As the playoffs draw closer, I’ll be doing a weekly fantasy hockey streamers piece to hopefully give you a slight edge. Each week, I’ll dive into the highly-coveted Friday-Sunday splits. Most weeks there is a wealth of opportunity to capitalize on some players who can give you two extra starts on light game nights. My Twitter (@jkj0787) is always open, so feel free to reach out!
Note: To be considered for this article, players must be owned in no more than 35 percent of Yahoo! fantasy hockey leagues.
Fantasy Hockey Weekend Streamers
Carolina Hurricanes (Friday NJ, Sunday EDM)
Jake Gardiner – 10% Owned
Defenceman Jake Gardiner is worth a look right now. He’s up to five assists in his last five games, three of them coming on the power play. He won’t get you many peripherals, but some extra power-play point potential on defence never hurts.
Martin Necas – 4% Owned
There a reason Martin Necas isn’t held on many rosters, but he’s a worthwhile streaming option at the end of the week. Playing two games means two chances for points. Necas has a goal in two of his last four. Both were power-play goals. He doesn’t shoot much, but he hits a little.
Columbus Blue Jackets (Friday NYR, Sunday @NJ)
Boone Jenner – 25% Owned
Boone Jenner isn’t a terrible streaming option. You should stay away in points leagues, but Jenner could help fill some categories. He gets good minutes and can help you in shots and hits, with even a block or two for good measure.
Nick Foligno – 24% Owned
Veteran Nick Foligno is another good stream in bangers. There’s a good bet he’ll get you four or five hits a night, so you could be looking at 10 extra hits for your matchup. He ripped nine shots on goal not long ago and has a respectable 10 points in his last 19. Also, he won 12 of 16 faceoffs last game!
David Savard – 5% Owned
A pure-bred banger defenceman to target is David Savard. Stud defenceman Seth Jones is done for the season for fantasy purposes, and the next man up to handle the heaviest defensive load is Savard. Don’t expect any points whatsoever, but he should pile on hits and blocks if you need them.
New Jersey Devils (Friday @CAR, Sunday CBJ)
Pavel Zacha – 2% Owned
Over the last 14 days, Pavel Zacha has reappeared on the fantasy radar. He has five points (two on the power play), 11 shots, and 11 hits in his last six games. As long as Nico Hischier is out, Zacha is a solid play.
Damon Severson – 19% Owned
This may go beyond streaming and straight into hold territory. Damon Severson has seven points – four via the man-advantage – in his last seven games. If there’s a defender to own in New Jersey, it’s Severson. And not long ago, he had back-to-back six-shot games. Hits are pretty nonexistent, but he blocks a decent amount.
Nikita Gusev – 12% Owned
In points leagues, Nikita Gusev is an okay stream for now. He’s the opposite winger to Blake Coleman, who is hot again. Gusev also sees power-play time, but not the top unit. He has three points and 16 shots in his last six.
New York Rangers (Friday @CBJ, Sunday BOS)
Honestly, everyone mentioned last week is still good to go for this week. Pavel Buchnevich tallied two more assists in his last game. Brady Skjei continues to pile on the banger totals. Jesper Fast has back-to-back games with an assist. Brendan Lemieux is always a good bet for hits and some shots. And PIMs. Keep in mind the Rangers play a couple of tough games this time around.
Pittsburgh Penguins (Friday MTL, Sunday DET)
J McCann – 22% Owned
Jared McCann‘s fantasy stock took a little dip thanks to the trade for Jason Zucker. But never fear, McCann remains a viable streaming option. He’s on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust and is a capable contributor. McCann also has 14 shots and 10 hits in his last five games. Montreal and Detroit at home are nice matchups, as well.
B Tanev – 26% Owned
If you need hits, look no further than Brandon Tanev. With only 13 in his last five, Tanev is a little down from his season pace of 3.6 hits a game. He can help in shots some and even a point here and there, but he’s really only good for hits. If you’re trailing in that category, streaming Tanev twice on off-nights is a great way to catch up.
J Johnson – 3% Owned
Defenceman Jack Johnson leads the team in blocks over the last five with 11. Johnson also has 13 in that time. In a deep banger, if you need hits and blocks, Johnson might be a good option.
Winnipeg Jets (Friday SJ, Sunday CHI)
Andrew Copp – 2% Owned
Andrew Copp is a good stream this week. San Jose and Chicago are good matchups, and Copp has three goals in his last six games. Copp is averaging a little more than three shots a game in that span and is getting top-six minutes.
Sami Niku – 0% Owned
Here’s a deep-cut streamer for you. Sami Niku has four assists in his last six games, with 16 shots as well. Niku is getting second-unit power-play time, but the Sharks do have the league’s best penalty kill. Chicago is 10th.
Dmitry Kulikov – 1% Owned
Dmitry Kulikov is for you deep-banger league owners out there. Over his last six, Kulikov has 10 shots, 19 hits, and 11 blocks. He even has a couple of assists.
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