It may be early in the hockey season, but a couple of players have caught the attention of fantasy owners. Some of these guys may disappear after their hot starts, while others may continue through the season putting up better than expected numbers. Either way, through the first two weeks of the season, few could have predicted this much productivity from these NHL players. Here are the biggest surprises in NHL fantasy to start the season.
Mike Green, D, Detroit Red Wings
Years ago, Mike Green was an absolute monster in fantasy hockey. He is the only defenseman in the last 23 years to score 30 or more goals in a season. Over his last few seasons, Green has cooled off, finishing his previous two seasons with right 35 points, not goals. This year, Green has gotten off to a very fast start. Although he is not scoring many goals, he has nine points (one goal and eight assists) in his first six games of the season. Green came into the season ranked in the mid-200s but is one of top 20 players, not just defenseman, through the first two weeks of the season. If he can remain healthy, he should stay a good option in fantasy all season.
Dustin Brown, LW/RW, Los Angeles Kings
One of the biggest surprises in fantasy hockey this season has been the resurgence of Dustin Brown. Brown has seven points in his first five games this season or 1.40 points per game. The last four seasons Brown has averaged 0.34, 0.33, 0.34 and 0.45 points per game. Expecting him to averaged 1.40 points per game is a huge stretch. Still, the strong play early in the season is pointing towards Brown averaging around 0.70, an average he has not reached since the 2010-11 season. Even if Brown dips down to between 0.55 to 0.60 points per game, that number combined with his hit and shot totals make him a better fantasy asset than he has been in the last half-decade.
Jesper Bratt, LW/RW, New Jersey Devils
His hot start may not last, but for the first few games of this young NHL season, few if any player shocked fantasy owners as much as rookie Jesper Bratt. Bratt has six points the first five games of his NHL career. Bratt’s best fantasy asset is his ability to generate points on special teams. Through his first five games, Bratt has two short-handed points as well as two more points on the power play. Projecting out Bratt over a full season is not easy, but the New Jersey Devils offense looks better than it did last season. If Bratt and the Devils offense continues to develop and improve than Jesper Bratt could turn into a good fantasy option, for longer than just the first two weeks of the NHL season.
The Devils have won five of their first six games and have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL so far this season.
Semyon Varlamov, G, Colorado Avalanche
With Colorado starting the season off well, many of their players are exceeding expectations. It’s hard to believe that the team that was so utterly pathetic last year and was easily the worst in the NHL is all of the sudden making things happen. It’s not as if they had major, wholesale changes in the offseason but they are 4-3-0 so far and are one point shy of the Chicago Blackhawks, who have the most points in the division.
The most important one or at least the most well known would be Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov has already picked up three wins this season or half of what he finished with last year. His save percentage of .944 and GAA of 1.76 currently both rank in the top-eight this season. Coming into the season, Varlamov was one of the lowest-rated starting goaltenders. Through the first two weeks, he is outplaying the likes of many of the top goalies including Carey Price, Cam Talbot and Martin Jones. If the Colorado continues to play at a high level and remains in the mix for a playoff spot, Varlamov should continue to hold value throughout the entirety of the season.
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