Just like that, we're about 10 percent of the way through the NHL season. Life comes at you fast.
This is the point in the year where I start looking at making earnest changes to my rosters. If your sleeper pick hasn't been worth the late-round price yet, it's time to find someone who's had a hot start. We've got enough data to figure out how teams are managing goalies -- if you like to stream your twinetenders, check for matchups and then adjust based on workload.
This first chunk of the season is not the end-all, be-all for every player. Some guys just start slow, others are October heroes that fade quickly. If you've built a good team, you may not have much to do, but if you're falling behind a bit, make some small changes. Generally speaking, I'm not dropping anyone I took in the first half of the draft yet -- those are guys you want to give a bit more runway with.
Last week, I included Frank Vatrano as one of my targets, and he's stayed hot. He's not the only Duck off to a good start -- Ryan Strome has also impressed with two goals and eight assists. Those two have looked great with Mason McTavish. They're not listed as the Ducks' top line, but they've earned such a title by production. Strome's just a year removed from being a solid fantasy depth player, but it's been different this year. He's picked up five hits and six blocked shots, showing a little more physical play than he's known for. The scoring pace may drop, but his role is favorable, and the Ducks look at least competent.
I've been generally impressed with the way Joey Daccord has played for the Kraken this season. His 2.88 GAA isn't great, but he's supported it with a .912 save percentage. He's also started three games in a row. Goaltending in fantasy is just as much about volume as it is results -- if Daccord is prying the starting role from Philipp Grubauer, he needs to be on rosters. The Kraken's offense has been the team's biggest problem, but Daccord is keeping them in games with timely saves and passable stats.
As much as I'd like to write off Mikey Anderson's hot start, I can't ignore it. The 24-year-old defenseman has seven points through eight games, which is the unusual part of his line. He's added 17 hits, 11 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating. Playing at even strength with Drew Doughty has its benefits, but Anderson has rarely looked this involved in the offensive zone. Those in deeper formats will benefit from his physical play, but I'm looking at Anderson as an early replacement for Rasmus Sandin in fantasy. Also at play: the Kings are currently leading the NHL with 4.38 goals per game -- if that offense stays locked in, there's enough to go around the lineup.
If you were concerned about William Karlsson dropping into a third-line role, it's fair to push those concerns aside. While his ice time is at 16:04 per game, his lowest as a Golden Knight, he's produced 10 points through nine contests this season. He will dip, but he's also playing a key role on a winning team and still gets a little power-play time. Karlsson's also a safe bet to enter the top six if there's an injury down the line.
Owen Tippett went scoreless in the first three games of the season, but he's posted a goal and four assists in five outings since. Like the Ducks, I think the Flyers are punching above their weight early on. Tippett is also a young player poised for a step up after posting 49 points in 77 games last season. He's already got 31 shots on net and seven hits this year -- he plays an honest style that head coach John Tortorella will probably keep elevated in the lineup.
Similarly, Travis Sanheim looks like he's benefiting from a larger role in 2023-24. He has a goal and seven assists over eight games so far, and he's added 21 shots on net, 14 blocked shots and eight PIM. The biggest change is that he's averaging 25:59 of ice time per game, up from 20:24 last season. The Flyers' blue line was overhauled this offseason, and it's Sanheim who's getting all the important minutes now with Ivan Provorov over in Ohio. Again, I don't expect a point-per-game pace, but Sanheim could be a 40-50 point guy with plenty of blocked shots and newfound power-play production in his new role.
Generally, I think Ryan Hartman is miscast as a top-line center for the Wild. His regression from 65 points in 2021-22 to 37 points last season wasn't a surprise, even with an injury factored in. He's up to six goals and three assists through nine games in 2023-24. Again, I don't love the player, but I'm willing to look past the name and make a move for the production and role. His past success means he won't be out there in deep formats, but he may be sitting around the waiver wire in some eight- or 10-team formats.
It's not unheard of for a player in his early-to-mid 30s to pop off one more time after years of decline. Kyle Palmieri is making an early case to be that guy in 2023-24, picking up three goals and four assists through seven contests. The Islanders have started 4-2-1, and they'll probably be on the playoff bubble all season, but they still have a defensive reputation. Palmieri can provide a little jolt of offense if he keeps this up -- he's reached 50 points three times in his career, but the last one was five years ago.
For those in deep formats, Brayden McNabb may still have enough left to be a pleasant surprise. With five assists through nine outings, he's already well above his usual 15-to-20-point pace. A plus-9 rating with 11 hits and 27 blocked shots is a nice bonus in formats that count those categories. He'll always deliver defensively, but he's also a long-time top-four option in Vegas. Like with the Kings' Anderson, sometimes a high-scoring team's offense trickles down to the role players.
At the top, I mentioned streaming goalies. One that's flying under the radar so far is Lukas Dostal of the Ducks, who has alternated starts with John Gibson in the first three weeks. This has been beneficial by keeping Gibson healthy, but Dostal has also managed a 3-1-0 record with a 2.75 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He's never really had the "goalie of the future" hype as a third-round pick from 2018, but he's proving to be a capable NHL netminder. If the alternating pattern holds, Dostal is lined up to face the Coyotes, Penguins, Sharks and Avalanche over the first half of November.
I'm reluctant to dip into any three-headed monster situation with goalies, but James Reimer is turning back the clock with the Red Wings. He's allowed five goals on 82 shots over his three appearances this year, but he's yet to carve into Ville Husso's playing time too much. Alex Lyon is also likely due for a start at some point, but Reimer has given Detroit the best chance to win so far.
As far as my teams go, I have a couple of good fantasy squads, but not nearly to the level I've grown accustomed to in recent years. It's still early enough where no deficit is outrageous, and since I mostly play for fun, I have no problem taking my time to make moves.
The one thing I won't do is stand fully pat. There's always room to improve, and there's always another player to pick up. The first couple of weeks of the season are a grace period, but that's over now. Produce, or move out. I'll be mixing things up on my struggling teams this week, and I'll check in next Monday with more moves to make.
