Fantasy Hockey Playoffs: Why Young Scorers, Goaltenders & Late Picks Win Championships

With the fantasy playoffs in full force, I've had some time to reflect on what worked and what didn't this year. I still have my fair share of successful teams, but I've actually struggled quite a bit in the leagues I run. Part of it is quality of competition -- there's a good group of managers, and they've done well to adjust to the settings over the years. 

In those leagues, the biggest problems came on draft day. I like to build a strong goaltending room, but I whiffed on too many of my workhorse goalie picks while also getting left behind at the position in some drafts. 

In the leagues where I've had success, it's been a mix of good goaltending, smart late-round picks and plenty of luck. I was fortunate to be in on Matthew Schaefer in some of my deeper drafts. Early targets on Cole Caufield, Wyatt Johnston and Juraj Slafkovsky paid off. It's easier than ever to trust young players in fantasy with the abundance of under-25 talent. The upside of youth is almost always worth it when compared to a 30-plus player in a similar production range the year before. 

Strategies for Identifying Hot Streaks to Win Late-Season Matchups

Of course, the biggest factor is making the right moves at the right time. That's as important as ever at this stage of the season, where your focus is on winning one week at a time. Hot is hot -- any player that's on a heater is worth considering. Don't worry about sustainability for now; just get the players who will help you win and advance. 

Pavel Zacha is getting plenty of attention in helping the Bruins get scoring from more than just the top line. The second-line center has nine goals and five assists over his last nine appearances, a span that includes five multi-point efforts. He's picked up six power-play points in that span. He's rapidly closing in on his first 60-point campaign and is also knocking on the door of the 30-goal mark. Zacha has been a good source of offense in his Boston tenure, and his steady play is exactly what helps this time of year. 

The Kings' addition of Artemi Panarin has helped their offense by improving the top line, but it's also helped to take some pressure off of other forwards. Alex Laferriere has done his part lately with two goals and five assists over his last seven outings. Laferriere also offers upside in hits -- he has 30 in that span. He's in a second-line role with ice time in all situations, so he remains a solid choice as a fantasy depth forward while chasing down his second straight 40-point campaign. 

Quinton Byfield has also stepped his game up alongside Laferriere. This is becoming a trend for Byfield, who spends a decent portion of the season struggling before picking up the pace in the stretch run. In 2023-24, he earned 20 points over 24 games after the start of March, propelling him to a 54-point campaign. He'll likely fall short of that mark this year, but he's earned nine points over 12 games this month to pick up the pace once again. Byfield is eligible at center and left wing in Yahoo formats, so he is a strong choice to bolster your roster while his offense is hot. 

Any player who gets to play on the Mammoth's top line with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz is a must-have option in fantasy. Lawson Crouse is that guy right now. He has six points, 16 shots on net, 22 PIM and 24 hits over his last seven contests. Crouse has reached the 20-goal mark in four of the last five years and is well on his way to his third 40-point campaign in that stretch as well. He can move around the lineup at times, but he elevates his game when he gets top-line time. 

A few weeks ago, Mikael Granlund looked be a pure fade coming off an upper-body injury. He went six games without a point after his return, but he's scored seven goals over his last five outings. That's helped him regain trust with head coach Joel Quenneville, with Granlund now on the second line and first power-play unit. He doesn't help a lot in the non-scoring areas, but Granlund is a versatile forward who has the momentum to help boost your offense. 

High-Scoring Defensemen and the Shift Away from Positional Scarcity

The injury crisis on the Senators' blue line has opened the door for other players to contribute. Tyler Kleven has five assists and 13 hits over his last six games to take advantage of his extra ice time. Overall, Kleven is at just 18 points over 68 appearances, but he's a solid option for hits, blocked shots and PIM, which makes him a decent option for now in standard formats and for the rest of the season in deeper leagues. 

Jordan Spence has also benefited from an increased role, which includes more power-play time. Spence has earned a goal and six assists, including two power-play helpers, over his last eight games while also working his way into a top-four role. Both Spence and Kleven are situational additions for fantasy, but their fantasy value should hold up at least until Jake Sanderson (upper body) gets back in action. Spence is the better option for offense since Thomas Chabot (forearm) won't be back in the regular season, but Kleven has a little better all-around potential once the Senators get healthier. 

I wasn't sure how well Bobby McMann would adjust to the Kraken after playing in a more star-heavy offense in Toronto. Turns out, McMann is a great fit for the Kraken's up-tempo and offense-by-committee style. He has seven goals and four assists over eight contests since making his Seattle debut, and he's added 23 shots on net and 17 hits. McMann is going to make bank in free agency for his motor and his ability to play all over the lineup while being productive with a variety of linemates. His flexibility and wide-ranging production is a huge boost for any fantasy manager that needs a spark in the playoffs. 

The Flames' offense is still bad, but it's looked a little better recently, albeit mainly against fringe playoff teams. Matthew Coronato finding his groove has been a big boost with nine points over his last seven games. Coronato is a pure offense option -- he doesn't add much toughness. The Flames are about to run a brutal gauntlet on a six-game road trip that includes two matchups against the Avalanche and one each against the Stars, Golden Knights, Ducks and Kraken. Coronato has confidence right now, and if he can stay hot through that trip, he'll help you win a championship this year while making a name for himself as a sleeper candidate next season. 

Jake McCabe has made an impact despite the season spiraling down the drain for the Maple Leafs in recent weeks. McCabe has four points, a plus-5 rating, four hits and nine blocked shots over his last five games. The offense probably won't last, but he is a strong non-scoring producer and has been for years. He's also topped the 20-point mark in three straight seasons, so he's not a total loss in the scoring categories. 

Goaltending Decisions That Can Make or Break Your Fantasy Playoffs

I can't stop banging the drum for Joel Hofer, who has made himself massive for fantasy managers and the Blues' improbable surge to stay in the playoff race. He's gone 6-0-2 with a 1.33 GAA and a .955 save percentage over eight games in March. This is incredible work -- he has universal fantasy appeal at this point, even if he only starts about half of the Blues' remaining games. 

The Oilers need to keep pace in the playoffs, and Connor Ingram has done enough to get the majority of the starts to close out the season. He's 6-2-1 over 10 outings in March, though his 2.86 GAA and .891 save percentage don't inspire a ton of confidence. The Oilers can't outscore their problems right now -- Leon Draisaitl's lower-body injury has taken a lot of teeth out of their attack. Still, it's a strong offense that should allow Ingram to be a big contributor in wins down the stretch. 

While your main focus should be on closing out the season strong and winning a fantasy championship, it's never a bad time to put some thought into your strategy for next season. It'll be interesting to see what trends stick from this year and which things were just one-year anomalies. The clear thing is that the NHL is evolving -- it's been about young and fast for years, and the next evolution is the growing crop of elite scorers from the blue line. While goaltending moves to more tandems and trends toward sub-.900 save percentages, positional scarcity could really shift in the fantasy arena. Anything can happen, but getting high-scoring defensemen could be the best path to victory instead of dominating the crease. Keep your eye on the prize and get your wins this week, whether you're in the middle of the playoffs or prepping for the finals. 

Stuck between two players available on the waiver wire? Check out the NHL Player Comparison Tool or the NHL Trending Players to help break the tiebreaker on your waiver wire decisions.