Alright, you have opened five of your six presents for the 2015 Holiday Season. These gifts are players who will take your NHL fantasy team from mediocrity or mockery to the top! As always, the players chosen for you were based on immediate availability on most waiver wires. We have no time to wait for a trade to go through...you need to start winning or maintain your winning ways all the way to your league's championship!
Centers are one of the toughest positions to find on a waiver wire. Even the likes of Frans Nielsen are owned by almost 80 percent of fantasy owners in CBS leagues.
This center will literally assist your five prior gifts.
Drum roll please...
Mike Zibanejad: Center - Ottawa Senators
Zibanejad is a first-line center who is immediately available in almost half of all CBS leagues. This Senator's obscurity should make the 22 year-old-center realistically attainable in almost any league. When the casual fantasy hockey fan thinks of Ottawa -- they think of Karlsson, Stone, Ryan, and now Hoffman and even Turris are getting attention. However, Zibanejad has yet to break through as a household name for NHL fans -- perhaps there is a pronunciation issue in play -- it is tough to talk about a player whose name you cannot confidently enunciate. Let's call him "Z" then...
Now let's take a look at "Z's" stats shall we?
Zibanejad has quietly put up 23 points, seven goals, 16 assists, two shorthanded goals, five power play assists, and a whopping 67 shots on goal in 37 games thus far this season. The Senators are rewarding the center with more ice-time. Many owners shied away from "Z" when he was averaging roughly 15 minutes of ice-time per game early in the season. Now, Zibanejad has averaged close to 18 minutes of ice-time per game in November and December. Six points in the last eight games is evidence of Zibanejad's rising value and potential break out season. Good luck and enjoy your gifts as you watch them take your team from the deepest depths of your league standings to a respectable spot and competing for a playoff spot.
Lew's Clues tip - If you can obtain this year's two winger gifts on your lineup in Leo Komarov and Reilly Smith; then Zibanejad is a "break glass in case of emergency" scenario. Of all your fantasy gift picks, Zibanejad is your highest desperation move of all. Zibanejad makes a strong bench player whose production can be tracked and be implemented as needed. Komarov and Smith are consistently producing points while Zibanejad is admittedly streaky. Go ahead -- what are you waiting for? Go big or go home. You never want the year to end with you shaking your head while thinking -- why didn't I accept Lew's Clues gracious gifts. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Now, you can be comforted by these calculated and well researched player gift picks.