During a recent three-game home stand, the Ducks outscored their opponents 16-6 with seven goals against the two-time defending champs, only giving up one to a high-powered Devils offense, and putting five past a Detroit side hovering around the top of the Atlantic Division. And then they casually dropped seven in Dallas on Thursday.
Anaheim is full of promising forwards ripe for fantasy selection. And who knows? You may see one of them below…along with 13 candidates from other clubs.
(Rostered rates as of Nov. 7)
Forwards
Will Smith, SJ (Yahoo: 45%): Smith did relatively well as a rookie, with 45 points as he finished sixth in Calder voting while not primarily playing alongside fellow freshman Macklin Celebrini. The duo have combined much more this season, and Smith has reaped the rewards by recording five goals, eight assists and 28 shots on an 18:04 average. The Sharks may still be suspect on the defensive end, but they're a top-10 offense and any of their available first line/power play performers should be added ASAP.
Chris Kreider, ANH (Yahoo: 37%): 2024-25 marked Kreider's lowest full-season scoring output at 30 points and only seven PPPs after he reached double-digits the previous eight campaigns. Moving to Anaheim has rejuvenated the 34-year-old, as he's already chipped in with nine goals – five of those while up a man – to go with 27 shots on both top attacking units. The 33.3 shooting percentage will obviously regress, though Kreider is set for a
During a recent three-game home stand, the Ducks outscored their opponents 16-6 with seven goals against the two-time defending champs, only giving up one to a high-powered Devils offense, and putting five past a Detroit side hovering around the top of the Atlantic Division. And then they casually dropped seven in Dallas on Thursday.
Anaheim is full of promising forwards ripe for fantasy selection. And who knows? You may see one of them below…along with 13 candidates from other clubs.
(Rostered rates as of Nov. 7)
Forwards
Will Smith, SJ (Yahoo: 45%): Smith did relatively well as a rookie, with 45 points as he finished sixth in Calder voting while not primarily playing alongside fellow freshman Macklin Celebrini. The duo have combined much more this season, and Smith has reaped the rewards by recording five goals, eight assists and 28 shots on an 18:04 average. The Sharks may still be suspect on the defensive end, but they're a top-10 offense and any of their available first line/power play performers should be added ASAP.
Chris Kreider, ANH (Yahoo: 37%): 2024-25 marked Kreider's lowest full-season scoring output at 30 points and only seven PPPs after he reached double-digits the previous eight campaigns. Moving to Anaheim has rejuvenated the 34-year-old, as he's already chipped in with nine goals – five of those while up a man – to go with 27 shots on both top attacking units. The 33.3 shooting percentage will obviously regress, though Kreider is set for a bounce-back year as long as he remains in prime placement and stays healthy enough.
Evander Kane, VAN (Yahoo: 30%): Kane found his way back to his hometown and has recently made a mark after an inconsistent start, with all three of his goals coming in his last two appearances and a whopping 10 shots coming versus Chicago on Wednesday. He's currently within the Canucks' top-six and skates on their backup power play while totaling 44 pucks on net, 31 hits and 28 PIM. Kane will be fine if he keeps firing shots and doesn't drop to the lower half of the depth chart.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR (Yahoo: 18%): The Rangers sit last in the league with 2.21 goals per game. None of their regular scorers are above a 10.0 shooting percentage, and Lafreniere is the worst of those who've actually found the back of the net at 3.1. So why is he here? Because he's supplied five assists and has been unlucky producing only one goal when advanced metrics say his expected tally should be at least three. That's not to say Lafreniere will instantly turn it around, yet it's a sign things are bound to improve.
Jack Roslovic, EDM (Yahoo: 15%): Getting to play on Edmonton's elite power play can do wonders for your fantasy resume. Roslovic joined the team after the first week and didn't really get going until Oct. 26 by delivering his first goal and second assist. He recently joined the top man-advantage and is up to three straight contests with a PPP. That last part is likely to end once Zach Hyman comes back, but there's a chance Roslovic will be next to either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl during five-on-five as he complements their skills. And if that doesn't end up working out, you might as well add him to see what he can do now.
Tyler Bertuzzi, CHI (Yahoo: 15%): Bertuzzi doubled his goal count on Wednesday by registering a hat-trick. He was relatively reliable the previous four seasons with a 45-point average and has so far accumulated 10 alongside 27 shots and 15 hits. Bertuzzi is also part of the Blackhawks' lead power play, where he's posted three PPGs and a PPA. That's unbelievable production from someone available in almost one out of eight Yahoo! leagues.
Ben Kindel, PIT (Yahoo: 6%): Injuries to Rickard Rakell and Justin Brazeau have allowed Kindel to jump up the roster to join Sidney Crosby on the first trio and man-advantage. That's quite the accelerated advancement for a player who was drafted 11th overall less than five months ago. During the last two games, Kindel has recorded two goals, two assists, three PPPs and seven shots on a combined 43:11. And with the two aforementioned absences projected to continue into December, this is an opportunity you need to pounce on right away.
Morgan Frost, CGY (Yahoo: 6%): Calgary players often get overlooked, as the team has been horrendous at scoring the last couple years, yet there's value lurking somewhere on that roster. And you don't have to dig deep to find Frost, as he's currently centering the second trio while slotting in on the top PP. Frost has points from six of the last eight games, some shots, a few hits and blocks, a bunch of faceoff wins and some decent linemates at just under 16 minutes per matchup, so why not take a chance?
Defensemen
Rasmus Andersson, CGY (Yahoo: 45%): Andersson's fantasy stock took a hit the last two seasons with him scoring a 70 combined points (compared to 99 the previous two) and with the offensive emergence of MacKenzie Weegar. He's still logging nearly 24 minutes a night with regular special-teams roles and solid contributions in multiple areas. And over the last five games, Andersson has produced three assists – one of those a PPA – 10 shots and nine blocks. He has a chance to maintain that scoring run, as the Flames potted five goals against Columbus on Wednesday and are set to face three bottom-five defenses (Wild, Sharks, Blues) over the next week.
Jake McCabe, TOR (Yahoo: 17%): Offense hasn't been McCabe's calling card throughout his career, as he's never exceeded 28 points in any year, making his current six-in-six streak a rare occurrence. That's not surprising considering the Leafs have scored 25 times during that span, though it's unlikely he can keep this going. As a top-four defender who leads the shorthanded unit and has posted two goals, six assists, 17 hits, 31 blocks and a plus-10, McCabe should be able to supply sufficient fantasy stats even without finding the scoresheet.
John Klingberg, SJ (Yahoo: 8%): Long gone are the days when Klingberg would be good for at least 40 points, as he's getting fewer opportunities and more health issues in his 30s. He missed six contests with a lower-body injury for his new club before returning last week. Klingberg has since regained his spot on the Sharks' lead PP and registered a goal there on Wednesday in addition to an even-strength assist. Based on all the talent within that group, he could pick up plenty of points.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, DET (Yahoo: 3%): Sandin-Pellikka has been a regular during his NHL debut and has notched three assists – two of those PPAs – from his last five outings. Due to lighter ice times, he probably makes for a better stash candidate as someone who'll eventually receive more work. The 2023 first-rounder should still be someone to monitor as he's offensively talented and projected as part of the Red Wings' future blueline.
Goaltenders
John Gibson, DET (Yahoo: 31%): Gibson was acquired by Detroit in the summer to bolster a goaltending setup that hasn't really had a true No. 1 recently. His injury history may be long, but there's hope, with him coming off a decent – albeit absence-filled – campaign. Gibson has already faced a couple bumps, though he has out-started Cam Talbot and looked impressive Tuesday during a 1-0 defeat at Vegas. With the Red Wings hosting nine of the next 11 games, both netminders can be recommended for short-term usage.
David Rittich, NYI (Yahoo: 6%): Ilya Sorokin won't be ceding the Isles' top job anytime soon even with an underwhelming 3.33 GAA and .879 save percentage, yet Rittich may have done enough to deserve more opportunities. He's only made four appearances with his new club, though three of those were wins with only two goals allowed in each. Rittich has also proven at various stops that he can be a decent fill-in when necessary. The team has a back-to-back Friday/Saturday where it's been announced he'll cover the opener at home against Minnesota before presumably getting additional work on the seven-game road trip.
Players to consider from past columns: Dylan Cozens, Leo Carlsson, Frank Nazar, Victor Olofsson, Nick Schmaltz, Kiefer Sherwood, Zach Benson, Jonathan Huberdeau, Dawson Mercer, Andrei Kuzmenko, Troy Terry, William Eklund, Will Cuylle, Marco Rossi, Anton Lundell, Conor Garland, Mackie Samoskevich, Teuvo Teravainen, Jake DeBrusk, Jordan Eberle, Dmitri Voronkov, Pavel Zacha, Jimmy Snuggerud, Josh Doan, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matias Maccelli, Matthew Coronato, Barrett Hayton, Ryan Leonard, Brock Faber, Brandt Clarke, Kris Letang, Travis Sanheim, Filip Hronek, Sam Rinzel, Brent Burns, Philip Broberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Justin Faulk, Simon Edvinsson, Dmitry Orlov, Cam York, Spencer Knight, Jakub Dobes, Alex Lyon, Jake Allen, Cam Talbot, Elvis Merzlikins, Akira Schmid
