Frozen Fantasy: My Must-Watch List

I know it's not just me – this NHL season has been more exciting than any in recent history. The talent in the NHL has never been better.

Let's not debate it – we just both need to accept it and move on.  

Tage Thompson's dominance last Wednesday got me thinking. Who's on my must-watch list? Who am I tuning into every time they're on the ice? 

Connor McDavid's speed and skill are incomparable. Cale Makar isn't just incredible with the puck – his edgework makes his own-zone work mind-blowing too. And when healthy, Nathan MacKinnon looks like he's breaking the ice with every stride.

Mitch Marner also tops my list right now and not just because of "the streak". He's silky and shifty with the puck, and his backchecking and D-zone play make every second worth the watch. He might even be the best player on that roster. Seriously. 

Nikita Kucherov. Oh… Nikita Kucherov. And I love Auston Matthews' release – his goal Saturday night was on and off his tape in 0.4 seconds. That's freaky. Plus his ability to strip pucks and turn is already Datsyukian. Of course, Jordan Binnington is worth watching… for all the wrong reasons. 

Not sure what's going on under that mask. Yikes.

TBH, I missed Thompson's outburst Wednesday, but that won't happen again. A little Mario Lemiuex-esque and those Sabres are shockingly watchable. I caught William Nylander's electric Saturday night. When will people finally admit that he's among the best wingers in the league?

I wish Elias Pettersson played in my time zone more often. Ditto Trevor Zegras. I'm glad that Jack Hughes does. And Kirill Kaprizov? I don't care what time zone he's in. 

Who's on your must-watch list? Let me know after we take a look at who caught my eye this week. 

Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary (9 percent Yahoo!) – Backlund is a sturdy (yes, boring) pivot who almost always delivers a stretch or two of fantasy value every season. Coming out of Saturday night in Toronto, he's on a modest three-game assist streak and has a half-dozen apples in his last five games. Nothing special, per se, but enough to help in deep formats, especially with 12 shots and 29 faceoff wins in that span. 

Pheonix Copley, G, Los Angeles (7 percent Yahoo!) – Copley is a stop-gap for the Kings, but he's won his first two games in black and silver, and allowed just two goals in each of those games. He doesn't have a track record of NHL success, but it's nice to see him winning and smiling. Cal Petersen will be back soon enough, but this journeyman will get some starts in the meantime. The Kings play the Blue Jackets, Sharks and Ducks over their next five games, so the path is there for one of Copley or Jonathan Quick to get some victories. 

Trent Frederic, LW/C, Boston (1 percent Yahoo!) – Frederic is the third wheel on the Bruins' third line with Charlie Coyle (5 percent Yahoo!) and Taylor Hall (60 percent Yahoo!). He has five points, including three goals, in his last five games, and is benefitting from his skilled linemates. Or should I say, playing with a former Hart winner. The Bruins' third line is an underrated trio. Consider Frederic if you can't score Hall.

Taylor Hall, LW, Boston (60 percent Yahoo!) – Hall is an expensive third-line guy. But he's found real chemistry with Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic (above), and heads into Sunday with points in four of his last five games (five goals, two assists) and 19 shots during that span. Hall's 11 goals are second on the team and his 20 points put him in a tie with Hampus Lindholm for fifth in team scoring. He's available in two-in-every-five leagues, and offers the kind of depth you need to win. 

Kevin Labanc, LW/RW, San Jose (2 percent Yahoo!) – I've talked about Labanc before, so there's no need to belabor the point. He's a first-line winger on a four-game, four-point streak (two goals, two assists) heading into this week and has eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last nine games. Labanc is on PP2, too. He's a smart pickup if can ignore that hideous teal uniform.    

Charlie Lindgren, G, Washington (27 percent Yahoo!) – Heading into Sunday night, Lindgren has won three straight and the Caps are suddenly back in playoff contention. Go figure. Just four pucks have gotten past him over that stretch. Lindgren is in the paint Sunday against the Jets and likely again Tuesday against the Hawks. Beware the late-week matchups with the Stars and Leafs – those will be incredible tests for even the best goaltenders. But Lindgren has shown he's worthy of more starts than he's been getting, even when Darcy Kuemper returns from injury. 

Nils Lundkvist, D, Dallas (1 percent Yahoo!) – A recent three-game benching seems to have ignited this young defender's game. Sure, his current streak is modest – three points in two games. But it includes two goals. And he has five shots and five blocked shots in his last three games. Lundqvist is skating on the top pairing with Miro Heiskanen (95 percent Yahoo!) and anchoring the second power-play unit. There are a lot of defenders in the eight-to-10 point range this season, but not many with the opportunity that Lundqvist has right now. That alone is worth the risk. 

Jack Quinn, LW/RW, Buffalo (20 percent Yahoo!) – Last year's AHL top rookie is on a tear. His six-game, seven-point streak was snapped Saturday, but he still has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in his last 15 games. Quinn has clicked with Dylan Cozens (56 percent Yahoo!) and John-Jason Peterka (2 percent Yahoo!) on the Sabres' second line, and is already fourth on the NHL rookie scoring list (Peterka is sixth). I like what I see. This team could quickly have two No. 1 lines, and Quinn is a big part of that. 

Back to must watch guys. 

I can't sign off without calling out Alex Ovechkin. His empty netter Friday night was goal 796. He's so close to 800. 800 goals! 

I can't wait. The one after that will tie Gordie Howe for second all-time. And number 802 leaves him alone in second place. All-time. 

He hasn't lost a thing. But the record? This is a moment in sports history we'll be talking about until we're old and yelling at clouds. 

Tune in. Live stream. Don't miss it. 

Until next week.