Frozen Fantasy: Seismic Shock

Leafs' coach Mike Babcock dropped the mic earlier this week. Frederik Andersen will play exactly 56 games this season. Not 55. Not close to 60. Precisely 56. And then he promptly put Freddy in the blue paint for start 49. Against the Orcas.

Six games left? That was a fantasy flush you just heard.

Someone's season is now in trouble. Before long, more guys will get rested in preparation for the postseason. But this early? There's a month left.

Yikes.

Freddy is one of the league's top-two or maybe three goaltenders. And a difference maker in fantasy, especially in head-to-head playoffs. Not any more.

Suddenly, Garret Sparks is set to get nine starts to Freddy's six. Garret Sparks. The guy Mike Babcock doesn't trust.

Gulp.

OK, Sparks is better with a heavy workload. Just look at his Calder Cup-winning season from last year. But he's rusty right now – he has only started four times in 2019.

He'll take a while to help your fantasy team. That is, if you even manage to grab him off the wire. Or if you dare to take the chance.

I did. But I did it to block Andersen's owner. And to watch him lose his crap.

Play hard, right to the end.

Babcock's mic drop is the first seismic shock for fantasy owners. There will be more. You built a solid roster. Now hope for a little luck.

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

MacKenzie Blackwood, G, New Jersey (14 percent Yahoo! owned) – Blackwood hasn't won since his recent call up, but he's played outstanding hockey. That alone makes him roster worthy. Blackwood has allowed just five goals over his last three games and has posted a .950 save percentage during that span. Jersey wanted to see how he'd do in some really tough buildings on the road. That question has been answered. So has any question about his fantasy ownership.

Jakob Chychrun, D, Arizona (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Chychrun is healthy and hot, and has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last eight games. That makes him more fantasy effective than, oh – Brent Burns. And John Carlson. I like him now and for the future – cripes, he's just 20 and he's already averaging more than 20 minutes a game. How many defenders his age are doing that? Bye-bye, Rasmus Ristolainen. Hello, desert dog.

Kevin Labanc, LW/RW, San Jose (18 percent Yahoo! owned) – Labanc has seven assists in his last seven games. And while his power-play time dropped off the face of the earth in his last two games, Labanc still averages over two minutes a game there. I have him rolling in a head-to-head playoff right now. Call it a hunch, but I think he can help you too.

Jared McCann, LW/C, Pittsburgh (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – McCann's game has suddenly come alive, enough to earn time with you-know-who. Yup, the Kid himself. McCann has six points, including three goals, a plus-9 rating and 10 shots in his last five games. Playing with Sid is hard. But I'm buying if McCann has figured it out. He'll get points by simply stepping on the ice.

Brett Pesce, D, Carolina (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Pesce is better known for his own-zone play than what he does in the offensive zone. But he was riding a three-game, four-point streak prior to Friday's debacle against the Jets. Pesce's next point will establish a new career high. At minimum, he can help with plus minus (again, Friday aside). The points are a bonus.

Jakob Silfverberg, RW, Anaheim (17 percent Yahoo! owned) – Silfverberg's season has been a bad dream and there's been no one to help wake him. Until now. Ryan Getzlaf is back and maybe, just maybe the Ducks have decided to play for a bit of pride. Silfverberg is on a four-game, six-point (two goals, four assists) streak. Two of those helpers came on the power play. The winger is talented, so he can help … as long as you can stomach a possible gut kick in plus-minus.

Conor Sheary, LW/RW, Buffalo (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Sheary held so much promise in Pittsburgh, but that fell apart last season. Exit Pennsylania, enter upstate New York. And he's finally looking comfortable in the city of fires. Sheary has seven points (three goals, four assists) and 14 shots in his last seven games. It's modest and it's largely one-dimensional. But he might earn more power-play time if continues to produce.

Garret Sparks, G, Toronto (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Sparks is set to get half or maybe more of the Leafs' remaining 15 games. He has underperformed as a back up, but he was excellent as a starter in the AHL. Maybe he can pull out a few rabbits with more consistent playing time. I'm rolling the dice.

Marcus Sorensen, LW/RW, San Jose (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Joe Thornton doesn't just throw kudos around – he saves them for guys he really believes in. Like Sorensen. Jumbo Joe loves playing with the Swede. He loves Sorensen's work ethic and his intensity. And he recognizes the winger's skill. The Sharks are a great team and they're succeeding because of their depth. Right now, that includes Jumbo Joe's favorite Swede. That's good enough for me.

Troy Terry, RW, Anaheim (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Terry's game has always held promise, but he's still just a kid. And it's hard for a 21-year-old to make a dent in a big, old, struggling flock of ducks. But Wednesday, Terry served up three sweet dishes to Rickard Rakell, Nick Ritchie and Adam Henrique. It gave him five points (two goals, three helpers) in his last five games. Then Friday, he scored one himself and set Henrique up for two more. That's back-to-back three-point outings. Quack! Terry's confidence is growing. His game might help in a deep format.

Back to luck.

This time of year is about good roster management and a whole lot of luck, especially for head-to-head owners.

At some point, Jon Cooper might rest Andrei Vasilevskiy. And maybe a number of his offensive studs. Pete DeBoer could do the same with the Sharks' and his elite D.

And Bill Peters could sit Johnny Gaudreau and old man Mark Giordano.

Playing the wire can be part of your contingency, but we both know you can't replace that kind of excellence.

Here's hoping you don't have to.

Until next week.