Like Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine has had an immediate impact on fantasy lineups.

In every draft, there will usually always be a top player who immediately makes an impact in the NHL, and the 2016 NHL Draft class was no exception. Last week we took a look at Auston Matthews and how he is already positively affecting the Leafs and fantasy hockey teams so early in his career. But how about the second overall pick? Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to the not-so-underrated Patrik Laine.

Once Auston Matthews was off the board, it was a foregone conclusion that the Winnipeg Jets would select Patrik Laine, the one dubbed as the Finnish Flash 2.0, with their second overall pick. Born in Finland, Laine worked his way up through the country’s junior leagues to eventual find himself in the top league in his draft year. Playing for Tappara in Liiga, Laine impressed many by scoring 17 goals and 16 assists in 46 games. But what really showed people that he was a unique talent was his unbelievable World Juniors performance. Representing Finland and leading the team to a gold medal, Laine was named the tournament MVP after recording seven goals and five assists in only 10 games. However, he only continued to shine as him and his team entered the playoffs in Liiga. It was here where he tallied 10 goals and five assists in 18 games, the most goals in the playoffs by any player. He was also named the best player in the playoffs as well as the rookie of the year.

With deadly offensive instincts and a lethal shot, it was clear that Laine would be a great player for a long time in the NHL. However, it’s always hard to predict how a rookie will do in his first year in the NHL. Drafted on average with the 118^th pick in Yahoo fantasy leagues and 125^th in Fantrax leagues, fantasy owners were weary to make a big commitment to the young forward. So let’s see how he’s done so far this season.

To do this, we’ll be using our trusty Fantasy Hockey Geek tool. For our sample league, we’ll being using an average 12-team H2H Yahoo league measuring G, A, PPP, SOG, Hits, W, SV%, GAA, and SO with this season’s stats.
 

Despite not even being drafted inside the top-100, Patrik Laine has been phenomenal this season for fantasy owners. Laine has already proved to be one of the best goal scorers in the NHL, as his 20 goals are surely helping fantasy owners out. His assists are a bit low, but he makes up for it in other categories. While Laine’s shot rate isn’t as dominant as Auston Matthews’, it is still great. With 106 shots in 41 games, Laine has the 35^th most shots in the league. Not to mention his hit totals are good while his power-play points are right about average.

For a guy providing value equivalent value to Patrick Kane, I don’t think many fantasy owners are upset with how Laine’s performing for them this year. There was some hesitation when drafting him this season since he was a bit of an unknown quality, but you can surely bet Laine will be going high in drafts next year after his rookie performance.

To identify more players with great value in your specific league settings, check out Fantasy Hockey Geek to generate custom rankings tailored for you. With the Season Toolkit, you can use our advanced tools to manage to the top and take down the title. Head to the Dobber Sports Shop and pick it up today!