“I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles.” – Paul Rudd (Knocked Up)

 

 

Due to some scheduling changes, I was unable to sneak an article into the inaugural Bubble Keeper Week. It’s a good thing we Ramblers have so much autonomy because I hereby declare that Bubble Week is now extended by one more day!

 

During this stretch, it is our hope that we’ve provided some interesting commentary and helped a few people gain some clarity on roster situations. Choosing the final few spots on your squad is so important in carrying over success from one season to the next. One wrong move can cost you greatly. 

 

This Ramble will be dedicated to a few quick hits on some players that have yet to be mentioned. I’ll look at their pedigree, their recent history and where they project to begin the season and beyond. 

 

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First some exciting news. The 13th Annual Dobber Fantasy Hockey Guide will be released August 1. I'm not sure I can keep coming up with superlatives about this product. Just buy it and be immediately pleased with your decision. Get it here.

 

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The Keeping Karlsson boys, Elan and Brian are on a quest to create the first ever audio fantasy guide. They've been pumping out quality podcasts for years now (I'm a long time listener and proud guest from time to time). This is a terrific idea and one that deserves to be made. If you're interested, click on the link below and sign up for their Kickstarter. I put my money down weeks ago. 

 

Big announcement: we're Kickstarting the world's first audio NHL fantasy guide! See what we're doing and how you can help make it happen: https://t.co/0an3pAWhWH

— Keeping Karlsson (@keepingkarlsson) June 18, 2018

 

 

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A word to the wise: Do not give up on Dylan Strome just yet. 2018-19 will be a telling season for the 21-year-old.

His 8 points (3+5) during the final 10 games last season represent a window into the potential we've been waiting on.

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) July 28, 2018

 

 

Ahh yes, the middle Strome brother. The one that was supposed to be a franchise pivot by now but has yet to crack the NHL on a regular basis. It seems like he’s been around forever but somehow, he’s just 21 years old. The former 3rd overall selection from 2015 has maintained his dominance at every rung up the ladder and has just one more hurdle to leap: The NHL.

 

He immediately stepped into professional hockeythis past season and displayed the high-end playmaking ability and IQ that has been his trademark throughout junior. Strome led all AHL rookies in points-per-game with 1.06 last season. That mark was good for eighth best in the league for those with 30 or more contests. 

 

 

His time on the big club was limited but flashed the drool-worthy potential that he’s so often been associated with. After a few cups of coffee, the former Erie Otters' star suited up for the team’s final 10 contests down the stretch. He played 13 minutes a night over that period with just a 1:08 coming on the second power-play unit. At even-strength, he primarily skated next to the now-departed, Max Domi and the pugilistic, Zac Rinaldo.

 

 

Despite the limited deployment and questionable mates, he recorded three goals, eight points and 18 shots on goal during that stretch. Seven of those points came at even-strength, and all eight were primary. He was not a passenger.

 

Projecting Strome’s place in the lineup next season only makes this keeper decision more difficult. The Coyotes went out and traded for Alex Galchenyuk and immediately stated he will be given every opportunity to play the middle of the ice. Derek Stepan is a proven top six centre who has chemistry with the team’s best forward, Clayton Keller. That leaves Strome to battle with Christian Dvorak and Brad Richardson for a shot as one of the bottom six pivots.

 

Realistically, barring injury to Stepan or Galchenyuk, Strome will end up playing on the wing. Likely somewhere in the middle six. His role on the power play should stay consistent with what we saw down the stretch last season – him working the half wall and quarterbacking things on the second unit.

 

There’s reason to maintain optimism with this young player. Many will be quick to anoint him a bust after failing to achieve success quickly after being a lottery selection. However, Mark Scheifele charted a similar course to the NHL. Just like Strome, he returned to the OHL for his draft-plus one and two seasons. and has elevated his game to superstar status. Scheifele skipped the AHL but didn’t crest the 50-point barrier until his 22/23-year-old campaign.

 

Holding onto Strome will be an effort in perseverance. He has the pedigree. He’s proven to have impressive skills and has filled the scoresheet at every level. You’ll be banking on a player that likely won’t return huge value this coming season but holds tremendous upside yet to come. I know I'd be keeping him over a veteran player who you can count on for 50-points. 

 

Swing big. That's what fantasy hockey is all about!

 

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Deployment is key.

 

We at DobberHockey cannot stress that enough when evaluating and targeting talent. I don’t care if they’re the most gifted stickhandler in the world. Own speed for days and a million-dollar smile. If they don’t receive prime power play opportunities, their numbers will suffer. The opposite can be said for those with obvious deficiencies. A bit slow-footed? A concern in their own end? It doesn’t matter one iota if they snatched the top power play gig on surrounded by elite talent.

 

Will Butcher falls into the latter category.

 

The former Hobey Baker winner isn't the most defensively responsible player. But he knows how to execute offensively. Originally drafted by the Avalanche in 2013, he spent four seasons at the University of Denver where he earned a business degree and exercised his right to reject Colorado’s offers and sign as a UFA wherever he pleased. He chose the spot that would offer him the best deployment. It was New Jersey and it has worked out swimmingly thus far.

 

 

 

The 23-year-old jumped right into the fire to begin his rookie season. He scored a goal and 15 points in his first 19 games and had the fantasy world buzzing. He was seeing north of three minutes per night on the top power-play unit and 16 minutes overall. The team sheltered him at even-strength but starting him in the offensive end 60 percent of the time.

 

As the season wore on, his numbers began to slide a tad. By the 60-game mark, he had accumulated 30 points, but he lost a full minute off of his power play time per night. After recording 14 power-play points in his first 40 games, he earned just two PPAs in a 20-game stretch. That bumped him down to the second unit.

 

After his demotion to that second unit in favour of one of Sami Vatanen or Damon Severson depending on the night, Butcher refused to slink into the night. He produced 14 points in the final 20 games. Seven of those points came from the power play.

 

His 44 points in 81 games were good for a share of 21^st most by NHL defenders with Dougie Hamilton. That’s ahead of players such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Nick Leddy, Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Werenski, and Ivan Provorov. Most of those players will be kept. Will Will Butcher? (I don't think I've ever written Will Will before)

 

Heading into 2018-19, his place in the lineup remains unclear. He was the team’s best option to run a power play featuring the reigning Hart Trophy winner in Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier. His performance down the stretch should earn him the first look on the top unit once again, but he’ll need to prove consistent. 

 

If I'm a betting man, I'd say Butcher's will continue to produce a good amount of power play points in the future and should be capable of replicating his 40-plus point output. That's worthy of a keeper spot for most leagues. 

 

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For years Bryan Little has played the role of Bubble Keeper. This is a player that has played between a 50 and 64-point pace in seven of the last nine seasons. The downward blips coming in 2009-10 as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers (0.46) and last season (0.43). His 2017-18 season was bookended by struggles. He came out of the gate with just eight points in the first 19 games and concluded his year with seven points in the final 20. However, he produced 28 points in the middle 43 games – a 53-point pace. 

 

The inclusion of Paul Statsny at the trade deadline facilitated the end of the year struggles. Little became the team's shutdown centre and swapped Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine for Mattieu Perrault and Jack Roslovic as linemates. Well, Paul Statsny has taken up residence in the Sin City and Little is back to being the Jets' second line winger. He'll once again be welcoming Laine and Ehlers to his flanks. 

 

That trio combined to help Little reach career-highs in goals-per-game (0.36), points-per-game (0.8), and conversion rate (17.6%) during the 2016-17 campaign. That line receives secondary matchups thanks to the dominance of the Wheeler-Scheifele combo on L1. There's little reason to believe they won't be able to produce in that role once again as a unit in 2018-19. 

 

This upcoming season will be the first in Little's six-year extension that will pay him 5.291 million per year. He'll be 31 by the time the puck drops and his best days are surely behind him. However, the potential for a 50-60 point pace is well within reach with his even-strength deployment and 10-15 power play points. 

 

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Sleeper Alert! I believe people are very much snoozing on what Yamamoto could do next season.

There's a reasonable chance that he ends up beside McDavid and RNH at evens right off the hop.

That's a top 10 spot to secure in the league.

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) July 27, 2018

 

Kailer Yamamoto cracking the Oiliers' lineup fresh from the draft floor last fall was impressive. He lasted his nine games before heading back to Spokane of the WHL. And the transition was difficult for him. He struggled to replicate the outlandish numbers that we'd become accustomed to. Even at the World Junior Championships where he was expected to be a standout, he flew a little too far under the radar. 

 

However, something clicked in the New Year. Upon returning with his WJC bronze medal in hand, Yamamoto went on a tear that saw him produce 17 goals and 51 points in the final 25 contests. He concluded his final junior season with 21 goals and 64 points in 40 games. That 1.6 points-per-game sat seventh most in the league and his 1.2 primary points-per-game sat 10th. 

 

Heading into 2018-19, two things need to happen for the Oilers to jump back into the playoff picture.

 

1) They desperately need to fix their power play woes and overall offensive potency.

2) They need solid goaltending. 

 

Yamamoto won't be able to solve the issues in the crease (although a bounceback by Cam Talbot is quite plausible), he will, however, be able to contribute on the offensive side of things. Edmonton's power play was a DEAD LAST in the entire NHL last season. How a team can roll out Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and company and end up 31st on the PP is beyond me. That plummetted their overall goals-per-game output to 20th in the league. 

 

Down the stretch, McDavid found chemistry with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and oft-castoff, Ty Rattie. Rattie will get some rope to hold that spot on the RW next season but Yamamoto's speed and elite offensive instincts will be breathing down his neck. If he can pry that spot away, he'll be in the running for the best fantasy value of the year. 

 

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Thanks for reading and feel free to follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson