In fantasy hockey, managers have to follow where the points are. One of the best indicators of scoring potential is a power-play role -- however, not all power plays are made equal. The highest-scoring team in the league with a man up is unsurprisingly the Connor McDavid-led Oilers, who have already tallied eight times on the power play. Along with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who often soak up all two minutes of an opponent's penalty, there's Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie. Unfortunately in fantasy, none of those guys are going to be available for free.
Instead, we have to look to teams that are having more surprising power-play success to find some hidden gems. This week, the spotlight goes to Ducks defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. While both have played on the second unit, the Ducks' lack of all-out star power has led to a much more even distribution of time. So far, it's done wonders for both blueliners. Shattenkirk has six points (three goals, three assists) in six games this year, and all of his helpers have come on the power play. For Fowler, all four of his points (one tally, three helpers) have come with the man advantage. Especially when scoring from the blue line is tough to find, it's guys like these that give you a short-term boost. The Ducks also get the treat of playing a Jets team that has killed just 54.6 percent of its penalties this season.
Another player to keep
In fantasy hockey, managers have to follow where the points are. One of the best indicators of scoring potential is a power-play role -- however, not all power plays are made equal. The highest-scoring team in the league with a man up is unsurprisingly the Connor McDavid-led Oilers, who have already tallied eight times on the power play. Along with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who often soak up all two minutes of an opponent's penalty, there's Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie. Unfortunately in fantasy, none of those guys are going to be available for free.
Instead, we have to look to teams that are having more surprising power-play success to find some hidden gems. This week, the spotlight goes to Ducks defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. While both have played on the second unit, the Ducks' lack of all-out star power has led to a much more even distribution of time. So far, it's done wonders for both blueliners. Shattenkirk has six points (three goals, three assists) in six games this year, and all of his helpers have come on the power play. For Fowler, all four of his points (one tally, three helpers) have come with the man advantage. Especially when scoring from the blue line is tough to find, it's guys like these that give you a short-term boost. The Ducks also get the treat of playing a Jets team that has killed just 54.6 percent of its penalties this season.
Another player to keep an eye on with the Ducks is winger Troy Terry. He's picked up two goals, four assists and eight shots through five games this season, and he's seeing an even-strength assignment with Ryan Getzlaf (four helpers in six outings). I'm not here to consider if the Ducks will continue to hum at a 33.3 percent conversion rate on the power play -- what they're doing is working right now, and you can always cycle these players out later.
Further north in California, it's time to pay attention to Jonathan Dahlen. The Sharks' new top-line left wing, filling in for a suspended Evander Kane, has racked up three goals, 11 shots and a plus-5 rating in just four games. Full disclosure -- I though it would be William Eklund taking over the top-line job, but the 23-year-old Dahlen has seized the opportunity presented to him. Jasper Weatherby (three points in five games) has also found a little early success, but he's been limited to a bottom-six job so far.
While the Jets' penalty kill hasn't been able to stop a feather yet, their power play is just fine at 26.3 percent. The first unit is doing fine, but fantasy managers only need to dig a little deeper to notice Nate Schmidt. The 30-year-old has six assists in five games, and three of those are with the man advantage. His best years were with the Golden Knights before a 15-point dud in 54 outings last year, but the Jets' star-studded offense has helped him rediscover his scoring touch early this year.
Lucas Raymond was already off to a solid start this year, but a hat trick in just his sixth NHL game will demand some attention. Selected fourth overall in 2020, the Swede has landed on the Red Wings' top line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. That trio shredded the Blackhawks for four goals and 10 points Sunday -- tougher tests await with games against the Capitals and Panthers this week. Raymond could earn some Calder Trophy buzz this year, and the Red Wings' offense is not the joke it once was, averaging 3.3 goals per game to start the year.
Oliver Bjorkstrand has seven points in five games this season. In reality, it's seven points in two games and three scoreless efforts -- scoring in bunches is still scoring. The Danish winger has long been one of the players that's right on the fantasy fringe for me. He's got 20-goal, 40-point capability, he maintains a strong shot volume and there's a lot to like with his top-six role, but I have trouble finding a starting spot for him on busier game days. I'd like to see a little more consistency going forward, but I'd also rather roster him than have my opponents use him against me.
I didn't buy into the Sabres' first-week hype, and now they've lost their last two games. Sometimes a team just gets off to a good start before things level out. If there's one Sabre I'm keeping an eye on going forward, it's Victor Olofsson. The Swede has four points through five contests, and two of them have come on the power play. He checks a lot of boxes for what I'm looking for, although a lack of hits and a drag on plus-minus leaves him as someone I'd consider more for 12-plus-team formats.
After about a decade of this, I shouldn't be surprised when the Penguins continue to win games with half of the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster with the big club. Missing your top three centers would destroy most teams, but the Penguins roll on. It's the wingers that interest me most here -- Danton Heinen's three goals and two assists through five games stand out. While his 47-point campaign back in 2017-18 is well behind him, he played chunks of the last two seasons on a Ducks team that could barely score two goals a game. If he stays in the top six long-term, I like his chances for 40 points. Kasperi Kapanen should also improve once Sidney Crosby (wrist) and Evgeni Malkin (knee) return. Kapanen has four helpers in five games, mainly with Jeff Carter, who's in COVID-19 protocols as of Sunday. Give him a superstar center, and Kapanen will certainly start scoring some of his own.
Those who read my preseason column know I was all-in on the Stars to open the season. Unfortunately for me, my favorite mid-round breakout candidate, Jason Robertson, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury for the first two weeks. My point here is that context matters: a team that is missing key players, like the Stars or the Golden Knights to name two, can't be accurately judged when they're not at full strength. The Stars' have scored 10 goals in five contests, and that's concerning, but outside of really shallow formats where I've had to let Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov go, I'm still a believer in the long-term potential. It's fair to say the early results have outright sucked, but I won't give up easily.
For now, fellow fantasy managers, go where the points take you. My personal philosophy is to not make too many moves early on, outside of filling gaps created by injuries (of which there seems to be a lot so far). That said, if a guy's playing in the top six, producing on the power play or just dominating at 5-on-5, add him now and see how long it lasts. Fantasy is more like fishing than marriage -- if you don't like what you've caught so far, throw it back and cast that line out again. Let's see what bites this week.
