NHL Fantasy: Who to target for power play points

Alex-Galchenyuk

Montreal Canadiens' Alex Galchenyuk. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

With six days left in the season, counting today, the best that fantasy hockey owners can do is put themselves in a position to succeed with what they have. It’s a reality of the game that luck plays a big factor in success, so decisions have to be made that reflect the best opportunities available.

With that in mind, here are some under-the-radar players to target for power play points. They are either part of prolific power plays or face teams that are either undisciplined or deficient on the penalty kill.

Alex Galchenyuk (Montreal – Centre/Left Wing)

Though he’s owned in about a third of fantasy leagues on ESPN, Galchenyuk is in a decent position to succeed offensively this week: Montreal faces Detroit and Toronto later this week. Those two teams are both bottom-seven in the NHL in unblocked shot attempts allowed per minute, and goals against per minute, while short-handed since the calendar turned to 2015 (via War On Ice).

There isn’t a need to add Galchenyuk, who plays on the top power play unit for Montreal now with Max Pacioretty out of the lineup, until later in the week, though.

Brandon Dubinsky (Columbus – Centre/Left Wing)

Columbus starts the week against the Rangers, who are a very good penalty killing team. In that sense, there is no need to add Dubinsky until Tuesday. He’s playing on the second power play unit with Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner.

Columbus plays Toronto on Wednesday and Buffalo on Friday. Both of those teams have been among the worst teams in unblocked shot attempts and goals allowed per minute in 2015. While the Jackets are just a middle-of-the-road power play team by goals scored over the last few months, their opponents are very deficient on the penalty kill.

Mikael Granlund (Minnesota – Centre)

On the surface, Minnesota has a murderers’ row of teams to face this week: Winnipeg, Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis. Also, the Wild haven’t been that great all year on the power play. Granlund could be a sneaky source of power play points this week, though.

The Wild may get Mikko Koivu back tonight, so it might jumble their power play lines a bit. Either way, Granlund will be no further down than the second unit. As remarkable as it may sound, Chicago has been one of the worst penalty killing teams over the last three months or so, and Winnipeg has become unhinged at times, and lead the NHL in amount of times short-handed.

Dmitrij Jaskin (St. Louis – Right Wing)

Jaskin has had an up-and-down year, and has even been a healthy scratch over the last couple of weeks. He does look to be firmly planted on the second power play unit, and has even gotten David Backes as a line mate with Alex Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko not playing lately.

Like Granlund, Jaskin also faces both Chicago and Winnipeg this week. While the top offensive players like Jaden Schwartz and Paul Stastny would be ideal, they’re not available at this point of the season. Jaskin is a fine fallback plan, but does not need to be added until Tuesday.

Alex Burrows (Vancouver – Right Wing)

While not playing on the Sedin unit for the power play is an obvious downside, Burrows does play with them at even strength. Burrows is currently on the second power play unit with Nick Bonino and Chris Higgins.

Vancouver finishes the regular season schedule with a game at home against Arizona Thursday and at home again on Saturday to Edmonton. Since January 1, both of those teams are in the bottom-10 in the NHL in both unblocked shot attempts allowed and goals against. Burrows is widely available, and is a fine addition for later in the week.

Elias Lindholm (Carolina – Centre/Right Wing)

It’s been a strong finish for the 20-year-old, as Lindholm has 12 points in his last 17 games, averaging two shots on goal per game. What’s more important for now is that Lindholm has joined the top power play unit with Eric Staal.

Carolina starts the week against Buffalo, and also has two games against Detroit this week. It may come as a surprise, but one of the bottom-5 teams in terms of goals against and unblocked shot attempts allowed over the last three months is the Red Wings.

Nick Holden (Colorado – Defense)

Like Minnesota and St. Louis, Colorado has games this week against both Winnipeg and Chicago later this week. Tyson Barrie runs the top power play unit for the Avalanche, while Nick Holden and Zach Redmond run the second unit. Colorado doesn’t have a very good power play, but the choices remaining on the board are few and far between.

Other defensive additions: Michael Del Zotto (Philadelphia), John-Michael Liles (Carolina), Justin Schultz (Edmonton).

*Some stats courtesy of Hockey Reference, War On Ice, Left Wing Lock, and Hockey Analysis.

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