Frozen Fantasy: Seismic Shift

Saturday rivaled July 1 here in Toronto. Radio, TV and Twitter were all littered with discussion of you-know-who. It even had a name.

Nylander Day.

Yes, it's a Leaf-mad city. There were hours of conversation in the days leading up – and all day long Saturday. And there's been hours of analysis since.

Some say great deal. Others say the Leafs made a grave error.

I'm just glad it's over. Nylander's cap hit will be $6.95 million, but he'll take home $17 million by July 1.

Yes, you read that right.

The contract games the system. Other GMs will be miffed. There are annual signing bonuses built in to protect against a lockout. And most of the deal is paid out in the first two seasons.

Fantasy owners who play salary cap games might as well jettison the guy now. $17 mil? Yikes.

Those happy with the deal say Leafs' GM Kyle Dubas kept his cool, was uber-professional and got what he wanted – flexibility to ink Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews at appropriate scale.

Those peeved say Nylander is grossly overpaid. He gets more than Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak, Mark Scheifele and Johnny Gaudreau.

Nylander was the 66th leading scorer in the NHL last season, so he sure has a lot to live up to. I'm just happy to get him back in my lineup in two separate leagues.

I hope he picks up just like Auston Matthews did when he returned from injury. And I thank my lucky stars neither is a salary cap league.

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Jesper Bratt, LW/RW, New Jersey (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – This guy has done nothing but score since his debut last month. Bratt has nine points in 12 games and that includes three goals in his last four games. He wasn't supposed to score 35 points last season as a teenager. And Bratt probably wasn't supposed to be a top-line player. But here he is skating with Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall. He's now mine, so I hope his heavy shot keeps finding twine.

Cody Eakin, C, Vegas (11 percent Yahoo! owned) – Eakin is not a sexy player. But this redheaded rink rat has been as hot as anyone in November. And he certainly should be rostered in more than one-in-10 leagues. Eakin has 13 points, including seven goals, in his last 14 games. And those have all come the hard way – at even strength. Eakin is going on my roster. Yours?

Adin Hill, G, Arizona (11 percent Yahoo! owned) – Hill's time in the Dawgs' net may be short given Antti Raanta's impending return. But he has been a revelation since his call-up. Hill threw down a shutout over the Preds on Thursday night; it was just his seventh NHL appearance. He then followed it up with a 25-save, 6-1 win over the Blues on Saturday. Hill could be back on the bench Tuesday. Or the team could ride the hot hand and see where it takes them. I'm willing to take a chance, just for a shot at a few wins.

Matt Irwin, D, Nashville (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Need PIM? Irwin is your guy. He's made a big impact now that he has picked the splinters out of his pants. In four games this week, Irwin has two points, nine shots and 23 PIM. There's always a chance he'll end up a healthy scratch again. But his edgy play can act like a categorical slingshot for you.

Alex Killorn, LW, Tampa Bay (11 percent Yahoo! owned) – Killorn is one of the smartest guys on the ice whenever he's out there. He reads the play several steps ahead and is always on the right side of the puck. Killorn started slowly, but has 10 points in his last 12 games. And he's suddenly started firing pucks at an alarming pace – he has 16 shots in his last four games. Three have found twine. Killorn is worth grabbing, at least short term.

Gustav Nyquist, RW, Detroit (15 percent Yahoo! owned) – Nyquist was everywhere against the Bruins on Saturday night. And a goal and two assists later, he found himself within a point of Dylan Larkin and the team lead in scoring. Nyquist is quietly on a pace this season that could deliver a career-high 66 points. The Wings aren't great, but Nyquist sure is.

David Perron, LW/RW, St. Louis (17 percent Yahoo! owned) – Perron's focus sharpened this week after an eight-game scoring drought, but will it continue? His three-goal, one-assist outburst in three games heading into Saturday looked like the Perron of old. Or should I say, 29-year-old career-year Perron. Let's be real – guys who set career marks at age 29 should largely be avoided. That is, unless they're 80-point guys who surge to 90. Still, he's on the second line and that makes him worth watching. I'll bite if the Blues can figure things out.

Nick Schmaltz, LW/C, Arizona (11 percent Yahoo! owned) – Schmaltz was punted to the desert last weekend and I'm sure he shed some tears. But it might be the best thing that has ever happened to the young winger. Schmaltz debuted alongside Clayton Keller and Alex Galchenyuk, and that trio is soon going to become one of the leagues' best. Schmaltz had a two-point game Thursday against the Preds and another Saturday against the Blues. And his ice time is already two-and-a-half to three minutes longer than it was with the Hawks. Find room for him now or someone else will.

Eeli Tolvanen, RW, Nashville (10 percent Yahoo! owned) – Tolvanen is a stud – he is one of the best prospects in hockey. And his season debut Saturday was sublime – he notched his first NHL goal and added an assist. Tolvanen isn't Elias Pettersson, but he is slotted on the Preds' second line. And his ownership is riding a rocket. Get on board. Worst case, you can trade him to someone who grossly overrates shiny toys. Best case, the sniper actually delivers top-six production.

Back to Willie.

I like the deal. If he doesn't live up to the deal, the Leafs can trade him to a bottom feeder that needs a big cap hit without a high dollar amount.

The biggest part of the whole deal? The NHL landscape has been forever altered by a seismic shock.

This was a rich team's deal.

There are only a few teams with pockets deep enough to pull this off. But now, there will be a lot of millennial players seeking the same kind of windfall.

Gulp.

What does a just-turned 23-year-old do with a $17 million windfall? That's the insane part of all of this.

I guess it's like winning the lottery. Like you and I would ever know what that's like.

Until next week.