Zach Hyman will soon be a 50-goal scorer.
Perhaps unimaginable when the Toronto Maple Leafs opted to let Hyman walk and ink a lucrative long-term extension with the Edmonton Oilers. The rugged forward never eclipsed 21 goals in any season during his time with the Maple Leafs and he was already approaching the age of 30.
Hyman, now 31, is just getting better as he ages in Edmonton, becoming the perfect winger for Connor McDavid. He knows exactly where to go when McDavid has the puck and Hyman is becoming one of the best finishers near the net in the NHL.
This got me thinking about where you should draft Hyman next fall if you’re not in a keeper league. We all know the dangers of taking a player too high coming off a career year in their thirties, but Hyman’s campaign feels like the furthest thing from a fluke. He’s gone from 27 to 36 and now 49 goals in his three seasons in Edmonton, showing no signs of slowing down. He ranks in the top 15 among NHL skaters in shots as well. It also sounded like one of the reasons the Leafs were wary about giving Hyman a long-term deal was his durability, though he quickly put those fears to rest. Hyman hasn’t missed any significant time as an Oiler.
Hyman is going to end up with 50-plus goals, about a point per game and probably around 300 shots. He was a late fourth-round pick on average in drafts this season, but in some formats, you could argue he has top-20 potential in 2024-25. In points leagues that weigh goals more heavily, there’s an argument that Hyman should come off the board in the second round.
Wherever he gets drafted, Hyman isn’t going to be a steal anymore. He’s making a statement loud and clear that he’s one of the best forwards in the NHL.
1. Juuse Saros has righted the ship. After a shaky first half, the Nashville Predators goaltender has been incredible of late, posting a .920 save percentage or better in 10 of his past 13 starts. I know many contemplated dropping Saros at points during November and December, but elite goalies usually figure it out. He’s probably the biggest reason the Predators have gone on a run and are now comfortably sitting in a playoff spot.
2. On the blue line, Jeremy Lauzon went down this week, which was a low-key very significant injury. Lauzon leads the league in hits by a mile and was 40 per cent rostered before the injury. He’s a huge difference-maker in leagues that count hits and can often swing that category in your favour all by himself.
3. One of the things I try to avoid when analyzing the schedule for the fantasy playoffs are players that have big gaps between games. For instance, the Calgary Flames had four days off between games this week and next week both the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders have three. It’s tough to have a player sitting on your roster and doing nothing for that long of a stretch. You have to try and maximize every day in a playoff matchup.
4. The Islanders broke up Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat recently, a duo that’s had good success together. It hasn’t impacted either, as Horvat has notched five points in his past five games, while Barzal has four in his last two outings. If you’re rostering any Isles, though, you’ll have some tough decisions for next week. New York plays just twice against Tampa Bay and Florida. Not ideal.
5. Eight points in six games for Morgan Frost, who has been very impressive lately centring the top line with Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. The question with Frost, as is with any Philadelphia Flyer, is can you trust he won’t be scratched by John Tortorella during a key playoff matchup? If captain Sean Couturier can be scratched, no one is safe.
6. Ryan Hartman has picked it up lately, thanks to a bump to the top six with Joel Eriksson Ek sidelined. He’s notched six points in his past eight games and has played more than 20 minutes in four of those. Hartman is great for category coverage as well, with decent shot volume and faceoff numbers. The issue is an Eriksson Ek return may not be far off and the Minnesota Wild only play twice next week, making a waiver add challenging.
7. That’s 15 points now for Nick Schmaltz in March. He’s not much for overall category coverage, but the Arizona Coyotes forward can help you out in a big way in a points league. He’s widely available and had a strong finish to the season last year, too.
8. Cam Talbot has completely turned his game around, recently posting a streak of 11 quality starts in a row. The Los Angeles Kings goaltender, not unlike many netminders, has had a roller coaster of a season. This is always why I make the argument to try and hang onto goalies on strong teams going through a bad stretch if you can, as they almost always turn it around if they get the chance. Talbot and Ilya Samsonov are two great examples this season. Sometimes it’s really difficult not to drop someone struggling as badly as Talbot was, but the grass isn’t always greener.
9. Matt Dumba is tough to roster in most leagues, but could be a fit in formats with penalty minutes. He’s been getting big minutes since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dumba has tallied 25 PIMs in six games with his new team.
10. That’s now 16 points in five games for Nikita Kucherov. He’s 43 points ahead of Brayden Point as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s top scorer. There are several worthy candidates for the Hart Trophy this season, but Kucherov deserves the MVP in my humble opinion.
11. Count me as one that’s been proven wrong by Jake Allen in New Jersey. I can’t say I was overly confident Allen would have much success with the Devils given the struggles a number of goalies have had there this year, but so far so good, besides Saturday’s outing against Ottawa. Allen is 3-2-0 with a .923 save percentage since joining the team. He could be a nice late-season find for a goalie-needy squad.
12. Perhaps no player needed Dylan Larkin’s return Thursday more than Alex DeBrincat. Larkin scored twice and DeBrincat picked up a pair of assists after recording just two points in his previous 10 games. The return of Larkin should jumpstart the Detroit Red Wings top six and give them an edge on claiming that final playoff spot in the East.
13. I wonder if James Reimer starts seeing more action. He’s 3-0-0 in his past three, with quality starts in each of those games. I’m a little surprised the Wings went back to Alex Lyon Saturday against the Nashville Predators, who have now lost eight in a row. Detroit is fighting for a playoff spot and should probably just roll with the goalie who is winning.
14. I’d love to get an extended look at Max Domi playing next to Auston Matthews. Domi recorded four assists against the Washington Capitals and added another against the Oilers on Saturday. It’s clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs forward has major fantasy upside if he plays with some more talent. I actually prefer Domi at wing as opposed to centring William Nylander, since he looks less worried about defence with Matthews and better suited to produce offence. Mitch Marner’s eventual return will force the lines to be juggled, but here’s hoping Domi gets a decent run with Matthews and Marner.
15. Tom Wilson received a six-game suspension, probably making him drop going forward. He’s likely going to miss the majority of the fantasy playoffs and will be tough to hold if you don’t have an NA spot.
16. The majority of teams play three games next week, with only two having four games and four playing twice. Maybe it’s worth looking at an Anaheim Ducks forward like Leo Carlsson or Alex Killorn who play four times. Vegas is the other team with four, so Anthony Mantha could be worth a shot. I’d look at Logan Thompson as well if he’s available. He’s been great in his past two starts.
It’s more complicated for players with only two games. Who do you drop and who do you keep? You can’t drop someone like Jack Hughes, but the decisions get tougher with a player like Nick Paul, let’s say. He’s been effective for Tampa all season, but can you get more from a player on waivers in three games compared to Paul’s two? Probably, though how does that leave you the following week if you make it that far? There are always really tough choices in a winner-take-all matchup
17. It’s been tough to roster Lukas Dostal consistently given the state of the Ducks, but he’s had some really impressive showings this season. You can tell he has a bright future and Dostal is going to be a must roster in a few years when Anaheim’s young talent puts it all together. Dostal is a good keeper if you’re thinking long-term this off-season.
18. Even with the Pittsburgh Penguins struggling, Michael Bunting is settling in nicely with his new team. He has six points in his past six games and he’s been splitting time playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Bunting could be a nice streamer to close out the season and a good value pick in next year’s drafts.
19. Pavel Buchnevich is redeeming himself after fizzling out down the stretch. The St. Louis Blues forward frustrated many with his play heading into the fantasy playoffs, but now has seven points in four games, including two different three-assist games. Those are the type of performances that can swing the balance of a tight head-to-head matchup.
20. There’s a good chance Joey Daccord will face the Ducks either Tuesday or Thursday next week. That’s a very friendly matchup if you can get over Daccord’s debacle on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. He was dropped in a lot of leagues after that contest. Do you dare take the risk?