Fantasy Hockey: Buy and Hold the F*cking Line! 🚀🚀🚀
Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus - Getty Images
I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while but the title is self-explanatory if you’ve kept up with the GameStop ($GME) drama. It's been almost three weeks since the $GME fiasco with a magnitude of Reddit users parroting the purchase of $GME. This led to the glorious expression, “buy and hold the f*cking line.” Obviously, we can go with “hold the line” but what fun is that? That’s boring and I’m trying to pump these players. They deserve more notice for the way they’re playing as of late, so without further adieu, here are 15 players who can help turn your season around.
For the purpose of this list, I'll be listing out players who are less than 80% rostered on Yahoo. Players are ordered in their roster ownership percentage. All stats are 5v5 unless stated otherwise.
1. Kevin Lankinen - G (72%)
Kickstarting our list today is Kevin Lakninen. The 25-year-old rookie is currently the hottest goalie in the league posting a record of 6-2-3 in 11 games with a 2.49 GAA and .925 SV%. Lankinen has a Goals Save Above Average of 7.64, which puts him 6th among the 70 goalies who have played this season. Only Vasilevskiy, Grubauer, Varlamov, Markstrom, and Fleury are ranked higher. The next closest person to Lankinen is John Gibson, who has a GSAA of 5.83. Lankinen almost has a difference of 2 GSAA which speaks volumes to how well he is doing this season.
2. Patric Hornqvist - W (68%)
Next up is Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist may be on FLA's second line, but he does hold a spot on that coveted top power-play which ranks 5th in the league. Hornqvist has 11 points in 12 games this season and is averaging 3.5 shots and 1.58 hits/game. He is a great pickup for anyone playing in a banger league. What's crazy is that Hornqvist still has room to produce more. He is currently shooting 11.78 shots/60, which is the 3rd highest in his 13 season career. This is up from the last three seasons where he shot 10.96, 10.43, and 10.26. Moreover, he only has an IPP of 57.14 and is only shooting 3.45%.
3. Bryan Rust - W (67%)
First of all, why is this dude only 67% rostered? Last season, Rust's was above 80% and his underlying numbers hinted at a huge drop in sustainability. Not only is Rust shooting lower this season, but he's actually producing more! Rust has 13 points in 13 games and is playing on the top line with Sidney Crosby. Not to mention, he has exposure to Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang on the top power-play. A huge reason as to why Rust is maintaining his production is a huge increase in shot pace. Last season, Rust was shooting 8.08 shots/60 which has increased to 12.25 shots/60 this season. Rust's shot totals in his 13 games are as followed: 11, 3, 5, 0, 3, 2, 8, 6, and 6. These are absolutely bonker numbers and even a game with 6 shots can help turn the tide and win you a category. Rust shows no signs of slowing down and he sees nothing but the net.
4. Ryan Pulock - D (67%)
Many believed that Pulock would break out after scoring 35 points in 68 games without any substantial PP1 time last season. However, that is not the case so far. Pulock only has 5 points in 13 games this season which probably makes you think of the validity of his spot on this list. But hear me out. 4 of Pulock's 5 points have come in the last 5 games. Those 4 points were assists with 3 of them being primary assists, which hints at sustainability. Pulock's shot/60 is at 4 this season after hitting 7.73, 5.72, and 6.11 in the last three seasons. His shot pace may be down but he is shooting 0%. Tyson Barrie had the same issue earlier in the season when he had 0 goals but was averaging 1.88 shots in his first 8 games. However, in his last 8 games, Barrie has 3 goals and is averaging 3.75 shots. This hints that Pulock is having confidence issues and is deferring more to his teammates. Once Pulock starts finding the net, expect his shot pace to increase, and with it, his production.
5. Vincent Trocheck - C (59%)
Trocheck has 12 points in 11 games this season and is looking a lot more of the Trocheck that scored 75 points a few seasons back. Trocheck may be shooting 14.81% but he's shot 15.45% across 76 games during the 2015-16 season. Trocheck is a player who shoots 7-10% but we do know that there's a chance he can maintain his high shooting percentage throughout the season. Moreover, he's getting more ice time with CAR this season. After averaging 11:50 since being traded last season, Trocheck is playing 13:24 a night this season. With it, Trocheck's peripherals are up as he is averaging 2.09 shots and 9.64 faceoff wins/game. The key thing with Trocheck this season is that his shot pace is up, which is a huge reason why he is averaging 3.18 shots/game. Trocheck's shot pace is up to 10.99 shots/60 this year, while his career pace puts him around 6-9 shots/60.
6. Conor Garland - W (59%)
First on this list is Conor Garland from ARZ. Garland has 13 points in 12 games and is averaging 3.92 shots/game in all situations, which ties him with David Pastrnak and ranks him 12th among all skaters. After 2 seasons with a shot pace of 11.54 and 9.48/60, that mark has risen to 12.87. He is skating 17:32 a night, which is three whole more minutes than last season while having 75% offensive starts. So not only is Garland shooting more this season, he is getting more ice and opportunities. This puts him in a prime position to produce and not to mention, he’s also on ARZ’s PP1.
7. Cam Atkinson - W (57%)
If you’ve been keeping up on r/fantasyhockey, you would know that Cam Atkinson is someone who I recommended you to draft. Atkinson didn’t have the greatest start to the season and if you’ve dropped him, I wouldn’t blame you. I, too, dropped Atkinson in favour of Josh Anderson. However, those who have held onto Atkinson are reaping the rewards. Atkinson has 12 points in 16 games this season, with 8 in his last 5 games. Although Atkinson is averaging 2.8 shots and 19:14/game in that time span, keep in mind that he is shooting 28.6%. His shot pace is also down to 6.31 shots/60 after hitting +9 shots/60 since entering the league. Atkinson isn't shooting as much but concerns asides, Atkinson looks like he has finally turned a page, finding chemistry with Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic on the top line.
8. Jack Roslovic - W (45%)
Next up is Atkinson's linemate. Roslovic is someone who I've been keeping my eyes on since he was on WPG. Roslovic is finally showing what he can do after being buried in WPG and relegated to a depth role. He has 9 points in 9 games since arriving in CBJ and has looked amazing besides Atkinson and Laine. In Roslovic's first 5 games, he was averaging 14:54 a night. However, it seems like Torts is placing more trust in Roslovic, giving him 19 minutes a night over his last 4 games. In those 4 games, Roslovic has 5 points in 4 games and is averaging 2.75 shots a game. However, Roslovic is currently shooting 20% and has an IPP of 83.33 this season, which hints at unsustainable production. But, he is being sheltered with an offensive zone start of 84.31% and as Atkinson improves and Laine improves, expect the points to roll in.
9. Chris Driedger - G (36%)
A personal favorite of mine is this goalie from South Beach. In 6 games this season, Driedger is 4-1-1 with a 2.31 GAA and 0.926 SV%. Prior to last night's game against TBL, Driedger had a GAA of 1.97 and an SV% of 0.937. Dating back to the start of last season, Driedger is 11-3-2 with a GAA of 2.15 and an SV% of 0.934% in 18 games. Excluding the small sample size, Driedger has a Goals Saved Above Average of 13.55 in that time frame, which ranks him above Semyon Varlamov, Robin Lehner, and Jordan Binnington. His GSAA is higher than Igor Shesterkin who has only played 3 more games than Driedger in that same time frame.
10. Clayton Keller - W (33%)
After a slow start to the season, Keller is finally finding his groove with 5 points in his last 4 games. This brings him up to 9 points in 14 games this season. However, keep in mind that Keller shot 16.7% in that time frame, so expect some regression. Even though Keller has started heating up, he still has some more room to improve his production. He's shooting a career-high 10.76 shots/60 but only has an IPP of 58.33 and a shooting percentage of 8.57%. In two of his last three seasons, Keller finished with an IPP of more than 80, while his shooting percentage in the last three seasons is as followed: 10.16, 9.22, and 10.94. Even though 8.57% is just marginally lower, it's less than his career average. What's also interesting is that Keller isn't shooting as much on the power-play. In the last three seasons, Keller has average 0.69 shots/game. This season, Keller only has 3 shots in 15 games which is good enough for 0.2 shots/game. Keller has shot 14.9, 10.35, and 15 shots/60 in the last three seasons. The mark has dropped to 3.74 shots/60. Moreover, he only has an IPP of 33.33. I would tread lightly here but keep your eyes on Keller as he starts shooting more on the power-play.
11. Nick Schmaltz - W (29%)
Just like Keller, Schmaltz is featured on ARZ's first line and top power-play unit. In 14 games this season, Schmaltz has 12 points. He's currently shooting a career-high 7.82 shots/60 and scoring 2.61 points/60. This help offsets his 16.67 S%. Last season, Schmaltz was shooting 5.38 shots/60 and scored 2.14 points/60. Before that, he shot between 4.55 and 4.84 shots/60 in the previous four seasons. Schmaltz has improved his numbers with each passing season so expect the same this season.
12. Nino Niederreiter - W (26%)
Nino has 7 points in 12 games this season, with 5 points coming in his last 7. In that time span, Nino is shooting 16.7% while averaging 3.43 shots/game. However, Nino is shooting 16.13% so this is pretty in line with his season average. Nino is also seeing 13:30 this season, which is one whole minute more than last season. In addition to the extra minute, Nino has increased his shot pace to a career-high, 10.6 shots/60. Moreover, his IPP is 60 which is also in line with his career averages. This is always some room for extra production as Nino only has an IPP of 33.33 on the power-play, which features Teuvo Teravainen. His power-play shot pace has also increased to 11.41 shots/60 from last season's mark of 8.13.
13. Calvin Petersen - G (19%)
Petersen has cemented himself as LAK's #1 goalie, starting 7 of their last 9 games. In 8 games this season, Petersen is 2-4-1 with a 2.49 GAA and .926 SV%. Petersen won't get you the wins, but what he can provide you is with a ton of saves. With a GSAA of 5.58, that puts Petersen 8th among all goalie in all situations and above the likes of Darcy Kuemper, Connor Hellebuyck, and Tuukka Rask.
14. Radko Gudas - D (19%)
This one is for all you guys who have been asking me for a defenseman who can provide great value in the peripheral department. With only 2 points in 13 games, don't expect Gudas to provide any offense for you. The meat of the matter is the peripherals this Czech beast provides. Gudas currently leads the league with 72 hits, which is 3 more than what Brady Tkachuk has! He is averaging an astonishing 5.54 hits per game which is absolutely bonkers. Just think about it. For example, FLA has four games this week. 4 games x 5.54 hits = 22.16 hits. With 22 hits, Gudas can help turn the tide you win your hits category outright. Gudas is a must-own if you're in a banger league.
15. Martin Necas - W (8%)
Necas continues to build on his promising career with 6 points in 9 games this season. Last season, Necas was seeing 11:50 a night which has increased to 13:55 this season. Necas has also increased his shot pace from 5.54/60 to 6.04/60 this season. Moreover, Necas has an IPP of 50 which is down from 85.71 from last season. When we take a look at Necas' power-play underlying stats, this is where Necas has made huge strides. Although Necas has a power-play IPP of 100, he has doubled his shot and point pace. Last season, Necas was scoring 4.66 points/60 and shooting 7.76 shots/60. Those two numbers have increased to 9.16 and 15.27 this season. Moreover, Necas is only shooting 0% on the power-play, so with a little luck going his way, expect some extra points.
Some other great targets who didn't make the list include Joe Thornton, Ondrej Palat, Nick Ritchie, Jesse Puljujarvi, Pius Suter, Rasmus Andersson, and Alec Martinez - not in any particular order.
Other players that I've looked at include Jordan Staal, Justin Faulk, Andrew Copp, Jordan Kyrou, Joel Eriksson Ek, Devon Toews, Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz, Chandler Stephenson, Jordan Greenway, Adrian Kempe, and Kevin Stenlund. These players did not make the list as their underlying numbers, such as high IPP or shooting percentage, suggests unsustainability. However, their deployment may be great which can help offset the unsustainability.
As always, thank you for reading! You can also find me on Twitter @vizionsnaps where you can ask me your hockey-related questions.