The Hockey News Sleepers and Keepers · The Hockey News

Pool Updates, Early-Season Thoughts and the Alexandar Georgiev Predicament

·1 hr 9 min·5 clips

Zach Hyman has zero points this season—how long can fantasy managers hold on before panicking?

This episode of The Hockey News Sleepers and Keepers podcast features hosts Jason Chen and Mike Amato discussing early-season fantasy hockey developments. They analyze their own 16-team "Pros vs. Joes" pilot league, noting its 288-player roster size severely limits waiver wire activity. The hosts examine specific player performances, including Evgeni Malkin's strong start and Elias Pettersson's concerning lack of production with only eight shots. They discuss Ross Colton's elevated role and production on Colorado's top line due to injuries on the team. Nick Foligno's return to Chicago's top line and multi-category contributions are highlighted as a potential short-term opportunity. Zach Hyman's surprising zero points on 14 shots for Edmonton is cited as a statistical anomaly likely to correct. Jake Sanderson's early offensive output, including power-play points, is noted as exceeding expectations. An interesting insight is that in deep leagues, managers become overly cautious, clinging to players like Jonas Korpisalo due to a barren waiver wire. The hosts debate the viability of a "zero goalie" strategy when 32 fantasy teams must cover all NHL starters and backups. They reveal their survivor pool strategies, noting one participant successfully picked Boston over Los Angeles and Minnesota over Columbus. A memorable moment details the stress of picking the New York Islanders in a survivor pool, who barely won in a lengthy shootout after a poor power play. The hosts share their internal debate on when to use elite teams like the Dallas Stars or New York Rangers in survivor pools early in the season. They humorously note co-host Mike's fantasy team is named "Thunderwall" despite not rostering goaltender Joey Woll. The tone is casual and conversational, featuring friendly banter between the two hosts as they share personal league experiences. The style is advice-oriented, blending league management theory with specific player analysis for fantasy managers. This episode is ideal for fantasy hockey enthusiasts who enjoy strategic discussions about league formats, waiver wire dynamics, and early player evaluations. Listeners seeking highly produced, narrative-driven hockey content or breaking news updates might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A practical fantasy hockey reset that treats the first two weeks as noise, not a verdict.

Jason Chen and Mike Amato come back after the Thanksgiving break to take stock of the first two weeks of the fantasy season and check in on their Pros vs. Joes pilot league.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Reset your fantasy board after two noisy weeks before the season's early assumptions harden.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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