Happy winter to all. To friends that have decided to plant roots in the northern part of the continent, we should see the snow falling soon. Some of us already have wished we were on a beach somewhere. I hope everyone had a great American Thanksgiving; I give thanks to finally be in the double-digit weeks of fantasy hockey!
League recap shows that most teams have stayed in relatively the same spot with the exception of a few. The San Jose Sharks have been able to put together a surprising 8-2 record over their last 10 games, sliding them into third place among the Pacific Division. The Chicago Blackhawks have returned to Earth after a decent run. After being unable to put together meaningful wins against their conference, they now find themselves at the bottom of the division after going 1-4 in the last five games, all against division opponents. The Phoenix Coyotes have been quietly climbing the standings and should be a team to keep an eye on. Aside from the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, the Eastern Conference is pretty tight with each of those respective teams distancing themselves in points.
Buy
Nathan MacKinnon (C – COL)
The Colorado Avalanche are 7-3 over the last 10 games and MacKinnon is back to his normal self. A fast-paced offensive plan has helped him with a boost in points and he has also fit right back in with the power play. This has always been the style of play we have seen MacKinnon flourish in and it looks like it will continue the rest of the year.
He had nine points this past week, stuffing the net three times and adding six assists. Two of his goals were on the power play. It seems like a sell-high moment, but with the team firing on all cylinders, it may be the time to get him before he reaches untouchable status.
Evgeni Malkin (C – PIT)
Sidney Crosby is still on the IR, which makes the entire offense and team run through Malkin. Stock dropped for many Penguin players with the Crosby injury. However, Malkin is talented in his own right and doesn’t need other players to buoy his production. Therefore, it should be no problem grabbing him from someone who may be wavering in confidence on him.
Plug him in your lineup and let him rack up the points. The past week, Malkin was second across the league with eight points total — two goals and six assists. Malkin is also running the power play and has had two of his points come by way of that.
Quinn Hughes (D – VAN)
The Canucks’ record in the last 10 games would make you think they haven’t been the most stellar squad. However, they have been scoring a lot over the last week and Hughes is the benefactor of that with five assists. With a heavy shot, some of those pucks are going to start to find the back of the net. He may not light up the stat sheet in hits, but his power-play minutes are rising and he takes a decent amount of shots for a defender. Add Hughes as a bench stash and you will be thankful.
Sell
Kevin Fiala (LW/RW – MIN)
The Wild had a tough go at the beginning of the season, but over the last 10 games, they have been able to obtain a record of 6-1-3. In that time, Fiala has been able to nab eight points with three goals and five assists, including four points on the power play. This is a great time to grab him off the waiver wire and flip him or sell him high if you own him. The Wild are near the bottom of their division, and with it being one of the toughest overall divisions in hockey, it is going to be a long hard slide for the team. The scoring is usually down with the Wild and it should be expected again this year. The schedule for Minnesota does not get any easier heading into the next few weeks.
Filip Hronek (D – DET)
Detroit is on yet another losing streak this year, now having lost their eighth straight. Unfortunately for hockey town, it’s not going to get any better. As in any fantasy league, even bad teams have players of value, but unless you are holding on to one of the top three that play for Detroit, my advice would be to sell anyone else. Drop or trade; anything is better than being given the tough decision of starting this player or leaving him on the bench. He had 13 points in 30 games with just over a hit per game and a -11 rating. There are plenty of options other than starting Hronek.
The Christmas stretch is upon us and I hope that everyone can enjoy the holiday season. As long as hockey is being played, I know I will. Have fun, hockey friends.
Mat Vilcek is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Mat, follow him @Mat1Thockey.
