Five players to pick up in fantasy hockey

Lubomir Visnovsky  (Defense - New York Islanders)Owned in 45% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 11 games, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points, +1 rating, 14 PIMApparently word hasn't gotten out yet that Visnovsky finally reported to the New York Islanders at the start of February. He has wracked up a nice 6 points in 11 games which is all you can ask for from a defenseman in fantasy. His numbers were down last season but he is just two years removed from scoring 68 points in 81 games.Ryane Clowe (LW, RW - San Jose)Owned in 48% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 17 games played, 0 goals, 6 assists, 6 points, -1 rating, 68 PIM.Clowe is back in the lineup after serving a two game suspension. He is in the top five players in the league in penalty minutes and is useful in leagues that reward PIM as a stat category. Clowe can also score, though his current 0 goals don't reflect that. He has 15- 20 goal potential in a full season.Cory Conacher (C, LW - Tampa Bay)Owned in 61% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 20 games played, 7 goals, 11 assists, 20 points, +1 rating, 20 PIM, 2 GWGConacher is a rookie currently producing at an average of a point per game. He went through a six-game drought without a point in the middle of February which is a little concerning but has put together a nice string of games recently.View the list »
Ray Emery (Goalie - Chicago)Owned in 64% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 9 games started, 9 wins, 2.02 GAA, .926 save percentage, 250 saves, 0 shutouts.Emery's 9-0 record and low goals against average are what  make him worth owning in fantasy. Corey Crawford is currently day-to-day with an upper body injury so Emery should see the lion's share of playing time while he is out.

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With the abbreviated 2012-2013 NHL season, some teams around the league are already at or nearing the halfway point of their year. Fantasy hockey leagues are already in Week Six and depending on your league's settings this could mark the halfway point or even more than halfway.

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The season has been pretty weird thus far with lots of big name players severely under-performing while players who are generally thought of as no-name nobodies putting up some pretty big stat lines.

Astonishingly, the Chicago Blackhawks have yet to lose a game in regulation play and have posted an impressive 18-0 record (they do have three overtime losses). This makes both of Chicago's goaltenders well worth owning in fantasy leagues that reward wins. Although splitting time with Corey Crawford, Ray Emery is still worth grabbing if he is available in your league.

Here are five players currently available in a good percentage of Yahoo! fantasy hockey leagues that you might want to consider picking up.

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  • Ray Emery (Goalie - Chicago)Owned in 64% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 9 games started, 9 wins, 2.02 GAA, .926 save percentage, 250 saves, 0 shutouts.Emery's 9-0 record and low goals against average are what  make him worth owning in fantasy. Corey Crawford is currently day-to-day with an upper body injury so Emery should see the lion's share of playing time while he is out.
  • Cory Conacher (C, LW - Tampa Bay)Owned in 61% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 20 games played, 7 goals, 11 assists, 20 points, +1 rating, 20 PIM, 2 GWGConacher is a rookie currently producing at an average of a point per game. He went through a six-game drought without a point in the middle of February which is a little concerning but has put together a nice string of games recently.
  • Ryane Clowe (LW, RW - San Jose)Owned in 48% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 17 games played, 0 goals, 6 assists, 6 points, -1 rating, 68 PIM.Clowe is back in the lineup after serving a two game suspension. He is in the top five players in the league in penalty minutes and is useful in leagues that reward PIM as a stat category. Clowe can also score, though his current 0 goals don't reflect that. He has 15- 20 goal potential in a full season.
  • Lubomir Visnovsky  (Defense - New York Islanders)Owned in 45% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 11 games, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points, +1 rating, 14 PIMApparently word hasn't gotten out yet that Visnovsky finally reported to the New York Islanders at the start of February. He has wracked up a nice 6 points in 11 games which is all you can ask for from a defenseman in fantasy. His numbers were down last season but he is just two years removed from scoring 68 points in 81 games.
  • Daniel Alfredsson  (RW - Ottawa)Owned in 62% of Yahoo! leaguesSeason stats: 20 games, 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points, -2 rating, 10 PIM, 1 GWGI've always been a big fan of Alfredsson when it comes to fantasy. Back in the day, he was quite the sniper and would regularly score 30 or even 40 goals in a season. He's a bit older now but is still worth a spot in your starting lineup if he's available in your league.
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Suggested by the author:

, Rochester Fantasy Sports Examiner

Alexander Hinkley has been playing fantasy sports for more than 10 years. He currently works as the Fantasy Content Manager for the National Lacrosse League and has an interest in fantasy lacrosse, hockey, baseball, and football. You may contact Alex with your comments and questions.

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