Fantasy Hockey Special: Defensemen

There are many different philosophies in fantasy hockey when it comes to defensemen. Some owners put great value into them and draft one in the first 3 or 4 rounds to snag the elite ones, and often have 3 by round 10. Others like to fill theirs out in the mid to late rounds with solid, consistent defenders. Whatever your strategy is, it's important to keep track of which defensemen are playing well. If you can get 50-55 points out of a a defense slot on your fantasy team where another owner is only getting 35-40, then you'll often find yourself ahead of the competition.

Let's take a look at who's caught my eye so far:

Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

It's pretty hard not to be impressed with the start these two have had for the Penguins. When Sergei Gonchar left, Pittsburgh lost one of the best powerplay quarterbacks in the league and the job was up for grabs. So far, Goligoski has overtaken that role with 3 goals and 6 points already and the top fantasy d-man so far. Letang has 4 assists and 17 PIM, so if your league counts penalty minutes he's a worthy asset.

John Carlson, Washington Capitals

Coming into the season, Carlson was considered one of the best defenseman prospects in the league. With the injury of Mike Green, Carlson finds himself the top offensive d-man on the Caps and plays on the PP with Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, and Knuble. What's not to like? So far, he's impressed the team with a goal, 5 assists, and 18 PIM. Even when Green comes back, he'll get good PP time and be a top candidate for a breakout year.

James Wisniewski, New York Islanders

Another tale of young talent stepping up with to fill a missing role on the team. The Islanders lost Mark Streit to injury and brought in newcomer James Wisniewski to fill that role. He's by far the best (healthy) defenseman on that team, so he'll log plenty of minutes on the even strength and powerplay. If he's still available, go grab him now.

Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers

Yikes. This age-old veteran remains one of the best shut-down defenders in the league, but has yet to register a point and has only contributed a measley 2 PIM and 4 SOG. Should owners be worried? NO! In fact, if you buy low on him, do it now. He remains the best defenseman on a great offensive team and the points will come in time. He's still good for minimum 50 points and a good chunk of PIM. Like I said, buy low while you can.

Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens

When Markov had surgery on his knee this offseason, he was looking at a late November return. Now, reports have him coming back as early as thursday. He's already skating and has been cleared for contact. If you drafted him, your risk paid off because he's a top 10 defenseman when healthy. If he's available in your league, put him on your IR and be ready to reap the benefits when he returns.

We also have some exciting news for you fantasy hockey fans out there. Got questions? We got answers! Send in your fantasy hockey questions to theultimateboston@gmail.com and starting next week I'll post a question or two in each blog. Whether you seek advice on an add/drop, trade, or just the make-up of your team, I'm happy to help. Send in those emails!