Six-Pack: Andrew Hammond, out of nowhere

Six free-agent pickup recommendations, that’s how we roll. We’ll try to offer something for every budget.

Andrew Hammond, G, Senators (28 percent): Sometimes you have to take a story and run with it, even when there’s no pedigree in place. That’s the case with Hammond, a 27-year-old non-prospect who’s been lights-out since getting his chance in the Ottawa cage (five straight wins, two shutouts, 1.31 goals-against, .957 save percentage). Maybe beating the Sharks in San Jose is no great feat these days – those guys can’t seem to play a solid game in front of their home folk – but bagels at Los Angeles and Anaheim need no qualifier, even if it never rains goals in Southern California.

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Antoine Vermette, LW/C, Blackhawks (31 percent): Chicago obviously needs up-front reinforcements after the Patrick Kane injury, and the freshly-acquired Vermette should be good enough to hold a spot as a top-six forward. Sometimes there’s an emotional spike when you move from a losing club to a Cup contender. Grab him now, wait and see how the new line turns out.

Nick Leddy, D, Islanders (34 percent): He’s in the middle of a good-not-outstanding season, a quiet 8-18-26 line along with a plus-15 rating and 96 shots. The Islanders grasp his value, throwing a seven-year, $38.5 million extension his way a week ago. Shouldn’t a Top 50 defensemen (Leddy is No. 44 in Yahoo games to this point) be owned in all formats? A good player in a strong system is often a better fantasy bet than a more-talented option surrounded by problems.

Jordan Staal, LW/C, Hurricanes (14 percent): A broken leg ruined his first half, but Staal has a sneaky 4-12-16 line since coming back, and he’s been seeing regular work on the first line and top power-play unit. The Canes are starting to pick it up as well, going 5-2 (and scoring 22 goals) over their last seven games.

Andre Burakovsky, LW/C, Capitals (4 percent): If you’re looking for a speculative long-shot, this 20-year-old might be worth a chance. The Capitals are giving him some time on the big line with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, and while it’s not going to carry over to specialty teams, at least some opportunity is there. Burakovsky collected three shots and was plus-two in Sunday’s victory over Toronto, though he didn’t factor in the scoring. Keep him on your radar.

Kris Russell, D, Flames (12 percent): He’s not the biggest name on this blueline, but he’s proven to be plenty valuable in most formats. A 1-20-21 line and plus-10 rating earns ownership in general formats, and Russell also leads all defensemen in blocked shots (195). The Flames are fighting for their playoff lives, which means their Top 4 blueliners will see all the ice they can handle.