New York Rangers: Mid-Season Fantasy Hockey Roundup
Starting in January, Blue Line Station will be taking a monthly look at how New York Rangers players are shaping up in fantasy hockey leagues.
While every NHL team has at least a few players noteworthy of fantasy hockey consideration (even the Coyotes and Avalanche), the New York Rangers stand out this season.
The usual culprits are still here and producing—Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello, Derek Stepan—but for the first time in years, the Rangers have a boatload of players who should be on somebody’s team in virtually every fantasy league.
This month, we’re going to break down where the Rangers all sit, fantasy value-wise, at the All Star break. Most of this consideration will be given to stats used in standard Yahoo fantasy hockey leagues.
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Rick Nash: The Rangers’ premiere power forward is very much on the radar for fantasy this season. Despite suffering two separate groin injuries, Nash owns respectable stats. He has 14 goals in 37 games, good for fourth on the Rangers, as well as 10 assists.
His 6 power play points are a welcome addition for a player who normally does his damage at even strength. As usual, Nash is also a shots machine, with 103 SOG.
Derek Stepan:
The Rangers top center for the last few years is back at it. Stepan is second on the team with 38 points, third in assists with 25, and tied for first with 10 PPP. He’s well on his way to setting career records in basically every standard statistic, including SOG and PPP.
Mats Zuccarello: The Norwegian Hobbit is up to his usual antics. His scoring is down from last season, which was expected, but his assist totals are still there, and he’s actually shooting more than normal.
His PPP are down (7 in 49 games), so keep an eye on that if you drafted him as a PP specialist with the expectation of 17 or 18 PPP.
Chris Kreider: This has been Kreider’s breakout season. An early injury hasn’t slowed him down much, as he’s sitting on a stat line of 18-16—34 in only 43 games.
He shoots the puck, gets PPP, and he’s on pace to shatter his previous season records in goals and assists. Additionally, Kreider is the top Ranger in fantasy leagues that count hits and PIMs.
What a difference a year has made for Kevin Hayes.
Kevin Hayes: What a difference a year makes. Playing with actual skill on his wings instead of Tanner Glass and Jesper Fast has resulted in Hayes finally becoming a relevant fantasy hockey player.
Hayes scored 35 points in 47 games, and is currently owned in only 44% of Yahoo leagues. He’s a guy to keep an eye on as he comes back from his injury.
J.T. Miller: The guy running shotgun with Hayes is having himself a career year. Miller set his benchmark with 22 goals and 21 assists last season; he currently has 16 goals and 19 assists in 49 games this year.
He’s already set a personal best in PPP with 5, but his real value is in raw numbers. Miller shoots the puck, scores often, and has had great chemistry with Hayes and Michael Grabner.
Michael Grabner: Boy, did anybody even draft Grabner this year? He’s owned in 51% of Yahoo leagues, leads the Rangers in goals, and clawed his way back into the fantasy picture.
If you’re in need of goals, take a look at the waiver wire in your league, because Grabner just might be available.
Mika Zibanejad: DJ Zbad is another Ranger who might be on the waiver wire in your league, as he’s available in 51% of Yahoo leagues.
His raw numbers look low, due to a broken leg that kept him out for almost two months. But when he’s in the lineup, Zibanejad has been scoring at a healthy clip: 7 goals and 10 assists in 24 games. He has 5 PPP and averages over 2 SOG per game.
If you’re noticing a trend here, it’s that there are a lot of valuable Rangers flying under the radar in fantasy hockey this year, especially in deeper leagues.
Pavel Buchnevich: Another often injured forward, the talented rookie owns superior rate stats to Zibanejad’s.
Buchnevich is scoring at nearly a PPG rate, with 14 points in 17 games. His shooting numbers aren’t there quite yet (just 28 SOG in that span), but he’s putting up points.
Owned in just 14% of Yahoo leagues, Buchnevich could be a sneaky pickup in deeper leagues for the playoff run.
Ryan McDonagh: The Rangers’ captain is having himself quite a season. The increased PP responsibility thrust upon him by the departure of Keith Yandle has resulted in impressive numbers. McDonagh has already posted 10 PPP and is on pace for 48 points on the season.
Henrik Lundqvist: And so we come to the King. Normally by far the most valuable Ranger in fantasy hockey is about the only one having a down season. His .907 save percentage is by far the worst of his career, as is his 2.73 GAA. He’s often a second-half player, so you might be able to buy low in a trade, but at this point, it might be best to avoid him if the offer arises.
Next: Can Clendening be the Next Stralman?
Honorable mentions: Nick Holden is the big surprise on the back end, only one point away from his previous best season with more than 30 games remaining. Brady Skjei has some nice assist and shot totals. Rookie Jimmy Vesey started hot but has cooled off considerably as the season goes on.