Under the wire: Players to add ahead of NHL All-Star Game

It’s hard to believe the NHL All-Star Game is just a week away.

Most players have established their value by this point, but there’s always the possibility of finding a sleeper.

After all, a good player having a great season can still sometimes fly under the fantasy radar.

Here are three players who are still very available despite their solid play thus far.

Kasperi Kapanen, Toronto Maple Leafs (52.1 per cent owned)

It’s tough to say who Kapanen is truly playing with these days given how often head coach Mike Babcock goes to the blender, but he’s still a staple on the Leafs’ top power play unit. The young Finn currently plays on the third line alongside Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau which could be beneficial depending on how other teams choose to match lines against the Leafs. His speed and skill are on full display these days and the proof was in the pudding during Toronto’s 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The winger recorded an assist, four shots, and a plus-3 rating during the contest and has 15 goals and 30 points through 47 games this season. He’s shown no signs of slowing down and should be grabbed immediately.   

Tomas Tatar, Montreal Canadiens (60.3 per cent owned)

The Canadiens have turned a lot of heads this season and Tatar deserves a big portion of the credit. The 28-year-old sits third in team scoring and sees time on both the second line and the second power play unit. Things have admittedly cooled off recently for the Slovakian-born winger as he’s only posted four goals over his last 15 games, but he’s still recorded eight assists over that span and will continue to be heavily-relied upon as the Habs try to maintain their playoff spot. This would be a good time to buy low on a player with 16 goals and 36 points through 49 games.

Anthony Mantha, Detroit Red Wings (55.5 per cent owned)

Mantha certainly comes in as the most volatile pick of the three, but he’s been trending upwards lately and is one of the offensive focal points on a rebuilding team. As such, the 6-foot-5 winger’s usage will continue to be very good as he averages just north of 17 minutes per night.  He’s only scored 12 goals and 19 points through 34 games so far, but he’s posted two goals and four points in six games since returning from injury and sees time on both the second line and the top power play unit. He definitely has the potential to score 25-30 goals by year's end. As an added bonus, he’s racked up over 50 penalty minutes in each of his last two seasons and has amassed 17 so far this year. The more categories a sleeper hits, the better. If you’re looking for a young sniper who could truly hit his stride down the stretch, Mantha may be your guy.

Alternatives: Ryan Dzingel (OTT), Micheal Ferland (CAR), Nino Niederreiter (CAR)