Fantasy: 5 moves you need to make in Week 9
Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing five moves you should make. Ownership percentages (as of Dec. 2) and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.
Pick up Eeli Tolvanen
Team: Predators
Position: RW
Ownership: 10 percent
The Predators recalled top prospect Eeli Tolvanen on Saturday and it paid immediate dividends, as the 19-year-old registered a goal and an assist in his first game this season.
Tolvanen's AHL numbers weren't overly encouraging (four goals, 11 points in 21 games), but the young Finn is skating on Nashville's top line with Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala in the absence of Filip Forsberg.
Last season, Tolvanen scored 19 goals and added 17 assists in 49 games overseas with the Helsinki Jokerit, setting the KHL record for points by a teenager - a mark previously held by Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Buy low on Evander Kane
Team: Sharks
Position: LW
Ownership: 94 percent
Evander Kane has endured some bad luck in his first full season in the Bay Area. He sits fourth in the NHL with 107 shots, his 83 individual scoring chances at 5-on-5 are the most in the league, and his 39 individual high-danger scoring chances are third-most. Despite all of this, he has just seven goals - the result of a 6.5 shooting percentage - and 16 points to show for.
Kane could seemingly explode and start filling the net at any point, but a frustrated owner may be willing to trade him for 50 cents on the dollar.
Add Drake Batherson
Team: Senators
Position: C/RW
Ownership: 6 percent
Drake Batherson's rookie campaign is off to a nice start. He's tallied three goals and seven points in nine games while riding shotgun with Matt Duchene on the Senators' top line. He earned his promotion after tallying 20 points in 14 AHL contests.
Heading into the season, nobody predicted that the Senators would be a strong source of fantasy value, but they've played the most high-event hockey in the league, as they sit tied for third in goals per game, but dead-last in goals against per game.
Head coach Guy Boucher's new offense-first system could help Batherson sustain some of his productivity as long as he remains alongside Duchene.
Drop Cam Talbot
Team: Oilers
Position: G
Ownership: 61 percent
The Oilers are 4-1-1 under Ken Hitchcock and Cam Talbot was in goal for the lone regulation loss. It's clear Mikko Koskinen is the guy in Edmonton.
Any hope of Talbot regaining the No. 1 role is just a pipe dream at this point. Even if your team's goaltending situation is shaky, you're better off streaming backups than wasting a roster spot on Talbot.
Start your rebuild in keeper leagues
It's time to start being realistic about your team's chances this season if you're in a keeper league. If you're near the bottom of the standings, it's probably a good time to start your rebuild.
If you begin selling off assets now, you should be able to acquire the best available keepers/draft picks to put you ahead of the curve next season. If you wait, your league's contending teams may move their best trade chips, and you'll be left with a lackluster team for this season without much hope for 2019-20.
(Analytics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)