After fantasy drafts have taken place, one of the hardest stats to find on the waiver wire is power play points. Generally, all the players that play regularly on the first power play unit are snapped up early in drafts, leaving little to no help in free agency as the season progresses.
However, as teams go through the motions, opportunities present themselves for complementary and younger players to make an impact on the power play, and these players should be watched closely.
We break down three players who are poised to break out on the power play this season and might be available on the waiver wire.
1. Dylan Strome – C/RW – Washington Capitals – 28% Rostered
The Washington Capitals are not having a great season so far, but have started to heat up as of late. The absence of franchise cornerstone Nicklas Backstrom has severely impacted the team’s depth down the middle, not to mention Alex Ovechkin’s setup man for the past decade.
Enter: Dylan Strome. Strome has ascended to the role of top line center on a line with Ovechkin and Conor Sheary, and has gained the trust of the Capitals coaching staff. He has 22 points in 29 games so far this season, and is lining up on the right side of the Capitals’ first power play unit.
Strome has racked up 123 minutes on the PP this season, second overall in the entire NHL, only behind Ovechkin. At 5.3 PPP/60 and 11 PPP already this season, Strome should be rostered in much more than 28% of leagues. It can’t be long before that number increases in a big way.
2. Brandon Hagel – LW/RW – Tampa Bay Lightning – 22% Rostered
The emergence of Nick Paul has been extremely beneficial to Brandon Hagel. Currently slotted on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s second line, Hagel is skating alongside superstar Brayden Point and two-way beast Anthony Cirelli. This is the perfect setup for Hagel to shine offensively, and he’s doing just that.
Hagel has 18 points this season, five coming on the man advantage, and that will only go up. He’s playing the left flank on the Lightning’s top power play unit that also features Corey Perry, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman. Talk about a lethal unit.
With over 63 minutes on the PP already, Hagels 4.7 PPP/60 is likely depressed from what it should be. Watch for him to rack up power play points at a higher rate as the season progresses.
3. Taylor Raddysh – LW/RW – Chicago Blackhawks – 1% Rostered
This is a pickup you might only want to make if you’re in desperation. The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t a good team this season, but can still do damage on the power play. Taylor Raddysh has found a nice spot in the top-six alongside Max Domi and Philipp Kurashev, and on the team’s top power play unit that features Patrick Kane and Seth Jones.
Raddysh is top-100 in the NHL for PP TOI this season. With 83 minutes on the man advantage, he’s managed five points, good for a very depressed 3.6 PPP/60 rate. This number is bound to increase, and if you’re desperate for a spot start or in a very deep league, Raddysh is almost certainly available.
