How do you do, fellow NHL Fantasy sickos? Here at Broad Street Hockey, we run a very low-stakes, casual ESPN league amongst the staff with more-or-less standard scoring practices. No bangers leagues here! The Flyers are still a ways away from truly contending for a Stanley Cup, so this is a fun way for us to get more engaged with the hockey season in a friendly environment.
Last year was my first time doing fantasy sports of any kind, and I won our league championship (having Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko as your starting netminders will do that, and Hart-winner Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t too shabby, either). This year I wanted to bring some fantasy insights to the BSH readership: that will include streamers, goalie outlooks, light night options and–if the masses demand it–some version of “Keep or Drop,” plus any other trends that are cropping up. As best we can, we will choose players who are widely available in most leagues. Like, yes, the Avs have a four game slate, but unless you drafted Nathan MacKinnon top five, it’s not helpful for us to say he’s the ideal streaming candidate.
It probably won’t be me writing every week, as a few of us will rotate in throughout the season, but I did want to get things rolling in this limbo after drafts have been completed and before the regular season truly begins (sorry, Devils/Sabres fans watching this weekend’s Euro games). We may also be putting together a brief weekly pod with similar content if audio is more your style!
One major disclaimer before we begin: none of us know your league rules or scoring guidelines. For example, I’m not in a bangers league, so I may not highlight players that would be especially useful for your roster–but feel free to share niche pickups in the comments so other readers can benefit! In general, we’ll try to highlight multifunctional players, but sometimes you’ll have to use your own judgement.
In addition, we don’t know how many teams your league has, and that can dramatically affect who might be a good pickup for your roster. For example, if the Calgary Flames have a four-game week, we may highlight Anthony Mantha, who’s rostered on just over one percent of ESPN teams–he’s the choice because he’s the only one available in deeper leagues. If you’re in a shallower league and, say, Jonathan Huberdeau is available? That’s almost certainly a better option, so consider who you can nab off the waiver wire as it relates to a team’s situation more than the specific player we mention.
Lastly, if you take our advice on a player and it doesn’t work out: shit happens. Ice hockey is chaotic and crazy and sometimes things just don’t go as planned! Last season, I picked up Mikhail Sergachev off the waiver wire for his first game back after injury…and he immediately broke his leg in a freak play against the New York Rangers. We can’t predict every outcome, so once again, trust your instincts if you think you’re on to something that we’ve missed.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into Week One of the fantasy season!
Streamers, Light Nights & Early Season Intrigue
Listen, I know you just drafted your team and probably don’t need to drop anyone for streaming just yet–but maybe one of the players you picked up already got injured in the too long preseason! Or maybe you explicitly picked up an injured player to stash on IR for when they’re recovered (I see you, Luke Hughes fans). Still, there are a few players that fell through the draft cracks and could provide a bit of value for the extended first week of the season. The only teams playing four games are the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, with the rest of the league playing three or fewer (avoid the Washington Capitals, as they only play once.)
Also, in this introductory edition, I’m going to point out a few players that may have value over the first few weeks of the season. However, as rosters fall into place and injured players return to the lineup, these players may lose prime roles, and it’ll be time to drop them for other streaming options.
Four-Game Streamers
Jack Quinn, RW, Buffalo Sabres | 8.1% ESPN
Last season was a tough one for Quinn: he only got into 27 games due to injury, but put up 19 points in that time. He looks healthy this year, and will hold a top-six, PP1 role on a Sabres team that should flourish under the rush-based offense new head coach Lindy Ruff used with the Devils.
