It's been another week of mixed results around my teams. While it's discouraging to be around the middle of the pack in a lot of leagues -- and lower than that in others -- I'm not all that worried just yet.
I've got a lot of good players and good teams. The problems have been facing a player who puts together his best week of the season, or a challenging week from my goalies. That's life right now for those who heavily invested in guys like Filip Gustavsson and Stuart Skinner -- the results just aren't there.
As much as I'd like to stay the course, I don't play to finish fourth. I've had to move up my timetable for making changes to losing rosters, because there's a lot of talent I can add to shore up the weak spots. This is prime move-making season.
In one keeper league, I decided to be proactive and offload Cale Makar after a slow start. I got a first-round pick in the deal -- can't ask for much more than that. My other keeper teams are still in the battle, so it's about making smart and small adjustments for the rest of the calendar year.
For redraft formats, now is a great time to earnestly get involved in the trade market. A reminder: don't waste people's time with lousy offers. If you're offering replacement-level players for a top-20 option, don't send that deal. Trading is business; you've got to give to get, and people will remember their interactions. A bad offer now could make your fellow managers suspicious of your future offers, especially when time is of the essence around the deadline.
On the free-agent front, I'm liking what I'm seeing from Jaden Schwartz. The Kraken's lineup is still based on balance, but the lines centered by Alexander Wennberg and Yanni Gourde are driving the offense so far. Schwartz is on Wennberg's line, which is a de facto first line, regardless of how it's listed. With three goals and five assists over a six-game point streak, Schwartz is back in his heyday from 5-8 years ago.
The Jets have gotten off to a solid start this season, sitting third in the Central Division with a 5-4-2 record. The top line is doing fine, the defense is solid and Connor Hellebuyck is still a workhorse, even if the results are mediocre so far. However, it's the third line that can flip a game for this team. Nino Niederreiter has five goals and two assists over his last five games, and that's with a pair of scoreless outings. I liked Niederreiter getting out of Nashville and into Winnipeg from the get-go, though I thought he'd be more of a second-liner. He can be explosive in bursts, but I wouldn't count on this sticking. That said, I'm fine with a short-term pick-up here.
The other members of that line, Mason Appleton and Adam Lowry, have each picked up four helpers over the last four games. I like Lowry better from a fantasy perspective -- he kills penalties, he can move up the lineup to cover shifts and he has a little more bite to his game. Appleton is a tricky read because of his injury risk, but he's worth streaming through while he's hot. All three of these Jets forwards will have more utility in 12-plus-team formats.
Quinton Byfield looks like he's set for a breakout season. The story since last year has been that he sees top-line minutes at even strength but little power-play time, and he's yet to do much with it. This year, he's taken a visible step forward with his general play. He's produced a goal and seven assists over his last five contests, and while the playing-time concerns still surface on occasion, he's overall more engaged. Byfield's already at 10 points, including three on the power play, through 11 games this season.
This week, the best case for the role-over-name concept is Jake Walman, who has two goals and one assist in his last three games. Last year, Walman saw his production spike to 18 points in 63 outings. He's holding down a steady top-four role for the Red Wings, averaging 20:32 of ice time per game. Three of his six points this season have come on the power play, and while there are plenty of defensemen who can take those minutes in Detroit, Walman should remain in the mix. He'll chip in blocked shots aplenty as well as a strong plus-minus rating on a much-improved roster.
Nick Bjugstad is in an unenviable position. With Barrett Hayton already established as the No. 1 center this season and Logan Cooley getting his feet wet at the NHL level, Bjugstad is the classic veteran mentor. However, Cooley has been just okay so far while Bjugstad has excelled with playmaker Matias Maccelli and power forward Lawson Crouse on the second line. Again, this is a line to target -- Crouse for the hits, Maccelli for the assists and Bjugstad for the hits and power-play production. Bjugstad is riding a six-game point streak with a goal and five assists in that span. The Coyotes could very well hang around the wild-card bubble all season, so chemistry will matter for lineup decisions.
With most teams getting past 10 games, it's time to take their rookies seriously. Obviously, Connor Bedard is staying in the NHL, not that anyone thought he wouldn't. In Boston, Matthew Poitras is also apparently here to stay. He's put up four goals and three assists through 11 contests while handling middle-six minutes right out of the gate. No one will crown him the next Patrice Bergeron at this time, but Poitras has helped ease the transition up the middle for the Bruins. He'll be streaky on offense, as many rookies are, but you'll want to get him now if he's lurking on the waiver wire in keeper and dynasty formats.
Owen Power probably alienated a few fantasy managers with a slow start to the season, but he's put it behind him now. Over the last six games, Power has a goal and four assists, and he's added nine blocked shots and a plus-5 rating in that span. He's out there in about half of Yahoo formats, but that's low. Even with the slow start factored in, he's tracking for a career year -- think 40-plus points and 120 blocks. I'm always one to advocate for doing your due diligence with an occasional look at the free-agent pool, even if you're not actively shopping.
Cam Talbot won't be out there in many formats -- he's successfully wrestled away the starting role from Pheonix Copley after beginning the season in a time share. Head coach Todd McLellan believes in keeping a winning goalie in the crease early on, and Talbot's won three straight games and four of his last five, posting a 1.42 GAA and a .945 save percentage in that span. Those number won't stick. The Kings' weakness is goaltending despite having three NHL-caliber options when counting David Rittich at AHL Ontario. However, riding the hot hand can go a long way in fantasy, and Talbot should have no trouble getting wins behind one of the best offenses in the league. See if he's still out there.
Digging a little deeper, Joel Hofer could be a solid option. Jordan Binnington was agonizingly streaky in 2022-23, and that's surfaced early this year too. Hofer has allowed nine goals over three appearances, but with a .912 save percentage due to the Blues' leaky defense. I don't think Binnington is a drop in most formats, but Hofer could be a smart insurance plan to ride through his teammate's slumps.
At this stage of the season, there's still enough runway to make changes with your teams. Time runs out quickly, so takeoff now and figure out how to land your teams in the playoffs on the fly. I will be looking more aggressively at the waiver wire, and while I'm usually on the hesitant side for trades, I'm looking to wheel and deal this season. This will be an active week for me, and hopefully a fruitful one as well. I will be back next week to talk about what ends up working.
