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Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Is there any hope for Elias Pettersson this season?
If there’s anyone who earned their U.S. Thanksgiving meal this year, it was Nazem Kadri. With extra stuffing, too.
No doubt about it, fantasy owners are supremely thankful.
The Colorado centre, who conveniently enough is in a contract year, started the season as an afterthought in most standard drafts. Not so much anymore.
Nazem Kadri in SIX games since Nathan MacKinnon went down:
4 goals
11 assists
15 points#GoAvsGo— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) November 25, 2021
The 31-year-old is currently on pace for a career-high in goals (36), assists (92), and points (128). And thus, the contract year phenomenon is alive and well in the NHL world.
Considering he’s currently riding a career best 10-game point streak, it would be wise to roster Kadri in the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool right now; the one-point value is the gravy on top.
Now to your questions:
@ratman023 asks: Pettersson and Barzal?
I think Elias Pettersson has the higher ceiling of the two, and to be fair, a lot of that has to do with who’s around him. Even when completely healthy, it’s difficult to get excited about the New York Islanders’ roster — at least from a fantasy perspective.
Yes, both players have sputtered offensively out of the gates, but it’s imperative that you stay patient on both fronts.
@MMillarFishing asks: Is it time to give up on Mat Barzal?
Heck no, New York has played just 16 games, which included 13 straight on the road to start the season. On top of that, not only has the injury bug hit them hard, but COVID-19 has too. Moral of the story: Give them some time to recuperate.
Furthermore, if you’re in a non-keeper league and feel like you’re not in a position in the standings to wait around for a player, then go ahead and do it. Generally speaking, I just think you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone with Barzal’s potential on the waiver wire. For the record, I felt the same way about Cole Caufield.
If this question stems from a keeper league, I’d sit tight.
@G36367458 asks: Any hope for Pettersson?
Yes, I still have plenty of hope for Pettersson and the Canucks – for that matter – moving forward this season.
Lost in the shuffle is the fact that Vancouver’s only at the one-quarter mark of the season, there’s still plenty of time to right this sinking ship. For the record, I’d give Pettersson until about early January before even pondering the idea of cutting him. Funny enough, I still think view him as an excellent buy-low target right now.
I’d give Point the all-around edge, but it’s close. The former is the better goal scorer, the latter will likely cover more categories for you. At any rate, both are bona fide top-30 files, and as long as Tampa keeps that terrific core intact, they’ll continue to be a fantasy gold mine.
@HockeyFan_J asks: Why does Varlomov suck…I want him to play like last year lol
Be mindful: Varlamov was injured to start the season, so he’s been playing catch up this whole time. As the Islanders get healthier, the numbers will improve. No need to press the panic button.
For starters, the three options provided aren’t really upgrades over what you already have. To be fair, the trade route is probably your best bet if you’re highly motivated to improve your squad in between the pipes. Good luck.
Grab Knight, the Panthers are an absolute wagon. Can you believe they’ve won 11 in a row at home to start the season? Insane.
Through 19 games, Knight’s played in eight of them, Bobrovsky has appeared in 12. As the season progresses, I fully expect the rookie to challenge the veteran for additional playing time. Knight’s the real deal, jump on that.
Additionally, if I were you, I’d employ a three-goalie system moving forward. In this day and age of analytics, you can’t go wrong with crease depth in fantasy hockey. If you really need to, you can always trade one down the road, right?
@Zukibillie asks: Keeper, trade Crosby for Malkin & Barzal?
For now, I’d hold off on that one, at least until we see Malkin play some games again. After all, he’s coming off a pretty serious knee injury, and he’s no spring chicken anymore. If you’re trading Sidney Crosby in fantasy hockey, you better have no doubts you’re making out well. Be smart.
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Extremely droppable, even in a keeper league.
Through 75 career games, the 20-year-old has 16 goals and 26 points. He’s still so young, but it’s not like the Rangers haven’t given him every opportunity to produce with the big boys in the top-six. The consistency just hasn’t been there.
Give it maybe another month before pulling the plug in your keeper league.
Good question. Honestly, I think health has played a big-time role in Monahan’s regression. He hasn’t looked like the same player for a while.
Easy drop.
As coach of Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Steve Kerr relied on Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves a lot.
He was impressed by what the young player was capable of and he believed him.
However, that wasn’t always the case.
Speaking with ESPN, Edwards revealed that Kerr once grilled him about his effort and workout process.
According to Edwards, Kerr said: “You’ve got to see Steph, KD, and Klay work out…You didn’t work hard enough.”
He added: “If we had the No. 1 pick, we wouldn’t take you.”
Anthony Edwards credits Steve Kerr for becoming "a madman in the gym."
He spoke to Jamal Collier about the formative interaction
https://t.co/T0o49FISI9 pic.twitter.com/nP4n3dDNTp
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 29, 2023
Edwards said the comments came when he was working out in preparation for the league.
At the time, Edwards was seen as the top pick in that draft class.
Sure enough, he was ultimately selected by the Timberwolves at the start of the 2020 draft.
But if Kerr and former team president Bob Myers had the first choice, they would have passed on Edwards.
The guard admitted to ESPN that he was shocked by Kerr’s words – but they did inspire him.
He and his trainer then met to find ways to push himself more and make Kerr and the rest of the NBA proud.
It apparently worked because Kerr was very supportive and blown away by Edwards during his recent World Cup run.
Edwards posted 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists during the tournament.
Although Team USA ultimately didn’t find the success they wanted in the World Cup, Edwards played well and Kerr was very happy with his output.
Kerr was giving Edwards tough love all those years ago and it has definitely paid off.
Now, people are expecting great things from him as he enters his fourth season in the NBA.
The post Steve Kerr Had Big Message To Anthony Edwards After Pre-Draft Workout appeared first on The Cold Wire.
LeBron James is one of the best players in the NBA, even when entering Year 21 of his career.
But James hasn’t maintained that status by relaxing during his free time.
Instead, he works extremely hard on his craft and goes above and beyond to stay in top-notch shape entering a regular season.
It seems that the 38-year-old has taken things up a notch ahead of the 2023-24 season.
LeBron recently shared an Instagram story, via Bleacher Report on Twitter, showing that he was working out at 3:00 a.m. and NBA fans had various reactions to it.
Bron in the lab at 3 AM during off-season
Out here training like he's a rookie
(via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/W81D8D8OI6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 29, 2023
Yep he winning a ring
— 𝓓 𝓡 𝓐 𝓒 𝓞
(@UpThaDraco) September 29, 2023
Does this mean he’s gonna get back on defense now
— Oasis MMAov (@OasisMma) September 29, 2023
Training like he always has. Longevity by design
— Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) September 29, 2023
Greatest Player in NBA history.
GOAT James.
— Jim Kryjer (@jimkryjer) September 29, 2023
The motivation to continue grinding 20 years in is incredible. It’s hard to get to the top, it’s harder to stay at the top
— GOAT James
James has been a phenomenal player throughout his 20-year career in the NBA.
But even after two decades in the NBA, James is training as if he’s a rookie playing his first season in the league.
Considering how James is preparing for the new season, it seems almost unbelievable that he was on the verge of retiring after the 2023 playoffs.
As for his stats, James put up 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game last season.
Despite having such numbers, James couldn’t help the Los Angeles Lakers get past the Western Conference Finals.
With that failure in mind, it seems he’s hungrier than ever to win another NBA championship.
Moreover, the 38-year-old will finally be at 100% after battling injuries throughout last season.
James will be the primary superstar of the Lakers, but the organization has added many key role players to the roster ahead of the upcoming season.
Keeping that in mind, if James leads the Lakers to another title, it won’t be a surprise.
The post Fans React To LeBron James’ Remarkable Offseason Plans appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Lakers GM Says Veteran Has Been Working Closely With LeBron James
Steve Kerr Had Big Message To Anthony Edwards After Pre-Draft Workout
Fans React To LeBron James’ Remarkable Offseason Plans
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