Hutch's Hockey: Tokens of Appreciation

Tokens of Appreciation for Hockey Community and League Support

I'll keep it short this week. This time of year, the holidays, are special to many people around the world. It's a wonderful time to slow things down and appreciate what's around you while taking a step back from the day-to-day stuff. 

This year, I want to put into words some appreciation for those who help me enjoy hockey. This isn't anything new -- it's just a good time to say it. I grew up watching hockey, which is where it all started. Many a night with family, watching whatever games were on. 

There's also appreciation for the league itself. Without hundreds of players and hundreds more personnel behind the scenes, none of this would be possible. Many people have made hockey and the NHL a central part of their lives, and while that's not always easy, it's nice they've done that to give us something to enjoy for half the year. 

I'll also give some love to RotoWire here, for giving me a platform to share my thoughts on all the NHL news and happenings. It's been a good fit from the start, and the hockey crew at large is top-notch with all the news coverage. I love seeing all the different perspectives in our articles and coverage, and having a good group of people around makes it easier to understand and keep up with the sport we all love. 

Analyzing Recent NHL Trades Involving Danault and Marchment

A little bit of business went down before the roster freeze Friday night, so I'll take a couple of looks at the trades. First was Phillip Danault heading back to the Canadiens. There's no doubt Danault disappointed the Kings this year -- a middle-six center should have more than five helpers in 30 games. However, I thought they'd stick together. Danault's still a good defensive center, and the Kings will need someone to help ease the transition from Anze Kopitar into the new era next year. Danault is under contract through 2026-27, so making this move now strikes me as a little puzzling. The Canadiens have had Danault before and know what to expect. I see him as a third-line option, though the second line could be in the mix if Oliver Kapanen hits the rookie wall. 

The other Friday deal saw Mason Marchment head to the Blue Jackets for two picks. This one makes a little more sense -- the Kraken aren't going to be competitive, and they were able to get a small upgrade in pick quality compared to what they gave up when they acquired Marchment over the summer. This should open the door for prospects to get auditions in Seattle soon. For the Blue Jackets, the deal makes less sense. They could boost Marchment's value through top-six usage, but this isn't a team that's likely to overcome its obstacles for a playoff spot. If he's still with the team at the trade deadline, I'll be shocked. Mostly though, the surprise comes from having two similar left wings already on the roster in Boone Jenner and Dmitri Voronkov. Adding Marchment to the mix doesn't really change anything, aside from making the forward depth a little stronger, but Voronkov was doing just fine on the top line. Expect some mixing and matching to see which forward trios click the best over the next few weeks. 

Fantasy Forward Breakouts: Tarasenko, Hartman, Stephenson and Graf Insights

On to the waiver wire, where Vladimir Tarasenko is drawing my interest again. With five goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating over the last eight games, Tarasenko has helped the Wild navigate their latest batch of injury troubles. The forwards are healthy again, which means Tarasenko is heading to the third line. He's had three good stretches this season, and a whole lot of nothing in between them. Let's see if he can sustain his momentum going forward now that the Wild have upgraded their team. This is more of a situation to monitor if you don't already have him, though he can still do enough to help in deep leagues. 

Another Wild forward making waves is Ryan Hartman. He's scored in five of the last six games and has seven points in that span. While the team getting healthier could hurt Tarasenko's numbers, Hartman is more of a reliable option, as he can be almost guaranteed for top-six minutes now that Marco Rossi is in Vancouver. Hartman will chip in hits and PIM at a decent rate, though he's producing both at lower levels than in recent years. He can be streaky too, so be ready to move on when this run ends. 

I've put off discussing Chandler Stephenson, but he's on a career-best heater after a two-point game Saturday. He's scored in four straight games and has at least a point in eight in a row. You know what you're going to get out of Stephenson -- he's a playmaking center who sees time in all situations and can boost blocked shots from a forward slot. Over a full season, he typically settles in for a 50-55 point pace. Right now, he's Seattle's best forward while working with all-category contributor Eeli Tolvanen and defensive specialist Frederick Gaudreau in a top-six capacity. The Kraken don't run deep on goals, but someone's got to score them, and Stephenson's likely to be involved frequently. 

Speaking of Tolvanen, he's done his part with eight points, 25 hits, 11 blocked shots, 16 shots on goal and six PIM over nine games this month. The one knock is his minus-10 rating in December. The Kraken will take chemistry anywhere they can get it, and Tolvanen is delivering it with Stephenson. Tolvanen's widely available and makes for a versatile depth winger in fantasy lineups as long as he can chip in around a 40-45 point pace. 

I'm all aboard on Collin Graf, especially now that he's on the Sharks' top line. With six goals and three assists over his last eight games, he's really earned his place that high in the lineup. Here's the thing to like with Graf -- he's earned penalty-killing minutes and power-play time this year. His defensive acumen has helped him gain more time, and it's led to more offense. It's not always easy for young players to gain their coach's trust, but Graf has done just that at 23 years old, and it's even more impressive considering he was a healthy scratch Oct. 14. That won't happen again, and he's a safe all-around contributor for fantasy purposes. 

Top Fantasy Defensemen to Watch: Zadorov, Durzi and Sanheim Performances

Nikita Zadorov is going to keep coming up in this space. He doesn't have a goal in December, but five assists in 10 games is plenty of offense for a defenseman who doesn't make scoring a priority. He's added 22 blocked shots, 32 PIM, 16 hits and a plus-10 rating in those contests. Zadorov is firmly in a top-four role for the Bruins now, and he's well on his way to a career year on offense without sacrificing the toughness that makes him effective on the ice. He could be a 30-point defenseman, and I've got room for players like that, at least in a bench role for fantasy. 

He's not on my must-have list this holiday season, but I'm liking the recent work out of Sean Durzi. He's earned a goal and five helpers, including two power-play assists, over his last seven games. Durzi's on the second power-play unit, and his season-long numbers (eight points in 17 games) don't pop because of a 21-game absence for an upper-body injury. I'm not banking on him keeping his current role all year, but he's a decent depth option for fantasy managers until the Mammoth decide Dmitri Simashev or Maveric Lamoureux need another look in the NHL. 

One more to consider on your fantasy blue line is Travis Sanheim. The minute-muncher for the Flyers has been seeing regular time on the second power-play unit since Nov. 22. Over the 15 games in that span, he's contributed nine points, 25 blocked shots and a plus-3 rating. Especially for defensemen, minutes matter, and Sanheim gets all he can handle in Philadelphia. He won't hurt you anywhere, though he doesn't really stand out for anything other than blocks. A 40-point campaign is probably the best you can expect, and that's more than fine for fantasy purposes. 

Evaluating Goalies: Lyon, Hofer and Fowler Emerging as Fantasy Options

Alex Lyon has worked his way back into the mix for fantasy goaltending. His season has been a roller coaster. He started out 3-5-3 over his first 12 games, but he lost time to Colten Ellis (concussion) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in November. Now, Lyon has seized the starting job back in Buffalo with a five-game winning streak, posting a 2.31 GAA and a .922 save percentage over that span. With Ellis out, the Sabres have stuck with a two-man tandem, though Lyon is doing the heavy lifting and should be a reliable starter in the ratio stats for a while. 

I'm just about willing to call a change of hierarchy in the Blues' crease. Joel Hofer has played in eight of 11 games in December, going 4-2-0 with a 2.11 GAA and a .927 save percentage for the month. Jordan Binnington may still be in Team Canada's Olympic plans, but the only thing he'd have going for him by February would be rest, as he hasn't played well enough to keep the crease in St. Louis. Even in a 50-50 split, Hofer looks like the goalie to roster in fantasy, as he has put up better numbers. 

The best thing a rookie goalie can come in and do is win games, and Jacob Fowler is doing just that. I'm a little late to the party, but he's still just 19 percent rostered as of Sunday afternoon, so there's plenty of time to get on board. It took Fowler just four games to earn his first NHL shutout, and he's 2-1-1 with a .915 save percentage so far. Fowler isn't a must-have option yet since Jakub Dobes has rebounded with four wins over eight games in December, and Sam Montembeault will be back in the mix after the holiday break. Still, the Canadiens have playoff hopes, and they'll need to ride the hot hand. Fowler's the most exciting goalie of the three as the team's top goaltending prospect, and he's worth a look in fantasy if the playing time is there. 

With that, I wish you all a happy holiday season. With the short week ahead, there won't be much to look at next week, so I'm going to take some extra time with family and skip the column next Monday. I'll be back Jan. 5 to take a look around the league again as we gear up for a busy January before the Olympics. 

Stuck between two players available on the waiver wire? Check out the NHL Player Comparison Tool or the NHL Trending Players to help break the tiebreaker on your waiver wire decisions.