Frozen Fantasy: Dirty Dozen

I'll keep this brief. It's been a long week. And after a death in the family, my head's there and not in some deep hockey topic. 

It's OK to tap out for a bit every once in a while. We're all human. 

The dust will clear soon. Until then, let's dive right in on some of the dozen players who've caught my eye this week. Or who've been rattling around in my head. 

Jack Campbell, G, Edmonton (5 percent Yahoo!) – Stop rolling your eyes. Campbell was reeling when he hit the AHL, and it showed. But he's looked sharp in his last three games, and a call-up may be imminent. The Oilers would love to trade him, but his $5 mil price tag is too high. But Campbell can be a serviceable backup and maybe more if he can keep the pressure of playing in Canada in perspective. And there's no better way to ease him in than against the lowly Blackhawks on Dec. 12. That's pure speculation, but there's some logic to it. I like Campbell and hope to see him succeed. It's hard to see a good human being get eaten up by the irrational stress of fanatics. 

Michael Carcone, LW, Arizona (1 percent Yahoo!) – Carcone's pro career has been a tough slog. He's the kind of prototypical small, skilled forward who'd get a lot of attention at the draft today, but not in the mid-2010s when he was eligible. Now 27, Carcone's skills are baked in, yet he's giving it all he's got in the desert. He's on a three-game, four-goal streak heading into Monday where he and Alex Kerfoot (below) are truly clicking. The Yotes seem real, and their third line is for real. Check for Carcone in deep formats. 

J.T. Compher, LW/RW, Detroit (32 percent Yahoo!) – Fantasy managers are jumping all over Compher. He's been hot, as in 15 points - including 10 assists - in 16 games going into Tuesday. But there's a chance he skates with Patrick Kane (73 percent Yahoo!) when the newly-inked winger arrives, and that could be gold at even-strength. It's going to take Kane some time to get up to speed. And it remains to be seen what he has left 5v5. So keep Compher in mind if Kaner is gone in your format. But remember – Compher may lose his PP1 gig to Kane, so his current production change dimension a bit if you decide to add him. 

Anton Forsberg, G, Ottawa (5 percent Yahoo!) – I don't know what to think about Ottawa this season. They're so talented, yet so awful in the standings. How can one team be last in a conference and carry a positive goal differential? The goaltending has been decent, but not good enough to overcome their subpar goal scoring at 29th in the NHL. Forsberg can be amazing for a couple of games and then awful. And that's an unpredictable anchor, especially in weekly formats. He's coming off a great effort Saturday night in a 39-save shutout, even if it was the low-scoring Kraken. There's a chance Forsberg could move into a platoon with Joonas Korpisalo (68 percent Yahoo!) or maybe more short-term if he can put together a few Ws. The Sens need a boost. You should use that to your advantage if you have the flexibility. 

Alexander Holtz, LW, New Jersey (3 percent Yahoo!) – Holtz is starting to show off his draft promise. The high-volume shooter has recorded five points - including three goals - across his last five games heading into Tuesday. And 18 shots during that span after only 20 from the previous 17 appearances. Holtz has always carried a heavy shot, and his confidence is soaring. And if the Devils can get some goaltending, well… I like their chances. Holtz will be a part of that. 

Alex Kerfoot, LW/C, Arizona (1 percent Yahoo!) – Change is hard, and we saw that with Kerfoot on his arrival in Arizona. After four seasons with the Leafs, he found himself unwanted and the Coyotes jumped on him. Kerfoot is known for secondary scoring, though it's taken time for him to get his feet out of the proverbial sand. His first 13 games were a write-off with only three assists, and all coming in a single game. Since then and going into Monday, Kerfoot has notched nine points in 10 games, including a current three-game, six-point streak that includes five helpers. He's winning faceoffs, throwing an occasional hit and posting power-play points. Kerfoot is a lift-the-floor kind of player if you need that help. 

Mason Marchment, LW, Dallas (5 percent Yahoo!) – Marchment is another Leafs reject who's found a successful home elsewhere. First, it was Florida. And now, it's Dallas. He's on a three-game, five-point run that includes three goals heading into Monday night. And if you strip off those five scoreless contests to start his season, Marchment has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 17. He's skating on the second line beside Matt Duchene (56 percent Yahoo!) and Tyler Seguin (42 percent Yahoo!) and right now is the most productive one from that trio. Marchment's shooting percentage is high (15.9 percent), so that reversion to the mean conversation could be real. But at the same time, he shot like this in 2021-22 with Florida when he had top-six opportunities and strong linemates. I like the risk. 

Spencer Martin, G, Columbus (3 percent Yahoo!) – Put Martin on your watchlist and set up name notifications on your tweet machine. He's in the net Sunday against Boston, but that's not the reason. The Blue Jackets got him for nothing off the wire, and they're going nowhere. They would move Martin in a heartbeat, likely for a simple draft pick, and several teams are looking for cheap netminding. There's a rumor circulating about the Oilers, yet he's a lot of risk. Martin is far too aggressive in the net and still gets out of shape too easily. But maybe not for the Oil. And not so much that I wouldn't grab him and leverage a deal to one of their fans.   

Jake Neighbours, LW, St. Louis (14 percent Yahoo!) – Neighbours is a bulldog on the puck as he plows through guys rather than go around them and is remarkably strong in possession for someone under 6-feet. His smarts stand out. So does his skill in front of the net. And his shot. Neighbours is currently on the Blues' first trio and has potted seven goals (eight points) across eight games (19 shots). Add in 16 hits and a gig on the top power play and you have a great short-term pick-up. Neighbours will come down off this goal run – not even Auston Matthews (100 percent Yahoo!) can keep up that type of sniping. But the youngster is in a great spot to possibly flirt with a 30-goal, 130-hit season. That's money in the bank in some formats.

Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey (15 percent Yahoo!) – Nemec debuted with a bang Friday. Dougie Hamilton is out indefinitely after surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, and Nemec is his replacement. He wasn't having a great season in Utica with half of his points there coming in a single outing. But he burst onto the ice Friday and put up two helpers, including one on the man-advantage. The Devils have rookie Luke Hughes (76 percent Yahoo!) and my gut says Nemec is quietly eager to show fans and management which rookie defender is better. He could become a great fantasy play. Or at minimum, great trade bait for a manager who is all about shiny new toys. 

Evan Rodrigues, RW/LW/C, Florida (32 percent Yahoo!) – Rodrigues is a streaming player. He runs hot and cold, so you need to time your wire grab carefully. He's on the Kitties' first line and second power play, so opportunities are plenty. Right now, Rodrigues could be heading into one of those runs with a two-game, three-point streak entering Wednesday. The streaks don't last long, so you'll need to ditch and run. But he may be your target if you're into market timing. 

Kiefer Sherwood, LW, Nashville (3 percent Yahoo!) – Sherwood is skating on the Preds' second trio and excelling. He won't give you special-teams points or anything fancy. But he heads into Sunday with 17 hits from his last four games, and that's volume enough to swing a category for you. And if he can keep this up, Sherwood could be a 35-point, 200-plus hit buzzsaw in muscle leagues. 

Until next week.