Great player group.
I agree, these are some guys that may have a fantastic year!!!
It is fantasy hockey’s forgotten month. Take a minute to think about how closely you followed the end of the regular season around the league. April (or March) statistics typically get overshadowed by the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that is a pretty big shadow. As attention shifts to fantasy drafts, it is the overall season numbers that get dissected but they do not tell the whole story. Sometimes a hot April can be an anomaly to cap a mediocre year, but it also can be the first sign of a player ready to break out of fantasy hockey anonymity, take the next step to becoming a fantasy force, or regain their status as an elite player. Time to take a look at five players whose fantasy stock rose to close the 2012-13 season:
Mike Green, D, Washington Capitals
Injuries limited Green to 35 games last season (sound familiar?), but a healthy April yielded a 7-8=15 line in 14 games to lead all defensemen. Ten of those points came via a resurgent Washington power play that lead the league in efficiency after two consecutive seasons outside of the top 15. Do not expect Green to play in 82 games next season, but do expect him to remain a scoring asset from the blue line now that the Washington offense in clicking again. His injury history and sub-par season stats by his standards should make him available at a discount on draft day or a “buy-low” candidate in keeper leagues.
Nail Yakupov, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Only Alex Ovechkin (14) had more April goals than Yakupov, who finished his rookie campaign with six goals over his last three games to give him 11 for the month. That is pretty good company for the Russian winger who has earned more ice time for the upcoming season. Yakupov added four assists to go along with a plus-7 rating, solidifying his potential as a point-per-game player in 2013-14. The first overall pick of the 2012 draft also led the NHL in scoring among players with less than 15 minutes of ice time per game.
Jiri Tlusty, LW, Carolina Hurricanes
Tlusty capped his breakout season with 15 points in 15 April games. Playing on a potent line with Alex Semin and Eric Staal, the 2006 first-round pick is still only 25 and has room to grow offensively. With a 2013-14 cap hit of $1.6 million, he is one of the best bargains in the NHL and should expect a first-line role again next season. Tlusty’s four multi-goal games in April (including his first career hat trick) gave him nine for the season, leading the league by a comfortable margin.
Sven Baertschi, LW, Calgary Flames
Baertschi took advantage of an expanded offensive role to end the season, scoring nine points in 10 April games thanks to a seven-game points streak to close the year. All of those points came at even strength due to a limited role on the power play, but that will change quickly. The rebuilding Flames have no reason to hold the 20-year-old winger back. Baertschi scored 94 points in 47 games in his last season in the WHL and added 26 points in 32 games last season in what could be his last career AHL games. His modest cap hit gives him additional value in salary cap leagues.
Brandon Dubinsky, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
In his first season with the Blue Jackets, Dubinsky overcame injuries and a slow start to tally 11 points in his last 10 games. It is a small sample size, but shows his potential with his new team and linemates. Only one of his April points came from finding the back of the net, but the two-time 20-goal scorer is unlikely to repeat his career-low shooting percentage next season.
Great player group.
I agree, these are some guys that may have a fantastic year!!!
love the list. dubinsky was my sleeper for the upcoming season too.
10 team Full Keeper Roto League
4C-4LW-4RW-6D-2G-5bench-unlimited farm.
C= eichel,horvat,malkin,kuznetsov
LW= forsberg,kreider,lee,b.tkchuch,hertle,granlund
RW= reinhart,radulov,hoffman,laine,hayes
D= doughty,ghostebehere,karlsson,jones,klefbom,dahlin ,skjei
G= price,murray,grubauer,georgiev,ullmark,samsonov
under250gp=nichushkin,tuch,mathesson,marino,pujuja rvi,hosang,terry,andersson,j.hughes,patrik,crouse, zadina,podkolzin,k.miller,nedeljkovic,kravtsov,hay ton
--G,A,P,PPP,SHP,GWG,PIMS,+/-,SOG,hits,FOW,blks-Wins,GAA,SV%,saves,SO
Very well written, and solid examples
The Best Fantasy Hockey Site
15-Team Keeper, points only, best 12 fwd, 4 dman, 2 G count. Playoffs count.
F - T. Thompson, Thomas, Nylander, Tarasenko, Arvidsson, Guentzel, Fiala, Quinn, Mittelstadt, Hagel, Zacha, Roslovic, Berggren, Brink, Ostlund
G - Kahkonen, Vejmelka, L. Thompson, Levi, Comrie
D - Hronek, Morrissey, Lundkvist, Girard, Brannstrom, Rathbone, Hanifin, Severson, Durzi