Two pieces of news Monday made two wingers who are available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues must-adds for fantasy.
Evgenii Dadonov, W, Vegas Golden Knights: So this is how the Knights get Jack Eichel under the salary cap. Mark Stone is going the Nikita Kucherov route and going on long-term injury reserve to clear the space for Eichel’s Vegas debut Wednesday. If Stone has to be sacrificed to the long-term injured reserve for Eichel to play, it means an opening for another winger on the new top line with Eichel and Max Pacioretty. Dadonov is the perfect candidate. He has experience playing in a talented top six, with his three seasons with the Panthers following his KHL stint standing out as fantasy relevant (1.9, 1.8 and 1.6 fantasy points per game in those seasons). The moves to Ottawa last season and then to the Golden Knights’ bottom six this season have not been friendly to his stats, but the deck is clear for Dadonov to stick with Eichel and Pacioretty at both even strength and on the power play.
Dadonov is available in 52% of ESPN leagues, probably because he’s done next to nothing offensively this season. His 21 points in 46 games contribute 1.3 fantasy points per game (FPPG) and 4.74 fantasy points per 60 minutes (FPP60). But a top-line role should spike his FPPG to at least 1.8.
Tyler Toffoli, W, Calgary Flames: A fresh top-six winger to throw into the mix goes a long way to improving the Flames depth. I’d pencil him in on the second line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, but Toffoli could go anywhere on the top three lines and make the Flames a more dangerous team as a result. But it doesn’t really matter where he goes at even strength for him to be a fantasy target because he has a very strong likelihood regardless to take over the fourth-forward role on the power play that is currently occupied by Sean Monahan. Yes, Monahan has 12 power-play points this season, but that’s out of his total of 19 points. He has not been an effective driver of scoring since sliding down the depth chart last season. And really, a sack of onions on skates sharing the ice with Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau on the advantage would have 12 power-play points at this point too.
Enter Toffoli, who really came into his own last season at the age of 28. He posted 2.1 FPPG for a Habs team that wasn’t a dumpster fire at the time. Even on a Habs team that is a dumpster fire, he’s been a lone — bright spot is too kind — let’s say near-tenebrous spot with 1.7 FPPG, easily the best on the team prior to his trade. I think a jump to 1.9 FPPG is a reasonable ask, even if Toffoli ends up buried at even strength. He’s available in 75% of ESPN leagues.
Forwards on the move
Alex Tuch, W, Buffalo Sabres (up 17 spots to No. 72): I’ve tried to be bold with Tuch’s rankings and thought I was doing a decent job of it, but he just keeps pushing his stats up. In 15 games since his Sabres debut, Tuch has 17 points, 2.5 FPPG and 7.42 FPP60. Those rate stats are both better than those of players like Mitch Marner, David Pastrnak or Mats Zuccarello. But those rate stats are also way better than what Tuch has done before. In a smaller role last season, Tuch posted 1.6 FPPG and 5.86 FPP60. So, the question is: True breakout in his age 25 season or really good 15-game streak? I will sit on the fence on this one and suggest it’s partly both; that’s why I have him ranked at 72 instead of the No. 43 his FPPG suggests.
0:44
Alex Tuch tallies a third-period goal to make it 3-1 Sabres.
Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets (up 10 spots to No. 86): If there’s a way to define underrated in fantasy, it might be this: Among forwards who have played the bulk of the season and averaged at least 2 FPPG, only Jordan Kyrou is on fewer fantasy rosters than Jenner. I imagine his 2.1 FPPG would be even stronger if Patrik Laine hadn’t missed a large share of the season.
Ryan Hartman, W, Minnesota Wild (down 21 spots to No. 103): He’s still an asset for fantasy, just not quite as shiny as he was in November and December. The emergence of the Kevin Fiala–Matt Boldy combination has diluted the offense. Hartman’s linemates Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello don’t take a hit though, as they get time on the top power-play unit. Hartman doesn’t.
Defensemen on the move
Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils (up five spots to No. 65): A return to the lineup seems imminent for Hamilton, but he’s playing with new headgear to protect his broken jaw. I’d like to see him back in the lineup and scoring on the power play with Jack Hughes before considering a ranking in the top 50.
Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks (down 10 spots to No. 185): Barely fantasy relevant except for his untapped potential, I still think Hughes should be just a little worried about Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s work on the power play during the past week. In the three games Hughes has missed, OEL has posted 3.6 FPPG and helped the power play score three times on 10 chances (that compares with seven goals on 41 chances in all of January with Hughes at the helm). Regardless, Hughes remains ranked here only because the Canucks personnel still have the ability to collectively start producing for fantasy before the end of the season. The most likely scenario sees Hughes and Ekman-Larsson both earn no fantasy relevance for the remainder of the campaign.
Goaltenders on the move
Ville Husso, G, St. Louis Blues (up 82 spots to No. 80): All-in. Fence-sitting doesn’t help here, so I won’t couch the comments with “Jordan Binnington could find his form” or “Binnington is possibly just slumping.” Binnington out, Husso in. This could be wrong, but there’s easily enough of a sample size to call this more than a temporary problem.
New to rankings
Evgenii Dadonov (winger to Eichel), Jeremy Swayman, Mason Marchment, Ryan McDonagh, Brett Pesce, Tanner Jeannot.
Just missed
Ryan Lindgren, Scott Mayfield, Damon Severson, Brian Dumoulin, Adam Pelech, Erik Cernak.
Dropped out
Mark Stone (yes, I think you can circumvent disappointment by dropping him from your fantasy roster), Carter Hart (no more, please; maybe next year), Sean Couturier (done for season), Jordan Binnington (I’m out), Filip Hronek, Mikko Koskinen.
Top-250 rankings
1. Connor McDavid, F, EDM (F1)
2. Auston Matthews, F, TOR (F2)
3. Leon Draisaitl, F, EDM (F3)
4. Nathan MacKinnon, F, COL (F4)
5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, TB (G1)
6. Nikita Kucherov, F, TB (F5)
7. Mikko Rantanen, F, COL (F6)
8. Igor Shesterkin, G, NYR (G2)
9. Brad Marchand, F, BOS (F7)
10. Cale Makar, D, COL (D1)
11. Jack Campbell, G, TOR (G3)
12. Alex Ovechkin, F, WSH (F8)
13. Adam Fox, D, NYR (D2)
14. Roman Josi, D, NSH (D3)
15. David Pastrnak, F, BOS (F9)
16. Timo Meier, F, SJ (F10)
17. Frederik Andersen, G, CAR (G4)
18. Gabriel Landeskog, F, COL (F11)
19. Juuse Saros, G, NSH (G5)
20. Jake Guentzel, F, PIT (F12)
21. Tristan Jarry, G, PIT (G6)
22. Aleksander Barkov, F, FLA (F13)
23. Kirill Kaprizov, F, MIN (F14)
24. Sebastian Aho, F, CAR (F15)
25. Mika Zibanejad, F, NYR (F16)
26. Kyle Connor, F, WPG (F17)
27. Nazem Kadri, F, COL (F18)
28. Filip Forsberg, F, NSH (F19)
29. Charlie McAvoy, D, BOS (D4)
30. Steven Stamkos, F, TB (F20)
31. Max Pacioretty, F, VGS (F21)
32. Anze Kopitar, F, LA (F22)
33. Elias Lindholm, F, CGY (F23)
34. Victor Hedman, D, TB (D5)
35. Jacob Markstrom, G, CGY (G7)
36. Chris Kreider, F, NYR (F24)
37. Brady Tkachuk, F, OTT (F25)
38. Sidney Crosby, F, PIT (F26)
39. Jonathan Huberdeau, F, FLA (F27)
40. Alex Pietrangelo, D, VGS (D6)
41. Jack Eichel, F, BUF (F28)
42. Bryan Rust, F, PIT (F29)
43. Kris Letang, D, PIT (D7)
44. Vladimir Tarasenko, F, STL (F30)
45. Joe Pavelski, F, DAL (F31)
46. Patrice Bergeron, F, BOS (F32)
47. Seth Jones, D, CHI (D8)
48. Mitch Marner, F, TOR (F33)
49. Matthew Tkachuk, F, CGY (F34)
50. John Tavares, F, TOR (F35)
51. Drew Doughty, D, LA (D9)
52. Noah Dobson, D, NYI (D10)
53. Mats Zuccarello, F, MIN (F36)
54. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, FLA (G8)
55. Patrik Laine, F, CLS (F37)
56. Aaron Ekblad, D, FLA (D11)
57. Devon Toews, D, COL (D12)
58. Artemi Panarin, F, NYR (F38)
59. Darnell Nurse, D, EDM (D13)
60. Ilya Sorokin, G, NYI (G9)
61. Johnny Gaudreau, F, CGY (F39)
62. Evander Kane, F, EDM (F40)
63. J.T. Miller, F, VAN (F41)
64. Jack Hughes, F, NJ (F42)
65. Dougie Hamilton, D, NJ (D14)
66. Jacob Trouba, D, NYR (D15)
67. Mark Scheifele, F, WPG (F43)
68. Roope Hintz, F, DAL (F44)
69. Jason Robertson, F, DAL (F45)
70. Tyler Bertuzzi, F, DET (F46)
71. Ryan Pulock, D, NYI (D16)
72. Alex Tuch, F, BUF (F47)
73. Cam Talbot, G, MIN (G10)
74. Andrei Svechnikov, F, CAR (F48)
75. Evgeni Malkin, F, PIT (F49)
76. MacKenzie Weegar, D, FLA (D17)
77. Morgan Rielly, D, TOR (D18)
78. Brayden Point, F, TB (F50)
79. William Nylander, F, TOR (F51)
80. Ville Husso, G, STL (G11)
81. John Carlson, D, WSH (D19)
82. Zach Werenski, D, CLS (D20)
83. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F, EDM (F52)
84. Alex DeBrincat, F, CHI (F53)
85. Pierre-Luc Dubois, F, WPG (F54)
86. Boone Jenner, F, CLS (F55)
87. Connor Hellebuyck, G, WPG (G12)
88. Thomas Chabot, D, OTT (D21)
89. Jordan Kyrou, F, STL (F56)
90. Dylan Larkin, F, DET (F57)
91. Brent Burns, D, SJ (D22)
92. Thatcher Demko, G, VAN (G13)
93. Matt Duchene, F, NSH (F58)
94. Darcy Kuemper, G, COL (G14)
95. Brock Nelson, F, NYI (F59)
96. Tony DeAngelo, D, CAR (D23)
97. Joel Eriksson Ek, F, MIN (F60)
98. Alec Martinez, D, VGS (D24)
99. Moritz Seider, D, DET (D25)
100. Sam Bennett, F, FLA (F61)
101. Evan Bouchard, D, EDM (D26)
102. Tyler Toffoli, F, CGY (F62)
103. Ryan Hartman, F, MIN (F63)
104. Josh Norris, F, OTT (F64)
105. Elias Pettersson, F, VAN (F65)
106. Teuvo Teravainen, F, CAR (F66)
107. Tomas Hertl, F, SJ (F67)
108. Anthony Duclair, F, FLA (F68)
109. Colton Parayko, D, STL (D27)
110. Evgeny Kuznetsov, F, WSH (F69)
111. Robin Lehner, G, VGS (G15)
112. Pavel Buchnevich, F, STL (F70)
113. Patrick Kane, F, CHI (F71)
114. Mario Ferraro, D, SJ (D28)
115. Troy Terry, F, ANA (F72)
116. Matthew Boldy, F, MIN (F73)
117. Mathew Dumba, D, MIN (D29)
118. Miro Heiskanen, D, DAL (D30)
119. Taylor Hall, F, BOS (F74)
120. Ivan Provorov, D, PHI (D31)
121. Kevin Fiala, F, MIN (F75)
122. Marcus Foligno, F, MIN (F76)
123. Cam Atkinson, F, PHI (F77)
124. Claude Giroux, F, PHI (F78)
125. Nicklas Backstrom, F, WSH (F79)
126. Blake Wheeler, F, WPG (F80)
127. Logan Couture, F, SJ (F81)
128. John Gibson, G, ANA (G16)
129. Jaccob Slavin, D, CAR (D32)
130. Valeri Nichushkin, F, COL (F82)
131. Sam Reinhart, F, FLA (F83)
132. Shayne Gostisbehere, D, ARI (D33)
133. Tom Wilson, F, WSH (F84)
134. Ondrej Palat, F, TB (F85)
135. Esa Lindell, D, DAL (D34)
136. Vincent Trocheck, F, CAR (F86)
137. Rasmus Andersson, D, CGY (D35)
138. Artem Zub, D, OTT (D36)
139. T.J. Oshie, F, WSH (F87)
140. Mathew Barzal, F, NYI (F88)
141. Neal Pionk, D, WPG (D37)
142. Samuel Girard, D, COL (D38)
143. Zach Whitecloud, D, VGS (D39)
144. Ivan Barbashev, F, STL (F89)
145. Rasmus Dahlin, D, BUF (D40)
146. Erik Johnson, D, COL (D41)
147. Clayton Keller, F, ARI (F90)
148. Jared Spurgeon, D, MIN (D42)
149. Tage Thompson, F, BUF (F91)
150. Andrew Mangiapane, F, CGY (F92)
151. Mark Giordano, D, SEA (D43)
152. Shea Theodore, D, VGS (D44)
153. Jonathan Marchessault, F, VGS (F93)
154. Viktor Arvidsson, F, LA (F94)
155. Jonas Brodin, D, MIN (D45)
156. Andre Burakovsky, F, COL (F95)
157. Jakob Chychrun, D, ARI (D46)
158. Connor Murphy, D, CHI (D47)
159. Tim Stutzle, F, OTT (F96)
160. Zach Hyman, F, EDM (F97)
161. Nikolaj Ehlers, F, WPG (F98)
162. Andrew Copp, F, WPG (F99)
163. Pavel Francouz, G, COL (G17)
164. Brock Boeser, F, VAN (F100)
165. Elvis Merzlikins, G, CLS (G18)
166. Anton Lundell, F, FLA (F101)
167. Oliver Bjorkstrand, F, CLS (F102)
168. Alex Iafallo, F, LA (F103)
169. Brayden McNabb, D, VGS (D48)
170. Evgenii Dadonov, F, VGS (F104)
171. Jared McCann, F, SEA (F105)
172. Adam Larsson, D, SEA (D49)
173. Jeff Carter, F, PIT (F106)
174. Jesper Bratt, F, NJ (F107)
175. Rickard Rakell, F, ANA (F108)
176. Brayden Schenn, F, STL (F109)
177. Linus Ullmark, G, BOS (G19)
178. Anthony Cirelli, F, TB (F110)
179. Ryan Johansen, F, NSH (F111)
180. Ryan Getzlaf, F, ANA (F112)
181. Torey Krug, D, STL (D50)
182. Jordan Eberle, F, SEA (F113)
183. Ryan Graves, D, NJ (D51)
184. Alex Killorn, F, TB (F114)
185. Quinn Hughes, D, VAN (D52)
186. Joshua Morrissey, D, WPG (D53)
187. Lucas Raymond, F, DET (F115)
188. Connor Brown, F, OTT (F116)
189. Jonathan Quick, G, LA (G20)
190. Ilya Mikheyev, F, TOR (F117)
191. John Klingberg, D, DAL (D54)
192. Oliver Wahlstrom, F, NYI (F118)
193. Kevin Shattenkirk, D, ANA (D55)
194. Alex Goligoski, D, MIN (D56)
195. Jesse Puljujarvi, F, EDM (F119)
196. Bo Horvat, F, VAN (F120)
197. Jamie Benn, F, DAL (F121)
198. Mikhail Sergachev, D, TB (D57)
199. Ryan Strome, F, NYR (F122)
200. Ryan O’Reilly, F, STL (F123)
201. Cam Fowler, D, ANA (D58)
202. Nate Schmidt, D, WPG (D59)
203. Justin Faulk, D, STL (D60)
204. Adrian Kempe, F, LA (F124)
205. Adam Henrique, F, ANA (F125)
206. Nico Hischier, F, NJ (F126)
207. Nick Suzuki, F, MON (F127)
208. Mikael Granlund, F, NSH (F128)
209. Anders Lee, F, NYI (F129)
210. Jeff Skinner, F, BUF (F130)
211. Mike Smith, G, EDM (G21)
212. Trevor Zegras, F, ANA (F131)
213. Tyler Seguin, F, DAL (F132)
214. David Perron, F, STL (F133)
215. Blake Coleman, F, CGY (F134)
216. Tyson Barrie, D, EDM (D61)
217. Jaden Schwartz, F, SEA (F135)
218. Chandler Stephenson, F, VGS (F136)
219. Vladislav Gavrikov, D, CLS (D62)
220. Marc-Andre Fleury, G, CHI (G22)
221. Calvin de Haan, D, CHI (D63)
222. Ilya Samsonov, G, WSH (G23)
223. Rasmus Ristolainen, D, PHI (D64)
224. Evan Rodrigues, F, PIT (F137)
225. Jake Oettinger, G, DAL (G24)
226. Matt Roy, D, LA (D65)
227. Lawson Crouse, F, ARI (F138)
228. Sean Durzi, D, LA (D66)
229. Kaapo Kahkonen, G, MIN (G25)
230. Jeremy Swayman, G, BOS (G26)
231. Ondrej Kase, F, TOR (F139)
232. Ben Chiarot, D, MON (D67)
233. Jakub Vrana, F, DET (F140)
234. J.T. Compher, F, COL (F141)
235. James Reimer, G, SJ (G27)
236. Michael Bunting, F, TOR (F142)
237. Reilly Smith, F, VGS (F143)
238. Robert Thomas, F, STL (F144)
239. Carter Verhaeghe, F, FLA (F145)
240. Braden Holtby, G, DAL (G28)
241. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, VAN (D68)
242. Radko Gudas, D, FLA (D69)
243. Mason Marchment, F, FLA (F146)
244. Tyler Myers, D, VAN (D70)
245. Justin Braun, D, PHI (D71)
246. Nathan Bastian, F, NJ (F147)
247. Cole Perfetti, F, WPG (F148)
248. Ryan McDonagh, D, TB (D72)
249. Brett Pesce, D, CAR (D73)
250. Tanner Jeannot, F, NSH (F149)