Hey folks, welcome back to the Weekly Wrap! Week five of fantasy hockey is in the books. As many of you are probably feeling, it is already a season of ups and downs. I find myself sitting anywhere from first to 10th in my pools. Frustrations with certain players are starting to boil over. My patience is wearing thin. This is a good time to remind ourselves not to overreact. We’re still not 25% of the way into the season. Patience is a virtue. I know I’m not alone in needing it now.
Let’s look at some of the biggest storylines from week five of fantasy hockey.
Week Five of Fantasy Hockey
Uvis Balinskis, D, Florida Panthers
Who? These were my thoughts exactly when he moved to the Panthers’ first power play unit. Paul Maurice by all measures, does not want or like Aaron Ekblad, D, or Gustav Forsling, D, as his first-unit quarterback. Come hell or high water, he’ll find someone else to play those minutes.
For the past five games, Balinskis has received 70% of the Panthers’ power play minutes, which included a whopping 7:45 on Thursday night.
Balinskis signed with the Panthers in 2023 after producing 35 points in 51 games in the Chechia league. He’s known more as a strong two-way defenceman, not an offensive juggernaut. As good as he’s fitting in, this doesn’t feel like a permanent fix for a Stanley Cup contender. Finding a true offensive defenceman for the power play should be the top priority for the Panthers come the trade deadline.
Balinskis is only owned in 13% of Fantrax pools. If you need an immediate power play boost on defense, Balinskis should be available as a short-term option.
Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
The primary reason the Jets sit 14-1 on the season is Hellebuyck. He coasted last week going 3-0 with two shutouts, and is now 11-1. Igor Shesterkin gets all the attention as the best goalie in the world. Perhaps it’s time that conversation turned into a debate that includes Hellebuyck. After all, he is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, and the best goalie in the league this season.
No matter who the Jets play, Hellebuyck is a must-start.
Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals
I don’t think anyone expected Thompson to start the season 7-0 with the Capitals. He has split starts with Lindgren pretty evenly so far this season. If the discrepancy between the two continues, expect Thompson’s share of starts to begin increasing. He’s been the better goalie so far.
We should also begin discussing Thompson as Team Canada’s potential starting goalie at the Four Nations Cup in February.
To be clear, it’s his 7-0 start with the Capitals that surprises, not his strong play.
Trevor Zegras, LW, Anaheim Ducks
The struggles continue, and oh, are they mighty.
I own him in three of five pools. I feel the pain of every Zegras owner. However, I cannot fathom a player this talented and dedicated losing his offensive ability long-term.
With the Ducks’ new coach, Greg Cronin, the team’s style of play has shifted immensely. Gone is the run-and-gun style of his first two seasons. Zegras has focused on becoming a complete two-way player in the NHL. With that shift in focus often comes a reduction in offense.
This is the worst time to try and trade Zegras. Trading him now means trading for pennies on the dollar. Think of the stock market – buy low, sell high. Fantasy hockey is no different when it comes to trading. Zegras is a must-hold.
I’d feel less optimistic if Zegras was the only Duck off to a slow start. He’s not.
Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks
Week five of fantasy hockey has come and gone without the season debut of Demko.
He was a full participant in Canucks practice on Monday. There is no ‘set in stone’ timetable for his return, but this is a really good sign for both the Canucks and Demko owners.
I expect the Canucks to send Demko to Abbotsford for two to three games, on a conditioning stint, before returning to the lineup.
Until the Canucks release a statement, everything is status quo.
Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators
Brady is just doing Brady things. Not only is he on pace for 300 shots and 300 hits, but his 18 points in 14 games also put him on an early pace for 105 points, which would be a career-high.
He has always been an elite peripheral forward. Hitting triple digits in points would put him at the top of the multi-cat mountain.
In leagues that also count penalty minutes the cost to acquire Brady would have to be comparable to what it would take to acquire Connor McDavid. No one in the league does what Brady does, not even big brother, Matthew Tkachuk, LW/RW, Florida Panthers.
Claude Giroux, C/LW, Ottawa Senators.
No points in his last five games. A slump for Giroux. It’s not his first and it won’t be his last.
If your team is in the mix early, his age makes him a prime player to target as a buy-low opportunity. At 36, Father Time is coming.
Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo Sabres
It drives me a bit nutty when offensive defensemen don’t shoot the puck. Byram might have four points in his last four games, but he hasn’t recorded a shot on goal in his last three.
He doesn’t provide a lot of hits or blocks so being a poor shot producer places him in my proverbial dog house. Full admission, I did trade for him in a salary cap pool three weeks ago. I traded down two rounds. It was a cost-efficient acquisition.
He has averaged 1.5 and 1.6 shots per game twice in his career. That’s the bare minimum requirement I have for defensemen like Byram. I’ll forgive poor shot totals if they’re stuffing my peripheral categories like a Radko Gudas, D, Anaheim Ducks.
Something has to give, 16 in 15 games just doesn’t cut it.
Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks
He’s only four games returned from injury but it’s already clear he’s adjusting to the NHL quickly. In week five of fantasy hockey, Celebrini’s 15 shots were the 7th most in the NHL. Volume shooters minimize their slumps.
The Sharks are not a strong team. There will be growing pains and slumps throughout the year. No question though, that Celebrini is going to be a good one.
Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks
No NHL forward has recorded more shots on goal than Gauthier without scoring a goal. Only two defencemen, Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers, and Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders have fired more pucks on the net without recording a goal.
Gauthier has been snake-bitten. The goal will come. In the meantime, his five assists have left owners feeling underwhelmed.
Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Safe to say the Oliver Ekman-Larsson experiment on the first power play unit is effectively over. In three games last week, Rielly had a goal and five assists. All six points were on the power play. Nothing has changed in Toronto for very long.
Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers
In his last four games, he is averaging 5.5 shots per game. If only Tippett could improve his shooting percentage he would be a perennial 40-goal threat. His three goals on 51 shots – 5.9%, is low even for him. The lid feels like it is about to pop off, any day now with Tippett.
That’ll wrap up week five of fantasy hockey. Thanks for reading
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