Frozen Fantasy: Coaching Makes the Superstar

Kevyn Adams hit the unemployment line this past week. It didn't really come as a surprise - the Sabres have been awful and he was the one responsible for the construction of that squad.

Coach Lindy Ruff is safe. For now. But Toronto's Craig Berube isn't. 

Yes, the two men have held the reins in each city for about the same amount of time. Things have been rough on Ruff, but they're even rougher for Berube. Second-last in the Atlantic is a long fall from last year's first place finish. 

Honestly? Anything to get the Leafs players fired up. ANYTHING. They're checked out. 

I'm invested in Auston Matthews (100 percent Yahoo!) in one league and William Nylander (99 percent Yahoo!) in another. And I'm on multi-week skids in both leagues thanks to their disconnect. Sigh. 

The Leafs seem tired of Berube, so there's really only one option in Toronto. They cannot afford to waste Matthews' best years. They have so far.

Even Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) has played for the Cup in June. Twice. I'm still convinced they're going to waste his best seasons. It'd be a shame to happen to both. 

Maybe I'm simply fueled by cynicism. Like every other Canadian. At least the World Juniors are about to begin. I can't wait until Boxing Day and not because it's a stat holiday up here. Go Canada, GO!

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Casey DeSmith, D, Dallas (28 percent Yahoo!) -- DeSmith is once again one of the NHL's best backup netminders, and that makes him worthy of a spot on your bench. This week, he put up two wins and delivered a .925 save percentage. DeSmith typically only gets one start a week, though the Stars recently alternated starters. And Jake Oettinger's (100 percent Yahoo!) trip to the upcoming Olympics means DeSmith will be busier than normal in a few months to give the starter some rest. Now's the time to get him on your bench. DeSmith could help deliver you a title. 

Sean Durzi, D, Utah (13 percent Yahoo!) -- Durzi has an offensive track record, but we've discounted it because it came in the desert. But we shouldn't. Durzi came out of Sunday on a five-game, five-point streak (one goal, four assists). Two of the assists have come with the man advantage with 13 shots and nine blocks during this run. Mikhail Sergachev (96 percent Yahoo!) may be the 1D in Utah, yet someone has to be the second-best. 

Anton Forsberg, G, Los Angeles (10 percent Yahoo!) -- Darcy Kuemper (93 percent Yahoo!) hit the IR this week after a hit to the head from the Stars' Mikko Rantanen (100 percent Yahoo!). Forsberg is now the No. 1 for at least a week, and probably more. In one respect, he should be an automatic addition given the strength of the Kings' defensive system. But he's been a bit sloppy in it so far this year, yet has delivered a 1-1-0 record and .934 save percentage in two starts since Kuemper went down. Forsberg did manage an impressive 22-17-4 record and .917 save percentage in 2021-22 within a platoon in Ottawa. He's valuable if he can channel even a bit of that for the Kings. 

Mikael Granlund, LW/RW/C, Anaheim (26 percent Yahoo!) -- Granlund heads into Monday night on a three-game, three-goal scoring streak (five points) with 10 shots and four hits. He has 14 points in 18 games this season after tallying 66 between the Sharks and Stars. Granlund isn't in Anaheim's top-six, though skates on PP2. And a 60-point pace is possible. That's fantasy gold for someone with his positional versatility. 

Ryan Hartman, RW/C, Minnesota (17 percent Yahoo!) -- The Quinn Hughes (100 percent Yahoo!) effect is in full swing in Minny. Hartman has picked up points in five of the six games since the defender's arrival that includes five goals - including three on the power play. He also threw down 10 blocks over that span. Hartman was rostered in three percent of Yahoo! leagues P.Q. (that's pre-Quinn). His RW designation also significantly increases his value. 

Filip Hronek, D, Vancouver (47 percent Yahoo!) -- Hronek posted 48 points during his first full season with Vancouver, so his recent three-game, four-assist streak comes as no surprise. Zeev Buium (56 percent Yahoo!) will eventually ascend to the top of the offensive heap in Vancouver. But until then, I'm betting on Hronek and not the 20-year-old rookie. He's recorded seven shots, two PPA, one SHA, three blocks and two hits on this stretch. Managers are dropping him, not adding him. Hronek might be out there. Watch that plus-minus as he's been a bit of an anchor in that category. 

Boone Jenner, LW/C, Columbus (22 percent Yahoo!) -- Jenner has two, two-point efforts in five games since returning from missing 14 due to injury. He's a dog on a bone, which brings fantasy managers a lot of category coverage when healthy (which is no guarantee). Jenner has 14 shots, 14 hits and nine blocks since coming back and a fixture on the second power play. Plus, he has something to prove. The lifelong Blue Jacket is on an expiring contract and the team may not be prepared to keep Jenner. He may be out to prove them wrong. Be ready to cut bait when an injury or trade happens. I'm not sure Jenner is a second-liner on a contender. 

Calvin Pickard, G, Edmonton (11 percent Yahoo!) -- The curse of the oil patch swallowed Tristan Jarry (62 percent Yahoo!) on Thursday and along with it went the hopes of Oilers fans. He's supposed to be out a few weeks max, but one can never tell with lower-body injuries. It's Pickard to the rescue… if you can call it that. He allowed four goals in each of his last two starts, both losses. But who else is there? Connor Ingram (seven percent Yahoo!) has struggled in the AHL this season, so this may be sink-or-swim time for Pickard. He's done it before, so I think he can do it again. Maybe. In any event, a starter is a starter. Right? 

Ryan Poehling, C, Anaheim (1 percent Yahoo!) -- Poehling is only valuable in deep formats. He doesn't get power-play time. And is only eligible at the deepest spot on the ice. But a four-game, six-point scoring streak with five assists, seven blocks, four hits and 17 faceoff wins can help in some formats. Especially those where you roll your best Fs. You saw what I did there. Poehling will slow down, but is worth a sniff short-term.

Brady Skjei, D, Nashville (3 percent Yahoo!) -- Skjei notched two helpers Saturday against the Leafs. Then again, Toronto seems to make everyone look good these days. But I took a deeper look, and Skjei may be warming up. He went into Sunday night with a goal, five assists and 11 each of shots and blocks during his last seven games. He won't keep up this pace, but did manage a three-season run of 39, 38 and 47 points in Carolina not too long ago. Skjei is on PP2, though that unit is lightly used behind the Roman Josi (95 percent Yahoo!) group. I like him better than a few players on my squads, so he might be worth a claim. 

Chandler Stephenson, C, Seattle (12 percent Yahoo!) -- What's in a name? Not enough when it comes to Stephenson, who's riding an eight-game scoring streak going into Monday. He's a top-six, PP1 pivot who's excelling in just about every category. Stephenson has produced five goals, four assists, four power-play points (two PPG, two PPA), nine blocks and 77 faceoff wins (56.6 percent) on this run. But he plays in Seattle, and we all tend to overlook teams like the Kraken. I have him in a dynasty format, and I left him on the bench the last two weeks. I won't be making that mistake again. 

Vladimir Tarasenko, LW/RW, Minnesota (21 percent Yahoo!) -- I mentioned Tarasenko last week when he was rostered in only nine percent of leagues, and he's done exactly what I hoped for. His three-game, six-point stretch (four goals, 11 shots and a plus-six rating) was snapped Sunday. But I'm all in. Get Tarasenko now or consider him gone. 

Back to Berube and the Leafs. 

There are lots of rumors swirling about Peter DeBoer coming to Toronto. He'd be an interesting choice. He's great with his players - expectations are clear, so there are no gray areas. His systems are highly structured, transitions are explosive and O-zone pressure is intense. 

Sounds like energy the Leafs could really use. 

Berube is a brutally-honest, defense-first coach who demands accountability. He makes players earn their shifts. He's not a jerk, but is way more authoritarian than Sheldon Keefe - the man he replaced. 

If Berube is out, then the Leafs will have their fourth coach of the Matthews era. At some point, I have to wonder if this is a coaching issue or something else…

Zose Hanukkah. Merry Christmas. Happy Kwanzaa. 

Until next week.