Early impressions: Eight players to drop

1 year ago 40

4:30 PM ET

  • Victoria MatiashFantasy Hockey

    Close

    • ESPN.com Fantasy Contributor since 2010
    • Part-time anchor astatine NEWSTALK1010

As everyone but the St. Louis Blues person played astatine slightest 3 games, we're already getting a awesome of the phantasy haves and have-nots. This isn't astir overreacting to a slumping plus and giving them the all-too-hasty footwear successful a acceptable of panic; there's a large quality betwixt aboriginal and premature. And there's thing impetuous astir making contiguous adjustments, arsenic a tiny fistful of semi-popular phantasy players already look mostly irrelevant this season.

Resources: Goalie extent chart | Injuries | Schedule | How to ticker connected ESPN+ | Sign up for ESPN Fantasy Hockey | Download the ESPN Fantasy App | Daily lines


Jamie Benn, F, Dallas Stars (55.5%): Feels similar the extremity of an era, doesn't it? After serving arsenic a invaluable phantasy plus with Dallas for years, the 33-year-old present appears entrenched successful a supporting relation with the Stars. Averaging 13:39 successful a bottom-six slot, Benn has 2 shots and 2 hits to amusement for 3 games.

Until helium hangs up his skates for good, the 14-year-vet volition beryllium 1 of the toughest forwards to play against, but his astir productive years are intelligibly successful the rear-view. Even if deeper phantasy leagues, I'm already buying astir for different skater to regenerate Benn.

Jack Roslovic, F, Columbus Blue Jackets (49.8%): Behind Boone Jenner and Cole Sillinger, Roslovic is already the aboriginal odd-center retired arsenic acold arsenic the Blue Jackets' top-six is constructed. His caller (experimental) presumption connected the No. 1 powerfulness play hardly feels etched successful chromatic either. The 25-year-old volition undoubtedly interruption retired of this early-season slump, and commencement contributing, but to what degree?

Unless your phantasy league is offshore deep, determination are much breathtaking players with greater upside available. At slightest person a look. Roslovic topped retired astatine 45 points successful 81 games with Columbus this past season.

Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken (44.2%): Not this year, not yet. Not successful re-draft phantasy leagues. Logging astir six minutes per crippled connected the Kraken's 4th line, credited with a azygous assistance that was hard to detect, Wright could beryllium headed backmost to Junior soon aft Halloween.

The enactment doesn't privation to shatter the kid's assurance and helium needs to play. Especially aft missing retired connected opportunities due to the fact that of COVID implicit the past mates of years. (Should helium alternatively beryllium capable to vie successful the AHL similar teens who chopped their competitory teeth successful assemblage oregon Europe? Take that up with the CHL.) Even if Wright manages to instrumentality successful Seattle, his accumulation volition beryllium limited.


It's not excessively precocious to motion up for ESPN Fantasy Hockey! Create oregon articulation your escaped league contiguous right here.


Juraj Slafkovsky, F, Montreal Canadiens (9.4%): Skating connected the Habs' 4th line, Slafkovsky has zero points done 4 contests, successful which he's averaging not rather 11 minutes/game. There's already speech of this year's archetypal wide draught prime being sent to the minors, wherever helium tin play a overmuch much salient role. Which frankly, if manager Martin St. Louis isn't going to beforehand the formidably sized teen up the lineup, makes sense.

A dynasty gem for aboriginal seasons, Slafkovsky whitethorn not person overmuch to connection phantasy managers this year. Not anytime soon, anyway.

Owen Power, D, Buffalos Sabres (72.4%): Allow maine to guarantee Buffalo fans everywhere, I heartily hold Power is going to beryllium a large plus connected the Sabres' bluish enactment for years to come. He conscionable isn't determination yet, particularly arsenic a phantasy commodity. Not extracurricular ESPN.com's deepest leagues. Give the lad immoderate time.

Vince Dunn, D, Seattle Kraken (50.9%): A brace of power-play assists done 5 contests isn't capable to stoke loyalty extracurricular leagues that number much than conscionable scoring (even then, a small underwhelming, no?). Dunn doesn't deed overmuch oregon artifact shots oregon adjacent sprout the puck connected nett arsenic often arsenic you mightiness like, limiting his imaginable successful much broad phantasy competition.

Within the Kraken fold, springiness chap blueliner Adam Larsson information - if helium isn't already spoken for - past scope extracurricular Seattle for much well-rounded phantasy punch.

John Gibson, G, Anaheim Ducks (65.8%): It's been ugly. Following the Ducks' opener against the visiting Kraken - successful which helium inactive surrendered 4 goals - Anaheim's No. 1 has served arsenic a full-blown phantasy liability. While the squad arsenic a full deserves their just stock of blame, Gibson hasn't looked large either. Bench him for now, opening with Thursday's roadworthy tilt successful Boston, and past re-evaluate. Having a goalie that hemorrhages phantasy points much often than not isn't a help. Quite the opposite.

This isn't a lawsuit of packing immoderate patience (for now) with a coagulated netminder, connected a bully team, getting disconnected to a wobbly commencement - similar Marc-Andre Fleury, Jeremy Swayman, oregon Thatcher Demko. The Ducks could conflict much often than not this season.

Pavel Francouz, G, Colorado Avalanche (39.7%): Alexandar Georgiev is the No. 1 netminder for the Avalanche. There was immoderate spirited preseason statement to that point, truthful it merits clarification.

This isn't to suggest Georgiev volition beryllium the starting netminder 2 months from now, oregon adjacent 2 weeks, oregon that Jared Bednar volition beryllium fiercely anti-tandem successful 2022-23, but the gig is the erstwhile Ranger's to suffer astatine present. So managers with constricted roster spots, which is astir of us, whitethorn alternatively take to instrumentality a plaything with different somewhat riskier candidate, connected a not unspeakable team, who's going to play much implicit Colorado's much seldom utilized backup. At slightest until/if Georgiev fumbles and Francouz starts stealing much starts.

Read Entire Article