Fantasy All-Access: Teravainen, Koivu worth adding

Monday, 12.21.2015 / 12:00 PM
Sean McCullen  - NHL.com Staff Writer

Every Monday, NHL.com staff writer Sean McCullen identifies potential waiver-wire pickups and points out lineup moves and schedule impacts for fantasy hockey.

It looks like the Chicago Blackhawks have finally found the player to replace Brandon Saad at left wing with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa.

Teuvo Teravainen.

After playing the first few games of the season on Chicago's top line, Teravainen (LW, 26 percent owned in Yahoo leagues) has four goals and three assists in nine games since being reunited with Toews and Hossa on Dec. 3 at the Ottawa Senators.

The line combined for nine points in a 4-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday: Teravainen had two goals and an assist; Toews had a goal and two assists; and Hossa had three assists.

It was the 21-year-old Finn's first three-point game of the season.

"He's a tricky little guy," Toews said of Teravainen, who is in his first full NHL season. "He's so quick with his feet and his [puck-handling]. I don't think anyone can really guess what he's doing."

Hossa did not play Sunday in a 4-3 overtime win against the Sharks for an undisclosed reason. Teravainen skated with Toews and Andrew Shaw, and didn't have a point.

However, you should still add Teravainen to your fantasy lineup.

WAIVER-WIRE WATCH

Mikko Koivu, C, Minnesota Wild (48 percent owned in Yahoo leagues) – Koivu quietly has 21 assists, tied for 11th in the NHL. Although he's not as available as players included in Waiver-Wire Watch typically are, his recent play more than warranted his inclusion this week. After a seven-game point drought, the 32-year-old has four goals and five assists the past four games. The Wild are scoring goals again after they had 10 in their first six games of December, so Koivu should continue to accrue points.

Teddy Purcell, LW/RW, Edmonton Oilers (18 percent owned) – Purcell has averaged nearly a point per game (0.82) since joining Leon Draisaitl and Taylor Hall on Edmonton's top line Nov. 14, and has six goals and 14 assists this season. The 30-year-old, who scored an NHL career-high 24 goals in 2011-12 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, has four power-play points and is averaging 2:51 of ice time on the man-advantage.

Ryan Spooner, C/LW, Boston Bruins (24 percent owned) – After his four-assist performance Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Spooner has three goals and seven assists in his past seven games; he had five goals and seven assists in his first 25.

Alec Martinez, D, Los Angeles Kings (15 percent owned) – Martinez, who has 11 points and a plus-5 rating, is more than capable of holding down a spot in leagues that have four D-men in the starting lineup. He has a goal and three assists in his past six games, and if you're in a hits league, Martinez should get the edge over a player like Dallas Stars defenseman Jason Demers (34 percent owned, 12 points, plus-13); Martinez's 68 hits are tied for 19th among NHL defensemen.

Elias Lindholm, C, Carolina Hurricanes (8 percent owned) – Lindholm's numbers for the season are disappointing (four goals, nine assists in 33 games), but he has 11 points (two goals) in his past 14 games.

LINE CHANGES

-- Valeri Nichushkin's run on the Stars' top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin came to an end during their 5-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Tuesday. He had two goals and three assists in five games with Benn and Seguin.

-- Wild coach Mike Yeo put Thomas Vanek on a line with Koivu and Jason Zucker last Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks, and the three combined for nine points in a 6-2 win. Koivu stayed hot with two goals and an assist two nights later in a 5-2 win against the New York Rangers; Vanek had an assist.

SCHEDULE NOTES

-- The Stars and St. Louis Blues each play four games this week, including a back-to-back, home-and-home set against each other Saturday in Dallas and Sunday in St. Louis.

-- The Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks each will play once. If you're in a league in which you set your lineup once, at the beginning of the week, make sure you bench skaters from these three teams.

-- The Blackhawks, Canucks, Kings, Lightning, Senators, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals each will play twice.

The Avalanche, Islanders and Flyers will be well-rested by the time their second game rolls around; each has five days off after playing their first on home ice Monday.

-- The Blue Jackets, Bruins, Hurricanes, Oilers, Penguins, Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets each will play three games.

The Blue Jackets, Canadiens and Maple Leafs will play all three on the road, and the Wild are at home for all three.

NOTE: Fantasy All-Access will not appear on NHL.com on Monday, Dec. 29, but will return Monday, Jan. 4. Happy New Year!

Follow Sean McCullen on Twitter: @McBrooklyn77

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