This article is part of our The Man Advantage series.
The NHL season is still young. As such, don't buy into these early-season stats too much. In only a couple of weeks, the results could be very different. Nevertheless, we have to do the best we can with the tools we have. If you are looking for some players off to a good start on the power play, here are some players that might be available in your league:
Mike Fisher, C, NAS – Fisher only has three points on the season, but they all have come with the extra man. It's been a few years since fantasy players have paid much attention to the 36-year-old center, and people rarely bring up the fact that he's married to Carrie Underwood these days. You may see Fisher with three power-play points and get excited, but maybe you should curb that enthusiasm, as he only had five power-play points all of last season. He'll beat that this year, but this certainly looks like a real "small sample size" situation.
Thomas Vanek, LW, DET – Vanek has gotten off to a hot start, and he's a more intriguing player than a lot of guys who are readily available. We all remember when Vanek was one of the better goal scorers in the league, but his star has fallen a lot since then. That said, the four power-play points and six total points with his new team are certainly worth noting. Could Vanek be back from the brink? If you are willing
The NHL season is still young. As such, don't buy into these early-season stats too much. In only a couple of weeks, the results could be very different. Nevertheless, we have to do the best we can with the tools we have. If you are looking for some players off to a good start on the power play, here are some players that might be available in your league:
Mike Fisher, C, NAS – Fisher only has three points on the season, but they all have come with the extra man. It's been a few years since fantasy players have paid much attention to the 36-year-old center, and people rarely bring up the fact that he's married to Carrie Underwood these days. You may see Fisher with three power-play points and get excited, but maybe you should curb that enthusiasm, as he only had five power-play points all of last season. He'll beat that this year, but this certainly looks like a real "small sample size" situation.
Thomas Vanek, LW, DET – Vanek has gotten off to a hot start, and he's a more intriguing player than a lot of guys who are readily available. We all remember when Vanek was one of the better goal scorers in the league, but his star has fallen a lot since then. That said, the four power-play points and six total points with his new team are certainly worth noting. Could Vanek be back from the brink? If you are willing to buy a lottery ticket, Vanek is one of the best ones you will find.
Paul Stastny, C, STL – Stastny isn't as widely available as the others mentioned, but that's partially because he has been on the rise recently. Even though Stastny struggled last season and had a hard time staying healthy, he still notched 14 power-play points in 64 games. He already has three in four games this year, and he's getting the minutes to be rightfully enticing to fantasy players. Go see if he's still available.
Matt Moulson, LW, BUF – Here's a guy who is almost assuredly available in your league, but should it stay that way? Moulson's back-to-back 30-goal seasons seem like forever ago, and last year, he didn't even notch double-digit tallies. However, despite that, he still had seven power-play points. This year, he already has two goals with the extra man. Moulson may not play much, but the Sabres still think he can help them on the power play, and that matters from a fantasy perspective.
Alex Goligoski, D, ARI – So how is Goligoski looking with his new team the Coyotes? Well, through two games, he has three points, two of them with the extra man. He's playing a ton of minutes, and he is going to see power-play time, although Oliver Ekman-Larsson will have the puck on his stick more. Goligoski has only taken four shots so far, and that's a number you'd like to see rise. He only had five power-play points last year, but that was with a different team. It remains to be seen what his role is in Arizona. The money they paid him would indicate they expect it to be a big one.
Erik Johnson, D, COL – Johnson has 10 shots on goal through three games. For a defenseman, that's a good start. He also has two points with the extra man after managing just six points on the power play last season in 73 games. Unlike Goligoski, we can't argue that the uptick is due to a change in scenery, so it's unlikely this type of production will last.
