Frozen Fantasy: Stop and Watch

Ever get caught watching hockey for your fantasy teams instead of seeing it for its greatness? 

Me, too. And it's nice to stop and simply watch. 

I will definitely do that during the World Junior Championship. If you don't know, it's my favorite time of the year. But this era of hockey has so much greatness in it. And I think we're taking it too much for granted. 

Auston Matthews (100 percent Yahoo!) scores goals. Over and over. In fact, he's on pace for 69 of them. Mario Lemieux was the last guy to get that many, and that was almost 30 years ago. Matthews will be in rare company even if he "only" gets 60. Only eight players in NHL history have hit 60 goals twice in their career. 

And no, Alex Ovechkin (98 percent Yahoo!) isn't one of them. Go figure. Try historically epic last names like Gretzky, Bossy, Esposito, Hull (Brett), Kurri, Bure and Yzerman. 

When he hits 40 goals, Matthews will have done that in six of his eight seasons. If he stays on top of the league, he'll net his third Rocket Richard trophy. There's only one NHLer – Ovechkin – who has earned it more than twice. You read that right. Ovie has brought it home nine times. 

But Matthews isn't the only historical talent right now. Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) could ultimately be as good or better than Wayne Gretzky. Cale Makar (100 percent Yahoo!) is apparently the closest we've seen to Bobby Orr. He already hit 250 points faster than Orr.

We can't forget Sidney Crosby (100 percent Yahoo!), who is climbing hockey's Mt. Rushmore and looking as good as ever at age 36. And Ovechkin, who is more unlucky than bad right now. He's never faced adversity like this, but Gretzky's goal record is still going to be toppled. 

And Connor Bedard (96 percent Yahoo!) is the next generational superstar. He's just 18, and we should enjoy every bit of him on the ice. That backhand saucer pass to Connor Murphy (8 percent Yahoo!) a week ago was jaw dropping. The highlights are already epic. 

I'm not going all Zen mindfulness or anything here. I think it's time we let ourselves enjoy the epic era we're in. And instead of being upset about a player who didn't give us a goal last night, we need to look at the bigger picture. Shouldn't we actually see or hear them live rather than to make up an "I was part of it" story after the fact?

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

Will Borgen, D, Seattle (2 percent Yahoo!) – Borgen is a late bloomer who's best known for hits and defense. But he racked up two straight two-assist games this week and delivered nine hits over three games. Borgen isn't going to serve up power-play points. But if you let him ride in your bottom spot, you'll get a 180-hit, 120-block D-man who's on pace for 25-30 even-strength points. Sometimes those who play a simple, steady game can be the best option. 

Yegor Chinakhov, LW/C, Columbus (2 percent Yahoo!) – Chinakhov has never lacked offensive upside – he's got a wicked release. But he's lacked attention to detail, especially in his own zone. Columbus is currently giving him a long leash in their top-six, and he's showing off his sniping. Chinakhov heads into Tuesday on a four-game, five-goal (seven-point) scoring streak. Both of his assists have come on the PP. There's not much risk here. What's the worst thing that can happen – you drop your worst player for one that might be growing into his game? If not, you pick someone else in a week or so.

Blake Coleman, RW/C, Calgary (38 percent Yahoo!) – Coleman is having a great run right now. So much so that it's hard not to think about his impressive Stanley Cup performances in Tampa Bay. He went to Calgary, but has never fulfilled that top-nine scoring promise. But Coleman heads into Monday on an impressive six-game, eight-point streak that includes three goals and 18 shots. Sure, his 11.4 shooting percentage is slightly elevated, but not by that much. And it's not unheard of for a 32-year-old to catch lightning in a bottle. He's on track for more than 20 goals and 50 points. He may not get there. And he won't give you much power-play production. But we can all use some complementary scoring. 

Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg (52 percent Yahoo!) – Two words: instant chemistry. Ehlers has stepped up to the Jets' top line, and the results have been instant. On Saturday night, Mark Scheifele (88 percent Yahoo!) and Ehlers played like the puck was on a string. Heading into that contest, Ehlers had nine points - including three goals - from his last six. And that included a whopper of a performance on Wednesday against the Kings. On Saturday, he picked up another goal and an assist. Ehlers has always teased us with potential, but he's really struggled with injuries throughout his career. And it's not like you can say this is a breakout or anything as he turns 28 in February, so time is ticking. But Kyle Connor (97 percent Yahoo!) is out for a while, and Ehlers is going to be a mainstay up top. Everyone is jumping on board, so check on his availability now. 

Ryker Evans, D, Seattle (0 percent Yahoo!) – Evans is another late bloomer who debuted a week ago. And heading into Monday, he has four assists in his first six games, including a three-game, four-assist streak. Evans can skate and move the puck, so what's the issue? Too many people mutter about sub-6-foot defenders needing to be special with the puck. Well, Evans has a power-play assist in each of his last two games and is delivering more than a block and hit per game. That seems like value to me, even if he's short(ish). You?

Martin Jones, G, Toronto (20 percent Yahoo!) – Jones is off to a hot start with the Leafs having gone 3-0-0 with a 1.85 GAA and .949 save percentage while coming off a 38-save shutout of the Pens Saturday night. Jones has a long history of starting off well with new teams, and he's doing it again. And he's is a must-add with Ilya Samsonov (70 percent Yahoo!) scuffling. Jones probably won't stay this hot, though he should be good enough to deliver you goalie points until Joseph Woll (66 percent Yahoo!) returns. I nabbed him, but had him on my bench Saturday. Yah. Facepalm. 

Jeremy Lauzon, D, Nashville (17 percent Yahoo!) – Lauzon is here for one reason and one reason only: hits. He hammered out 21 in four games last week and is on pace for a career-best 275. And Lauzon's blocking more while projected to produce almost 120 this season, which would mark another personal-high. He's the kind of player who can almost single-handedly give you the hit category, as long as you have others who can deliver offense. 

Stefan Noesen, LW/RW, Carolina (22 percent Yahoo!) – Don't sleep on Noesen as managers are catching onto his situation and he leapt from three percent to 22 over the weekend. Noesen has recently enjoyed life on the Canes' top line and went into Sunday on a two-game, three-point streak that includes a goal. But what got him to that spot? Over the last month, Noesen has seven goals and four assists in 16 games (again, heading into Sunday). Yes, it's modest, but goals aren't easy to score in the NHL. Especially for 30-year-old journeymen who've bounced around the league. Noesen is a short-term add. And he won't get you any power-play production. But he's a solid play if you're streaming the tepid-to-warm. 

Yegor Sharangovich, LW/C, Calgary (24 percent Yahoo!) – Sharangovich heads into  Monday's contest on a five-game goal streak (six snipes) and six-game point streak (eight points). He's been rolling at a point-per-game pace over his last dozen games after only putting up six from his first 18. Sharangovich typically starts every season slowly and also posts points in bunches. So now's the time to get on board. He drives the lane, has decent speed and excellent hands, and can shovel home pucks. 

Conor Timmins, D, Toronto (1 percent Yahoo!) – Timmins struggles in his own end, but he knows how to score. And going into Tuesday, he's riding a five-game, five-point streak that includes four assists - two of which came on the PP. In fact, he was the seventh-best fantasy defender in standard leagues over the week ending Saturday. Timmins really isn't much more than a sixth or seventh defender for the Leafs, yet he's making the most of this opportunity. And helping a couple of my rosters already. How about yours?

Gabriel Vilardi, RW/C, Winnipeg (24 percent Yahoo!) – Vilardi exploded this Wednesday with four points in a smackdown of his former Kings. He potted a goal and added three assists, and the trio of Vilardi, Mark Scheifele (88 percent Yahoo!) and Nikolaj Ehlers (above) were absolutely electric. Vilardi notched two more tallies Saturday to give him seven points - including four goals - over his last four outings. And that includes 13 shots. Managers are jumping on fast. 

Back to stop and watch. 

Or maybe I should also say listen. I've gone old-skool to catch some games this season. Radio play-by-play isn't for everyone, though the best ones make the plays on ice pop with epic words and excitement. And streaming services means every matchup is fair game. And there are ways to get it for no cost. Win-win. 

I find radio streaming way better than streaming on my phone. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But sometimes the image I paint with their words is better than the little one on my iPhone screen. 

Either way, we all need to soak this stuff in. These players aren't doing this in the high-scoring 80s. They're pawing and clawing their way to greatness. And we shouldn't take it for granted. 

Until next week.