Frozen Fantasy: Necessity, The Mother of Invention

Sometimes the wire works. And sometimes it sucks you into a black hole, just like Stories on Insta, and the in-stream ads that suck you into a bad purchase.

Been there. Got the recurring subscription.

Impulse purchases can hurt. So can impulse wire grabs (and drops). But right now, impulse picks are all we have.

Especially in a PPD world.

I opened my Yahoo! app mid-week to discover that I had just 12 of 15 skaters on the sidelines in one league. And only two were on IR.

That's 80 percent on my roster down. Ugh.

But when I started scrolling the available player list, I quickly discovered a raft of first liners at my fingertips.

I know – weird. But true.

There's been a load of roster movement because of COVID-19. But this isn't really new – the NHL has become a lot closer to stars and scrubs thanks to the salary cap.

Top lines = top pair with one interchangeable part.

There are a lot of interchangeable parts in the NHL. Young guys with energy that are on an entry deal. Or a hungry veteran, both young and slightly older, ready to fight to prove they belong. And they can get a lot of points in those perfect situations.

This week's list is populated with top-line players, as well as a couple top-four defenders. Yes, several are rostered in a lot of leagues. But these guys are popping on and off the wire.

Be vigilant. Be sharp. Take advantage of someone else's tough decisions. I did. Zach Hyman, who is skating with Auston Matthews, is now mine. His season has been better than three-quarters of the guys on my roster.

Check the depth charts. They're changing every day. These PPDs are forcing us to do things differently.

Let's see which top liners caught my eye this week.

Cam Atkinson, RW, Columbus (44 percent Yahoo!) – Two years ago, Atkinson had 69 points. Yes, he was 29 when he hit that peak, so we both knew it was unsustainable. But a super slow start this season sent him to many fantasy benches. His Thursday was a dream game – one goal and three helpers, and points on both special teams. Atkinson is starting to click with newcomers Jack Roslovic and potty-mouth Patrik Laine. Points are coming, so see if you can snag him now.

Dustin Brown, RW, Los Angeles (44 percent Yahoo!) – Brown isn't as old and creaky as some managers think. He has 10 points, including five goals, in his last nine games and half those points have come on the power play. Plus 20 hits. Brown is a top-40 NHL scorer and fantasy managers are finally taking notice – he leapt from 26 percent rostered to 44 this week. He can help fill your PPD spots.

Nicolas Hague, D, Vegas (3 percent Yahoo!) – Hague has exceled at every level – he was the OHL and CHL defender of the year and was key to Chicago's Calder Cup run (AHL). And he didn't look out of place in the NHL last year. Hague delivered a career game a week Friday and looked every part the big, good-in-both-ends defender that's coveted in the NHL. He's probably not a play-every-night guy, but you can do much worse given his size and willingness to hit.

Zach Hyman, LW/C, Toronto (59 percent Yahoo!) – He may not be out there, but if he is, you must add him now. I got lucky Friday night (not like that). Hyman is a top-40 fantasy producer so far this season and the Leafs can score without really trying. Hyman is going to have a career year.

Alex Iafallo, LW, Los Angeles (5 percent Yahoo!) – Looking to hit a fantasy home run? OK, wrong sport, but you get the point. Iafallo is on a three-game scoring roll on the Kings' top line AND the subject of trade rumors to – drum roll – the Leafs. They're looking for a winger with enough skill to ride shotgun with John Tavares and William Nylander. He'll score in L.A. He'd SCORE in T.O. Get him now. You gain either way.

Joel Kiviranta, RW, Dallas (6 percent Yahoo!) – How soon we forget. Kiviranta was a playoff hero last season, but forgotten this year after a lower-body injury right after the season began. He came off the IR this week and stepped right onto the top line. Kiviranta is widely available and skating with veterans Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn. That hasn't yielded points… yet. But first line is first line.

Kevin Shattenkirk, D, Anaheim (24 percent Yahoo!) – Top pairing. Top PP. Top pickup? Shattenkirk is no longer a 45-point defender, but he's no stiff either. He has three assists in three games heading into play Monday. Anaheim sits a remarkable fourth in the West and they're 5-4-1 in their last 10. Shattenkirk and Hampus Lindholm are clicking – you might as well benefit.

Chandler Stephenson, LW/C, Vegas (11 percent Yahoo!) – Look left and you find Max Pacioretty. Look right and see Mark Stone. Stephenson must be pinching himself when he skates with them on the Knights' top line. Talk about a dream gig. And heading into play Saturday, Stephenson had four points, including three goals, in his last three games. He's even tossing in a few faceoff wins, hits and blocks.

Back to doing things differently.

This year feels weird – so many guys moving up and down. But I think ingenuity is here to stay.

That means those interchangeable parts – the names without any sex appeal – are plentiful if we just let things flow.

Easier said that done. I get it. But necessity really is the mother of invention.  

If NHL GMs can do it, we can figure out how to, too. My ego might just need to get knocked down a bit first. You?

Until next week.