Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
When you think about some of the top players in fantasy hockey, right off of the bat you think of a particular set up players. These players are Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Kane. All of these players were selected at the top round of their fantasy hockey drafts and for good reason. These players put up big numbers for most of the NHL regular season.
One player that has been playing at this top level has been Chris Kunitz of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Kunitz has been a solid fantasy hockey player for the entire time he has been with the Penguins. Who wouldn’t be if they were able to play with players such as Malkin, Crosby and James Neal? Contrary to popular belief, not every player can be successful playing with these superstars. However, it may be the play of Kunitz that helps elevate these greats to another level.
In the 2013-14 season, Kunitz has been putting up some great numbers so far. As of the middle of January, Kunitz is only seven points away from being in second place behind teammate Crosby. He is currently tied in points with Patrick Sharp and Corey Perry with 49. He is also one goal behind Perry and Sharp in goals, ranking himself fifth currently in the NHL with 24. To top that, he is also is tied with the league-lead in plus/minus with +24.
If you drafted Kunitz in the third or fourth rounds, you picked up a huge steal! Kunitz is one of those players that just gets overlooked by the rest of the NHL. Why he gets overlooked is beyond me. I am not just saying that as a Penguins’ fan, I am saying that as a hockey fan overall. The guy plays hard, seems to always be in the right position and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
For many fantasy hockey managers, drafting Kunitz was probably the best pick they had in their fantasy draft. Kunitz will, as long as he is healthy, score 40-plus goals for his owners. That is always a huge value pick for someone who was undrafted coming into the NHL.
Dom DeCarlo is a Fantasy blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him @DomDecarlo1, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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