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Yep, it's fiddle time again. I'll keep it brief because I've pumped his tires before. He has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four games. Fiddler is cheap and cheerful, and the Stars are for real. He's worth a sniff in deep leagues.

Tyler Myers, D, Winnipeg (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – This big, right-handed shot looked like a natural in the Peg after his arrival last season in "the trade." He posted 15 points and a plus-9 rating for the Jets in just 24 games after hacking his way through 47 games in Buffalo (13 points and a minus-15 rating). But Myers played pylon in his first 30 games this season (eight points) and looked absolutely lost on the ice. Advantage, Buffalo. LOL. But recently, something clicked – the big man's pumped in six points in his last four outings. I'm glad he forgot to renew his membership in the plyon of the month club. And I don't really care if this production is real or just a mirage – I can always drop his pylon butt if he goes all orange and pointy again.

Vladislav Namestnikov, C, Tampa Bay (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Namestnikov has top-line talent, but he won't get that opportunity in Tampa for a few more seasons. Still, his elite vision and his ability to change directions at speed drive opposing defenders batty. His ice time is creeping up to the 18-minute mark and he's also starting to get a lot of power-play time. That's resulted in four points in his last three games. Center is deep, but I'm seeing glimpses of the potential Namestnikov flashed in the OHL. And that's enough for me to stick him onto my roster to see what he can deliver in the short term.

Nino Niederreiter, RW, Minnesota (6 percent Yahoo! owned) – El Nino is finally bringing a warm front to the North Star State. Not that this warm front will deliver a new career mark in points – Niederreiter seems to be settling into a 35-point, 150-hit winger. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but soooo much more was expected after his dominant World Junior tourney way back when. He does have five points and 11 shots on goal in his last five games. I'll take it because I'm desperate for a winger with chops. You?

Johnny Oduya, D, Dallas (6 percent Yahoo! owned) – Six points in 27 games, followed by seven points in the next eight. Do I need to say more? Oduya is on fleek, even if that is so 2015. Pick him up. NOW.

Pierre-Alexandr Parenteau, RW, Toronto (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Parenteau came to Toronto seeking redemption, and I think he may have finally found it. After a slow start, he now has seven points, including five helpers, and a plus-7 rating in his last seven games. Grab him and stick him in right now. The Buds are hoping Parenteau can play well enough to trade him for a pick at the deadline and his role will shrink on a better team. You can't time the stock market, but you might be able to time his production for you, at least for a short period of time. What can it really hurt at this point? I'm using every tactic I can to try to make gains, and I'm sure you are, too.

Back to Canada's depth chart.

I never imagined that I'd slice Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry off my Team Canada list. Or that Patrice Bergeron would be no better than the 13th man, if he even makes the team.

Ryan O'Reilly has proven he is indeed a top-line, 200-foot player. Brendan Gallagher has become a mandatory play on the Canadian team, just like Johnny Gaudreau has on the American squad. And I'm still not sure if Sid the Kid ends up getting bumped to the wing.

Center is just that deep.

I think the Price-Holtby-Allen trio might be the strongest set of twinetenders Canada has ever put on ice. And no country can touch the Norris-caliber defense.

Speaking of that, when does Drew Doughty move from bridesmaid to bride? Or first runner up to Miss Universe.

I got it – he just needs Steve Harvey to do the announcing at the NHL Awards.

Ouch.

Until New Year's.