Five injury replacements for Mike Green
Mike Green has been out for two consecutive games and has missed four games on the season. If you took him in the first round, that is basically a full week in head-to-head play not to mention his well below point-per-game scoring pace– a plateau he has hit two years running. On top of that, owners are hoping Green gets to 20 goals this season and not that he can eclipse 30 for the second time in his career– another likely hope when the season began.
In short, your team needs help and we have the quick fixes for you. Here are five guys that might give your team a boost since you now an unfortunate hole in your lineup:
Cam Fowler – D, Anaheim Ducks (5% Yahoo!)
With Teemu Selanne and Joffrey Lupul still nursing injuries, Bobby Ryan moves off the point on the top powerplay unit and back to the wing. The main beneficiary of this move of course is Fowler, who averages the second most powerplay time amongst defensemen on his club. Considering the Ducks currently connect at an excellent 22.1 percent with the man advantage you should run to try and add Fowler now.
Brett Clark – D, Tampa Bay Lightning (6% Yahoo!)
Similar to Fowler, Clark plays on the top powerplay unit for the Lightning– who have the second powerplay in the League. More importantly Clark is the only defender who currently plays on their top unit, manning the point with the ultimate playmaker Martin St. Louis. My esteemed associate Reggie Yinger already mentioned the veteran offensive defenseman in his Crashing the Net but he deserves another mention. Just last game Clark scored a powerplay tally against the New York Rangers, in a game that looked like an endless powerplay. Currently, Clark is on pace for around 20 goals with five through 22 games.
Kevin Shattenkirk – D, Colorado Avalanche (7% Yahoo!)
After being held scoreless in the AHL, Shattenkirk has reacted well to a promotion to the big leagues. Through his first 11 NHL games the former 14th overall pick has three goals and seven points for a start nobody particularly saw coming. Over a full season the New Rochelle, NY native is on pace for 52 points; a pace he simply will not continue as the most he has ever scored in a hockey season is 29 with Boston University. However, the most important part about his production has to be his immediate promotion to the top powerplay unit and top four minutes with steady veteran Scott Hannan. Colorado has one of the most powerful offenses in the League as they are currently third overall in goals scored with Shattenkirk right in the middle of it.
Andrej Meszaros – D, Philadephia Flyers (9% Yahoo!)
Meszaros is a different player than his first few seasons with the Ottawa Senators. He no longer will score near 10 goals and no longer plays top minutes. Nevertheless, he gets valuable production from playing on the third pairing of an offensive powerhouse. Considering the Flyers’ third line has a point-per-game center in Daniel Briere while other top scorers are dispersed amongst the other lines, this hulking defender simply needs to make the first pass to pick up points and plus ratings. Through his first 22 games with the team he has one goal and seven points with an impressive plus-15. He even has started gaining powerplay time on the second unit as the team tries to spread out some of Chris Pronger‘s playing time.
Marek Zidlicky – D, Minnesota Wild (34% Yahoo!)
Zidlicky might be available in your league if an owner eventually became frustrated with his constant day-to-day status. Through 14 games this season the Czech defender has two goals and eight points which would project to a solid 46 points. Of course, after already missing seven games Zids won’t hit that plateau but 10 goals and 40 points are still attainable as he has missed anywhere between three and six games over the past couple years and still finished with 40 points. With the Wild connecting at over 25 percent on the powerplay, we clearly like this add if he can still be picked up on your waiver wire.
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