The fantasy hockey season rolls on as we arrive into the final days of January! Today will be the last day of normalcy before the fantasy schedule gets hit with a bit of a curveball thanks to the NHL All-Star Weekend coming up next week. Just keep in mind that in most weekly formats, the next two weeks will be combined into one, so plan accordingly! Despite all that, we are still going to do what we always do, and that's hunt for some less owned fantasy assets who can provide solid value to your team. Let's see what's out there this week!

Eeli Tolvanen

It has been a bit of a whirlwind start to Tolvanen's young NHL career. After splitting time between Nashville and Jokerit of the KHL for the first four years of his pro career, the Predators chose to place Tolvanen on waivers midway through this season. The Seattle Kraken wasted no time in claiming the Finnish forward. The Kraken are still in their infancy and definitely could use more young talent in their organization. Tolvanen is still just 23 and is a former first-round pick. 

Fast forward to January 1 of this year and Tolvanen finally debuted with the Kraken. He scored in his first game with the team, and since then he has found some marginal success. In 15 games with the Kraken, Tolvanen has eight goals and two assists for 10 points in total. It's taken some time for Tolvanen to get acclimated with his new team, but he seemingly has found a spot on a line with Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 

Along with the scoring upside that Tolvanen could potentially bring, he actually has some solid value via peripheral stats as well. Through his 15 contests with the Kraken, he's piled up 24 hits with 13 blocked shots to boot. He also has averaged 2.3 shots per game during this time, which is a decent rate. When you combine his offensive potential with his steady peripherals, you have a fairly reliable pickup that you can rely on. 

The only thing I don't love is that his ice time has been a bit erratic so far in Seattle. Maybe you can contribute that to Tolvanen needing to find his footing on a new team. But it would be nice if he could see at least 15-plus minutes a night on a normal basis. He's had multiple games with over 16 minutes, but also many with 13 or less.  He's also bounced between the first and second power-play units. While I don't expect him to permanently land on the top power-play unit, one can always hope. In Yahoo leagues Tolvanen is 10% rostered, while on Fantrax he is owned in 40% of all leagues.

Dillon Dube

Dube might seem like a bit of an irregular pick since his point totals aren't all that high. In 50 games he has 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 total points. The numbers aren't crazy, but he does seem to be trending upwards of late, plus he can provide a bit of extra value just like Tolvanen. It seems like Dube has been winning over Flames' head coach Darryl Sutter as of late. His ice time and power-play time have both seen upticks as of late and in his last four games he has four points. He's found a home on a line with Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli. Previously, I would have assumed this spot would go to Andrew Mangiapane, but Dube has found his way into a solid top-six role.

Along with his spot in the top-six, Dube also has a spot on the second power-play unit. While the second unit isn't great, he has been seeing about 40% of the power play time as of late, so it's not a negligible amount. Aside from seeing some offensive success as of late, Dube is a very reliable hitter. He's registered 83 hits, which is just about a hit and a half per game on average. The one downside with Dube is that unlike Tolvanen, he doesn't shoot a ton, so if you're in a league that tracks shots, Dube might not be the greatest pick for you.

If you have an opening on your roster for a forward, Dube is dual-wing eligible and could provide a solid boost in the short-term. I don't suggest dropping any key players for him, but if you have an injury that creates a void on your team, or someone who is really underperforming, Dube could be your guy. If he sticks in Calgary's top six, he provides a nice mix of offensive upside plus hitting.  Dube is obtainable in most leagues. On Yahoo he is owned 7% of all leagues, while on Fantrax he is slightly more owned at 29%.

Owen Tippett

Tippett rounds out our list today and he shares a lot in common with the other two players mentioned. He is still very young into his career with this season serving as his fourth year in the NHL. There was a lot of enthusiasm for him when he was drafted 10th overall in 2017 by the Florida Panthers.  Tippett spent parts of three seasons with Florida, but never established much more than a bottom-six role, mostly because the Panthers were loaded with forward talent and were already a powerhouse. 

As the trade deadline neared last season, Florida opted to trade Tippett and draft picks in exchange for Claude Giroux. The trade gave the Panthers an established veteran with playoff experience, but for Tippett, this was a great opportunity to go to a rebuilding team and actually get a chance to play some meaningful minutes. Fast forward to this season and under the tutelage of John Tortorella, Tippett is finally getting a shot at top-six minutes. While he isn't exactly blowing the doors off their hinges, he has shown considerable strides in the right direction. 

The Flyers are a pretty bad team in the midst of a total rebuild, so you can't expect too much from Tippett. But in 46 games he has contributed 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, all of which are already career bests. He's playing just under 16 minutes a game on average and has been on the ice for 47% of the team's man advantage opportunities thus far this season. Another great sign is he is shooting a ton this season. He's averaging 2.6 shots per game which is a very nice rate and by far the best in his short career.

Like our other two players mentioned, Tippett also isn't afraid to lay the body when need be. He has 79 body checks which is over a hit and a half per game on average. He's also managed to chip in with 34 blocked shots which isn't a ton, but it's something! Tippett is finally starting to see some progress in his career, and I think this season is just the beginning for him. On Yahoo he is owned in 7% of leagues while over on Fantrax he is owned in 40%.

Well, that's a wrap for this week. Maybe I'm just getting old and hate fun, but I'm sort of over the whole All-Star break thing. As a kid I loved it, but now I find it more of a nuisance more than anything and it really disrupts the flow of the fantasy hockey season. Now, if you were to have an Olympic tournament for two weeks, that's a different conversation! But for some silly deking drills, and a little mini all-star tournament, I'd rather just have my Saturday night with a full slate of games! Okay I'm done with my rant. Enjoy your week everyone!