Boston Bruins: Fantasy hockey sleepers
We know that Boston’s stars will be in fantasy lineups. Who are the fantasy sleepers?
With the start of the NHL season comes the beginning of fantasy hockey. The Boston Bruins have a roster loaded with fantasy stars. Everybody, however, wants to find those fantasy hockey sleepers.
Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak lead the way when it comes to fantasy rankings. Marchand was fifth in the NHL with 100 points last season. As long as he stays healthy, Marchand should be right there again.
Pastrnak only played 66 games last season, yet he still had 38 goals. He could score 45 or even 50 in a full season.
Other than these top players, the Bruins have a few fantasy hockey sleepers who can make a big impact for fantasy teams.
Karson Kuhlman
Karson Kuhlman can be a high-value player in fantasy hockey. Nobody will draft him, but he could be a steal on the waiver wire.
Kuhlman joined the Bruins last year and played 11 regular season games. He made a decent first impression with three goals and two assists. He also had three points in eight playoff games.
This year, Kuhlman gets a chance in Boston’s top-six. He starts as the second-line right wing with David Krejci and Jake Debrusk.
As long as Krejci stays healthy this year, Kuhlman will see plenty of scoring chances in this role. Krejci is a great playmaker who can get the puck to Kuhlman in high-danger spots. If he capitalizes on these chances, Kuhlman will earn a more permanent role.
Kuhlman also could see time on Boston’s second power play unit. This will provide him with more opportunities to increase his production.
Even if Kuhlman struggles with Krejci and Debrusk, he could get another chance on the third line with Charlie Coyle. This limits his points ceiling, but he could still be a value player in deep fantasy leagues.
Matt Grzelcyk
Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy are the fantasy darlings of Boston’s defense. Matt Grzelcyk, however, is somebody worth watching.
Grzelcyk enters his fourth NHL season with Boston. He’s never made much of an impact on the scoresheet. Last season, Grzelcyk only had 18 points in 66 games. The year before he had 15 points.
This year should be different for Grzlecyk because his ice time will go up. Grzelcyk averaged a little over 19 minutes on ice last season. Expect this to change this year as Bruce Cassidy continues to manage Zdeno Chara’s workload.
Don’t be surprised if Grzlecyk joins McAvoy on Boston’s top pair this season. In this role, Grzlecyk will see his point production increase. He skates and moves the puck well, so if he plays with Boston’s top forwards, he’ll get plenty of assists.
Also, Grzlecyk may see a lot more power play time this season. The Bruins typically roll with four forwards and one defenseman with the man advantage. Krug anchors the first unit, and McAvoy runs the second. Boston, however, gave up a lot of shorthanded chances against Dallas. Cassidy may choose to put Grzlecyk out with McAvoy on the power play.
Grzlecyk offers some extra value in fantasy leagues that track plus/minus. He was a +9 last season, and this should increase as he moves up the lineup.
Charlie Coyle
Charlie Coyle was a first round pick in 2010, but he never reached his ceiling with Minnesota. Even after the trade to Boston, Coyle struggled in the regular season. He only had six points in 21 games with the Bruins.
Coyle, however, really turned it on in the postseason. He centered Boston’s third line with Danton Heinen as his left wing. In this role, Coyle had nine goals and seven assists in 24 games.
Expect Coyle to continue this pace and have the best season of his career in 2019-2020. First off, he won’t have to adjust to a new system or a new role. He comes off a half season and a full training camp with Boston, so there’s really nothing new for him to learn.
Second, Coyle again will anchor Boston’s third line. He’ll likely play with Danton Heinen and either David Backes or Karson Kuhlman. Coyle also could see some power play time on Boston’s second unit.
In this third line role, Coyle will likely face favorable matchups all season. Opposing teams need to match up their top defensemen with the Bergeron line. Coyle should dominate bottom-six forwards and third-pair defensemen.
Coyle only hit the 20 goal mark once in his career. In a full season as Boston’s third line center, Coyle is likely to score 20 again. He also could chip in with 30 to 35 assists.
One final thing to note: this is a contract year for Coyle. He definitely wants to show Boston he deserves an extension.
Next. 3 keys to success for Boston. dark