Avalanche Bolster Center Depth, Win Brock Nelson Sweepstakes: Winners and Losers
If we're voting for GM of the year right now, Chris MacFarland has to be on the shortlist, yes?
Goalies were a huge problem at the beginning of the season. He traded both Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen, and got Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. It's worked out pretty good for them.
They felt they couldn't get Mikko Rantanen to re-sign, so they promptly traded him to the Canes for Martin Necas, who's been a good fit, and Nathan MacKinnon has continued his MVP campaign without his long-time right winger.
They needed help on the blue line and he acquired Ryan Lindgren from the Rangers for relatively cheap.
Casey Mittelstadt wasn't working out as their No. 2 center and now they've acquired Brock Nelson from the Islanders, who was one of the biggest names out on the market.
Winners:
Brock Nelson, C, Avalanche (61% rostered)
Nelson finishes his tenure as one of the best Islanders ever with 901 games played and three consecutive 30-goal seasons. He was a reliable fantasy asset, capable of scoring goals, racking up the shots and winning faceoffs.
The Islanders weren't expected to be very good this season but Nelson still found his way onto most fantasy rosters, but a tough season saw his rostered percentage dip after the first couple of months. When he failed to score a single goal in 13 games in December, his fantasy value basically hit rock bottom.
Since then, he's amassed 22 points in 23 games, putting him back on the fantasy radar - albeit slowly - and now his fantasy value's going to get a big boost. He should slot in as the Avs' No. 2 center between Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin, and also see time on PP2.
Nelson's ice time will certainly drop because he's no longer a go-to scoring option, but he should be able to make up in quality what he lost in quantity. Nelson was worth picking up when his scoring started to pick up in January, and he's definitely worth picking up even more so now.
Anders Lee, LW, Islanders (48% rostered)Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C/RW, Islanders (11% rostered)
Not sure yet who will replace Nelson the Islanders power play, but Lee and Pageau are the two best guesses right now. Lee is the most likely candidate because he has more offensive upside, and he's averaging the second-most PP TOI per game among active Islanders despite getting moved around quite a bit. He's up to 23 goals this season and averages close to three shots per game, giving him value in deeper leagues.
Pageau would likely be the second choice. He's a two-way center without a lot of offensive talent, but coaches love him and they'll trust him with special teams. From a fantasy standpoint, even if Pageau finds his way onto PP1, note the Isles have been ineffective all season with the man advantage.
The third option is Anthony Duclair, but he's barely noticeable most nights and so far this season has scored nine points and 44 shots in 31 games. His speed and talent is evident, but he's a perimeter player and doesn't generate a lot of offense.
Losers:
Kyle Palmieri, RW, Islanders (16% rostered)
Without Nelson, Palmieri might find it tough to score points. The 34-year-old veteran right winger has been surprisingly effective, averaging close to two shots per game and scoring 20 goals for the seventh time in his career. However, Nelson has assisted on half of his goals this season and Palmieri has assisted on nine of Nelson's goals. While the absence of Nelson might mean Palmieri gets more offensive responsibilities, it's also deprived him of his top scoring partner. Don't drop Palmieri just yet, but also don't be surprised if his point production drops like a rock.
Casey Mittelstadt, C, Avalanche (9% rostered)
Not that Mittelstadt had been effective as the Avs' No. 2 center to begin with, but he gets pushed further down the depth chart with Nelson in the lineup. He has scored just 34 points this season with a minus-12 (!) rating on a high-scoring team, and rarely shoots the puck. He goes from being a low-end streaming option to a player who should be hardly considered at all.
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