by Zach Werenski is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after sustaining a severed shoulder and torn labrum during Thursday’s game. This is the worst possible news for those fielding Werensky, especially those fielding him in leagues for a season. Werenski is already a certified Band-Aid Boy, having missed at least 14 games in each of the previous two seasons.
With Werenski out on a long-term basis and Adam Boqvist also sidelined with a broken foot, Jake Bean deserves an instant inclusion in many league formats (3% Yahoo/27% Fantrax). Despite not scoring a point on Thursday, Bean recorded a season-high 26 minutes (including PP1 duties) while blocking six shots. Adding to that number was the fact that the Jackets were down to four defensemen because Erik Gudbranson also left with an injury. The overall ice time is still notable, however, as Bean had never clocked 20 minutes in a game this season prior to Thursday.
Before the season I had mentioned Bean as a potential heavy sleeper as he might use a second power play and Boqvist is closer than I thought. I don’t think Tim was entirely convinced of my choice on the Five Hole Fantasy Podcast though. While I haven’t started Bean since adding him to one of my lineups just before the season, I have no qualms about starting him next week with the Jackets playing four home games.
Here’s a quote from the Fantasy Guide comparing Bean to Boqvist:
When you talk to fantasy owners about Bean vs. Boqvist, they undoubtedly prefer Boqvist, but is that the right decision? Bean, who’s two years older, closer to his prime, showed similar offense last season, seen more Ice Age, didn’t get injured as often and wasn’t as well protected… Right now, Boqvist is getting a little more PP time , So he’s still preferred, but don’t be so quick to write Bean off.
Since this was written, Boqvist has been healthy in four straight games earlier this season before breaking his foot in late October. His expected return date is early December. Whether Boqvist can slip ahead of Bean on power play duties on his return will depend heavily on Bean’s performance over the next few weeks.
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The New Jersey Devils have won 8 straight games (27 goals in their last 6 games) thanks to an offense that’s increasingly difficult to ignore. The goalkeeper situation is a different story. Vitek Vanecek left Thursday’s game with an injury and was limited in training on Friday. Since Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier are also on the shelf, Akira Schmid was used as the Devils’ starting goalie. Schmid scored his first win as a substitute by repelling seven shots between the third period and overtime.
Schmid is a largely untested option at the NHL level, but he’s had a solid start in the AHL (4 GP, 1.97 GAA, .918 SV%). On paper, he couldn’t be in a better place at home against Arizona on Saturday, although the Coyotes shocked the world with three straight wins. He’s only listed 2% on Yahoo and 7% on Fantrax, so availability isn’t an issue. If Vanecek’s injury is short-lived, don’t drop a goalie on stronger NHL base for Schmid. The Devils starter for Saturday hasn’t been confirmed yet, so check the Goalie Post for the latest.
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There was “injury damage” on defense on Friday, with John Carlson returning to the Capitals’ lineup. Carlson recorded an assist with three shots, three hits and two blocks while logging 26 minutes along with his usual spot on the first unit power play.
Sonny Milano has had a bit of a journey since the end of last season. Milano, who was not qualified by the Ducks, attended Flames camp on a PTO but failed to snag a roster spot. About a week later, Milano signed with the Capitals and started the season in the AHL. In his fourth NHL game of the season, Milano caused a stir, scoring two goals and adding an assist and 3 plus and four shots. Milano was held to just 14 minutes on Friday but he landed a power play time in the second session. He’s mostly in line with Dylan Strome and Marcus Johansson, so I’m not quite ready to add him in standard formats. But for some reason, Washington seems a good match for his talents.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, who allowed five goals in 24 shots, qualified for the very bad start on Friday. He has conceded at least three goals in each of his last six starts. Only one of these six starts was a quality start. I’d bet he’ll find his rhythm sooner rather than later, but I still wonder if three seasons of Stanley Cup runs will finally catch up.
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What a moment. Prayers for Borje Salming.
Following the Leafs’ 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh, Sheldon Keefe stated that Matt Murray would not be ready to return for Saturday’s game against Vancouver. So it’s either Erik Kallgren starting back-to-back nights or Keith Petruzzelli making his NHL debut. Not ideal if you’re a Leafs fan.
After Ilya Samsonov was injured, Petruzzelli received a two-year entry-level contract. He posted decent numbers for the Toronto Marlies (6 GP, 2.31 GAA, .922 SV%). I don’t know what our DFS writers will suggest as I write this, but this matchup looks like a prime opportunity to start as many Canucks as possible. And of course, check Goalie Post or follow the five million Leafs beatwriters Twitter to find out who will be their starter.
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Roope Hintz extended his points streak to seven games with a goal on Friday. Over that span, Hintz has 11 points (4G, 7A).
Erik Karlsson was without a point on Friday, meaning his six-game points streak ended. But it was the number of stats he’d amassed during that scoring streak that stood out: 15 PTS (7G, 8A), 35 SOG, and 5 PPP. Karlsson still leads all defenders with 21 points, while only three players have more goals than Karlsson (10G). Just as we all predicted. Karlsson seems like a steal now with his 140 Yahoo ADP and 125 Fantrax ADP.
Will I put Karlsson in the top 100 of the Roto rankings because of the hot start? Probably, although you’ll have to wait a few days to find out for sure. In the meantime, you can review the leaderboards posted last month and let me know what changes you think you should make for this month.
Timo Meier scored a goal in the fifth game in a row. He has six goals in that span. Meier continues to do his thing in multi-category leagues as he also leads the league in shots (80 SOG).
Yes, that was Logan Couture with the Gordie Howe hat trick. Couture scored, added an assist and fought Jamie Benn, which is no small feat. In one of my leagues he filled out the stat sheet like this: 1 G, 1 A, +1, 1 PPP, 3 SOG, 3 HIT, 1 BLK.
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After noticing Gordie Howe’s hat-trick, I realized I hadn’t looked up Draisaitl hat-tricks in a while. Sure enough, the previous leader is Mats Zuccarello with two, followed by a whole host of other players with one.
Zuccarello happened to be the only goalscorer in the Wilds’ 1-0 win over Seattle late Friday. He has points in consecutive games, having been held without a point in his previous four games.
Marc-Andre Fleury scored a 28x shutout from the Kraken. After a slow start, he’s got the ship back on track with six good starts in his last eight games.
Although his winning streak was broken at four games on Friday, Martin Jones has made five consecutive quality starts. Not what you’d expect from Jones in recent seasons, but he’s been at least league average throughout the season with a 1.41 GSAA. Considering how much Philipp Grubauer struggled before retirement last season and during his short stint this season, Jones makes a strong case for being Seattle’s starter even if Grubauer returns. Don’t forget that the Kraken look like an improved team even in the last season. You didn’t think you’d hear from Jones again, did you? Another example of why goalies are so difficult to predict.
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