Ice Stock: Pickups of the Week

So the first few days of NHL action have brought with them some surprises (St. Louis and Toronto can score), some things that were expected (St. Louis and Toronto can't play defense) and a few disappointments (Chicago, Calgary and Anaheim... I'm looking squarely at you). So with a few games under most team's belts who looks worthy of being added and who needs to be dropped? Lets have a look.

Pickups of the Week:

Keith Tkachuk:
LW, St. Louis

Apparently Keith has a reserve tank in there somewhere because here we are at the beginning of the third season that was supposed to be the one where he finally petered out and Tkachuk has 4 goals (all of them on the powerplay) through 3 games. The St. Louis Powerplay is absolutely tearing it up right now and if Paul Kariya or Brad Boyes are still available in your leagues you should grab them as well.

David Booth:
LW, Florida

Long expected to be entering "a breakout campaign" Booth is showing early signs that this may actually be the year. He and fellow first linemates Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss have accounted for 9 points through 2 games. Booth is the hottest of the trio with 3 goals and one assist. Booth is the only one getting the mention here as Horton is already owned in most leagues and Weiss doesn't generally take enough shots to penetrate the depth at center. All 3 are worth a look but Booth is the most interesting.

Devin Setoguchi:
RW, San Jose

Setoguchi is enjoying his time on Joe Thornton's wing. With 2 goals, 1 assist and 12 shots through 2 games he is an attractive pickup, particularly at the low-depth RW position. My only concern is his lack of powerplay time. If that changes he could be a stud.

Keep an Eye On:

Kyle Turris:
C, Phoenix

The forgotten candidate for rookie of the year preseason put in a strong "for your consideration" bid in his first weekend of NHL action. In two games Turris has a goal and 2 assists and 2 PP points. Turris is not a shooter, yet, but as his ice time and powerplay time expands he could increase in value. Keeper leaguers should grab him now, all other leagues should definitely take note.

Steve Bernier:
RW, Vancouver

Bernier IS the third wheel on the Sedin line and will accumulate points just by being on the ice with them. Bernier also has 7 PIM through 3 games. His potential for performing across many fantasy categories depends upon his continued presence on this line however. As a result I'm still preaching caution.

Don't Believe the Hype:

Sergei Kostitsyn:
LW, Montreal

It was a strange night against Toronto, with Tanguay and Kostitsyn the lesser cleaning up on the powerplay. I preach caution for now as Montreal's expected scorers have really yet to get rolling, and S. Kostitsyn only managed 1 shot on goal in Montreal other game, a 2-1 loss to Buffalo.

Filip Kuba:
D, Ottawa

I see tough times ahead for the Ottawa Senators. 2 weeks without their captain and spiritual leader Daniel Alfredsson could make times very difficult on the offense. While Kuba DOES appear to be the heir apparent to the powerplay throne, his plus/minus could more then offset any offensive gains he gets for you. Don't rush on this one.'

News and Notes:

Rick Dipietro continues to dress as the backup for the New York Islanders, however they are opting to start Joey MacDonald right now as Dipietro continues to have swelling and liquid buildup around his surgically repaired left knee. Don't worry Islander fans, if he misses the season you'll get to draft John Tavares! Its probably the best thing he could do for the organization actually

The Buffalo Sabres have had a strong start to the season, defeating Montreal 2-1 and, at the time of this writing, dominating the New York Islanders 7-1 through 2 and 3/4 minutes of play. Star players, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek are all rolling, and they are getting strong play from the supporting cast members like Ales Kotalik and Maxim Afinogenov. If you are looking for causes of concern though the injuries are already starting to pile up. Tim Connoly has officially missed his first game with a hairline fracture to one of his vertebrae and Jochen Hecht left today's game with an undisclosed "upper body injury."

Manny Legace appears to be the starting goalie for the St. Louis Blues. He has looked good so far but not great. If you need wins he may not be a bad option. That said Monday's win against the Maple Leafs was one of the most entertaining games of all time as both team's offenses were playing run and gun for the entirety of the 60 minute tilt. Be aware, there will be blowouts.

Finally, on a sad note, our condolences to the family of New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov. The 19 year old died of a heart attack while sitting on the bench in a game for his KHL squad Avangard Omsk. Cherepanov was selected 17th overall by the Rangers in the 2007 draft and had more points in his rookie season in the KHL then Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Well that's all for now, Check back later today for more team previews (getting silly now I know) and more news, notes and rumors.