NHL Thursday: Winter Classic and Tonight's DraftStreet Lineup

by landsharkhockey Last Updated 2011-12-29 16:09:22

As we close out 2011 and hockey fans prepare for the annual Winter Classic, all eyes will be on the Rangers and Flyers, who feature the hottest goal scorer on the planet right now (Marian Gaborik) and the league’s leading scorer in Claude Giroux. Both rosters feature plenty of viable options for your lineup on Draftstreet:

RANGERS

Gaborik is notoriously streaky, and is eating up the league right now. He has 9 goals in 9 games, vaulting him to tops in the NHL in that category. His price is steadily climbing, but remains manageable at 14.7k. Gaborik’s linemates have benefitted from this hot streak as well. Sophomore Derek Stepan is piling up the points, with 13 in the last 13 games. He can be had for just 10.5k on Draftstreet. Artem Anisimov isn’t known for lighting up fantasy rosters, but has put in 3 points in the last 4 games. You’ll spend just 8k for his services this week.

On defense, Michael Del Zotto has been chipping in with some big numbers as well. He has an amazing 15 points in the last 15 games. Also on D, Marc Staal has resumed practice. If he makes a surprise start any time soon, you can cash in at a cheap rate.

In net, you’ll pay a high price, but there are few options better than Henrik Lundqvist right now in the NHL. He’s won 3 straight, including a shutout against the Isles on Monday. His GAA remains under 2 and his save percentage is an amazing .936 on the season.

If you’re looking for a value pick from the Blueshirts, here are a couple to consider:

Brad Richards – Hard to believe he’s priced under 10k, but it’s true. He’s hit the wall recently, but it shouldn’t last forever.

Carl Hagelin – The rookie has 3 goals over the last 4 games and is priced at just 9.8k

FLYERS

The Flyers offense obviously revolves around winger Claude Giroux, arguably the best player in the league with #87 in Pittsburgh out. Giroux makes something happen every time he’s on the ice. He leads the league with 44 points, despite missing a week with concussion symptoms. Giroux has recorded multiple points in a game 12 times this season, including three 3-point games and three more 4-point nights. He’s averaging 2 points a game since the start of December and is obviously a must start each night, despite costing you 18.8k.

Beyond Giroux, the Flyers have one of the deepest rosters in terms of fantasy value on Draftstreet. Loading up on Philly forwards is a decent strategy on any given night. Here are some names to focus on:

Jaromir Jagr (RW – 11.9k) – Jagr makes his dubious return to Pittsburgh tonight. I expect a goal or two, and plenty of garbage thrown on the ice at the Consol Energy center this evening. He has 13 points in the last 12 games.

Daniele Briere (C – 10.8k) – Briere can score in bunches. Over a week in early December, he had 3 2-point nights.

Scott Hartnell (LW – 15.6k) – Hartnell is probably overpriced at this point, given the fact that he has never scored anywhere near his current pace over his 10 year career. That just shows how much plying shotgun to Giroux can help a guy. He has 20 points over the last 18 games and is on pace for a 40-goal season.

The defense in Philadelphia is in transition, with the loss of Pronger for the year. One guy who has stepped it up offensively is Andrez Meszaros. He has 3 goals and 3 assists in the past 9 games.

In net, you can find serious value with Bryzgalov right now at a mere 13.5k. He’s clearly better than that, but has been wildly inconsistent this year.

Value picks for the Flyers:

Sean Couturier – The rookie center costs just 6.4k this week

Matt Read – Another rookie contributing for the Flyers this year. He already has 11 goals on the year and will run you just 8k.

My Roster for Tonight’s Draftsteet Action