Frozen Fantasy: New Ways of Thinking

Ken Holland fired a coach midseason for the first time in his 25-year career as a GM. Kent Hughes hired a coach with no professional experience. Jim Rutherford brought in Cammi Granato to work beside Emilie Castonguay as assistant GMs.

The pressure in Canadian markets is like none other.

Rutherford has always gone against the grain. Never one to rest on his laurels, he has always made changes and moves that others just wouldn't. Now he's dipping into the biggest untapped talent pool in the world. Kudos.

It might even make the Canucks likeable.

Ken Holland woke up and realized he should be listening to the feeling in his gut. Finally, but he probably feels sick. The Oilers are outside a playoff spot by four points, albeit with four games in hand. Their fate is really in their hands.

Or the blow-up begins.

I love Marty St. Louis. Always have. I think he has real potential as a coach – he's smart and as feisty an underdog as they come. From reject to the Hall of Fame, Mighty Mite has proved everyone wrong.

Even if his only coaching gig was his kid's U13 AAA squad in Connecticut.

Some people just naturally think differently than everyone else. Guys like Holland have been forced to think that way.

As fantasy managers, there's merit in embracing an against-the-grain approach. Doing things exactly the same way year after year is the definition of insanity, even if we win sometimes.

Obviously don't throw out the things that work. But don't hang onto old ways of thinking when everything around you, including the game, is changing.

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Mikael Backlund, RW/C, Calgary (18 percent Yahoo!) – I kicked myself Thursday night when Backlund rang up another two points. I'd needed a forward and discounted his four-point Wednesday as a one-night wonder. Bad move. Backlund has caught lightning in a bottle, but this could last a few more games, especially with games against the Isles, Jackets, Ducks and Kraken. The Flames are hot.

Derick Brassard, LW/C, Philadelphia (1 percent Yahoo!) – Brassard has been sidelined since late November, so he's an afterthought for many managers. But someone has to play center with Sean Couturier out for the season and Claude Giroux likely on the block. Brassard won't be spectacular, but he'll get playing time in the top-six - as long as he can stay healthy. Just keep an eye on the reason for his absence Saturday – he's returned a few times only to have come back too soon.

Cole Caufield, RW, Montreal (23 percent Yahoo!) – I like the Habs' coaching change, mostly because I think it benefits Caufield in immediate ways. Who understands what it's like to play as a small, offensively gifted right winger than Mighty Mite himself? I think Marty St. Louis will spark this guy in big ways. Caufield won't climb back into the Calder conversation, but he will beat some goalies, just like he did on Ilya Samsonov on Thursday night. Cripes, he would've had a second except for an offside. Caufield is a complete roll of the dice, but my gut says he'll get more sevens than snake eyes.

Jon Gillies, G, New Jersey (2 percent Yahoo!) – OK, so he's not a top performer. And sure, he's only started 20 games in the NHL. But Gillies is currently a starter with something to prove and that spells hope for managers desperate for goalie starts. The Devils have nothing to lose, and Jack Hughes will put on a show when he returns. Hope isn't a strategy, but it's something. And maybe Gillies delivers more than empty starts.

Matt Murray, G, Ottawa (31 percent Yahoo!) – Fantasy managers have flocked to Murray this week and for good reason – they've realized he's 3-1-1 in his last five with a .966 save percentage. He's done this before – the guy has two Cups. And he's behind a young Sens squad that will likely play with abandon over the second half. That's a great combination, as long as you can handle a few bad nights.

Andrew Hammond, G, Montreal (0 percent Yahoo!) – The Hamburglar is back, courtesy of a Saturday morning trade. Montreal is desperate for net help and while Hammond hasn't played in the NHL since 2017-18, he's done OK in the AHL. He's an NHL longshot, but I'm watching anyway. And I stashed him in one league where I liquidated my goaltending assets and then lost Tuukka Rask. At minimum, I now manage the best nickname in hockey.

Scott Laughton, LW/C, Philadelphia (5 percent Yahoo!) – Laughton is here for the same reasons as Brassard (above). His overall numbers are meh, but he's on a four-game, four-point streak heading into Saturday while delivering decent secondary stats (27 FW, 10 hits and eight blocks). Like Brassard, Laughton won't be spectacular, but could soon be the team's top pivot. I'm going to keep one eye focused on the orange and black, just in case.

Damon Severson, D, New Jersey (29 percent Yahoo!) – He's back on this list and for good reasons. Severson rides into Sunday's game against the Pens on a three-game, five-assist streak. Two of those helpers came on the power play, where he's channeling his best Dougie Hamilton. I've benefited from Severson's strong play for weeks. What are you waiting for?

Jordan Staal, C, Carolina (20 percent Yahoo!) – Need faceoff wins with a pinch of production? Staal may be your man. The 33-year-old's scoring is way down, but he's managed a modest three points (one goal, two assists) in two games heading into Saturday. But more importantly, Staal has picked up his game at the dot with 38 wins in his last three along with 12 hits. The uptick isn't sudden – he's produced 85 wins and 37 hits over his last eight. The grizzled vet will help.

Nikita Zaitsev, D, Ottawa (2 percent Yahoo!) – Zaitsev is here for one reason – secondary stats. So ignore this if you don't count hits and blocked shots. He's back after a long injury absence, and has delivered 14 hits and nine blocks the last three games. Zaitsev won't give you much else, but that's OK. Sometimes you just need a hit man.

Back to new ways of thinking.

I really like the Vancouver moves, and no, not because I'm a woman. Rutherford has scored the cream of the crop of a huge candidate pool. That's a smart employer.

As a Leafs' fan, it's hard to say I really like what Montreal has done. There will be growing pains, but Kent Hughes has made a bold move. Just beware the Vinny Lecavalier payback, Kent – good on the ice doesn't always mean good in management.

I called for Holland to make a change and hope it helps. But it feels late and almost as though he has finally realized he underestimated the pressures of a Canadian market. Connor McDavid has played in the postseason just twice – 2019-20 doesn't count because it was a qualifying round. His best is being wasted. Both men know it.

The reality is harsh. It's taken three years for Steve Yzerman to fix the damage Holland did late in his tenure in Detroit. Why does it feel like that damage has just continued in Edmonton?

Maybe the change in thinking didn't come soon enough.

Until next week.