Before you know it, the fantasy hockey playoffs will be upon us. Yes, it's still February, and this season will run a bit more into April than usual, but it's not too soon to be thinking about what it's going to take to get your team to the next level. For those who are near the top of the standings, it might just take a couple of small moves to keep your depth fresh -- you're doing well for a reason, after all. If you're on the bubble, now's a good time to see where your strengths and weaknesses are. The status quo won't be enough, so find upgrades and don't hesitate to take chances.
This is a great evaluation point in this particular season because we're just about out of what would have been the Olympic break. Teams should get back onto a more predictable schedule going forward. I made the case a few weeks ago about capitalizing on games in hand -- while still valuable now, it's more important to make sure there's no passengers on your roster.
This past week, the top player that stood out most for me was Mason Marchment. He posted a hat trick against the Wild and added an assist versus the Blackhawks, but he's caught my eye for more than just his production. The Panthers' offense is deep, and that's a good thing for a third-liner like Marchment. So far this season, he's at 11 goals, 16 assists and a plus-24 rating in 25 games. He's also been a physical force, racking up 59 hits and 23 PIM. Don't let him sit on the waiver wire in March -- grab him now while he's hot.
There's no reason at this point for Boone Jenner to be available in over half of Yahoo leagues -- he's at 21 goals and 39 points in just 49 games. His longest point drought of the season was three games just as 2022 started. It's fine to be skeptical of his 15.9 shooting percentage, which has been above his career-high mark of 13.3 percent for much of the season. Sometimes a player just has a lucky season, and there's no point in turning a blind eye to it.
I've talked about Jeff Skinner in this column previously this season, but just for a refresher -- he's up to 20 goals and 36 points in 49 games. Since the start of January, he's been even better with 19 points in as many games. The Sabres' offense, while not always consistent, has not been the team's biggest problem this season. If you can weather the lows, Skinner's best games have often been a bit of the explosive variety. Just ask the Canadiens -- he rang up four goals and an assist on them last Sunday.
Count me in as someone willing to put in a speculative add on Ryan McLeod. The 22-year-old has yet to really pop off in his first full NHL campaign, logging 11 points through 39 games. McLeod's got opportunity knocking on the other side of his door, however, with Jesse Puljujarvi (lower body) out for four weeks and maybe longer. McLeod's going to have a chance to prove himself in a top-six role. Yes, that means even strength ice time with Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers' top six is one of the best jobs a forward in the NHL could have, especially since new head coach Jay Woodcroft has righted the ship. If McLeod can step his game up, he could be in line to stay in that role even after Puljujarvi, a much more physical player, returns.
If you want a bit more proof-of-concept from your Oilers depth forwards, consider Warren Foegele. I've liked the 25-year-old for a while as a deep-league option -- he's physical and his history with the Hurricanes suggests he can chip in solid scoring numbers too. In the last five games, he has two goals and two assists. It's been instant chemistry for Foegele, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Derek Ryan on a new-look third line, which has been a large driver of the Oilers' recent success. Foegele's still not seeing a lot of ice time, as he hasn't topped 15 minutes in any game in February, but production is more important.
Garnet Hathaway has somewhat quietly enjoyed a career year with the Capitals. The winger's 10 goals put him one off his career high, and he's matched his personal best point total with 19 in 47 games so far. The Maine native has added 162 hits and 35 PIM. He's a tough guy, but he's also played well with Nic Dowd and Carl Hagelin. I wouldn't expect him to repeat his two-goal, one-assist game from Thursday versus the Flyers any time soon, but steady physical play and the occasional offense can help in deeper formats.
If you don't need to add much offense from your blue line, consider Colton Parayko. He's top-10 in the league in blocked shots with 110 through 47 games, and he's only missed two contests this season due to COVID-19 protocols. Avoiding injury is always tough for a defensive defenseman, but Parayko's done that well this season. The 28-year-old could also end the year over 30 points -- he's picked up five goals and 15 assists this season, so he won't hurt your scoring numbers.
Jared Spurgeon is back at it again. He's picked up four assists, including three on the power play, in his last four games. While the Wild will miss Matt Dumba (lower body) for a bit longer, Spurgeon is quite capable of picking up the slack. The 32-year-old has 19 points, 36 blocked shots, a plus-18 rating and 51 shots on goal through 32 appearances this season. He's steady in all zones, even if he doesn't really stand out in any one area. At worst, he's on the fringe for some of my fantasy teams, but he's a known quantity playing on a strong team.
Conor Garland has shaken off his latest slump to rack up three goals and two assists in his last six games. The Canucks are sitting on a precipice right now -- getting back in the playoff picture could be tough from where they stand, but they may not want to commit to a full fire sale if results don't improve. I personally don't think Garland's going anywhere at the trade deadline. He's in the first season of a five-year contract with a cap hit under $5 million. At 25 years old, he can still be part of the solution for the Canucks. In fantasy terms, I like him where he's at, but if he gets dealt to a stronger offense, I wouldn't cut him even if he sees a reduced role. Most of his dip from 39 points in 49 games last season can be attributed to playing on the second power-play unit in Vancouver, where he's picked up just two of his 29 points in this campaign.
Oskar Sundqvist is not an intriguing option for many fantasy managers, but I'm willing to see if he can sustain his recent run. The versatile forward has two goals and four assists in five games since the All-Star break. He's only picked up 14 points in 33 contests overall -- at the best of times, I wouldn't expect much more than a 30-point campaign from the Swede. Just be prepared to let Sundqvist go soon, because he's more of a short-term fix in fantasy.
If you jumped off the Jeremy Swayman train when Tuukka Rask made his comeback effort, now's the time to get back on the tracks. Since returning to the Bruins roster following Rask's retirement, Swayman has gone 3-1-1 with a 1.60 GAA and a .944 save percentage in six games. I won't hold it against him for playing the Senators twice in that span -- he doesn't get to choose his opponents. He's got more upside than Linus Ullmark, especially since it's Swayman who's started three of the last four games.
Laurent Brossoit could also be a solid short-term option in net. While he didn't play Sunday versus the Sharks, he's started three of the previous four games. He's allowed six goals on 84 shots in that span while going 1-1-1. Brossoit should continue to start regularly while Robin Lehner (upper body) is out of action.
I'm going to focus on making sure my teams are ready for the stretch run this week. There's enough time for the moves you make this week to have an impact before it's too late. Put yourself in the best position possible to make a deep run, and check back in next week to prepare for more adjustments as the fantasy season gets closer to the finish line.
