Fantasy Hockey Puck Drops: With Andrei Vasilevskiy back, it's time to cut Jonas Johansson
By Michael Finewax, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports
The NHL season is almost two months old, and you've held onto some players too long. You were hoping they would break out of their early-season doldrums, but for the most part that hasn't been the case. There have been some players who have been injured for a long time, and now it's a great opportunity to cut bait and get a player who is actually playing.
The beauty of the NHL pool is that there are so many good players who never get drafted in fantasy, as most leagues select less than 200 players and goalies in a league that has over 700 players active or injured. Let's consider some players who are rostered in ample Yahoo leagues but who could be easily dropped.
Thomas Chabot, D, Ottawa Senators (60% rostered)
Chabot could return to action at the end of the week from the fractured hand he suffered in late October, but he's lost his spot on the top power play to Jake Sanderson and Jakob Chychrun. Chabot had three assists in his first seven games before getting hurt and while he has been the star of the Ottawa blue line for the last five seasons, he has been surpassed by both Chychrun and Sanderson, at least offensively. While he could have some value, especially if he is dealt elsewhere, at this stage Chabot is a tough hold, especially in shallow leagues.
Gustav Forsling, D, Florida Panthers (54% rostered)
Forsling was a great pick on draft day as both Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad were out of action after undergoing offseason surgery. But both players returned to action Nov. 17, and while they've yet to pick up a point in four games, the duo are the face of the Panthers' defensive corps. Forsling has two goals, four assists, 17 hits and 28 blocked shots, but he has lost all his power-play time to Montour and Ekblad. Should either defenseman falter or get re-injured, Forsling could be a good buy-back candidate.
Jonas Johansson, G, Tampa Bay Lightning, (48% rostered)
Johansson was another solid pick on draft day, but with the return last week of Andrei Vasilevskiy after back surgery, Johansson has become redundant. Johansson was OK as a third goalie in your lineup when Vasilevskiy was out, especially in leagues that rewarded wins as he went 8-4-5, but his 3.41 GAA and .894 save percentage left a lot to be desired. Johansson could have a bit of fantasy value in the next couple of weeks if the Lightning ease Vasilevskiy back into the lineup and give Johansson some easier matchups (like Arizona on Nov. 28), but he should really be sent to the free-agent pool in your fantasy league unless it's extremely deep.
Tony DeAngelo, D, Carolina Hurricanes (42% rostered)
Trouble seems to follow DeAngelo no matter where he plays. This is his fourth team in four years, although he's back with the Hurricanes for the second time in two years. DeAngelo has a goal and seven points in 16 games this season and while he is an offensive force on the power play, his play in even-strength situations leaves plenty to be desired. As a result, DeAngelo has been a healthy scratch for three straight games and there is no indication that he'll return to the lineup in the near future. DeAngelo is not worth stashing on your roster at this time.
Jake DeBrusk, LW, Boston Bruins (39% rostered)
It's been a tough season for the Bruins' winger, despite his two goals in the last three games. DeBrusk has only three goals and eight points in 19 games this year and is currently seeing third-line action alongside Matthew Poitras and Danton Heinen. DeBrusk is also seeing second-unit power-play time, but he's managing only 1:28 of man-advantage time, down from the 2:57 he saw last season when he was mainly on the first unit. DeBrusk had 27 goals and 50 points in only 64 games in 2022-23, with six goals and eight assists coming via the power play. He has lost plenty of value as James van Riemsdyk has taken his spot on the top six as well as the power play.
