Pittsburgh Penguins Sergei Plotnikov is Well Worth Fantasy Consideration
By Mike Necciai
The Pittsburgh Penguins are completely loaded on the top end with fantasy studs. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel are sure to be high first-round picks in every league.
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Earlier today, we also discussed the sneaky value that Pascal Dupuis can provide as a late-round pickup. A lot of folks will be sleeping on him due to injury concerns and questions about his role next season, and those that pass him by may regret it. However, there’s another Penguin that will add well-rounded value to any standard-scoring fantasy league.
The key to drafting successfully in the later rounds of fantasy drafts is filling needs like plus-minus and penalty minutes. Players that are mid-range contributors for points but also rack up PIM’s and boast positive plus-minus are tough to find. That’s where Sergei Plotnikov could come in.
Let’s consider the fact that he’s slated to flank Evgeni Malkin, at least for the time being. If that’s the case, he’ll undoubtedly finish somewhere in the range of +15 to +20, and maybe higher. Those numbers are considering the past few seasons for the wingers that Malkin had on his line primarily. Plus, consider his scoring ceiling playing a net-front role with Malkin. There’s going to be a lot of cleanup in the crease and Plotnikov looks to be the type of player that will capitalize on that. The video below shows a great mix of what he offers.
Now, the underrated part of Plotnikov’s game, at least according to any film I can find on him, is his willingness to mix it up. He’s extremely physical, willing to drop the gloves and uses his big frame to his advantage by throwing his body around. There’s a good chance that he’ll be one of the Pittsburgh Penguins with the most PIM’s next season if that style translates to his NHL game.
I’m not recommending that Plotnikov should be considered an early round pickup. But, similar to Dupuis, he can give you ton of value in the mid to late rounds. Of course, paying attention to training camp and where he seems to fit is extremely important because he could also find himself on the third line with the likes of Nick Bonino, Eric Fehr, or Chris Kunitz alongside him. Any combination of those four will likely be a productive third line for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but may not fair well for his individual stats in fantasy.
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