The NHL is full of players that surprise their teams and fantasy owners over the course of the year.

Last year, there was Brad Richards making a comeback, Ryan Kesler becoming an offensive force, Duncan Keith leading Chicago's Stanley Cup charge and Jimmy Howard manning a tight crease in Detroit. Dustin Byfuglien, Patrick Sharp and Tim Thomas could be considered the three biggest surprises of this NHL season, but Weekly Wire will pick three other deserving players that might not catch your eye at first glance.

One forward who has really stood out is Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins. 'Looch' leads the Bruins in goals with 30, is second in points to David Krejci with 58 and his 106 penalty minutes are second to Shawn Thornton. Lucic is plus-29 is tied for first with two of his teammates and he has shattered his career high in shots with 160. He has found a steady set of linemates in Nathan Horton and Krejci and it has paid dividends for the Bruins.

Lubomir Visnovsky has been an absolute beast for the Anaheim Ducks. He leads all defensemen in points with 61 and is second in assists behind Phoenix's Keith Yandle with 46. Visnovsky's 26 power-play points and plus-14 rank second on the Ducks. He might not be able to eclipse his career high in points, but would reach a career high in goals with three over the course of the final eight games.

After the trade that sent him from the Oilers to the Ducks last season, Visnovsky had 13 points in 16 games, but couldn't help his team enough to get them into the playoffs. With a continued surge, the Ducks could make the playoffs this season, and Visnovsky would be one of the big reasons why. Honorable mentions to Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Letang.

There are many goalies this year that have played above what was predicted of them to begin the year. One goalie who wasn't on the radar to start the year was Chicago's Corey Crawford. After playoff hero Antti Niemi left for the Sharks, the Blackhawks signed Marty Turco. His play wasn't what the Hawks were looking for, so they turned to Crawford and the rest is history.

Crawford has led the Hawks down the stretch and has won over the Chicago fans in the process. With a 29-14-5 record, a 2.28 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage, Crawford has thrust himself into the top-10 among fantasy goalies. He has been a welcome surprise.

Top Pickups (owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! Leagues)

1. Eric Belanger, C, Coyotes (8 percent): Belanger has been a top center since joining Shane Doan and the underrated Lauri Korpikoski on the first line. He has 5 points in the last six games and 4 goals and 5 assists in 9 games since the promotion. He has 36 points on the season and could be a solid addition in the playoffs due to his hot streak.

2. Sergei Samsonov, LW, Panthers (4 percent): Samsonov had three consecutive multi-point games from March 15-19. He is skating on the top line with Stephen Weiss and Niclas Bergfors and has been a solid addition to his new team. In 12 games since joining the Panthers, he has 9 points. He could provide a late-season burst from the left wing spot.

3. Matt D'Agostini, RW, Blues (8 percent): Injuries and trades have made D'Agostini a top-6 forward and he is definitely making the most of it. Skating with David Backes and Andy McDonald, he has 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in seven games and has enjoyed some time on the top power-play unit. He has 18 goals and 39 points on the season, along with 10 points on the power play and 142 shots. He is a fine addition to your wing corps.

4. Dan Hamhuis, D, Canucks (20 percent): Injuries to Alexander Edler, Kevin Bieksa, Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard (recently returned) and Lee Sweatt have ravaged the blue line. Because of solid play from Hamhuis and Christian Ehrhoff, the Canucks have been able to survive the massive injuries and clinch the Northwest Division title. Hamhuis, despite missing 13 games due to injury, has been a rock on the point and has contributed on the power play. The defensive-minded D-man has 23 points, 7 on the power play, and is a plus-28. He should be on your radar.

5. Cory Schneider, G, Canucks (25 percent): Schneider has been one of the best backup goaltenders in the league this year. With starter Roberto Luongo getting more rest due to the Canucks clinching their division, the first-round pick should be in the net much more to build on his 14 wins. Schneider has won five straight games and has a 1.77 GAA and a .944 save percentage. He had a 26-save shutout of the Ducks on March 10 and should be added for your playoff run.

RANK	TEAM	3/28	3/29	3/30	3/31	4/1	4/2	4/3
1		Off	vs. CAR	Off	vs. CBJ	Off	vs. BUF	Off
2		Off	@NSH	Off	vs. LAK	Off	vs. EDM	Off
3		Off	vs. ATL	@CAR	Off	Off	@NJD	Off
4		Off	vs. OTT	Off	vs. PIT	Off	@MIN	@CHI
5		Off	@PIT	Off	vs. ATL	@NJD	Off	vs. NYR
6		vs. CHI	Off	vs. STL	Off	Off	@NSH	vs. MIN
7		@DET	@BOS	Off	Off	@CBJ	Off	vs. TBL
8		Off	Off	Off	vs. DAL	Off	vs. ANA	Off
9		vs. COL	Off	@CGY	Off	Off	@SJS	vs. DAL
10		Off	@EDM	Off	@VAN	Off	vs. DAL	Off
11		Off	vs. PHI	Off	@TBL	Off	@FLA	Off
12		Off	Off	vs. BUF	@NYI	Off	Off	@PHI
13		Off	vs. VAN	Off	@COL	Off	vs. DET	Off
14		Off	vs. CHI	Off	vs. TOR	Off	vs. ATL	Off
15		Off	Off	vs. ANA	Off	@STL	Off	@COL
16		Off	vs. FLA	Off	@WAS	vs. CHI	Off	vs. STL
17		Off	@TOR	@NYR	Off	Off	@WAS	@CAR
18		Off	Off	vs. NYI	Off	vs. PHI	vs. MTL	Off
19		Off	vs. DAL	Off	Off	vs. COL	Off	Off
20		Off	@PHX	Off	@SJS	Off	@LAK	@ANA
21		Off	@WAS	vs. MTL	Off	Off	@NYI	vs. BUF
22		Off	@TBL	Off	@FLA	Off	vs. TOR	Off
23		Off	@CBJ	Off	vs. OTT	Off	vs. PIT	Off
24		Off	vs. MIN	@DET	Off	vs. CGY	Off	@CBJ
25		Off	@STL	Off	vs. EDM	Off	vs. TBL	@DET
26		@ANA	Off	Off	vs. NSH	@PHX	Off	vs. CGY
27		Off	@MTL	Off	@PHI	Off	@BOS	Off
28		Off	Off	@NJD	vs. NYR	Off	vs. CAR	Off
29		Off	vs. BUF	Off	@BOS	Off	@OTT	Off
30		Off	vs. LAK	Off	@MIN	Off	@VAN	Off