Frozen Fantasy: Sibling Rivalry

Last week, a good friend asked me about my favorite brother combo in the NHL, past or present. It was a polite debate. He went historical; I went full recency bias. 

Hockey talk is the best.

He chose Phil and Tony Esposito. I was all Hughes, all the time. Jack Hughes, a potential MVP, Quinn Hughes, perhaps the best blueline passer in the NHL, and Luke Hughes, the kid his brothers think is the best Hughes of all. 

There have been so many brother and father-son combos over time. And even a few uncle-nephews, too. The Sutters and Staals. The Hulls, Howes and Richards. And who can forget about the Sedins. 

Or the Tkachuks. TBH, I think my buddy's question came after he saw Matthew and Brady surprise their dad, Keith, with the Blues Hall of Fame news on Thursday. Because I know he hadn't even seen the new Sibling Rivalry commercial on Canadian game streams. 

Still, his question took me down a rabbit hole of research. That's not ideal when you're watching hockey and writing a Frozen Fantasy column – time just evaporates when you're having fun.

I was surprised by how many potential brother combos may appear in the NHL this season. Can you guess? Over or under 11? You'll find the answer after this week's picks. 

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week. And yes, one is part of a brother combo. I had to…

Alex Barre-Boulet, C, Tampa Bay (0 percent Yahoo!) – Barre-Boulet was electric alongside Nikita Kucherov (100 percent Yahoo!) and Brayden Point (99 percent Yahoo!) on Saturday night. He scored a beautiful goal in the first and had the vision, skill and drive to actually play with the two stars. Barre-Boulet is a former undrafted CHL Hockey Player of the Year who's a pure scorer, but his 5-foot-10 frame and skating have held him back. But in the right situation – like Saturday night – he can excel. This could be a short audition. Or not. The Bolts have found a way with players like him, including Martin St. Louis, Tyler Johnson (1 percent Yahoo!) and Yanni Gourde (9 percent Yahoo!). I'm not saying Barre-Boulet is one of those players. But even the weakest of those three held fantasy value at various points over their careers. 

Andrew Copp, C, Detroit (26 percent Yahoo!) – Copp is off to a nice start with three goals and an assist in his first four games. That's a huge improvement from last season when it took 24 games for him to get his third snipe. Copp is finally healthy and is carrying the confidence that comes with an A on his chest. He's played on the wing with J.T. Compher (37 percent Yahoo!) and Michael Rasmussen (4 percent Yahoo!), and could stay there given Robby Fabbri's (0 percent Yahoo!) injury. Add in a PP2 role, skill at the dot and a willingness to block pucks, and Copp is a value add at a low cost. And especially if he gets his wing designation from Yahoo! Fantasy managers are catching on, though – he jumped from 15 to 26 percent rostered overnight Saturday. 

Anton Forsberg, G, Ottawa (18 percent Yahoo!) – Forsberg has already carved out a 50/50 platoon with newcomer Joonas Korpisalo (84 percent Yahoo!). And they're alternating starts, much to my chagrin. But that's the risk with NHL netminding on draft day – we live in a timeshare world. I'm sure they'll even out over time. Korpisalo may still be the 60/40 man, but Forsberg is the stronger of the two right now, so jump on board.

Mathieu Joseph, RW, Ottawa (6 percent Yahoo!) – Joseph had a tough season last year. But the player we're seeing now is a little like the one the Sens saw when he arrived at the 2022 deadline. No, he's not a point-per-game winger like he was then, but he's certainly a handful on the ice. And he's delivering. Joseph is using his speed, skill and edge in the Sens top-six with five points (two goals, three assists) in five games so far. There's no power-play production in his game, but there's a role for him in deep formats based on his five-on-five performance. 

Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Colorado (39 percent Yahoo!) – Lehkonen was passed over in some drafts perhaps because of the shiny Jonathan Drouin (15 percent Yahoo!) training camp story. But Lehkonen's 51 points in 64 games last season are far better than Drouin has ever managed. And he's impressed his coach so much he's currently on PP1. For one of the best teams in the NHL. Yep, Lehkonen needs to be rostered in more than about one-in-three leagues. 

Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim (5 percent Yahoo!) – Last season's top-scoring OHL defender has made a big impression on the Quacks this season. His ice time Saturday spiked to 23:58 – that led all Ducks in time-on-ice. At only 19 and with a reputation as an average (at best) defender (but with elite skills). Yes, Mintyukov is a dangerous pick-up. How many teenage defenders stay on NHL or fantasy rosters all season? But he may be lightning in a bottle in his next five games if you're streaming D in pursuit of the hottest hand. 

Trevor Moore, LW, Los Angeles (8 percent Yahoo!) – Moore saw a three-game, four-goal (five-point) streak end Saturday night – the Bruins do that to a lot of players. He's played well before – his five-on-five production in 2021-22 forced him onto many fantasy rosters. And he's doing the same now. Moore's goal production will slow – he's never put in more than 17. But he's capable of a 45-50 point season, with a few PPP for good measure. Moore may be on the third line, but opportunities will come because opponents are forced to key on the Avs' top-two lines. And that third line will overpower many others in the league. 

Alex Newhook, C, Montreal (6 percent Yahoo!) – Newhook slid into the middle on the second line when Kirby Dach's (5 percent Yahoo!) season ended. The opportunity is immense. So is his upside. Newhook seemed like a future star as he rose through the BCHL and NCAA. But a few seasons later, his prospect star dimmed and he's playing in another city. Newhook has three goals in four games while boasting the speed, skill and strength to take that next step up. And playing for Martin St. Louis seems to be a recipe for growth for small offensive forwards. 

Adam Ruzicka, C, Calgary (10 percent Yahoo!) – Ruzicka has shifted to the wing beside Nazem Kadri (64 percent Yahoo!) and he's delivered four points (two goals, two assists) in his first five games. No, he was never a high-profile prospect. But Ruzicka delivered at almost a 40-point pace last season in limited time. The big winger has impressed new coach Ryan Huska way more than he did Darryl Sutter, and he seems to share real chemistry with Kadri. If this combo sticks, Ruzicka could be a 50-point winger, especially if he stays on PP1. 

Tomas Tatar, LW/RW, Colorado (15 percent Yahoo!) – Tatar moved to the top line beside Nathan MacKinnon (100 percent Yahoo!) and Mikko Rantanen (100 percent Yahoo!) in the third period Friday and the trio were immediately in sync. I think it's really a cautionary tale – Jonathan Drouin (15 percent Yahoo!) was supposed to rekindle his Halifax Moosehead chemistry with Mack, but that hasn't happened. Just like Connor Brown (15 percent Yahoo!) was with Connor McDavid (100 percent Yahoo!) in Edmonton. Tatar is going on 33 in about six weeks, but he's smart and has three 56-plus point seasons on his resume. It feels like Tatar and Artturi Lehkonen (above) may alternate roles on the left side of the top-six – we saw that line juggling Saturday night. Both Lehkonen and Tatar will succeed in that environment. 

Back to brothers.

My historical choice is the Stastnys – Marian, Peter and Anton. The latter two were the first players to defect to the NHL. Peter was the second-highest scorer of the 80s behind only Wayne Gretzky. 

In the four years they played together for the Nordiques, the trio put up a mind-numbing 1,029 points. Peter was one of the best NHLers never to win a Cup. 

I don't remember them. But I often dream of the 80s from a fantasy hockey perspective. So much offense. So many porous goalies. Fantasy perfection.

Now to this year's crop. I hope you took the over. This year, there are 25 brother combos that may appear in the NHL. 

Yah, who knew? Have fun digging. 

Until next week.