Fantasy start/sit: ‘Frozen Frenzy’ roster decisions
NHL.com answers mailbag questions for 16-game slate on Tuesday
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All 32 NHL teams will be in action Tuesday with almost all of the games having staggered starting times beginning at 6 p.m. ET. In addition to a tripleheader on ESPN, the network will have whip-around coverage from 7-8 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and then continue on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET.
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Evander Kane (EDM; at MIN) or Troy Terry (ANA; at CBJ)?
Even with the Oilers’ underwhelming start and the injury absence of top-ranked fantasy player Connor McDavid, I’ll still side with the better team in Edmonton and Kane, who has a higher fantasy floor with far better peripheral category coverage of shots on goal (3.5 per game in career) and hits (2.3 per game) than Terry (2.0 SOG per game; 0.1 hits per game). Kane, who’s due for his first goal of the season (none on 11 shots on goal in five games) and is likely to play on the top line with high-scoring forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, scored 38 goals in 84 regular-season games over the previous two seasons combined since joining the Oilers. -- Pete Jensen
Evan Rodrigues (FLA; vs. SJS) or Cole Caufield (MTL; vs. NJD)?
Rodrigues has been one of the surprise stories of the fantasy season so far, but you should trust Caufield’s goal-scoring pedigree here – even with the Florida Panthers having a favorable matchup against the San Jose Sharks (0-4-1 this season; only NHL team without a win). Caufield has scored 29 goals in 50 games over the past two seasons entering Monday, an 82-game pace of 48 – which would have ranked just outside the top five in the category last season. -- Pete Jensen
Pavel Zacha (BOS; at CHI) or Evan Rodrigues (FLA; vs. SJS)?
For a big slate like this, you should go with the players who have provided results so far. Zacha is probably the better player to roster for the rest of the season compared to Rodrigues given his chances of sticking on the top line with elite wings Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak but has no goals and one assist on 10 shots on goal in five games. Rodrigues already has two multipoint games, including four points (two goals, two assists) against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 14. E. Rod is also playing on a pretty strong top line with center Aleksander Barkov and wing Sam Reinhart. -- Pete Jensen
Nico Hischier (NJD; at MTL) or Ivan Barbashev (VGK; vs. PHI)?
Hischier (upper body) left the game for the New Jersey Devils at the New York Islanders on Friday and is uncertain for Tuesday. Barbashev is off to a slow start this season (one goal in six games) but has been reunited with the linemates that helped him thrive last postseason (18 points in 22 games) and fueled the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run. Monitor Hischier’s injury status leading up to the games Tuesday, but it’s a lot safer to side with Barbashev and the defending champions, who are one of three remaining undefeated teams (6-0-0), in this spot. -- Pete Jensen
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (FLA; vs. SJS) or John Klingberg (TOR; at WSH)?
These defensemen are playing on the first power-play units for their new teams this season. Each has a favorable matchup on the “Frozen Frenzy” slate, but Klingberg has double the points (four assists) of OEL (one goal, one assist) this season and plays on a more potent power play (Toronto: 29.4, sixth in NHL; Florida: 10.0, 25th). Klingberg also could have more staying power considering Ekman-Larsson is likely to lose his PP1 role once Brandon Montour and/or Aaron Ekblad return from injury. -- Pete Jensen
Wyatt Johnston (DAL; at PIT) or Matty Beniers (SEA; at DET)?
These forwards were tied with each other for the NHL rookie lead in goals (24) last season. I’m leaning toward starting Johnston after he had the first three-point game (one goal, two assists) of his NHL career against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. The Detroit Red Wings are one of the hottest teams in the League (5-1-0), and Beniers’ fantasy category coverage has been lacking with no goals, one assist, a minus-8 and nine shots on goal in six games. -- Pete Jensen
Is Casey Mittelstadt a good replacement for injured Connor McDavid?
We're about to find out how much the underachieving Oilers will miss McDavid, who’s out 1-2 weeks with an upper-body injury. Mittelstadt is a viable pickup, especially after NHL career highs in points (59) and power-play points (16) last season in a potent Buffalo Sabres offense. Mittelstadt is also playing with even better linemates right now in Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch with elite center Tage Thompson on a new-look trio with wings Dylan Cozens and Jordan Greenway.
Here are five other outside replacement options for McDavid that you should try to make room for in your Tuesday lineups: Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers, Matthew Poitras of the Boston Bruins, Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Carolina Hurricanes, Ryan Johansen of the Colorado Avalanche and Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Each has exceeded fantasy expectations so far. -- Pete Jensen
Jonathan Marchessault (VGK; vs. PHI), Seth Jarvis (CAR; at TBL) or Evan Rodrigues (FLA; vs. SJS)?
Rodrigues is having a hot start to his season with seven points (two goals, five assists) in his first five games and has yet to play a single game this season without logging at least four shots on goal. Rodrigues has the best matchup value out of all three options playing against a San Jose Sharks team that is allowing the most shots on goal per game in the NHL (39.2) and thus is the option with the highest floor.
Marchessault has three goals across his first six games and is part of an undefeated Golden Knights squad that has started the season 6-0-0. Last season Marchessault had four points (two goals, two assists) and nine shots on goal in just two games against the Flyers, making him a solid option as well. However, Philadelphia is off to a sneaky good start to the season and sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division standings entering Tuesday.
Jarvis is tied for the most road points in the NHL so far this season with six (four goals, two assists) in five games. He has high upside on a Carolina Hurricanes team that ranks second in the NHL in goals per game (4.50) but they have the toughest opponent of the three facing the Tampa Bay Lightning so one of the other two options may prove stronger on this slate. -- Anna Dua
Jonathan Huberdeau (CGY; vs. NYR) or Jordan Kyrou (STL; at WPG)?
Huberdeau had four points in his first four games this season (two goals, two assists) but has been held without a point in his past two games. Meanwhile, Kyrou has two points (one goal, one assist) in his first four games and has decent shot volume with 13 shots on goal in the span. Last season Kyrou struggled against the Winnipeg Jets with no points in four games against the team. Huberdeau on the other hand had two assists in two games against the New York Rangers last season and has been nearly a point per game player against the team throughout his career with 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 27 regular season games so he edges out Kyrou in this comparison. -- Anna Dua
Claude Giroux (OTT; vs. BUF) or Nick Suzuki (MTL; vs. NJD)?
Starting off Giroux and the Ottawa Senators have a huge schedule advantage in this comparison, as they will play the Buffalo Sabres who are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Meanwhile, Suzuki and the Montreal Canadiens will be playing their second of a back-to-back against the New Jersey Devils after facing the Sabres on Monday. This alone gives Giroux an edge but beyond that he has high upside on a top line with Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk. Montreal on the other hand will have to play a Devils team that is top 10 in the NHL in both shots on goal per game (6th; 34) and goals per game (8th; 3.75). -- Anna Dua
