October is over, and we're beginning to have a better idea of how things are shaking out on the ice. It's still early enough in the season for things to change, but it's fun to see some of the younger players in the league establish themselves or take a step forward. Oftentimes, it can take a couple of years of NHL experience before a prospect really begins to pay off. Others step right in and make an impact immediately.
In the latter category, I'd like to shine the spotlight on Moritz Seider. Frankly, you don't too often see such a sudden progression for a prospect, let alone a young blueliner. Seider went from a questionable chance to make the Red Wings' Opening Night roster to a top-pairing defenseman in the last three weeks or so. The German has certainly earned his place -- he's produced an assist in five straight games and he's gotten on the scoresheet in seven out of nine contests. What catches my eye already is that he's also averaging 22:26 per game, and 3:25 of that is coming on the power play. I've long liked Filip Hronek as a depth defenseman from the wings, but Seider is the one with premium minutes right now.
Another young blueliner making a big impact is the Oilers' Evan Bouchard. The 22-year-old wasn't a lock for the roster this season, but he's seized a pair of opportunities. He played solidly early in the season but didn't record a
October is over, and we're beginning to have a better idea of how things are shaking out on the ice. It's still early enough in the season for things to change, but it's fun to see some of the younger players in the league establish themselves or take a step forward. Oftentimes, it can take a couple of years of NHL experience before a prospect really begins to pay off. Others step right in and make an impact immediately.
In the latter category, I'd like to shine the spotlight on Moritz Seider. Frankly, you don't too often see such a sudden progression for a prospect, let alone a young blueliner. Seider went from a questionable chance to make the Red Wings' Opening Night roster to a top-pairing defenseman in the last three weeks or so. The German has certainly earned his place -- he's produced an assist in five straight games and he's gotten on the scoresheet in seven out of nine contests. What catches my eye already is that he's also averaging 22:26 per game, and 3:25 of that is coming on the power play. I've long liked Filip Hronek as a depth defenseman from the wings, but Seider is the one with premium minutes right now.
Another young blueliner making a big impact is the Oilers' Evan Bouchard. The 22-year-old wasn't a lock for the roster this season, but he's seized a pair of opportunities. He played solidly early in the season but didn't record a point in his first two games. In the next five, he's racked up a goal and three assists, with two of those helpers coming on the power play. The solid defensive play remains, and head coach Dave Tippett is giving Bouchard a look alongside Darnell Nurse at even strength. That's a demanding assignment, but Bouchard is up to the challenge so far. He's added 19 shots on net and 15 blocked shots with a plus-3 rating in seven games -- outside of a lack of hits, he's playing much like a younger version of Nurse.
As long as the Ducks keep scoring, I'm going to keep pointing out what's working. This week, it was Sonny Milano, who has four points in his last four games. The 25-year-old has really struggled to click over the years after he was selected 16th overall by the Blue Jackets in 2014, but that's changing now. The big key with Milano this year: he's showing chemistry with rookie center Trevor Zegras, who is a fantastic talent in his own right. As younger players, there will be bumps along the way, but it's worth monitoring (and rostering) Milano when he's playing a meaningful top-six role.
Managers in deeper formats have likely known the name Andrew Mangiapane for a while now, but the Calgary winger burst onto the scene with seven goals through eight games in October. He's shooting 35 percent -- that mark will drop -- but he's also sharing space on the goals leaderboard with guys like Anze Kopitar, Connor McDavid and Kyle Connor. Mangiapane will need to contribute a few assists to maintain interest, but the Flames are playing good hockey. Even if the hot streak is short, it could help in the short term. Also keep an eye on Dillon Dube, who has five points in eight games as one of Mangiapane's linemates.
The Predators' Tanner Jeannot is beginning to be an interesting player for deeper formats. The 24-year-old scored both of his team's goals Saturday against the defensively stout Islanders, and he's up to five point in eight games overall. He's also racked up 17 hits. The offense is no guarantee to stick around as he plays in a bottom-six role, but the Saskatchewan native's physical presence gives him a better all-around value.
If you've been waiting for a sign to add J.T. Compher to your virtual squad, consider this a brightly lit digital billboard. The 26-year-old center has four goals, four assists, 20 shots on net and three power-play points through eight games for the Avalanche. Mikko Rantanen (lower body) and Andre Burakovsky (lower body) are both banged up heading into the week -- if they miss time, Compher's got a golden chance to skate with Nathan MacKinnon at even strength. Even if that doesn't last long, Compher has displaced Nazem Kadri from the top power-play unit. His stock is rising, and you'll want to buy in now.
There hasn't been much to like about the Maple Leafs yet this year, but Michael Bunting has been a bright spot. He's got five points through nine games, and he's doing a fine job with a goal and an assist on the power play. The 26-year-old winger is a late bloomer, but he's playing for his hometown team in a top-six role. Maintaining that role means playing alongside either Auston Matthews or John Tavares, and that's a recipe for 40-plus points for the year. I didn't jump on Bunting in fantasy drafts -- I thought his late-season production last year was a little fluky. He can still be added for free in a lot of formats, but that may not last long if the Leafs' offense starts clicking.
I haven't talked much about goalies yet this year, mostly because a major workhorse has yet to go down with a long-term injury. You don't need me to tell you to play your star goalies, but consider playing a Stars goalie if you need a little help in net. Yes, I'm talking about Braden Holtby. He's lost his last two starts, and that's a little concerning, but he's also received just one goal of support in each contest. Any fantasy manager can make room for a 2.40 GAA and a .926 save percentage, especially if your other netminders can cover the slack in wins. The Stars' schedule is a little daunting in November, but it's often more important to get solid goalies with a stable workload rather than hoping a strong backup can push his way into a larger role.
For deeper formats, Craig Anderson is a possibility in net. The 40-year-old probably can't take all the credit for the Sabres' start to the year, but he's faced nearly 35 shots a game and repelled them at a .939 clip. None of that is sustainable long-term -- Anderson is likely a bandage for your roster if your other goalies are struggling early on.
In terms of true backups I trust, Jaroslav Halak is at the top of the list. Thatcher Demko has started seven of the Canucks' nine games, and Halak has lost both of his starts, but he's not getting much help from his offense. The 36-year-old is a proven name who can certainly help in deep formats and as a streamable option when he starts. You'll just have to hope the Canucks' offense gives him a little help.
With the calendar flipping to November, hockey tends to back down from the often crazy starts to the year. Teams get comfortable within their systems, there's fewer blowout games and the hierarchy in the standings settles in. As exciting as things can be early on, I love a good shutout, especially when it counts for me instead of against me in fantasy. That said, any surge in offense could be the start of a player's breakout season or a turnaround from a slow start. Here's some surprising names who are stuck on zero points: John Klingberg, Rasmus Ristolainen, Jakob Chychrun, Kailer Yamamoto, Maxime Comtois and Peyton Krebs. Let's hope November treats these guys better, or else we might need to look for some offense elsewhere.
