Your fantasy draft is over and your team is set, but I bet you missed out on the four guys below. Here I will make a case why Aleksander Barkov, Erik Cole, Lars Eller, and Brandon Dubinsky should be picked up ASAP. These guys fell off the draft board mostly due to some uncertainties. But as we now have a clearer picture of rosters and lines, boy, did some guys win out.
Alexander Barkov is playing top line minutes next to last year’s Calder winner. This should be good news for anyone paying attention because he is only owned in 10% of Yahoo leagues and 2.4 % in ESPN leagues. He already picked up a goal in his first game out and had 15 minutes of ice time. With faceoffs being his weak point, he might lose possession quite a bit, but this will only force the coach’s hand to give him way more offensive zone faceoffs than defensive zone and it should result in more opportunities to score. Just like his first goal where the faceoff win went back to Brian Campbell, who usually patrols the point, and fired on net. He used his size to win body position and scoop the puck in the net. More of this to follow this season as he will be getting major time on the powerplay to go along with all of these offensive zone faceoffs. Oh, and if your league values “keepers” this should be a no-brainer.
Brandon Dubinsky is another player floating under the radar. He is only 24% owned in Yahoo leagues but is 100% owned in ESPN leagues. In both formats, he has Center and Left Wing positions attached to his name; this is very important as it offers roster flexibility on those Thursday and Saturday game days. The fact is that he is starting this year on the top line with Marian Gaborik and is being centered by Boone Jenner. This means offensive zone starts and PP time. While there is no doubt this line will go as Gabby goes, the other two do offer some offensive upside. Dubinsky is a fantasy multi-category beast as of late, and with over 70 penalty minutes each of the last three years, he can prove to be a steal if he reaches his offensive upside of 50-55 points. The top line minutes surely will help as the line has a rookie center on it and will not see many defensive zone face-offs.
Lars Eller has the potential to be a 30-goal scorer and a 100 PIM guy for fantasy owners. He has it in him as we have seen this kid’s brilliant knack for scoring as he notched 4 goals in a game against the Winnipeg Jets in 2012 season. The one constant complaint about the kid has been his lack of consistency and that is to be expected of a 22-year old at the time. The kid is 24 years old this season and has already started with a two-goal and three-point night. What to like about him is that his ice time is being increased. At 24 years old he is the ideal age for the breakout year, this being his fourth year in the NHL. All signs to point to lift off for this kid, a perfect storm as some say. Centering a line of young kids in Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher he has the support of talented young players who can help create if he does slump on his own. Some say this line might takeover as the go-to line for Michel Therrien and I can definitely see this happening. Give this guy a shot, because in a few more games he will not be available as he is now with 26 % availability in ESPN and 37% in Yahoo. Oh, and if your league values “keepers” this should again be a no-brainer too.
Erik Cole had a terrible year in Montreal last year and was dealt to Dallas, but a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered. Erik Cole goes from the doghouse to the penthouse in Dallas. First line minutes with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn? Yes please! The speedy winger has showed some chemistry with his new pairings but first game proved to be nil, even better for you as his stock is still fairly low. Cole has size and speed which is very important in the NHL today. He has the ability to pop in 30 goals and will be expected to do so with the top line. He is only one year removed from 35-goal season and the main difference is amount of shots. He has been a fairly accurate shooter throughout his career with 12.7 shooting percentage over 11 years. So all he needs technically is minutes and opportunities to shoot the puck. Something that he will have plenty of playing with Benn and Seguin, who both can create and have excellent vision. He is good for 50-60 penalty minutes to boot. Pick him up before he scores two or three this weekend.
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