Frozen Fantasy: Stop Yelling at a Cloud

Abe Simpson popped into my head this week. Yep, John Tortorella was yelling at a cloud.  We laughed in 2002. We laughed even harder this week.

#okboomer

Great players and great plays are great for the game. Period.

You can't compare eras. The game has evolved. What you can compare are great memories. And Trevor Zegras gave us a great memory. And likely grew the game at the same time.

Win-win.

We just need to keep flowing forward. I've loved hockey for a long time. But I'd never go back in time because today's game is just better. Faster. More exciting.

It's about the memories and for me, the Zegras pass is right up there with Alex Ovechkin's rolling on-his-back goal, Sidney Crosby's Golden Goal and Patrick Kane's only-I-know Cup winner.

And Connor McDavid's me-against-the-Blueshirts jaw dropper from last month.

At the root of these plays are skills that are off the charts. At the top of the grade for talent. And yes, Trevor Zegras belongs in that class.

His vision might be what McDavid's skating is – untouchable. Head, shoulders and torso above. The Calder is his if he keeps this up. And we're in for a treat for the next decade-plus.

Abe can be forgiven; Torts cannot. There's no use lamenting what has been, even if you have a pulpit. Embrace the now and let it flow.

It's the same in fantasy. You can look at would could have been or shrug and look at what you're going to do next.

I embrace the shrug-and-go philosophy. But I stock my memories with the plays and players that give me the feels.

I can't wait to see what Zegras, McDavid and others will do next. I bet the amazing plays I listed here will be replaced pretty soon. The NHL is just that good today.

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

Erik Johnson, D, Colorado (19 percent Yahoo!) – Johnson has often flirted with fantasy relevance – his 39-point sophomore season was a tease, but he does provide solid coverage in all categories. And in standard leagues, you'll go farther with a guy like Johnson than an old-school pylon who dominates a single category. Heading into Sunday, he's on a three-game, four-point streak with a plus-6 rating, five shots, four hits and three blocked shots. That puts Johnson on track for a 37-point, 170-hit and 140-blocks season. Maybe that second year wasn't a tease after all. That total is a decent fit on any roster.

Charlie Lindgren, G, St. Louis (12 percent Yahoo!) – Get him now. Lindgren is the de facto starter in St. Loo because Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso are both on the shelf. He's looking for his third-straight win Saturday and the Blues are excellent at home (9-3-1). Goalies are a hot commodity in every format and league. Just invest.

Sonny Milano, LW/RW, Anaheim (39 percent Yahoo!) – The goal. Yes, THE goal. Milano has always boasted talent, but it's rarely been on consistent display in the NHL. But playing with Trevor Zegras is a gift from heaven for this 25-year-old. Fantasy managers are flocking to him and rightfully so – get on board now or lose out. Milano had a four-game, seven-point streak snapped Thursday, but he'll get back on the scoresheet again soon. The Ducks are playoff bound and he and Zegras will be at the center of that push.

Alex Newhook, C, Colorado (5 percent Yahoo!) – Newhook is good. Really good. The 20-year-old is on a four-game scoring streak (three goals, two assists) heading into Sunday and has 10 points in 15 games. It's tough to cover categories as a 5-foot-10 rookie pivot, but the Newf is going to be a strong, second-line guy in Denver for a long time. In a deep format, you may benefit from a top-five freshmen finish this season, whether you play him or trade him to "that manager". We both know who they are.  

Corey Perry, RW, Tampa Bay (7 percent Yahoo!) – Perry heads into Saturday on a three-game, five-point streak that includes three goals. He's also fired seven shots, laid two hits and two blocks while delivering a plus-5 rating for a top-25 Yahoo! rating over the last week. The streak will be fleeting – the guy's slow feet are even slower these days. But like Jason Spezza in Toronto, Perry is changing his game to remain relevant – with 10 points in his last 10 and only being held off the scoresheet twice over that span. There's even a little bit of PP production in there. Sneaky pick up for sure.

Anthony Stolarz, G, Anaheim (8 percent Yahoo!) – Stolarz is as good a backup 'tender as any right now, and he's playing every third game. There's value in that. And in his 2.42 GAA and .928 save percentage.  Stolarz has won four straight with two shutouts and only six goals allowed, five of which came in one contest. Sure, the wins were against Arizona, Ottawa and Buffalo. But excellence is excellence, and his confidence is soaring just like the rest of the Quacks. Spot starts are a must-consider right now.

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW, Winnipeg (0 percent Yahoo!) – Blake Wheeler went down Friday night with a knee injury that looks like it will keep him out a while. Enter Vesalainen, who slid up the lineup and played six more minutes than his average TOI. He offers talent, but has struggled with fit. Well, Vesalainen get a few games to see how Wheeler's role looks on him. Consider this an early heads-up.

Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, NY Islanders (9 percent Yahoo!) – Is he the five points in 18 games Ollie who started the season or the six in five guy in December? Wahlstrom isn't a top-line player yet, but lines will be juggled faster than flaming chainsaws with the Isles' season on life support. I'm looking at him for streaming purposes.

Back to yelling at a cloud.

Bruce Boudreau just returned to the NHL – he's always adapted to the changes the league has delivered.

And it helps him continue to win.

Other guys are like Torts and Mike Milbury. Good thing there's a career option like broadcasting for them. But even their welcome can be worn out there too.

That can't come soon enough for at least one of them.

Embrace the Bruce in your fantasy league. Shrug-and-go. Don't be Torts. Don't whine and complain.

You only end up being the butt of jokes. And get compared to the meme-man Abe.

Until next week.