Fantasy Hockey: Pick Ups Of The Week

Fantasy sports are one of the great things about sports these days. Someone smarter than you, and probably smarter than me, came up with an idea to make competitive sports competitive between friends, who may even be fans of the same teams. It’s great, and it’s probably to blame for a few of my broken friendships, but it’s all in the name of being champion by the end of the season, and making sure everyone else in your league knows it.

Luckily, I’m here to help you out and let you know who’s hot on the waiver wire. Who should you add to make your Cup run? Stick around and I’ll give you the top five players that could skate you to victory.

1. Antoine Vermette, C, LW, Phoenix Coyotes

• Vermette has been great so far this season and he’s only owned in 33% of Yahoo! leagues. The success might not last for the entirety of the season, but that’s the joy of the waiver wire, you can add and drop as you please. So grab him while he’s still hot. Vermette has points in three of his last four games, and has three goals and four assists in ten games this season.

2.  Josh Harding, G, Minnesota Wild

• For all of those Pekka Rinne owners out there feeling the blow of losing one of your elite goalies, Josh Harding is here to save the day. Harding is only owned in 47% of Yahoo! leagues, and has been playing some of the best hockey of his career. Niklas Backstrom is back from his injury, but it seems that until Harding cools off, he’s going to continue getting time on the ice. If you aren’t comfortable with Carter Hutton (me either), this is your best option.

3. Frans Nielsen, C, New York Islanders

• Nielsen deserves a spot on your roster! Just go pick him up before someone else in your league gets smart. Nielsen is owned in only 36% of leagues, and that number is going up fast. Nielsen is on fire to start the season, scoring five goals in his last five games, and totaling six points over the last five games. Nielsen has shown his ability to rack up the points, he may cool off, but ride the waves while he’s hot.

4. Kyle Okposo, RW, New York Islanders

• Yet another Islander that’s started the season hot. Okposo has two points in his last three games, and has eight points in his last five games. He’s not a huge goal scorer, but he’s been racking up the assists, and has a powerplay point in three straight games. Okposo may be a bit harder to get your hands on, he’s owned in 51% of leagues, but if he’s available and you’re looking for an injury replacement, or looking to get someone to relieve the pains of drafting so many Rangers, Okposo’s your guy.

5. Martin Hanzal, C, Phoenix Coyotes

• Hanzal has played well this season, registering a point in seven of ten games. He’s also racked up 17 penalty minutes to help take that valuable extra point away from your opponent on a weekly basis. Hanzal has two goals and six assists on the season, and is owned in only 21% of Yahoo! leagues. Hanzal makes a good utility player, or one to use for depth. It seems like the entire NHL is injury bitten at the moment, so if you’re looking for a short term replacement, Hanzal’s got your back.