As fantasy managers, we spend a lot of time and energy monitoring which of our players are scoring and which ones aren’t.
Equally important is knowing how much your players are even going to play in any given week. (Obviously, you can’t get many points from a player who isn’t isn’t on the ice much.)
With that in mind, take note that the Philadelphia Flyers will play five games in the next seven days, making Flyers forwards especially optimal options for streaming in your league. As you don’t have a games-played limit in your league, you could be able to get a few extra points out of the last spot on your bench. (Take every advantage you can get!)
Now, for the Hot/Not players of the week:
HOT: Artem Anisimov, C, Blackhawks (4 Goals, 8 points in last 4 games)
After going scoreless in the first two games of the season, Anisimov has really picked up the pace.
He skates most of his shifts with one of either Patrick Kane or Artemi Panarin, which is excellent superstar exposure. (Of course, he rode shotgun as Kane enjoyed a 100-point season in 2015-16 and still only scored 42 points.) It’s hard to see Anisimov doing much more than that, with Kane expected to regress from last season’s highs.
Enjoy the current production, but don’t be afraid to look at other options should Anisimov cool off or in case the Blackhawks’ schedules thin out.
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HOT: Jeff Skinner, LW, Hurricanes (2 goals, 6 points, 21 shots in last 5 games)
Skinner is off to a quick start for the first time in ages, which bodes well for a player who didn’t hit his stride until December last season.
A hot start could push Skinner back to the 60-point mark for the first time since his rookie season, which was, amazingly, six years ago.
Equally important to the scoring is the shot volume that Skinner is providing. Maybe he falls short of 60 points, but another season with over 250 shots should keep him relevant.
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HOT: Wayne Simmonds, RW, Flyers (4 goals, 5 points in last 4 games)
Simmonds has picked up where he left off last season: scoring power-play goals.
The winger ranks third in power-play markers since the start of the 2013-14 season, just behind Joe Pavelski and far back of Alex Ovechkin. Simmonds is the best net-front man in the game and skates on a lethal Flyers power play.
Even if the even-strength scoring dries up a bit, another season with double-digit power-play goals is inevitable.
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HOT: Mike Green, D, Red Wings (3 goals, 7 points, 7 shots in last six games)
It’s been a great start for Green, who fell off the fantasy radar after last season’s disappointing debut in Detroit. He has been much better so far this year, skating huge minutes for the surprising Red Wings and even scored the first hat trick of his career.
Injuries are a concern for Green, but even more concerning is the low shot volume. Despite the big minutes, Green is barely landing over a shot per game on net. This continues last season’s trend, in which he had just 124 shots — the first time he slipped below 2.0 shots per game since his rookie season.
In short, Green will have a tough time sustaining this kind of production if he doesn’t shoot more.
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HOT: Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Blue Jackets (2-2-0 record, 2.28 GAA, 0.935 Sv%, 1 Shutout in last four games)
After getting lit up by the Bruins on opening night, Bobrovsky has settled into the form that made him a Vezina trophy winner a few years back. He still has that world-beating talent, and he’s displaying it for an improved Blue Jackets team.
What’s great for Bobrovsky owners is that he is doing this in October. (Typically, Bobrovsky waits until March/April to turn it on.)
Aside from last season’s injury-plagued ride, there has been no better goalie to play come head-to-head playoff time. No one trusts that the Blue Jackets will remain competitive this season, but Bobrovsky gives them a fighting chance.
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NOT: Jonathan Toews, C, Blackhawks (2 points in last 6 games)
While Panarin, Anisimov and Kane have erupted for some big point totals so far this season, Toews has been left out of the party.
That would be fine, except linemate Richard Panik is off to a sizzling start with six goals in six games. That Toews isn’t producing points while a linemate overachieves is a bad omen.
Toews should maintain fantasy relevance, but this is not a great start coming off last season’s disappointing 58 points. Another season in the 50s may be in store.
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NOT: Andrew Ladd, LW, Islanders (1 point, minus-3 in last 6 games)
Thankfully, Ladd found his first point on Sunday night. However, despite of seeing extensive minutes alongside John Tavares, the Islanders’ big off-season acquisition has done very little.
Fantasy owners are growing impatient while Tavares and Ladd try to find chemistry.
Ladd’s upside isn’t so explosive that you’d certainly regret dropping him for a juicier option, especially since he is on the wrong side of 30.
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NOT: Joonas Donskoi, RW, Sharks (0 points, minus-2 in last 5 games)
After scoring on opening night, Donskoi has done little to give fantasy managers confidence in his ability to produce. His situation – skating on the second line with Logan Couture and Mikkel Boedker – is juicy enough, but the fact that he only sees time on the second power play unit limits his upside.
Guys who top out in the 40-50 -point range aren’t worth hanging on to when they aren’t scoring. Find another option and circle back to Donskoi if there’s an injury or he heats up.
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NOT: Jake Muzzin, D, Kings (0 points, minus-3 in last 5 games)
Muzzin has yet to find the scoreboard this season, which isn’t necessarily that shocking. He’s a defenceman, after all, and one who has maxed out at 40 points in each of the past two seasons.
That’s probably as much as he has to offer, which is fine, but it also means there are inevitably going to be 42 games in which he doesn’t register points. Within that paradigm, a five-game scoreless drought to start the season is just a blip.
NOT: Louis Domingue, G, Coyotes (0-4-0 record, 5.03 GAA, 0.851 Sv%, 0 Shutouts, 4 games)
Anyone hoping that Domingue would offer value off the waiver wire as he did last season has been sorely disappointed.
Starter Mike Smith can’t get back soon enough for a Coyote squad that may be playing too many youngsters.
If you are going with Domingue in net, you must be in dire straights in goal. Even Peter Budaj would be a better option.
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Steve Laidlaw is the Managing Editor of Dobberhockey. Follow him on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw.
