NHLFantasy Hockey Faceoff: Wings vs. Leafs

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By Jordan Shifman & Jesse Campigotto, CBC Sports



With February comes the dog days of the NHL season, but for poolies the race is always on to rack up points and move up in the standings. This can be a crucial time as nagging injuries and general fatigue can start catching up with players, putting the pressure on fantasy owners to find good replacements and ditch the dead wood on their rosters.

With that in mind, we're getting straight to the point with our picks for adds and drops to make this week.

Looking for a league to join? Get in on the second half of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada Fantasy Pool. It's free to play and the top prize is a new KIA Sorento.

Like what you're reading? Follow the Fantasy Hockey Faceoff guys, Jesse and Jordan, on Twitter, plus the CBC Sports fantasy hockey account. And get ready for NHL trade deadline day right here.

Add this guy!

Jordan: In recent weeks, the NHL has acknowledged the play of James Reimer, Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul in various ways. While each of those Maple Leafs were certainly deserving, it's Tyler Bozak that has caught my attention. Playing alongside Kessel and Lupul, Bozak has been back from injury for 11 games now and is heating up. He has four goals in his last four games, including two tonight against the Flyers. Just 12 per cent owned in Yahoo! leagues, Bozak is riding a four-game point streak for the surging Leafs.

Jesse: Joey MacDonald has grabbed hold of the starting goaltender's job in Detroit after Jimmy Howard went down with a broken finger that's still on the mend. MacDonald came on in relief of an ineffective Ty Conklin on Feb. 4 and stopped 22 of 23 shots in the Wings' 5-4 shootout loss to Edmonton. MacDonald got the next two starts and split 'em, stopping 20 of 22 shots in a loss to Phoenix and 15 of 17 in a win over Edmonton. See those low shot totals? Ah, the joy of playing net for Detroit. That's why Chris Osgood doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. But that's another topic. If you need short-term goalie help, MacDonald is a free agent in nine out of 10 Yahoo! leagues.

Drop this guy!

Jesse: Looks like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has hit the dreaded "rookie wall." After missing a full month with a shoulder injury, the Oilers forward made it back for less than two full games before leaving Monday's match against Leafs clutching that same wing. Not like "The Nuge" had been producing much anyway. His season numbers are good for a rookie - 35 points in 40 games - but since the calendar flipped to December he's got only eight points in 15 games, including just one multipoint effort. He had seven multipoint games in the season's first two months, including a hat trick and a five-assist night. If you're not in a keeper league, you probably won't miss much by dropping him.

Take a chance on this guy!

Jordan: Though he's only played half of the season, you wouldn't be wrong if you said Brayden Schenn was having a disappointing year. The Flyers' youngster has nine points in 26 games, but three of those points have come in the past seven days. As you push towards the playoffs, now might be the perfect time to take a chance on a guy that has the potential to take off. We all know just how good this kid can be and he's available in nearly all leagues.

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