NHL Waiver Wire: Prodigious Power-Play Percentages

As one of the more valuable stat categories in fantasy hockey, power-play points are always at a premium. In addition to contributing to claiming one category, power play points double-count toward goals and assists, as well, making players who perform well in that area a coveted asset. It's little wonder that teams that win championships are often filled with players in the upper echelon of power-play scoring.

Approaching the quarter mark of the season, it's interesting to examine the top power-play teams in the league, for potential opportunities on the waiver wire:

Best Power-Play Percentage Teams:

1. Boston Bruins - 34.0 percent
2. Dallas Stars - 30.2
3. Montreal Canadiens - 27.1
4. Buffalo Sabres - 25.0
5. Florida Panthers - 23.2

While the inclusion of Dallas and Montreal in this list is far from noteworthy, Boston, Buffalo and Florida's presence is something to note. There are plenty of opportunities to get players on the top power-play lines of the top power-play units in the league -- that's a rarity that will pay dividends for GMs that are paying attention.

Recommended Pickups:

Ryan Spooner C/W, BOS - With his position on the wing of the top line in Boston, he's primed for big-time production -- and he's starting to realize that with what he's done to this point in the season. With 10 points in 15 games, and a three-game point streak going (all three of which on the power play), Spooner is a steal. His ownership is a startlingly low 4 percent across all pools -- meaning he's free in all but the deepest, sharpest leagues. While the pace set by Boston can't realistically continue all year -- 34 percent is an amazing rate for almost two months into the season -- you can expect their levels to be above-average and near the top for the remainder. Spooner looks to be a fixture on that top unit and should be a key asset in the bottom of your mid- to deep-level roster.

Matt Beleskey W, BOS - While he hasn't found the back of the net on the power play yet this season, his inclusion on the second unit of Boston's man-advantage will start paying dividends shortly. His six points in 13 games is a definite underperform at this point, and should he start to pick it up, there is plenty of opportunity waiting for him. I've been a huge fan of Beleskey throughout his career, and I think his slow start will do nothing but benefit those GMs that will take a leap of faith on him. As a betting man, I would wager he finishes the year with 55 points -- 15 of those on the power play. That's a pretty good find for a player with an ownership of 3 percent.

Cody Franson D, BUF - Franson has made a career out of power play productivity; his time in Toronto averaged 15 power play points a year, and turned the relatively weak first unit into a powerhouse. Now that he's landed in Buffalo, you can see he's going to be a weapon on the man-advantage -- in 16 games, he has four of his eight points on special teams, and is often the quarterback of the top unit. As you can see from the team percentages -- that's a pretty impressive jump from the year before where they were among the worst in the league. His ownership levels are in the low teens, meaning he should be available if you want to go with him. His plus-minus may be a concern, but given what he can do offensively, you may want to take that risk.

Tyler Ennis W, BUF - While his past has been rather mercurial -- good point totals on a bad team with a terrible plus-minus -- Ennis is poised for a career year, all things considered. His nine points in 14 games puts him on pace for 52 on the year, but the first seven games saw him only register two points, indicating his pace over the last seven (two goals, five assists including an active four-game point streak) may be more indicative of what to expect. He's positioned well on a young and hungry team looking to bounce back from a horrific season last year. His spot on the top line and top power play unit looks to be permanent, and given his ownership levels in the mid-30s, he's probably available in most leagues.

Rasmus Ristolainen D, BUF - He started the year off slowly, with three points in his first nine games, but has really found his stride lately, with seven points in his last seven games. The 6-foot-4 strapping Finn plays a physical and dominating game, with few flaws in either end of the rink. While Cody Franson maintains top-dog status on the power play and offensive opportunities, Ristolainen could supplant him by year-end. He also quarterbacks the second unit power play, which has produced just as well as the first unit. For only his third year in the league, he could be looking at a 40-plus point year on the blueline -- something Buffalo needs to take the next step in its evolution.

Vincent Trocheck C, FLA - A constant fixture in the "hidden gems" section of this column last year, the 2015-16 season has seen little change in Trocheck's ability to fly under the radar. His ownership level hasn't even approached 20 percent, and yet he has 12 points in 16 games, including six power-play points on the top line of one of the best power-play units in the game. Of course, many GMs don't think of Florida as a powerhouse for offensive prowess, but Trocheck has been a steady producer all season. He has eight points in his last 10 games, and contributes across all categories nicely, though we would like to see him contribute more than his four PIM. But, for a player sitting in the free-agent pool in most leagues, he'll round out the bottom end of your roster quite nicely.

Brian Campbell D, FLA - Probably the biggest recipient of the attention that Florida's power play has received lately, Campbell's ownership numbers have continued to increase all year, to the 28 percent he currently enjoys. While his seven points in 16 games has been less than stellar, four of those have come on the man-advantage; he's even netted a shorthanded goal, for those who have SHG as a category in their leagues. Unlike the almost-certain ownership status of eminent superstar Aaron Ekblad, Campbell is probably available in your league, and gets the same even-strength opportunities (they're defensive partners). They also take turns on the power play, meaning though they have different scoring abilities, both will have roughly the same opportunity. Make no bones about it: the elder statesman on the Panthers blue line can still produce. He's on pace for about 35 points this year, on par with his historical average for the last four years.