The New York Islanders are very interesting when it comes to fantasy hockey. While they have some guys that get drafted in the late rounds in Mat Barzal, Ryan Pulock, Semyon Varlamov and possibly Thomas Greiss, there are definitely many players available if you are in a 12-16 team league that can impact your team.
The Islanders are off to a very good start after dropping three out of their first four games of the season, as they are on a four-game winning streak. While their goaltenders have played well, they are getting offense from some sleepers that can help your team. We take a look at three players that could be available in your league.
Brock Nelson
If you are coming off a loss last week and desperate for a win, you have about a week and a half left to get Brock Nelson in the month of October. In his career, he has owned the month. He has 51 points in 68 career games and is red-hot once again this season. He leads the team with four goals and has seven points.
He scored the overtime winner on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets and gets close to 20 minutes a night. Nelson has consistently scored 20 goals a season and very likely will reach 30 for the first time in his career.
He just signed a new contract to stay on Long Island for the next six years and is definitely one of the most underrated players in the league. With Barzal generating most of the attention, Nelson plays on the second line and doesn’t see the shutdown defenders that first-line players do. Plus, he can slot in at center for left wing.
Anthony Beauvillier
This young forward is going to be a huge piece if the Islanders are going to repeat the success they had last season. Beauvillier has proven an ability to score in the NHL with 18 or more goals in each of the past two seasons.
While he has two goals this season, he is a guy that can get hot and score in bunches. He had a hat trick last year against the New York Rangers after going eight games without a goal. He then scored three nights later against the Dallas Stars for goals in back-to-back games and had a stretch of three games with a goal later in the year.
The big key will be if he can be a guy that can grab assists. He never had more than 15 in a season, but he is playing heavy minutes with Jordan Eberle and Casey Cizikas out with injuries. He could see time with any of the top-six forwards.
Also, he gets a chance to play in overtime. He has scored an overtime goal the last two years in preseasons and will look for his first in the regular season, as the Islanders have gone past 60 minutes three times this year. Like Nelson, he can also play two different positions for you.
Devon Toews
For years, the Islanders were hearing that they had another really good defensive prospect in their system. The only problem was Toews had trouble staying on the ice. He suffered a serious shoulder injury in 2018, but looks well past that.
The young defensemen got a call-up from the AHL on Dec. 23 of last season for an injured Thomas Hickey, and never came out of the lineup. He became a legitimate offensive weapon from the blue line scoring 5 goals and 13 assists in half a season. He scored the opening goal of the season for the Islanders and had an overtime goal this past week against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, St. Louis Blues.
He plays on one of the new-looked Islanders’ power play and is a quick skater that can join the rush. While he may not be owned in tons of leagues, don’t let that fool you, as he has the potential to be an all-star defenseman in the near future.
Despite the Islanders having a few days off, they will definitely be fresh before their matchup with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. They play one night later against the Ottawa Senators before wrapping up the weekend with a game versus the Philadelphia Flyers.