Frozen Fantasy: Practice Patience… Or Not

Fantasy hockey is back. Dang, it feels good to have some normal.

Let's hope it lasts.

The first few weeks of fantasy hockey can be pure chaos. You may have drafted a team early and you need to make moves to jettison some speculative picks that didn't earn jobs.

The schedule always starts slowly, so the sample size of games can make bad or sloppy performances feel panic-worthy.

Just breathe.

I'm looking at you, Leafland – give the goalies (and Kyle Dubas) a chance and stop whining. Wait – that's a first-line skill in that fan base.

And before you bark, the Leafs are my team. I can say that. And I'm actually looking forward to Alex Bishop getting his David Ayres moment Saturday night.

Now, THAT would be fun.

Fantasy roster moves right now bring real stress. How long do you hang on? If you're like me, you're a little too patient.

Sprinting out of the gate is pure luck and honestly, a little dangerous in a marathon of a season. But stumbling through the first few weeks can hobble you for the year.

I'm going to practice less patience this year. I'm not going to Leaf-fan my roster, but I'll be a lot more ruthless - especially with highly rostered guys. That's a measure that can be based on perceived skill, not real ability to execute.

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

Jake Bean, D, Columbus (3 percent Yahoo!) – Bean is going to be the one that got away from the Canes. He's had two very good AHL seasons and looks ready for top-four minutes, including on the PP. Other fantasy managers will be looking at Adam Boqvist (12 percent Yahoo!), but I think it's Bean who ultimately runs PP2. He probably won't ping on anyone's radar for a bit, so there's time to wait. But not if he puts up another couple goals in the next week or so.

Tyler Bertuzzi, LW/RW, Detroit (38 percent Yahoo!) – Four goals are impressive for anyone. But for Bert on Thursday, they were all about redemption. After a tough rehab following back surgery, Bertuzzi has faced criticism this season about his stance on vaccination. But all that was forgotten this week. He may help you short term, but don't over-invest. Bertuzzi has never topped 21 goals or 48 points and plays on a team destined to struggle all year. Plus he'll likely miss up to nine games in Canada because he's unvaccinated. Still, he's worth grabbing, if only to flip him to an impatient manager with a slow starter.

Kirby Dach, C, Chicago (35 percent Yahoo!) – Yes, Tyler Johnson is more widely available (24 percent) and the former Bolt did look good Friday night. But TJ was horrendous Wednesday in a first line role against the Avs, and my gut says the team's slow start will gift Dach better linemates very, very soon. He boasts elite upside and is already the team's best defensive pivot. Combine that with his passing touch and he could be a perfect match for Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. Dach is rostered in over a third of Yahoo! leagues already, based on name alone. That's about to go up.

Max Domi, LW/C, Columbus (12 percent Yahoo!) – Thursday night, Domi looked every part the scoring stud he was in 2018-19. And that's exactly what the Jackets – and Domi himself – are counting on this year. He doesn't profile like a 1C, but that could be where he ends up once he's truly healed from offseason surgery. For now, Domi is on the third line with far more favorable matchups. That's a recipe for production. I already have him stashed.

Anton Forsberg, G, Ottawa (8 percent Yahoo!) – Forsberg was a beast Thursday against the sharp-shooting Leafs. And 46 saves later, he had a 2-1 win that was all on him. Forsberg doesn't have a pedigree to suggest he'll keep this up, but he's the go-to in Canada's Capital right now. Bare minimum, he'll see a lot of pucks behind this rising young squad. And depending on the matchup, you could steal some categories with him between the pipes. Forsberg might not fit your early season thinking, but don't dismiss him outright just because of his jersey.

Nils Hoglander, LW/RW, Vancouver (21 percent Yahoo!) – Call this a hunch, but I think Hoglander ends up filling Brock Boeser's skates with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller instead of preseason hype guy Vasili Podkolzin. Hoglander wasn't noticeable Friday night against Philly, but stood out in a great way Wednesday against Edmonton. And he's not just a pure skills guy – he brings grit to the ice every game. Hoglander may eventually settle on the third line, but he can help right now.

John Marino, D, Pittsburgh (2 percent Yahoo!) – The Pens need Marino to be more 2019-20 than 2020-21, and so far so good. He's a great skater who thinks and sees the game well, and at times has shown a real offensive flair. Marino will be counted on this year to stabilize the second pair while getting PP time. He's no Kris Letang, but he can be a 40-point defender with special-teams production and a hit and block per game. I have him stashed precisely for this reason and he's already delivering.

Cal Petersen, G, Los Angeles (52 percent Yahoo!) – The up-and-coming Kings are Petersen's team now, so it's odd to see him rostered in just half of Yahoo! leagues. The curse of the left coast (and ignoring a team emerging from a rebuild) strikes again. Petersen will backstop a crew with notable two-way upgrades in the forward ranks and a stabilized D. Sounds perfect. Just beware workload – his game regressed as the season ground on last year, and he was 2-11-1 with a .894 save percentage from Apr. 1 on. But you can benefit from Petersen's solid start right now and trade him before fatigue sets in.

Jacob Peterson, C, Dallas (1 percent Yahoo!) – Peterson was the best young player at Stars camp and earned an NHL role in an already tight top-12. Then come opening night, he debuted on the second line with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski and notched his first goal. Peterson is filling in for Jason Robertson, so this gig may not last long. But he can skate and think the game at a scorer's level, and that bodes really well for his future. File his name away.

Chandler Stephenson, LW/C, Vegas (49 percent Yahoo!) – It's time for me to give up. I've long ignored Stephenson because he isn't a true 1C. But he's a 55-60 point pivot who delivers about a hit per game. Sure, that's borderline for a center in shallow leagues, but not in deep ones. Especially with his hits – they can't be punted in standard leagues. Now here's the rub: Stephenson is likely to fall down the roster because of injuries to linemates Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, and that means he'll likely get dropped. Put him on your watch list and pick him up when Stone and/or Pacioretty get close to returning.

Jakob Silfverberg, RW, Anaheim (3 percent Yahoo!) – OK, so Silfverberg is no Player 67, but he's off to a hot start playing alongside Mason McTavish. It won't always be to the tune of two games and three points, including a PPG. But players on the left coast are often overlooked in fantasy, simply because of game times. Don't do that.

Back to patience.

My first step? Ditch the guys that didn't earn a role up the lineup and double check I have hits and blocked shots distributed evenly across my roster.

Standard Yahoo! leagues pretty much dictate that – you can't get by with a roster built on pure skill and low engagement.

After that, I will wait just a little. But first, I'm making popcorn and hoping to see Alex Bishop's NHL dream come true. And Twitter explode.

Welcome back to the best sport on earth.

Until next week.