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Connor Bedard has come as advertised and then some.
The rookie phenom is on pace for 75 points, a mark that has likely exceeded the expectations of many. Personally, I had Bedard pegged for around 70 points in a best-case scenario, mainly because the Chicago Blackhawks roster around him is extremely bare.
Bedard has managed to do more with even less though, as what little talent he did have around him didn’t have an impact. Taylor Hall and Andreas Athanasiou have been lost to injuries, and Corey Perry had his contract terminated, yet Bedard is still producing at a high level.
Not only that, but Bedard is already doing things at 18 years old that only a handful of his peers are capable of. His gorgeous overtime winner against the Winnipeg Jets and Connor Hellebuyck this week was pure class. Bedard looked like he was for sure going to shoot blocker side based on his body movements but snapped a rocket to the glove side instead. It already looks like Bedard has one of the best wrist shots in the game.
Kudos to you if you did everything in your power to draft Bedard this season, especially in a keeper league. He seems poised to be a generational talent who is going to be a top fantasy player for at least the next 15 years.
And Bedard is going to be even scarier when he gets a real supporting cast around him.
1. What could have been for Akira Schmid. The New Jersey Devils goaltender was sent down to the AHL after a disappointing campaign and a big opportunity squandered. Schmid looked great last season and seemed poised for a bigger share of the net this year and possibly even with a chance to overtake Vitek Vanecek. Instead, the Devils have been one of the league’s more disappointing teams and Schmid really hasn’t been fantasy relevant. Nico Daws will now get a shot to try and steal some starts.
2. There are a number of reasons why the Pittsburgh Penguins are having a down year, but Rickard Rakell is near the top of the list. After 28 goals last season, Rakell only has two as we close in on the new year. I know he’s missed a few games due to injury, but Rakell’s numbers should be far better than this. His 3.4 per cent shooting percentage will improve, though Rakell has been known to have some seasons with low shooting percentages. Rakell has been better lately, but I don’t think he’s worth hanging onto until he starts really showing some consistency.
3. If you have Kris Letang on your roster and you didn’t win the assists category this week, it may not be your year. Letang recorded six assists on Wednesday, including an incredible five in one period, making him the first defenceman in NHL history to record five points in a single period. Statlines like this don’t happen very often, but in a short week, they carry even more weight than normal.
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4. The return of Jamie Drysdale may be starting to impact Pavel Mintyukov’s production. In the final game before the holiday break, Mintyukov didn’t get any power play time, while Drysdale got 3:33. In that same game Mintyukov also played more than two minutes less overall than his season average, while Drysdale played over 25 minutes. Mintyukov’s ice time has also stayed at around 16 minutes in the two games since. I don’t think you need to drop Mintyukov yet, but it’s something to monitor.
5. Don’t look now, but Valeri Nichushkin is on pace for a career-high 82 points and has played in all but two games this season. We know Nichushkin has the talent to be a fantasy stud, yet injuries have cost him a lot of games over the past two seasons. If Nichushkin can keep up this pace and remain healthy, he’s going to be a difference-maker for a ton of fantasy squads.
6. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t think Nathan MacKinnon gets enough praise. Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes and Auston Matthews receive a ton of accolades, and rightfully so, though MacKinnon always seems a little overlooked. He just wrapped up a 19-game point streak, the longest by anyone this season, and now sits second overall in league scoring. Maybe it’s just the way MacKinnon goes about his business. He’s super skilled but perhaps not as flashy.
7. Things didn’t go well for Tomas Tatar in Colorado, but a change of scenery is serving him well. Tatar has a pair of multi-point games since joining the Seattle Kraken and has quickly gained a promotion to the top line. He could be worth a short-term look if your team needs some scoring.
8. Nick Schmaltz is in a funk. The normally consistent Arizona Coyotes forward has been held without a point in nine of his past 11 games. We saw Barrett Hayton go through similar struggles earlier this year, as that top line of Schmaltz, Hayton and Clayton Keller haven’t been as potent as they were last year. It’s tough to drop Schmaltz given his dual eligibility and his ability to put up points, but I’m sure patience is wearing thin for many.
9. Lawson Crouse, on the other hand, is trending towards a career year. He’s on pace for 39 goals and is a must-roster in any league that counts hits.
10. It’s still very early, but any Hart conversations occurring at the moment need to include Artemi Panarin’s name. He has 16 multi-point games this season and is on pace for 117 points. With an average draft position of 35, you could make an argument that Panarin has been the biggest draft steal in fantasy this season.
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11. Pytor Kochetkov seems to be finally settling into the No. 1 role for the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s been sensational in seven of his past eight starts and it looks like the Canes are starting to trust him now. I know Antti Raanta was recently recalled, but it feels like it’s Kochetkov’s net now in Carolina.
12. At the other end of the ice, the Canes are starting to fill the net. Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho have been on a tear, but Brent Burns also has five points in his past three games. Burns really needed this run, as he was ice cold in December and I know many were pondering dropping him. Getting his spot back on power play one has been a huge help for Burns.
13. It’s been tough to know who to roster on the Ottawa Senators‘ blue line this season between Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun. The answer could be all of them when healthy. Sanderson is still on the top power play and great for blocks, so he’s a hold, while Chychrun has been really filling the scoresheet lately. He’s up to 12 points in his past 11 and is suddenly making a major fantasy impact.
14. It would be ironic if Drake Batherson’s breakout season finally comes in a very disappointing campaign for the Sens. Many felt Batherson had 30-goal potential, but between injuries and a bit of inconsistency, he just couldn’t hit the mark. Now, thanks to four goals in his past four games, Batherson is on pace for 37 in 2023-24.
15. Tough luck for Zach Werenski. He’s gone down with a significant injury in the midst of a nice bounce-back season from last year’s lost year. Werenski is a huge asset but, much like several other Columbus Blue Jackets, has really struggled to stay healthy over the past four seasons.
16. Yegor Chinakhov is now up to 12 points in his past 10 games and seven of those are goals. The Blue Jackets have a lot of young talent and are going to be full of incredible fantasy pieces when they put it all together.
17. I mentioned Samuel Ersson as a great option for spot starts a few weeks back and he continues to impress. The Philadelphia Flyers netminder has been incredibly consistent this year, as outside of his first two appearances, he hasn’t allowed more than three goals in any game since. I think Ersson is now worth rostering full-time in deep leagues.
18. With Ilya Samsonov essentially unplayable at this point, it’s not the worst idea to take a chance on Martin Jones. The move wouldn’t come without risk, but Jones is probably going to play a fair bit until Joseph Woll gets healthy and he at least seems capable of picking up wins behind a good Toronto Maple Leafs squad. Jones is still available in more than 50 per cent of leagues.
19. The Washington Capitals have a great schedule next week and Aliaksei Protas is worth keeping an eye on. He has points in five of his past six and has worked his way into the Caps’ top six. Protas also played over 20 minutes the other night. With Washington playing four times, including games on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, Protas could be worth a shot as a weekly streamer.
I might give the aforementioned Drysdale a chance, too. The Ducks also play Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and Drysdale is getting big minutes and top power play time.
20. Connor Ingram picked up his fourth shutout this week, putting him in a tie for the league lead. Ingram had a couple of rocky outings recently but they were still sandwiched between a pair of shutouts. If there are any obvious signs of regression coming, I don’t see them.
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