Week 2 of the NHL season is 3
days away, but I’m already looking forward at my possible streamers for the
week ahead. We have 3 teams playing 4 games, Detroit, Calgary, and Arizona. The
Wings and Flames have the most flexible schedules, each playing 3 times on
light schedule nights. Thursday and Saturday will be busy, so as always, make
sure you can actually fit your streamers into your line-up before adding. There
are both standard and deep league acquisition targets. This report focuses on
the best options among those who are likely to be available in your league, 10
recommendations in total, 2 goalies, 2 defensemen, and 6 forwards (plus the
same number of honorable mentions). Some of these are only short-term targets,
while others you may want to keep permanently.
If you’re looking for a big picture commentary of hockey betting (covering October 2019 to May 2022), you should check out my latest book; breaking it down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
My blog has been moved to Substack this season and I’ll be repeatedly encouraging everyone to sign-up for a free subscription to alleviate my dependence on Twitter for traffic. I’m concerned that Elon will follow through on his threat to charge everyone for Twitter and ostensibly destroy his own company. I wouldn’t put anything past him at this point, and I’ve got too many eggs in that basket. Subscribers receive an email notification each time a new post is published, and even if Twitter stays free, the algorithm likes to hide Tweets with links so you don’t leave.
Scroll down to the bottom for a
team strength of schedule graphic, and another showing the watch list used to
compile this report with their average stats last season.
Best Standard League Adds (25% to 65% Yahoo ownership):
1) Nick Schmaltz, Ari, (28% Yahoo ownership): Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller have developed fantastic chemistry in Arizona, and when healthy provide a potent scoring punch. Schmaltz is eligible at both center and right wing, giving him added versatility in your line-up. I’m strongly considering make a claim for Schmaltz, but won’t be making that decision until Sunday night when my current match-up has wrapped. I’m a little concerned that 2 of their games are in New York against elite goalies, but Schmaltz still managed 2 PTS vs New Jersey. Teammate Logan Cooley also picked up a pair of PTS in that Devils game, and is worth a stream if you can fit another center.
2) Jonas Johansson, TB, (52% Yahoo ownership): Johansson received an honorable mention here last week, and if you’ve added him, let it ride. The Bolts only play 3 games next week, all on busy nights, but they have the weakest upcoming opponents (according to last year’s stats anyway). They also play on Saturday and Sunday of the current week, so if for some reason he’s still on your waiver wire, grab him for the weekend then hang on for the week ahead. Know his value will take a big hit when Vasilevskiy returns. Another option is Antti Raanta. It’s not yet clear what Carolina’s goalie rotation will be, but they play 5 times in the next 8 days, so he’ll see action in winnable games.
3) Shayne Gostisbehere, Det, (59% Yahoo ownership): The Ghost has a new team this season, and in the first game of the season he found himself on the top power play unit, picking up an assist. Last year with the Yotes, the blueliner scored 41 PTS (15 on the PP), adding 155 shots. The Wings do have a crowded blueline, so he’s likely to get less ice time, which will negatively impact his raw totals. The Arizona Coyotes schedule is not as friendly as Detroit, but Sean Durzi was quarterbacking their first power play unit in game one, scoring a goal with the man advantage. Arizona does play 3 of their games on busy nights, so make sure you have room before adding Durzi.
4) Andrew Mangiapane, Cgy, (31% Yahoo ownership): Andrew Mangiapane is only listed on Calgary’s 3rd line and 2nd power play on Daily Faceoff, but he played 16:47 in their first game (1:51 on the PP) which was enough to collect 2 goals and 3 PTS (Huberdeau and Lindholm were in on 2 of his points). Not sure I trust Daily Faceoff lately, but it’s easy to have faith in the Flames most recent scoresheet. If you want hits, Tom Wilson is available in half of leagues and provides plenty. The Caps only play 3, but 2 of them are on light nights (Mon-Wed). You could even grab him for Mon-Wed then swap him out for Mangiapane playing Thu-Fri-Sun. That’s what a master streamer would do.
5) Lucas Raymond, Det, (40% Yahoo ownership): Lucas Raymond isn’t playing either top line or top power play, but his ice time total was acceptable in game one (the second unit was close to the first in usage). The reason Raymond finds himself in this report is because Detroit’s schedule, 4 games, 3 on light nights, and Raymond is eligible at both wings. I just checked Daily Faceoff again, and they have him back on line 1. That was different this morning. Strange. His teammate J.T Compher is playing second line, second power play according to Daily Faceoff, and he played nearly 20 minutes in the first game, picking up a point on the power play.
Honorable Mentions: Logan Cooley, Sean Durzi, Antti Raanta, J.T Compher, Tom Wilson
Last Week: Vegas Goalies, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Bunting, Jake Sanderson, Bryan Rust
Best Deep League Adds (under 25% ownership):
If you’re looking for a big picture commentary of hockey betting (covering October 2019 to May 2022), you should check out my latest book; breaking it down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
My blog has been moved to Substack this season and I’ll be repeatedly encouraging everyone to sign-up for a free subscription to alleviate my dependence on Twitter for traffic. I’m concerned that Elon will follow through on his threat to charge everyone for Twitter and ostensibly destroy his own company. I wouldn’t put anything past him at this point, and I’ve got too many eggs in that basket. Subscribers receive an email notification each time a new post is published, and even if Twitter stays free, the algorithm likes to hide Tweets with links so you don’t leave.
Best Standard League Adds (25% to 65% Yahoo ownership):
1) Nick Schmaltz, Ari, (28% Yahoo ownership): Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller have developed fantastic chemistry in Arizona, and when healthy provide a potent scoring punch. Schmaltz is eligible at both center and right wing, giving him added versatility in your line-up. I’m strongly considering make a claim for Schmaltz, but won’t be making that decision until Sunday night when my current match-up has wrapped. I’m a little concerned that 2 of their games are in New York against elite goalies, but Schmaltz still managed 2 PTS vs New Jersey. Teammate Logan Cooley also picked up a pair of PTS in that Devils game, and is worth a stream if you can fit another center.
2) Jonas Johansson, TB, (52% Yahoo ownership): Johansson received an honorable mention here last week, and if you’ve added him, let it ride. The Bolts only play 3 games next week, all on busy nights, but they have the weakest upcoming opponents (according to last year’s stats anyway). They also play on Saturday and Sunday of the current week, so if for some reason he’s still on your waiver wire, grab him for the weekend then hang on for the week ahead. Know his value will take a big hit when Vasilevskiy returns. Another option is Antti Raanta. It’s not yet clear what Carolina’s goalie rotation will be, but they play 5 times in the next 8 days, so he’ll see action in winnable games.
3) Shayne Gostisbehere, Det, (59% Yahoo ownership): The Ghost has a new team this season, and in the first game of the season he found himself on the top power play unit, picking up an assist. Last year with the Yotes, the blueliner scored 41 PTS (15 on the PP), adding 155 shots. The Wings do have a crowded blueline, so he’s likely to get less ice time, which will negatively impact his raw totals. The Arizona Coyotes schedule is not as friendly as Detroit, but Sean Durzi was quarterbacking their first power play unit in game one, scoring a goal with the man advantage. Arizona does play 3 of their games on busy nights, so make sure you have room before adding Durzi.
4) Andrew Mangiapane, Cgy, (31% Yahoo ownership): Andrew Mangiapane is only listed on Calgary’s 3rd line and 2nd power play on Daily Faceoff, but he played 16:47 in their first game (1:51 on the PP) which was enough to collect 2 goals and 3 PTS (Huberdeau and Lindholm were in on 2 of his points). Not sure I trust Daily Faceoff lately, but it’s easy to have faith in the Flames most recent scoresheet. If you want hits, Tom Wilson is available in half of leagues and provides plenty. The Caps only play 3, but 2 of them are on light nights (Mon-Wed). You could even grab him for Mon-Wed then swap him out for Mangiapane playing Thu-Fri-Sun. That’s what a master streamer would do.
5) Lucas Raymond, Det, (40% Yahoo ownership): Lucas Raymond isn’t playing either top line or top power play, but his ice time total was acceptable in game one (the second unit was close to the first in usage). The reason Raymond finds himself in this report is because Detroit’s schedule, 4 games, 3 on light nights, and Raymond is eligible at both wings. I just checked Daily Faceoff again, and they have him back on line 1. That was different this morning. Strange. His teammate J.T Compher is playing second line, second power play according to Daily Faceoff, and he played nearly 20 minutes in the first game, picking up a point on the power play.
Honorable Mentions: Logan Cooley, Sean Durzi, Antti Raanta, J.T Compher, Tom Wilson
Last Week: Vegas Goalies, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Bunting, Jake Sanderson, Bryan Rust
Best Deep League Adds (under 25% ownership):
1) Barrett Hayton, Ari, (16% Yahoo ownership): Hayton was one of my
deep league sleepers this year because of his role centering the top line and
top power play in Arizona. The youngster was sensational in the second half
playing with Schmaltz and Keller, earning a permanent role with that duo.
Frankly that 16% ownership number is stupidly low after when he showed down the
stretch, but center-only can be devalued on Yahoo due to oversupply. Matias
Maccelli also plays on the Yotes top unit and is available in 94% of leagues,
which is absurdly low considering he scored nearly 50 PTS last season (he was
on my deepest league sleeper list 2 weeks ago).
2) Matt Coronato, Cgy, (6% Yahoo ownership): Daily Faceoff has Coronato playing 2nd line and top power play in Calgary, who have a great schedule as previously discussed. The Harvard graduate has tantalizing upside, scoring 36 PTS in both his NCAA seasons. The right winger didn’t do much in their first game, playing 13:31 with 3 shots and a -2, but I’m eager to roll the dice given the Flames schedule. His teammate Dillon Dube is listed on the first line and second power play, is eligible and center and left wing, while also providing decent shot and hit totals for those of you playing in category leagues.
3) James Reimer, Det, (3% Yahoo ownership): James Reimer averaged 26% last season on one of the league’s worst teams, putting up an .890 SV%. He signed with a better team in the offseason, yet his ownership has plunged down to 3%. That could be because people don’t want bigots on their fantasy teams, but they’re playing 4 games all against teams who missed the playoffs, so Reimer will see some action with a decent win probability. If you support gay marriage and refuse to add Reimer, Flames play 4 times against non-playoff teams so Dan Vladar will see some action (probably vs Columbus) and is available in 99% of leagues.
4) Juuso Valimaki, Ari, (6% Yahoo ownership): The departure of Chychrun and Gostisbehere from Arizona opens more power play time for Juuso Valimaki, who thrived with the mam advantage after the trade deadline last season. Durzi was getting the first look, but Valimaki received a decent amount of PP time. The downside is that Valimaki doesn’t provide strong shot or hit numbers, so you may want to try Nikita Zadorov in category leagues. He doesn’t see any power play time, but is a good shots and hits guy for deep category leagues, putting up 130 shots and 174 hits last season (compared to Valimaki’s 93-53).
5) Daniel Sprong, Det, (5% Yahoo ownership): Daily Faceoff has Sprong listed at 3rd line and 2nd power play, and in their first game he played a shade under 15 minutes (1:15 on the power play) and scored a goal (even strength). The best thing about Sprong is the schedule this week, and he’s available in 95% of leagues, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding him on waivers. He did well in limited duty with Seattle last season, scoring 21 goals and 46 PTS averaging only 11:25 minutes. Jason Zucker in Arizona is also worth considering for a stream, especially for those of you in a bangers league, with 197 shots and 197 hits last season.
Honorable Mentions: Matias Maccelli, Dillon Dube, Jason Zucker, Nikita Zadorov, Dan Vladar
Last Week: Seth Jarvis, Andre Burakovsky, Ryan O’Reilly, Jaccob Slavin, Elvis Merzlikins
2) Matt Coronato, Cgy, (6% Yahoo ownership): Daily Faceoff has Coronato playing 2nd line and top power play in Calgary, who have a great schedule as previously discussed. The Harvard graduate has tantalizing upside, scoring 36 PTS in both his NCAA seasons. The right winger didn’t do much in their first game, playing 13:31 with 3 shots and a -2, but I’m eager to roll the dice given the Flames schedule. His teammate Dillon Dube is listed on the first line and second power play, is eligible and center and left wing, while also providing decent shot and hit totals for those of you playing in category leagues.
3) James Reimer, Det, (3% Yahoo ownership): James Reimer averaged 26% last season on one of the league’s worst teams, putting up an .890 SV%. He signed with a better team in the offseason, yet his ownership has plunged down to 3%. That could be because people don’t want bigots on their fantasy teams, but they’re playing 4 games all against teams who missed the playoffs, so Reimer will see some action with a decent win probability. If you support gay marriage and refuse to add Reimer, Flames play 4 times against non-playoff teams so Dan Vladar will see some action (probably vs Columbus) and is available in 99% of leagues.
4) Juuso Valimaki, Ari, (6% Yahoo ownership): The departure of Chychrun and Gostisbehere from Arizona opens more power play time for Juuso Valimaki, who thrived with the mam advantage after the trade deadline last season. Durzi was getting the first look, but Valimaki received a decent amount of PP time. The downside is that Valimaki doesn’t provide strong shot or hit numbers, so you may want to try Nikita Zadorov in category leagues. He doesn’t see any power play time, but is a good shots and hits guy for deep category leagues, putting up 130 shots and 174 hits last season (compared to Valimaki’s 93-53).
5) Daniel Sprong, Det, (5% Yahoo ownership): Daily Faceoff has Sprong listed at 3rd line and 2nd power play, and in their first game he played a shade under 15 minutes (1:15 on the power play) and scored a goal (even strength). The best thing about Sprong is the schedule this week, and he’s available in 95% of leagues, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding him on waivers. He did well in limited duty with Seattle last season, scoring 21 goals and 46 PTS averaging only 11:25 minutes. Jason Zucker in Arizona is also worth considering for a stream, especially for those of you in a bangers league, with 197 shots and 197 hits last season.
Honorable Mentions: Matias Maccelli, Dillon Dube, Jason Zucker, Nikita Zadorov, Dan Vladar
Last Week: Seth Jarvis, Andre Burakovsky, Ryan O’Reilly, Jaccob Slavin, Elvis Merzlikins
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