Tim Connolly has been red hot lately

With the trade deadline in the NHL rapidly approaching its time to take a closer look at who could traded and what opportunities it will open up.  Often times a player on a poor team (i.e. a team whose players generally have a ‘minus’ rating) will move to a better team.  Meaning, that player on your team who’s been dragging down your overall rating, might soon help out.  Also, with a key player moving on to a new team, a position will be opened up leading to significant opportunity for a younger player, that up until now was fantasy-wise insignificant.

It’s also getting closer to your fantasy trade deadline.  Yes, you have to start biting the bullet and picking up players you might not necessarily like, but help you gain in a statistic your team is sorely lacking.  There’s a catch though as some categories are easier to make up ground than others.  Let’s be honest, if you’re behind for points in goals against average at this point in the season by a large margin you’re likely out of luck.  The goals your current or former goalies have allowed will have to be offset by less goals allowed over more time going forward.  Even if your goalies do allow less goals, you’re running out of the second variable quite rapidly.  Also, if you’re behind in goals you will have a bit of an uphill battle.  Sure its easy to get a guy off the wire who’s hot and maybe he’ll pot you a couple down the stretch but goals are the most rare of the offensive stats.  However, counting stats like penalty minutes and assists, even wins and saves can be made up fairly quickly. 

Assists are plentiful and gained more quickly by riding a player on a scoring streak.  If you’re looking for penalty minutes its time to let go of that lower scoring fourth defenseman and replace him with a goon type.  If you’re really looking to gain, try to add two goons and cycle them in on off days.  It will help make games played which sometimes you can get behind in with day to day injuries from your starters.  Don’t be afraid to play a goon over a middling forward at this point.

Each week there are some player suggestions that carry over into the following weeks.  If you haven’t picked them up and haven’t read about them in more detail, check out some of previous Power Play Pickups.  Guys I suggested in recent weeks that are still good bets for production:  Jason Blake, Jamie Langenbrunner, Drew Stafford and Brian Elliott.

Goalies

Ty Conklin, Red Wings

If you’re in need of wins its time to bite the bullet and pick up a part timer.  That’s right, I said part timer.  Yes Conklin does not have the starting job in Detroit, but he’s already got 20 wins as the ‘back up’.  His peripheral numbers are also excellent (2.34 GAA and .922 GAA) which make him an outstanding pick up as long as you can afford a few missed starts per week.  If you play a weekly league avoid, but daily leaguers will love Conklin as a plug and play goalie.

Yann Danis, Islanders

I play in one bizarrely deep league where all the goalies and back ups have been taken.  To my surprise, Danis was still sitting out there and I snagged him a few weeks back knowing that franchise starting goalie Rick DiPietro is done for the season.  He then won four games in a row allowing 7 goals in that time frame.  Since then, he’s cooled a little but has brought legit competition to the Islanders starting goaltender position to incumbent starter Joey MacDonald.  Danis’s numbers are strong (2.87 GAA and a .920 save percentage) and if you’re in need of goaltending he’s playing well with time he’s been given.

Forwards

Tim Connolly, C, Sabres

He’s red hot right now to the tune of 11 points, including 4 goals in his last 10 games.  If he’s somehow out there in your league he shouldn’t be.  Stop reading now and go pick him up.  Ok, now remind yourself that Connolly is a greatly skilled player who is often injured.  If he gets hurt in the next week or so, don’t blame me because I warned you.  Seriously though, Connolly is an excellent pick up as long as he can stay healthy.  He’s always been a gifted offensive player and the Sabres have a lot of surrounding scoring talent.  He can’t maintain this torrid pace, but at this point in the season every hot streak counts.

Jarret Stoll , C, Kings

With 11 points and 5 goals in his last 10 games, Stoll is worthy of a pickup in deeper leagues.  Stoll centers the top line in Los Angeles and has been getting his on the power play (17 power play points).  Stoll has never been much of a goal scorer but at 26 years old might be finally coming into his own.  Don’t expect much past his current hot streak as he’s only broken the 50 point barrier once in his career.

Cory Stillman LW, Richard Zednik, RW and Stephen Weiss C, Panthers

This is just to serve notice that the Florida Panthers offense has been strong lately.  The trio above all have at least 10 points in the past 10 games.  Since the whole team seems to be scoring in bunches lately, it should be mentioned that all three of these players is pick up worthy.  If I had to rank them, I’d go with the 25 year old Weiss first, than Stillman than the generally unreliable Zednik.

Defenseman

Sergei Gonchar, Penguins

This is more of a warning than anything.  Gonchar is back and should be picked up in all formats everywhere.  Really he shouldn’t be available as the astute fantasy owner would have injured reserved him in October but as the season wears on and the injuries mount, guys like Gonchar find themselves on the wire.  Anybody quarterbacking the Pittsburgh power play should be owned, especially so with someone as skilled as Gonchar.

Craig Rivet, Sabres

You want a great undervalued pick up?  Try Rivet.  He’s got 77 penalty minutes on the season and has been playing exceptionally well offensively of late notching six points in his last 10 games.  Overall, he’s had a down year in the points category but playing on a great offensive team like the Sabres should benefit him going forward.  Of his 15 points, six are on the power play.  He’s only played 40 games this year due to an early season injury.  If you need a penalty minute getting defenseman, you could do far worse.

Well that’s all for me this week, happy hunting!