Frozen Fantasy: Never a Dull Moment

Frozen Fantasy: Never a Dull Moment

This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.

This week was a flurry. Marc Bergevin. Evander Kane. Brendan Lemieux. Patrick Roy. P.K. Subban. Elliotte Friedman.

Never a dull moment.

Jeff Molson finally came to his senses and axed Marc Bergevin. I wonder if Bergevin had to hand in his red "suit of death" that day. Not much need for it anymore.

Evander Kane is back, at least in the AHL. The guy sure is polarizing, but he has elite talent. Someone is going to take a chance on him despite his dressing room issues. Especially if the Sharks are going to eat half his salary.

If Tony DeAngelo can resurrect his career, so can Kane.

Brendan Lemieux bit Brady Tkachuk. I don't know what to say. I had a dream about Mike Tyson that night. Yikes.

Back to the Canadiens. Patrick Roy thinks he can be the new general manager. Same old Patrick – he thinks he can be the new everything. There's no lack of confidence there. He won't get the gig, but he sure will rile up fans.

Yet another circus in Montreal.

P.K. Subban. Sigh. Another slew foot, but no suspension. He's done this his entire career, but I'd forgotten until this season. My gut says he's lost a step and now has no choice but to cheat. Sad, really – I used to enjoy watching him play.

Lastly, I cringe every Saturday morning when I remember I have to look at Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada. Grow

This week was a flurry. Marc Bergevin. Evander Kane. Brendan Lemieux. Patrick Roy. P.K. Subban. Elliotte Friedman.

Never a dull moment.

Jeff Molson finally came to his senses and axed Marc Bergevin. I wonder if Bergevin had to hand in his red "suit of death" that day. Not much need for it anymore.

Evander Kane is back, at least in the AHL. The guy sure is polarizing, but he has elite talent. Someone is going to take a chance on him despite his dressing room issues. Especially if the Sharks are going to eat half his salary.

If Tony DeAngelo can resurrect his career, so can Kane.

Brendan Lemieux bit Brady Tkachuk. I don't know what to say. I had a dream about Mike Tyson that night. Yikes.

Back to the Canadiens. Patrick Roy thinks he can be the new general manager. Same old Patrick – he thinks he can be the new everything. There's no lack of confidence there. He won't get the gig, but he sure will rile up fans.

Yet another circus in Montreal.

P.K. Subban. Sigh. Another slew foot, but no suspension. He's done this his entire career, but I'd forgotten until this season. My gut says he's lost a step and now has no choice but to cheat. Sad, really – I used to enjoy watching him play.

Lastly, I cringe every Saturday morning when I remember I have to look at Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada. Grow the beard back, Ron Burgundy. Please.

And ditch the turtlenecks. Marc Bergevin has some time – he can help with some fashion advice.

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye (on the ice) this week.

Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, Los Angeles (33 percent Yahoo!) – It took a bit for Arvidsson to get rolling again post-injury, but he's up to speed now. Heading into Sunday, the scorer was on a four-game, six-point streak with three on the PP (he's on the first unit). Plus 16 shots. Arvidsson is a must-roster right now before the rest of your league realizes his role.

Michael Bunting, LW, Toronto (38 percent Yahoo!) – Sidekicks. Sometimes they're interchangeable. But when the chemistry happens, they're no-brainers. Like Bunting, who rode a five-game, nine-point streak into Saturday night while playing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. He's almost as good as Zach Hyman (88 percent Yahoo!) and a whole lot cheaper. Go get Bunting. Now.

Joonas Donskoi, LW/RW, Seattle (4 percent Yahoo!) – The legend of the deep seems to have finally woken up. Fantasy managers bailed on just about every Kraken, but slowly and surely there's life on the coast. Donskoi doesn't have any snipes, but he's on a four-game, five-helper streak. And he's plus-6 over that span. He isn't a sexy pickup, but could be a super inexpensive waiver snag with 45-point upside. If you're in a big league with deep rosters, Donskoi could be a fit.

Alexander Edler, D, Los Angeles (5 percent Yahoo!) – 10 years ago, Edler delivered 49 points, including 11 goals. His fantasy stock was never higher. Since then, the poor guy has never played a full season. Never. Injuries derailed his promise and many fantasy seasons. I'm not suggesting Edler has somehow shed his Band-Aid status. But he's delivered 10 points in 22 games – that's almost a 40-point pace. And he has six points, including five helpers, in his last six. There's no PP value in Edler's game, but there is in his 5-on-5 production. He has 10 hits and six blocks in those six contests. Just be ready to dump him when – not if – he gets hurt.

Alexandar Georgiev, G, NY Rangers (29 percent Yahoo!)Igor Shesterkin went down with a minor injury Friday night and will be out a week. Georgiev hasn't been good, but teams cannot rely on a single goalie. He's starting Saturday and there could be much better balance in the two goalies' starts going forward once Shesterkin comes back. Remember, Georgiev posted a .914 save percentage in 30 starts a few seasons ago. He's a whole lot better than his current .867. I've stashed Georgiev in one league. I think he's worth the bet.

Petr Mrazek, G, Toronto (45 percent Yahoo!) – This is another dice roll, based solely on future-proofing Jack Campbell. The Leafs have no choice but play this guy when he's back. Campbell is having a Vezina-quality season, but also has a history of injury. They need him healthy for the postseason and that means one thing – load management. Mrazek might not be a top-20 goalie, but he could be – even in part-time duty – behind a team as strong as the Leafs.

Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle (18 percent Yahoo!) – Puget Sound fits this guy. Oleksiak is on a roll – a career one, in fact. He's four points shy of tying his career best in points (14) and in just 24 games. Plus he's covering the hits category like a man possessed – he's pacing toward a whopping 250 in that category. Oleksiak has never been an offensive guy, but I'm sure you can find room for someone who might deliver 30 points and 250 hits. I sure can, even if there's no power-play production.

Robert Thomas, RW/C, St. Louis (33 percent Yahoo!) – Thomas is the most overlooked point-per-game player in the NHL. Get him now or forever hold your peace. Thomas has 22 points, including 20 assists, in 23 games. Seven of those helpers have come on the PP. And he's more likely to win faceoffs than not. There's no way Thomas should be on the wire in two of every three leagues. No way. Do not delay.

Trevor Zegras, LW/C, Anaheim (57 percent Yahoo!) – Zegras has bravado, and the skills to back it up. Big skills. Like 14 points, including 10 helpers, in 10 games skills. Zegras is back in the Calder conversation, by delivering on the PP, firing shots (33 in those 10) and looking every part the next Mighty Duck. He heads into Monday with five assists in his last two games. Quack! Quick!

Back to the flurry this week.

There was another disgusting racial incident in hockey north of the 49th. A 16-year-old goalie faced racial slurs on the ice and at the team hotel at a tourney in Charlottetown, PEI.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

The young man's name is Mark Connors. He's a damn good player – how many at 16 guard the twine tent in a U18 tourney? Connors can play. Anyone who wants to should be able to play.

Without abuse. Without marginalization. With protection. And allies.

Let's find ways to make sure there are no moments like this ever again. I'm not sure how, but I'm willing to work to help find those answers. You?

Until next week.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janet Eagleson
Janet Eagleson is a eight-time Finalist and four-time winner of the Hockey Writer of the Year award from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. She is a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, loved the OHL London Knights when they were bad and cheers loudly for the Blackhawks, too. But her top passion? The World Junior Hockey Championships each and every year.
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