Hello and welcome back to Geek of the Week! In this week's article, I am going to bring up three players that are not getting much ice time but are taking advantage of the limited ice time they are getting and generating chances. These players may or may not be valuable right now with their current deployment, but it is worth keeping an eye on all of them. If they were to get moved into the top 6 or earn meaningful power play time, they would spike in fantasy value. 

The statistics mentioned do not include Sunday's games.

Martin Pospisil (CGY) – 2% Rostered

Pospisil has impressed his coaches while playing with an edge. He has performed very well in his seven-game stint so far, posting three goals, two assists, 21 shots, 22 hits and one block. Three shots and three hits per game alone is valuable enough to be rostered in most multicat leagues. He has done this averaging 12:30 of even strength ice time and hasn't seen a real chance on the power play. If he were to be trusted with more ice time, he could be a staple in multicat leagues. 

Last game against the Islanders, he actually had 17:22 of ice time, scored a goal, and had a whopping 5 shots on goal. Not bad for a rookie most of us haven't heard of! If he can continue to get those even strength minutes, he could be a multicat gold mine. If he gets a shot on the power play, even better. I have grabbed Pospisil in a few leagues. I'd be ready to drop him if his ice time gets reduced, but the upside for fantasy greatness is there right now. Keep an eye on him.

Owen Tippett (PHI) – 49% Rostered

Tippett was mentioned in my preseason article as a player with a safe high floor for multicat leagues. I projected him to get around 15 minutes a night at even strength and plenty of power play time. Having Tortarella as your coach might make things a little inconsistent for your fantasy value. After finishing last season averaging 17 minutes of even strength ice time per night, he may have started this season in Torts' dog house, averaging just 12:42 in even strength ice time. Last game (not including Sunday) he had only 9:55 of even strength ice time. Ouch! 

He is still near the top in the league at shot attempts per 60 and shots per 60. With the poor ice time, Tippett is still performing decently showing his great floor, posting 7 goals and 6 assists in 17 games. He's getting 3.24 shots on goal per game and adding a decent amount of hits and blocks. If Tippett can find his way back into the top line he was in at the end of last year, his fantasy value is bound to explode. With 17 minutes of even strength ice time and time on the top power play unit, I would expect 4+ shots a game and close to a point per game from Tippett. If you own Tippett, keep a close eye on that ice time. If someone drops him due to that poor ice time, he would be a priority add for me given the safe floor and the upside. 

Ross Colton (COL) – 12% Rostered

Ross Colton has slipped right back into that third line role on his new Avalanche team. He's averaging 11:08 of even strength ice time per night, though he is also on the second power play unit. In 16 games, he has 6 goals, 2 assists, 40 shots on goal, 26 hits, and 9 blocks. With the impressive peripheral category coverage, Colton is rosterable in deeper multicat leagues. 

Colton's per 60 numbers for shot attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chances for are all very close to Nathan Mackinnon's per 60 numbers. Colton is just getting way less ice time. We may not see Colton in the top 6 this year, but if he were to be given that chance, especially alongside elite playmakers like Mackinnon and Rantanen, he could provide great value in multicat leagues. I would expect his goals, assists, and those peripheral categories all to climb heavily if he were given more minutes. I don't think we'll be blessed with this, but top line Ross Colton would be a must-add. Something to keep an eye on.

Hope you enjoyed! See you next week. 

Follow me on X @fantasycheddar, where I will answer any questions you may have.

-Ryan Brudner, Top Cheddar Fantasy