Looking Ahead 2015: Week 24

Mike Schmidt

2015-03-20

JamieBenn1

 

Looking at the best schedules in fantasy hockey for Week 24.

 

It can be difficult for fantasy owners to resist picking up players with proven track records of success in the NHL, even if those guys have been disappointments in the short term. All it may take is a little bit of luck, a return to good health or a more advantageous role on the team to transform their fantasy fortunes for the better, right? Yes, but not always. For one reason or another, some prominent players should be avoided (no matter what) down the stretch this year. Here are four that come to mind:

 

Joffrey Lupul, LW/RW, Toronto – What a mess of a season it's been for the veteran winger. Lupul's production has been trending in the wrong direction for a while now (more or less since his banner 2011-12 campaign, one in which he scored a career-high 67 points).While it can be tempting to grab a proven player off the waiver wire after he's been dropped by an impatient owner frustrated over lack of production, but it's a bit of a stretch to think Lupul can suddenly turn things around and produce like a top-six winger in the season's final weeks. After all, we're talking about a 31-year-old on the downside of his career who hasn't scored a goal since the last week of December. His ice time is down compared to a year ago, as are his shots per game. To make matters worse, Lupul was recently benched for a lack of effort. There is no upside to taking a flier on him. Just don't do it.

 

Nazem Kadri, C, Toronto – Speaking of underwhelming Toronto Maple Leafs…At age 24, Kadri should be in the prime of his career as an NHL player. Instead, he's (significantly) worse than he was two years ago.

 

Year

Goals per game

Assists per game

Points Per game

Goals created per game

Shooting Percentage

2012-13

0.38

0.54

0.92

0.35

.168

2013-14

0.26

0.3

0.64

0.25

.135

2014-15

0.24

0.22

0.55

0.22

.100

 

Furthermore, March has been a tough month for Kadri. He was suspended for three games for being late to practice, only to return for two games before earning another suspension for a hit to Edmonton winger's Matt Fraser's head.  Simply stated, Kadri needs this this season to come to an end. The talent is there, but this forward has not been a useful fantasy asset for quite some time. Better days may be ahead for Kadri, but right now he is nothing more than a 45-point player on a bad team.

 

Brian Campbell, D, Florida – How is this guy owned in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues? He has 23 points on the year. Here are some defensemen who have scored more points than Campbell this year: Detroit's Danny DeKeyser, Toronto's Morgan Rielly and Philadelphia's Michael "The Human Healthy Scratch" Del Zotto. This isn't the 2008-09 season, Campbell isn't playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, and he's not the top fantasy defenseman to own on his team. That honor goes to Aaron Ekblad. Campbell's no longer someone to trust (or own) in the vast majority of formats.  

 

Ondrej Pavelec, G, Winnipeg – Opponents have taken almost 10,000 shots against the this Thrasher-turned-Jet goaltender in his career… and he has a career save percentage of .906. It doesn't matter that Pavelec has the upper hand over Michael Hutchinson in a battle for playing time between the pipes for Winnipeg. He is, was and always will be a drag on fantasy categories. Yes, Pavelec has been playing well as of late. Astute fantasy owners know that it won't last, though.

 

Now let's take a look ahead at some teams to lean on or avoid in the coming week or so:

 

Love 'Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming week)

 

Arizona 4.19 – four games – PIT, VAN, DET and BUF

Los Angeles 4.10 – four games – VAN, NJD, NYR and NYI

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 1.89 – two games – EDM and PHI

Washington 2.20 – two games – WPG and NJD

Anaheim 2.66 – three games – all on road

St. Louis 2.76 – three games – all on road

Carolina 2.84 – three games – NYR, CHI and PIT

Sunday, March 22 to Saturday, March 28

Best Bets

Dallas 4.40 – four games – BUF, CGY, EDM and VAN

Colorado 4.40 – four games – CGY, EDM, VAN and BUF

Vancouver 4.25 – four games – ARI, WPG, COL and DAL

Tampa Bay 4.21 – four games – BOS, FLA, NSH and DET

Arizona 4.10 – four games – VAN, DET, BUF and PIT

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 1.89 – two games – CHI and SJS

Washington 2.26 – two games – NJD and NSH

Columbus 2.56 – three games – ANA, CHI and STL

St. Louis 2.80 – three games – DET, PIT and CBJ

New Jersey 2.84 – three games – LAK, WAS and CAR

Monday, March 23 to Sunday, March 29

Best Bets

Dallas 4.40 – four games – BUF, CGY, EDM and VAN

Colorado 4.40 – four games – CGY, EDM, VAN and BUF

Nashville 4.21 – four games – MTL, TBL, WAS and CGY

Ottawa 4.20 – four games – SJS, NYR, TOR and FLA

Detroit 4.20 – four games – ARI, SJS, TBL and NYI

Steer Clear

Columbus 2.56 – three games – ANA, CHI and STL

St. Louis 1.85 – two games – PIT and CBJ

Boston 2.94 – three games – ANA, NYR and CAR

Philadelphia 1.89 – two games – CHI and SJS

Arizona 2.95 – three games – all on road

Tuesday, March 24 to Monday, March 30

Best Bets

Colorado 4.41 – four games – EDMx2, VAN and BUF

Montreal 4.30 – four games – NSH, WPG, FLA and TBL

Tampa Bay 4.26 – four games – FLA, NSH, DET and MTL

Dallas 4.34 – four games – CGYx2, EDM and VAN

Nashville 4.21 – four games – MTL, TBL, WAS and CGY

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 1.89 – two games -CHI and SJS

Toronto 2.31 – two games – FLA and OTT

Columbus 2.56 – three games – ANA, CHI and STL

San Jose 2.76 – three games – all on road

New Jersey 2.89 – three games – WAS, CAR and ANA

Wednesday, March 25 to Tuesday, March 31

Best Bets

Colorado 4.41 – four games – EDMx2, VAN and BUF

Dallas 4.34 – four games – CGYx2, EDM and VAN

Washington 4.26 – four games – NJD, NSH, NYR and CAR

Nashville 4.26 – four games – TBL, WAS, CGY and VAN

Ottawa 4.15 – four games – NYR, TOR, FLA and DET

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 1.89 – two games – CHI and SJS

Minnesota 2.10 – two games – CGY and LAK

St. Louis 2.10 – two games – CBJ and VAN

Los Angeles 2.76 – three games – all on road

San Jose 2.76 – three games – all on road

Thursday, March 26 to Wednesday, April 1

Best Bets

Toronto 4.50 – four games – FLA, OTT, TBL and BUF

Colorado 4.31 – four games – VAN, BUF, EDM and SJS

Washington 4.26 – four games – NJD, NSH, NYR and CAR

Nashville 4.26 – four games – TBL, WAS, CGY and VAN

Buffalo 4.21 – four games – ARIx2, COL and TOR

Steer Clear

Philadelphia 1.85 – two games – SJS and PIT

Minnesota 2.10 – two games – CGY and LAK

St. Louis 2.15 – two games – CBJ and VAN

Los Angeles 2.76 – three games – all on road

Columbus 2.77 – three games – CHI, STL and NJD

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UPCOMING GAMES

Mar 28 - 19:03 OTT vs CHI
Mar 28 - 19:03 TOR vs WSH
Mar 28 - 19:03 MTL vs PHI
Mar 28 - 19:03 PIT vs CBJ
Mar 28 - 19:03 FLA vs NYI
Mar 28 - 19:03 CAR vs DET
Mar 28 - 20:03 MIN vs S.J
Mar 28 - 20:03 STL vs CGY
Mar 28 - 20:03 WPG vs VGK
Mar 28 - 21:03 EDM vs L.A
Mar 28 - 21:03 COL vs NYR
Mar 28 - 22:03 SEA vs ANA
Mar 28 - 22:03 VAN vs DAL
Mar 28 - 22:03 ARI vs NSH

Starting Goalies

Top Skater Views

  Players Team
TAGE THOMPSON BUF
JJ PETERKA BUF
JORDAN GREENWAY BUF
ANTHONY DUCLAIR T.B
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY MTL

Top Goalie Profile Views

  Players Team
ALEKSEI KOLOSOV PHI
JOONAS KORPISALO OTT
KAREL VEJMELKA ARI
UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN BUF
JUSTUS ANNUNEN COL

LINE COMBOS

  Frequency NYI Players
21.1 KYLE PALMIERI BROCK NELSON BO HORVAT
13.6 JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU PIERRE ENGVALL CASEY CIZIKAS
12.6 ANDERS LEE HUDSON FASCHING MATHEW BARZAL

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