Hutch's Hockey: Diamonds In the Rough

Fantasy Hockey Playoff Race: Teams Out, Players to Trade & Hidden Value Picks

Thanksgiving week brings up the specter of the theory that roughly 75 percent of playoff teams are locked in based on the standings as of American Thanksgiving. Buy into the theory or not -- it's lasted this long because there's a decent correlation there. It's not an end-all for those teams on the outside. By the math, four teams currently outside of playoff spots should be expecting to push their way in. 

Just look at who's on the outside right now. Both of last year's Stanley Cup finalists, the Panthers and the Oilers, are looking to gain ground. Ditto for both of last year's regular-season conference leaders, the Jets and the Capitals. Three other playoff teams from last season -- the Maple Leafs, Blues and Canadiens -- wouldn't make the cut either if the playoffs started now. 

Growth by other teams guarantees some turnover from year to year when it comes to the playoff field. Divisions also play a part -- sometimes, a tougher schedule makes the difference. I'm not as against the current playoff format as many people, but I'd be fine with anything as long as the number of teams that make it stays at 16. 

So, what does this mean for your fantasy teams? This week, we'll take a look at some teams that have underwhelmed so far and what you can still get out of them. Just because they've had it rough doesn't mean there's a lack of talent on these rosters. Each team still has some players you can act on, whether through trade or through roster moves. 

Teams on the Bubble and Breakout Playoff Contenders

Jets : Obviously, the big injury news of the week is Connor Hellebuyck's 4-6 week absence for arthroscopic knee surgery. That's going to cast a lot of worry on a Jets team that has games in hand on the field in the Western Conference but is still listing a little below the playoff line. They're a well-built team with talent throughout the lineup, and everyone besides Hellebuyck is relatively healthy. 

Action: Go get Eric Comrie right now. His numbers aren't special, but the playing-time boost he's about to get will make up for it. I doubt the Jets are going to be giving Thomas Milic much playing time during Hellebuyck's absence. Comrie is 4-3-0 with a 2.87 GAA and a .899 save percentage through seven games this season, but he should be able to pick up between 10-12 starts at a minimum over the next four weeks. 

Predators : The chemistry just hasn't come together for the Predators under head coach Andrew Brunette. They're the worst team in the league and also have one of the worst offenses, though the defense remains passable. A lack of goals is never a good thing for a team, especially when the veterans are struggling and the young players have failed to pick up the slack. However, they've also yet to be at full health for much of the season. 

Action: Trade for Roman Josi. He was nothing special in his return to action Saturday versus the Avalanche, going minus-2 with four shots on net and a blocked shot in 19:40 of ice time. There was little information about his upper-body injury while he was out for 12 games. Josi has five points and a minus-6 rating over nine appearances this season. However, he's a talented defenseman who could provide just enough of a boost on the ice to get your fantasy team on track, and he should be available at a discount given his injury woes over the last two years. 

Maple Leafs : I don't think the Maple Leafs need to be in panic mode yet. They've got half the battle down with a strong offense that's averaging 3.36 goals per game. The problem has been in their own zone, where the defense has leaked 31 shots per game and the goaltending hasn't been good enough to make up for it. Having Joseph Woll back from a personal absence is a positive, but Anthony Stolarz (upper body) wasn't playing like last year before his injury. 

Action: Add Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The on-ice defensive concerns can be the fans' worry, but Ekman-Larsson has looked like the team's top defenseman this year. He's already at 16 points in 22 contests, including two goals and nine points over his last 10 outings. He's also posted a plus-4 rating on the year while adding 34 hits, 24 blocked shots and 16 PIM. His offense has stagnated around the 30-point mark in recent years, but he's a virtual lock to breeze by that mark in 2025-26. Add in the reliable all-around production, and he should be on more than half of fantasy teams. 

High Upside Skaters on Struggling NHL Rosters

Panthers : There's a certain expectation to being the defending champions, but anyone who didn't expect adversity this year after Aleksander Barkov (knee) was essentially ruled out for the regular season. The injury issues haven't stopped there -- the team is down as many as seven regular forwards and a defenseman as of this writing. 

Action: Anton Lundell is still undervalued in fantasy. Yes, he's a center, and no, he hasn't had the breakout many expected, but he is in a top-line role. He's up to 18 points through 21 outings overall, though the Panthers' struggles have led to a minus-5 rating. Lundell has seven points over his last five games, but he's still available in 63 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday afternoon. 

Oilers : Like the Panthers, long-term injuries have taken a bit of a toll on the Oilers. However, they've been less of a concern for the reigning Western Conference champions. There's still a top-six spot open with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (undisclosed) sidelined. 

Action: Jack Roslovic hasn't been negatively impacted by Zach Hyman's return from a wrist injury. Roslovic is still getting top-six minutes and a hearty share of power-play time. He's put up an eight-goal, 13-point November, and he's been a perfect fit in the Oilers' top six. He's still widely available in fantasy, but the crowd is catching on. He's in the best situation of his career and should exceed the 50-point mark as long as he stays alongside either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, who have been their usual excellent selves despite the team's depth concerns. 

Flames : The Flames couldn't score very much last year, but with a youth movement coming, it would have been expected for the team to get some growth from within. Early on, that didn't happen. They've improved a bit in short bursts, but nothing's been sustained. It may be a good year to punt the season and get a good asset for the rebuild. 

Action: Consider adding Matthew Coronato, who appears to have turned a corner on offense. He's scored five goals and added three assists over his last seven games, accounting for over half of his 14 points on the season. A healthy scratch in late October might have scared off some fantasy managers, but it also served as a wake-up call to get Coronato going on offense. Consistency could be tough -- the Flames still aren't doing that well overall, and goal scorers, especially young ones, can be among the streakiest players in the league. 

Selling High on Risk and Spotting Long-Term Value

Capitals : There wasn't much of an offseason shake-up for the Capitals, but they've struggled to match last year's success. They're still very much in the playoff hunt, doing better than some other teams that have come up short early in the year, but there are obvious flaws. 

Action: Sell high on Logan Thompson. Sure, he's filling a starting role this year, but he's already at 15 games played after playing no more than 46 games in any season of his career. His current pace would have him playing just under 60 contests by the end of the campaign. Add in the chance that he goes to the Olympics with Team Canada -- a highly intense environment, especially if he's playing -- and there's a strong chance he wears down. He's allowed three or more goals in four of his last six outings, so some cracks are already showing, but those are masked by his 2.24 GAA and .910 save percentage on the year. Goalies can be volatile, but heavy workloads can be trouble in the first year or two a netminder receives an uptick, so you might be better off making a change. 

Canadiens : The future looks bright for the Canadiens. They've got the reigning Calder Trophy winner and a candidate to be a finalist for the award this year. The top six is strong, and injuries haven't taken too much of a chunk out of the team despite some long-term absences. However, the goaltending hasn't been great this year, which has put a dent in the team's success. 

Action: Trade for Juraj Slafkovsky. Sure, Slafkovsky's in a nine-game goal drought. He's lost his spot on the top line and slipped to the second power-play unit. That won't last. At a minimum, Slafkovsky will be motivated to take some momentum into the Olympics, where he'll likely play a starring role for Slovakia. He was good early in the season, and while he's at just 10 points through 21 outings overall, he's added 38 hits, 19 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating. Slafkovsky is just 21 years old, and I'd expect him to get his season back on track fairly soon, even if he doesn't do too much more than hover around a 50-point pace for the third straight year. 

Blues : Head coach Jim Montgomery has a good track record, which makes the Blues' struggles all the more inexplicable. It's possible this team just doesn't have the personnel to keep up in the league's toughest division, especially since the goaltending duo of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer has underwhelmed. 

Action: Jake Neighbours could be the X-factor for this team after missing 12 games due to a leg injury. He was off to a positive start despite the team's early struggles, and he's at six goals and two helpers through 10 contests this year. Neighbours is still young at 23 years old. He's still got the time to challenge for his career high in goals (27) and points (46). He'll also pile up hits, shots and PIM, especially if he stays in a top-six role regularly. I'll always have time for a scoring power winger, and you should too, especially since he's flying under the radar after his absence. 

Canucks : The Canucks have had one of the worst stretches of injuries in the league through the quarter mark. They're still ailing quite a bit with two centers, a winger, a goalie and a defenseman among the regulars out of the lineup. That's been reflected in their poor standing to start the year, but it's not all bad, as the top six have been solid and the defense corps is fine. 

Action: Trade away Elias Pettersson. I've been on this ride enough before, and I signed up again in too many leagues this year. He's earned four goals and five assists over his last six games, though he was held scoreless Sunday. Some fantasy managers might want to hold -- Pettersson is a strong all-around center at his best. I'm thinking sell instead, as he's done just enough to boost his value. This is a great time to advertise his potential while trying to acquire a steadier forward to replace him. It's safe to assume his offense will cool off again, especially if the Canucks sustain a couple more injuries to other key players. 

This is your semi-regular reminder to check out the rosters of teams lower in the standings. Even teams with the worst offenses in the league will have a player or two who stands out. Maximizing the value of the diamonds in the rough can help your team. I'd rather have a leading scorer on a bad team than the sixth- or seventh-best option for the league leaders, because it all comes down to opportunity. Good players on bad teams will have far more opportunity and ice time to make a consistent impact. 

I'll look at the other side of this coin next week with all-purpose fantasy advice on what to do with some key players on teams that have exceeded expectations this year. 

Stuck between two players available on the waiver wire? Check out the NHL Player Comparison Tool or the NHL Trending Players to help break the tiebreaker on your waiver wire decisions.