Midseason surprises are always worth a look. Honestly, did you think the Sabres were going to rise from the ashes and be in a playoff spot mid-January?
Me, either.
Or that the Blackhawks would look… good at times. I knew the Avs were fire - they didn't lose in regulation at home during their first 19 games. With only four in regulation from 42.
The Oilers are in a postseason spot, but they rely waaaaay too much on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (both 100 percent Yahoo!). The supporting cast is awful, and we only have to look at how teams have shut down the top-heavy Leafs in the last few years to see the risk.
The Wild are a team we now want to watch. It's like Quinn Hughes (100 percent Yahoo!) was born in that uniform. The Devils are a team you can't watch, even with the other two Hughes.
Ilya Sorokin (97 percent Yahoo!) has turned it around in a big way. I sorely underrated Matthew Schaefer's (95 percent Yahoo!) NHL impact this season. He's a superstar. And he's only 18.
I thought the Rangers were on a slow-drip decline. More like a broken faucet with no plumber in sight. Mika Zibanejad (89 percent Yahoo!) has been fantastic. Igor Shesterkin (99 percent Yahoo!; lower body) may be thinking about the what-ifs of free agency that he gave away.
I know I would. Loyalty be damned.
The Sens have been both solid and porous at the same
Midseason surprises are always worth a look. Honestly, did you think the Sabres were going to rise from the ashes and be in a playoff spot mid-January?
Me, either.
Or that the Blackhawks would look… good at times. I knew the Avs were fire - they didn't lose in regulation at home during their first 19 games. With only four in regulation from 42.
The Oilers are in a postseason spot, but they rely waaaaay too much on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (both 100 percent Yahoo!). The supporting cast is awful, and we only have to look at how teams have shut down the top-heavy Leafs in the last few years to see the risk.
The Wild are a team we now want to watch. It's like Quinn Hughes (100 percent Yahoo!) was born in that uniform. The Devils are a team you can't watch, even with the other two Hughes.
Ilya Sorokin (97 percent Yahoo!) has turned it around in a big way. I sorely underrated Matthew Schaefer's (95 percent Yahoo!) NHL impact this season. He's a superstar. And he's only 18.
I thought the Rangers were on a slow-drip decline. More like a broken faucet with no plumber in sight. Mika Zibanejad (89 percent Yahoo!) has been fantastic. Igor Shesterkin (99 percent Yahoo!; lower body) may be thinking about the what-ifs of free agency that he gave away.
I know I would. Loyalty be damned.
The Sens have been both solid and porous at the same time. They look good up front and abysmal in the blue paint. Even league-average netminding would have them headed to the playoffs.
Montreal has surprised all year. In a good way. They're ahead of schedule. The Blues? I can't decide if it's a trainwreck or house fire. Maybe both.
I had a hunch Trevor Zegras (79 percent Yahoo!) would do well. But not this well. Wow. Maybe Rick Tocchet deserves some Coach of the Year votes.
Sidney Crosby (100 percent Yahoo!) is flirting with top-10 spot on the scoring leader list. Macklin Celebrini (100 percent Yahoo!) ranks third iand has staked a case for MVP. As a teenager… he barely shaves. He's worth the price of admission.
The Bolts are, well, the Bolts. How has Jon Cooper never won the Jack Adams? I mean, seriously.
No surprise that Alex Ovechkin (98 percent Yahoo!) has already scored another 20 goals. He's NEVER missed that mark over his NHL career. He's now 40 years old. And zero surprise that the Panthers would save themselves in the first half of the year. They get how to win.
Now, the Leafs… who actually stirred the drink there the last few season? And can a player with a bad back carry a team in that market? Auston Matthews (100 percent Yahoo!) is showing signs of superstardom again, though I'm not convinced. Not at all, even if I like watching them.
And wow to the Jets. President's Trophy to 31st. They ran out of fuel. Or maybe they were flying on fumes with a powerful tailwind all of last year.
Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.
Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, Boston (13 percent Yahoo!) -- Arvidsson is channeling his best Swedish Ninja Warrior right now. He's made it through seven obstacles - I mean, games - with at least a point in each (four goals, four assists) along with a plus-8, two game-winners and 28 shots… including a whopping 10 against the Red Wings on Tuesday. Arvidsson is going to get hurt (again) - it's inevitable. But he's a worthy pickup while he's flexing.
Alexandre Carrier, D, Montreal (2 percent Yahoo!) -- I go trolling for blocks every week or so. You may hate the category the same way you hate plus-minus, yet it still counts for a lot of formats. And Carrier is someone who can deliver that without being a complete one-category wonder. Well, sort of. Carrier notched a surprising three goals through four games this past week and four all season). He actually has six points (three goals, three assists) and 26 blocks across eight appearances. Carrier sits fourth in the NHL for blocks. Surely there's room in specialty leagues for him.
Charlie Coyle, RW/C, Columbus (10 percent Yahoo!) -- Coyle is already on the cusp of bettering his output from last year (35 points; 83 games). His 30 points include a three-game, four-goal (one assist) run where he fired a whopping 18 shots. And two of the goals came on the power play on PP1. Coyle also went 22-for-47 (53.2 percent) at the dot over that stretch, with that combination vaulting him into a top-11 Yahoo! performance for the week. I wish I'd had that in my lineup.
Alex Iafallo, LW/RW/C, Winnipeg (1 percent Yahoo!) -- First line alert! Iafallo has driven us both over the edge at times through the years -- so much potential, so little success. He's found himself with Mark Scheifele (98 percent Yahoo!) and Kyle Connor (100 percent Yahoo!) and has gone on a four-game, four-point (two goals, two assists) streak heading into Monday. Winnipeg has a long climb to the playoffs, yet it's still possible. Their first unit will need to carry them, and Iafallo has every opportunity to stick there… as long as he can stay healthy. Long shot, I know. But maybe?
Joonas Korpisalo, G, Boston (5 percent Yahoo!) -- Korpisalo is a must-play when starting. Boston is surging going 8-1-1 in the last 10 contests. Korpisalo has won three games of the team's last six, including one via shutout. And he's only allowed three goals over the other two. His overall 9-8-0, 3.13 GAA and .895 save percentage are average, at best. But I'll repeat - three wins, a shutout and three total goals conceded. I'm getting Korpisalo. I don't care about being burned by him in the past. The past is the past. Now is all that matters.
John Marino, D, Utah (3 percent Yahoo!) -- Marino shows his fantasy face once or twice a year. He heads into Wednesday on a three-game, four-point scoring run that includes three assists and a remarkable plus-10. Marino has actually delivered points from six of his last seven (two goals, five assists). He won't net you power-play production, but is steady in blocks/hits at six and five during that stretch. Marino is a raise-the-floor type in deep leagues where you can insert a pure even-strength puck mover.
Jack McBain, LW/C, Utah (12 percent Yahoo!) -- McBain isn't someone I'd usually flag, but he's currently paired with Dylan Guenther (93 percent Yahoo!) and the duo look like an odd - yet effective - combination. He's posted six points (two goals, four assists), 17 shots, 13 PIM and 23 hits across his last six outings. McBain will get a couple more weeks up the lineup as Logan Cooley (66 percent Yahoo!) is out until early February. And anyone paired with a force like Guenther deserves a look.
Ryan McLeod, C, Buffalo (9 percent Yahoo!) -- McLeod is fire right now with nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last seven games. I'd actually forgotten he was a 53-point player last year. McLeod has that in him, though the pivot position is deep. He plays better in leagues where F matters more than C.
Elvis Merzlikins, G, Columbus (8 percent Yahoo!) -- Elvis has no longer left the building. He started and won two straight games this week where he only allowed four goals on 63 shots. Jet Greaves (61 percent Yahoo!) also came out on top in two. Both goalies will benefit from new head coach Rick Bowness' structured system, and this could quickly become a timeshare. Talent, experience, a system that shelters netminders and playing time? Merzlikins needs to be scooped up just in case. You have an easy drop. We all do. Go do it.
James Reimer, G, Ottawa (9 percent Yahoo!) -- Did you pick him up after I tapped his pads last week? He lost in OT on Sunday, but the crease is likely his until Linus Ullmark (62 percent Yahoo!) comes back. The room is obviously split on Leevi Merilainen (8 percent Yahoo!) - see if you can find a clip of Jake Sanderson (99 percent Yahoo!) throwing the kid under the bus Saturday night. I refuse to link to that kind of verbal abuse. I love Sanderson on the ice, but leaders do not do that in public. Period. Reimer is worth grabbing as even league-average goaltending would have the Sens in the postseason right now.
Pavel Zacha, LW/C, Boston (32 percent Yahoo!) -- Zacha heads into Tuesday night on a three-game, four-point streak (one goal, three assists) with points in six of his last seven (four goals, five assists). He and Viktor Arvidsson (see above) have warmed up at the same time and have helped carry the Bruins to an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. Zacha has produced two recent, near-60-point campaigns, a second-line gig and a place on PP1 with left-wing eligibility. He can fill an offensive need and gift you extra faceoff wins when you slot him at LW. Versatility is everything when you need to steal points at this time of year.
Back to surprises.
How many people thought San Jose would be better sooner than Anaheim? Or that Brandon Bussi (60 percent Yahoo!) would not only make his NHL debut at 27, but take the starter's gig in Carolina? Great story.
And where the heck are the wheels for the Kings' bus? I can't believe how fast they came off. Maybe they can find them the way the Preds did after their abysmal first quarter.
Vancouver? The trade was inevitable, and the haul was solid. I think I'm still surprised how quickly they can split apart. Six goals against during the second period on Saturday. Cough.
Until next week.
