This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
I live a stone's throw from Toronto. John Tavares. Auston Matthews. Mitch Marner. Morgan Rielly. AND their combined 21 goals and 44 points through five games.
Yep. The parade route is being planned.
Then again, Leafs' fans had a parade route set in 2013 until James Reimer collapsed in Game 7 against the Bruins.
I know – that was just the first round. That's how parched they are.
But little did those fans know they witnessed the birth of a new hockey reality at the World Cup in September 2016. And not just because Mr. Matthews skated on their home ice.
Team North America reset the reality for hockey today. They were fast. They were skilled. They had no fear. People said that U23 squad just didn't know they shouldn't be winning.
The reality was they were simply better than most of the veteran teams in that World Cup. Period. Dead stop.
And with that, the style of NHL hockey changed forever. And it's great for fantasy.
Today's game is seriously up-tempo. It's confident, maybe even fearless. And goalies are quaking in their skates.
Just look at the Leafs, especially that power play. They whip that puck around faster than commentators can make the calls. Goalies don't have a chance.
Matthews, Rielly, Tavares and Marner sit top-four on the league's scoring list heading into weekend play. No, they can't keep up that pace. But they sure are fun to watch.
Just like Connor McDavid, Jack
I live a stone's throw from Toronto. John Tavares. Auston Matthews. Mitch Marner. Morgan Rielly. AND their combined 21 goals and 44 points through five games.
Yep. The parade route is being planned.
Then again, Leafs' fans had a parade route set in 2013 until James Reimer collapsed in Game 7 against the Bruins.
I know – that was just the first round. That's how parched they are.
But little did those fans know they witnessed the birth of a new hockey reality at the World Cup in September 2016. And not just because Mr. Matthews skated on their home ice.
Team North America reset the reality for hockey today. They were fast. They were skilled. They had no fear. People said that U23 squad just didn't know they shouldn't be winning.
The reality was they were simply better than most of the veteran teams in that World Cup. Period. Dead stop.
And with that, the style of NHL hockey changed forever. And it's great for fantasy.
Today's game is seriously up-tempo. It's confident, maybe even fearless. And goalies are quaking in their skates.
Just look at the Leafs, especially that power play. They whip that puck around faster than commentators can make the calls. Goalies don't have a chance.
Matthews, Rielly, Tavares and Marner sit top-four on the league's scoring list heading into weekend play. No, they can't keep up that pace. But they sure are fun to watch.
Just like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Patrik Laine, David Pastrnak and so many more.
Fantasy offense is up, while goaltending is a complete crapshoot. At least it is right now. That realization changed my draft approach this year. Owning at least one of the truly elite twinetenders is critical.
They might be the only ones that can steal goals from the rising tide of young snipers.
Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.
Warren Foegele, LW, Carolina (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – Foegele has arrived with a bang. The big-bodied sniper has played six NHL games – two last season and four in the current campaign. Combined, he has five goals and seven points in those six outings. And he's meshing well with veterans Jordan Staal and Justin Williams on Carolina's top line. Foegele's feet never stop moving and he drives opponents nuts with his tenacity, both on the forecheck and in the offensive zone. His confidence is soaring. His ownership should be, too.
Samuel Girard, D, Colorado (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Girard put on some much-needed muscle on his skinny frame this offseason and it's already paying off. The former Nashville prospect is just 20 and he's already skating on the Avs' top pairing. Girard has three helpers, including two with the man-advantage, in four games. The Preds know D. They didn't give up on him; they leveraged him in that weird three-way that moved Matt Duchene out. It won't be long before Girard is the most valuable asset in that trade. I'm buying.
Michael Hutchinson, G, Florida (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – I snagged Hutchinson minutes after Frank Vatrano landed on Bobby Lou. Hutchinson is talented – he went 21-10-14 with 2.39 GAA and .914 save percentage in 38 games with the Jets in 2014-15. Luongo is 39 and injury prone. And James Reimer is James Reimer. There are no guarantees with either guy. Hutch is worth stashing.
Alex Iafallo, LW, Los Angeles (7 percent Yahoo! owned) – Iafallo became the Kings' top-line left winger when Dustin Brown busted a digit in the preseason. That put the 24-year-old alongside studs Ilya Kovalchuk and Anze Kopitar. Cha-ching. Iafallo won't get power-play time, but he's already delivered two goals and two assists at even strength. This is a three or four-week gig, so take advantage in the short term.
Alex Kerfoot, C, Colorado (6 percent Yahoo! owned) – Kerfoot looks like he's taking last year to a whole new level. His 43 points as a rookie may simply be the tip of the iceberg. Kerfoot is playing wing alongside Tyson Jost and Colin Wilson on the Avs' second line and working the second power-play unit. He has already put up five points in four games and that includes a few with the man advantage. He'll be worth even more when he qualifies at left wing.
Max Lajoie, D, Ottawa (17 percent Yahoo! owned) – Lajoie is poised and skilled for a 20-year-old defender. His top speed isn't great, but his mobility is. And the Sens liked him enough to give him an NHL roster spot rather than sending him back to junior. Lajoie has already rewarded that decision with three goals and two assists in four games. Four of his five points have come on the power play, the spot that best suits his game. That's fantasy worthy, as long as you can swallow the potential queasy plus-minus.
Stefan Noesen, RW, New Jersey (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Noesen is coming off a 27-point season, so he was completely overlooked on draft day. But he's landed the role of second-line winger alongside Pavel Zacha and Marcus Johansson, and he's firing on the second power-play unit. Noesen has two points in two games so far and could quietly deliver fantasy value on the cheap.
Chris Tierney, C, Ottawa (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – I swore a little the day Tierney got traded to Ottawa. I had made him my last draft pick in a brand-new league because I thought he was a sleeper on a deep San Jose squad. I stopped swearing on opening night when Tierney got his first point. I happily swore Wednesday when his three assists extended his season-long point streak to four games and six points (one goal, five assists). Sure, he's a depth pick, but Tierney could deliver a 50-point season in Canada's capital. Maybe all he needed was a change of scenery to gain fantasy value.
Back to the new reality.
Fantasy owners already knew young players were taking over the game. The kids feed off each other. They're not afraid to try slick moves. And they seem genuinely happy for each other when another scores.
You only need to look at the Leafs to see that. At least so far.
Contract time might be another story. Just look at William Nylander. How long with the Leafs make him rot before that deal gets done?
If I were Kyle Dubas, I would turn my focus to re-signing Matthews instead of Nylander. It could have been done in the summer, just like Connor McDavid's a year ago. But instead, Matthews is surging toward a possible 50-goal, 125-point season.
And showing he might just be the best player in the game. Cha-ching!
Thank goodness I don't own him in a cap league that uses real salaries.
Until next time.
