Speaker 1: Welcome to Fantasy Hockey Life, presented by Fan Tracks. Here's
shit Quess, your source of information and analysis to help
you win your fantasy hockey league.
Speaker 2: Block off hop a step hit on, Stay Locked Bark.
Speaker 1: Here's your hosts, Jesse Sovier and Victor Nuno Leannessee Hockey Life.
Speaker 3: This is Jesse severa fan track. That is Victor Nuno
of EP Inside Victor, How you doing today?
Speaker 2: I'm doing awesome, Jesse. Yeah, It's been a really busy
time for me as we finished up the semester teaching
and giving exam, so this was the last day and
I'm really excited to not have to do that for
a few weeks.
Speaker 3: How are you doing, I'm doing good. I'm doing good.
Ready to get back into the hockey talking game, Victor.
I'm ready for some of this stuff. And one place
everybody can do that with you and I and others
cool people, smart people, hockey obsessed people is to jump
into the discord Fan Hockey Life on X twelve on
x Fantasy Hockeylife at gmail dot com, the one Victor
on Blue Sky Jesse Severe Blue Sky. All those are
ways that you could get a link from Victor and
I which would get you into the discord and you
can come and hang out for free. But Victor, there
are other cool things that you are particularly good at
telling the people about. Why don't you do that now?
Speaker 2: Yeah, we have a bunch of cool extra stuff in
the Patreon if you want to check that out.
Speaker 1: We have.
Speaker 2: We just made a huge update to the Fantasy Hockey
Life player cards, and I highly encourage you to check
that out. I'll probably be tweeting out some examples. Brandon
has outdone himself yet again, adding some extra things like
looking at players in terms of their powerplay shots and
their takeaways and giveaways, their Fenwick and some projected tidy points,
which for those of you in the tier dynasty is
a really cool thing so you can get some idea
of how you think that they're gonna do. Plus, my
ranks are all updated and you can see those on there.
You can toggle with specific teams, players, draft class position.
You can look at all of that and see where
they're ranked and also what their bash is, which is
a really cool thing to be able to see. So
that's great stuff you can contribute to the Patreon. Shane
and I just recorded a patron cast so you can
check out all that cool bonus content over at patreon
dot com slash Fantasy Hockey Life.
Speaker 3: Darns can, Victor, We're going to take a brief break
and get it. Oh there's one more thing, Victor, there's
one more thing. It just dawned on me, not because
you pointed at me on the video, but because it
dawned on me that you had one other thing to
talk about.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we are coming up on the most favorite time
of the year for US prospect junkies, and that is
the World Junior Championships. And every year we put together
a World Junior Championship pool, and so if you want
to be in on that, it's free. It's just for
bragging rights. We give you a little World Champion sticker
on your discord handle kind of thing. But we'll be
doing that. We'll have a few different pools, maybe four
if enough people join, So we just got to hit
up in the discord. Tony, who goes by Wolf Tiger,
is the one kind of helping put that together, and
our buddy David Dolan, who's a master at spreadsheets, is
helping with that aspect of it. So you don't have
to do much other than show up and draft your
team and watch the points accumulate. So do that. Get
in there. It's gonna be a good time World Junior
best time of the year.
Speaker 3: Love those guys. Fear the Dolan when it comes to
the spreadsheets. I use him too, all right, Victor? Right
after this time for reels, we're gonna talk. Why didn't
you find out?
Speaker 1: Victor?
Speaker 3: It is yet another ex Gamers episode, And today on
the X Gamers we have a few players who you
have been studying, cutting up film on, writing up for
the EP rings side, otherwise generally getting your fingers into recently.
And the first of those players, Victor, is Simon edmonson
Defenseman four the Detroit Red Wings. A couple of things
I noticed as I was going over Evanson's status this year.
Lest he get lost in the mix with most Cider
on this team or even Axel Signdeine Pelica on the way,
or obscured by Detroit's continued struggles, Evanson is over twenty
one minutes a game this year and as of recording time,
twenty eight games, thirteen points all at even strength, no
power play points, and basically no power play time for Evanson.
He gets penaled to kill one minutes though with Cider
out there, so he is a jack of all trades.
He's actually dressed more games and played more minutes this
year than his first two years in combined for NHL time,
he has shot two blocks in a hit per game.
I suppose it's really about how much higher the slope
goes from here, which brings us to you, Victor, what
is your take on Simon Edmondson.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's really good, I think, is the bottom line.
And you mentioned the role that he's had. He really
hasn't been able to get into too many games up
until this year. Detroit likes to slope cook their players.
He's going to be twenty two this year in March,
and you could say that maybe he spent a little
bit too much time in the AHL. He was really
good there. But I think there's no question that he's
ready for this role now. And one of the things
you can see, I think this player card from Evolving
Hockey speaks a lot. He's in the ninety fifth percentile
for defense. He's just been an absolute beast at even
strength defending in all situations, and his offense has been
pretty good. He hasn't really gotten the opportunity, as you mentioned,
really negligible, almost accidental amount of power play time, and
I really think that he could do a bit more
with that. He has been a bash master in the past,
and it's nice to see him really increasing those hits blocks.
Of course, the time on ice over twenty one minutes helps,
but I think he can increase that even more, maybe
get a few more shots on goal. You see some
of the confidence growing in him in some of the games.
But I think the thing that I would most point
to is I was looking up at evolving Hockey. What
are the defensive What are the defensemen with the hardest
minutes in the NHL, the hardest, the best quality of competition.
The list goes like this. Number one more Ittsider, Number
two Simone Edvnson end of relevant list. That is some
pretty impressive company. This is all defensemen in the entire
league who play the hardest minutes, both on Detroit, both
relatively young and simone Edvonson is actually doing a bit
better than Cider in terms of expected goal differential. He's
driving play a little bit better. He's his offense is better,
his defense is better. Both things are better. So all
that is pretty impressive, and I can only imagine that
Red Wings fan must be screaming that if they had
at least a serviceable second and third pair, they could
actually be a much better team, which unfortunately they do not.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, and that brings us to the NHL rank
King Mason Black and the wonderful poll that he gave us.
It may not surprise you that he is up against
Kevin Korchinsky Korchynsky versus Simone Evanson, two defensemen who've been
in different trajectories. Korchyinsky taken one pick and one year
later than Edvonson, but had, as we've discussed and chronicled
on recent episodes, a very rough first season and now
is getting some time to simmer down in the AHL,
versus Evanson, who's already impressed a little bit coming up.
So it may not surprise you that Evanson wins this
poll handily, sixty seven percent to thirty three percent. Victor,
is that how you rank Korzhinsky and Edvonson?
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think so. It's hard to It's hard to
go against the guy who's doing such an impressive job
already in the NHL. I don't think that this is
necessarily a black mark against Korchinsky. I think he still
has a really bright future and ahead of him, and
I think that quite frankly, Chicago is doing the smart
thing by not just throwing him to the Wolves and
this really bad defensive team in Chicago right now, I
think it's better to have him play in Rockford. Gained
some confidence last year. Things were seemingly a little bit better,
but he still had a rough goal of it at times,
and so good to let him get his confidence back
up and then doing a team and have more of
a prominent role when he gets there. Korchinsky's equivalence, he
really took a huge hit last year when he was
in the NHL and didn't do a whole lot, But
now it's a bumped back up that he's producing eleven
points and twenty one games for Rockford. It's funny when
you look at the hockey prospecting between these two, because
Korchinsky looked like just such a megastar with his equivalency
playing on those WHL strong teams, and he was like
a sixty nine percent chance of being a star when
he graduated the model. He graduates the model this year
is what he's looking and Edvonson was just covering at
that thirteen percent chance, but we always felt like maybe
there was more for Edvonson. Part of it is he
didn't have a D minus one equivalent, see, and so
that kind of hurt him to build upon. But yeah,
I definitely think that I like Edvonson in terms of
all around. I think's his bash is super high and
I think he has more to give thirty five point
paces where it's at now with basically no opportunity. I
think that's only going to grow, and I think he
can be a forty to fifty point guy with massive bash,
and Katynski might have the higher points. Upside, there's some
other guys there. There's a lift shooing off there. Jones
is still gonna be kicking around for a while. I
think I would rather have Simo to Edmondson. The kind
of more sure thing is what I'm thinking.
Speaker 3: Sure, And that's the kind of fantasy player you see here,
Victor or where do you see this going?
Speaker 2: I do think that Edmondson should get more power play time.
I think he should get more of an opportunity to
run that. I don't think that this is this should
be most sider role to lose. But then there's also
Accidine sending Pelika coming in the wins, and I think
that he's gonna probably demand that a little bit more.
But I think that Edmondson could be like, you're a Petangelo,
You're justin falk type who doesn't really necessarily need the
top power play to be a valuable guy and has
really high bash, and so I think that he could
be that guy, whereas Korchinski it might be boom or bust,
and and same for Accine sending Pelika. I think that's
who see when Edvonson is a guy who can and
should get some power play time but probably won't demand it,
but also should be fine. I think really more or
less should be where more cider is. I think those
two are actually similar. It's un fortunately that they're on
the same team, and we'll probably eating each other's value
a little bit. But I think eventually, when they have
a stronger decoor, one will be on one pair and
one will be on the other, and maybe Edvonson can
play with asp and he'll get more offense that way.
Speaker 3: Victor, I've decided to throw a bunch of vaguely depressing
comps at you today. To get your open kind of
an over under will he surpass or will it be
similar to that? Because in the end, Victor, we all
turn into these guys. We all hope that these guys
are going to grow up to be superstars, but in
the end there's sometimes not quite the expectations that we
want to hit. And the guy pulled for this one, Victor,
I want to know, is he going to have upside
higher than Travis Sandheim in the end, because if you
look at Sandheim, he's been a half point, maybe a
third of a point, sometimes a little bit less, but
the shots hits blacks per game or are a similar
pace to what Edvonson gets now. And of course Sandheim
is never going to be one to get a ton
of power play time, but he gets a ton of
time on ice. What do you think of that, Victor,
If ten years from now or eight years from now,
you woke up and it turned out that Simon and
Evanson was Travis Sandheim, would you be shocked?
Speaker 2: No, I think that's actually a really appropriate comp Actually,
in Sandheim making the Four Nations roster, some people were
surprised by the did you see that? That hilarious point
when I think j Fresh was like talking about how
he was shocked at that inclusion, and then I believe
it was Joel Ferrabye or maybe connect and he said,
watch a game, and that's the reality is that he
is really good. He's a little bit Travis sin a
little bit understated, like he isn't flashy, but he's effective,
and I think more or less Simon and Edmonson could
be like that. I think Edvonson does have a little
bit more flash than that, and we have seen that
from Sanhem. At times, he'll show some offensive flair. I
think we all wish he did it more often, but
it's just not his game. He's just an excellent all
around defenseman and I think that's who Edmonson is. He's
already shown he can be one of the best defensive defensemen.
Will his offensive side grow, I don't know. It might
be pretty equivalent to where Travis Sandheim is. I think
that's actually a perfect come. I think if they ended
up being similar, I would not be shocked at all,
and I think I'd probably bet on that as opposed
to Edvonson being better.
Speaker 3: Next up Victory, we got Callum Ritchie apparently sometimes going
by cal according to some of the LANCH sources I
was looking at. He got seven games at the old
entry level slide this year with the Avalanche, followed by
the old NHL CHL transfer agreement boot all the way
back to Oshawa in the OHL, where presumably he will
spend the rest of his season. He has been known
to get a few hits in his cup of seven
cups of coffee. Seven cups of coffee victory. I have
that before lunchtime every day. But he got seven cups
of coffee this year. He got three hits on opening night,
and he ended up getting seven in those seven games.
Even got a touch of power play. Two time. I
watched a video or inspired by our buddy Meg Angley,
who's been on the show. I went and looked at DMVR.
Wasn't her video, but they had a nice one when
he was sent back to the OHL and broke down
some of the things he wasn't doing right. Their basic
idea at that time was he's just not up to
the speed of the NHL game. Yet he was worse
on the team and plus minus if you care about
such things. But even if you don't, he was also
worst on the team and COURSEI for the Avalanche of
that time, and obviously, look, he's what nineteen years old,
he can't go to the AHL. Think he's at nineteen
he can't go to the AHL, and they needed to
send him all the way back down so they can
only give him a certain type of tryout. Maybe it
was all part of the plan and it's not expected
that he was going to thrive at this point. He's
on the list to be potentially on Canada's World junior team,
so we might see some good things for him there.
It's really hard. What he did in the NHL probably
is no way to judge what he ultimately could be
in the NHL. It's the thing that teams do sometimes
to give net early touch, especially with the Abs being
as shorthanded as they were at the start of the season. Victor,
I'm talking around it, but rhyn't you summarize who you're
Richie to be as a player.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think he's a really effective player. I think
he's People may be surprised to see how good he is. Way.
I think, as you mentioned, some of the speeds, some
of the things that he was not up for quite
yet in the NHL is totally reasonable. I think he's
going to get there. One of the things about him,
he's super smart and he reads the play really well.
He reacts, he adapts, and I think you started to
see that in his NHL action, but it just he
wasn't quite there, and it was fine. The right decision
was to send him back, and I think he's going
to be better for it. But I do think that
he's going to be potentially a full time or even
next year, or be close to that level. And I
think that the Avs might even be penciling him into
that middle six role as soon as next year. I
think he can make that jump. I think he's someone
who might end up being a bit better in real
life than he is in fantasy. But I think he
still has the potential to take that next step and
develop that offense. So I think that if anyone's disappointed
in him, this might be a good opportunity to get
him for sure.
Speaker 3: And the NHL ranking, Mason Black put up the poll
Calum Ritchie versus Consta Helenius, the first round pick of
the Buffalo Sabers last year. I love Hellennius, but the
people loved cal Ritchie Moore. They picked him fifty seven
to forty three percent, Victor. Is that the same way
that you would rank the two.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I'm gonna go Richie. I like Hellnius.
I think that he has a really high floor, but
I think the upside with Richie might just be a
little bit higher. Helenius, who tried to play for as
many possible teams as he could last year, it was
hard to evaluate him just because he was playing in
the Liga. He played at the UA teens, at the
World Championship, the World Junior U twenty, like, just so
many different levels. This year, he should spend pretty much
the whole year at in the AHL, although probably we'll
be on the World Junior roster as well. We'll see,
but yeah, I think that he's just more safe. Maybe
we'll see more dynamism from him, but I see more
of a safe, rounded player, whereas Richie I think has
a lot of those details to his game too, but
I think he can be more of a score between
the two. Even though the hockey prospecting clearly leans Helenius
right now, I think I would rather have Richie. His
proximity to the NHL and his ability to still grow
his offensive game. I'm taking him.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Helenia's course is playing in the AHL right now,
so he's getting a little of opportunity at presumably a
higher level than Richie, but he hasn't been seen in
the NHL.
Speaker 2: Yet.
Speaker 3: What kind of I like when I hear you talk
about Richie and scoring here, what kind of fantasy player
is this guy gonna end up being?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it really depends on how the Avalanche
decided to use him, because I think he's shown that
he probably could play down the middle, and I think
that they would like him to. In my notes here,
I was mentioning how the Avalanche haven't really been the
same since they lost Nazem Kadri. I think Casey Middlestat
has been pretty decent, but I think they still lack
some of the things that they are missing from a
guy like Kadri who middle status. Isn't that player some
of the more tenacity, some of the more physicality, And
we're Richie could be that guy. So if he's down
the middle, I think that he has maybe a little
bit less scoring opportunity, But if they move him to
the wing, and depending who he's playing with, I think
he certainly could touch point per game. But I think
he's probably more of a sixty to seventy point guy.
Is probably where I'm projecting him to be. A lot's
going to depend on his opportunity and how he develops,
whether that offense, whether more of that offense comes or not.
Speaker 3: And Victor my vaguely depressing comp for this guy just
said in it as the over under and asking you
which way to go with it. Robbie for Brie is
also a middle sixer type center who in his best
years has crossed a half point per game threshold, in
his worst years has been a bit under that has
gets about a hit a game, plays sixteen seventeen minutes
out there, didn't take a whole lot of shots. Is
you think cal Ritchie very likely to end up with
a better career than Robbie for Brie.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I do think that Richie is going to be better.
One of the interesting things about Fabri which you don't
always are hard to adjust for, but he's definitely not
as good of a two way player. I think Fabrie
needs a very specific situation, and I think that Richie's
versatility might end up hurting him, but it also can
really help him have a more prominent role in the NHL,
so that's where I think it can really help him,
and I do think he has as much, if not
more offensive potential than Fabry, but also has a lot
more well rounded game that should allow him more opportunities,
more minutes, all those kinds of things, which was always
a bit of an issue with Fabri, who never really
had too much time on ice. In fact, this is
nice that you have this, yere. He never crested more
than seventeen to twenty average time on ice in any
of his seasons, which I think speaks a lot about
the player. He definitely wasn't trusted with a little bit
more ice time and had more of a sheltered well.
I don't think that's going to be the case for Richie,
which could go either way, but I would definitely rather
vote rather bet on him.
Speaker 3: All right, very good. Next up, Victor. We got Jackson Blake,
who's prospects of the cool kids already love Victor. Yes,
the Kings prospects we always love when Carolina drafts anybody,
and Jackson Blake certainly has gotten the love, and in fact,
probably of all the players, I think I got to
think ahead to the other ones that are coming up.
But of all the players that we're talking about today,
this guy's probably establishing himself the most in the NHL. Already.
Chatfield is on the fourth line, but in terms of
goals above replacement, he's kicking it right now. He's doing
extremely well, especially on the even strength offense. And what
do you want to tell us? What is your perception
of Jackson Blake for us? Oh?
Speaker 2: Man, this guy is so good. If you haven't had
the pleasure of watching you, who should because he is
really good. He's really good in so many different ways.
He's very adaptable, he's smart. I think you saw some
of these habits in college. He plays a really pro game,
and we talked about this last episode with the tidy
Admiral Ryan and I just really impressed with his game.
He tries things that sometimes young players don't try. But
you can also see that Rod Brendamore trusts him. He's
a very responsible player. He doesn't cheat just for offense,
and he's able to turn some of that two way
play into offense and produce even with limited minutes. I
think that's one of the impressive things. Not everyone can
do that. It's hard when you go from playing twenty
five minutes, you know, in college and being the guy
and being a Hopie Baker finalists, to all of a sudden,
you're playing in the NHL, and not just the pace
and all that, but you're playing eleven minutes and forty
seconds of time on ice. That's really hard to basically
play less than half as much, but he's been able
to make the most of it. He doesn't necessarily have
the most exciting linemates, but he's still pump a thirty
point pace out of that. I think if you went
on points per sixty, he'd be doing a lot better.
So I think that there's a lot to be excited about.
If you give him some even modestly better line mates
than William carry A, Jack Dury Tyson, Joe Eric Robinson,
is Berry, Ko Kannami, I think the results would be
much better. I think he's someone who can play at
the top of the lineup, and I think he's showing
that absolutely.
Speaker 3: And the NHL rankking Pole puts him up against Nashville
Predators prospect matthew Wood would of course first rounder in
twenty twenty three, versus Blake, who was a fourth rounder
in twenty twenty one and right now Blake is kicking
it over the relatively bluer blooded matthew Wood, who's still
an NCAA player. At this point, Blake is head in
this competition fifty eight to forty two, Victor. Is that
accurate to how you see these two?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm definitely taking Jackson Blake. It's hard to not
take the guy who's already in the NHL doing it.
Sometimes you have to think about what the other player
could be. And I think we actually just talked about
Wood on this patron cast that Shane and I did,
so patrons can listen to that. But he has more
questions does matthew Wood. He has the frame, he has
a shot, he has a lot of very attractive tools,
and he's doing well in the NCAA this year. I
just still have concerns about Wood in the sense that
he needs a facilitator. He needs someone to do a
lot of things for him in order to be successful,
and so that might actually limit his opportunity. Like right now,
you see in college he has Oliver Moore being his
center and that is really helping him more as a
very fleet of foot athletic center, and matthew Wood needs
all of that and he's not getting it. He's getting
it now, but he might not get it in the future,
and so that's a little bit of a concern that
you have to worry about. This is what does not
worry me at all about Jackson Blake. He doesn't really
need anyone. You see him producing and making incredible plays
and doing what he's doing with the worst, the least
offensively gifted of the Carolina Hurricanes, and so that is
really impressive and I think he just has a higher
ceiling based on that and what could be wrong. We'll see.
One of the scouts reached out after this Bowl and
was like, oh, you gotta go. Would just with all
that size, frame and potential And I was like, yeah,
look at what Look at what Jackson Blake is doing.
It's hard to ignore that. And so that was an
interesting and back and forth. I would definitely take Blake, though, Jesse.
Speaker 3: All right, and now I'm going to stack him up
or wait, let's first, I want to know what kind
of fantasy player. Then does this guy turn out to be?
What kind of a profile?
Speaker 2: I think you could stay on the same team and
say that he looks like a Seth Jarvis type, a
Swiss Army knife who could do anything. And I think
the points can get as high as what you're seeing
from Jarvis's recently breaking out into being this star player
making Team Canada for the Four Nations. I believe he
made it right. Yeah, that's really impressive. I think he can.
I think he can get there. I think he can
be a sixty to seventy point guy, and in the
right situation with power play time, he can maybe be
even more, which tends not to happen on Carolina, But
I still think that's who he can be.
Speaker 3: All right, Victor In my more pessimistic over under that
I'm setting here, Partially this is inspired by the fact
he's put up a lot more goals than assists this
year so far, and I don't know whether that is
actually telling. That's not necessarily what his stat profile was
in college. But what do you think about him versus
Brandon Sod's career said, of course, all rookie team, he
once made an All Star team. He cressed it up
in the mid fifties for a point pace, and now
in his early thirties, he's definitely more in Trench's middle
six fringe contributor can Jackson Blake have a better career
than Brandon Sad Victor.
Speaker 2: I think he can certainly will he. I don't know.
That's a difficult that's a difficult one. I think I
would talk about players who just frustrate you in fantasy
saw It is definitely one of those guys, because he
will do things sometimes right and make you believe he's
always dangled that carrot out there, and then sometimes he
will just do absolutely nothing for weeks on end, and
it just makes you want to pull all your hair out.
So I think, I mean, I definitely think that Jackson
Blake can be better. I also think he will be better.
I think he has more versatile skills. I think he
has more offense to give. I think Brandon Soad is
also one of those safe players as a coach that
you just put out there in lots of different situations
and that he can drive play and that he can
help your team, but you also don't necessarily need him
to produce points, which is frustrating for us. But I
think Blake is someone who's gonna who's gonna dictate having
a little bit more offensive role on opportunity. Maybe that
won't happen this year or even next. But I think
he is that player who is gonna rise to the
top of the lineup and be your Seth Jarvis type,
and so I would definitely take Blake.
Speaker 3: All right, Yeah, and again a different style of play.
I was looking more for that goal oversus type guy.
And I suspect anybody who is playing fantasy hockey like
we were Victor in the late twenty tens probably ended
up with Brandon Sod on them there. I'm never going
to draft this guy again. List at some point if
you drafted him at all. Ever, that is what he
did for you. Following that, let's take a moment of
silence for Brandon's sod and we'll be right back on
the other side of this break.
Speaker 2: Selfish hockey's right, selfish break.
Speaker 3: It down, Skate the fuck, don't bass, It's still gonna
be there.
Speaker 2: And you got jumps on.
Speaker 3: Taking coast to coast talking for a still shot bad bounced.
That's a good breakaway.
Speaker 2: I get the bounced boys, Victor.
Speaker 3: Next up, another guy I know you liked because we
have to to her, and I believe it was even
on the show emil Andre you've talked about recently. I
felt like He was a cult hero of mine last year,
but now he's not hipster. He is all the way
in here, Victor, You're on record as a big fan.
He's an undersized defenseman with a shot one and a
half blocks in a hit per game, with a smatter
and a points so far this year. A couple of
weeks ago, John Tortorella said of his young defenseman in
a press conference that Andre had moxie. I like to
hear about Torterella saying that guys have moxi and are
looking impressive out there. He's been getting some power playtime
on ice. They put him out there with Rasmus wrist
Alonen and don't fear, which tells you that they must
have some faith in the defense from this young man. So,
Emil Andre, Victor, what is your take on this man's profile.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm a huge fan of him and Andre at
this point, I've written a lot of these articles. On
a lot of times, I have an idea about the
player when I go into it. I really try to
keep an open mind. But a lot of times it's
like your suspicions are confe based on what they're more
or less conservative, and you're like Okay, yeah, I have
an idea of what's going on here, but this is
one where it completely caught me off. Carl I did.
I've always liked them Andrea, as you said, he's been
I've been a fan of his. He's an undersized guy
who always had good two way play and was more
physical than you thought. But I really did not know
that he was this good when I started looking into
him more, and not just like in the past. But
what he's been doing on the Flyers so far this
season has been truly impressive. He is getting he's not
just getting the role, he's thriving in it. And he's
getting the fifth most ice time right now average time
on ice total, and so Sanhaim York have been a
little bit ahead of him. He's been been that mixed
with rust Linen and Drysdale and then yeah, you mentioned
the power play time is really the big issue, and
they've been shifting that all around and Drysdale has been
getting a lot of it, Andrea has been getting it
a little bit more recently. But that's always been a
problem in Philly. But man, Andrea is just so good.
He's already so good so early in his career. I
think that's the part that's most impressive. Nineteen games in
and he's an eighty six percentile for defense in the league,
and offensively he's at sixtieth percentile. You look at his
expected offensive creation versus his actual goals, and you can
tell that the team around him is just not converting.
When he's on the ice. He's creating a ton of
offense that's not going anywhere, that's dying on the sticks
of his teammates, and that's a little bit of frustrating.
But no, he's really good. This also doesn't happen to
me very often, but I actually sent out trade offers
and every single league I'm in as soon when I
finished writing this article, because I was like, oh my god,
I want this guy, and every team I have I
can get him on. And I only got him on
four teams, which was disappointing. But I really like him,
and I think that everyone should go look right now
and see if he's available in your dynasty league, because
he is proving it at the top level. He's proving
he can play it even strength. He's getting some power
player opportunity. I think he has even more to get.
But he is also just about to turn twenty three,
so he's not super young, and he's had some HL time,
but I think there's even more improvement to come from
m Landre.
Speaker 3: That's the right Victor and the NHL ranking to back
you up. Put him up against Topy Niamella of the
Toronto Maple Leafs, who's he's playing for the Marles right now.
But Andre in an absolute stomping seventy six to twenty
four percent. The universe shares your Andre love Victor. Is
that an accurate rack and stack?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Isn't it funny to see Maple Leaf prospect not
completely went out? I was surprised by that. I get
there's a lot of Flyers fans too, but I think
there's some frustration with Niamela. I think that he has
been doing pretty well in the HL for the Marles.
I think maybe some people were hoping he'd do a
little bit better, but there's not really a whole lot
of room for him at the NHL level. He'd have
to really bust the door down, but he's been doing
well there. I'm just not sure that he is that
offensive guy that some people thought he once was, and
Andre is just I think there's some recency bias there
him killing it in the NHL, I think it's hard
for It's hard to find someone that you'd be more
excited about. And Mason even said he had a hard
time finding a comp for Andre someone who's in that
similar situation, young ish breaking into the league. But yeah,
I would definitely, very clearly take Andre here, and I
think that he also in the hockey prospecting looks a
lot better, like his star potential has just been trending
up and up, whereas DMLS was a little bit more
flat lined. So yeah, very easily, m Andre Jesse, I
am ready for your crazy stat unless you have another question.
Speaker 3: For me, where are we going with a fantasy player?
Then here?
Speaker 2: Man, it's so hard to project anything in Philly because
they just moved their roles all around. I think that
for a long time there was questions about, Oh, it's
gonna be Cam York's, it's gonna be Jimmie Drysdale's. We've
seen the power play opportunity been given to a bunch
of different people. Even Eager Zamula Sanaheim has had some
So a lot of it's going to depend on the
power play time. I think if you have a coach
like Towards who rewards strong even strength play with power
play time. I think that Emma Laundry is going to
get a ton of that, So I think that's going
to really help him. I think, as I mentioned, you
should try to acquire him before that expected offense turns
into actual offense, because he really is generating a ton
and it's just not going in yet, but it will.
There's gonna be some correction on that, and he's gonna
get some offensive, more offensive production. So I think he
can be like a forty ish plus guy even without
a ton of power play time and pretty decent bash.
So that's that's who I think he can be. He
should get a ton of minutes. He's already earning a
lot of minutes, and I think that he can continue
to get more. And you might think because he's five eleven,
five to nine or whatever that he's not physical. Well,
oh no, he's just fine there. Like he hits and
blocks at least one per game and sometimes you get
a couple in there. He's not a big shooter right now,
but that might change. But he's getting He's already getting
almost twenty minutes of ice in his first nineteen games.
That's pretty incredible. That is only going to grow, and
I think he's he could be future like top liner
or at least top four second pairing. I would say
at worse is where I think he's probably gonna end up.
Speaker 3: Okay, Victor, And where I set my weird over under
with Emil Andre was Tory Krug. Would you believe Tory
Krug never had more than fifty nine points in a season,
even in his helsey on Boston days. But obviously we
always bring up Tory Krug, and we're talking about a
tiny defenseman, these five nine ish type guys, And of
course Tory Krug has lived off power play time throughout
his career and has never rung up the hits. Although
he's generally around he's bitter at about a hit per
game through through most of his prime. He's probably a
little past that right now, in around twenty twenty one minutes.
So I think think what I was hearing you say,
more physicality, more time on ice, perhaps less power play time,
perhaps more points. Is that what I got out of
what you said? Victor Or? How would you compare the
stat line we're going to end up getting for fantasy
to mister Krug.
Speaker 2: I think Krug will probably have more points. I don't
know that Emilon. I guess anything's possible, but I don't
really think that he has a fifty nine point season,
so that is probably going to go to Krug. But
I think that Andre is certainly going to have more
bash and more all around valued in that sense. The
points is really the part where I'm notatually I think
he will be similar except for that outlier season. I
think most of what I see on kruge stat line
is that forty to fifty ish point guy with a
couple of spikes above that, and I think that's who
Andre can be. I think in general though his points
upside is probably just under Krug. But I think the
bash and the other stats a few and tidy where
you value Fenwick and play driving than I think Andre's
value is much much higher.
Speaker 3: All right, And the I believe the last one we
have up for today, Marco Casper. I know you've been
breaking down video of him and posting it up on
the interwebs this week that people ow to check out
an Austrian centiment within a full time NHL A these days,
A second Detroit player for discussion today. A second member
that Red Wings lineup, he has the most even strength
defensive goals above replacement of all Detroit forwards. Put more simply,
he's the most effective even strength forward on defense for Detroit.
The heat zone chart is very weird for his on
off because there are incredibly red reds and blue blues
when he's on the ice, So some areas are way
worse than the average. Some areas are way better. Luckily
for Casper, the area that just drops into a dead
zone is right in front of the net. If Casper's
out there, people simply do not score in the net front.
He plays a middle six role, mostly with pastex schemer
Jonathan Bergren and agent shooter vlad Tarasenko, although occasionally he's
also been getting time recently with Patrick Kane. Casper has
to be one of the happier stories for the Wings
this year, Victor, But the offense not quite what the
defense has been. Can you summarize your perception of Casper.
Speaker 2: I think it's basically that that the offense isn't quite
what we all hoped it would be, and there was
hope that he would have a little bit more offense
than he has shown. But I think you have to
hone in and focus on The defense has been exceptional.
He's twenty five games in his NHL career and he's
ranking in the top ninety first percentile in all of
the NHL for defense. That's incredible for a twenty year old.
And I think that the Red Wings have been, you know,
having a lot trying out a lot of different guys.
They found their top line center. Dylan Larkin is clearly
their top center, and he's incredible, and he can do
a lot of things, and I think he can take
this team to some pretty impressive heights. But the question
is the question has been who do they have behind
and who is going to be that next level player
that kind of helps provide them a lot of support.
And I would say personally, they tried a bunch of
different things and they really overspent. They paid j T
Comfort Andrew Kopp five million plus each to be that
second line center, and they just are not that player,
I don't think, and I think that they have found
him with Marco Casper, they have found their second line center.
I think he fits that role quite nicely. Is the
our offense to give is really the big question, and
that I'm really not sure about I talk when the
article goes into talking about some different aspects of his
game and what we can expect and what other people think,
and the consensus is that we're not really sure that
it's going to come. He might be more of a
forty to fifty point guy, but a defensive specialist, maybe
like your next Jordan Stall Jesse, which certainly not that
exciting for fantasy but can have some certainly can have
some value at times and can be worth rostering and
depending on the right situation in the right week some
when you might stream in, but unless you're in a
super deep league, that is certainly not a name that
gets you excited.
Speaker 3: Jordan Stall is sort of an eternal fixture on your
waiver wire, if you have a waiver wire where you
stream in fantasy, Jordan Stall's name multiple times a day.
That's what I have to tell you, just because he's
always productive, but usually not quite productive enough to be
on your roster in a strictly points type format. So
Mason Black, the NHL ranking put Marco Casper up against
Michael Brand said Nigard and one of our Norwegian fellas.
I believe drafty this year for the Red Wings as well.
He's a year younger even though he was drafted two
years later brand sick ne Guard and he's playing over
in the SHL right now. The people have spoken and
the man who's already been successful in the NHL to
some level won the pull over the newly drafted fella
back over in the SHL, but only sixty forty for
Casper over bransickne Guard. Is that the way you would
compare these two?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I'm definitely going Casper here, and I
don't I wouldn't really worry too much about. It's funny
because a lot of people were saying how these players
are so similar, and even Nate Danielson from last year,
how these players are all similar. Are good defensively, good
two way, but not a whole lot of offense, and
that was all disappointing. I think that there is some
some good hope here in terms of the depth that
they're creating. Michael Bransig ni Guard, by the way, they
I believe the highest ever drafted Norwegian player at fifteenth overall,
which is pretty cool and good for him, and I
think that he can be a decent player, and maybe
there's still more to give here for Brenswick Nieguard his
in case people are wondering, he first of all, he's
really old for that draft class last year, and so
he's already nineteen. He'll be nineteen all of this season.
He's playing in the SHL for Shileftia, who's a really
pretty good team. Seven points in seventeen games. He was
with Mora of the Fenskan last year, so he's on
loan playing in the SHL, which is good to get
that improvement and maybe he will show that there's still
a little bit more offense to give right now, Looking
at the PNHA League between Bransickna Guard this year, it's
only like at forty six, whereas Casper is at thirty
one based on his NHL time, so it looks like
it might be Bransick nie Guard, but it's really tough
to say. And Casper was certainly more productive at a
younger age in a similar league, so I think that
there's a lot less hope for MBD MBN to create
that more offense. Looking at the hockey prospecting between the
two that it's funny because they're going a similar downwards
jectory in their D plus one season, both these guys
were at nine percent chance of being a star and
then Casper turning it down to one percent. My brasigneguard
might similarly decrease and fall off, so we'll have to
see if that's the case. But yeah, I definitely like
Mirchao Caspi here. But again, both these guys are not
super exciting.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Casper's not scoring much. I suppose that hurts his
star probability is that he gets up and then isn't
a big score. But certainly, again, like you said, he's
going to get the minutes that some good things are
probably going to happen for him on the ice. That's
pretty much for a fantasy player here, Victor. Is this
is going to be a guy who is a real
world over fantasy. Is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 2: Unfortunately, I'm probably gonna have to stick with the Jordan
Stall comparable and as you said, someone who's eternally interesting
on the wire, but probably not someone that you want
to hold on to for years and hope that he
becomes more because that might be worth more in a
trade or some other player movement that gives you a
different opportunity.
Speaker 3: Yep, it might be something where if he has a
nice run of success as a young player. Maybe that's
the time to sell because there might be just a
point at which he has a nice scoring run and
people see age twenty and positive metrics. But yeah, it'd
be hard to say. All right, Victor, that is going
to do it for our X gamers today, five great
ones and as always, people should definitely go and check
out the accompanying articles. I don't think I saw the
Marco Kasper one come out yet. Has that come out yet, Victor?
Speaker 2: It came out, I believe today or yesterday, just right
as well. Okay, so it's out now.
Speaker 3: But yeah, okay, it's just coming out. Yeah, but there
are articles for all these are behind the paywall, but
talk on it. Come on EP ring side. It's worth it.
It's worth it. You got to pay Victor's bill somehow, man,
I guess there are other ways to do that too,
if you're listening here. But in any event, it's good stuff.
I enjoyed the articles, and yeah, people, just as a mention,
you can go out on Fantasy Hockey Life YouTube too
and see you cut up Marco Casper. There are other
guys that we talked about today that you did videos.
Speaker 2: For so all the guys that we talk about always
have YouTube videos and that is all free at Fantasy
Hockey Life YouTube channel. So if you're not if you're
not wanting or can't contribute to ep ringside, which just
has a whole plethora of fantastic stuff, not including my stuff,
then if you can always go to YouTube and just
see the clips. It's always broken down into a few
different skills, like whether it's scoring, passing, playmaking, physicality, defensive game.
So there's usually like a theme and there's usually several
clips in each and that's all free. So subscribe to
the YouTube channel. It's free. You get to watch some
cool stuff that the prospects are doing and get a
good sense of what the article might be saying, even
if you don't read it.
Speaker 3: I bet some of you people didn't even realize that,
So I'm glad to have reiterated, Okay, Victor, let's take
a break. We're gonna come back and pull os out
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You heard reference to those articles today. Look, I'm just
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