Before we rundown each team in the Eastern Conference, here’s a reminder of the tips to help your draft strategy:
1. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
While having a player off every single team is a good way to ensure you have a stake in the game all the way to the end, it’s also a good way to ensure you finish middle of the pack. While your team won’t be terrible it also won’t be awesome. Playoff pools are a boom/bust proposition. If you aren’t first, you’re last.
2. If you count goalies, pick goalies early.
Every scoring system is different but typically there are big rewards for goalie wins in playoff pools. Odds are if you get a goalie off of a Conference finalist he will be a top-10 scorer in that playoff pool.
3. Key in on players who see power-play time.
Scoring in the NHL is hard. Scoring in the NHL playoffs is even harder. Every power-play opportunity is huge. You want guys who get minutes while the opposition is short-handed.
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Now let’s look at the Eastern Conference:
Washington Capitals
Starting Goalie: Braden Holtby
Top Five Scorers
Nicklas Backstrom
Alex Ovechkin
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Marcus Johansson
T.J. Oshie
Playoff Stud: Justin Williams
You can’t pick anyone but Mr. Game Seven for this designation. Although Williams’ playoff points-per-game pales in comparison to that of Ovechkin or Backstrom, he has still been a big producer for several Cup champions.
Playoff Dud: Evgeny Kuznetsov
Kuznetsov no-showed last season’s playoff run with just two points in 12 games. He was much better as a rookie the year prior but overall, he has just nine points in 26 career playoff games.
Top Power-Play Unit: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, TJ Oshie, Marcus Johansson, Kevin Shattenkirk
Second Power-Play Unit: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Justin Williams, Andre Burakovsky, John Carlson, Matt Niskanen
Sleeper: Marcus Johansson
Johansson finally broke past the 50-point mark after teasing us with many approaches previously in his career. He skates in all situations, including on the Capitals’ lethal top power-play unit. He doesn’t have a track record of huge playoff performances but he has never vanished either.
Two Dark Horses:
Andre Burakovsky
Jay Beagle
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Starting Goalie: Matt Murray
Top Five Scorers
Sidney Crosby
Evgeni Malkin
Phil Kessel
Conor Sheary
Justin Schultz
Top Power-Play Unit: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Conor Sheary, Justin Schultz
Second Power-Play Unit: Nick Bonino, Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel, Trevor Daley, Mark Streit
Playoff Stud: Phil Kessel
Several good candidates to pick off this team, especially with both Crosby and Malkin carrying per-game averages of over 1.00 points for their careers in the playoffs. Instead, we will pick Kessel whose playoff per-game average is a “mere” 0.93 points. Whatever you think about Kessel, he has delivered in big spots and probably should have won last year’s Conn Smythe.
Playoff Dud: Trevor Daley
Daley just returned from injury but always seems to be banged up. It’s one reason he hasn’t done a ton in the playoffs throughout his career.
Sleeper: Jake Guentzel
Simply, the Sheary-Crosby-Guentzel line has been one of the league’s most prolific since being put together. With all of the Penguins’ injuries, you cannot imagine them going anywhere without production from this line. The catch is: unlike past Crosby linemates, Guentzel is a legitimate offensive talent boasting huge scoring numbers at lower levels. He even put up 14 points in 10 AHL playoff games as a rookie pro last season.
Two Dark Horses:
Nick Bonino
Patric Hornqvist
Columbus Blue Jackets
Starting Goalie: Sergei Bobrovsky
Top Five Scorers:
Cam Atkinson
Alexander Wennberg
Brandon Saad
Nick Foligno
Sam Gagner
Top Power-Play Unit: Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno, Sam Gagner, Zach Werenski
Second Power-Play Unit: Brandon Saad, Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Seth Jones
Playoff Stud: Brandon Saad
The only Blue Jacket with a Cup ring, Saad brings that winning cachet to Columbus. He had some excellent playoff runs with the Blackhawks including 14 goals and 27 points in his last 42 playoff games.
Playoff Dud: Nick Foligno
Foligno is somewhat a victim of not playing for any true contenders. He has made the post-season four other times in his career and was bounced in the first round each time. For his career, Foligno has just eight points in 21 playoff games. Let’s see how he fares while playing on a team with a legitimate claim as one of the league’s best.
Sleeper: Oliver Bjorkstrand
The flashy winger has brought an added punch of offence to the Blue Jackets since being recalled for the second time scoring 12 points in 19 games to close the season. He has found minutes on Columbus’ top lines and has even stolen some top power-play looks from Sam Gagner. The sample size is small but Bjorkstrand leads the Blue Jackets in points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
Two Dark Horses:
Boone Jenner
Brandon Dubinsky
New York Rangers
Starting Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist
Top Five Scorers:
Mats Zuccarello
J.T. Miller
Derek Stepan
Chris Kreider
Kevin Hayes
Top Power-Play Unit: Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan McDonagh
Second Power-Play Unit: Kevin Hayes, Rick Nash, J.T. Miller, Jimmy Vesey, Brady Skjei
Playoff Stud: Ryan McDonagh
McDonagh didn’t make much impact in his first few playoff runs but in the past three he has piled up points with 26 in his last 47 playoff games.
Playoff Dud: Mats Zuccarello
Zuccarello hasn’t exactly produced to his potential in the post-season with just 24 points in 48 career playoff games. He is the Rangers’ leading scorer but that makes him the target for the oppositions best shutdown options.
Sleeper: J.T. Miller
Quietly the Rangers’ second best scorer this season, Miller plays in all phases of the game, including on the third line with Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner that was so dynamic early in the year. They haven’t done much of late but Miller has remained productive finishing with his first career 50-point season.
Two Dark Horses:
Pavel Buchnevich
Brady Skjei
Montreal Canadiens
Starting Goalie: Carey Price
Top Five Scorers:
Max Pacioretty
Alexander Radulov
Alex Galchenyuk
Paul Byron
Shea Weber
Top Power-Play Unit: Max Pacioretty, Alexander Radulov, Andrew Shaw, Shea Weber, Andrei Markov
Second Power-Play Unit: Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, Artturi Lehkonen, Jeff Petry, Nathan Beaulieu
Playoff Stud: Alexander Radulov
All anyone is going to want to talk about is Radulov’s last trip to the NHL playoffs when he was suspended for missing curfew the night before a game. But Radulov has consistently produced in the post-season with 14 points in 18 NHL playoff games. His track record in the KHL is even more extensive with 89 points in 92 playoff games. He is an absolute beast who cannot be knocked off the puck, which makes him perfect for playoff hockey.
Playoff Dud: Andrei Markov
The veteran blueliner has consistently been one of the best point-producing defencemen in the NHL but that has not translated to the playoffs where he has just 31 points in 83 career playoff games.
Sleeper: Artturi Lehkonen
Consider this one a hunch. The young forward wasn’t remotely one of the most explosive rookies of the season, and yet he clearly boasts some exquisite scoring skills. This is a bet on what those skills can do over a small sample like the playoffs. Also, Lehkonen led the top Swedish league in playoff goals last season, as a 20-year-old, with 11 in 19 games en route to a championship.
Two Dark Horses:
Paul Byron
Phillip Danault
Ottawa Senators
Starting Goalie: Craig Anderson
Top Five Scorers:
Erik Karlsson
Mike Hoffman
Kyle Turris
Mark Stone
Derick Brassard
Top Power-Play Unit: Kyle Turris, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Bobby Ryan, Erik Karlsson
Second Power-Play Unit: Ryan Dzingel, Derick Brassard, Alex Burrows, Dion Phaneuf, Cody Ceci
Playoff Stud: Derick Brassard
Brassard put together several strong playoff runs while with the Rangers, piling up 44 points in 59 career playoff games. The veteran has been pushed into more of a secondary role in Ottawa but continues to boast offensive upside.
Playoff Dud: Zack Smith
All of Smith’s playoff experience came before his breakout last season. That caveat made, Smith’s post-season record isn’t great with just three points in 26 NHL playoff games.
Sleeper: Ryan Dzingel
The second-line forward has flashed some solid scoring rates despite rarely seeing optimal deployment. He sits fourth in 5-on-5 scoring per 60 minutes on the Senators, fitting the profile of the type of depth scorer who might show up big.
Two Dark Horses:
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Colin White
Boston Bruins
Starting Goalie: Tuukka Rask
Top Five Scorers:
Brad Marchand
David Pastrnak
David Krejci
Patrice Bergeron
Torey Krug
Top Power-Play Unit: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Spooner, Torey Krug
Second Power-Play Unit: David Krejci, David Backes, Drew Stafford, Frank Vatrano, Zdeno Chara
Playoff Stud: David Krejci
The slick No. 2 centreman has had some absolutely dominant playoff performances, twice leading the league in playoff points. For his career, Krejci has scored 77 points in 93 playoff games.
Playoff Dud: Zdeno Chara
For as big a star as Chara is, he hasn’t put together any superb runs of scoring in the playoffs. He has 58 points in 141 career playoff games. That level of production is fine, especially for someone tasked with shutting down the opposition’s best but you certainly won’t get bang for your buck with Chara’s name value.
Sleeper: Ryan Spooner
Spooner hasn’t yet played in an NHL playoff game but he has a decent track record at the AHL level with 24 points in 28 playoff games across three seasons. More importantly, Spooner skates on the Bruins’ top power-play unit with exposure to the lethal duo of Marchand and Pastrnak.
Two Dark Horses:
Torey Krug
Frank Vatrano
Toronto Maple Leafs
Starting Goalie: Frederik Andersen
Top Five Scorers:
Auston Matthews
Nazem Kadri
William Nylander
Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk
Top Power-Play Unit: Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Connor Brown, Leo Komarov, Jake Gardiner
Second Power-Play Unit: Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, Mitch Marner, Nikita Zaitsev
Playoff Stud: Jake Gardiner
You are hard-pressed to find a Leafs player with much playoff experience. In six games, back in 2013, Gardiner delivered five points. It would be foolish to go off a sample that small. Instead focus on the reality that Gardiner is ostensibly their No. 1 defenceman. He mans the point on their top power-play unit, offering solid exposure to Matthews.
Playoff Dud: Brian Boyle
This is about expectations. Boyle has had some strong playoff performances relative to expectations since he is a fourth-line centreman. Getting carried away with boasting about those strong performances allows a reputation to become overblown. Boyle has 26 points in 100 career playoff games. That’s great for a fourth-liner, not so great for someone you might draft off of “reputation”.
Sleeper: Connor Brown
Good luck finding a sleeper on a team that receives as much coverage as the Leafs. It helps that their offence is as stacked as it is, with five 60-point players this season. That much scoring available across three lines means that depth players across all lines provide exposure to quality scorers. Brown is the most intriguing of all with his usage on the top power-play unit. He also has a decent track record at the AHL level with 13 points in 20 playoff games.
Two Dark Horses:
Nikita Zaitsev
Zach Hyman
Steve Laidlaw is the Managing Editor of DobberHockey. Follow him on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw.
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