Skip to content

Bargain Plays - Taming the Wild: Hudler, Hamilton and Hiller

Brad Watson / National Hockey League / Getty

Here are the top sleeper picks for Wednesday's three-game slate:

RW Jiri Hudler, Flames (vs. Wild)

Calgary's offense has been streaky at times this season, which has helped keep player prices low. Right now, the team is outperforming expectations across the board, including Hudler, who has quietly thrived alongside rising stars Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.

Coming off a two-goal, one-assist outing against Anaheim, Hudler now has four goals and six assists over his last 10 games, adding a trickle of shots as well. With his line featured on 49.8% of power play opportunities since January 24, there is certainly room for Hudler to continue his elevated play -- even though his salary has barely risen to reflect these factors.

D Dougie Hamilton, Flames (vs. Wild)

Like Hudler, Hamilton has been featured prominently on the team's PP unit, pairing with captain Mark Giordano for 50.6% of the PP minutes in the last 10 games. The difference with Hamilton is that he has actually been producing with the man advantage -- he has two goals and three on the PP over that 10-game period.

Hamilton is priced well-below Wednesday's elite tier of blueliners -- Giordano, Ryan Suter, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban -- but has produced as well as any of them lately. It doesn't hurt that Minnesota has struggled to contain opposing defensemen this season.

G Jonas Hiller, Flames (vs. Wild)

Not to pick on the Wild, but when there are only six goalies to choose from on the slate and the cheapest option is facing a team that has been playing so poorly that it fired its coach, even an awfully inconsistent netminder like Hiller is worthy of consideration.

To Hiller's credit, he has compiled a 5-2-1 record in his last eight starts. With a mediocre 2.68 goals against per game and a .913 save percentage over that span, he needs goal support come out with a win, but with the Flames' offense living up to their name and Minnesota looking lost in the wilderness, he has an honest shot at notching a win at a fair price.

C/LW J.T. Miller, Rangers (vs. Blackhawks)

Henrik Lundqvist has already been named the starter for the Rangers and it's a good bet that Corey Crawford will man the pipes for Chicago; with two premier goalies in the game, goal scoring opportunities should be limited.

With that said, Miller is still very reasonably priced considering his high usage and second-line role with New York. With seven goals (and an assist) in his last 10 games, his upside justifies his mid-level salary. And if either goalie has an edge, it's not Crawford, who has been much weaker on the road than at home this season.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox