TOP ADDS FOR THE WEEK

NHL / Hockey

Written by Chase Howard

With the Fantasy Hockey playoffs right over the horizon, the adds you make this week are as important as ever. I've taken my time crunching the numbers, watching the tape, and consulting the oracle and here are my top adds for the week.

Source (Background Photo): Getty Images Sport

Forwards

Rickard Rakell (LW/RW) Pittsburgh Penguins

• How can you not love wingers with dual eligibility? Coming in with five points in his last four games, covering multiple categories with one PPP, 12 SOG, five hits and six blocks in the span. The best part yet is that he plays on that Pittsburgh Penguins' second line with Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter, which is not a bad place to rack em up especially with four games this week. Rakell historically racks up more points/game after the All-Star break; expect more of the same down the stretch here.

Blues Brothers - Robert Thomas (C/RW) and Brandon Saad (LW/RW) St Louis Blues

• The 2017 first-round pick is having a career year, which is only getting better. He's riding a nice point streak, amassing six assists and three goals in his last five games. Centering the Blues' second line for talented wingers Vladamir Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich and getting time on the second power-play unit gives Thomas a good opportunity to keep it up. With the Blues looking to keep pace in the Western Conference Playoff race, expect more of the same from their top line down the stretch.

• Saad is rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues despite generating five goals and 10 assists in his last 20 including 11 in his last 12. Saad gets big minutes on the Blues' top line alongside Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron as well as the first power-play unit. Bonus: the Blues play four times this week.

Erik Haula (C/LW) Boston Bruins

• Haula has been hot, racking up 10 points in his last six games. Since solidifying his spot on the Bruins second line in January he has 30 points in 39 games. The Bruins also play four times this week yet Haula is owned in only 10% of Yahoo leagues.

Yegor Sharangovich (C/LW/RW) New Jersey Devils

• Yegor has made serious strides in his sophomore season leading to 11 points, including six goals in his last 12 games. Playing on the Devils' top line alongside Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer has looked like a good fit for the 23-year-old. His improved level of play has also led to time on the second power-play unit and the penalty kill, giving him a multitude of opportunities to contribute to your team; not to mention his eligibility at all forward positions. Keep an eye on a potential Hughes injury situation after his knee-on-knee over the weekend.

Defense

Jaccob Slavin (D) Carolina Hurricanes

• Slavin has six assists and is a plus-eight in his past seven games for the Hurricanes. He's got a steady diet of minutes playing on their top defensive pair at even strength and now even running the point on their second power play. Minutes + talent typically = production.

Hampus Lindholm (D) Boston Bruins

• Since finding his way onto a contending team in Boston, Lindy has quickly found a home on the B’s first-line defensive pairing. In five games with the Bruins, he has chipped in three assists, taken 11 shots and averaged almost 23 minutes a game.

Gustav Forsling (D) Florida Panthers

• An increasingly popular add in the past week yet still only owned in 17% of Yahoo leagues, Forsling has mustered up five points in his last five outings, including three goals. Despite having a career year it seemed Gustav was slowing down at the end of January, but it looks like he might be heating back upright in time for Fantasy playoffs. Keep in mind he's skating with Mackenzie Weegar on the first pairing in an expanded role due to the absence of Aaron Ekblad. With the high octane pace of the Panther’s offence (>4 goals/game), expect many opportunities from the top two lines.

Goaltenders

Cal Petersen (G) Los Angeles Kings

• Petersen stopped 25 of 27 shots he faced in a win against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday giving him consecutive wins and his sixth start in the last nine games. Petersen is quietly up to 20 wins and three shutouts in 33 games this season and has successfully staked his claim to significant minutes in the Kings' crease. Expect LA to ride the hot hand down the stretch in their quest for a playoff birth.

Pavel Francouz (G) Colorado Avalanche

• Playing behind the most potent offense in the NHL is only part of the reason Pavel sports a 17-13-3 record this season. In his last five games, Francouz has let in three goals only once, winning four of five. His playing time has gone up in the last week, expect more starts to come as the Avalanche gear up for the playoffs

Well, there you go good luck and may the hockey gods have mercy upon your soul.