All fantasy owners want for Christmas is for the Omicron variant to go away.
Sadly, it’s not, at least anytime soon.
With nearly 20 per cent of the league currently in COVID protocol and 50 games shelved for a later date, weirdly, pausing play was probably the best possible outcome for the fantasy community. This way, everyone’s on the same playing field moving forward.
Any way you slice it, navigating through this mess has become pretty much impossible. To be frank, there’s no strategy to combat the chaos, we’re all in this together.
As the NHL exits its holiday hiatus and prepares to fire it back up again on Monday night, make sure to keep close tabs on your email for the very latest from the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool Commissioner. Obviously, with all the postponements, the powers that be have had to make some in-season adjustments to the pool.
Now to your questions:
@Shakyisgreat asks: How does Vegas line up when Eichel is back?
Phenomenal question.
Despite the way Chandler Stephenson has been playing lately, it’s still very likely that Vegas will elect to load up its top line, at least to start. It goes without saying but Max Pacioretty, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone have the potential to do some serious damage together. After that, your guess is as good as mine. Here’s what I’d do:
Pacioretty-Eichel-Stone
Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith
Dadonov-Stephenson-Patrick
Furthermore, unless the Golden Knights can acquire someone for LTIR purposes, they’ll likely need to deal someone off their roster to become cap compliant once Eichel is set to return. For now, just monitor the situation closely.
@CrazyMitch19 asks: Tuch as pick up?
Considering how depleted most fantasy rosters are right now, I’d definitely take a flier on Alex Tuch.
Having said that, I think it’s imperative to temper expectations for the Syracuse, N.Y., native as he gets set to make his debut for the team he grew up cheering for. Yes, the power forward will be a top-six fixture for the first time in his career but gone are the days of being insulated by Vegas’ big boys. Seriously, this is apples to oranges. The Sabres aren’t the Golden Knights.
To start, it looks like the Sabres will utilize Tuch on the second line with Brett Murray and Dylan Cozens as well as the second power-play unit. At the very least, there’s lots of opportunity in Buffalo, that’s for sure.
@theJPW asks: Stastny likely to keep that spot beside Scheifele and Ehlers?
If the first two games under interim coach Dave Lowry were any indication, I’d say there’s a good shot that this trio will stay in-tact for the next little while. They combined for 11 points as the Jets went 1-1-0 before the pause. With Blake Wheeler out indefinitely, Paul Stastny will get plenty of opportunity to produce in the top six.
Suffice it is to say, if he’s available, grab him immediately.
@shenrique1418 asks: Is Rodrigues for real? Or should I sell high?
Sell high, and don’t think twice about it. Why, you ask? Two words: Jake Guentzel.
Pittsburgh’s leading scorer recently returned to practice after injuring his hand back on Dec. 6 in Seattle. Once he’s good to go, Guentzel will slot back in on Sidney Crosby’s left wing. With Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust also on the mend, Evan Rodrigues figures to play in the bottom six as the season progresses for the surprising Penguins.
Needless to say, executing a sell high on Rodrigues seems like a reasonable proposition. He’s done his part, now it’s time for you to do yours as a fantasy owner. How about a Rodrigues for Adam Henrique one-for-one swap? Good luck!
Definitely.
As discussed, Charlie Lindgren is fighting for the rest of season backup job with the injured Ville Husso, it’ll be intriguing to see how that plays out. With that in mind, as long as the 28-year-old Lindgren continues to shine, the Blues will have no choice but to continue putting him out there. What a story this is becoming.
