Frozen Fantasy: Sometimes Change is Good

Welcome to Missouri, Jim Montgomery. Five days between jobs. That's the shortest period of time between head coaching jobs in-season. 

Do you know anyone who's landed a new job that fast after getting fired? 

Coaching wasn't the issue in St. Louis. But you jump when a coach like Montgomery becomes available. After all, the Bruins 120-41-23 record under Monty since the start of 2022-23 was the best in the NHL. 

I can see Jordan Binnington (83 percent Yahoo!) doing cartwheels all the way from Canada. 

Montgomery injects instant fantasy value to every Blues player you have rostered. And potentially a few you don't. This season, the Blues' 3.35 GA/60 is 25th overall. It was 15th last year and 26th the one before that. Ugh. 

The Bruins? They were fifth last season and first overall two years ago. And the Stars were third during 2018-19 when Monty coached them. 

Then there's his impact on the power play. It seems like that will improve overnight. 

Coaching changes don't usually have such a big fantasy impact. Players on the PP immediately get an uptick. The blueline will stabilize. The goalies go up. Win-win-win. 

It's great if you have some Blues. If you don't, then you might be able to get some in a trade. But don't wait. The odds on a Binner shutout Monday night will likely go up during the day. 

Even against the Rangers. He likes to put on a show. 

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

Jalen Chatfield, D, Carolina (1 percent Yahoo!) - Chatfield's confidence is soaring alongside Dmitry Orlov (below) and he chugs into Monday with three points - including a goal - and four blocks over his last two games. But what caught my eye was his plus-16 rating. That puts him in a tie for third in the league. Chatfield won't deliver power-play points, yet he's exactly the kind of player who can create a ballast for a high-scoring star on a subpar squad, especially in leagues with deeper rosters. 

Blue Jackets first line

I admit it - I wrote off Columbus when tragedy struck this August. I didn't think they could take yet another gut shot (Google Matiss Kivlenieks; I won't retell that horror). But the first line is sizzling. Here they are, one-by-one:

Kirill Marchenko, RW, Columbus (28 percent Yahoo!) - Marchenko's rostering dropped this past weekend. Yep. A point-per-game winger with 51 shots, a plus-9 rating and five PPP. It's gotta be the Columbus curse (look it up - Ohio thinks it's real, even if they're divided on the cause). But it means good things for you. Marchenko has two goals and two assists - with one PPA - during his last two outings. He's on pace for over 30 goals and 80 points. On another team? You'd already have him. Or someone else would. 

Sean Monahan, C, Columbus (34 percent Yahoo!) - Monahan produced the fifth-best fantasy week in one of my leagues this past period with a goal, six assists, plus-7, four hits and nine shots. He's found real chemistry with Marchenko (above) and Voronkov (below), and the trio has the Jackets within three points of a Wild Card. I know, hard to believe. And Monahan's skill at the dot is supreme with double-digit wins in five straight (56 overall). Like Voronkov, he's riding a three-game point streak heading into Wednesday, and the Jackets take on the Habs that night. I'm guessing that run will continue. 

Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus (1 percent Yahoo!) - Voronkov flew under the radar last year as a rookie, and he's doing the same again. He goes into Wednesday on a three-game goal streak (three goals, one assist) with four goals, six points and 15 shots across his last five games. Voronkov is a big finisher who skates well for his size with the potential to grow into a true top-six power winger. And he's almost free on the wire. 

Now, back to regular alpha programming…

Anthony Cirelli, C, Tampa Bay (36 percent Yahoo!) - So, can you use a point-per-game pivot who's on the first power play and on track for his first-ever 600 faceoff win campaign? Cirelli is a whole lot more than the wet-blanket checker we've come to love. He really should be rostered in more than 60 percent of leagues.

Jonathan Drouin, LW, Colorado (22 percent Yahoo!) - Get Drouin now. He's on the Avs' lead line with Nathan MacKinnon (100 percent Yahoo!) and takes a three-game, four-point run into Monday's tilt with the Bolts. He could end up with 60-65 points by season's end, even with the time he's missed. It's taken a decade for Drouin's game to mature. Don't turn away because he burned you before. He needs to be on a lot more than one-in-four fantasy lineups. 

Andrew Mangiapane, RW, Washington (4 percent Yahoo!) - Mangiapane is the wing-du-jour to slide into Alex Ovechkin's (98 percent Yahoo!) place on the top trio. I don't think he's the right fit, but I'm not convinced Tom Wilson (54 percent Yahoo!) is either. And Mangiapane is more likely to be available. He's registered a 35-goal season before, so he knows how to convert and represents a deep-league roll of the dice. 

Dmitry Orlov, D, Carolina (25 percent Yahoo!) - I nabbed Orlov the last time he went on a four-game streak, and now he's at it again. He and Chatfield (above) look like they've played together since childhood, and both are benefiting. Orlov is on a four-game, four-assist streak with 10 shots and a plus-7 rating (plus-19 to lead the NHL). He won't maintain his near 50-point pace… or at least I don't think so. Worst case, he ends up with 35-40 (maybe more) and 100-plus hits. I bet you have a place for that. 

Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah (25 percent Yahoo!) - Vejmelka is the de facto No. 1 while Connor Ingram (44 percent Yahoo!) is on IR. Does that make him a safe bet? Not even close. But he's started Utah's last six games and only allowed 11 goals. And only one each in three of those six. Vejmelka has posted a .926 save percentage and 2.30 GAA. He offers real value in many formats, even if he struggles to win.

Trevor Zegras, C, Anaheim (8 percent Yahoo!) - Is the talented one finally waking up? Zegras pretty much slept through the first quarter of the season, but heads into Monday on a modest two-game, three-assist streak with four points - including a goal - and nine shots from four. It's simply a matter of time before he gets his LW designation. Zegras's talent is undeniable. He's worth the risk. And can still be a star. 

Back to coaching changes. 

The move wasn't Drew Bannister's fault. He went 30-19-5 as interim coach after stepping into Craig Berube's boots December 2023. And he was 39-31-4 overall since taking the reins. 

The Blues think they can make the postseason. Under Bannister, they scored two or fewer goals 13 times this season. That's 13 out of 22 games. And almost no one produced when 1C Robert Thomas (77 percent Yahoo!) was out for 12 outings. 

But you know who might benefit the most?

The Bruins. Montgomery is now off their payroll. The new deal erases their financial obligation. And a couple of mil is a couple of mil, even if it doesn't come off your cap. 

Until next week.