This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
I'll keep this quick. My gut doesn't seem to have liked something from Hockey Day in Canada on Saturday. I'm thinking it was the cold fried chicken, but I digress. It was good at the time.
I'm going to sit in front of a screen and watch the Die Hards. Again. Sorry, that's all my head will allow me to do this Sunday.
You know the feeling. Not crappy enough to sleep, but weird enough to want to veg... and not deal with the screen movement of a hockey game. Or even an NFL playoff game.
There are a few guys worth jumping on fast on this list. If you don't, someone else will (and they already have).
Let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.
Cam Atkinson, RW, Philadelphia (21 percent Yahoo!) – Atkinson is suddenly on a rocket – he went from seven percent rostered Saturday to 21 Sunday. And that's going to go up. Atkinson extended his scoring streak to five games on Sunday with four goals and four assists plus 18 shots. He hasn't had a great season, but is making up for it now. Remember Atkinson delivered a 50-point, 200-plus shot performance last year almost wholly at even-strength, so he knows how to score.
Ivan Barbashev, LW/C, Vegas (31 percent Yahoo!) – Barbashev has woken up from a seven-game pointless slump with back-to-back two-point efforts (two goals, two assists). Some of his managers recently jettisoned him, so jump on board.
I'll keep this quick. My gut doesn't seem to have liked something from Hockey Day in Canada on Saturday. I'm thinking it was the cold fried chicken, but I digress. It was good at the time.
I'm going to sit in front of a screen and watch the Die Hards. Again. Sorry, that's all my head will allow me to do this Sunday.
You know the feeling. Not crappy enough to sleep, but weird enough to want to veg... and not deal with the screen movement of a hockey game. Or even an NFL playoff game.
There are a few guys worth jumping on fast on this list. If you don't, someone else will (and they already have).
Let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.
Cam Atkinson, RW, Philadelphia (21 percent Yahoo!) – Atkinson is suddenly on a rocket – he went from seven percent rostered Saturday to 21 Sunday. And that's going to go up. Atkinson extended his scoring streak to five games on Sunday with four goals and four assists plus 18 shots. He hasn't had a great season, but is making up for it now. Remember Atkinson delivered a 50-point, 200-plus shot performance last year almost wholly at even-strength, so he knows how to score.
Ivan Barbashev, LW/C, Vegas (31 percent Yahoo!) – Barbashev has woken up from a seven-game pointless slump with back-to-back two-point efforts (two goals, two assists). Some of his managers recently jettisoned him, so jump on board. Barbashev isn't as good as his 18 points in 22 games from the postseason last year, yet isn't as bad as he'd been in the three weeks (one assist in nine games) prior to this week's scoring burst. After all, he delivered 60 points and 160 hits in St. Loo during 2021-22. I'm willing to jump on that kind of talent. And hope.
Logan Couture, C, San Jose (38 percent Yahoo!) – Couture made his season debut Saturday against the Ducks. There was rust, though he picked up an assist. The Sharks are beyond bad, and Couture can't solve all their woes. But he can hit and put up points while skating on PP1. Couture's worth a waiver grab if your league doesn't count plus-minus. And especially if you can roll him at forward instead of center.
Phillip Danault, C, Los Angeles (25 percent Yahoo!) – The Kings have been in freefall in their last 10 games (2-5-3), but not because of Danault. He's at eight points - including six assists - and 17 shots over that stretch. And he's won 86-of-157 (54.8 percent) of his faceoffs. Danault is on track for his third straight 50-plus point, 600-plus FW campaign. There's merit to rostering that kind of production in deep leagues, especially in ones where you can slot him at F.
Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver (7 percent Yahoo!) – Garland and the Orca's third line was on fire Saturday against the Laffs, especially in the first period. The small winger posted two goals and an assist – YouTube his celly. It's epic. Garland's big night put the icing on an eight-points-in-nine-game run (25 shots). He won't produce many more three-pointers, yet may be helpful as a complementary forward in wider formats. BTW, sorry not sorry, Leafs fans. I'm one, and I'm tired of this too.
Samuel Girard, D, Colorado (15 percent Yahoo!) – Girard has always played third wheel to Cale Makar (100 percent Yahoo!) and Devon Toews (90 percent Yahoo!). And this year, he was a forgotten man after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Since coming back, Girard has gone off for seven points, 17 hits and 27 blocks in 11 outings and is getting time on PP2. Surely there's room for some of that on your roster. There was on mine.
Sam Malinski, D, Colorado (0 percent Yahoo!) – Malinski has been quietly solid on the Avs third pairing and heads into Wednesday on a three-game, four-point scoring streak. He's a confident puck mover who can defend and is getting a bigger shot with Bowen Byram (18 percent Yahoo!) on the shelf. Malinski's even on PP2. He isn't great offensively, yet may help you get through a short-term injury - especially if Girard (above) is gone.
Logan O'Connor, RW, Colorado (6 percent Yahoo!) – O'Connor's hattie Saturday has been on every highlight reel. That's what you get when you pair with Nathan MacKinnon (100 percent Yahoo!) on the empty netter that sealed the trick. Mack gave up the chance at his own to supply O'Connor with his first in the NHL. That's leadership. But it wasn't a gift. O'Connor has been playing great hockey the last three weeks, so it was well-deserved. He's racked up 14 points - with six of those goals - with 27 shots across 14 matchups going into Wednesday. O'Connor has stepped into Valeri Nichushkin's (82 percent Yahoo!) skates on the second line and isn't looking back.
T.J. Oshie, RW, Washington (21 percent Yahoo!) – Old-man Oshie was in the top spot of the Yahoo! Player Rater on Saturday on the back of a four-game scoring run that included five goals (six points) and 17 shots. He was held off the scoresheet Saturday, though he's on D.C.'s first line riding shotgun with Max Pacioretty (below) and Dylan Strome (25 percent Yahoo!). The Caps have evolved their style as they're focused on making the postseason and not getting Alex Ovechkin (95 percent Yahoo!) his goals. And that means there may be more steady offensive value from players like Oshie who other managers ignore because of age.
Max Pacioretty, LW, Washington (26 percent Yahoo!) – Honestly, it's remarkable that the 35-year-old winger is even on the ice since he retore his surgically-repaired right Achilles last January. It was his second tear and second surgery in five-and-a-half months. Pacioretty has been finding his game and has produced five points (one goal) over nine games, with all coming in his last seven games going into Tuesday. He's a risk. A big one. But Pacioretty is a six-time 30-goal scorer, and that kind of talent is worth a flyer.
David Rittich, G, Los Angeles (8 percent Yahoo!) – Rittich was here last week, and has only gotten better. He's started three of the Kings' last four games where he's only allowed five goals. And Rittich faces the Sharks on Monday. Cam Talbot (86 percent Yahoo!) needs a rest. Get him. Be ready to move on fast if LA trades for a goalie.
Until next week.
