Charlie Coyle and the Wild have a great upcoming schedule.

All fantasy owners need help in the short term AND the long term. The Looking Ahead feature identifies one player to plug into lineups in the short term, a second to invest in for the long term, a third to bench for the coming week and a fourth who will struggle to meet expectations for some time. All players discussed are selected based on their team’s upcoming schedule. Without further ado…

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use them for the next several days)

Eric Staal, C, Minnesota (Available in 72 percent of Yahoo leagues) – A high-end fantasy asset during his days with the Carolina Hurricanes, Staal has been more solid than spectacular for the better part of the past three seasons. He was a point-per-game player as recently as 2012-13, when he registered a whopping 53 points in 48 games played during the lockout-shortened campaign. Staal’s production began to wane not long after, and last year’s 39 point-campaign with the Hurricanes and Rangers caused many fantasy owners to forget about him during offseason drafts. Now the 32-year-old centerman is showing signs of bouncing back as the No. 1 pivot for the Minnesota Wild this year. He has five points in his last six games, and only star winger Zach Parise is seeing more time on the man advantage per game among Wild forwards. Staal is currently shooting .143 on the season, which is well above his career percentage of .106, so expect his production to regress a bit over the course of the rest of the year. However, it doesn’t look like his numbers will fall off a cliff like they did in 2015-16, so consider this former All-Star to be a viable plug-and-play option when the schedule dictates (or as long as he remains in the good graces of Wild coach Bruce Boudreau).

The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Charlie Coyle, C/RW, Minnesota (Available in 78 percent of Yahoo leagues) – One of the reasons for Staal’s return to fantasy relevance this season has been the emergence of Coyle, a 24-year-old forward who has displayed more potential than results during his three-plus years in the NHL. A 2010 first-round selection by the Wild, Coyle has yet to top 42 points in a season. That should change this year, as he has established himself as a core member of the organization and is currently occupying a spot on the squad’s top line. He’s no star, and he’ll (probably) never be one, but fantasy owners can always use a solid winger. That’s Coyle. He’s getting the ice time, he’s seen a good amount of action on the power play, and he’s got a little bit of talent working for him as well. Simply stated, Coyle is the type of pickup that can win poolies their leagues because he can be a steady performer for the balance of the season. 

The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, Edmonton (Owned in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues) – Think this guy misses playing with Taylor Hall? Draisaitl registered 51 points in 72 games a season ago at the tender age of 20. His production was largely due to a seemingly unrepeatable .143 shooting percentage and the fact that he often saw action on the same line as Hall, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils in the offseason. While the former third overall selection has been useful so far on the young season, eight points in 14 games is not exactly what fantasy owners are looking for from a talented young forward coming off a banner campaign. All that being said, Draisaitl’s numbers should improve. His PDO of 96.2 is bound for some positive regression, and he’s seeing significant time on a power play that features Connor McDavid.  Edmonton’s schedule does him no favors in the short term, though. As a result, Draisaitl’s owners should park him on the bench until his circumstances, luck and fantasy-relevant numbers improve.

The Anchor (He’ll do nothing but disappoint, even over the long haul)

Andrew Ladd, LW, New York Islanders (Owned in 64 percent of Yahoo leagues) –  What a start to the season it’s been for Ladd. He’s scored just TWO points in 13 games played on the year, and he didn’t score his first goal until Nov. 7. He’s been terrible in his inaugural campaign with the New York Islanders, who signed him to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract this past offseason. He’s not going to be useless all season, but it’s starting to become difficult to imagine him being the same player he was when he was an Atlanta Thrasher and Winnipeg Jet. He’s seeing less than 17 minutes of ice time per game, and he has done almost nothing to show he deserves any more advantageous ice time than he’s already receiving. Also, keep the following in mind: Ladd scored just 46 points last season. The year before, he scored 62. Things are trending downward, so don’t be afraid to cut this disappointing veteran if a better option is available on the waiver wire.

Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days)

Minnesota – Between Saturday, Nov. 12 and Saturday, Nov. 26, the Wild will take to the ice quite a bit. In fact, the squad will not have more than one night off between games at any point during that two-week stretch. Don’t hesitate to lean heavily on any and all fantasy-relevant members of the Wild in the short term.

Calgary –  Starting Saturday, Nov. 12, the Flames will play three of four at home over the ensuing seven days. The matchups could be easier (versus New York Rangers, at Minnesota, versus Arizona and versus Chicago), but there’s still a lot to like about Calgary’s upcoming schedule.

Washington – The Caps will not have to venture away from the D.C. area very much during the second half of November. In fact, between Wednesday, Nov. 16 and Friday, Nov. 25, they will play four straight games at home.

Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

New York Islanders – The Islanders will see a ton of time off in the coming days and weeks. They host Tampa Bay on Monday, Nov. 14 before getting three straight evenings off. Then they host Pittsburgh on Friday, Nov. 18 before getting another three straight evenings off. Look elsewhere for help right now.

Detroit – Starting Saturday, Nov. 12, the Red Wings will play four of six away from the Motor City. Three of those games will come against Montreal, Tampa Bay and Washington, so don’t expect a whole ton from this squad in the coming days.

Edmonton – Between Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 25, Connor McDavid and Co. will play five of six games on the road. PASS.