Hutch's Hockey: Frost Alert

There's no discussion this week. As much as I like to give my opinion at times, there are other times where it doesn't need to happen. That's how it's going this week -- the focus is on the players after a pretty busy week of games. 

The coolest thing from this week was Alex Nedeljkovic's performance Friday versus the Sabres. Just days after ascending to the No. 1 job in goal for the Penguins, Nedeljkovic turned in a 40-save win in which he scored a goal and added an assist. No NHL goalie had ever had a goal and assist in the same game before. The 29-year-old has also scored at the three highest levels of North American hockey (NHL, AHL, ECHL) and has a total of four goals in his pro career. I'm generally anti-empty-netters, but I'll always make an exception for goalie goals. Nedeljkovic is a player to get right now as well -- Tristan Jarry looks to be out of chances with the Penguins, and Joel Blomqvist is still quite raw. The Penguins' playoff odds aren't pretty right now, but Nedeljkovic figures to handle the starting role until they're mathematically out of the picture. 

It's been a tumultuous 2024-25 for Morgan Frost, but he's starting to get in a groove. He saw a five-game point streak snapped versus the Devils on Saturday, but he racked up four goals and two assists during the heater. As usual, any Flyers forward is a gamble to stay in a prominent role -- Frost's recent run of success in the top six has corresponded with an extended bottom-six stint for Sean Couturier. Frost has 24 points through 43 appearances this season. He chips in a little power-play production and often carries a decent shot volume, but any extended slump could get him on head coach John Tortorella's bad side. 

Josh Norris started January in poor form, opening with four straight scoreless outings before rattling off five points over his last six games. There's two things I really like with Norris' usage. One is an ample power play role for a Senators team that's converting at a 23.1 percent clip, good for 11th in the league. That's not dominant, but it helps that they're getting plenty of chances -- the team's 147 power-play opportunities is second-most in the NHL. Norris is also a lock to be in a top-six role and offers physicality to make up for any lapses on offense. With 120 hits over 46 appearances, he's already elevated his physical game by leaps and bounds in 2024-25. 

I didn't touch on it at the time, but my initial impression of the Kaapo Kakko swap for Will Borgen was fairly neutral. The Kraken obviously got more upside in that deal, and Kakko is proving why now. I envisioned him as another middle-six winger -- something Seattle has plenty of -- but he's instead clicked with Jaden Schwartz and Matty Beniers on the top line. Since the trade, Kakko has 13 points over 14 outings, which is one point less than he had in 30 games with the Rangers to begin the year. Remember, Kakko went second overall in 2019. The talent never surfaced on the Rangers' third line, but a change of scenery has paid off early on. The increase in ice time in Seattle has also allowed Kakko to unlock a bit more physicality, which isn't a bad thing for fantasy managers looking for more than just points. 

If you're looking at Seattle forwards, stick around for Schwartz. His hat trick lifted the Kraken to a win Saturday over the Kings, but that's not just a one-game eruption for the winger. Schwartz has seven goals and six assists over 11 contests since the holiday break. Just as the change of scenery has helped Kakko thrive in Seattle, getting a new linemate has elevated Schwartz's play. Most importantly in 2024-25, Schwartz has stayed healthy. That's not guaranteed to last, but he needs to be rostered in most fantasy formats until an issue pops up. 

It can be a bit tough picking out defensemen in small samples, but Darren Raddysh has stood out in recent games. He has a goal and five assists over his last seven outings, with four of those six points coming on the power play. He isn't going to replace Victor Hedman on the top power-play unit, but Raddysh has come a long way since being frequently scratched early in the season. He's in a top-four role now and will likely stay there at least until J.J. Moser comes back, which is at least a month away. With 18 points through 36 appearances, Raddysh has displayed decent offense for most of the campaign, but he won't add much in physicality -- he has just 18 hits and 28 blocked shots this season. 

I've yet to really buy in on Noah Cates yet this season, but there's no reason to downplay what he's done over the last month-plus. Since Dec. 10, he has nine goals and eight assists over 19 appearances. That's top-50 offense in that span, on par with players like Mark Stone, Macklin Celebrini and Nick Suzuki, among others. Cates took some time to find a groove and spent a large portion of the campaign on the third line, but his consistency has earned him a spot on the second line. Like Frost above, things can change in an instant in Philadelphia, so be ready for that. Cates should be rostered in far more than just two percent of all Yahoo formats. 

Since the calendar turned to January, Blake Coleman has played at a point-per-game pace, earning two goals and six assists over eight contests. Most importantly, he's seeing power-play time in that span, which isn't always the case. Coleman does a lot of things to help round out a fantasy roster -- he racks up hits as a checking forward and routinely averages over two shots per game. He's at 25 points in 45 contests overall, along with 107 shots and 90 hits. He's shooting 9.3 percent in 2024-25, which is far more sustainable than his career-best 15.7 percent mark from 2023-24, which was a 30-goal, 54-point campaign. Coleman's eligible for all three forward spots in Yahoo. Versatility and a hot stick can go a long way to helping your roster. 

In a similar vein, Brayden Schenn is having an excellent January for the Blues. He started heating up in late December and has earned 11 points over his last 12 games. Schenn has basically been locked in as a second-line center all season. He's on pace for 50-plus points -- he has 28 points, 112 hits, 91 shots on net and 37 PIM through 47 appearances. Schenn's steady role is good for fantasy, and it helps that the Blues' offense has been a bit more dynamic under head coach Jim Montgomery than it was on Drew Bannister's watch. 

Seth Jones can be a polarizing player on the ice and in fantasy. There's no doubt that he's a talented offensive defenseman, but his flaws have been obvious for a rebuilding Blackhawks team. That has come with a $9.5 million cap hit, which hasn't made many fans for him in Chicago. This season has looked a lot like the last few for the defenseman, but he has nine points, 18 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating over 13 appearances since he returned from a broken foot. Jones can be tough to roster in formats that count plus-minus, but he's going to eat minutes and power-play time while also providing the Blackhawks with the ability to shelter their younger blueliners like Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser and Louis Crevier. Jones plays an important role, and if you can cover his weaknesses, he can help your roster. 

Sergei Bobrovsky is flailing in January -- he's gone 1-4-1 over six games this month. Meanwhile, Spencer Knight has won all three of his starts in January, stopping 93 of 96 shots over four appearances. It's too early to call this a goaltending controversy, and it's possible Bobrovsky's just been overworked. Still, Knight has emerged as a high-end backup or a reliable streamer in fantasy. For the season, Knight is 9-6-1 with a 2.45 GAA and a .905 save percentage, which is more than fine as a No. 3 in fantasy. 

I have less faith that Marcus Hogberg will be able to keep up a challenge for the Islanders' goaltending duties. He's started three of the last four games, going 2-1-0 while allowing just three goals on 67 shots in that span. Ilya Sorokin has been overworked in the absence of Semyon Varlamov (lower body), who remains without a timeline for his return. Sorokin should still function as the starter in the long run, but Hogberg is a streaming option now that he's had a chance to prove himself as capable at the NHL level. 

That's all for this week. As always, make some moves to make your team better and check back next week for more suggestions.