20 Fantasy Thoughts: What to do with Tuch, Krebs after Eichel trade

Shame on Connor McDavid for overshadowing the big trade.

After months of deliberation, it finally happened, Jack Eichel is a Vegas Golden Knight. Funny enough, it could be a while before we see anyone from the blockbuster deal actually play an NHL game. Of course, Eichel and Alex Tuch remain out due to injury, and Peyton Krebs was immediately sent to the AHL, the right play by the way.

And so, the fantasy community will have plenty of time to dwell on matters. At the very least, it’s never too early to start thinking of a name for the Max Pacioretty, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone trio. One by one, Vegas is picking apart the Atlantic Division.

1. Without question, the move from Buffalo to Vegas is a clear win for Eichel owners, assuming a return to full health, of course. With a new lease on life and the prospects of playing alongside two All-Star wingers, the 25-year-old centre should have no problem returning to top-20 prominence. Take the plunge.

2. Scoop and stash Alex Tuch. The power forward, who’s still probably weeks away from a potential return, is in line for top-line minutes with the Sabres. He’ll likely skate with Dylan Cozens.

3. Put Krebs on your long-term watch list. Early on in Rochester, the 2019 first rounder has looked impressive alongside J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn, a trio we could see playing together in Buffalo sooner rather than later.

4. Short-term, Vegas is in a tough spot right now, they’re really banged up. Personally, I think it’s a great time to facilitate a buy-low on Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore. Just think about what the second half could look like for the Golden Knights, they’re a perennial contender. Think about it.

5. Theoretically, the coaching change in Chicago should boost the value of pretty much all parties involved. For what it’s worth, I’m still fully behind trading for Marc-Andre Fleury, even if the Blackhawks have surrendered 47 goals in 12 games to start the season. They’re not 1-9-2 bad, are they?

6. Aside from the obvious files on that roster, Kirby Dach and Dylan Strome stand out for me. To say the least, both have underperformed to-date, so perhaps a coaching change can spur them on. Probably wishful thinking on Strome, but you never know.

7. No need to overreact if you own Cole Caufield, I think he’ll be back in the NHL in short order. I’d give it some time before jumping ship. Unbelievably, the winger’s fantasy stock has crashed significantly, currently hovering around 30 per cent ownership. Caufield was the betting favourite for the Calder Trophy for a reason. Be mindful.

8. Take a flier on Robert Thomas. Brayden Schenn is down with an upper body injury, so Thomas’ five-on-five attachment to the red-hot Vladimir Tarasenko should continue for the foreseeable future. Value buy.

9. Matt Duchene, Ryan Getzlaf and J.T. Compher are three solid Brayden Schenn replacement options. Have a look.

10. Searching for Anthony Mantha/Patrik Laine replacements? Blake Coleman, Anthony Duclair and Marcus Foligno could help you out.

11. With Filip Forsberg on the shelf for Nashville, Luke Kunin should be on your radar, even if it’s for a cheeky DFS play. He’s been skating with Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene on the top-line.

Also, don’t sleep on rookie Philip Tomasino, either. Put the sniper on your watch list.

12. Drop Anders Lee. The Islanders captain is off to a slow start, you can always circle back later in the season.

13. Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alex Radulov are three notable names on the Stars roster that I feel have tons of buy-low appeal right now. Check it out.

14. Keep an eye out for Wild winger Mats Zuccarello. The 34-year-old, who could return to the Wild lineup following a stint in Covid protocol as soon as today, was red-hot before going down. He plays a ton with Kirill Kaprizov, that’s all you need to know.

15. For my money, Bowen Byram has reached must-own territory, especially now with Cale Makar sidelined for the Avalanche. It’s scary to think that Byram’s only 20, he’s looked fantastic recently.

16. I’m buying on Nate Schmidt, who I identified as a bounce-back candidate going into the season. The 30-year-old blueliner has tallied nine assists in 10 games to start the year for the Jets. Schmidt’s been seeing a steady dose of top pairing minutes and most importantly, he’s been quarterbacking Winnipeg’s first play unit.

17. Attention Sergei Bobrovsky and Petr Mrazek owners, here’s a couple goalies to consider plucking off waivers: DAL Braden Holtby, BOS Jeremy Swayman and SEA Chris Driedger.

18. Now’s a good time to acquire Washington’s Ilya Samsonov, who’s once again being outplayed by Vitek Vanecek. Similar to last season, the Russian has struggled with inconsistency in the early going. There’s too much potential for this to continue, I’m still buying.

19. Week of November (Nov. 8-14) will feature a total of 51 games.

Monday: 3 Games
Tuesday: 10 Games
Wednesday: 3 Games
Thursday: 11 Games
Friday: 5 Games
Saturday: 13 Games
Sunday: 6 Games

There are 13 teams with four-game weeks: Boston, Calgary, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington.

I like these two schedules the most:

Toronto Maple Leafs: Mon (LA), Wed (@PHI), Fri (CGY), Sat (@BUF)
Waiver Looks: Michael Bunting, Alex Kerfoot
SN Fantasy Pool: Auston Matthews 4, TOR Goalies 4

Washington Capitals: Tues (BUF), Wed (@DET), Fri (@CBJ), Sun (PIT)
Waiver Looks: Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre
SN Fantasy Pool: Alex Ovechkin 3, WSH Goalies 3

20. Steer clear of depth adds from Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, and Tampa. Each will just twice.

Another week, another quiet one-game slate for the Islanders as they prepare to open their new arena on Nov. 20. What a way to start the season.

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