Frozen Fantasy: What a Weird Week

What a weird week. Major injuries for contending teams. A massive trade. A grumpy Patrick Kane. And a scratch "for trade reasons".

First time for that last one. 

But seriously, the post All-Star week seemed next level for both the odd and awful. And almost all of the things have massive fantasy implications.

Jack Hughes, a top-10 scorer, went down in practice and is now week-to-week. He's a big part of two of my squads. Logan Thompson left Thursday night's game and is also week-to-week. 

He's also a big part of two of my squads. Sigh. 

Vladimir Tarasenko got his trade wish and landed with his BFF, Artemi Panarin. Patrick Kane, who apparently hasn't even let Chicago know he'll agree to a trade, then pouted. 

You can't get something you haven't requested, Patty. 

Jakob Chychrun was a healthy scratch Saturday "for trade reasons". How refreshing – honesty is such a rarity in a league with a long history of being vague. 

Then Anton Forsberg's injury, as awful as it was to watch and hear him scream Saturday night, has significant fantasy implications. So much for a Cam Talbot trade to a contender. 

A Kane trade is likely coming soon, but he won't get to skate with The Bread Man. And Erik Karlsson might even move if the Sharks agree to eat half that salary. 

They might for the mother lode. 

I'm not sure if the weeks leading up to the trade deadline will be this interesting, but I'm going to make some popcorn and enjoy the show. 

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

Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary (18 percent Yahoo!) – Every season, Backlund goes on some kind of midseason run that puts him on my radar. That time is now. He's on a four-game, six-point streak (one goal, five assists) heading into Monday's game and has 11 points - including 10 helpers - over his last 10. The Flames' third line of Backlund, Andrew Mangiapane (36 percent Yahoo!) and Blake Coleman (below; 15 percent Yahoo!) has been hot since the calendar flipped to 2023. As in 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) combined hot, and in only 15 contests. The only category these three fail to deliver are special-teams points. Pick a guy, any guy, and enjoy the heat wave. 

Josh Bailey, LW/RW, NY Islanders (1 percent Yahoo!) – Someone gets to ride shotgun with Mathew Barzal (70 percent Yahoo!) and Bo Horvat (92 percent Yahoo!), and the list starts with the 34-year-old Bailey. He's notched two assists in his last four games heading into this week. If Bailey can keep producing, he's the least expensive first-line pick-up you'll find this season. 

Anthony Beauvillier, LW/RW, Vancouver (7 percent Yahoo!) – Beauvillier hit pay dirt when he arrived in Vancouver. Suddenly, the defensive shackles of Long Island are gone and he's a first-line player who hops the boards on PP1. And his center is none other than the playmaking stud, Elias Pettersson (98 percent Yahoo!). Beauvillier clearly has the offensive chops to play with elite talent considering he put up 42 goals and 97 points in 62 games during his draft year. It's rare a midseason trade produces a significant fantasy upgrade, but this one is it (so far). I'm adding. 

Blake Coleman, LW/RW, Calgary (17 percent Yahoo!) – Coleman rolls into Ottawa Monday on a four-game, seven-point streak (three goals, four assists). I talked about the Flames' third line above (see Mikael Backlund, above). Coleman had been slow to deliver during the trio's hot streak, but he's making up ground now. Calgary is in tough to get a Wild Card spot, but Coleman, Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane are doing their part. They could do it for you too. 

Adin Hill and Laurent Brossoit, G, Las Vegas (42 and 1 percent Yahoo!, respectively) – Vegas is in trouble unless these two step up in a big way. The crease will be Hill's to start, but Brossoit has stepped in and delivered in the past. Either way, you need help if you just lost Logan Thompson (90 percent Yahoo!), so bid high or just snap them off the wire if that's your option. The crease is Hill's; Brossoit is insurance. The trade market is thin even if Vegas had cap space (they don't). 

John Klingberg, D, Anaheim (39 percent Yahoo!) – Klingberg has endured an awful year – that 'I'll bet on myself' card has failed miserably. But he's put up five points, including four helpers, in his last four games and that warming trend is well timed. Klingberg will likely be moved to a contender very soon and with a better supporting cast and more elite power-play partners, his value is likely to spike. He's a worthwhile target if you need blueline support, but you better move fast.

Dawson Mercer, RW/C, New Jersey (14 percent Yahoo!) – This is a roll of the dice. Jack Hughes is week-to-week, so Mercer could be the one tapped to fill his skates. He skates into play on Cupid's day with just two points (one goal, one assist) in his last nine games. But Mercer has a top-line gig and opportunity on PP2. Yes, his role could change if the Devils made a move at the deadline. But opportunity is knocking. 

Ondrej Palat, LW, New Jersey (28 percent Yahoo!) – The Devils need offense to fill the void created by Jack Hughes' injury. Enter Palat. He's not an elite talent, but he's on a three-game, five-point streak (two goals, three assists, two PPAs). And he has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last 10 games. There's some sneaky category coverage in Palat's game. He's produced 20 hits, 17 shots and 15 blocks during that 10-game span. The Devils are bound for the postseason and have Carolina and the top seed in the Metropolitan in their sights. Palat has ice water in his veins from two Stanley Cup wins and won't wilt over the last 30 games. That's more than a lot of players. 

Calle Rosen, D, St. Louis (0 percent Yahoo!) – Rosen surprised me with two goals Saturday night. He'd been in and out of the lineup as the 6/7D, but has still managed 15 points in 33 games. Go figure. Niko Mikkola's (0 percent Yahoo!) exit should give Rosen a full-time job. And with 30 games still on the docket for the Blues, Rosen's points-per-game production suddenly looks fantasy worthy for deep formats. 

Juuso Valimaki, D, Arizona (1 percent Yahoo!) – Get him. Now. Valimaki won't repeat his four-assist game from Saturday night, but he's the Yotes' top dog now that a Jakob Chychrun (76 percent Yahoo!) exit is certain (and Shayne Gostisbehere's [38 percent Yahoo!] may be too). The Finn is highly talented, but his development curve has been hobbled by some significant injuries. He's healthy now and starting to show off his potential. Valimaki will likely hurt you in plus-minus, but that's a small price to pay for this kind of talent. Besides, who else is available on the wire playing this type of prime role?

Frank Vatrano, LW/RW, Anaheim (17 percent Yahoo!) – Vatrano has quietly put up eight points, including six goals, in his last seven games. And there's room for even more growth in his game the rest of the season. The third liner's shooting percentage this season is just 7.8, which is well below his career mark of 10. Vatrano has picked up his shot pace and averaged four (28) in those seven games. He has a 24-goal season on his resume, so there could be a lot more tallies on that stick. 

Back to the weird week. 

After Sunday's Puppy Bowl, I was shocked to somehow get the big U.S. commercials in my Super Bowl feed. 

It's a Canadian thing – they usually substitute the same three commercials over and over, and we have to troll the interweb to see the big-investment numbers. Not this year. 

Weird, yes. But I'll take it. And @Rihanna's halftime extravaganza. Wow. Weird - I've never been a fan. Until now. 

Until next week.