Welcome to the fantasy hockey stock market. Each week we will look at three players trending up and three players trending down.
Three Up
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – C – Oilers – 18 Goals, 17 Assists, 118 Shots, 50 Games
Nugent-Hopkins was widely owned before suffering a rib injury in January that cost him two months. Most dropped him after this news, making him a freely available fantasy asset to add for the stretch run. Nugent-Hopkins has four points in four games since returning and skated on Connor McDavid’s wing in their last action. He has 12 shots in those four games, continuing to display the shot volume that made him popular pre-injury.
The Oilers are one of two teams (along with the Canadiens, whose Brendan Gallagher we recommended last week) who play eight games over the next two weeks. No team plays more. If you’re looking for a hot player who can get you lots of games and is widely available in fantasy leagues, Nugent-Hopkins checks all the boxes.
Paul Stastny – C – Jets – 24 Goals, 33 Assists, 145 Shots, 69 Games
Stastny joined the Jets at the perfect time to ride the wave of Patrik Laine’s epic goal-scoring run. Stastny has seven points in six games since being traded to Winnipeg and should continue to be productive slotting in as the second line centre with Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers on his wings. What’s more, Stastny has been seeing top unit power-play time since Mark Scheifele went down with his latest upper-body injury.
Ryan Spooner – F – Rangers – 11 Goals, 26 Assists, 86 Shots, 46 Games
Spooner has gone bananas since being sent to New York as part of the return for Rick Nash. He has clicked with Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello, giving the Rangers a surprising boost of secondary scoring in a season they were throwing away. Spooner has 12 points in seven games since joining the Rangers and his 10 points since the trade deadline are tied for fifth most in the league.
Three Down
Oscar Klefbom – D – Oilers – 4 Goals, 15 Assists, 192 Shots, 63 Games
Klefbom had been playing much better of late before missing Saturday’s action after undergoing a “minor procedure”. Is this related to the shoulder injury that has derailed much of his season? Whatever the case, you are losing Klefbom for at least one more game at a critical juncture of the season. Best to jump off this boat for healthier options.
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Jeff Skinner – LW – Hurricanes – 20 Goals, 20 Assists, 233 Shots, 68 Games
Skinner’s second half has quietly been bad. He has essentially been a non-factor with the man advantage all season with just nine power-play points, however he is normally an efficient even strength option. That 5-on-5 play has dwindled, leading to just 14 points in 30 games since the start of January.
Skinner is still providing the elite shot volume (3.4 shots/game) that he is known for, so he has some utility, but his scoring hasn’t been up to snuff.
Braden Holtby – G – Capitals – 29 Wins, 19 Losses, 137 Goals Against, 48 Games
Holtby has struggled to live up to his first-round billing all season, boasting a 3.03 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. This type of play would see him on waiver wires if not for his reputation as an elite goaltender. Holtby has been particularly bad of late, losing seven of his last eight games and surrendering three goals or more in each of those seven losses.
This recent run of poor play led to Philipp Grubauer starting the last two games for the Capitals, including a shutout of the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Is a goalie controversy afoot? Not likely, but Grubauer may go on a little run here in order to give Holtby a reset.
If you’ve managed to survive this long through Holtby’s struggles, odds are you have other goaltending options who have carried you. Continue to look to those alternatives.
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