DFO Fantasy Mailbag: Nov. 18

Nick Alberga
Nick Alberga(@thegoldenmuzzy)
Nov 18, 2022, 12:37 EST
DFO Fantasy Mailbag: Nov. 18
Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

If anything, the first six weeks of the 2022-23 fantasy season has only reinforced the notion that you shouldn’t reach for goaltending in your draft.

Remember the days when Martin Brodeur was a lock to play 70-plus games every season? Yeah, those are long gone.

Nowadays, guys are dropping like flies. On top of that, a lot of the marquee names are off to dreadful starts. Simply put, it’s been an unmitigated disaster.

Now to your questions:

Nick Alberga: Long-term, indisputably, I think there’s a pathway for Kotchetkov to be Carolina’s No. 1. Both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta are on expiring contracts. That said, when those two are healthy – for many reasons – they’ll continue to take priority over Kotchetkov. I mean, it’s not like either guy has played terrible enough to lose playing time or anything.

Matt Larkin: In the long term? Absolutely. Kochetkov is starting to take shape as the Canes’ possible goalie of the future. Don’t forget, Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta’s contracts expire after this season. Even in the present and despite the fact he’s waiver exempt, Kochetkov has some juice. Andersen isn’t expected back for a while. If the Canes end up with a logjam and Kochetkov plays well enough to earn consideration as their playoff starter, they could trade a veteran netminder. Raanta doesn’t have any movement restrictions on his contract.

Nick Alberga: For starters, I’m sure Carolina is wondering the same thing right now. Honestly, I wish I was psychic. In short, it’s a contract year for Andersen, I’d put good money on him returning to form at some point. To be honest, he’s not the only goalie with a checkered past when then it comes to injuries, they’re all going down.  I believe in him. To your second question, I do think the Canes move on from Andersen next summer.  

Matt Larkin: Andersen is a solid goaltender. No one really doubts that. Among active goalies who have played a game this season, Andersen has the sixth-best career save percentage. But he’s a pending UFA. Given the repetitive injuries, I’d be surprised if Carolina re-signed him. That said, when he’s healthy, he gives them the best chance to win, so I believe he’ll remain this starter or at least a 1A once he’s back.

Nick Alberga: Personally, I have no problem handcuffing a tandem, especially one from an upper echelon team like Florida. Having said that, I get where you’re coming from, so in your situation, I’d look at moving on from Bobrovsky. In short order, it’s becoming abundantly clear that Spencer Knight is ready for an increase in workload.

Matt Larkin: Tough question because it depends on your league size. If you’re getting killed in the volume categories, you probably need to move on from one of them. It seems like Knight is gaining momentum to overtake ‘Bob,’ so in a perfect world, you trade Bob rather than Knight. I’d search for a buy low with a better path to lots of starts – such as Juuse Saros in Nashville (though he’s already heating up, so hopefully the window hasn’t closed there.)

Nick Alberga: Let’s hope Twitter doesn’t die before you see this answer. Yes, absolutely, make that deal. It’s not even close —Guentzel all day.

Matt Larkin: Yay, if you’re getting Guentzel. Not just yay – YAY! Guentzel is a safe bet for something in the vicinity of 40-40-80 production every season. He plays on a better team, with better linemates, has shown a higher ceiling than Hertl in the past and is a year younger. There’s NOTHING to debate here. Smash that accept button if you’re the one receiving Guentzel.

Nick Alberga: Selfishly (because I own him), I’m hoping there’s still a bit more juice to extract from Stone in fantasy hockey. Firstly, it’s important to give him time, the 30-year-old played in just 37 games last season. On top of that, as long as he continues to see prolific exposure and attachment to the likes of Jack Eichel and others, I think there’s always the potential for him to return to form. Be patient.

Matt Larkin: I was quite bearish on Stone going into this season because I was worried he’d take a while to feel like himself again after back surgery. But honestly? He’s always at or near the top of my “most overrated” list in fantasy hockey. He’s a tremendously intelligent, defensively superb real-life player. In fantasy, though? He helps in assists and points and is quite hollow otherwise. Stone has hit the 30-goal mark once in his career. He averages a just-OK 175 shots and a mediocre 60 hits per 82 games. He’s a name brand RW1 who produces more like a RW2 in leagues counting shots and hits. So, I don’t think it’s a matter of him being finished or not – it’s more about recalibrating expectations for a guy who was never an elite fantasy option.

Nick Alberga: To start, it looks like Marcus Bjork will get that opportunity. And that should tell you all you need to know; the Jackets are decimated by injury right now, especially on the back end. If you’re looking for a Zach Werenski injury replacement, your best bet is to look at some external options, there’s no saviour in Columbus.

Matt Larkin: The job currently belongs to something called ‘Marcus Bjork.’ Yes, that is a real person. He’s undrafted, he’s 24 years old and he has spent most of his career in the Swedish League. For what it’s worth, he’s stuffed the stat sheet in his first two NHL games: a goal, two points, three shots, six hits, four blocks. That said, there’s really no pedigree here, no way to predict success. I’d love to see what top prospect David Jiricek could do. With his monster shot, his game is built for power-play success.

Nick Alberga: Jacob Markstrom, Juuse Saros, Tristan Jarry, Jack Campbell and Thatcher Demko are a few names that intrigue me. Yes, some will come with more risk than others, but they’re worth the buy-low value. Sometimes you need to take some chances, right?

Matt Larkin: I mentioned Saros earlier, but he is already turning things around, so maybe the buy-low window has passed. The most obvious picks are the two guys who were drafted as fantasy juggernauts: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jacob Markstrom. Captain Obvious, I know, but if you can even get them for 90 cents on the dollar, it’s a coup. If you’re in a desperate situation? Thatcher Demko’s value is on the floor right now. He may not emerge from his slump soon, but if Vancouver ends up making a coaching change, might we see a sudden turnaround from the team and, in turn, it’s goaltender? It’s possible this is a lost season, but his talent hasn’t gone anywhere. What if you can get him for 50 cents on the dollar?

Chychrun worth stashing? D is thin in a 12 team league. Ir spot available. (TWEET DELETED)

Nick Alberga: Yup, Chychrun’s a fantastic stash option right now. Furthermore, he’s expected back as soon as next week. Once that happens, the trade talks should pick up.

Matt Larkin: Absolutely. He’s just two years removed from leading all defensemen in goals, and he did so on a terrible team. He’s arguably the biggest lock to be traded of any big-name player once he’s back healthy, which he projects to be next week. Because Arizona is such a fantasy graveyard, virtually anywhere Chychrun lands will constitute a fantasy upgrade. And if he ends up on an elite contender? Oh, baby, potential top-20 value among fantasy D-men for the rest of the season.

Keep scrolling for more content!