Hutch's Hockey: Avoid Distractions

Rosters for the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off were released this week. For those unfamiliar, it'll be a competition between the USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland that takes place in mid-February, replacing the All-Star Game this year. I usually am good for some strong All-Star opinions, but I don't mind taking a break from that this year. 

Still, this midseason tournament doesn't interest me much. It'll be pretty close to best-on-best, which is a positive, but it's tough to be definitive for two reasons. One is the absence of countries like Russia and Czechia. I get that the NHL wants to avoid controversy and keep participation limited so as not to have too much of an impact on the regular season. That said, teams with fewer players competing inherently have the advantages of lower risk and more rest. 

In general, it's better to just let a league play its season and leave the other competitions for preseason. It's the same reason I loathe MLS for the Leagues Cup -- a midseason competition pitting MLS and Liga MX teams against each other. Outside of being a blatant cash grab, it doesn't count in the standings for either of the participating leagues. Pausing the MLS season for a month to accommodate it is a waste of time. 

The NBA does this a little better with the NBA Cup. Unlike the Leagues Cup, NBA Cup games count in the regular-season standings. It's not a perfect fix -- schedules should be set before the season begins, and barring impacts from events outside of the league's control, should be relatively unchanged throughout the year. The NBA gives itself some flexibility in this regard, scheduling just 80 games at the start of the season and following a protocol for pairing up teams to get to 82 games for those teams that get knocked out in the group stage. 

The NHL clearly wants something to spice up the schedule, especially something under its control. It won't really matter if the fans want it, but if the NHL insists, follow the NBA path. National team tournaments are unnecessary. Alternatively, do better with the All-Star Game. Make it less corny and more intriguing for the average fan. Overall though, I'm not a fan of anything that introduces a different source of competition. I wouldn't want to see a star player get hurt in an in-season tournament that then torpedoes their team's playoff run. Keep the regular season regular and let the postseason stand on its own. Everything else is noise. 

Turning to the waiver wire, it's time to show some appreciation for Tom Wilson. He started the season hot, faded a little in late October and is now in a pretty good groove. In a great show of resilience -- and perhaps a display of cavalier attitude for his own safety -- he returned to Saturday's game versus the Canadiens after taking a Jakob Chychrun shot to the face. Wilson then scored two goals in the Capitals' comeback win, giving him eight points over his last seven contests. He won't be available in deep leagues or banger formats, but he is helping lead his team in the absence of captain Alex Ovechkin (fibula). Wilson's performance Saturday is a snapshot of what makes the Capitals so good this year: resilience and determination. This is a mentally tough team. The players heard the doubters this summer and it's their fuel. That doesn't lead to fantasy stats all the time, but it tends to make for more stable production rather than streaky play. 

Dylan Holloway also heard some noise from fans, but it was booing from the Oilers on Saturday night. While the Blues lost 4-2, Holloway had a goal, his fifth in six games to go with four assists. Head coach Jim Montgomery's impact on the Blues has been immediately noticeable, and Holloway's been among the biggest beneficiaries so far. At worst, he's a short-term add in fantasy, but the upside here is a long-term power winger with 30-goal, 60-point potential. Gone are days of him toiling away in bottom-six purgatory in Edmonton -- he's a third-line guy at worst in St. Louis, though there's plenty of lineup shuffling left to do. 

There's been little stopping Anders Lee lately, even in the Islanders' weak offense. He's been the exception to the rule with 10 points over his last eight contests. He was held off the scoresheet Saturday against the Hurricanes, but he was back alongside longtime linemate Brock Nelson after swapping places with Maxim Tsyplakov. Lee had a pair of power-play points Sunday in a win over the Senators. He offers upside in points, hits and PIM, and he's tracking toward the second 60-point campaign of his career. 

Rickard Rakell hasn't been as hot as other players on this week's list, but he has five goals and two assists over his last nine outings. Most importantly, he has stayed on the Penguins' top line during a stretch in which the team has won five of six games. As always, Rakell can run streaky, but he's been more good than bad this year with a team-leading 11 goals. He hasn't reached the 30-goal mark since 2017-18 with the Ducks, but that's a target that is in play this year given his current level of production and the quality of his linemates. 

Shane Wright spent three games as a healthy scratch in mid-November. Since he returned to the lineup, he has six goals and three assists over eight contests. The Kraken's offense is a volatile one to get invested in, but Wright finally looks to be clicking on the third line. This is a player that went fourth overall in 2022 and was penciled in to go higher than that. He's still young enough to make good on that lofty draft position, though he'll have to keep finding ways to produce with somewhat limited ice time, though he has been a presence on the power play for much of this season. 

Wright's not the only one to catch fire for Seattle lately, as Oliver Bjorkstrand fits the bill too. He erupted with a four-point game Sunday at Madison Square Garden, but Bjorkstrand's been on a simmer lately with five tallies and seven helpers over his last nine outings. Like Wright, Bjorkstrand needed a scratch to light a fire under him, but it's been a move head coach Dan Bylsma has used to great effect when his team falls into a slump. Bjorkstrand is a five-time 20-goal scorer and had a career-best 59 points last season, and he's on a similar pace now after falling behind early. If neither Bjorkstrand nor Wright suits your fancy, take a look at the third member of the line, Eeli Tolvanen, who brings a bit more goal-scoring upside and physicality than his linemates. 

He's not always a particularly helpful player, but Damon Severson is one of those reliable veteran defensemen to fill out fantasy rosters. He's a streaming option in shallower leagues, though he may be one to hold onto for a while since he has seven points over his last nine games. What you get with Severson is stability. He won't be a point-per-game guy, but he'll chip in blocked shots and shots on goal, and a better offense for the Blue Jackets this year gives him more upside in plus-minus rating as well. 

His utility will vary by format, but Matt Roy is a good depth defenseman to consider. With the Capitals, he's not in contention for power-play time, at best being fourth in the pecking order there. The team has been effective on offense, and that extends to the blue line, where he's seeing second-pairing minutes alongside Rasmus Sandin. Roy has four points, 22 hits, 12 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating over his last eight games. There's a stability to his game and his physical play that can help in deeper formats. That said, he won't supplement much in shots on goal or PIM. 

Nick Schmaltz did just about everything right for Utah early in the season, but he couldn't get a goal. He had one called off on a review. Given his talent and top-line role, it seemed like only a matter of time before the playmaker broke through, and that time is now -- he has four goals over his last four games. He's a reliable 60-point player who can be counted on for points, power-play production and shots in fantasy. Schmaltz is also a four-time 20-goal scorer, and he could spend the next few weeks getting back on track in that category, so enjoy the ride. 

It can be tough to separate a good goalie from a bad team, but it's worth doing so for Sam Montembeault. I advocated for adding him earlier in the season, but he struggled in late October and early November. There will still be some hiccups behind a young Canadiens defense, but he is 5-4-1 with a 2.23 GAA and a .924 save percentage over his last 10 games (nine starts). He has two shutouts in that span. He'll also want to reward Team Canada's faith in putting him on the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, even if he is just the No. 3 goalie for the national team. Montembeault is in the midst of his best season yet, so roster him for his ability to offer fairly safe ratios as a fantasy No. 3. 

A month ago, advocating for Tristan Jarry in fantasy would have been a tall task. Not anymore -- the 29-year-old has rattled off four straight wins, playing a large part in the Penguins' turnaround. I still don't like the team situation, especially the defense, so Jarry could be on and off my rosters in a flash. He allowed four goals in two of those four wins, so it's not like he's putting up Vezina numbers. Simply put, Pittsburgh will cling to the hot hand at this point, and Jarry's turned things around enough to make it possible to ride out a tough start or two as long as he's bringing in wins. 

In the same vein of playing time mattering, go get Arvid Soderblom if you need goalie games. The Blackhawks officially rode Petr Mrazek (groin) into the ground, and Mrazek will be out for at least a couple of weeks. Groin injuries are tricky, especially for goalies, so plan on him being out longer. Soderblom won't get you wins, but he deserves better than the 1-6-1 record he has so far. A 2.60 GAA and a .915 save percentage are respectable numbers in any format, and while they'll definitely take a hit in a larger role, this is a big chance for him to prove himself in the NHL. Soderblom doesn't have much of any success on his ledger over the previous three seasons, but he's playing for next year as much as this one since the Blackhawks are facing a crowded crease once Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit (knee) are both able to return, which could be in early January. 

All in all, I want to watch games that count. That's what makes the playoffs in any sport so captivating -- there's the pressure of legacies and history, the chance to have a signature highlight forever associated with your name. You can do that to some extent in the regular season too. Mario Lemieux's five goals, five ways game comes to mind, as does any number of history-making moments. Outside of a truly remarkable performance, no one's favorite hockey memory is going to come from February's competition. There's no history behind it. Whether the NHL likes it or not, doing something special in the Olympics will mean far more than the same thing in the 4 Nations Face-Off or World Cup of Hockey. 

For the purposes of the regular seasons in all sports, it's better when there are no distractions. Focus on your main product, don't interrupt players' rhythms and put on a game everyone can enjoy. Even building rivalries is better done organically. In fantasy, keep your distractions to a minimum as well. Build your team to compete every week. I'll be back with more waiver-wire plays next week.