Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Are we starting to see the Juraj Slafkovsky breakout?
By Evan Berofsky, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports
The year 2024 will soon be upon us. Time to reflect on the past 12 months and remember what's been done and what never got accomplished. Fantasy can be a mix of both events in that there's always something to do and someone to pick up, but a game doesn't always end up the way you want it to. So it feels like you didn't get anything accomplished.
Depending on how your leagues are going, you may either be looking to tweak or completely rebuild. I'd recommend against the latter unless there's really no hope the rest of this season. Various injuries and sudden slumps could take out most of your roster, but you can always improve your team piece-by-piece and slowly return to a semblance of a normal lineup.
That's where this column can help. One player can truly make a difference. Multiple successful additions could push you into playoff contention. And with a New Year comes the promise of repeats in this column. Doesn't that sound exciting?
(Rostered rates as of Dec. 29)
Forwards
Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks (Yahoo: 54%)
We're going slightly over the 50% threshold with McTavish as he's someone you should get right away. He probably got lost in the shuffle after missing a couple of weeks with an upper-body injury, but he came back last Thursday and recorded three assists on Wednesday. McTavish may appear as the No. 2 center on the Ducks' depth chart, yet he's on the top power play and providing nearly a point-per-game pace on a squad that's almost back to full health. And with Anaheim starting a five-game homestand Friday with a couple weaker defensive opponents, expect some of the bigger names to take advantage.
Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks (Yahoo: 42%)
Might as well go right back to the same team since Zegras also recently returned from a significant layoff and deserves a shoutout. He had been struggling before the absence with only two points across 12 contests, but combined for 126 the previous two seasons. And Zegras didn't waste any time displaying his unique talents when he once again pulled off the Michigan goal on Saturday along with five shots and two hits, and then posted an assist Wednesday. He centers the first line and joins forces with McTavish and the newly healthy Jamie Drysdale on the lead PP. Add him now.
Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins (Yahoo: 26%)
Rakell's case is roughly similar to Zegras in that he was in a slump prior to missing an extended period. He's also back alongside excellent linemates in Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel with at least a point in each of his last three outings and 12 shots over that stretch. And Rakell has recently been included on the Pens' top man advantage, which surprisingly sits 27th in the league. Even if that prime spot goes away, he should offer enough scoring opportunities to be rostered in many more Yahoo leagues.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Montreal Canadiens (Yahoo: 11%)
There was obvious disappointment from Slafkovsky's inaugural season based on the output and premature end due to injury, though a lot of NHL 18-year-olds don't start off well — even if they were selected first overall. This year has mainly looked the same in terms of offensive consistency, yet he just compiled consecutive two-point performances and is getting a longer look on the first trio and PP. As long as Slafkovsky's ice time remains elevated (18:08 this month), he'll be in line to deliver more scoring and a sufficient number of shots and hits. (NOTE: He did leave late Thursday with an apparent concussion, but was cleared after the contest).
Yegor Chinakhov, Columbus Blue Jackets (Yahoo: 10%)
Chinakhov was mentioned last week when discussing Kent Johnson, but he's here on his own as he keeps producing having reeled off seven goals, four assists, and 22 shots dating back to Dec. 8. He's combined with fellow under-25 forwards Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko as a potent second unit who all currently play on the Blue Jackets' lead power play. With how hot this trio has been and the fact Columbus' next two games will be against two of the weaker defenses in Toronto and Buffalo, you might as well give Chinakhov a chance.
Blake Wheeler, New York Rangers (Yahoo: 8%)
Wheeler may not be turning back the clock in terms of massive point hauls, but he's looked better of late thanks to a place beside Mike Zibanejad and Chris Kreider at five-on-five. Even averaging 12:30 a night from his last seven appearances, he's gone on to tally eight points and 13 shots. Wheeler is also on the Rangers' backup PP, where he's only managed a goal so far. You can't anticipate anything big from him, though holding on to his current placement is guaranteed to yield some scoring.
Nick Foligno, Chicago Blackhawks (Yahoo: 6%)
If there's one constant in this column, it's that Foligno will appear in it at least once a year. After all, he's generally reliable across a few areas. The difference this time around has been a recent pairing with Connor Bedard. And that's helped Foligno find the back of the net four times — with two of those PPGs — over five while adding an assist (yup, a PPA), eight shots, eight hits and six blocks on almost 20 minutes per contest. Based on Chicago regularly rotating wingers around Bedard, Foligno may not be able to retain this favorable slot. But for now, he's someone to strongly consider.
Marcus Johansson, Minnesota Wild (Yahoo: 2%)
Eighteen points appear to be a nice haul, yet Johansson hasn't displayed the greatest of scoring stability. The good news is that he's been excelling over three weeks having racked up 10 points and 19 shots, including two goals, an assist, three shots and a block on Wednesday. There's further hope for Johansson, as he last skated with Marco Rossi and Ryan Hartman and has already begun to improve on his low 3.9% shooting with that pair of markers.
Defensemen
Jake McCabe, Toronto Maple Leafs (Yahoo: 20%)
The Leafs continue to be without a couple prominent blueliners, which has allowed McCabe to take on more minutes and responsibilities. He's responded by accumulating eight points, 11 shots, 19 hits and 12 blocks since Dec. 7. And while McCabe is known for lining up on the penalty kill, he's occasionally been provided a minor power-play placement and actually potted a PPG two weeks ago. Don't expect much from him there or when it comes to consistent scoring, yet he can be a solid fantasy performer based on decent cross-category production.
Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks (Yahoo: 6%)
Like McCabe, poolies shouldn't count on Ferraro's latest offensive burst — consisting of four assists from the last three games — to be a regular thing. He's a workhorse averaging 24:22 during December, where he's collected 20 shots, 16 hits and 36 blocks. It's usually tough to trust any San Jose defender, though Ferraro is someone to add for anyone requiring a boost in secondary stats.
Marcus Pettersson, Pittsburgh Penguins (Yahoo: 3%)
Even before Pettersson's four helpers on Wednesday, he was already gaining fantasy attention from the five he recorded across the previous six games to go with 17 blocks and 13 hits. Getting to pair up at even-strength with Kris Letang has its advantages, and Pettersson has made the most of it (though it kinda hurts for anyone with Erik Karlsson, who checked the box score after the Pens went off for seven goals and noticed he was held off the scoresheet). He's also logging 23-plus minutes this month while operating on the top shorthanded crew. As long as the partnership with Letang sticks, Pettersson will keep having the chance to increase his totals.
Ryker Evans, Seattle Kraken (Yahoo: 1%)
Evans posted 61 points in his final junior campaign, which turned into an NHL entry-level deal. He was then placed on Seattle's AHL affiliate and proceeded to notch six goals, 38 assists and 74 PIM during the regular season and 26 points in 26 playoff contests where they lost in the finals. Evans made another 18 matchups before debuting with the Kraken on Dec. 7. Six of his nine appearances have ended scoreless — along with a healthy scratch — but the other three totaled four assists with two of those coming on the man advantage. Evans just turned 22 and looks to be an important piece for the future, though you may want to see if the club intends to sit him again before picking him up.
Goaltenders
Martin Jones, Toronto Maple Leafs (Yahoo: 41%)
Jones was called up twice earlier this month and made his first Leafs appearance after Joseph Woll got injured late in Ottawa. He's gone on to win four times — including shutting out Pittsburgh — along with varied results that put him at a 2.85 GAA and .914 save percentage. Woll remains out and Ilya Samsonov hasn't looked good in three outings where he's given up 15 goals on 83 shots. Jones carries a track record of racking up victories alongside less-than-stellar stats, though he's the best Toronto has right now and should continue that career trend behind a top-five attack until Woll is ready to return.
David Rittich, Los Angeles Kings (Yahoo: 6%)
Cam Talbot has been stellar this season and is being discussed as an early Vezina contender. Pheonix Copley got hurt during practice two weeks ago, which led to Rittich getting the call from the AHL. The veteran is probably best known for leading the Calgary crease for two years, but was subsequently relegated to backup duties in Nashville and Winnipeg. That role has carried over to the Kings, and Rittich picked up victories from his first two contests – albeit both were against the Sharks. He'll get some starts when Talbot needs a rest and should at least earn a couple Ws with LA ranked third in offense and tops in goals against.
Players to consider from past columns: Pavel Zacha, Seth Jarvis, Ryan O'Reilly, Troy Terry, William Karlsson, Wyatt Johnston, Matty Beniers, Nick Schmaltz, Quinton Byfield, Sam Bennett, Owen Tippett, Josh Norris, Robert Thomas, Nazem Kadri, Mikael Granlund, Cole Perfetti, Nikolaj Ehlers, Chandler Stephenson, Adam Fantilli, Dylan Strome, Brayden Schenn, Ivan Barbashev, Charlie Coyle, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Marco Rossi, Nick Paul, Trevor Moore, Lawson Crouse, Ryan Strome, John-Jason Peterka, Blake Coleman, Morgan Geekie, Yegor Sharangovich, Zach Benson, Sean Couturier, Eeli Tolvanen, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Kirill Marchenko, Gabriel Vilardi, Tyson Foerster, Joe Veleno, Michael Bunting, Matias Maccelli, Alex Kerfoot, Colton Sissons, Jake Sanderson, Owen Power, Mike Matheson, Brock Faber, Filip Hronek, Torey Krug, Zach Werenski, Noah Hanifin, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Thomas Harley, Neal Pionk, Travis Sanheim, Mattias Ekholm, Ivan Provorov, Jordan Spence, Jamie Drysdale, Simon Nemec, Elvis Merzlikins, Connor Ingram, Pyotr Kochetkov, Scott Wedgewood, Karel Vejmelka, Charlie Lindgren, Petr Mrazek, Joey Daccord, Sam Montembeault, Casey DeSmith
