As we approach the NHL All-Star break and the unofficial midpoint of the season, it’s a good time to look back on some standout performances from the first half. While many superstars have lived up to lofty projections, we’ve seen a fair number of newcomers make a major impact on the fantasy landscape. Keeping with the theme, here are my fantasy hockey “All-Stars” to this point in the season.
Jonathan Huberdeau – Huberdeau has been an elite player for a few years now. However, he’s made another significant step forward this season, and will take a league-leading 64 points into the break and should generate more MVP conversation if he continues to spearhead a lethal Florida Panthers’ offense in the second half. With an ADP in the late first/early second round, Huberdeau has provided tremendous value, as he should be a top-5 pick next season. He’s put himself in the Connor McDavid/Auston Matthews category, an exclusive group of players who somehow exceed “superstar” status and can generate their team’s offense on a nightly basis. Huberdeau has boosted the value of his line mates this year as well, notably Anthony Duclair, who’s also on pace for a career season with 19 goals (35 points).
Nazem Kadri – I can’t remember any player in recent history who’s had a season like Kadri’s. Prior to this year, he was a solid, though unspectacular depth scorer for nine years in Toronto, and the past two seasons in Colorado. Understandably, he went undrafted in many leagues, going into his age-31 season. If this was the case in your league, he may turn out to be the greatest waiver-wire pick up of all time. Kadri already has 19 goals and 60 points, already just one short of his career high set in 2016-17. While playing on a power-play with Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen certainly helps, Kadri has continued producing on Colorado’s second unit. While it wouldn’t be a shock to see some regression in the second half, Kadri has b been one of the best fantasy hockey players so far this season – and if anyone tells you they predicted that, they’re lying.
Chris Kreider – Like Kadri, Kreider was another solid depth option who’s game has reached another level deep into his NHL career, with a league-leading 33 goals going into the break, surpassing his previous career high of 29. I’ve said for a while that Kreider’s performance wouldn’t be sustainable long-term, but he continues to prove me wrong, seemingly scoring at least one goal every game. A look at some deeper stats helps to explain Kreider’s success. 17 of his goals have been scored on the power play (which also leads the league), playing on a unit with three high-end playmakers in Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox. While this doesn’t take anything away from the success the Kreider has had, he’s clearly made the most of his opportunity. Very few of Kreider’s goals are scored from far outside the crease, as he uses his size and quickness to create space in front of the net, allowing his line mates to maximize their skills and convert scoring chances.
Ryan Hartman – While Hartman may not be putting up the same point totals as Kadri or Kreider, his breakout may still be the most surprising in hockey this year. Seemingly destined for a career as a bottom-six journeyman going into his second season with Minnesota, Hartman responded by already setting a new career high in points with 33, earning the center spot on the Wild’s first line, between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. This is a perfect example of a player taking advantage of an opportunity. Center was a weak spot on Minnesota’s roster, and Hartman was able to win a top line spot, developing chemistry with two high-end wingers. The 27 year old plays a strong two-way game with enough skill to make him a strong fantasy option moving forward.
Tanner Jeanot – The undrafted rookie has been a gem in “banger” leagues (those that count hits and blocked shots). Playing a bottom-six role in an underrated Nashville lineup, Jeanot goes into the break with 14 goals, 13 assists, and a staggering 151 hits. In these types of leagues, a player with stats like Jeanot is worth their weight in gold, playing a style that has been described as “Tkachuk-light”. Even in leagues that only count scoring stats, 27 points at this point in the season will certainly draw attention. It remains to be seen if Jeanot can keep this pace up over a full season, but his physical style gives him a solid floor, while garnering a chance for more playing time.
Tony DeAngelo – Personal feelings aside, DeAngelo has been one of the better scoring defenseman in the league so far this season. His tumultuous departure from the Rangers this past offseason led to uncertainty about DeAngelo’s career prospects. Even after signing with Carolina, his ADP fell to around 200. If you took a risk on him at this point in your draft, it has certainly paid off. Playing the point on one of the league’s top power plays, DeAngelo has seven goals and 26 assists already, good enough to put him in a top-10 spot amongst defensemen. It’s tough to beat that kind of value. Despite a highly valued skillset, DeAngelo’s inability to stick with a team long-term will always lead to questions about his long-term projection. However, he’s. clearly been an excellent fit for the Hurricanes and should be a safe bet to continue producing for at least the remainder of the season.
Tristan Jarry/Juuse Saros – I was hesitant to put any goalies on this list because, beyond the clear top options, it seems as though production can be somewhat random. However, Jarry and Saros are two goalies that have elevated into the “safe play” tier. The key to finding a solid fantasy goaltender is a good player on a good team – a formula that is far simpler in practice than execution. Jarry and Saros both came into the season as clearcut starters for the first time in their relatively young careers. It seems like goalies fail more often than not when faced with this scenario, but these two have proven to be up to the challenge. Taking over in Nashville for future hall-of-famer Pekka Rinne, Saros has been excellent, posting a .927 save percentage with 24 wins, tied for second in the NHL. Jarry, meanwhile, was typically seen as a borderline starting option, even after the Penguins traded Matt Murray to Ottawa. He seems to have made a jump this season, helping lead what has been a surprisingly successful Pittsburgh team. With a .923 save percentage and 23 wins, Jarry has shown that he’s clearly a worthy high-end fantasy starter.
