Frozen Fantasy: Early Dealing

What would you do if you were offered Leon Draisaitl – he of a possible concussion and eye abrasion – for 75 cents on the dollar? It happened to me Friday in the Yahoo! Friends and Family League.

I dove right in.

The price? Mika Zibanejad – the man in the midst of an early breakout and full of multi-categorical goodness.

Admittedly, there's risk. Draisaitl's vision is impaired, although by all accounts, it appears to be improving.

I did blink a couple times – eye issues are unpredictable and they can be life altering. Just ask Bryan Berard.

Plus there's Zibanejad's breakout. It's in progress. He had five goals in his first four games; four of those goals came on the power play. And let's not forget the 20 shots in that span.

Still, I hit 'Accept' just before midnight Friday night.

Seventy-five percent of what I predicted for Draisaitl is still better than a Zibanejad breakout.

I don't usually make trades this early in the season. It's almost always been a rule.

But rules are meant to be broken, as long as it's for the right reasons. Leon Draisaitl is the right reason.

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

Sven Andrighetto, LW/RW, Colorado (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Last year, Andrighetto probably fought back tears after being traded from Montreal to the Colorado scrapyard. But man, what a difference a few months make. The Avs are off to a better start than the Habs and Andrighetto is showing he can deliver offense when given the opportunity. This guy is on the top line and has three-straight, two-point games, including three goals. And he has dual-wing eligibility. The lines will be shuffled once Matt Duchene gets dealt, but that doesn't seem like it's going to happen soon. Welcome to the bandwagon, wee Sven.

Nick Bjugstad, RW/C, and Jared McCann, LW/C, Florida (3 and 0 percent Yahoo! owned, respectively) – These two have found chemistry on the kitties' third line and have each put up consecutive two-point games. Bjugstad is big and talented, but has struggled as a pivot. Enter the talented McCann, who has struggled centering pylons on the fourth line. They're feeding off each other and while they're still skating in limited ice time, they are giving the Panthers a deep and offensive top-nine. As long as they continue to play protected minutes, Bjugstad and McCann will deliver depth production, especially with each having dual eligibility.

Louis Domingue, G, Arizona (2 percent Yahoo! owned) – Antti Raanta is hurt already, so Domingue could get some immediate ice time. It remains to be seen if he can pull off much of anything behind that squad. But you don't know until you stash him. Maybe success won't be a mirage in the desert.

Gustav Forsling, D, Chicago (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Forsling caught my eye Tuesday after he took a puck to the chops that resulted in 15 stitches. All INSIDE his mouth. Ouch. But take a look at what he has accomplished on the ice so far. Forsling has four assists, including two on the power play, in five games. Yes, he's young and relatively inexperienced, but he's taking advantage of the opportunity provided. Five of the Hawks' top-seven defenders from last season are out of the picture, so Forsling is going to get lots of time. He could deliver 35-40 points this season; you might as well get that on your roster sooner rather than later.

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg (39 percent Yahoo! owned) – I don't usually include guys with ownership this high. But my money has been Hellebuyck, not Steve Mason, to emerge as the starter. So, 39 percent isn't that bad. Hellebuyck is talented and coach Paul Maurice will ride the hot hand. Check your wire just to see if there's a chance he's out there.

Carter Hutton, G, St. Louis (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – A lot of fantasy owners carry a disproportionate number of goalies. We all seem to have that 'just-in-case' attitude. So, Hutton is a smart add to your roster, either as a handcuff or as a daily league dude. He's good and the team is strong. So, even if he gets just 20-25 starts, you're still looking at up to 15 wins and sweet ratios. You won't be able to take advantage of all of those wins – you'll likely have limited spots open and he wouldn't replace one of your studs. But you never know when you actually need that insurance.

Alex Killorn, LW, Tampa Bay (7 percent Yahoo! owned) – Killorn had the game of his life Thursday night. He potted as many helpers as he has fingers on one hand, including a couple on the power play. Killorn's hockey sense and versatility have landed him on the Bolts' second line and he has gobbled up the opportunity. His career mark is 40 points – and that's about to be eclipsed. That is, if he stays in the top six. Snap him up right now. He won't continue at this pace, but he could flirt with 55-60 points if all the stars align. And that makes him an excellent Yahoo! fantasy play.

Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Montreal (2 percent Yahoo! owned) – This is a watch alert. Lehkonen was promoted to the Habs' top line this week and while he has no points (yet), he hasn't looked out of place. There is NO REASON a top-line player should be unowned in Yahoo! formats. OK, so there is – if your league is just six teams deep. Or if your leaguemates are asleep. The Habs have to start scoring soon. Lehkonen could surprise. Really surprise.

John Moore, D, New Jersey (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Some whiskies start out perfect. Others need some time in the barrel to mature. Moore is the latter. Now, I know he's not going to be a stud. But Moore is a mobile, two-way defender who might just mature into Anton Stralman-lite. Moore is skating on the Devils' second pairing and has actually managed a goal and an assist in three games. His mobility is beautiful to watch. Remember, this guy was a coveted first-round draft pick. I hope he ends up being as good as one of those fancy label Johnnie Walker whiskeys.

Chris Stewart, LW/RW, Minnesota (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Whoa. Stewart has never lived up to expectations, but there's no explanation for how he should be ignored by 99 percent of Yahoo! owners. Heading into Saturday, this one-time 28-goal scorer was riding a three-game goal (and point) streak with a total of four snipes and one dish. Stewart is 30, but on the top line. Minny – and coach Bruce Boudreau – seems to be the place where veteran players go to resurrect their offense. Remember Eric Staal?

Anton Stralman, D, Tampa Bay (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – Stralman's best offensive days are over. But he's still a stabilizing, two-way defender who will give you decent production in multiple categories. Especially plus-minus. Stralman's first four games have resulted in three assists and a remarkable plus-8 rating. Stralman is an excellent offset for those one-zone wonders on your squad.

Nail Yakupov, RW, Colorado (14 percent Yahoo! owned) – Nail is finally looking like the guy that was drafted as a potential offensive stud. Yakupov has already equaled his goal total from 40 games last season in St. Loo (three). And heading into Friday's tilt, he had five points (three goals, two assists) in four games. His plus-6 rating won't last, but he's a top-six player that has clicked with Matt Duchene. Use him for a couple months until Duchene is traded. I am.

Back to Draisaitl.

My trade partner is desperately trying to unpack an auto-draft roster that he inherited after the draft. He's already playing with the deck stacked against him. And the harsh reality is that he knows full well that he can't afford to lose traction to an injury. Even a week of lost production could put him in an insurmountable hole.

We both won something in the deal. He got immediate, continued production in categories he must climb. And I got a guy on the undroppable list that I can sit on for a while as he heals.

Right now, though, I feel like I got a gift. Now, I'm going to pray for that eye to heal. A lot.

Until next week.