Get Jakob Chychru on your team ASAP

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Injuries and the trade deadline, these two topics will dominate the NHL going forward. After Thanksgiving, and despite seemingly more parity than ever before, we have a pretty good idea of ​​which teams will buy and which will sell between now and March 3rd. That, along with goalkeeping, are part of today’s focus. in the fantasy shop items of the week column.

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Jakob Chychrun, D, Coyotes (69 percent of members)

This isn’t Chychrun’s first appearance in this mode, but it’s worth mentioning again how good he’s looked since returning to the lineup. He currently has a five-game point streak and has nine points in 10 games on the season. He’s averaging over 22 minutes and 3.9 shots per game in PP1 duties and has posted a plus-6 rating on a team with a minus-24 goal differential.

Those are elite numbers that don’t have enough scorers, and while the Coyotes are just showcasing Chychrun for a potential trade, he’s slowly working his way back into top-pairing status.

Last season was a disappointment with just 21 points in 47 games, and Chychrun’s injury history was a valid concern as he has never played more than 68 games in any season. His recent play has changed that perception, and as some contenders have opened up this season using LTIR, it has opened up opportunities for Chychrun if he lands on a better team.

Chychrun’s strategy right now is to add him to the roster if he’s available in your league, or otherwise trade him for him while he’s still in the middle of an upswing.

Rasmus Sandin, D, Maple Leafs (40 percent of members)

We’re bending the rules a bit because Sandin isn’t listed in half of the Yahoo leagues yet, but at this rate he definitely will be. His percentage jumped 13 points from Monday to Tuesday, and he rewarded quick-trigger fantasy managers with his second straight multi-assist effort. Although three regulars are missing from Toronto’s blue line (Morgan Rielly, Jordie Benn and Jake Muzzin) with injuries that could keep them out of the lineup for weeks, months, or even the entire season, the Leafs’ defense has been one of the team’s bright spots.

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Together with the Swede Timothy Liljegren, they’ve been exceptional, producing a 58.8 xGoals percentage and 3.2 goals per 60 minutes in over 150 minutes combined, according to moneypuck.com. It is the second best pairing after Sandin and the pair Mark Giordano (60 xGoals%, 3.56 goals per 60), and there’s a good argument to be made that Sandin is Toronto’s best defender right now, especially since he’s added to their power play.

Benn is the closest thing to returning to the lineup, but he’s not a threat to Sandini’s role on the power play and that’s likely Conor Timmins is the one that comes out of the assembly. Rielly hasn’t started skating yet, and with Sandin’s style of play, even Rielly may not threaten to significantly reduce Sandin’s minutes, especially on PP.

Jacob Markstrom, G, Flames (94 percent of roster)

Markstrom has allowed just five goals in his past three games, but he just doesn’t get the scoring support. The Flames are now 21st in goals after finishing sixth last season. There’s no doubt that Markstrom has been a frustrating fantasy player with a sub-.900 save percentage, and now Ruler of the day takes a significant part of the game time.

However, as bad as Markstrom has been, I think there is definitely a desire to get him back on track. The Flames have gone to Vladar because he’s been winning games, but his last few starts haven’t been particularly great. Unlike in Edmonton, Vladar isn’t exactly an up-and-comer Stuart Skinnerwhile Markstrom hasn’t been nearly as bad as Jack Campbell.

The Flames have a very soft schedule coming up, facing lower division opponents in the Canucks and Sharks (twice), and if fantasy managers pounce now, they might get Markstrom at a discount. Sure, there’s a danger that the Flames won’t find their footing at all this season after their roster has been replaced. Jonathan Huberdeau has been particularly disappointing, but even without the wins, look for Markstrom to start putting his GAA down and his save percentage up. The smart money is there; Over the last three seasons, Markstrom ranks 17th in the league with a .912 Sv% (min. 50 GP), which doesn’t happen without talent.

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JT Miller, C/LW/RW, Canucks (99 percent on roster)

One of the reasons the Canucks have been so good in fantasy is that they are monsters on the power play, but they may be missing their most valuable piece as a captain. Bo Horvat, who is fifth in the league with eight PPG. The man advantage is where Miller has made his living for the past two years. It’s accounted for 14 of his 26 points (53.8%) this season, which is both a significant jump from last season (38-of-99, 38.4%) and an indictment of his 5-5 game.

Should the Canucks trade Horvat, and maybe Brock Boeser the occasional PP1 winger who formed his famous “Lotto Line” with Miller and Elias Pettersson last season, that could take a huge chunk out of Miller’s production.

Miller’s wins are also down, and he ranks second to last (behind Boeser) at minus-10. The fantasy of triple position eligibility is nice, but his peripherals have been so poor that it eats into his value, especially in roto leagues. Miller might get a bit of a bump if Horvat leaves because it forces the Canucks to play Miller at center, which is his preferred position, but the Canucks just aren’t a reliable team right now. It might be time to trade Miller while he still has fantasy value before the Canucks start stripping their roster.

Vitek Vanecek, G, Devils (84 percent on roster)

This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but perhaps cracks are starting to show in New Jersey as the Devils went 0-2-1 last week, allowing 14 goals (though Akira Schmidt started two of those games) in only his second losing streak of the season. The Devils have excellent puck control and offense, and their defense has been very good John Marinohas been on the ice, but don’t forget Vanecek struggled for long stretches last season; a big reason why the Capitals decided to part with him. Analytically, Vanecek’s numbers are good, but not great; According to naturalstattrick.com, he ranks 22nd in the GSAA and 23rd in save percentage at 5-5.

The Devils are atop the standings, but perhaps no team faces more skepticism. The general perception is that the Devils are still too inexperienced to be labeled a legitimate contender, and given the league’s parity and close contests, it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams start to step it up. As the intensity of the games increases, we have yet to see how the Devils react in high-pressure situations. There is some uncertainty, and after giving the fantasy leaders such a good run through the first few months, perhaps trading Vanecek for someone with more reliable experience will help the fantasy leaders avoid a potential second-half regression. Not to mention the return Mackenzie Blackwood might take away some of Vanecek’s playing time.