Stopgap Coyotes

Mike Ribeiro has gone from being owned in 38% of Yahoo leagues when we mentioned him last week to 41% now, but he really should be occupied in more than that. He has eight goals and 25 points in 29 contests with Nashville this season, which isn't an unreasonable point-per-game pace when you look at his performance over the years. It might be best to forget his time with the Coyotes as he didn't have much in the way of skilled forward to work with they were a weak team offensively and Ribeiro was distracted by off-ice issues at the time.

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Mika Zibanejad (OTT) - C/RW - Owned in 9% of Yahoo leagues

This is Zibanejad's third full season in the NHL - provided that you're willing to count the lockout shortened 2013 campaign as full - so at this point it's not unreasonable to think he's ripe for a breakout. The only question is if his recent outburst is the beginning of one. He has five goals and eight points in six December games, including his four-point night against Vancouver on Sunday. He also usually plays alongside Bobby Ryan, which only adds to the intrigue. Throw in the fact that the Senators have a new coach, which might serve to revitalize them as a whole and now isn't a bad time to gamble on Zibanejad.

Mikko Koivu (MIN) - C - Owned in 38% of Yahoo leagues

I mentioned Koivu in the Nov. 2 edition of this column when he was still owned in 45% of Yahoo leagues. At the time I recommend to hold onto him despite his cold start. He stayed quiet for a few weeks after that, he has finally turned the corner with three goals and nine points in his last nine contests. As I said before, he's a talented forward and you shouldn't be scared off by his prolonged cold streak. This is a great time to grab him while the option still exists in many leagues.

Nick Bjugstad (FLA) - C - Owned in 31% of Yahoo leagues

There's not much offensive talent on Florida, but if you're going to pick up a Panthers forward in a standard league, then Bjugstad is your best bet. He had a solid rookie season with 16 goals and 38 points in 76 contests and is taking a significant step forward this season with 12 goals and 18 points in 26 games. What makes those numbers particularly impressive is the fact that he had just one point in his first 10 contests this season. Despite his rookie numbers, it wouldn't be surprising if he continues to get more goals than assists. He's also a decent bet to reach the 50-point mark.

Matt Beleskey (ANA) - LW - Owned in 37% of Yahoo leagues

With 31 games in the books, Beleskey has already set a new career-high with 14 goals. He has gotten next to no assists this season (two), but his plus/minus is great (plus-11). Part of the reason for his rise this season has to do with his role. He's averaging 14:58 minutes this season, up from 12:26 in 2013-14 and when he's on the ice, it's typically on one of the Ducks' top two lines. In other words, he often has Ryan Kesler or Ryan Getzlaf setting him up. Beleskey has been taking advantage of his situation by firing the puck more than he has in the past (2.48 shots per game, compared to his career average of 1.72). With all of that in mind, he's a decent bet to flirt with the 30-goal mark, even if he hasn't done so in the past. Just don't be surprised if his goals come in bunches, which will make his hot/cold streaks feel particularly extreme given that he hasn't been contributing much in other areas.

Sean Bergenheim (FLA) - LW - Owned in less than 1% of Yahoo leagues

Bergenheim, 30, has never been prolific offensively and he was sidelined for most of November, so it's not surprising that it's rare to find him on a fantasy squad. As I said earlier, Bjugstad is one of the few Panthers forwards you should consider owning in standard leagues, but it's a different story for deeper formats. If your league requires you dig deep, then Bergenheim is a decent diamond in the rough. He's been solid this season when he has played with five goals and nine points in 18 games, which actually isn't far off from his point-per-game pace in 2013-14. The problem in both cases is that his numbers have been skewed downwards due to injuries, but when he's healthy he could continue to provide you with close to 0.5 points per game.

Sean Couturier (PHI) - C - Owned in 5% of Yahoo leagues

Couturier established himself as one of the better defensive centers last season, but his objective going into the 2014-15 campaign was to step up offensively. That hasn't gone as planned for the most part, but he's currently on a six-game point streak. That still only brings him to six goals and 14 points in 28 contests, but he's another example as a player that looks good in the short-term, but also has some long-term upside. It isn't unrealistic to think that Couturier is capable of becoming a good forward from an offensive standpoint; there's just no guarantee that it will happen this season.

Mikkel Boedker (ARI) - LW - Owned in 15% of Yahoo leagues

Boedker set new career-highs last season with 19 goals and 51 points in 82 games. Through 30 contests this season, he's on pace to do marginally better. He's been averaging 3:03 minutes of power-play ice time per game and given that nine of his 20 points have been recorded with the man advantage, it seems fair to say that he's making the most of those minutes. Boedker isn't one of the most exciting players in the league in terms of his upside, but if you're looking for a dependable injury replacement, Boedker might be your best bet on the free agent market as he should be able to maintain his current pace.

Antoine Vermette (ARI) - C/LW - Owned in 22% of Yahoo leagues

Alternatively, you could go after Boedker's linemate, Vermette. At 32 years old, what you see is what you get from Vermette, but what we see isn't bad. He's been solid this season with eight goals and 21 points in 30 contests, which puts him on pace to have his best season since 2009-10 when he got 65 points with Columbus. Vermette has also been one of the most consistent players this season as he hasn't endured a point drought of more than two contests. Like Boedker, he's not a terribly exciting choice, but he is a reliable injury replacement. His duel position eligibility gives him that little bit of extra flexibility that might put him ahead of Boedker in certain situations.