Looking Ahead: Petersen the Odd Man Out?

Andrew Santillo

2021-11-05

Please note that stats are up to and including Wednesday's games.

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use him for the next several days)

Matt Duchene, C/RW, Nashville Predators (Available in 85% of ESPN leagues, 53% Fantrax, 65% Yahoo)
I'm sure some of the folks in your league right now are scrolling the waiver wire looking for a quick add and look at Duchene's name and continue to scroll right past. Sure, one of the first things that comes to mind is him involved in a three-team trade that left Colorado with an embarrassment of riches, but Duchene is a player that I've always felt has been a good NHLer and this season his stats are starting to show it.

So let's look at the line first, he's currently on Nashville's top line with Mikael Granlund centering and Filip Forsberg on his opposite wing (Luke Kunin was slated there yesterday with Forsberg day-to-day) and is also playing on Nashville's top power play. So far this season Duchene has four goals and five assists and has eight points in last five games, all while leading all Nashville forwards in points (nine) and second on the club in shots (33). Nashville has busy schedule upcoming and this offensive output continues it may be the perfect time to get additional value for any fantasy team in need of forward help.

The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Alex Iafallo, LW, Los Angeles Kings (Available in 79% of ESPN leagues, 23% Fantrax, 65% Yahoo)
– Iafallo extended his current point streak to four games during LA's shootout win versus the Blues, and I think this is more than just a player that has had a hot week on the score sheet. It's not outlandish to think that Iafallo could be a 25-30 goal scorer and if he's going to do that this season, you'll want that offensive production on your team.  

I have to say, I like the spot he is at on the King's roster opposite Adrian Kempe but what really gives them a boost is the offseason acquisition of Phillip Danault centering the line. It's not a small sample size either for this line, in ten games played with just over 90 minutes of ice time together, they have a Corsi For % of 64.5% and six even-strength goals, all bests on the Kings right now. I think this is an add that makes sense for fantasy teams with larger benches and if you're in a salary cap league he'll cost you $4 million, with him signing his most recent contract last April. You're locked into that salary for the next three seasons so you won't have to worry about making any difficult in season decisions. Unlike difficult decisions you may have to make with other Los Angeles Kings…keep scrolling.

The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

Cal Petersen, G, Los Angeles Kings (Owned in 14% of ESPN leagues, 75% of Fantrax, 42% Yahoo)
– And segue! The Odd Man Out committee (which consists of me and apparently my fiancé and I's cat who is watching me write this with a concerning look on her face) have been watching this goalie situation closely and it could be that Petersen is the definition of "Odd Man Out".

Make no mistake, I am a Jonathan Quick fan. He's been a warrior in this league for years, Cup champ, Conn Smythe winner, works his tail off in the offseason, we can go on and on. However, last season was a down year for both Quick and the Kings, which led countless articles and tweets floated out there that Petersen should be the full-time netminder instead of the rotating crease between both himself and Quick. What happened? Well, Petersen didn't exactly shine going 3-13 from April to the end of the season and finishing the year with a goals-against average of 2.89. Not great by any stretch, but it seemed like this season following Petersen's opening-night win versus Vegas we would begin to see him have more consistent starts in net, but since that time he has just three starts to Quick's six. What makes rostering Petersen this season difficult as well is just where LA plays most of their games out west. It's harder to make any change the later it gets on a slate and nothing is worse than essentially wasting a roster spot on any given night.

The Anchors (They’ll do nothing but disappoint even over the long haul)

Ryan Pulock, D, New York Islanders (Owned in 86% of ESPN leagues, 74% of Fantrax, 42% Yahoo)
– I think there's a group of players, not just in hockey, but in all fantasy sports that fit the very unique category of, "Good real-life player, bad fantasy player", Pulock falls right in that group.

Got to start off here, Pulock plays on a good defensive team with him being part of the reason why. He's been good individually on defense as well when he's paired with anyone not named Zdeno Chara and sees some power-play time. The issue? He just doesn't shoot the puck and that goes back even before this season. Last year it took Pulock 42 games to score his first goal of the season with a shooting percentage of 1.7%. There is value if you're in a league that counts hits and blocked shots, no doubt Pulock throws his weight around currently sitting at 19 hits and 20 blocks, but as far as getting on the score sheet I don't expect much offensive production from him this season.

Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days)

This period runs from November 5 to November 17

Toronto – If your two favorite things in the world are Leafs hockey and jamming as much Toronto into a DFS lineup as you can are you in luck, Toronto plays five games all within a week's time. No surprise that Toronto is one of the more heavily-owned teams in fantasy, always owned in DFS, and if nobody in your points pool has Toronto then I assume something horribly went wrong. Plenty of Maple Leafs to help fill out rosters upcoming.

Calgary
– Calgary's first line of Johnny GaudreauElias LindholmMatthew Tkachuk has been stellar to start the season along with getting outstanding goaltending from Jacob Markstrom. The Flames have a loaded schedule coming up, which will give them a great opportunity to help round out your lineup.

Winnipeg
– The Jets are beginning a nice six-game homestand right now which has to make Jets fans and fantasy owner's smile. Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler have also returned to the club which will only improve this team's depth moving forward.

Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

Colorado
– Colorado is back on the Leave 'Em side of things for the second week in a row, with the reason being the exact same as last week- they just don't play enough upcoming games. With only two games next week it's hard to really love Colorado in the short but on a positive note this gives them time to help bring back some of their injured players.

Tampa Bay
– Echoing Colorado next week, Tampa Bay only plays twice next week, which will give fantasy owners plenty of holes to fill in fantasy lineups upcoming.

Buffalo
– The Sabres will have a tough road matchup versus the Caps before coming home and seeing the Oilers and Toronto. Not exactly a cakewalk and although they've been a surprise so far, it's going to be hard to want to roster any Buffalo with them most likely seeing plenty of time spent in their own zone.

NY Islanders – Some clubs we've listed play twice this week, but New York plays one. A little bit of a strange start this season for the Isles schedule wise, they played Montreal this week after five days off and will get even more time to rest upcoming. For Isles fantasy owners and fellow Isles second-line truthers in DFS, this just means they'll have a fuller schedule later on this season. Everything balances out at some point, but for the short term, the Islanders won't be much help in fantasy or DFS.

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Friday, November 5th to Thursday, November 11th, 2021
Best Bets
Anaheim 4.21 – Away VAN SEA – Home ARI STL
Detroit 4.19 – Away BUF – Home VGK EDM WSH
Winnipeg 4.15 – Away BUF – Home VGK EDM WSH
Los Angeles 4.05 – Away TOR MTL OTT – Home NJD
Vancouver 3.90 – Away COL – Home NSH DAL ANA
 
Steer Clear
Columbus 0.95- home COL
Carolina 1.76 – Away FLA TBL
Dallas 1.94 – Away VAN – Home NSH
Tampa Bay 1.99 – Away OTT – Home CAR
Philadelphia 2 – Away WSH – Home TOR
Saturday, November 6th to Friday, November 12th, 2021
Best Bets
Washington 4.36 – Away DET CBJ – Home PHI BUF
Detroit 4.08 – Away BUF – Home VGK EDM WSH
Toronto 4.09 – Away PHI – Home BOS LAK CGY
Calgary 4.06 – Home MTL TOR – Home NYR SJS
Vegas 3.89 – Away MTL DET – Home SEA MIN
 
Steer Clear
Dallas 1.94 – Away VAN – Home NSH
NY Rangers 1.95 – Away CGY – Home FLA
Tampa Bay 1.99 – Away OTT – Home CAR
Columbus 2.05 – Away COL – Home WSH
Colorado 2.05- Away CBJ – Home VAN
Sunday, November 7th to Saturday, November 13th, 2021
Best Bets
Toronto 4.29 – Away PHI BUF – Home LAK CGY
Detroit 4.10 – Home VGK EDM WSH MTL
Nashville 4.06 – Away CHI DAL STL – Home ARI
Vegas 4.04 – Home SEA MIN VAN
Los Anegels 3.80 – Away TOR MTL OTT WPG
 
Steer Clear
NY Islanders 1.85 – Home MIN NJD
Tampa Bay 1.89 – Home CAR FLA
NY Rangers 1.95 – Away CBJ – Home FLA
Columbus 2.10 – Home WSH NYR
Colorado 2.31 – Home VAN SJS
Monday, November 8th to Sunday, November 14th, 2021
Best Bets
Boston 4.31 – Away NJD – Home OTT EDM MTL
Toronto 4.29 – Away PHI BUF – Home LAK CGY
Washington 4.21- Away DET CBJ – Home BUF PIT
Calgary 4.15 – Away MTL TOR OTT – Home SJS
Pittsburgh 4.04 – Away CHI OTT WSH – Home FLA
 
Steer Clear
NY Islanders 1 – Away NJD
Tampa Bay 1.89 – Home CAR FLA
Columbus 2.10 – Home WSH NYR
Dallas 2.10 – Home NSH PHI
Chicago 2.26 – Home PIT ARI
Tuesday, November 9th to Monday November 15th, 2021
Best Bets
Boston 4.31 – Away NJD – Home OTT EDM MTL
Detroit 4.15- Away CBJ – Home EDM WSH MTL
Calgary 4.15 – Away MTL TOR OTT – Home SJS
Pittsburgh 4.04 – Away CHI OTT WSH – Home FLA
Ottawa 3.95 – Away BOS – Home LAK PIT CGY
 
Steer Clear
NY Islanders 1.85 – Away NJD TBL
Buffalo 2.05 – Home EDM TOR
NY Rangers 2.05 – Away CBJ – Home NJD
Dallas 2.10 – NSH PHI
Chicago 2.26 – Home PIT ARI
Wednesday, November 10th to Tuesday, November 16th, 2021
Best Bets
Pittsburgh 4.35 – Away OTT WSH – Home FLA BUF
Toronto 4.18 – Away PHI BUF – Home CGY NSH
Ottawa 4.10 – Away NJD – Home LAK PIT CGY
St.Louis 4.06 – Away CAR – Home NSH EDM ARI
Minnesota 4.06 – Away ARI VGK SEA – Home SJS
 
Steer Clear
Chicago 1.26- Home ARI
Tampa Bay 1.84 – Home FLA NYI
Los Angeles 1.95 – Away OTT WPG
Seattle 2.05 – Home ANA MIN
Colorado 2.31 – Home VAN SJS
Thursday, November 11th to Wednesday, November 17th, 2021
Best Bets
Washington 4.89 – Away DET CBJ ANA LAK – Home PIT
Pittsburgh 4.35 – Away OTT WSH – Home FLA BUF
Ottawa 4.10 – Away NJD – Home LAK PIT CGY
St.Louis 4.06 – Away CAR – Home NSH EDM ARI
Detroit 4.01 – Away CBJ DAL – Home WSH MTL
 
Steer Clear
Tampa Bay 1.84 – Home FLA NYI
Chicago 2.16 – Away SEA – Home ARI
Dallas 2.26 – Home PHI DET
San Jose 2.57  – Away WPG COL MIN
Florida 2.60 – Away PIT TBL – Home NYI

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