Special to Yahoo Sports
Vacation time is meant for relaxation. Escaping the regular grind can also provide a significant emotional boost. So maybe flying to a three-day Scrabble tournament in New Orleans wasn’t the best way to release stress, especially when there are tense moments throughout and you end the event losing three of the last four games to miss out on first place or even cashing.
And as it turns out, I didn’t heed my advice from last week regarding staying vigilant with fantasy activity. With my focus firmly directed toward the lexical arts over the long weekend, I managed not to set any lineups or pursue any acquisitions. That’s left my teams in disadvantageous positions, and I’ve only started to recover from these setbacks.
The lesson is not to go anywhere. Ever. Stay inside and make sure your rosters continue to perform at optimum levels. And if you’ve already exhausted internal checks and the trade route, here are some free agents who can be had for, um, free.
(Rostered rates as of Jan. 20)
Forwards
Andre Burakovsky, SEA (Yahoo: 44%)
Burakovsky represents Seattle’s seventh forward mentioned this season, and that’s not surprising considering the club ranks fourth in goals per game. He ended his time in Colorado with a career-high of 61 points and then signed a four-year deal to head to the Emerald City. Burakovsky immediately produced with his new team and would eventually accumulate 10 goals and 18 assists in the first 30 contests. And then — shock! — a six-game slump. But he’s back in form with 10 points — including three on the power play — since Jan. 5 while being paired with Matty Beniers.
Jason Zucker, PIT (Yahoo: 31%)
After notching four points over the opening four outings, Zucker found his way into this column. That would soon be followed by 11 in 11, supplemented by 32 shots and 30 hits, before a few inconsistent efforts. Zucker continues to play alongside Evgeni Malkin during even strength and on the Penguins’ second man-advantage. He’s also garnered more interest of late, having managed four goals, two assists, 10 shots and a whopping 26 hits across the last seven.
Calle Jarnkrok, TOR (Yahoo: 8%)
Jarnkrok has never hit it big in North America, though he’s generally been a solid producer. He had a nice haul last season with the Kraken before being traded to Calgary at the deadline, yet not a lot was expected from him offensively in Toronto. That prediction would hold for the first five-plus weeks with only six…