Yahoo Fantasy Hockey: Being cautious with offers of newly-traded players
Dobber launched his fantasy hockey website DobberHockey back in 2005 and has been Puck Daddy's resident fantasy hockey 'expert' since 2009. Tom Collins is a senior writer at DobberHockey.
Anytime a trade is made in the NHL, you can bet that fantasy owners are itching to get their mitts on those players. New scene, new chance, fresh start, crap like that. Blah blah blah. Caught up in the hype, perhaps you think you should overpay to acquire Seth Jones and Ryan Johansen. Or maybe the other GM has sent trade offers looking to cash in with those players off.
These proposals are looking to rip you off. Yes, Jones stands to be wildly successful in Columbus. And yes, Johansen stands to be wildly successful in any non-Tortorella city Nashville. But if the other owner is coming to you – they won’t exactly be offering you a discount.
A player's fantasy value spikes after a trade, even if his production doesn't follow suit. Think of the fantasy value of guys like Phil Kessel and Cam Talbot in the days after their trades last summer. Buying high on them has brought you a lot of pain so far. Yes, I went there.
If a savvy GM in your league is sending too-good-too-be-true offers for his Johansen and Jones, let some other sucker pay the price.
Studs…
These fellas are wielding a hot stick. Take that into consideration when you go after them in trade talks...
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins (6GP-3G-8A, plus-2, 14 PIM, 24 SOG, 6 PPPts): Letang is a top-three fantasy defenseman when he's fully healthy. He's proving that again since coming back from the all-too-common upper body injury. The problem is no one ever knows how long his body is going to last until his next trip to the IR.
Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers (8 GP, 8-0-0, 1.23 GAA, .956 SV%): This is vintage Luongo in Florida. The Panthers goalie has been the hottest goalie for the past month, and he should continue to get plenty of starts for the next while as the Panthers play six games in the next 12 days.
Shane Doan (12-11-2-13, plus-6, 4 PPG, 39 SOG): Despite missing time earlier this season with an injury, Doan already has more goals this year than all of last season. Nine of his 15 goals has come in the last seven games. He's on pace for 36 goals, which would be a career high for the Coyote captain.
Duds…
Somebody wake these guys up – their fantasy owners are counting on them...
Dustin Byfuglien (8-0-2-2, even, 1 PPP): For someone who wants to make a lot of money over a lot of years this offseason, he can't afford a long scoreless slump, and neither can his fantasy owners. Maybe he's thinking too much about getting out of the cold Winnipeg winters.
Gustav Nyquist (10-1-2-3, minus-3, 0 PPG): Nyquist's ice time has been down the last few games as he's been usurped by rookie sensation Dylan Larkin. Nyquist has played less than 14:40 in five of his last seven games, including just 13:31 in a game against the Jets on Dec. 29.
Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers (8-1-0-1, minus-4, 8 PIM, 0 PPG): Owned in 100 per cent of leagues on Yahoo, Giroux is letting down a lot of fantasy owners. Even being re-united with Jakub Voracek in the Flyers' game against Montreal didn't get Giroux back on the score sheet.
The Wire...
Mostly short-term grabs here, but as always some potential steals...
Charlie Coyle, Minnesota Wild (12%) (10-4-4-8, plus-8, 25 SOG): Fun stat for those of you in leagues that count shots: Coyle has failed to take a shot in just six of the Wild's 39 games this season. Coyle was taking a regular shift with Mikko Koivu, so it's a wait-and-see game to see how Koivu's recent injury impacts Coyle.
Jake Gardiner, Toronto Maple Leafs: (6%) (6-1-6-7, plus-1, 4 PPPts): Sure four of his seven points came in one game, but he also had a three-game points streak going into last night's action.
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets: (50%) (5 GP, 4-1-0, 1.21 GAA, 0.962 SV%): It's just a matter of time until Hellebuyck becomes the Jets' number one starter. He's been too good all season for the coach to want to go back to Ondrej Pavalec or Michael Hutchinson. How is a soon-to-be number one still available in 50 per cent of the leagues?
Eddie Lack, Carolina Hurricanes (14%) (6 GP, 4-0-2, 2.30 GAA, 0.923 SV%): Since Dec. 11, Lack has picked up points for the Hurricanes in all six games he's started. And the Canes play six games in a 10-day period starting Friday so there's lots of opportunity for Lack to start some extra games.
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers (47%) (10-5-7-12, plus-12, 20 S): While everyone has been talking about the old men in Florida — Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo — during the team's 10 game-winning streak, Barkov is putting up monster numbers on the team's top line. He's almost a point per game for the season overall.
Benoit Pouliot, Edmonton Oilers: (4%) (5-3-2-5, plus-3, 6 PIM, 15 SOG): Pouliot has carved himself out a nice little role on the Oilers' second power play unit, and is seeing a regular shift with Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He's just a placeholder until Connor McDavid comes back any day now, but any type of productive ice time is good ice time.
Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks: (32%): (5-3-1-4, plus-4, 12 SOG): Anisimov is quietly on pace for 30 goals this season and is seeing plenty of time on the Blackhawks' top power play unit. He's also playing a regular shift with some guy named Patrick Kane. So he's got that going for him.
You can follow Tom Collins on Twitter @DH_newfcollins
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