Everyone knows about Nathan MacKinnon, but in the second half, the two hottest rookies may just be Ondrej Palat and Gustav Nyquist. There is even another rookie, Tyler Johnson, that could be brought into the conversation. These are the players that often come out of nowhere but can certainly provide a late fantasy boost. Let’s take a look at these three rookies and what they have meant to your fantasy hockey teams. It is always a great feeling when you can spotlight the unexpected.
Fantasy Hockey Three Young Guns
Tyler Johnson — C — Tampa Bay Lightning
No one knew quite what they were expecting in Tyler Johnson. Johnson was a bit of a late bloomer but he led the AHL in scoring last year. He came into the NHL with lower expectations but Tampa has developed its fair share of skilled players. On the season, Johnson has gradually moved up the depth chart and now he is a first line pivot with 22 goals and 24 assists in 71 games. He is a +20 with nine special teams goals (5 PP, 4 SH). He is playing 19-20 minutes a night in the middle of a wild and woolly playoff chase. He has not blinked to his credit. Tyler Johnson has to at least be in the conversation for Calder Trophy consideration.
Gustav Nyquist — LW — Detroit Red Wings
There is a part of me that asks, “Why did it take this long for Gustav Nyquist to stick with the big club?”. The answer is simply injuries. That allowed the Red Wings to get a longer look. Who knew the injuries to Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg could yield the “kid line” in Detroit? Yes, the defensive liabilities in Detroit are obvious but the offensive abilities cannot be ignored. He has 20 goals on 121 shots which is basically a 16 to 16.5 percent shooting accuracy. That is rather high but the player has a nose for the net. I know Nyquist has to work on the defensive side of his game. However, 37 points in 44 games is nothing to sneeze at. His minutes will be monitored down the stretch as Detroit starts to become more healthy again.
Ondrej Palat — LW — Tampa Bay Lightning
He has almost come out of nowhere. Ondrej Palat was a seventh round draft pick in 2011 and had some growing pains early in the season for Tampa Bay. All that is a distant memory now. The left winger now has 12 points in his last eight games and he pulled off a move on Saturday that just made me speechless. When you skate through an entire defense, that will get you noticed. Here is the video. Overall, Palat has 19 goals and 30 assists in 71 games. His promotion to the first line was a bit of a surprise but the last month has proven that he can handle the extra responsibilities while thriving under the pressure. I don’t know how year two will go but Palat playing with Steven Stamkos will give him a confidence that may negate any possible “sophomore slump”.
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With only a few weeks left in the fantasy hockey season, this is crunch time. We will mix in a little daily and seasonal information. The goal is to get you to the finish line, preferably with a championship. Good luck next week!
