The Man Advantage: Next Man Up

Hi folks, and welcome back to another edition of The Man Advantage, where we keep you abreast of the latest developments in the ever-changing world of NHL power-play squads. This week, we look at five players who are seeing more PP time than they are used to, often as a result of replacing an injured teammate. Remember, in the world of fantasy hockey, knowing that a guy on your squad is receiving extra ice time, especially with the extra attacker, could be enough reason to move him from your bench to your starting lineup.

Oscar Klefbom, D, EDM: When the Oilers' regular PP quarterback Justin Schultz went down in late October with a back injury, Klefbom immediately began seeing more ice time with the man advantage. In the seven games since Schultz' injury, Klefbom has averaged 3:11 in PP minutes, versus just 0:51 previously. Perhaps not coincidentally, Klefbom has also seen spike in his offensive output, with two goals and two assists (both of the PP variety) over those seven games. This season, Klefbom has eight points in 17 games, and is well on his way to a career high after scoring a respectable 20 points in 60 games last season. He continues to line up with the likes of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Teddy Purcell on the Oilers' first PP unit.

Dale Weise, RW, MTL: October 30 was the day everything changed for Dale Weise. He was already having a decent enough season, with three goals and two assists in his first 11 games. He wasn't really seeing much power-play time, but that's not surprising, as that was never really his role in previous years, anyway. However, in late October, teammate Alexander Semin began winding up in coach Michel Therrien's doghouse on a regular basis, leading to the occasional third-period benching. When Semin was full-out scratched from the lineup on Oct. 29, Weise took over his spot on the Habs' second PP unit and responded with his first career hat trick the next night against the Flames. Although all three goals were scored at even strength, Weise saw an impressive 2:40 on the PP that night, and has gone on to average 2:22 over the following five games. He's even scored a pair of PP goals over that span. Weise is turning into one of the better stories in the NHL this season -- a lifetime third-liner who finally seems to be putting together a career season offensively. Weise offers great value for those in deeper fantasy formats.

Marco Scandella, D, MIN: Over the first five games of the season, Scandella did not see any real PP time at all, other than one game where he saw a measley 0:44. Starting Oct. 22, however, Scandella started seeing second-line minutes, and over the next six games, averaged roughly 1:45 worth of PP time, scoring a goal and an assist in the process. On Nov. 5 against Nashville, teammate Zach Parise went down with a knee injury, and suddenly Scandella's PP time jumped to a season-high 4:56, and -- surprise, surprise -- he scored yet another PP goal that game in an eventual 3-2 loss. The odd thing is, Scandella is still also one of coach Mike Yeo's favourite penalty killers, as Scandella leads the team in PK minutes with an average of 1:45 per game. The difference now is, Scandella is being used in all situations -- PK, PP and even strength -- an indication of just how much Yeo trusts him. His total ice time is now up to the 21-23 minute per game level, compared to the 16-19 minutes he was seeing at the start of the season. At 3.07 goals per game, the Wild are one of the top five scoring teams in the NHL, so if Scandella is playing a bigger role in Yeo's offensive system, he's a guy you want on your fantasy squad. Grab him off your league's waiver wire while you still can. (Note: Scandella has missed the Wild's last two games for personal reasons, but there has been no word of any injury, and he is expected back in the lineup soon.)

Kyle Palmieri, RW, NJD: Granted, Palmieri hasn't seen a spike in his PP minutes versus the start of the season, as his ice time has been pretty consistent all along this year, averaging 2:28. In the bigger picture, however, he's seeing significantly more ice time this season as a whole - his first in New Jersey -- compared to his time in Anaheim, where he was averaging just 1:08 over the past five seasons. Last season, Palmieri scored a career-high 11 points on the man advantage (5G, 6A), and he's already more than halfway there this season with eight points (3G, 5A) in just 16 games. He's forming a very nice tandem with a resurgent Travis Zajac, who I highlighted in my last column. The Devils are ninth in the league in power-play efficiency (21.8 percent), and Palmieri is a big reason why. Over his last 10 games, he has 12 points (5G, 7A), with seven of those points coming on the PP. What's more, he's available in 46 percent of Yahoo formats. You know what to do.

Kevin Connauton, D, COB: After recording a minus-1 ranking in each of the Blue Jackets' first four games, Connaugton was benched for three consecutive games by then-coach Todd Richards, who wound up getting fired after the Jackets opened the season 0-7-0. After Richards was replaced by the fiery John Tortorella, Connauton remained on the bench for another three games before Torts decided to re-insert him back into the lineup. Connauton, who did not see any PP time under Richards, suddenly found himself on the Jackets' second line power play in place of Fedor Tyutin. Six games later, he now has three assists under his belt -- two on the PP -- and he's averaging more than two minutes of extra-man time per game. He's a decent pickup for those of you in deeper leagues.