There’s only been a handful of games since the All-Star break, which makes this the perfect opportunity to go over some mid-season Fantasy Awards.
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Fantasy Hockey Mid Season Awards
Top Center
C Nathan MacKinnon, COL: The entire top line for the Avalanche has been tearing up the NHL all season. He has 27 goals and 44 assists, putting his 71 points in fifth among the leading scorers. He has two fewer points than Connor McDavid, but what catapults MacKinnon to the top is the peripherals he contributes on top of his points. He has 28 power-play points, a plus-17 rating, 31 hits and a league-best 217 shots on goal.
Top Left Wing
LW Alex Ovechkin, WSH: In a points only league, Johnny Gaudreau would have this award locked down with his 73 tallies. However, when it comes to category coverage, few are better than the Great 8. He’s lit the lamp 37 times already, putting him on pace for his eighth 50-goal campaign. He has 57 points, with 16 of them coming from the man advantage. He’s ripped 198 shots on net to no one’s surprise, and has added value for leagues that count hits, as he has 147 – meanwhile Gaudreau has just four.
Top Right Wing
RW Nikita Kucherov, TBL: The sniper leads the NHL with his 79 points, and could capture his first Art Ross Trophy (after losing the race to Connor McDavid late last year). Mikko Rantanen and Patrick Kane have also had very successful seasons, and could overtake Kucherov in the second half of the campaign. Of Kucherov’s 79 points, 22 are goals, while 29 have been generated from the power play – another stat he leads the league in, on top of his NHL best 57 assists. He has 139 shots on net, 23 hits and a plus-13 rating, providing some coverage in other areas.
Top Defense
D Mark Giordano, CGY: Many Flames have been thriving this year, but it’s been the Captain that perhaps excelled the most. Giordano has 52 points in 49 games – the second most of his position. 11 of those points are goals, and he’s also produced 18 power-play points, 132 shots on net, 39 hits and a league-leading plus-29 rating. He’s just four points shy of meeting his career high in points, and should have no problem cracking 60 points, and maybe push for 70. Best of all, on average he was the 26th defenseman taken in drafts. Those who took him are getting far more value than they ever could have imagined.
D Brent Burns, SJS: The high-scoring defenseman is always at or near the top of his position – especially in fantasy leagues. He has nine goals and 46 assists, good for 55 points, putting him atop the leader board. He has 20 power-play points, 56 hits, a plus-8 rating and 198 shots on target – the most of anyone in his position. He’s on pace to blow by last year’s 67 point total, and could crack the 80 point threshold for the first time in his career.
Top Goaltender
G Robin Lehner, NYI: Who would have predicted this during their drafts? In his first season with the Islanders, Lehner has 15 wins, three shutouts, and leads the league with a 2.02 GAA and .931 save percentage (among goalies that have played at least 15 games). He’s formed a reliable duo with Thomas Greiss, as they have vaulted the Islanders to the top of the Metropolitan division. Coach Barry Trotz has the team playing a stingy defense – their 122 goals against is best in the NHL. This wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of Lehner, who was on average the 29th drafted goalie. This means for many he was chosen to be either the backup or a third string, but has exceeded even the wildest of expectations.
Top Rookie
C Elias Pettersson, VAN: This should come as no surprise, as Pettersson has made his mark from opening night. His 45 points are well ahead of anyone else – Rasmus Dahlin is second with 28 points. None of his peers are close to him in goals either, where Pettersson’s 23 are nearly double second place Andrei Svechnikov and Mathieu Joseph’s 12. In addition, Pettersson has 23 hits, 82 shots, a plus-14 rating and 13 power-play points. He’s already blown by his competition, despite missing 11 games due to injury. He leads his Canucks in goals and in points, and while some may have predicted he’d be a candidate to win the Calder Trophy, it’s doubtful that many would have foreseen this level of play from the rookie.
Waiver Wire
C Travis Zajac, NJD (26%): Since there wasn’t a waiver wire report, it just wouldn’t feel right to completely ignore that aspect. As mentioned, there haven’t been many games lately, and therefore much hasn’t changed. If you’re in need of a pickup though, Zajac is your man. He has a four-point performance against the Penguins Monday night, and averages nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game, with over two minutes on the power play. He’s also won at least 57 percent of faceoffs during his past four contests, adding extra value in leagues that count draws.
For more great fantasy hockey talk, listen in on Chris Meaney and Neil Parker on the Fantrax Fantasy Hockey Podcast, as they hit on all the injuries, streamers, and recent trends you need to know to stay on top of the fantasy ice.
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