How To Replace Connor McDavid?
The injury to Connor McDavid is certainly devastating to the Edmonton Oilers and hockey fans everywhere. Fantasy players have another issue at hand–how to replace McDavid in season long and daily fantasy leagues.
To answer this question you have to keep in perspective the kind of league you’re playing in and the rules used. The good news for fantasy fans is that at this stage in his career McDavid is easier to replace than he will be down the road–assuming that a point per game player is ever ‘easy to replace’. McDavid is an interesting player since he’s incredibly efficient with the puck. This means he doesn’t generate a lot of shots–he’s very selective about when he shoots and prefers to pass off when a teammate has a better look at the net. That will make him a superstar in the NHL but at this point his fantasy ‘upside’ is limited to goals, assists and faceoffs. McDavid isn’t a great faceoff player yet–that’s not surprising since most young forwards struggle with this component of the game.
If you’re in a league that uses an assortment of stats including hits, blocks, penalty minutes, etc. you have more options. It’s important to keep in mind that in most cases there’s nothing inherently preferential about goals and assists as opposed to one of the many other stat areas. Pay attention to the ‘in most cases’ part–some leagues do prioritize goals and assists which means you’ll need to look for a player that excels in that area. One great choice is McDavid’s teammate Leon Draisaitl. He’s been playing on the top line between Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and has been putting up spectacular numbers since being recalled from Bakersfield of the AHL. In three games he’s got 3 goals, 4 assists a +4 and has generated 10 shots. In three games the Oilers top line has generated 18 points and 34 shots. With McDavid out Draisaitl could stay where he is or move to the second line with Nail Yakopov and Benoit Pouliet–directly filling the vacancy of #97. More likely, head coach Todd McLellan will keep Draisaitl where he is since he’s developed a nice chemistry with Nugent-Hopkins and Hall. Also worth noting–Jordan Eberle will be returning from injury soon.