Fantasy Hockey Implications: Ryan Johansen To Colorado
Ryan Johansen is the newest member of the Colorado Avalanche, but what does it mean from a fantasy hockey perspective? That’s what we’re here to talk about today. There is no denying that Johansen has way more value in Colorado but just how high should you be willing to take him?
Johansen, 30, should take that second line center role behind Nathan MacKinnon. Alex Newhook or JT Compher will likely slot behind him. Early indications are that Johansen will skate with Valeri Nichushkin and whoever Colorado signs at right winger this offseason. The internal option is Logan O’Connor but I think Colorado would like to do better there.
The challenging part from a fantasy perspective is the fact that Johansen won’t get those top powerplay unit opportunities. Just being there with MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen is an easy way to cheese free points. Johansen will be asked to carry a unit that doesn’t have a ton of firepower on it minus the blue line controlled by Devon Toews.
JT Compher scored 52 points in 82 games during an increased role last year. I think that’s probably what we should be expecting out of Johansen. It’s a great spot to be but I’d be wary of Johansen replicating the kind of success Nazem Kadri had. He doesn’t have that same type of edge and won’t rack up those hit or block numbers. Johansen notched 49 hits and 19 blocks in 55 games last year. If he’s not padding stats that way, I just fail to see how he’s anything more than a back-end roster guy.
I’d advise fantasy managers to not overspend. Johansen is a pure playmaking center that doesn’t shoot the puck enough. During his eight year career in Nashville, Johansen averaged 13.75 goals per game. Is that number really going to go up? This is also a guy that spends WAY too many minutes in the penalty box. We’re talking about 368 penalty minutes during his Preds’ tenure. Can’t score if you’re not on the ice. I’m not saying there is no value here but proceed with caution.
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