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DFO Fantasy Mailbag: Dec. 2

Nick Alberga
Nick Alberga(@thegoldenmuzzy)
Dec 2, 2022, 14:35 EST
DFO Fantasy Mailbag: Dec. 2
Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Alberga: Who saw this coming? I know I didn’t. After a hot start, the Flames have fallen off a cliff over the past month or so. Having said that, it’s a long season, I think it’s inevitable that the big boys find their game eventually. For what it’s worth, of the three players listed, Andersson would be the first to go if you’re really feeling the heat to make a change. Stay patient.

Brock Seguin: They seem to be turning a corner. Huberdeau has picked up points in three straight games (1G / 3A), Lindholm has nine points (3G / 6A) in his last 10 games. They were dominant against the Habs, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come. Huberdeau, especially, his personal and on-ice SH% are well below his career averages, and that should balance out. It’s not like he’s not playing with similarly talented players to last season when his most frequent linemates were Sam Bennett and Anthony Duclair.

Matt Larkin: I’d treat each player differently here. Huberdeau: you have to wait. You’d be selling far too low. I’m not saying he’ll return to his 115-point level, but I still think he’ll be a point-per-game player from here on out. As for Lindholm? He might be a soft sell. As a two-way guy, he may never beat last season’s 42-goal, 82-point explosion, which, remember, came playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. I’d be fine moving Lindholm for 90 cents on the dollar. As for Andersson? I’m not seeing anything to complain about. He set a career high in points with 50 last year and he’s on pace for 60 this year! What’s the problem aside from a weaker plus-minus?

Nick Alberga: Assuming you’re in a standard 12-team non-keeper, yes, I think Pinto is an easy drop right now. And to be frank, it’s more so about position then it is my belief in the player. In general, I’m targeting Ottawa as a second half team, I think they’ll be ripe with fantasy value. Just not right now.

Brock Seguin: It all depends on the size of the league and who is available on the waiver wire. But if players like Dylan Cozens, Kevin Hayes, Dylan Strome, Nick Schmaltz, Cole Perfetti, and/or Jared McCann are available, then yes, I would be moving on for all of them.

Matt Larkin: In a deeper league, I wouldn’t. His opportunity remains too great. With Josh Norris done for the year, the only player standing in Pinto’s way for top-six work going forward was 35-year-old Derick Brassard, and it appears Pinto has already leapfrogged him. Pinto will still endure his peaks and valleys given he’s a rookie, but the talent, pedigree and role should continue to converge in a manner that makes him fantasy relevant – albeit perhaps not in shallow leagues.

Nick Alberga: While it’s tough to predict the future, considering how hot he’s been lately (11 points in past 9 outings), I wouldn’t drop Thomas anytime soon —that’s for sure. That said, a lot depends on league format and settings, there’s typically tons of depth up the middle in fantasy hockey. Also, just so you know, since January 1st, Thomas has tallied 74 points in 69 outings. This guy’s a monster, there’s no need to contemplate moving on right now.

Brock Seguin: Yeah, no reason to drop Thomas. You just have to know that you aren’t going to get a lot of goal production out of him. His shot volume hasn’t improved, so he will score at most 20 goals. He should be good for 12-to-15 goals and 40 assists the rest of the way (if healthy).

Matt Larkin: I don’t know your league size but will assume it’s tiny if you’re thinking of dropping Thomas, who has 19 points in 21 games and 12 in his past 10. He also returned from a short injury layoff on Thursday night. So, if it’s between dropping and holding, he’s an obvious hold. A trade, on the other hand, might be worth exploring if you play a banger format. Thomas is a two-category player: very helpful in assists and points, nothing special in goals and a liability in the shots and hits category.

Nick Alberga: Personally, I’ve tended to stay away from owning Teravainen over the past few years because he seems to get banged up quite a bit. That said, there’s no question that when healthy, he’s been a consistent contributor with the prolific top-six attachment you’re looking for. By and large, Carolina’s one of those teams that possesses so much depth, it actually diminishes the fantasy value of some of its marquee players. On Zucker, yes, he’s worth a hold. Pittsburgh is very streaky.

Brock Seguin: It’s going to be very difficult for Teravainen to match last year’s results. His shot volume was at a career-high, and he didn’t continue that in 14 games to start the season. His on-ice SH% was also a career-high, so everything has to go perfectly again. Plus, he has added competition for minutes now with the emergence of Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas, as well as the impending debut of Max Pacioretty.

Matt Larkin: “Once back in the lineup,” a.k.a. “This is a recording.” Teravainen is a reliable secondary scoring option for any fantasy team, as his scoring rate stayed between 0.78 and 0.93 points per game in five straight seasons before this one. The challenge with ‘Turbo’ is that he’s having an increasingly difficult time staying in the lineup. Concussion problems cost him more than a third of his 2020-21 season and he’s already missed almost half his team’s games in 2022-23. He should eventually return to his typical pace once back, but it feels like the next injury always lurks around the corner.

Nick Alberga: I’m not crazy about either file, but for me, it’s easily Nurse. If you can believe it, I think the Blackhawks will be even worse next season. Seriously, Jones will be on an island by himself there once Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are gone. Of course, this is new territory, Chicago has been a fantasy gold mine for the better part of the past 15 years. Furthermore, even though he’s not on PP1, Nurse still sees plenty of exposure to the right players in Edmonton, he’ll get his cookies.

Brock Seguin: I lean toward Seth Jones. He will always be a fixture on the Blackhawks’ top power-play unit. Darnell Nurse doesn’t see that important usage. There isn’t much to separate the two other than the PP usage, and since the Oilers aren’t the best 5v5 team either, Jones is probably the better option. The only concern would be Chicago completely tearing things down and leaving Jones by himself *insert Will Smith at the end of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air GIF*

Matt Larkin: Easy decision here. Seth Jones is playing in a fantasy hockey graveyard that might look even more barren going into next season, with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews likely gone. As for Nurse? He continues to provide one of the best statistical buffets at his position in fantasy and plays in the most fertile fantasy ecosystem in Edmonton. In a banger format I still see Nurse as a top-10 keeper on defense because he’s a strong contributor in so many categories.

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