RADIO
Last week we talked about finding forward help on waivers when you need some power play assistance. Here, I'll use the same premise to dig up some defensemen that can give you a nice boost in power play points and are widely available.
Below are the five defensemen with the most power play points among players whose ownership is 50% or less -- indicating cheaper plays in daily games (and maybe a sneaky steal in weekly or keeper formats).
Be sure to also check out all of our fantasy hockey waiver wire content, and also our lineup picks and advice for daily leagues. Now let's get to it.
Power Play Defensemen - Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire
1. Matt Dumba
Niklas Kronwall actually tops this list, but he's out for a while, so we're starting with Dumba, whose ownership is below 10%. With 10 power play points on the season, he's got more power play points than anyone else on this list.
The trouble with Dumba is the musical chairs taking place on the power play in Minnesota and the real lack of success they're having overall.
However, when things are working -- as they have been lately -- Dumba tends to be at the center of it, playing the weak side for the one-timer. He's been clicking at a pretty pace lately, putting up a power play point in five of his last six games and totaling two goals and five assists in that span. He's a nice depth play in daily, though it's worth paying attention to how he's used on the power play under new coach John Torchetti, who debuted Sunday.
2. Dan Boyle
The elder statesman of the New York Rangers power play continues to get the most power play time of all Ranger defensemen, and injuries may ensure ongoing opportunities even though Boyle has struggled a bit lately.
Only three defensemen on the team average more than two minutes per game on the man advantage. Third is Ryan McDonagh who is currently out with a concussion. Second is Keith Yandle who could be traded when McDonagh gets back in the lineup. Boyle stands to maintain his ice time on the power play and potentially see it rise down the stretch.
Recent struggles have driven his daily cost down, but the injury situation ensures continuing opportunities if you need a hail mary at a low cost.
3. Andrej Sekera
Sekera has nine power play points on the season and four in his last seven games. That's an important time frame. That's how many games it's been since Connor McDavid returned to the Oilers lineup.
Sekera is the lone of defenseman on the Oiler's top power play unit, a unit that features McDavid. He's been on the ice for over 50% of the team's total power play time in the last three games and is reaping the benefits of playing with the 19-year-old wünderkind who has 12 points in the seven games since he returned.
In that hail mary scenario, Sekera being on the ice with McDavid gives him a chance to score any given night.
4. David Schlemko
With 10 power play points on the season, Schlemko is near the top of this list. He leads team defensemen in power play minutes and the team generates more shots per 60 minutes of power play ice time with him on the ice than any other defenseman.
He's posted six power play points in his last 10 games and has seen the ice during over 50% of the team's power play time in the last 10 games. With how heavily weight toward recent games his season power play production has been, he may, for the moment, be a sneaky daily play.
5. Michael Stone
Stone is one you might not expect to see on this list. He and Dumba are the only two here who aren't seeing the most power play minutes of defensemen on their own team. But Stone has been pretty effective, putting up 10 points on the season.
He gets the second most power play time among team defensemen, behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who sees over double the ice time. Stone is a pillar of the team's second unit, whether it's with a double-shifted Ekman-Larsson or Connor Murphy. The units are juggled in a strange way, with Ekman-Larsson and Mikkel Boedker seeing lots of time with lots of different players, but Stone is seeing time with Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette on his unit, so there's talent on his unit and they're seeing some success.
He's grabbed a pair of power play points in his last five games and can offer some depth value in daily play when you need that one really cheap player to round out a roster otherwise loaded with stars.
