This article is part of our The Coming Thing series.
Perhaps the greatest peril of instant success is that there's nowhere to go but down. That's the lesson currently being imprinted onto No. 1 draft pick and Savior of Leafs Nation Auston Matthews. Since arriving on the scene with a four-goal NHL debut that blew the pants off many a hockey analyst, Matthews has managed just more two goals to go with seven assists over a 17-game span. He's been particularly rough when you isolate the past 12, with just three points (all helpers) and a minus-5 rating. Now, all this isn't to say you should pour gasoline on your Matthews-containing fantasy roster; the kid's a 19-year-old adjusting to the biggest, fastest, hardest-hitting hockey players he's ever faced in his life. We've seen the talent emerge already, and we'll see it again – both this season and for years to come.
Comings and Goings
Dylan Strome, C, ARI – The younger Strome brother was never able to win his way into a major role with Arizona, which got him sent back to OHL Erie on Sunday before he even hit that nine-game threshold. Both Strome and fantasy owners should treat this as a learning experience – that is, 240 points over two junior seasons and big-time pedigree don't mean much at hockey's highest level. What matters is performance, and Strome isn't quite ready yet.
Christian Dvorak, C, ARI – Strome's loss (as well as the injury to Brad Richardson) is Dvorak's gain, as the 20-year-old is
Perhaps the greatest peril of instant success is that there's nowhere to go but down. That's the lesson currently being imprinted onto No. 1 draft pick and Savior of Leafs Nation Auston Matthews. Since arriving on the scene with a four-goal NHL debut that blew the pants off many a hockey analyst, Matthews has managed just more two goals to go with seven assists over a 17-game span. He's been particularly rough when you isolate the past 12, with just three points (all helpers) and a minus-5 rating. Now, all this isn't to say you should pour gasoline on your Matthews-containing fantasy roster; the kid's a 19-year-old adjusting to the biggest, fastest, hardest-hitting hockey players he's ever faced in his life. We've seen the talent emerge already, and we'll see it again – both this season and for years to come.
Comings and Goings
Dylan Strome, C, ARI – The younger Strome brother was never able to win his way into a major role with Arizona, which got him sent back to OHL Erie on Sunday before he even hit that nine-game threshold. Both Strome and fantasy owners should treat this as a learning experience – that is, 240 points over two junior seasons and big-time pedigree don't mean much at hockey's highest level. What matters is performance, and Strome isn't quite ready yet.
Christian Dvorak, C, ARI – Strome's loss (as well as the injury to Brad Richardson) is Dvorak's gain, as the 20-year-old is suddenly their No. 2 center – a job he could quite reasonably hold for the remainder of the season. Dvorak's been sent down and called back up by the 'Yotes twice already this year, and yet he hasn't gotten into an AHL game; at this point, he may never again. Now that his spot is secure, the question is what we can expect from the 2014 second-round pick; he has just a single goal and four assists through 13 games this year, but we haven't seen what it looks like for him to have a consistent role. An uptick in scoring should be expected; we just don't know how big it'll be.
A.J. Greer, LW, COL – A picture of mediocrity both at Boston University and in the QMJHL (with the exception of last season's playoffs), Greer has found his stride in pro hockey – he's operating at a point-per-game pace through his first 14 AHL contests. Greer has second-round pedigree (2015) and could help the Avs find some answers on the wing, but it's been slow going so far: just a lone assist in three games, and he hasn't seen power-play time in the last two. The 19-year-old is going to need to see a bit more opportunity than that to get into a rhythm offensively.
Joel Eriksson Ek, C, MIN – In a bit of a surprise move, Minnesota loaned Eriksson Ek back to his Swedish team last week. The Wild's 2015 first-rounder (20th overall), Eriksson Ek showed some impressive stuff in his limited opportunities over a nine-game trial to open this season, picking up two goals and three assists despite averaging only 10:07 of ice time with precious few chances on the power play. Yes, he went without a shot on goal for his final five games before being shipped off, but what do you expect from the kid in fourth-line minutes? Now, the 19-year-old will look to put up bigger stats in Sweden after only posting 15 points in 41 games last season. There's a possibility he could be back in the NHL late this year, but that'd probably require the Wild to be seriously hampered by injuries.
Juuse Saros, G, NAS – Saros got to make his NHL debut back in October, sparkling in a win over Pittsburgh, but with Pekka Rinne (lower body) healthy, he got booted back to AHL Milwaukee last week. The 21-year-old Finn has been an absolute monster in the minors this year – he's 8-1 with a 1.65 GAA and .943 save percentage – so if injury were to strike Rinne or Marek Mazanec, Saros could see his fantasy stock blow up in a hurry. It's well worth noting that he was awesome in the AHL last year as well, posting a .920 save mark to go with a ridiculous 29-8-0 record.
Anthony Mantha, RW, DET – If it seems like you've been hearing about Mantha forever, take heart – it hasn't been that long, as he was only drafted three years ago. As we all know, power forwards can see their development take a gradual path, and that's been the case for the now 22-year-old Mantha. He's been at his best in the AHL this year, putting up eight goals and a pair of assists in 10 games, and that's gotten him called up to the Red Wings. Mantha's seen strong minutes (15:48 on average, with 3:02 on the power play) in the NHL early on here, including seeing time with Henrik Zetterberg, and it looks as though he's finally here to stay.
Esa Lindell, D, DAL – A 14-goal, 42-point man at the AHL level last season, Lindell hasn't seen nearly so much success in his first 14 NHL contests, 10 of which have come this year – he has just a single assist. Lindell's lack of production got him demoted to the minors Thursday, but he got called right back Sunday; however, it remains unclear how much the 22-year-old will get to play in this latest stint, thanks to the next guy here…
Julius Honka, D, DAL – A much more highly regarded prospect, Honka was taken 14th overall by the Stars in 2014 and has enjoyed significant success in the AHL since – never more than this year, as he's racked up a dozen points over the course of 16 games. Not yet 21 years old (his birthday's coming up early next month), Honka is expected to make his NHL debut Monday night. Short-term expectations should be low because we don't know what kind of role he'll step into for a Stars team that's pretty deep on the blue line, but Honka's long-term projection is that of a top-end offensive defenseman. That'd make him fit right in with Dallas.
Prospect of the Week
Taylor Raddysh, RW, TAM – If you'd never heard of Raddysh before getting to this line, well, you're not alone – but you'd better start paying attention. A second-round pick by the Lightning this year following a growth season in 2015-16 with OHL Erie, he's excelled in the absence of the aforementioned Strome, having opened up a seven-point gap over teammate Alex DeBrincat for the league lead in points. Through 21 games, Raddysh has racked up 20 goals and 28 assists, putting him atop the leaderboard in both categories. That's turned him from budding power forward to potential stud, as he's finally got a toolbox for all his tools – great size and puck control, good speed, both hands and sniping ability, and (most importantly for the NHL) the unteachable willingness to do the hard work at the toughest places on the ice. Whether it's laying hits, digging for the puck in corners, or setting up in front of the net for screens and rebounds, Raddysh does all the things coaches love to see, and that's why he's got a big NHL future ahead of him.
