Last week, I went big picture and looked ahead at four-game streamers through the rest of 2024. Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty for this upcoming week. Since it’s so early in the season and we don’t want to be too over-reactionary, I will keep this short and sweet.
Four-Game Streamers
Paul Cotter, C, NJD | 19% Yahoo
One of the best ways to spot potential fantasy gems revolves around lineup placement, and for Cotter, that placement is with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. He already looks like a savvy depth add for the Devils, and this boost in the lineup opens the door to more production. With lineup tweaks ahead of Thursday’s games, New Jersey is taking a more balanced approach with their top-six, and that should help spread the fantasy wealth more.
Seamus Casey, D, NJD | 19% Yahoo
Casey is making a name for himself in the early goings of the season. He has taken advantage of the lineup opening from Brett Pesce’s injury status. While the Devils’ free agent signing will be back soon, Casey seems to be earning himself an extended stay at the NHL level.
Stefan Noesen, LW/RW, NJD | 13% Yahoo
At even strength, Noesen is a source of secondary scoring, but the real value comes from his current positioning on the top power play unit. Noesen is being deployed in a net-front role alongside the Devils’ best on PP1, which seriously bolsters his scoring potential if he maintains the role.
J.T. Compher, C/LW/RW, DET | 10% Yahoo
With eligibility for all three forward positions, Compher is the ultimate flex player. That’s valuable in itself. His placement between Vladimir Tarasenko and Lucas Raymond is also beneficial. That should help add some offensive oomph to his defensive strengths.
Nick Paul, C/LW, TBL | 9% Yahoo
Usually, it’s easy to find fantasy options throughout the top nine of a contender. That really isn’t the case in Tampa Bay anymore. Their depth is suspect, which puts more emphasis on the top of the lineup. That leaves Paul and Anthony Cirelli as the only attainable members of the forward group worth considering at this point. Darren Raddysh is another player worth watching if he ends up sticking on PP1, but that fifth slot likely ends up going to either Brandon Hagel or Paul.
Erik Gustafsson, D, DET | 3% Yahoo
Keep an eye on the Red Wings’ power play deployment to open the season. Moritz Seider could take over as the PP1 quarterback, but for now, Gustafsson gains some value with that role.
Morgan Frost, C, PHI | 4% Yahoo
Most Flyers are available on the waiver wire. Only Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov are on upwards of 60 percent of rosters. So why not look at the player who is slotted between two of those names?
Frost is showing promise between Tippett and Michkov. The combination doesn’t have a ton of experience yet but impressed against the Oilers on Tuesday with a clear edge in shot quantity and quality in minutes together.
Bobby McMann, LW, TOR | 3% Yahoo
Looks like McMann won’t be a healthy scratch anytime soon after scoring three goals in three games. He won’t see much power play time, but no forward does outside the “core four.” Instead, his second-line deployment could lead to more even strength scoring for those in deeper leagues. Max Domi, who currently centers McMann and William Nylander, is another option to consider. He has the name recognition over McMann but isn’t as frequent of a shooter right now.
Light-Night Performers
Every four-game streamer is in action on a light night this week. The Devils are twice, which may add a bit more oomph behind those skaters as pickup options. Maybe the Flyers’ favorable schedule is what convinces managers to pick up Frost or Bobby Brink.
Outside of those four-game streamers, the Avalanche will be in action on two light nights this week. Colorado has gotten off to a tough start, and the team is now dealing with a number of injuries. As a result, Ross Colton has seen more meaningful minutes in the top six and PP1. Casey Mittelstadt has also gotten the bump to the top power play unit with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
The Flames have gotten off to an unexpectedly hot start. Players like Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil have been trending up in the middle six. Ivan Barbashev has gotten off to a strong start alongside Jack Eichel and Mark Stone in Vegas, while Rickard Rakell has been productive on Evgeni Malkin’s right. Teams with an opening on defense could look to Kaiden Guhle, who chips in some scoring (and maybe that increases if he sticks with Lane Hutson) and a lot of shot-blocking.
Next week’s schedule is loaded on the busy nights and slow on the light nights. Monday and Wednesday only have one game on the docket.
Early-Season Hype Train
Filip Gustavsson, G, MIN | 71% Yahoo
Is Gustavsson back? Considering how volatile goaltending is, it’s too soon to have a definitive answer, but his start has been promising. He has put up three quality starts so far and has earned a 0.948 save percentage. If he can keep putting up strong numbers, expect him to shoulder a 1A workload again.
Barrett Hayton, C, UTA | 31% Yahoo
Dylan Guenther is emerging as a star in Utah, while Clayton Keller is reminding the league just how good he is. And that’s making an impact on the players around them. Hayton is back between Keller and Nick Schmaltz and, unlike last year, isn’t just a passenger in that combination. His offense already looks a lot more effective.
Yegor Chinakhov, RW, CBJ | 14% Yahoo
The Blue Jackets’ top line has gotten off to a hot start. Kirill Marchenko, Sean Monahan, and Chinakhov have created a lot of quality offense and driven play with an 80 percent expected goal rate through four games and a 5-1 edge in scoring. Each member of this line could be a worthwhile add — in my book, Chinakhov’s shot volume gives him a slight edge right now.
Anton Lundell, C, FLA | 25% Yahoo
Lundell underwhelmed last season, but he elevated his game in the playoffs, and now the center seems to be picking up where he left off last season. While he won’t be the 2C in Florida for much longer — Aleksander Barkov’s return probably sends him back to the third line — he has shown how productive he can be in that capacity.
Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW, CHI | 49% Yahoo
Playing on Connor Bedard’s wing seems to have revitalized Teravainen’s offense. The winger tends to bring the defensive punch but has had a negative influence on his team’s expected goal generation over the past few years. If Bedard can change that, he should hold his early-season fantasy value. Teravainen is shooting the puck a bit more this year and is making an impact on the top power play unit.
Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, AllThreeZones, and NaturalStatTrick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers.
(Top photo of Paul Cotter: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
