On Friday, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins will do battle at Gillette Stadium in the 2016 edition of the Winter Classic. In the spirit of the outdoor contest, here are three players from the Bruins and Canadiens you should consider acquiring on the trade front in your fantasy pool.
Tuukka Rask
He may have gotten off to the worst start of his career this season, but ladies and gentlemen, Tuukka Rask is back to being one of the most elite goaltenders in the league.
After staggering out of the gate with a dismal .846 save percentage through his first five games of the season, he's rekindled the numbers that have become expectant of him. During his last 10 games, he's boasted a 6-2-2 record with an incredible .948 save percentage.
In that span Rask has given up two goals or less in nine of those games, with his worst outputting being a modest three goals against in 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
The asking price might be high, but if the opportunity presents itself, owners should do whatever it takes to attain one of the hottest goalies going right now.
Alex Galchenyuk
It can be hard to find a player on the Canadiens roster who has remained hot in the wake of the club's tumultuous collapse over the last month. But while the team has limped to a 3-11-0 record in the month of December, Alex Galchenyuk has continued to produce at a career-best efficiency.
The 21-year-old is currently rocking his longest point streak of the season, which hit five games with an assist during the team's 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
The 2012 first-round draft pick is currently on pace to exceed his previous career best of 46 points, and with another strong second half of the season, he should be able to match his career mark of 20 goals.
Galchenyuk is owned in 69 percent of Yahoo leagues, so though he would be a great acquisition at a price not too steep. In some leagues owners might be lucky enough to claim him off the waiver wire free of charge.
Patrice Bergeron
Though much of the noise in Boston has been about forward Brad Marchand and his sizzling 15 goals through 34 games, it's Patrice Bergeron who leads the Bruins in nearly every offensive category.
It's hard to say that a player who plays high end minutes and in every situation on a playoff team is a sleeper, but praise for his accolades so far this season have been few and far between.
That aside, Bergeron has collected 14 goals and 35 points in 36 games to lead the team in scoring, while his seven powerplay goals and three game-winning goals also lead the Bruins. His 18 powerplay points are just one point shy of Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane for top spot in the NHL.
Bergeron is on pace to eclipse his career-best 73-point season of 2005-06. In leagues that score hits and faceoffs he also gives extra value, and with teammate David Krejci expected to miss weeks with an upper-body injury, the Bruins could rely heavily on Bergeron to continue his productive ways.
