Fantasy Hockey Monday: Week 1 Recap

The first week of NHL hockey is in the books. Despite the shortened week, there were more impressive single player stat lines than I expected, including 15 guys with 4 or more points. Also, I was proud that a lot of the guys I mentioned in my previous posts had nice weeks, and I even called an injury.

THREE STARS

Each week I will be giving out the 3 stars of the week at each position (Forward, Defense, Goalie). Each player will be rewarded points based on what star they receive (1st Star gets 3 points, 2nd Star gets 2 points, 3rd Star gets 1 point), which I will keep track of throughout the season, so at the end of 2015-16, we can see who was the most valuable fantasy contributor at each position.

Forwards

* Gabriel Landeskog - 3 Goals, 2 Assists (1 PPA), 4 PIM, 3 Shots, 7 Hits, 4 Blocks, 2 Games

I gave Landy the #1 star because of two things - 1) he got some PIMs, Hits, and Blocks in, and 2) He did all of this in just 2 games.

** Patrick Kane - 3 Goals (1 PPG, 1 GWG), 3 Assists, 17 Shots, 3 Games

17 shots in one week is awesome. 6 Points in one week is awesomer.

*** Zach Parise - 4 Goals (2 PPG, 1 GWG), 10 Shots, 2 Games

Yes, 3 of these goals came in the first game of the season, but that means nothing in fantasy. This a nice week for a full schedule, yet Zach only needed 2 games to get it.

Defensemen

* Francois Beauchemin - 5 Assists (2 PPA), 6 Shots, 12 Blocks, 2 Games

Don't expect this kind of participation from Beauchemin too often. 5 Assists and 12 Blocks is remarkable and he did it in just 2 games.

** Dion Phaneuf - 3 Assists (2 PPA), 6 PIMs, 8 Shots, 5 Blocks, 3 Games

A pretty nice stat line for a guy on one of the worst teams in the league. He actually finished the week with a plus 1, too. I like that he not only picked up some points, but they came on the power play. I also like that he managed 8 shots.

*** P.K. Subban - 4 Assists, +5, 7 Blocks, 3 Games

Except for the 4 Assists, this is a pretty unremarkable stat line. I don't think this type of week will get you a Star of the Week most other weeks, but the shortened start allowed P.K. to sneak on.

Goalies

* Pekka Rinne - 2 Starts, 2 Wins, 1 Shutout, .982 SV%

2 Starts. 2 wins. 1 shutout. Pretty nice, especially for the shortened week.

** Martin Jones - 2 Starts, 2 Wins, 1 Shutout, .979 SV%

Almost identical to Rinne's numbers. That .003 SV% difference cost him the #1, though.

*** Henrik Lundqvist - 3 Starts, 3 Wins, 100 Saves, 2.01 GAA, .943 SV%

3 for 3 for the King. Pretty nice for him, and even nicer for his fantasy owners. This type of thing is going to continue all season long.

WAIVER WIRE

As I said in my first post, I will generally only mention players that are owned in less than 55% of leagues.

Francois Beauchemin - 5 Assists (2 PPA), 6 Shots, 12 Blocks, 2 Games

Our first star of the week defenseman is probably worth an add. He's on a new team that is chocked with offensive talent, and thus far he seems to be fitting in well. He only had 23 points last season, but that is obviously going to improve this year. Plus, he does all of the gritty fantasy things you want from your 4th defenseman.

Artemi Panarin - 2 Goals (1 GWG), 2 Assists, 8 Shots, 3 Games

Did you know this dude outscored teammate Ilya Kovalchuk in the KHL regular season? I didn't either until just two minutes ago. I won't often say this about a waiver wire player, but I will say it about this guy: Get him ASAP. He could be the pickup of the year, and you could make it happen in Week 1.

Dylan Larkin - 1 Goal, 2 Assists, +6, 10 Shots, 3 Games

Commenter Don't Toews Me, Bro! brought this guy to my attention in the comments of my Rookies to Watch post. Don't Toews Me, Bro! was right. He's skating on a terrific line (Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader), so as long as that continues, he may be worth a pickup. If he drops down to the 3rd line, then probably not so much.

Max Domi - 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 4 Shots, 2 Games

I mentioned Max in my Rookies to Watch post, and he started his career on a good foot with a goal and assist in his first game. Keep an eye on him over the next week, especially if he gains eligibility at the thin RW position.

DEVILS FANTASY VALUE

Mike Cammalleri - 1 Goal, 2 PP Assists, 4 Shots

Jiri Tlusty - 1 Goal (1 PPG), 1 Assist, 3 Shots, 4 Hits

As expected, the Devils did not put up a whole lot of offense. Tlusty had a nice start for us, but Cammy is still the only Devils skater worth owning. With that said, I just dropped Cammy an hour ago for Artemi Panarin in one of the leagues I'm in.

Anyone else I missed on the waiver wire that is worth an add? Did I skip over anyone for the Stars of the Week? Let me know in the comments below or Tweet me @MattMowrerSays.