Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Can Nick Suzuki take game to even higher level?

Auston Matthews wants 70.

Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs may downplay the need to hit the mark, but it’s clear by his play of late that it’s important. Matthews is firing everything at the net and is averaging 6.5 shots over his past six games. If Matthews doesn’t get to 70, it won’t be for a lack of trying.

Having a player aiming for a milestone on your roster at this time of year is always beneficial. A motivated skater with something to play for can only help your fantasy squad, as they may receive more playing time and better deployment to help them get there.

What makes Matthews’ pursuit of 70 interesting is what the Leafs might decide to do with him down the stretch. Toronto would normally rest him for a game or two in the final week if they have nothing to play for in the standings so Matthews is fresh for the playoffs, but if he’s at 68 or 69 goals that may be a tougher sell.

If you’re in a roto league that plays right to Game 82 and you have Matthews, it’s possible you’ll have him at your disposal until Toronto’s final game.

Let’s get to your questions:

There are several players you could point to for this answer, but a couple of Dallas Stars I think could be the best candidates. Logan Stankoven is the first player that comes to mind and you can already see the potential he has by the impact he’s made so far in a small sample size. The Stars are also a very deep and talented team at the forward position and Stankoven is currently playing with fellow youngster Wyatt Johnston, which isn’t a bad spot to be in. That said, there should be an opportunity for Stankoven to move up even higher in the lineup in 2024-25 and that will only help his upside.

I’d also look at Thomas Harley on the blue line. You could argue his breakout season came this year, but I think he still has another gear to get to. Harley and Miro Heiskanen play huge minutes on the Stars’ top pair and if Dallas can re-sign Chris Tanev, it should continue to free up Harley to play a more offensive style as opposed to shutdown minutes.

Gabriel Vilardi could also be someone to look at. There were signs of a breakout this season, though Vilardi has battled injuries and missed a lot of time. If he can stay in the lineup more regularly, I think he has a real chance to be a 60-point player.

I’m always in favour of taking the extra games, as long as the players are fairly comparable. Jake Neighbours can score and the St. Louis Blues get Anaheim and San Jose this weekend, two teams that give up a lot of goals. If it’s not going to ruin your roster balance by giving up a defenceman for a forward, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the move.

I would look at Scott Wedgewood against the Chicago Blackhawks if he gets the call. The Stars have won 13 of their past 15 games and it’s a friendly opponent for Wedgewood. If nothing else, he should give you a decent shot at a win.

There’s also a possible Calvin Pickard start versus the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The Flames have really struggled since the trade deadline and the Oilers are obviously a very good team.

Do you dare try Joel Hofer again versus Anaheim or San Jose? It didn’t work out well last weekend against the Sharks but there probably won’t be better options in a one-game scenario.

We throw around the term “underrated” a lot, but I think Nick Suzuki is one of the few guys where the term really applies. A career high in goals and points this season took him to another level in fantasy and I really believe Suzuki has a chance to find an even higher gear.

The main reason I think Suzuki can still improve his fantasy production is that his linemates are only going to get better. Suzuki is having a huge season while Cole Caufield is having a down year. Caufield’s shooting percentage is down by more than 50 per cent from what it was last year and he isn’t scoring anywhere near the 46-goal pace he put up in 2022-23. He should be a perennial 40-goal scorer and with those numbers, it’s only going to help Suzuki even more.

Juraj Slafkovsky is also having a solid season and appears to only be scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. I’m not sure what his ceiling is going to be, but if Slafkovsky can become even a 60-point player, the Montreal Canadiens could have the makings of a very formidable top line for years to come.

Suzuki also has 30 points with the man advantage this year on the league’s 26th-ranked power play. As some of these aforementioned players continue to develop and the team gets better, that power play won’t be this bad forever, giving Suzuki even more of an opportunity to produce there. Overall, Suzuki has delivered a very impressive season in less-than-ideal circumstances, so there’s reason to believe his game can reach new heights when some of the players around him take another step.

I would not sell high on J.T. Miller. This is a player that’s averaging around 90 points and 200 hits over the past three years, so we’re not talking about a small sample size or one anomaly season. Miller has a ton of talent around him and the Vancouver Canucks are likely going to be a top team for at least few years moving forward, allowing Miller to build on what he’s accomplished. There’s not that many players I’d rather have over Miller in a multi-cat league.

I’d probably go with Lucas Raymond if I had to choose. He’s been quiet lately and I think has the least upside out of the four you listed.

For the goalie question, I’m always cautious about goalies from year to year, but Pyotr Kochetkov should have some major value. He’s on arguably the most goalie-friendly team in the Carolina Hurricanes and Kochetkov should be on the roster full-time next year. Frederik Andersen will also be 35, so they may want to reduce his workload a bit. If Kochetkov is even in a 50/50 split he’ll be really valuable and he’ll have upside to play a lot more based on Andersen’s age and injury history.

If you have an open IR spot, I don’t see why not. There’s a chance he could return Friday, which would still give you two games from Valeri Nichushkin this week. Even if he isn’t ready, you could just stash him on IR to give your team a big boost whenever he’s ready.

Based on the way he’s played this season, I’d say Joey Daccord should at least get a 50/50 split of the net next year. It’s going to be tough for him to entirely take over, though, since Philipp Grubauer has a big contract and it seems unlikely the Seattle Kraken would relegate him to backup duties. A lot also depends on how good the Kraken are in 2024-25. We saw Seattle fade down the stretch this year and if they can get back to the playoffs next year it’s only going to make Daccord more valuable.

Join the club. I’ve also lost in the semis the past three seasons. At this point in the year, a lot of it depends on how healthy your team is and the schedule. Sometimes the amount of total games played in a matchup works in your opponent’s favour and it feels like a losing battle. As much as we plan and strategize, it takes a lot of good fortune to win a fantasy title.