Top 10 yarn picks

With a busier schedule in the third week of the NHL, we’re looking at players to pick up, stream, and avoid on your fantasy hockey teams.

While the New York Islanders have found their game, avoid them this week as they are the only team to play one game. Teams that are wary of playing only twice are the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators. This doesn’t mean you don’t consider choosing a player from a team, but there may be better options and more chances to get points.

The The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens will play all four matches this week to maximize your points.

(Added on October 25)

Ahead

Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings (19.9% ​​on the list)

Raymond has proven to be an early candidate for Calder Trophyl, scoring four goals and seven points in his first six NHL games. He joins Steve Yzerman as the only teenager to have done a hat trick in Red Wings history. Raymond is also one of three teens who have earned four points in the game, related to Yzerman and Gordie Howe – pretty good company. (“It was definitely fun”: Lucas Raymond’s 3 goals boosted Red Wings over Blackhawks, Detroit News, 24 October 2021)

When Jakub Vrana started the season, Raymond has taken first-line roles alongside Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzz, forming immediate chemistry and scoring according to his will. He also serves in the best power game unit – pick him up when he’s hot, as he can play great all season.

Marcus Foligno, Minnesota Wild (14.6%)

Although Foligno is in the third line of the Wild, it has been a very effective unit so far and challenges to be one of the best in the league. He has points in four of five games, and he adds another element that many fantasy owners struggle with: penalty minutes. Just like his score, he has also received penalty minutes in four of five games. With a Minnesota team that distributes wealth more to the entire lineup, Foligno is a great addition to cover you in multiple classes.

Viktor Arvidsson, Kings of Los Angeles (18.5%)

Arvidsson is a cunning addition. While the Kings have not gotten started at their best, the attack has not been a problem. He sits next to Anze Kopitar on the left wing and benefits from the ice age and skill he plays with. Kopitar has been absolutely awesome. At the speed at which Arvidsson fires the puck, more goals start to come in. The bonus is that he also gets the first power preliminaries on the first line in addition to his skating.

Mikael Granlund, Nashville Predators (13.6%)

In the past, Mikael Granlund was known to start very slowly and pick it up later in the season. This is not the case this time, as he has started well for the Predators. He has five points in the first six games of the season for the team known to do the most. Guys like Granlund, Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen have been under increased pressure to produce an attack this season, so Granlund has answered the call. He also plays a lot as he has logged 21:51, 20:15 and 22:30 ice time in the last three games.

Jakub Voracek, Columbus Blue Jackets (25.9%)

The Columbus Blue Jackets are again underestimated after losing more high-end songs this season. Voracek was Cam Atkinson’s return from Philadelphia, and it looked like the Blue Jackets had lost this trade. He has produced for his team so far and is skating in the number one line alongside Patrik Laine, who is showing signs of a return campaign. Voracek plays at a point-by-point pace for five matches and has recorded four of those points in the power game. He is not known to produce a lot of penalty kicks, but early on he has eight penalty minutes, which is something to consider and can add value to him.

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Defense

Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers (11.4%)

The Oilers defense team has played much better than anyone had predicted so far, but perhaps most surprising is the level at which Evan Bouchard plays. Only in the fifth game of the season was he raised to best with Darnell Nurse in their match against the Vegas Golden Knights, which had been their biggest test to date on their schedule.

Not only that, Bouchard plays in all situations and is the NHL’s best scoring team after Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Nate Schmidt, Winnipeg Jets (10.2%)

Nate Schmidt is a player that many seem to move forward. He has been ignored in most series when two other defenders are able to collect fantasy points for the team. It’s a mistake considering how he’s played so far this season. With full force, both power-play units are full of talent, with Schmidt playing in the other. He also plays in the top pair alongside Josh Morrissey. I know it’s early, but Schmidt has six assists in five games, all of which have come in the last three games.

Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings (23.4%)

Seider, like teammate Raymond, has played himself an early favorite as rookie of the year. Seider has really risen in his first season and gets even more chances when Filip Hronek takes a step back and has to be scratched early. Seider plays the top-line minutes and is the only defender of the Red Wings superiority game. With five assists in the first six games and nearly 22 minutes a night, he’s a player who will definitely keep an eye on your team and target it, as solid defenders in the lead are few.

Goalkeepers

Braden Holtby, Dallas Stars (42.1%)

Since Holtby have been named Stars ’number one goalkeeper before the first game of the season, Holtby has certainly played like one. He has started four of the team’s first five matches and his numbers have been great. He won half of the games and has 1.78 goals against average (GAA) and 0.950 percent off (SV%).

The stars indeed took the opportunity to bring Holtby after they already had Anton Khudobin, Jake Oettinger and Ben Bishop, and it has produced results so far. Get him right away if you have a chance to do so – he won’t be in the abandonment thread for long because many goalkeepers perform worse.

John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks (42.9%)

Gibson may indeed have a strong team in the defensive after a couple of seasons when it hasn’t helped. Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler play well, Hampus Lidholm is stable as usual and Jamie Drysdale has been involved in the fight. Gibson’s last two starts were not the best, but with one of the easiest schedules this coming week, with four matches against struggling teams, he has a chance to recover and get the results he got to start the season.

For your fantasy hockey team this week, there are plenty of options for any task. But act fast – you don’t want to lose valuable points and players that grab before you.

Rob Couch is a freelance writer at THW covering the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers. As a fantasy hockey veteran, he will tell you about the best weekly options for your matches at the beginning and middle of the week. He also keeps you up to date on weekly Oilers & Flyers news and updates.

You can find more about his work Kraken Chronicle as well as Faceoff Hockey Network. Or watch interesting articles here.

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