Fantasy Hockey Friday #6 (11/21/14)
FHF Key
Flash Sale = Players that are on strong hot streaks that you will need to add immediately before they are claimed by another team.
Bargain Bin = Similar to the Flash Sale category, except these players will not be as highly demanded. They will be claimed relatively quickly, but are not completely known to all teams.
Line Scorers = Players that are currently very low in ownership percentage and includes less-skilled players who are currently playing on productive lines, and have proved/might prove worthy of adding. As every studious fantasy owner knows, line combinations are everything.
Flash Sale
Darcy Kuemper – G, 76% owned
Don’t be fooled by Kuemper’s embarrassing stretch of games from November 4-13 that concluded with him allowing two goals on two shots to the lowly Buffalo Sabres. He is now back on track and has been solidified as Minnesota’s number one netminder with the waiving of Josh Harding. Part of his struggles may have been the result of the added pressure of Harding’s imminent return. He has now won three straight games, including two on the road. His GAA is still an impressive 2.03 and his SP is .918.
Jori Lehtera – C, 61% owned (LW: 46%)
The Blues’ most productive line shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Jaden Schwartz, Lehtera, and Vladimir Tarasenko have shown outstanding chemistry thus far. Lehtera now has 18 points this season, and his plus-minus has been below zero in only two games this season (including his first NHL game). Since then, he has earned a plus-twelve rating. He also has five power play points and 33 shots on net. The trio comprise the second power play unit.
Ondrej Palat – LW, 59% owned; Nikita Kucherov – LW/RW, 54% owned
Palat has scored six points (one goal) in his last seven games while shooting the puck two times every single time in that span. He’s very consistent. Given the goal-scoring ability of Tampa Bay’s roster, Palat has a plus-minus of plus-eleven. In addition to his 37 shots, he also has 33 hits. Kucherov has scored five points (two goals) in his last six games. He’s a plus-ten and has accumulated 49 shots on net. He only has 14 hits compared to Palat’s 33.
Roman Josi – D, 50% owned
The Nashville defenseman has scored seven points in his last seven games while playing top-pairing minutes and power play time. Three of those points came on the man-advantage. He’s a plus-eight as the Predators continue to impress this season. He doesn’t hit much, but he shoots like a forward (40 shots).
Jake Muzzin – D, 43% owned (LW: 36%)
After starting his season with no points, Muzzin now has nine points in his last seven games, including three power play points in his last three. Additionally, he has 33 shots and 37 hits. He plays on the Kings’ top pairing and top power play unit.
Bargain Bin
Tomas Tatar
– LW, 20% owned
The young Slovak winger has ten points in his last ten games and is currently riding a four-game point streak that has seen him score four goals and two assists. Tatar has been shooting the puck a lot more often, including two six shot nights in his last four games. He has three power play points and a respectable 17 hits. He plays on the second line in Detroit, as well as the second power play unit.
Jared Spurgeon – D, 19% owned
After returning from a shoulder injury on November 13th, Spurgeon collected a goal and an assist in four games. That goal came on a night that saw him shoot the puck eight times. He’s a plus-eleven and has played close to thirty minutes per game in that span. He is on the first pairing alongside Ryan Suter. The duo also comprise the back end of the top power play unit.
Mikael Granlund – C, 17% owned (LW: 18%)
Granlund has had a tough time finding the back of the net (and helping his teammates find the back of the net) this season, but things may be looking up for him. He is now on a four-game point streak that gives him two goals and seven assists for the year. Granlund is a playmaker, so don’t expect many goals out of him. He also doesn’t shoot the puck or hit much.
Devan Dubnyk – G, 15% owned
Dubnyk is starting to regain his form with the help of Arizona Coyotes coach Sean Burke. After number one goalie Mike Smith struggled mightily this season, Dubnyk is proving to be a bit more reliable. He has started two of the team’s last four games, winning two straight while relinquishing only one goal (68 saves on 69 shots). His GAA and SP are 2.25 and .925.
Nino Niederreiter – LW/RW, 14% owned
I can’t predict whether his recent hot streak will last or not, but he now has five goals and one assist in his last four games, including a hat trick (although it was only against Buffalo). He now has 12 points for the season, but can play on either wing, which makes him a flexible, low cost option in many fantasy leagues. He has four power play points (three in the last four games), 34 shots and 30 hits. He appears to be trending upward so feel free to add him.
Curtis Glencross – LW, 12% owned
Glencross has recorded an assist in five of his last six games, and has steadily added to his season total of eleven points. Five those eleven have come on the power play. He has 36 shots and 46 hits while playing on the top line in Calgary alongside Sean Monahan, as well as the top power play unit.
Michael Hutchinson – G, 9% owned
Winnipeg may have a new starter in young goalie Michael Hutchinson. Starting three of the Jets’ last five games, he’s allowed just three goals while collecting two wins, and improving his GAA and SP to 1.38 and .948. Pick him up while he’s still under-the-radar.
Markus Granlund – C, 1% owned (LW: 0%)
The second line center in Calgary, the second Granlund on this list now has five points in his last three games, giving him nine points for the season. His linemates are Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler, so there is a lot of potential for Granlund to succeed.ma
Line Scorers
Patrick Maroon – LW, 3% owned
Team: Anaheim Ducks
Line: 1st
Linemates: Ryan Getzlaf, Cory Perry
Power play unit: 1st
Seth Griffith – C/RW, 3% owned
Team: Boston Bruins
Line: 1st
Linemates: Milan Lucic, David Krejci
Power play unit: 1st
Zemgus Girgensons – C/LW, 7% owned (LW: 3%)
Team: Buffalo Sabres
Line: 1st
Linemates: Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis
Power play unit: 2nd
Lance Bouma – C/LW, 1% owned
Team: Calgary Flames
Line: 1st
Linemates: Curtis Glencross, Sean Monahan
Power play unit: N/A
Elias Lindholm – C/RW, 12% owned
Team: Carolina Hurricanes
Line: 1st
Linemates: Jiri Tlusty, Eric Staal
Power play unit: 2nd
Kris Versteeg – LW/RW, 11% owned (LW: 6%)
Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Line: 2nd
Linemates: Brad Richards, Patrick Kane
Power play unit: 2nd
John Mitchell – C, 1% owned
Team: Colorado Avalanche
Line: 2nd
Linemates: Gabriel Landeskog, Jarome Iginla
Power play unit: 2nd
Cody Eakin – C, 2% owned
Team: Dallas Stars
Line: 1st
Linemates: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin
Power play unit: 2nd
Benoit Pouliot – LW, 2% owned (LW: 2%)
Team: Edmonton Oilers
Line: 1st
Linemates: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle
Power play unit: 2nd
Brayden Schenn – 42% owned
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Line: 1st
Linemates: Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek
Power play unit: 1st
Blake Comeau – LW, 6% owned
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Line: 1st
Linemates: Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby
Power play unit: N/A
Tomas Hertl – LW, 54% owned (LW: 54%)
Team: San Jose Sharks
Line: 1st
Linemates: Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau
Power play unit: 2nd
Line combinations courtesy of DailyFaceoff. Stats courtesy of Yahoo!, Hockeydb, and Hockey-Reference.
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