Eastern Conference Over-Achievers (2014-15)

Eric Daoust

2015-01-06

TylerJohnson

 

The Eastern Conference over-achievers and what to expect ahead.

 

Last week the all-bust team for the current season was unveiled. There we looked at six under-performing fantasy-relevant players and their outlook. This week we will look at the other end of the spectrum and unveil the all-surprise team. That is, six players that have achieved well beyond expectations thus far as well as some honorable mentions. As usual, there will be some additional comments on each player's outlook for the future.

 

The bar is set by the projections made in Dobber's Fantasy Guide. The surprises are those that are producing far more points than the boss had envisioned. To clarify the column titles, here is the breakdown:

 

Skaters
GP = Games played in 2014-15 season
PTS = Points in 2014-15 season
PROJ NOW = Projected current points based on Dobber's projected points per game
DIFF = Difference between current points and projected points

 

Goalies
GP = Games played in 2014-15 season
W = Wins in 2014-15 season
GAA = Goals against average in 2014-15 season
SV% = Save percentage in 2014-15 season
PROJ W NOW = Projected current wins based on Dobber's projected win percentage
DIFF = Difference between current wins and projected wins

 

Without further ado here is the all-surprise team!

 

F

GP

PTS

PROJ NOW

DIFF

Nick Foligno

36

35

19

16

Tyler Johnson

40

43

24

19

Jakub Voracek

39

48

34

14

 

Nick Foligno

 

 

The only knock on Halak is his save percentage which is quite average for a starting goaltender. That is not a huge price to pay because of his win total, his strong GAA and his three shutouts. Look for the outstanding fantasy numbers to continue as long as the Islanders are playing at such a high level.

 

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Honorable mentions

 

F

GP

PTS

PROJ NOW

DIFF

Mike Hoffman

35

19

10

9

Derick Brassard

34

30

21

9

Rick Nash

36

38

27

11

 

Mike Hoffman

 

After tearing up the AHL last year, it was not surprising to see Hoffman make the Senators. However, not many expected him to have this much success out of the gate. While his shooting percentage is a bit high at 14%, he is shooting around 2.5 shots per game which is a good formula for scoring goals in the NHL. Oddly enough, he has scored all of his points at even strength despite averaging around 90 seconds per night on the power play. Breaking his funk with the man advantage would help offset any second-half drop in production at even strength.

 

Derick Brassard / Rick Nash

 

The Ranger linemates are lumped together their successes and potential future declines are tied together. Both have greatly exceeded expectations thus far and have benefited from excellent puck luck. Brassard (15%) and Nash (18%) are well above their career averages. Both totals are likely to drop in the coming months. Meanwhile, the result of one player scoring less frequently will affect the other's assist total. Both will remain legitimate scoring line players but maintaining their current star-level play will be very difficult.

 

D

GP

PTS

PROJ NOW

DIFF

John Carlson

38

28

23

5

Anton Stralman

41

18

12

6

 

John Carlson

 

After teasing fantasy owners for many years Carlson appears to have arrived as a major offensive contributor. The fact that he has only scored seven points on the power play shows that he is not relying too heavily on advantageous situations to get his points. As it stands right now he is on pace for 60 points. That is unlikely to happen this year but 50 points is certainly attainable provided that he does not hit a prolonged slump.

 

Anton Stralman

 

Tampa Bay's big free agent acquisition has delivered the goods and has made a big difference for the Lightning. He has also shown an offensive side to his game that we are not accustomed to seeing and is logging a career-high 22 minutes of ice time per night. Prior to getting four points in his last three games, he had gone eight games without a single point. While the points will likely continue to come for Stralman, they will come in bunches and he could be prone to long droughts.

 

G

GP

W

GAA

SV%

PROJ W NOW

DIFF

Carey Price

32

22

2.14

0.929

18

4

 

It is no secret that Carey Price is a star goaltender. However, he has pushed his game to a new level this year and is the primary reason why the Canadiens currently sit atop the Eastern Conference. Barring injury, Price should clear 40 wins while helping the Habs close out a third consecutive successful campaign under the team's new management. The only area of concern is that the Canadiens are allowing a lot of shots for a playoff team. Unless they rectify the problem it could start cutting into the wins at some point.

 

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Follow me on Twitter @DH_EricDaoust.

 

 

 

 

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