3 defensemen you need to pick up
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Plenty of defensemen are dealing with injuries right now. Zach Bogosian, Kris Russell, Travis Hamonic, Alexander Edler, Chris Tanev and Tyler Myers may not be the most heavily owned D-men in standard leagues, but they all have value in leagues with hits and blocks.
Alternatively, offensive juggernauts such as John Carlson, Dustin Byfuglien, Torrey Krug and John Klingberg have all gotten off to horrendous starts. These players certainly can't be dropped and lost for nothing, but owners do need to start considering ways to make up for the lost production in the short term.
Here are three widely-available options to replace them:
Damon Severson, New Jersey Devils
Severson could be on the cusp of a breakout season. Through the first 10 games, he has two goals and seven assists. This a huge step considering he had only 21 points all of last year.
The reasoning for a breakout season rather than just a lucky start makes sense. Even in his first two seasons where he wasn't an impact player offensively, he was still a good puck mover if you happened to watch any of New Jersey's games. The offensive talent has always been there.
Secondly, you need to factor in Severson is still just 22 years old. It's important to remember defensemen almost always take longer to develop than forwards.
Last but not least, the departure of Adam Larsson left a gaping hole in New Jersey's D corps. As a result of this and his strong play, he has logged at least 20 minutes in three straight games. His pace is obviously unsustainable, but a 40-point season is a strong possibility.
Mark Streit, Philadelphia Flyers
Streit probably went undrafted in your league because he is 39 years old and is coming off a terrible season. However, as recently as 2014-15, Streit had 52 points with the Flyers.
So far this season Streit has three goals and six assists in 13 games, with five of those points coming on the power play. Don't be concerned with how the bulk of his production has come with the man advantage. He has made a living from it throughout his career.
In addition to providing ample goals, assists and power-play points from the back end, Streit is also a great shot blocker if that means anything in your league. He has 15 in 13 games this season and had 90 in 62 games last year.
Brandon Manning, Flyers
Manning should be considered only if you are in a banger league (leagues with PIMs, hits and blocks). In 13 games this year he has 11 PIMs, 32 hits and 15 blocks.
Though he isn't known for his offensive prowess, Manning has two goals, five assists and 24 shots on goal this year. The point total seems somewhat unsustainable considering only one of his five assists has been a primary helper.
Nonetheless, he is worth an add if you have a vacant D spot and find yourself struggling in many of the secondary categories of a banger league. He has logged 20 minutes or more in three of his last four games.