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Fantasy Hockey: Players who are gaining more and more minutes

By Jason Chen, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports

Traditionally, January and February are when teams go through a bit of a trough. The season starts to feel like a grind; injuries start to happen more frequently, and travel days get tougher.

But this is also the time when players who didn’t get much of a chance early in the season start getting opportunities, and astute fantasy owners may find the midseason pickup that could be the difference between championship or bust.

Here are some skaters and goalies who could continue to get more opportunities this week.

Rudolfs Balcers, Senators

Acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade, Balcers has a goal and an assist in five games in his rookie season. After being eased into the lineup he has now played at least 11 minutes in each of his last two games. The former fifth-round pick is known as a capable goal scorer, though he’ll need more time to develop.

He’ll get limited minutes for the time being, but his role is projected to increase if the Sens move their veterans at the trade deadline. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, the pesky center who just returned to the lineup, will also see increased minutes as he gets back into game-shape. He’s already averaging close to 18 minutes per game since making his season debut.

Blake Coleman, Devils

He’s scored four points in his last five games, and through 44 games is just two points shy of tying last year’s career-high 25 points. The Texas-born winger is one of the Devils’ best players at even strength, and a big reason for an uptick on offense is his shot rate. After averaging just 1.85 shots per game last season, Coleman has upped it to 2.95 this season.

The Devils have a history of unearthing and developing strong two-way players (Parise, Zajac, Henrique), and Coleman looks like another good find. Obviously, not having Taylor Hall means increased offensive opportunities for Coleman, though it’s a little perplexing why John Hynes won’t use him on the power play. Coleman is worth a stream in deeper leagues as long as his hot streak continues, but he’s well on his way to a 25-goal season and that makes him pretty valuable in most formats.

Conor Garland, Coyotes

With two goals against Edmonton on Saturday, that’s now six goals in four games for the undersized winger. Perhaps we should’ve seen this coming after he averaged two points per game in major junior, but the knock against the 2015 fifth-round pick has always been his lack of size and elite skating ability.

In his third pro season, he’s proving everyone wrong once again, with 10 points in 17 games for the injury-riddled Coyotes. Skeptics will point out that Garland has been very lucky, converting on 17 percent of his shots — a number that’s even more inflated after he was credited with a goal when it bounced off his face. The recently acquired Jordan Weal is also worth a gander, slotting as the team’s No. 1 center. That said, Garland is younger and has much more upside.

Andreas Johnsson, Maple Leafs

Johnsson has worked his way up the depth chart and is now firmly entrenched on Auston Matthews’ line with Kasperi Kapanen. Drafted in the seventh round almost six years ago, the 24-year-old was a star in the AHL over the last two seasons, and with 20 points in 39 games his minor-league days are in the rear-view mirror.

Andreas Johnsson is enjoying — and producing in — his increased role alongside Auston Matthews. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Andreas Johnsson is enjoying — and producing in — his increased role alongside Auston Matthews. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

He is owned in less than 10 percent of Yahoo leagues despite riding shotgun on one of the league’s best second lines, but it’s also important to note that on some nights Johnsson has looked like the best player on that line. After averaging just 8:31 per game in October, Johnsson now averages about 15 minutes per game and has scored 12 points in his last 18 games. He’s a very good under-the-radar play in deep fantasy leagues.

Brandon Pirri, Golden Knights

Despite scoring nine points in seven games during his first call-up, Pirri was returned to the AHL because he was one of the very few forwards who didn’t require waivers. He certainly does now after playing 10 games, and there’s zero chance the Knights will let other teams have him for free. George McPhee now has a tough decision on his hands once Reilly Smith, William Carrier and (eventually) Erik Haula return to the lineup. Pirri won’t stay on the top line, but his play certainly does warrant a roster spot and there’s a potential long-term fit on the third line with Cody Eakin.

Jared Spurgeon, Wild

There’s no debate the Wild are far less effective in generating offense from the blue line without Matt Dumba. No one else can skate, hit or pinch on offense quite like him, but his absence has increased Spurgeon’s role, who has seven points in six games and averaging over 24 minutes in January.

He is a far better option on offense than the very steady but also very vanilla Ryan Suter, though the Wild offense is just difficult to rely on — even with Bruce Boudreau behind the bench — because they don’t have an elite scorer. The upside may be limited, but he’s a first-pairing defenseman on a decent team and owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

MacKenzie Blackwood, Devils

Keith Kinkaid was so bad during a three-game stretch when he allowed 11 goals that John Hynes wasted no time starting Blackwood once he returned from injury. After a solid start to the season during which he took the No. 1 job from the injured Cory Schneider, Kinkaid has ceded the cage to Blackwood.

The Devils are now 11 points out of a wild card spot, so there’s not much pressure on either goalie, but if the long-term plan is to go with Blackwood, expect him to get at least half the starts down the stretch, barring some incredible hot run by Kinkaid.

Thatcher Demko, Canucks

For the time being, it’s Jacob Markstrom’s net, but long-term it’s definitely Demko’s. With a red-hot December behind him, Markstrom has lost consecutive games with 11 goals allowed. The Canucks are (surprisingly) in playoff contention but have very little depth in net, so Markstrom will continue to get the bulk of the starts given his experience. They will certainly still find a way to get Demko some playing time, however.

After stewing in the AHL the last two seasons, it’s time for the second-round pick to make his mark in the NHL. Demko has some upside but is only worth playing when the Canucks can get some goal support with Elias Pettersson in the lineup.

Alexandar Georgiev, Rangers

This is by no means an indictment on Henrik Lundqvist, who remains the King even after a disastrous stretch. He lost three straight games with 15 goals allowed and saw his save percentage dip from .924 in November to .904 in December to .786 in January.

Things will get worse because the Rangers will certainly be sellers at the deadline, but Georgiev has emerged as one of the few bright spots. His overall numbers aren’t good, but he’s had three strong starts recently, including a 24-save win against the Knights and a 41-save effort against the Avalanche. Demko is the better bet between the two up-and-coming ‘tenders, but neither is particularly reliable fantasy options given the inexperience and limited playing time.

Carter Hart, Flyers

Like Blackwood, this is the second straight week Hart is being highlighted in this column to get a bigger role as the season enters the second half. He’s started four of the last five games for the Flyers and looked very good doing so, including a 37-save win against the Stars on Thursday. The original plan was for Hart to keep the seat warm while the Flyers nurse their veteran keepers back to full health, but does it even matter?

Hart has outperformed the Flyers’ six other goalies this season, and current backup Mike McKenna is no threat to take the No. 1 job. Hart and Blackwood, both owned in less than 40 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, are worth stashing.

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