We are marching toward the playoffs, and even before that, the trade deadline for most fantasy hockey leagues. By now, you should have a good handle on your team and should be looking to make that last push either to get into the playoffs or to stay in the running. With a few weeks left before the deadline, I would like to give you some players to think about over the next several weeks. I may have mentioned some of these players in the past, but in any case, take a look. These players might just be the help you need as fill-in starters or for depth — one player can be the difference between being in or out.
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Buy
Dominik Kubalik (LW, RW – CHI)
I really don’t like putting repeat players in articles this close together, but as of this minute, Kubalik is still owned in only about 23 percent of Yahoo leagues. I’m scratching my head about why he isn’t on more rosters — he’s an easy pick up once owners notice the Blackhawks’ injury issues. In his last five games, he has eight total points. Five of his points have been goals, so he is not just stuffing the stat sheet with assists, he is putting the puck in the net for Chicago too. If we expand to just 10 games, he still has over a point per game with 12 points in those 10 games. Why are we not picking up this guy? You could even trade something small for him as well if someone in your league was smart enough to grab him.
Tristan Jarry (G – PIT)
When one player goes down, insert another player and watch them excel. It’s been the way of the Penguins since as long as I can remember, and Jarry is no exception. He three wins in his last four appearances. In the Penguins’ last 10 games, Jarry started nine of them, and he won eight of them for Pittsburgh. Jarry has the hot hand right now, and the Penguins are certainly riding him. He also has a league-leading .932 save percentage and a GAA of 2.08. With Crosby still hopeful to return before the All-Star game, both Jarry and the team will be in a great position for a run the rest of the season if they can keep this up.
Pavel Francouz (G – COL)
Another goalie? Yes, there are two that are very noteworthy and should be sought after as soon as possible. Sure, he’s splitting time right now, but when he’s between the pipes, it’s been nothing but W’s. Nine out of his last 11 starts were wins, and he’s also giving you a .926 save percentage with a 2.41 GAA. He is a must-start on your team when he’s starting for Colorado.
Sell
Jake DeBrusk (LW, RW – BOS)
DeBrusk isn’t a sell because he is going to have a massive drop off, or because of injury. It’s a sell because I believe you can get something more for the value that his name carries. DeBrusk is right on pace to reach the points mark he’s had his first two seasons, and this is not a bad thing, but I feel someone else will easily pay for a player that has been somewhat inconsistent when scoring his points. DeBrusk likes to pile up his points in one game and then have a couple of games with zero scoring, which is no problem at all in a standard league. That’s a different story in other formats, as him going a week without points could have consequences for your team.
Jesper Fast (RW – NYR)
Hurry up and sell him high. Although he may not be owned in very many leagues, if you do have him, I would sell him at what may be considered the peak of his season. He has four points in his last five games and nine points in his last 10. Simple math shows that the last 10 games would be half his points, while the prior 33 games would be the other half. The problem is that he only has 18 points overall on the season, and his success seems to depend largely on when Artemi Panarin’s performance.
I hope everyone continues to enjoy the season, and that you enjoy the march to the playoffs. And as always, have fun, hockey friends.
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Mat Vilcek is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Mat, check out his archive and follow him @Mat1Thockey.
