Fantasy Hockey FridaysFeatured

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.

FHF

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.

Follow me on Twitter @yungspork

Kevin Sporka

Kevin Sporka

Kevin Sporka is the Senior Media Analyst and Detroit Red Wings beat writer at HOHM. He is also the author of the Fantasy Hockey Fridays, In Retrospect, Milestone Monday, and Legends By the Number segments.
Kevin Sporka

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