Earlier than expected (but maybe not because he’s a quick healer), Brad Marchand made his season debut on Thursday. He didn’t disappoint, scoring twice and adding an assist with four shots in a 5-1 win over Detroit. Merchant’s ADP on Yahoo was 117, so the early return means he could offer great value for those who took a chance on him.
With Marchand, the Bruins lines for this game were as follows:
PATRICE BERGERON – BRAD MARCHAND – JAKE DEBRUSK
NICK FOLIGNO – CRAIG SMITH – TOMAS NOSEK
CHARLIE COYLE – PAVEL ZACHA – TRENT FREDERIC
DAVID KREJCI – TAYLOR HALL – DAVID PASTRONAK
David Krejci left this game early after taking a stick to the head and is not expected to play on Friday, so those lines will change. Also, Marchand is also not expected to play today (Friday) because the Bruins don’t want him to play right away. The next straight game is Nov. 12-13, but the Bruins won’t have another one until just before Christmas. Missing those games is part of the plan, so nothing to worry about.
Pavel Zacha was expected to take advantage of Marchand’s absence, but he has only scored one point in his last six games. He may be dropped with the return of Marchand unless he can get back into the top six following Krejci’s injury. Also watch for Taylor Hall potentially losing value, as he was on the power play with the second unit and was limited to less than 15 minutes of ice time on Thursday.
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While we’re talking about the Bruins, they traded 23-year-old prospects with the Canucks on Thursday night. The Bruins acquired former goalie prospect Michael DiPietro, while the Canucks added Jack Studnicka. DiPietro’s development had been stalled due to COVID, and he had even become the odd man out for the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. He’s still young enough to become an NHL goaltender at some point. As for Studnicka, don’t be surprised to see him fill a fourth-line role for the Canucks right away with Curtis Lazar’s recent injury and possibly move up the lineup. The Bruins have given him top 6 minutes in the past, so there’s a scoring advantage as well.
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Earlier in the day, Kieffer Bellows was claimed off waivers by the Flyers. Bellows was a 2016 Islanders first-round pick with potential value in the bangers’ league (103 hits in just 45 GPs last season). The Flyers could have an opening for Bellows this season due to their lack of snipers, which could be something to watch if this team suits him better than the Islanders. Otherwise, he’s now 24 and could be out of NHL options when his contract expires this season.
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After starting the season without scoring in his first five games, Brandon Hagel has scored in three consecutive games, including a power play in Wednesday’s final game at Anaheim. He’s still on an evenly matched line with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, which is about as good as it gets. It is also only 7% listed in Yahoo leagues (34% in Fantrax). Hagel has had success in the past when paired with top players like Patrick Kane, as I mentioned here, but not so much when the linemates aren’t as strong. Keep that in mind when adding it.
More than a few cold ducks, according to the Frozen Tools Cold Players report.
Jamie Drysdale: 0 PTS in 7 GP – in other words, no points this season
John Klingberg: 0 PTS in 6 GP – no points since the opening of the Ducks
Adam Henrique: 1 PT in the last 7 GPs – started the season with 0 PTS in 5 GPs
Cam Fowler: 1 PT in 7 GP
Ryan Strome: 1 PT in the last 6 GPs
In other words, it’s hard to find anyone on this team not named Troy Terry or Trevor Zegras scoring right now. The Ducks, who are historically among the non-evening game leaders, play tonight (@VGK) and Sunday (vs. TOR). Having those games off at night doesn’t help your fantasy team if they can’t produce.
Someone recently asked me if it was okay to drop Klingberg at this point. I think it depends on the type of league and the player you’re going to add, but he clearly lost value in Anaheim. In my fantasy, I said a 45-50 point pace wouldn’t be out of the question. I might downgrade that to around 40-45 points now. If you decide to drop him, don’t be surprised if someone else picks him up pretty quickly given his name value and premium fantasy teams placed on defenders who receive power play minutes from first unit. Keep in mind that if the Ducks crumble enough to enter the Connor Bedard contest, Klingberg with a one-year contract is a prime candidate to be traded.
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Carter Hart’s string of quality starts continued Thursday. Hart allowed three goals for the first time this season, although he also made 48 saves in the Flyers’ 4-3 win over Florida. I wrote more about Hart in last weekend’s Ramblings, so I won’t try to repeat myself. I’ll just summarize that this could be a good time to sell high on Hart, although his long-term value deserves an upgrade based on his recent string of success. Don’t underestimate Torts’ influence as a defensive-minded coach who urges his players to block as many shots as possible.
Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed at least three goals in each of his last five games, including four goals on 22 shots on Thursday. The Panthers have only won one of those five games, so they haven’t been able to overcome their defensive issues this season. Maybe we’re starting to see Spencer Knight start with a little more frequency now.
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I picked the wrong week to face Connor McDavid one-on-one, although I doubt there will ever be a good week. Nothing special, just three goals and one assist. Here is the objective of the hat trick.
The Oilers are a team that can outrun any goalie issues they might have. Despite picking up the W on Thursday against Chicago, Jack Campbell allowed five goals on 36 shots. He has allowed at least three goals in five of his six starts this season. Meanwhile, Stuart Skinner has a 1.44 GAA and 0.957 SV% in three games this season, including a 37-save 3-1 win over St. Louis on Wednesday. Campbell has the contract and the expectations, but don’t let the win-loss record (4-2-0) fool you when it comes to his performance.
Patrick Kane started the season with just one point in his first four games, which no doubt worried the fantasy teams that drafted him given the Blackhawks’ lack of goals. He now has multiple points in three straight games, including three points on Thursday. It might surprise you, but the Blackhawks have scored 5, 4, 5, 4 and 5 in their last five games. Additionally, they went on a four-game winning streak on Thursday.
Max Domi took advantage of playing on Kane’s line. With three points on Thursday, Domi has a four-game point streak and goals in three of his last four games. Before you rush to the waiver wire to add Domi, keep in mind that his four goals come on just 10 shots. He’s obviously in a great position with front-line duties and solid power-play minutes, although the situation in Chicago hardly seems settled. Domi also has a one-year contract, so expect the Hawks to trade him for futures at some point this season.
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Are you worried about Roman Josi? Do not be. The Predators defenseman filled the stat sheet Thursday with 1 G, 2 A, +2, 7 SOG and 2 HITS. Josi entered this game with no points in his previous five games and with just one point in seven games this season. Despite the lack of points, Josi is by far the leader among defenders with 38 SOG in 8 GP.
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With his shutout against the Capitals on Thursday, Jake Oettinger has posted quality starts in each of his six games. Oettinger allowed no more than two goals in each of those six games, making him the top goaltender in fantasy hockey at the start of the season. If you include last season’s seven-game playoff series with Calgary, Oettinger has quality starts in 13 straight games.
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Two highly sought after players on Frozen Tools had their hot streaks completed on Thursday:
Dominik Kubalik – 5 game streak with at least one point (10 points in this period)
Shane Pinto – 5 straight broken goals
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Timo Meier scored his first goal of the season on a tip that was originally credited to Logan Couture (as a potential hat-trick goal for Couture!) Meier was long overdue, entering Thursday as co-leader shots (42) and scored the goal on his 46e shot.
Erik Karlsson made things look like the good old days, filling the stat sheet against the Leafs with the game-winning goal in OT, 2 A, 4 PIM and 7 SOG. In fact, he’s been very productive so far with eight points in 10 games. Of course, Karlsson is still just one injury away, as he hasn’t played 60 games in a season since becoming an Ottawa senator. Maybe a little high sale for this reason?
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Jared McCann now has goals in four straight games, including a goal on Thursday. He also has six points over that span. Underrated player in Seattle.
JT Miller took one for the team to secure the Canucks’ first win of the season. Check back for updates on his status, as it would be a costly win for the Canucks if he ran out of time. The Canucks need to travel up I-5/99 to Vancouver to face the Penguins tonight, so we’ll know the answer to that very soon.
Yes, it was also Thatcher Demko’s first win of the season. He was tested far more than Martin Jones in the Battle of Cascadia, stopping 32 of 36 shots in a game where I would say the Kraken carried the most play. Demko allowed at least four goals in five of his seven games and at least three goals in all seven games, so he hasn’t helped fantasy teams much so far. The Canucks’ disheveled defense will likely prevent Demko from achieving elite status as a fantasy goaltender, even though he’s recognized as one of the NHL’s most talented goaltenders.
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follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding for more fantasy hockey.
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