Welcome to Fantrax’s NHL usage trends. This week’s article will focus on playoff teams and finding value for your playoff pools. We’ll focus on points-only pools, seeking mid-to-late round value.
More Fantasy Hockey Analysis: | Goalie Streamers | NHL Usage Trends | Buy-Low, Sell-High | NHL Schedule Preview | Fantasy Hockey Cold List | Prospect Report | NHL Injury Report | Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
NHL Usage Trends
The obvious key in playoff pools is to pick players from the team or teams that will go the deepest.
Gage Goncalves, Tampa Bay Lightning
He won’t be top 10 in playoff scoring, but Goncalves is exactly the type of player that should provide solid secondary production. Adding 10-12 points from a late-to-final-round pick can be the difference maker in these pools.
Jackson Blake, Carolina Hurricanes
There’s no shortage of depth options to choose from on the Hurricanes. It’s this depth they are going to need to produce to finally go beyond the second round. Blake has had a solid sophomore season and is poised to become a legitimate top-six point producer over the next couple of seasons. These playoffs could really be his coming-out party. And that could very well show up on the score sheet more nights than not.
Peyton Krebs, Buffalo Sabres
An argument that Josh Doan, Zach Benson, or Jack Quinn would be a better option could easily be made. All four should be drafted if you’re throwing in with the Sabres.
I chose Krebs because he’s been locked on the top line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch for the better part of the season. That deployment lends itself to production. His modest in-season production could let him fall behind the aforementioned players and provide late draft value.
Ross Colton, Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche players will be drafted fast and furious in the early rounds, which means you’ll likely only nab one of the top players before you pick again.
Colton, like Gonclaves, should give you 10-12 points if the Aves can go deep. He’s also shown the tendency to be streaky and could pick up several points in a single series.
Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights
I’m not one to draft many defencemen in a playoff pool; however, under Tortarella, Andersson has come alive. The Knights are 7-0-1, and Andersson has seven points under Torts. I expect Shea Theodore to be drafted ahead of Andersson, but that doesn’t mean he’ll out-produce him. Andersson is the type of player Torts could decide to lean on as the playoffs wear on.
Maverick Bourque, Dallas Stars
Folks expected lightning in a bottle from Bourque coming into the season, but that didn’t happen. He picked up a disappointing 14 points in the first 41 games. As the season progressed, Bourque started to produce closer to what we expected, with 14 in his final 20, including a hat-trick on Monday.
Riding the Stars’ top line, Bourque will get plenty of opportunities to get on the score sheet.
Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites in the fantasy sports industry, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
