[caption id="attachment_11125" align="alignnone" width="300"] (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire)[/caption]The following is to be hummed to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
In the year 2015, Lew's Clues gave to me, "One Sabre Goalie, One Rangers D-man, Two Wingers Winging ... and a Championship Trophy!"
Here is your third and fourth gift to take your fantasy team from last place to the playoffs in the Spring of 2016!
Let's unwrap two wingers shall we?
Leo Komarov: Left wing - Toronto Maple Leafs
The veteran Komarov is hot and on a roll having scored 10 goals and tallying eight assists in the past 20 games. This puts the unexpected Komarov at the top of the Leafs' stat sheet for goals and total points. The left-winger has 24 points this season thus far, two less than his total for the entire 2014-15 campaign. The Estonian is confident and letting the rubber fly putting 42 shots on goal in the past 20 games. Extra goodies are in your stocking with Komarov having scored four power play goals and one "shortie."
Komarov may have finally found his groove in the NHL "bigs" at 28-years-old. This is only his third season in the NHL having spent most of his career honing his craft in the KHL. Don't whiff and ignore this gift pick. Komarov may never become a household name but this gift from your Secret Santa - Lew's Clues - will turn heads in your fantasy league.
Another gift? Okay, you have been good this year. Well, your team may not have been good to you but we are going to change that.
Reilly Smith: Right wing - Florida Panthers
Smith is a 24-year-old veteran in his fifth season in the NHL. Maybe the name is too generic to remember or separate from all the other "Smith's" in the league but this kid is having a career year! Smith has 11 goals and 8 assists. Three of his eight goals were on the power play and two assists. Smith is leading the surging Panthers to the top of the Atlantic Division from which they are only one point out of first place. Smith is determined to score every game as evidenced by his seven shots on goal against Ottawa Tuesday night. The Panthers winger is "finally" enjoying the numbers that a player in his low to mid 20 years of age would be expected to put up. Take Smith and put those numbers up on your scoreboard to get back in the top tier of your league's standings.
Coming up...the center-piece of your NHL fantasy team puzzle.
*As always, these gift picks are based on the probability of immediate availability. They are high risk, high reward picks not for the conservative fantasy owner. The picks are also specifically intended for teams that find themselves at the bottom of their league needing to string together a bunch of wins to make the playoffs.
** These picks also make excellent daily fantasy picks to separate you from the pack and find yourself at the top in the big money.