Patrick Sharp is under the Treasure Hunting spotlight once again...

We all know how valuable goals and assists are. We know what a shutout means to a goaltender in a fantasy league. There are certain statistical categories that are bound to be a staple of any fantasy hockey league, but then there are other more specialized categories. Not all leagues may use all categories, but there are a few that are more commonplace than others. In this week’s edition of Treasure Hunting, we will take a look at a statistics that is often overlooked as valuable in a fantasy setting: shorthanded goals.

Of course, there are the Kris Drapers and the Sami Pahlssons of the world, who specialize in shorthanded situations. Players like Draper and Pahlsson are speedy, smart and possess excellent hands, which make them excellent scoring threats while a man down. But usually those types of players are reserved for checking lines and penalty-killing units because of their expertise, and are hardly ever given the opportunity to showcase their skills in a more elite setting. However, some players are given that opportunity – the players that can score in all situations, including shorthanded.

Especially in head-to-head leagues, a shorthanded goal can mean a huge difference sometimes. Because they are so rare, a shorthanded goal one week more often than not means winning the category, which can be the push sometimes to get a mediocre team over the hump. For this reason, it is absolutely critical to have at least one shorthanded specialist on your team if you can find the right player. It’s not always worth it to grab a player only because of his shorthanded goals (see Boyd Gordon or Tom Kostopoulos), but if you can find the right player who can contribute in other ways as well, it’s a valuable asset to have.

Patrick Sharp, Chicago Blackhawks

Sharp, whom we detailed in the last edition of Treasure Hunting, is really coming into his own alongside the rest of the youth movement in Chicago. His 12 goals so far this season mark his best start yet, and of the 12, five have come with a man down. Sharp is developing into one of the best special teams threats in the NHL, with superb faceoff ability as well. Sharp averages 17 minutes of ice time per game, and 2:43 of that is shorthanded.

Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers

Richards, whom we also detailed, has taken off in his own right. Through 26 games, the Flyers youngster has 31 points along with 14 goals and 3 shorthanded tallies. Richards is proving to be Philadelphia’s most valuable player this year, playing in all situations, whether it is shorthanded, on the power play, or even strength.

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators

It is a well-known fact that Alfredsson is one of the most offensively gifted players in the NHL. He captains arguably the best team in the league, and is often found near the top of the NHL scoring list. Therefore, it is no surprise that fantasy owners would want to grab him early. But depending on the scoring categories in your league, it may be worth it to take a harder look at Alfredsson than his other usually higher-drafted teammates, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, if for no other reason than his shorthanded abilities (three shorthanded goals this season). Because Alfredsson typically plays a more rounded game, which includes defensive responsibilities, he is more prone to scoring chances while playing on the PK unit. You will not go wrong with any player from that line, but Alfredsson’s game adds that extra dimension.

Anže Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings

Like Alfredsson, there are other reasons to draft Kopitar in his own right, but the young Yugoslav is developing very nicely into an all-purpose threat for the Los Angeles Kings. Just 25 games into his sophomore season, Kopitar has already matched his shorthanded goal output of last season (2), and has just two fewer power-play goals. The 20-year-old has loads of time to develop still, and being that the case, he might be an extremely valuable commodity a few years down the road as the youthful Kings grow into a contender. If you play in a keeper league, especially one that counts shorties, you could do worse things than try to swing a deal for Kopitar.

Here is how our picks from last week turned out:

LW- Marco Sturm, BOS: 0 goals, 3 assists, even, 2 PIMs, 13 shots on goal
C- Mike Richards, PHI: 0 goals, 1 assist, +1, 4 PIMs, 2 shots on goal, 17 faceoff wins
RW- Patrick Sharp, CHI: 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-1, 4 shots on goal, 8 faceoff wins
D- Michal Rozsival, NYR: 0 goals, 2 assists, even, 5 shots on goal
G- Rick DiPietro, NYI: 0-2-1, .870 SV% (67 saves on 77 shots), 3.33 GAA (10 goals allowed in 3 games)

Here are the picks for this week:

LW- Jan Hlaváč, TB
C- Phil Kessel, BOS
RW- J.P. Dumont, NSH
D- Jaroslav Špaček, BUF
G- Jean-Sébastien Giguere, ANA