NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Pickups: Forwards, November 10: Jonathan Drouin Is Settling in Nicely On The Island
Dmitry Voronkov against the Oilers is a solid option Monday as well
Video Transcript
Let's move on.
New York Islanders, I think more interesting team.
Um, I think a lot of it is gonna ride on Matt Barzell and how they play him, where do they play him in the lineup.
I don't know, I think Barzel's skill set is probably suited to be a centerman, cause he's a good distributor, he's got some good speed, doesn't win a lot of face-offs, so I feel like playing him with Horvat worked out really well for them.
But if you take Barzel out, that's Pajo is your number 2 center, and I look at these wingers and I'm not confident in any of them.
Drewen, no thank you, Dulare, no thanks.
Anders Lee, I like, he's getting old.
Palmeri, another sort of like older player who's really effective.
Shabanov, any thoughts on Shabanov?
So I'll touch on a couple of things.
So, as considering I live on the island, um, and I get the local paper and there's a lot of news about him.
Matt Barzel right now is penciled in as the #2 center.
All indications are he will remain as the #2 center.
Um, right now, Shabanov is slated to skate on that first line.
That's where they have him penciled in.
I happen to like Shabanov.
To me, he is the Islanders' version of Zuccarello, right?
A guy who's small.
But seems to have the capacity to score.
Now, again, he's coming over from the KHL who where his numbers were just off the charts, but still hasn't done in the NHL in terms of upside potential.
I think there's an inordinate amount there.
I was one of those guys I was kind of hoping the Rangers were gonna sign him just because I love the upside potential.
Um, Lee last year somehow surprisingly, if you ask Tom, he said, hey, do you know that Anders Lee scored 29 goals last year, you probably have half the league fall over and go, wait, he scored how many?
But he did.
He had a much better year last year than most of us expected.
Same with Palmeri, though, his production was very uneven, but he still got like, I think 24 goals last year.
So there is an offensive talent.
I do think Matthew Darsh is the new GM is charged to bring in more talent.
They, I think the system that Patrick Wah is gonna run is not going to be the boring Lou Lamarreo system that kind of got run in the past.
They're gonna be a bit more offensive, excuse me, minded based upon the talent that's there.
Um, I don't know whether or not there's a lot of depth on this team.
I think you're undervaluing Jonathan Drewin if he remains on the top line, at least initially.
Um, granted, his numbers last year was spiked the last years cause he played with Nathan McKinnon, right?
I mean, that was junior teammates playing all over together, was it?
But if Drewin ends up on the top power play, that adds to his value.
I do think the guy that probably takes a decline in value based upon that, although I don't think his value could be any lower than it was last year was Anthony Dulair, right?
Cause he pretty much all but got sent home last year, just cause he was so bad, but There is some talent upfront.
Do I think they're an elite offensive squad?
No, but I do think the big key, as you talked about is Mart Matt Barzelll staying healthy.
If he doesn't stay healthy, they're in a whole heap of trouble.
Yeah, I, I just don't see a lot of upside with this offense.
I think Shavanov could potentially raise the ceiling.
He's the most interesting winger they have to me.
Um, if you're in the late rounds and you're looking for someone dependable, Liam Palmieri, Palmieri is a machine.
He just scores 20 every single year.
It's, it's kind of amazing how he does it.
Doesn't matter where he is.
Drewan to me is interesting.
Drewan is a streamer to me because I think he adds points and just about nothing else.
And he always has to be in the right situation to put up those points.
I see him and Declare as pretty similar players, so I'm just not fond of either.
I think Drewan is better, of course, um, but I, I don't see a lot of upside there.
Horvat is the one that's interesting to me because if you're in a league that plays faceoffs, he's a 30-30 guy with tons of face-offs all day, every day.
Barzel ceiling, what, what do you guys think it is?
He's 28 years old.
He's got kneecap, coming back from kneecap surgery, I believe.
Point per game.
Yeah.
A Little below in my opinion.
I'd say he's only done it twice in his career, so I'd say 70 points.
I'll go like 20 goals, 50 assists.
It's kind of what I'm thinking.
He's not a real goalscorer.
He's a playmaker, right?
That's why he's a playmaker, right?
So that's why Lee being on that line, it helps him because he can set Lee up.
Um, Palmeri similarly, depending on kind of how the configurations work, but I think 70 points, if he can stay healthy and play 80 games is, is within reach.
Matthew Schaeffer, does he make this team?
I'll let Connor go first on this one cause I have, I have a strong opinion on this one.
I I want to say no In both regards, I don't think he should, and I don't think he does.
Hm.
Interesting.
Jan, yes, he makes his team.
Um, I think they protect him at least initially.
I think I'll probably skate with Scott Mayfield as spooky as tar, because I know lot of the fans can't stand Scott Mayfield and I want him punted to the sun, um, but I do think they kind of protect him, at least initially, right?
So as you got You got D'Angelo who's probably on your first pairing with Romanov, and you got Pellik and Pulak, right?
I think they do move Schaffer up at some point in time, probably to play with Pulak and have Pulak be more of a defensive-minded guy and with Schaeffer.
Schaffer is impressive as an 18-year-old.
First, just what he's gone through in his life, right?
His mother, unfortunately, cancer, right?
His, his, his billet mom passed away, unfortunately.
Um, just has a ton of just, he oozes in terms of being much more mature than an 18-year-old, and he's got substantive talent associated with it.
He will be their power play quarterback down the road, like by year 3.
You gotta figure he will be.
So I do think he gets eased in this year, but I do think he's probably a third line, 3 pair the guy.
I just don't know if I'm drafting him in regular leagues this year because I don't think he's gonna get a massive opportunity on the power play until they move on from D'Angelo, who's only on a one-year deal.
Yeah, I agree with that.
I, I think Matthew Schaffer and keeper leagues has a lot of value, but in redraft leagues, yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry, and redraft leagues not so much, um, but I do think there's a spot open for him, like it's plain as day.
I just don't think they're deep enough on defensively to like cut him.
And I think he's ready for the NHL.
Um, one player I forgot to mention among forwards is Cal Richie.
Cal Richie could potentially make some noise as a goal scorer.
Um, Ilia Sorokin, really great goalie.
Do you think he wins 30 games this year?
Oh boy, I mean, his play really, how much of an impact is Big Save Dave gonna have?
No Save Dave.
That's my nickname for him.
Well, Varlamov is, if, I mean, his, his playing time kind of depends if Varlamov ever makes it back, um.
I think, uh, Sorokan got 30 wins last year, somehow grinded his way to 30 wins, right?
He got hot down the stretch last year.
He was brutal 2 years ago, got hot down the stretch.
I'll say 28 to 30 is feasible because they rode him pretty hard last year.
And as Connor said, if it's a big, big game Dave in there, you're, you're kind of like not getting big games probably.
Yeah, we know Patrick Wag goalies, right?
He rides them pretty hard.
I don't think he does because I don't think the Islanders get 30 wins, 30 wins.
I also, I wanna say 11 more thing on Schaeffer, the best kid.
I hope he makes it.
I would not be opposed to him going back to junior.
And Having another year under his belt.
Yeah, I mean, I just, I don't know, like, I'm, I don't wanna rush him.
So you think he gets 9 games and then they make a decision.
I, yeah, well, he could get more.
You just burn a year on his entry level, right?
Well, yeah, but if you're gonna do it, you're gonna just score 9 games and then make a decision, right?
It doesn't make sense to burn a year on the ELC.
He's definitely there for the 1st 9 games.
After that, I'm not sure.
They're gonna throw Boquist or Ethan Bear in there, something like that.
Why did you sign him if not?
To have that option.
Matt Schaeffer, no, like Bear and I see, I see, I see.
I mean, I think Matthew Schaeffer is the better option between those three guys.
The other thing I think we're discounting, it's Patrick Wah.
He is a psychopath.
Like, let's be real, right?
It's not the same as pulling a goalie with 6 minutes to go in the game, but, well, remember, Darsh being a 1st year GM who didn't sign him, the, the leash is a little tighter there.
Sure, but he's still Patrick Waugh, and he's.
Insane and will do insane things, and I think veterans will play more into that, um.
Realistically, I think we've talked too much about the Islanders because I don't think they're gonna have basically any fantasy relevance other than Arzel, Horvat and Unfortunately, Tony D'Angelo.
And Sorokin and Sorokin, sorry, I forgot.
I, I think they have a lot of players that could, that could Mary will be probably taken in leagues and Lee will be taken in leagues and Drewin has a shot to be taken in leagues, so.
So there's enough guys that'll have some fantasy value, maybe not elite fantasy value, but some, some of these guys may be streamers as Jason kind of said, I think, yeah.
