This article is part of our The Man Advantage series.
We're well past the halfway point of this NHL season, and the All-Star break is right around the corner. However, it's not too late to help your fantasy team. There are still some players you might be able to pick up to give your power-play numbers a little boost, several of which are below...
Mikael Backlund, C, CGY – Backlund has been as hot with the extra man as any player in the league. Over the last 30 days, he has as many power-play points as anybody, as he's racked up eight in that time. Six of those points have come in his last nine games, and Backlund now has set a new career high with 12 power-play points.
Mitch Marner, C, TOR – Marner has just as many power-play points as Backlund this season, and he's done it in only 42 games. Interestingly, 11 of those 12 points have been assists. Only one of Marner's 10 goals has come with the extra man. Six of those power-play assists have come in his last six games, so he's certainly in the running for being the hottest power-play performer in the league. It's also probably worth noting that Backlund is a 27-year-old in his prime, while Marner is a 19-year-old rookie. This could be just the beginning for Marner, who has several talented young teammates around him.
Tyler Bozak, C, TOR – It may seem excessive to include two Maple Leafs, but Bozak's recent power-play success needs to
We're well past the halfway point of this NHL season, and the All-Star break is right around the corner. However, it's not too late to help your fantasy team. There are still some players you might be able to pick up to give your power-play numbers a little boost, several of which are below...
Mikael Backlund, C, CGY – Backlund has been as hot with the extra man as any player in the league. Over the last 30 days, he has as many power-play points as anybody, as he's racked up eight in that time. Six of those points have come in his last nine games, and Backlund now has set a new career high with 12 power-play points.
Mitch Marner, C, TOR – Marner has just as many power-play points as Backlund this season, and he's done it in only 42 games. Interestingly, 11 of those 12 points have been assists. Only one of Marner's 10 goals has come with the extra man. Six of those power-play assists have come in his last six games, so he's certainly in the running for being the hottest power-play performer in the league. It's also probably worth noting that Backlund is a 27-year-old in his prime, while Marner is a 19-year-old rookie. This could be just the beginning for Marner, who has several talented young teammates around him.
Tyler Bozak, C, TOR – It may seem excessive to include two Maple Leafs, but Bozak's recent power-play success needs to be illuminated. Bozak has only played in nine games over the last 30 days, tallying six power-play points during that span. In fact, those six points with the extra man have come in Toronto's last five contests. Admittedly, he only has nine power-play points on the season, but you can't overlook six points in five games.
Jason Spezza, C, DAL – Spezza has become a bit of a power-play specialist. In his last three seasons, at least a third of his points have come with the extra man. That's not nothing, considering he's had at least 22 power-play points in those three years. He's en route to hitting the 20-point mark again potentially, as he has 13 power-play points, even though his power-play minutes are still a little down. Additionally, Spezza currently has the worst shooting percentage of his career (8.1), so he could be in for some more puck luck. If some of that luck comes on the power play, he should definitely eclipse 20 power-play points once more.
Mathew Dumba, D, MIN – The 22-year-old is, perhaps unsurprisingly, averaging a career high in minutes (19:37) and power-play minutes (2:22). He's paying off on the power play quite well recently, having notched five points with the extra man over his last 13 games. Overall, he has eight power-play points after tallying 12 last year in his first full NHL season.
Karl Stollery, D, NJD – You may have never heard of Stollery, which would be understandable. At the time of this writing, he is owned in "0.0 percent" of fantasy leagues on ESPN. In his first (and only) four games of the season, he's averaged 2:12 on the power play, tallying two points. That seems enticing, but expectations should be tempered -- Stollery is a 29-year-old journeyman that had 12 games of NHL experience before this season, so you'll want to make him prove himself a bit more before diving in.
