Who to watch, who to drop, and who to trade for?
Fantasy Friday is back! We’re looking into the first three Florida Panthers game this season and targeting which players to watch, drop, and trade for.
Trending Up:
Erik Gudbranson (D) – Owned in 2% of Yahoo! Leagues
This Season
| G | A | P | +/- | PIMs | Hits | Blocks | SOG | TOI |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 14:21 |
Last Season
| G | A | P | +/- | PIMs | Hits | Blocks | SOG | TOI |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 25 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 20:23 |
It seems like Gudbranson is simplifying his game this season. Playing lower in the lineup has been beneficial for him as he gets to take advantage of playing against weaker competition and boost his offense. Also, it seems like Gudbranson is playing with a calmer head as his PIMs have plummeted compared to last season. His lack of blocked shots isn’t very concerning for me yet as we’re only a few games into the season but I am very interested in how his SOG have doubled. Keep an eye on Gudbranson as he could have great value in deep leagues or be a player to pick up in case you’re having some injuries.
Trending Down:
Dave Bolland (C) – Owned in 3% of Yahoo! Leagues
This Season
| G | A | P | +/- | PIMs | Hits | Blocks | SOG | TOI |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16:42 |
Last Season
| G | A | P | +/- | PIMs | Hits | Blocks | SOG | TOI |
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 15:45 |
Bolland has been off to a pretty slow start this year compared to his hot start in Toronto last year. With only a couple PIMs, blocks, and shots to his name, you should not have Bolland anywhere near your fantasy team. However, it’s still early in the season and Florida is still trying to solidify their lines for the season.
Trade Target:
Roberto Luongo (G) – Owned in 73% of Yahoo! Leagues
This Season
| W | L | OTL | GAA | SV | SV% | SO |
| 0 | 2 | 1 | 3.78 | 60 | .870 | 0 |
Last Season
| W | L | OTL | GAA | SV | SV% | SO |
| 25 | 23 | 7 | 2.40 | 1460 | .919 | 4 |
Luongo has had a pretty rough start to begin the season. However, he is a phenomenal goalie and has had unbelievably strong career numbers. Even as recent as last season, Luongo managed a very high sv% while piling on saves over numerous starts. Due to his slow start though, he should be an easy target to pick up via trade. I’d recommend trying to pick him up while his stock is low though as it is bound to bounce back.
Fantasy Friday will return next week (10/24/14) with more Panthers-related Fantasy Hockey content!
Kris M. can be reached for contact on Twitter or via email at thesunshineskate@gmail.com.
