Welcome back for another week mining for some hidden gems. This week I hopped down into the ESPN mine shaft. Let’s take a look at what I found, and who got awarded the miner’s hat this week. Here are the fantasy hockey-hidden gems ESPN edition.
Forwards
Ryan Strome(37.3% owned) – Strome has hit the ground running since moving to the top line for the Rangers. I expect his success to be strongly tied to his time with Panarin. Keep an eye on when Zibanejad will return, as that likely will mean it’s time for Strome to turn back into a pumpkin.
Connor Brown(11.3% owned) – It would seem the dark cloud looming over Ottawa has managed to obscure just how good Connor Brown has been for the Sens so far this year. He is nearly at a point per game(12 points in 15 games), has been playing top-line minutes(20 + per game), and is on the top power-play unit.
Defence
Damon Severson (14.5% owned) – If you’re looking to add points from your defenseman, Severson isn’t going to be your guy. But if you need hits and blocks, Severson is worth consideration. He plays on the top pairing with P.K. Subban and is on the second power-play unit, so the points could come, but for now, that isn’t why you should consider adding him.
Alex Goligoski (23.4% owned) – From a fantasy perspective, Goligoski has been filling the score sheet this year. He has 1 goal, 7 assists, 4 power-play points, 20 blocks, and 17 hits. I get that none of those numbers are going to blow you away, but as your last defenseman, he is a guy that you can count on to give you something every night, and that is worth something.
A Goalie
Joonas Korpisalo (12.6% owned) – His name is Joonas, he’s been carrying the load. Ok, maybe not the best Weezer reference, but I’m doing my best here. As for Joonas(actually pronounced Yawn-as), he has gotten the last three starts for the Blue Jackets and has been hot, posting save percentages over 920 in each of those last three. The wins haven’t been there, but if he keeps this pace up, they will come. The fantasy hockey-hidden gems ESPN edition of the week.
As always good luck this week everyone! See you next week. Feel free to leave comments, or ask me questions on twitter(@andrewkdewhirst). I’m here to help you win!
