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Stats as of Thursday, December 15 and courtesy of Corsica.Hockey.
Buy-low on Jake Allen
Allen's .906 SV% and 2.52 GAA are mediocre at best. This can be your main negotiating tactic, as his owner may be willing to move him since there are many goalies capable of putting up these types of numbers. Despite the poor stats, he still has a record of 14-6-3.
What has hurt Allen this season are his road numbers. He has a .932 SV% and a 1.79 GAA at home, but an .879 SV% and a 3.35 GAA away from home. Considering he performed just fine outside of St. Louis the past two seasons, expect him to put his road woes behind him soon.
Head coach Ken Hitchcock's defensive-minded system has always been friendly to goaltenders - just look at how Brian Elliott is performing without him. The Blues allow the fifth-fewest SCA60 (scoring chances against per 60 minutes) at 5v5. Allen will be just fine.
Take what you can get for Radim Vrbata
Vrbata is having a nice bounce-back season in his second go-around with the Coyotes. He has eight goals and 11 assists thus far, but don't expect it to last. His 1.27 iSCF60 (individual scoring chances for per 60 minutes) at 5v5 is third-worst among forwards with at least five even strength goals.
In addition to Vrbata making great use of his few scoring chances, he plays for an absolutely awful team. Since he is on a one-year deal, he is almost a lock to get moved to a contender at the deadline but if that's the case he could wind up playing a lesser role on a deeper team. Try and deal the 35-year-old winger for a player with higher upside.
Sell-high on Kevin Shattenkirk
With seven goals and 14 assists, Shattenkirk ranks fourth in scoring among D-men. It's hard to imagine this lasting considering 13 of his 14 assists have been secondary helpers. A rate like this is completely unsustainable.
Shattenkirk plays the fewest minutes of any defenseman with at least 18 points. He has, and always will, play second fiddle to Alex Pietrangelo, who is also a right-handed shot and happens to be a superior all-around defender. Hitchcock's system doesn't do Shattenkirk any favors, either.
Scoop up Justin Schultz
Schultz was one of the most coveted college free agents when the Oilers signed him in 2012. He was personally recruited by all-time greats Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey to come to Edmonton, much to the disappointment of the other 25 NHL teams who were publicly trying to sign him.
Like many who have joined the Oilers with high expectations over the past decade, Schultz fizzled out in Edmonton and was traded to the Penguins for a third-round pick last season.
Joining an offensive juggernaut like the Pens is a perfect fit for an offensive-minded D-man. He has 17 points in 30 games this season, 12 of which have come in his last eight games. It wouldn't be surprising if he continued on this torrid pace considering he will play a larger role while Kris Letang is out.
Start your rebuild now in keeper leagues
It may be a tough pill to swallow, but if you're near the bottom of your league's standings, chances are you will not be winning the championship this season. In keeper leagues, now is the perfect time to get ahead of the rest of the cellar dwellers and begin your rebuild.
There are many different formats to keeper leagues, but essentially, start putting your top assets on the trade block if you won't be keeping them next season. If you're in a draft-position based keeper, try to acquire young, high-upside players who were drafted in the later rounds. In auction keepers, seek players who will be cheap to keep next season. Bottom-line is, acquire young talent.
Trade for Andrei Vasilevskiy in keeper leagues
Perhaps the best foundation for building a successful keeper team in 12-team leagues is addressing the goaltending position. If Andrei Vasilevskiy's owner is in a position to contend this season, he will likely be willing to move the young netminder.
Vasilevskiy, 22, has slowed down after a hot start, posting an .861 save percentage in his last four games. This might be enough for his owner to part ways with him, considering how frustrating it is how he starts only once every three games or so..
Ben Bishop is on the last year of his contact. If he doesn't get moved before the deadline, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman will almost certainly let him walk. He is far too smart to pay Bishop considering Vasilevskiy is much younger, arguably better already and the upcoming expansion draft allows you to protect just one goalie. The crease will be all Vasilevskiy's come 2017-18.
Add Antoine Roussel in banger leagues
Roussel is a pest. He's an agitator. He's a goon. Some players might consider him dirty. These types of players don't usually scream fantasy relevant, but Roussel has been this season - in banger leagues at the very least.
Roussel is a godsend in leagues with hits, blocks and PIMs. He has 41 hits, 20 blocks and a league-leading 85 PIMs. In addition to what he brings to the table in these secondary stats, Roussel is on pace for career highs in goals, assists and ice time. He is no stranger to providing sprinkles of offense, tallying at least 13 goals in each of the past three seasons.
Roussel is only 27 years old, so it's reasonable to believe he has been making strides offensively. Lindy Ruff seems to think so, considering he is skating on the second line. The analytics also agree, as eight of his 11 assists have been primary helpers and he is getting 3.22 iSCF60.
Pick up Marian Gaborik
Gaborik is now 34 years old with a long history of injuries, but there's reason to believe there is still something left in the tank. He leads the NHL with 7.39 iSCF60 at 5v5. He also plays on a line with C Anze Kopitar, which can't hurt. Pick him up in hopes of catching fire in a bottle.
Give up on Patrick Sharp
Sharp's days of being fantasy relevant may be drawing to a close. He has just one goal and one assist in 11 games this season and is trapped on Dallas' third line. Do your best to trade him, but if players like the aforementioned Schultz, Roussel or Gaborik are on the waiver wire, don't hesitate to drop Sharp if you're unable to make a deal.
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