Fantasy Hockey Holiday Bargain Shopping
In the spirit of the Holidays it is time to do some Fantasy Hockey free-agent bargain shopping! There is nothing better than finding that perfect gift at a discounted price during the Holidays, and in fantasy hockey it is great to find those mid-season gems. Here are six young forwards who are owned in 18 per-cent or less of Yahoo! fantasy leagues that would be worth a look if you need some help upfront.
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Jaden Schwartz (18% owned) – C/LW St. Louis Blues
Schwartz was the 14th overall pick in 2010 and is in his second full NHL season. He was a potent scorer in the Western Colligate Hockey Association posting 88 points (32G / 56A) in 60 games with Colorado College. At 21-years old he is starting to come into his own in the NHL. He plays on a talented Blues team which provides him with a superb surrounding cast. He is firmly cemented in the Blues’ top-6 averaging 16:12 TOI this season. In his last 10 games, Schwartz has recorded four goals and five assists (7G / 12A on the season).
Mats Zuccarello (16% owned) – LW New York Rangers
Zuccarello is a talented, under-sized, play-making winger. After spending half of last season in the KHL, he came to the Rangers and posted eight points in 15 games. This season he has appeared in all 31 games, recording six goals an 14 assists. The Oslo, Norwary native is heating up having registered four goals and six assists in his last 10 games. Like Schwartz he sees plenty of ice-time (17:22 on average) and with great players like Derek Stepan.
Sean Couturier (15% owned) – C Philadelphia Flyers
Couturier was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, but had struggled to produce at a high level in his first two seasons. In just over two months in his third season the 21-year-old has recorded five goals and 10 assists in 31 games. While those numbers still do not blow you away, his four goals and three assists in his last seven games show that the top-10 pick can score on a consistent basis as he continues to develop his game. He has great size at 6-foot-3 and just under 200 pounds and plays 20-plus minutes on most nights. Couturier recorded back-to-back 96 point seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League so you know the offence is there, making him a great keeper league option.
Tyler Toffoli (15% owned) – C/RW Los Angeles Kings
Unlike the three players above him, Toffoli mostly plays on the third line, but that third line includes Mike Richards as his centre. He averages 13 minutes a night, but it does not limit his production at all. The 21-year-old has eight goals and seven assists (15 points) in 18 games. He appears to finally have a stranglehold on a roster spot and should continue to produce at even strength and on the power-play.
Nick Foligno (9% owned) – LW Columbus Blue Jackets
Unlike the rest of the guys on this list, Foligno does not have tremendous upside. He is in his seventh NHL season and has a career high of 47 points in 2011-12. But did you see his between the legs goal last week? (Watch HERE) He has some talent and is currently playing on the Blue Jackets top-line. The 26-year-old has five goals and three assists in his last 10 games and should remain in the top-6 when Marian Gaborik and Nathan Horton return to the lineup.
Ondrej Palat (1% owned) – LW Tampa Bay Lightning
Palat is a solid deep-league option. He has been playing upwards of 18 minutes as of late and skates on the Lightning’s top-line with Martin St. Louis. He had 52 points in 56 games in the AHL last season and the year prior the 22-year-old had 96 points in the QMJHL. He has four goals and two assists in his last nine games to give him 11 points in 30 games. With multiple Lightning forwards on the shelf, Palat will continue to see valuable minutes.