Frozen Fantasy: Love of the Game

There's only so much hockey one human can watch in a week, right? And if you're like me, you err to the same time zone and the same teams simply out of habit. 

What a mistake, at least for me.

I did the standard check-out-the-Leafs after getting home Saturday night from one of the best Mexican restos outside southern Cali. I thought I was impressed by the Laffs. I had tuned in right in time for that dominant, three-goal outburst early in the second.

And then I watched a calm, resolute Hurricane maraud through the Air Canada Centre. Sigh.  

The fringe benefit of the shootout? My feed immediately flipped to the Avs-Oilers game (it's the benefit of living in Canada). I was stunned, even though I know how good those teams are.

The speed was frenetic. Decision-making was measured in microns, not milliseconds. The goaltending was pure reaction. Over and over again, each team drove the other back. It was wave after wave of one-upmanship. 

Connor McDavid and then Nathan MacKinnon, both universally rostered, were electric. One side provoked, then the other returned the favor. Back and forth. And tit for tat right to the end when the Oilers let up too soon and Artturi Lehkonen (49 percent Yahoo!) scored with five-tenths of a second left in OT. 

I couldn't take my eyes off my screen. In fact, I was so glued to it that I started my usual Saturday night game coverage and writing a bit too late. Yes, I'm tired, but it was worth it. 

At this point in the season, it's easy to look to first pitch if you're not stressing about your fantasy playoffs. I took a lesson Saturday on staying in the moment, using it to remind myself why the next few weeks – and first round of the postseason – is the best part of the NHL season. 

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo (2 percent Yahoo!) – This is a double flag for both an end-of-season run and Draft Day next year. Benson has stuck with the Sabres all year as an undersized 18-year-old. And he has 23 points in 56 games, including three goals (five points) in his last three games heading into Monday. Those numbers are impressive for any young player and especially one that's 5-foot-9. Benson is an elite offensive talent, and yes, there's still plenty of time for the Sabres to mess up his development. But this recent scoring burst – and corresponding boost of confidence – has caught my eye. The next couple weeks could be fun. And possibly lucrative for fantasy managers who need to take wings on high-upside talents. 

Jalen Chatfield, D, Carolina (1 percent Yahoo!) – I picked up Chatfield on Sunday morning in a daily league. I'll be honest – I hadn't really noticed him in Saturday's game, but I needed a warm body. It was a plug-and-play, but I was pleasantly surprised when I looked closer. In limited ice time - and in perhaps the strongest D corps in the NHL - Chatfield had managed five points - including four assists - in seven March contests heading into Ottawa on Sunday night. Add on 11 hits, nine shots and seven blocks in the same span, and you have a player dialed into his role. Chatfield could be a sneaky play to elevate the floor of your D crew over the next while. 

Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW/C, Los Angeles (37 percent Yahoo!) – Well, well, has something clicked for this enigmatic pivot? Dubois has struggled to find a fit in every city he's played, despite having several 60-plus point seasons. No judgment – I know nothing about him. I do know I've been burned by his riddling game. His overall stat line this season is abysmal. But this weekend, Dubois looked a bit different – more focused, maybe. A man with his size and skill, tuned into his role? That's a tantalizing risk-reward. Dubois put up a goal, two assists, four PIM and nine hits on Friday and Saturday. Like I said, that's enticing if he can muster any consistency. 

Ryan Hartman, RW/C, Minnesota (25 percent Yahoo!) – Hartman has no business being a 1C, but that's a Wild decision, not mine. Minny has few other options given their depth chart. But it seems to work. Hartman cannot be relied on at the dot, but he does have his stick down long enough to pick up points while playing with Kirill Kaprizov (100 percent Yahoo!). His three-game, three-point home scoring streak ended Saturday on the road, though it included two goals - including one PPG -13 shots and five hits. The Wild want a playoff berth, and they have six games in their own barn starting next weekend. No guarantees, of course. But Hartman is a first-line guy…

Philipp Kurashev, C, Chicago (9 percent Yahoo!) – I called Kurashev's name late in a deep draft last September, but quickly dropped him when I realized his point total would likely match his minus. And it has. But his four-point explosion against the ailing Ducks this week piqued my curiosity again. Kurashev isn't a viable option in any format that counts plus-minus. But if you can strip that away, you have a player heading into Sunday with four goals, four assists, 15 shots and four PPP in seven outings this month. That's a solid fit if your format aligns with his strengths. 

Bryan Rust, RW, Pittsburgh (45 percent Yahoo!) – Rust gets a bad rap with some fantasy manager. But when healthy, he continues to find a way onto a line with Sidney Crosby (100 percent Yahoo!). And he scores. He knows exactly where Sid wants him, and he's willing to play with north-south pace, which is the only way you stick with the Kid. Rust heads into Sunday with three points - with two of those goals - from his last two games. And don't forget he went off for 11 points - including seven goals - across 11 games before recently missed time due to injury. Rust has 20 goals in only 46 appearances and might net you eight more by season's end. The Pens haven't quite given up on a Wild Card yet, so Sid and the crew will push.  

Kiefer Sherwood, LW, Nashville (1 percent Yahoo!) – Sherwood was on a surprising three-game, three-point scoring streak heading into Seattle on Saturday night that covered two goals, 12 hits, nine shots and seven PIM. He's on the fourth line, but the Preds have every trio rolling right now. At minimum, Sherwood is going to give you about three-and-a-half hits a game, and those will come cheap. He laid out three Kraken on Saturday, and will go Shark hunting Tuesday. 

Karel Vejmelka, G, Arizona (19 percent Yahoo!) – Vejmelka has come into March like a proverbial lion. He's 3-2-0 in five starts after going winless in 2024 (0-8-0 in eight starts, 10 appearances). Vejmelka was sharp Saturday in a 4-1 win over the Devils while only allowing 11 goals over his last five starts (.929 save percentage). The Desert Dawgs are horrendous on the road, yet strong at home. And they play seven of the next eight at Mullett Arena. They're coming off a 5-5-0 stretch, so I'm jumping on Vejmelka if he's available on the wire. Remember the logo on the front and the name on the back don't matter as much as the results on the scoresheet. Hold your nose, and go get him. 

Sean Walker, D, Colorado (12 percent Yahoo!) – Walker set a new career mark in points Saturday with two goals in that intense, Autobahn tilt with the Oilers. I knew he was good, and that the Flyers really didn't want to part with him. But wow – I didn't know how good. Walker seems like a natural fit in the Mile High. Those two markers aren't his usual style, though he looks like he can flourish in that Colorado system and certainly knows where to go to get the puck. His confidence is soaring. At minimum, Walker will provide some hits before the season's end. But he could also add a few points, and that's gold at this point of the year. 

Back to the love of the game. 

I've circled a few games the next couple weeks that are in the spirit of the Avs-Oil matchup. The Oilers play the Leafs on Saturday. The Panthers-Rangers will be exciting too. 

Then the Kings and Canucks face off Mar. 25th. The Oilers-Jets and Bruins-Panthers are on the schedule the following night. 

And on Mar. 28th, there are four matchups that will keep me toggling between screens:  Golden Knights-Jets, Rangers-Avs, Kings-Oilers, and Stars-Canucks. All these teams will be at the top of their game, because you can't turn competitive spirit off.

I know. I recently tried pickleball. I dove without thinking because I can't turn that drive off. Now a nerve in my right index finger tingles after I torqued a rib and whacked my shoulder capsule when I landed. No wonder I put off trying the sport. 

If it's any consolation, I kept the play alive. Too bad I hit my partner in the nose with my shot... 

Those games are going to be awesome. Because they cannot turn it off. 

Until next week.