In this week’s Last Word On Fantasy Hockey Report, we look at a few slim pickings that may be available in your league. There were many great performances by great players over the last week in the NHL. Superstars like Anze Kopitar, Alex Ovechkin and Drew Doughty did what they do best. Other lesser lights such as Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Artemi Panarin made their owners smile. Heck, even Brent Burns found his mojo. If you don’t already own any of these household names, you are left trolling the waiver wire for some slim pickings.
Slim Pickings
Tom Wilson put up seven points in only three games played this past week for the Washington Capitals. At 45% owned in Yahoo! he is the most added player by far over the last 24 hours. Wilson is currently playing shotgun on a line with Niklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. This is a situation that is unlikely to continue for long, but while it does ride it for all it’s worth.
Another player who has found himself in a fortunate position is Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Playing wing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov, Johnson has seven points in his last four games. His Yahoo! ownership is only 32%, so there’s a good chance he’s still available if you need a short-term boost.
A Deeper Dive
Dive a bit deeper and you will find Erik Haula of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. Haula is a prime example of a cast-off player picked up in expansion who is now enjoying a career renaissance. The centre has scored a goal in each of his last three games and added a pair of assists for five total points. Haula plays on the top line and power play in Vegas, yet he is only 12% Yahoo! owned.
Another underappreciated player right now is Valtteri Filppula, playing second line centre for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is currently the set-up man for Jakub Voracek at even strength and plays the point on the Flyers second power-play unit. Filppula averaged over 19 minutes of ice-time and scored a goal and three assists last week in three games played. At just 3% Yahoo! ownership Filppula is almost certainly available if your league is deep and you need to fill a hole in your lineup.
Others to Consider
Joe Thornton, with only 40% Yahoo! ownership had a goal and four assists in his last three games as the top centre for the San Jose Sharks. Alex Steen also put up four assists for the St. Louis Blues over three games in four nights and is only 47% Yahoo! owned. Rookie Mathew Barzal, 57% Yahoo! owned, continues to impress with two goals and two assists for four points in his last three games for the New York Islanders.
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