Frozen Fantasy: Streaming Success

Streaming. Some people do it well. Others, not so much. I have swung between the two extremes, depending on my available time and attention span. 

You can imagine the results. Meh. 

But over the last six weeks, I've dug into streaming - at least in one of my leagues. And the results have been good enough to write about. 

Now, you may be thinking WTF – she writes about this every week, but she doesn't do it? I play in so many leagues that I miss stuff some weeks. I'm human. Life gets in the way, like it does with all of us. 

But streaming has kept me in one league where sluggish stars and painful injuries wear like a boulder on my team. This week, I'm playing the one at the top of the standings. He's the commish and his team is built for success yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Yeah, I'm talking about our own prospect guru, Jon Litterine. Read his stuff if you don't. 

Anyway, my roster is in the muddy middle. Not good enough to win, and not bad enough to destroy. Like in the NHL, it's a horrible place to be. But we head into Sunday neck-and-neck. Based on some great performances by stars, but a lot of lucky waiver streaming. 

Like Morgan Geekie (10 percent Yahoo!), Alex Kerfoot (12 percent Yahoo!), Jonathan Drouin (22 percent Yahoo!) and especially Martin Jones (now 62 percent Yahoo!). And a bit of Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod (both below). 

Now, streaming didn't help me at all the week before – I got shut out in a 10-point week by none other than Jan Levine, our Barometer writer. Oh, what an ugly week. That loss might have finished my chance at the postseason. Sigh.

But that aside, streaming simply takes a bit of attention and digging around. Really, how long does it take to block 15 minutes into a morning to scan notes and game scores?

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Laurent Brossoit, G, Winnipeg (20 percent Yahoo!) – Put Brossoit on your watch list. He plays the second half of back-to-backs, or about every three-to-four games if there are none. And he's delivering – his last three games were all wins where he only allowed a total of five goals. The Jets are playing great hockey, and they'll need Brossoit in the blue paint to keep Connor Hellebuyck (99 percent Yahoo!) fresh for postseason play. There are few guarantees in life, other than the proverbial death and taxes. But Brossoit seems close, especially if you're spot starting your twinetenders.

Ty Emberson, D, San Jose (0 percent Yahoo!) – Emberson has been a revelation in San Jose. The rookie has stepped into the top pair like a grizzled veteran. He heads into Tuesday on a three-game, three-assist streak and six points (one goal, five assists) in his last eight. Along with 20 hits and 12 blocks. Emberson isn't really a power-play participant, yet is a really smart defender. And that means his plus-minus won't sink you – take a look at what he pulled off last Tuesday in a 5-3 loss to Detroit. Emberson was somehow plus-3. The Sharks are bad, but he's a well-kept secret. And those hits really help. 

Warren Foegele, LW, Edmonton (4 percent Yahoo!) – Foegele exploded for five points on New Year's Eve while skating on Edmonton's second line. Yes, that's with Leon Draisaitl (100 percent Yahoo!). Foegele has long-struggled with inconsistency, though he's still a strong and aggressive skater who's at his best pursuing the puck as the first man in the zone. Like linemate Ryan McLeod (below), his contributions are largely hollow – it's even-strength offense and nothing else. But Foegele is worth a lineup spot as long as he keeps skating with Leon. And especially if he's replacing a bottom-sixer in your lineup. 

Trent Frederic, RW/C, Boston (6 percent Yahoo!) – Frederic caught my eye with his three-point performance on New Year's Eve, and all he's done since is keep going. I nabbed him Saturday after another two-goal outburst, this time against the Bolts. It would have been nicer to have had him in my lineup for that, but let's see what he can do this week. Frederic has racked up five goals and one assist in his last four games to go with eight shots and six hits. His shooting percentage is unsustainable, but he's worth a roll of the dice. 

Thomas Harley, D, Dallas (31 percent Yahoo!) – It's Harley's time, so get on board. Miro Heiskanen (96 percent Yahoo!) is week-to-week, and Harley is now the QB on PP1. And he offers the talent to soar in that role. He'd already picked up the pace since mid-December with nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last 11 games. And he's pacing toward 45 or more points.  Harley is a low-cost option and one that's also a great dynasty play. 

Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Calgary (37 percent Yahoo!) – This is a hunch, but the potential is too great to not speculate on Huberdeau. The Flames are playing better hockey of late, and that includes their $10.5-million dollar man. He's quietly posted two goals and an assist from his last four games heading into Sunday. Sure, the Flames need to trade him, though that seems impossible. And his talent is undeniable. Calgary will start to disassemble some of its parts soon enough, but Huberdeau should put up points if their on-ice system is finally strong. And that might as well be on my roster than someone else's. 

Andrew Mangiapane, LW/RW, Calgary (21 percent Yahoo!) – With the Flames starting to resurge, fantasy managers may need to take notice of more of their players - like Mangiapane. The Bread Man of the West has tallied one goal, five assists and six hits in four games heading into Sunday, three of which were Calgary wins. Mangiapane is chugging along at a 50-point pace and delivers a hit per game. As mentioned above, the Flames are likely to be dismantled before the deadline, and that means the yeasty one may rise up the lineup to fill some vacant spots. I'm hoping for a second-half run. 

Mason Marchment, LW, Dallas (26 percent Yahoo!) – Marchment heads into Sunday as the No. 3 player on the Yahoo! player rater. I'm serious. He's on a four-game, nine-point streak that includes three goals, six assists, a plus-6 rating, 12 shots and six hits. He and Tyler Seguin (below) are flourishing with Matt Duchene (69 percent Yahoo!) on Dallas's strong second line. Duchene is an impossible target and Seguin is also starting to be well-rostered. But Marchment is a freebie in three-in-four leagues. 

Ryan McLeod, C, Edmonton (3 percent Yahoo!) – McLeod heads into Tuesday with four two-point efforts from his last seven outings. Prior to that, he only managed seven points across 29 games. Gulp. McLeod's production is largely hollow – he doesn't give you many hits, blocks, shots or faceoff wins. But guys who ride shotgun with studs like Leon Draisaitl (100 percent Yahoo!) get on the scoresheet simply by keeping their sticks on the ice. McLeod may help pad your even-strength offense as long as he and Leon maintain a love connection. 

Vladislav Namestnikov, LW/C, Winnipeg (15 percent Yahoo!) – Namestnikov has jumped from two percent to 13 in a couple days. Heading into Sunday, he registered a goal and six assists in his last five games, and that included a marker and helper on the power play. Namestnikov has quietly been toiling as the Jets 1C alongside Nikolaj Ehlers (75 percent Yahoo!) and Gabriel Vilardi (53 percent Yahoo!). That's a sure ticket to success. The Jets are playing great hockey, even without Kyle Connor (96 percent). 

Michael Pezzetta, LW, Montreal (1 percent Yahoo!) – Pezzetta is a wrecking ball on ice. He's the first man into the zone on puck pursuits, and he knows how to finish. And that's why he's here. Despite managing a couple of assists, Pezzetta has pounded out 22 hits in four games this week. And heading into Saturday, he was 12th in the NHL with 97 in only 27 appearances. That's a 3.59 average, which put him second-best in the NHL in at least the top-50 hitters. All he did Saturday was pick up eight more. Wow. Pezzetta is a true one-hit (or maybe 22-hit) wonder. But anyone who's sitting as a top-10 skater on the Yahoo! player rater Sunday morning is worth a look. And especially if he can win you a single category.

Rasmus Sandin, D, Washington (15 percent Yahoo!) – Sandin's game is finally starting to thaw. He's out sick again Sunday, but he'll be back soon. Sandin has five helpers, including two on the power play, in his last five games. Remember last season? He went off for 15 points in 19 games after arriving in D.C. Sure, Sandin isn't that good – the Leafs would never have let him go if that was the case. But he'll deliver steady offense and block a few pucks, and a lot of managers can use that help. 

Tyler Seguin, RW/C, Dallas (40 percent Yahoo!) – Seguin has been here at least once this season, and he deserves to be back as he's produced four goals (six points) over his last four games heading into Monday and is on pace for his best offensive season since 2018-19. He'll be increasingly rostered on name value alone, so move fast. It's hard to go wrong with a 55-point right winger on one of the NHL's best teams. 

Egor Zamula, D, Philadelphia (0 percent Yahoo!) – This is another hunch, but I think it bears the risk. Zamula has started to chew up a lot of Cam York's (5 percent Yahoo!) time on the power play. John Tortorella might go right back to York, though he could also let this kid ride. Zamula has notched five points, including two goals, in his last seven games - including a goal and an assist with the man-advantage. I'm officially curious. 

Back to streaming. 

I wish I could stream in a new league I took on mid-season. There are no waivers. I got what I got. And I'm sinking like a stone. I've had wicked injuries combined with deep slumps on my farm system. And my netminding has been horrendous. 

Worse than horrendous, actually. I have Alexandar Georgiev (99 percent Yahoo!) and Logan Thompson (74 percent Yahoo!), but their ratios have been queasy. The rest of my net? 

Anton Forsberg (5 percent Yahoo!), Karel Vejmelka (38 percent Yahoo), Jack Campbell (4 percent Yahoo!), Ilya Samsonov (27 percent Yahoo!) and Antti Raanta (17 percent Yahoo!). 

Spit. They've almost all been put on waivers. 

And Macklin Celebrini won't help my blue paint if I hit bottom. I really need to figure out a strategy, what with a complex minor roster system and no in-season moves other than trades. But that's for another time.

Until next week.