Frozen Fantasy: The Heat is On

I watched Beverly Hills Cop recently. It's that 80s classic that launched Eddie Murphy into stardom. It's worth a stream – IMDB scored it 7.3/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave an 83. 

Made me smile. Eddie Murphy is more than Donkey on Shrek. 

The theme song made me smile too. The Heat is On. Glenn Frey's solo career had gotten off to a clunk, but that song helped the soundtrack sell millions. And it's among his top-20 songs of all time, Eagles included. 

But I digress. The song reminded me of fantasy at this time of the year. Is the pressure high? Just to stay alive? 

Yah. Even if it's a bit top-40ish and has that 80s sound… And sorry for the brain worm. 

I will keep this short. Category focus might get you in the money right now. This is a list of some interesting, some obscure and a few high-risk pickups. I'd love to say caught up in the action? I've been looking out for you. But that'd be cheesier than a Philly steak.

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

Offense

Logan Cooley, C, Arizona (13 percent Yahoo!) – Cooley's speed is electric. But the thing that impresses me most is his processing speed – he runs on Intel Core i9-14900Ks (insert geek tech reference here) and sees the game at warp speed. Cooley is only 19, and his brilliance is obscured by Mullett Arena. His first multi-goal effort – a hattie – came Thursday against the Preds, and he followed it up Saturday with a goal and assist versus the Rangers. Those are pretty solid teams. And Cooley has produced nine points - including five goals - across his last eight. Don't expect Cooley to help with faceoffs – he gets his wee dino lunch bag handed to him by every opposing center. But Arizona has eight games left, including two tough ones at home this week followed by a zip west to San Jose on Sunday. The Desert Dawgs shouldn't be overlooked at home. And if Cooley can produce against the Preds and Rangers…

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW/RW, Calgary (35 percent Yahoo!) – The good Kuzmenko showed up this week. His creativity was on full display against the Blues and Kings where he produced four points (two goals, two assists). Honestly, he probably could have had more. Kuzmenko may disappear again, but he looks engaged. Like really engaged. He racked up 39 goals and 74 points the last time he clicked with a team (and coach). The next couple weeks might be magical. I'm willing to take that chance. 

Drew O'Connor, LW, Pittsburgh (1 percent Yahoo!) – Stick down. Check. Go to the net. Check. Wait for Sidney Crosby (100 percent Yahoo!) to find you? Check, check, CHECK. O'Connor will sit in a rocking chair one day and tell tales of the year HE helped 36-year-old greybeard Sid the Kid return to epic heights as a playmaker. We'd all do that TBH – this is a pinch-me, I'm dreaming moment for the kid. O'Connor is riding a three-game, three-goal streak (10 shots) heading into Madison Square on Monday night. All because he skates to the net, puts his stick down and, well, you get the point. 

Hits, Blocks and Shots

Simon Benoit, D, Toronto (4 percent Yahoo!) – Benoit has been demolition derbying opponents all week. He leveled 10 hits Tuesday against the Devils and then five each against the Caps and Sabres. And he blocked five during the same span. This tooth rattler with the new contract will help you. 

Martin Fehervary, D, Washington (5 percent Yahoo!) – Like Benoit, Fehervary compiled a 20-hit week, including nine against the Jets a week ago Sunday. The Caps have nine games left on their improbable run to the postseason. And Fehevary's sandpaper is likely to get grittier. 

Dakota Joshua, LW/C, Vancouver (32 percent Yahoo!) – Joshua was on a record scoring pace before busting his hand and missing a month. He's back now and immediately ran over six guys in his return. And he surprisingly slotted onto line two with J.T. Miller (99 percent Yahoo!) and Brock Boeser (92 percent Yahoo!). That won't last, but Joshua's edge will. 

Jack McBain, C, Arizona (1 percent Yahoo!) – McBain is on a modest two-game, two-point streak headed into Wednesday. That will end. But he's here for the grit, and he does that well. McBain has toned it down from last season with 170 hits vs. 340. But 25 in six appearances is more than solid. He may help if you're stacking this category and need a pivot. 

Martin Pospisil, RW/C, Calgary (4 percent Yahoo!) – Pospisil potted a pretty goal Saturday on a deft cross-crease feed from Andrei Kuzmenko (above), though he's not here for that kind of touch - you know, the kind that leaves marks on players around the league. Pospisil went off for 22 hits in five games heading into this week. The 24-year-old rookie is out to prove his recent contract extension was a worthy investment, and he clearly understands his role. A late-season boost for your muscle points could be coming. 

Cam York, D, Philadelphia (18 percent Yahoo!) – York's offense has cooled, yet he's still delivering an odd mixture of fantasy value. He fired as many shots (15) as William Nylander (100 percent Yahoo!) did, which tied him for ninth-most in the NHL last week. And he topped it off with seven each of blocks and hits. I think York is going to keep plastering pucks, so grab him.

Goalie

Justus Annunen, G, Colorado (11 percent Yahoo!) – Call this a hunch. Annunen played well Tuesday against the Habs and was even better Saturday in relief against the Preds. Alexandar Georgiev has been one of the NHL's busiest netminders this season, and I can't help but think wear-and-tear could be a problem during the postseason. A little rest in the next couple weeks might help, so Annunen could get extra starts. And behind that team? It should be easy to produce. 

Ivan Fedotov, G, Philadelphia (0 percent Yahoo!) – I have no clue how Fedotov will adapt to the NHL ice. But Philly has been holding out hope for his arrival from Russia since they drafted him in 2015. He's 6-foot-7 and will go into the record books when he does get into a game by tying Ben Bishop, Mikko Koskinen and Mads Sogaard as tallest goalie to play in the league. Sure, Fedotov has work to do on rebound control. And sometimes he loses his crease a little. But Fedotov literally sees everything, simply by looking over players. At minimum, you'll have a little fun with a monster in your net. And the Flyers have a quasi-easy(ish) schedule coming up…

Filip Gustavsson, G, Minnesota (69 percent Yahoo!) – This is a longshot, but check your wire. Gustavsson has been playing Vezina-quality hockey the last three weeks, though he's unrostered in about one-third of leagues. The Wild are out of it, courtesy of another blown third-period loss AND that hare-brained pull-the-goalie-in-OT move Saturday. I was this many days old when I learned you lose your OT point if you pull your goalie in a non-delayed penalty situation and get scored on. I don't think it ever dawned on me that anyone would do that, let alone twice. The first time was risky enough. Gustavsson deserved better. Wild fans deserved better. In any event, the Gus Bus looks back in business, and you might benefit even if the team's playoff chances are all but sunk. 

Cayden Primeau, G, Montreal (4 percent Yahoo!) – Primeau quietly posted two, one-goal wins this week. Who knew? They came against Seattle and Philly, but confidence is confidence. And the Habs will be looking to play show-you hockey against four elite teams this week. It's either going to be a slaughter or a circus, and maybe a bit of both. But desperation may drive you to take a chance on Primeau. He looks relaxed and fluid right now, and the Habs still hope he becomes a No. 1 goalie. Here's Primeau's chance to solidify his role for 2024-25.

Good luck this week.

I'm still in the hunt in one league. The rest? Valiant efforts made in vain. But I had fun. Just like you. 

Until next week.