This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
I won't waste time with words this week. You need to aggressively shuffle players on and off your roster to max out games played. Your opponent will be, so why aren't you?
Don't sit on your hands.
In one of my leagues, there have been a good six-to-eight roster moves overnight every day this week. It's the semis. And while I may be out, I'm watching strategy closely. Transactions are being made at 2 a.m. EDT because who plays the next day matters.
No sitting on hands there.
So here are some players with decent matchups left (goalies excepted – who knows who will play when). There are a few surprises here, at least for me. And a lesson in really paying attention.
I'm looking at you, Juraj Slafkovsky (28 percent Yahoo!). [Insert facepalm emoji here.]
Goaltending
Jet Greaves, G, Columbus (1 percent Yahoo!) – Greaves is now the top dog in Columbus with Elvis Merzlikins (15 percent Yahoo!) nursing a lower-body injury. His work in the AHL this year has been solid, and he's auditioning for next year. The Jackets have a tough schedule to close things out, yet Greaves may surprise. Especially with total saves.
Arturs Silovs, G, Vancouver (11 percent Yahoo!) – Thatcher Demko (90 percent Yahoo!) is due back this week, but Silovs may still get some work. And he's been fantastic this week with two wins on only three goals against. Those victories may have come against the lowly Ducks and Yotes, though
I won't waste time with words this week. You need to aggressively shuffle players on and off your roster to max out games played. Your opponent will be, so why aren't you?
Don't sit on your hands.
In one of my leagues, there have been a good six-to-eight roster moves overnight every day this week. It's the semis. And while I may be out, I'm watching strategy closely. Transactions are being made at 2 a.m. EDT because who plays the next day matters.
No sitting on hands there.
So here are some players with decent matchups left (goalies excepted – who knows who will play when). There are a few surprises here, at least for me. And a lesson in really paying attention.
I'm looking at you, Juraj Slafkovsky (28 percent Yahoo!). [Insert facepalm emoji here.]
Goaltending
Jet Greaves, G, Columbus (1 percent Yahoo!) – Greaves is now the top dog in Columbus with Elvis Merzlikins (15 percent Yahoo!) nursing a lower-body injury. His work in the AHL this year has been solid, and he's auditioning for next year. The Jackets have a tough schedule to close things out, yet Greaves may surprise. Especially with total saves.
Arturs Silovs, G, Vancouver (11 percent Yahoo!) – Thatcher Demko (90 percent Yahoo!) is due back this week, but Silovs may still get some work. And he's been fantastic this week with two wins on only three goals against. Those victories may have come against the lowly Ducks and Yotes, though they still count. And the Orcas are playing them early this week. Silovs is a longshot, though he might deliver one more W.
Semyon Varlamov, G, NY Islanders (25 percent Yahoo!) – Coach Patrick Roy will go with the hottest hand to keep the Isles in the playoffs. Varlamov is coming off a shutout, though Ilya Sorokin (98 percent Yahoo!) is also playing well. Be ready to snag Varly for a daily play when he's in the paint.
Six games remaining
Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Montreal (28 percent Yahoo!) – Slafkovsky has six games left if you read this before 7 p.m. EDT on Sunday. He's been unbelievably effective lately (and boo to me for missing it) with points in 12 of his last 13 games (three goals, 11 assists). Add on 28 hits, 12 blocks, 32 shots, and some power-play production. If you miss Slafkovsky, you need to remember his name for next year. And even target him in keeper formats during the offseason. THIS is why he was drafted No. 1.
Five games remaining
Viktor Arvidsson, LW, Los Angeles (39 percent Yahoo!) – Arvidsson is a top-six winger who gets PP time and loves to fire the puck. His situation is ideal. And his late-season production has been too. In four outings this past week, Arvidsson rang up 15 shots and four points - including a goal and two PPPs. The Kings play the Hawks, Wild and Flames, and Ducks twice to end the year. Cha-ching.
Michael Bunting, LW, Pittsburgh (27 percent Yahoo!) – Bunting has posted six points (two goals, four assists), nine shots and five hits on his three-game scoring streak heading into Monday. The Pens are currently in WC2, but only two points from third in the Metropolitan. Bunting is really clicking with Evgeni Malkin (78 percent Yahoo!), who's on fire right now. Commentators from Saturday's game kept cutting to shots of Geno's parents in the stands and commenting on how well he plays when they're in town. It's true. And Bunting is along for the ride.
Dakota Joshua, LW/C, Vancouver (28 percent Yahoo!) – Joshua is your guy if you need hits with 21 from four games last week (plus three goals) and 29 across five since returning from injury. The points won't be consistent, but the muscle will be.
Gabriel Vilardi, RW/C, Winnipeg (20 percent Yahoo!) – Go get Vilardi. He's on the Jets' first line and has been busy directing pucks on net. Vilardi's hat-trick Thursday was sweet redemption after missing so much time due to injury. He registered 14 shots in three contests this week. And while the Jets are home and cooled for the playoffs, Vilardi needs to get up to game speed. He'll push hard, so why not do it for you?
Four games remaining
Sam Bennett, C, Florida (30 percent Yahoo!) – Bennett accumulated three goals, one assist, 13 hits and seven shots over four games this week. And he's got upcoming home games against the Sens, Jackets and Sabres. Plus the finale against the Leafs, who always cough up results. I like those odds.
Garnet Hathaway, RW, Philadelphia (18 percent Yahoo!) – Hits are his thing (plus some PIM if he crosses the line). The Flyers want to get to the playoffs and theoretically have a chance, however slim. I'm torn with this recommendation. Hathaway might behave if the Flyers keep winning, and that would leave you with a pylon who won't help at all. But he could go on a physical free-for-all if the Flyers are out of it. And that would amp up your meathead categories. After all, Hathaway delivered 18 teeth rattlers in three games this week…
Back to not sitting on your hands.
The offseason is here, unless you're doing a playoff bracket or playing odds. It's OK to be a fan again. But don't sit on your hands too long.
Players who catch lightning in a playoff bottle need to be leveraged in offseason keeper and dynasty deals. Sure, they MIGHT carry it into next year. But more often than not, they're simply having their moment in the sun.
So slip on your eclipse glasses (for those of you in the northern U.S. and SW Ontario) and don't get burned by holding onto them too long. You can lift the floor of your keeper or dynasty roster by playing an overeager fan like a proverbial fiddle.
Mixed metaphors? Why not? Every rule should be broken. Now go get 'em. And I hope you win.
Until next year.
