I was just like 6 weeks early on David Booth! Booth potted goals 5, 6, and 7 of the year last night against the Anaheim Ducks. Heh. It was a busy weekend in the NHL and, as is often the case when many games are played, a lot of interesting storylines.
Booth was one of two hat tricks this weekend, the other came off the stick of the freshly signed Mark Parrish in his Dallas Stars debut. Goals 1, 2 and 3 in game 1... not bad Mark.
From momentous "goals" to momentous "goal" Sunday marked the return of Jonathan Toews to the "G" category as he scored his first goal of the season in game number 13. Those of you who have remained faithful to Mr. Toews through this slump should be relatively pleased with all the follows. Its not like he hasn't contributed in other ways as he has 9 points through 13 games.
Roberto Luongo stretched his shutout streak to three straight games. That's bound to end soon enough but consider this: This is the second time Luongo has had three consecutive shutouts while a member of the Vancouver Canucks and Luongo already has 16 shutouts in Van-city, 4 shy of the franchise record. All that for Todd Bertuzzi and some lint. Deal of the century.
Boston is tied with Buffalo for the top seed in that division... granted they've both played two more games then Montreal but wow... I mean who saw that coming.
Kevin Weekes is exactly the goalie I remember him being from his time as the Rangers starter. He will give you competent enough goaltending to ensure that you don't get blown out in any game. Devils fans we are in for a series of frustrating 1 or 2 goal losses. On the plus side, Parise owners expect him to be let off of his chain, so to speak, offensively.
In injury news, Paul Kariya's MRI was negative and he should return Wednesday, Brian Boucher is filling in for Nabakov for the foreseeable future, and Danny Briere returned to the Flyers over the weekend and scored their lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay. More on all of these situations in the BTT Injury Report tomorrow.
Speaking of Philly they traded Steve Downie and a bag of chips for Matt Carle over the weekend. Carle has looked... less then spectacular defensively this season which makes this trade a curious one to me. What Philly needs are some shutdown d-men as they are already loaded offensively speaking with Coburn and Timonen. I think this move effectively buries Carle, fantasy wise as he is now third on the depth chart for powerplay point time
All right, enough posturing, you want your adds and drops for the week, well here you go.
Keep 'Em
Bryan Little
C, Atlanta
You know that a center has to be performing spectacularly for me to suggest his addition to your team. Bryan Little is on fire (8 goals and 7 assists through 15 games) and is a former 12th overall pick... so this is the sort of thing that's expected of him. He's a plus 7 on an abysmal team. He doesn't shoot much but he is otherwise a good add to your fantasy team. I like him so much I'm not even going to make a "little" joke.
Martin Erat
RW, Nashville
Ownership sent a message over the summer by making Martin Erat the highest paid player on this team. The message was that this was now his team and he was expected to carry it with nearly every other familiar face, Arnott and the stellar D excepted, departing Erat was expected to raise his game to another level. So far he has done just that. Again, shots on goal are an issue but he seems to be raising his game in every other respect.
Mike Smith
G, Tampa Bay
Love him or hate him, Smith is the only reason Tampa has won any games this season, and they are starting to get some good gritty wins. Smith is a tough start, as on a given night he can either let up 1 goal on 52 shots or 5 goals on 26, but he balances himself out in the long run. If you are confident in your ability to play "Spot Start Roulette" then Smith is a spectacular addition as a third goalie.
Weigh 'Em
Manny Legace
G, St. Louis
Legace is a good goalie. It doesn't look that way right now because he's still rusty after returning from the "lower body" injury he suffered after face-planting on Sarah Pallin's carpet (100% dirty but also 100% factual) but I think it will bear out over time; particularly once Kariya returns to the lineup.
Niklas Hagman
LW, Toronto
I still say this has to stop eventually but you might want to consider picking him up until this streak does eventually conclude.
Alex Auld
G, Ottawa
There are and will be very few sure things on waiver as it relates to goaltenders (my recommendation of Mike Smith above should sort of prove that point). Auld might still be available in your league. He has thus far put up stellar numbers (5-2-1, 1.85 GAA and 2.36 SV %) and has looked good doing it. The only reason I'm not giving him my highest recommendation is that he probably has the lowest job security in the NHL right now. He's a roll of the dice, but a good one.
Vaclav Prospal
LW, Tampa Bay
Tampa is streaking right now and that means that that top line is coming alive. Prospal is the only member of the top line that should still be out there. He might be worth a speculative add if you've got the roster space.
Bill Guerin
RW, New York Islanders
Billy G. is one of my all time favorite hockey players. He can skate, won the fastest skater competition at the All star game, shoot, pass and score, but he also plays the gritty side of the game and isn't afraid to go into the corner with anyone. I don't think he has enough left in the tank to put together a full season of fantasy roster-worthy play but Bill still has enough in the tank to put together a streak every so often. December and January were Guerin's months last year. This season its looking like the addition of Doug Weight has brought those months early. Guerin, when he is scoring hurts you nowhere but in the plus-minus column, unlike Weight who will give you two shots a game at most. As long as the streak lasts he's worth having, but you have to be ready to let go when its done.
Toss 'Em
Vesa Toskala
G, Toronto
Despite Toronto's recent success Toskala's number remain abysmal, 6 wins 3.08 GAA and .884 SV %. Its not his fault, but that doesn't change the fact that he's barely a candidate for spot starts at this point.
Ed Jovonovski
D, Phoenix
I'm not sure but I think it might be time to panic. He's still taking shots but the PIM points and plus minus aren't there yet this season. Ballard and Boynton's departure seems to be putting a lot of the defensive pressure back on Jovo-cop. I don't know that I drop him yet but I certainly bench him.
Jose Theodore
G, Washington
I hate to say I told you so... Brent Johnson has now gotten the last 3 starts for Washington. Theodore is having trouble even getting time on the bench as the backup. I'm not saying he won't have some incredible streak at some point this season but is that really what you want out of a number 2 goalie? Bench him or drop him. There's better out there... including Brent Johnson.
Showing posts with label Ice Fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ice Fishing. Show all posts
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Ice Fishing: A Very Western Week
Interesting week that was in the NHL. Some goaltending controversies gained a bit more speed, some lost it. The Anaheim Ducks continued to roll as all of their stars have finally found their mojo and the Edmonton Oilers continued to stall despite strong fantasy play by most of its high profile forwards and defensemen. Toronto and Columbus scored and the Rangers bored. Mats Sundin attended a Vancouver game and Ryan Clowe took his turn as San Jose's scoring winger.
Let's get to the meat of it shall we...
Keep 'em:
Ryan Clowe
LW, San Jose
I figured I put him in the lead in so I might as well end the suspense right away. Unlike Setoguchi, who incidentally still gets my strongest recommendation, Clowe sees powerplay time with this squad. Clowe is tied for fourth on the team in points, behind only the resurgent Patrick Marleau, the spectacular Joe Thornton, and the aforementioned Devin Setoguchi, is third in PIM, and leads the team with 4 powerplay goals. What's not to like?
Chirs Kunitz
LW, Anaheim
He shouldn't be available in your league, but some people had goalie problems early and needed space on their rosters and were really lucky to pick him back up before he tallied 5 assists this last week. Yes I'm talking about myself and no I don't know why you should listen to anything I say beyond that last sentence.
Cam Barker
D, Chicago
We're having a bit of a west coast tip here but this blog is so east-centric that I'm feeling unapologetic right now. Barker has responded to his call up strongly. In 4 games Barker has 2 goals and an assist and 4 PIM. Both goals came on the man advantage. There is some speculation, has been since the preseason, that the Blackhawks are trying to move Barker. So long as that is the case and he's producing expect the Hawks to use him in showcase situations like the point on the man advantage.
Weigh 'Em:
Kris Versteeg:
RW, Chicago
Versteeg put up another two assists this week and is starting to look like a real challenger for the Calder this year. About a week ago Craig Kanelley alerted me to a piece he did on Versteeg over on Hawkey Central. Its a really interesting piece for anyone who would like to know more about the young man that has seemingly come out of nowhere to lead all rookies in scoring through November. Check it out here:
http://hawkeycentral.windycitizen.com/2008/10/29/from-lethbridge-to-chi-town
Jakub Voracek:
RW, Columbus
Notice the large number of wingers this week? You should all be pretty well set on your centers by now, but good wingers can be tough to find. For that you've got to look to surprising sources like overproducing veterans, breakout stars and yes... rookies. Voracek here came on strong in the last week and now has 10 points through 13 games.
Ray Whitney:
LW, Carolina
Oh good... I was starting to get worried that there were no Eastern Conference guys on this list. Whitney had 6 points, 3 goals and 3 assists, in the last week with four of those points coming on the man advantage. The only thing that keeps Wizard from being in the "Keep 'em" section is the fact he was also an atrocious -4 over that same span. You might want to give Tuomo Ruutu a look as well as he also has 6 points over the last week but is a +4. The knock on Ruutu is his lack of powerplay time and shots on goal(3).
Toss 'Em Back:
Kevin Weekes, Frederik Norenna, Joey MacDonald:
G, New Jersey, Columbus, New York Islanders
No. You know why. Weekes will not replace lost production from Brodeur, and you need at least a few games to see what he'll be able to do on this depleted Devils team. Norenna has shown that he is shaky at best right now. Wait for Leclaire. McDonald's numbers are deceptively good. Don't believe them. That Islanders team is atrocious.
Mathieu Garon:
G, Edmonton
Maybe just bench him until the Oil make their way back home. The only way the Oilers seem to be able to win right now is by scoring five goals. Take a hands off approach on this one.
Niklas Hagman:
LW, Toronto
I don't buy it. Toronto had some wild ones this past week and Hagman came out of it with 5 points while recording a stunning +7 over that same period. Wilson is a good coach and Hagman isn't a bad player, I just don't think he's a near point a game player. For the record I've been very very impressed with what Wilson has done with this Maple Leafs squad. I don't know if they are a playoff team but they are a heck of a lot of fun to watch. They better be careful though or they are going to play themselves right out of the Tavares Sweepsteaks.
That's all for now. Expect my report from Rangers v Lightning when I get back tonight as well as news and notes on a busy night in the national hockey league that sees 22 of the 30 teams in action. If I wasn't going to the Rangers game I'd be firing up Edmonton v Pittsburgh on my center ice package with Phoenix at Vancouver being the late game du jour.
Let's get to the meat of it shall we...
Keep 'em:
Ryan Clowe
LW, San Jose
I figured I put him in the lead in so I might as well end the suspense right away. Unlike Setoguchi, who incidentally still gets my strongest recommendation, Clowe sees powerplay time with this squad. Clowe is tied for fourth on the team in points, behind only the resurgent Patrick Marleau, the spectacular Joe Thornton, and the aforementioned Devin Setoguchi, is third in PIM, and leads the team with 4 powerplay goals. What's not to like?
Chirs Kunitz
LW, Anaheim
He shouldn't be available in your league, but some people had goalie problems early and needed space on their rosters and were really lucky to pick him back up before he tallied 5 assists this last week. Yes I'm talking about myself and no I don't know why you should listen to anything I say beyond that last sentence.
Cam Barker
D, Chicago
We're having a bit of a west coast tip here but this blog is so east-centric that I'm feeling unapologetic right now. Barker has responded to his call up strongly. In 4 games Barker has 2 goals and an assist and 4 PIM. Both goals came on the man advantage. There is some speculation, has been since the preseason, that the Blackhawks are trying to move Barker. So long as that is the case and he's producing expect the Hawks to use him in showcase situations like the point on the man advantage.
Weigh 'Em:
Kris Versteeg:
RW, Chicago
Versteeg put up another two assists this week and is starting to look like a real challenger for the Calder this year. About a week ago Craig Kanelley alerted me to a piece he did on Versteeg over on Hawkey Central. Its a really interesting piece for anyone who would like to know more about the young man that has seemingly come out of nowhere to lead all rookies in scoring through November. Check it out here:
http://hawkeycentral.windycitizen.com/2008/10/29/from-lethbridge-to-chi-town
Jakub Voracek:
RW, Columbus
Notice the large number of wingers this week? You should all be pretty well set on your centers by now, but good wingers can be tough to find. For that you've got to look to surprising sources like overproducing veterans, breakout stars and yes... rookies. Voracek here came on strong in the last week and now has 10 points through 13 games.
Ray Whitney:
LW, Carolina
Oh good... I was starting to get worried that there were no Eastern Conference guys on this list. Whitney had 6 points, 3 goals and 3 assists, in the last week with four of those points coming on the man advantage. The only thing that keeps Wizard from being in the "Keep 'em" section is the fact he was also an atrocious -4 over that same span. You might want to give Tuomo Ruutu a look as well as he also has 6 points over the last week but is a +4. The knock on Ruutu is his lack of powerplay time and shots on goal(3).
Toss 'Em Back:
Kevin Weekes, Frederik Norenna, Joey MacDonald:
G, New Jersey, Columbus, New York Islanders
No. You know why. Weekes will not replace lost production from Brodeur, and you need at least a few games to see what he'll be able to do on this depleted Devils team. Norenna has shown that he is shaky at best right now. Wait for Leclaire. McDonald's numbers are deceptively good. Don't believe them. That Islanders team is atrocious.
Mathieu Garon:
G, Edmonton
Maybe just bench him until the Oil make their way back home. The only way the Oilers seem to be able to win right now is by scoring five goals. Take a hands off approach on this one.
Niklas Hagman:
LW, Toronto
I don't buy it. Toronto had some wild ones this past week and Hagman came out of it with 5 points while recording a stunning +7 over that same period. Wilson is a good coach and Hagman isn't a bad player, I just don't think he's a near point a game player. For the record I've been very very impressed with what Wilson has done with this Maple Leafs squad. I don't know if they are a playoff team but they are a heck of a lot of fun to watch. They better be careful though or they are going to play themselves right out of the Tavares Sweepsteaks.
That's all for now. Expect my report from Rangers v Lightning when I get back tonight as well as news and notes on a busy night in the national hockey league that sees 22 of the 30 teams in action. If I wasn't going to the Rangers game I'd be firing up Edmonton v Pittsburgh on my center ice package with Phoenix at Vancouver being the late game du jour.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Ice Fishing: Don't Look Now But Here Comes Philly
Well if this keeps up teams should start paying me to write about their stars in Breaking The Slump. In my Thursday column "Breaking the Slump" I discussed Mike Ribiero, Jonatahn Toews and Nicklas Backstrom. Of the three I gave the strongest chastising to Mr. Ribiero... who responded with a 5 point night against the Islanders.
Also included in that article was a simple message to the Ducks of Anaheim... "WTF Anaheim." Anaheim, and its stars heard me loud and clear. The Ducks won both of their weekend contests against the underwhelming Senators and the formidable Canadiens, and did so with the following stat lines from their star players:
Kunitz: 1 G, 2A, +1, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 7 SOG
Perry: 1G, 3 A, +2, 7 PIM, 2 PP, 4 SOG
Getzlaf: 2 G, 1A, +2, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 6 SOG
Things are turning around for the Ducks and none too soon, but things are also turning around for the Flyers. Predicted by most pundits to be one of the better teams in the East this year, including this one, the Flyers had an atrocious start, going without a win through their first 6 games, the Flyers finally broke out... unfortunately they did so against my New Jersey Devils. In two very hard fought games (the last of which included the throwing of a LIT smoke bomb in a bottle from somewhere in the crowd... I'm not kidding) the Flyers gained 4 points and put up 9 goals catapulting them to relevance.
They have an uphill battle ahead of them in a tough division but I still firmly believe this is a playoff team. The only teams that have scored more goals then the Flyers are: The Red Wings, The Avalanche (wait ... what???!), and the San Jose Sharks. The Flyers are also tied for first in the East in Goals scored with the New York Rangers who have already played 3 more games then Filthy. Just some stuff to think about as we go into the Adds and Drops for this week:
Grab 'Em
Joffrey Lupul
RW, Phi
About the only one of Philly's big scorers that should be on waivers, Lupul came alive in the last week scoring 3 goals and adding an assist. Lupul is a very good player, particularly when he's on a hot streak. Well... his first hot streak of the year has arrived. Don't miss it.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
"But you recommended him last week." Yes I did, and I'm doing it again. If he's out there grab him.
Andy McDonald
C, St. L
Ok... can't ignore it anymore. He has 12 points. If you need assists or powerplay points and can absorb the +/- problems that come when a team scores a million points on the powerplay McDonald is your guy right now. He added another 5 assists last week, 4 of them on the powerplay. Sexy.
Kris Versteeg
RW, Chi
A rookie that's getting overlooked on a very very talented Chicago roster. Versteeg is playing on one of the hottest lines in hockey right now with Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. Versteeg has 2 goals and 6 assists so far this season and should continue to improve upon that so long as his line combinations remain favorable.
Weigh 'Em
Milan Lucic
LW, Bos
A traditional power forward Lucic had been having a slow start to the season until Saturday's game against the Thrashers in which he recorded a hat trick. Lucic is a second round draft pick and a big lumbering forward. If he gets hot he should be getting you a ton of PIM in addition to scoring some points. Keep an eye on him.
Keith Ballard
D, Fla
Good week for Ballard. Ballard recorded a goal and 3 assists in addition to 18 PIM. I don't think its time to get excited yet. Ballard, an 11th overall pick in 2002, was always expected to be an offensive defensemen but has yet to deliver on that promise. Its a crowded blue line down in Florida but with McCabe still out maybe it will be Ballard that fills that gap.
Sergei Federov
C, Wash
Less of a recommendation and more of a congratulations to Washington center Sergei Federov. Sergei passed Alexander Mogilny over the weekend to become the highest scoring Russian born player in the NHL. Now... Sergei is currently playing with Alexander Ovechkin and has had 3 goals over the last week... so he's worth paying attention to.
Nikolai Khabibulin
G, Chi
Don't look now Huet owners but Khabi is getting the chance to play. He let up five goals against Detroit the other night earning the loss in his second consecutive start... but it was his second consecutive start... and it was against Detroit. If you drafted Huet it might be time to handcuff yourself with the other half of the platoon.
Frederik Norenna
G, Cls
Time to get scared Leclaire owners. Leclaire is out with one of his, sure to be frequent, ankle injuries. Norenna has looked good in limited ice time this season. He's worth considering as a third goalie while Leclaire is hurt.
Toss 'Em Back
Rick Dipietro
G, NYI
Another undisclosed injury for DP. Word is that its a tweak to his surgically repaired knee. If I'm the Islanders brass I already know that this is not going to be a great year for us and I have our "star" player on the long-term contract maybe sit the year out and get healthy. There is no reason to risk further injury to Dipietro this year.
Joni Pitkanen
D, Car
Ouch. Pitkanen, already having a rough start, was injured in this weekends game against the Islanders (who talk about futility put 60 shots on Cam Ward and still lost). He is going to miss a month or so. Drop him or IR him.
Jay Bouwmeester
D, Fla
DO NOT DROP HIM. Just bench him. Jay seems unmotivated this season, contrary to the theory of contract years, and has really yet to click with any of his teammates. Maybe it was the offseason drama, maybe he just lost his taste for it, or maybe he hasn't snapped into season shape yet. Regardless, he's a solid player just... see if there's someone else you can play for right now.
That's all for this week. Check back later for more thoughts and observations on the NHL.
Also included in that article was a simple message to the Ducks of Anaheim... "WTF Anaheim." Anaheim, and its stars heard me loud and clear. The Ducks won both of their weekend contests against the underwhelming Senators and the formidable Canadiens, and did so with the following stat lines from their star players:
Kunitz: 1 G, 2A, +1, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 7 SOG
Perry: 1G, 3 A, +2, 7 PIM, 2 PP, 4 SOG
Getzlaf: 2 G, 1A, +2, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 6 SOG
Things are turning around for the Ducks and none too soon, but things are also turning around for the Flyers. Predicted by most pundits to be one of the better teams in the East this year, including this one, the Flyers had an atrocious start, going without a win through their first 6 games, the Flyers finally broke out... unfortunately they did so against my New Jersey Devils. In two very hard fought games (the last of which included the throwing of a LIT smoke bomb in a bottle from somewhere in the crowd... I'm not kidding) the Flyers gained 4 points and put up 9 goals catapulting them to relevance.
They have an uphill battle ahead of them in a tough division but I still firmly believe this is a playoff team. The only teams that have scored more goals then the Flyers are: The Red Wings, The Avalanche (wait ... what???!), and the San Jose Sharks. The Flyers are also tied for first in the East in Goals scored with the New York Rangers who have already played 3 more games then Filthy. Just some stuff to think about as we go into the Adds and Drops for this week:
Grab 'Em
Joffrey Lupul
RW, Phi
About the only one of Philly's big scorers that should be on waivers, Lupul came alive in the last week scoring 3 goals and adding an assist. Lupul is a very good player, particularly when he's on a hot streak. Well... his first hot streak of the year has arrived. Don't miss it.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
"But you recommended him last week." Yes I did, and I'm doing it again. If he's out there grab him.
Andy McDonald
C, St. L
Ok... can't ignore it anymore. He has 12 points. If you need assists or powerplay points and can absorb the +/- problems that come when a team scores a million points on the powerplay McDonald is your guy right now. He added another 5 assists last week, 4 of them on the powerplay. Sexy.
Kris Versteeg
RW, Chi
A rookie that's getting overlooked on a very very talented Chicago roster. Versteeg is playing on one of the hottest lines in hockey right now with Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. Versteeg has 2 goals and 6 assists so far this season and should continue to improve upon that so long as his line combinations remain favorable.
Weigh 'Em
Milan Lucic
LW, Bos
A traditional power forward Lucic had been having a slow start to the season until Saturday's game against the Thrashers in which he recorded a hat trick. Lucic is a second round draft pick and a big lumbering forward. If he gets hot he should be getting you a ton of PIM in addition to scoring some points. Keep an eye on him.
Keith Ballard
D, Fla
Good week for Ballard. Ballard recorded a goal and 3 assists in addition to 18 PIM. I don't think its time to get excited yet. Ballard, an 11th overall pick in 2002, was always expected to be an offensive defensemen but has yet to deliver on that promise. Its a crowded blue line down in Florida but with McCabe still out maybe it will be Ballard that fills that gap.
Sergei Federov
C, Wash
Less of a recommendation and more of a congratulations to Washington center Sergei Federov. Sergei passed Alexander Mogilny over the weekend to become the highest scoring Russian born player in the NHL. Now... Sergei is currently playing with Alexander Ovechkin and has had 3 goals over the last week... so he's worth paying attention to.
Nikolai Khabibulin
G, Chi
Don't look now Huet owners but Khabi is getting the chance to play. He let up five goals against Detroit the other night earning the loss in his second consecutive start... but it was his second consecutive start... and it was against Detroit. If you drafted Huet it might be time to handcuff yourself with the other half of the platoon.
Frederik Norenna
G, Cls
Time to get scared Leclaire owners. Leclaire is out with one of his, sure to be frequent, ankle injuries. Norenna has looked good in limited ice time this season. He's worth considering as a third goalie while Leclaire is hurt.
Toss 'Em Back
Rick Dipietro
G, NYI
Another undisclosed injury for DP. Word is that its a tweak to his surgically repaired knee. If I'm the Islanders brass I already know that this is not going to be a great year for us and I have our "star" player on the long-term contract maybe sit the year out and get healthy. There is no reason to risk further injury to Dipietro this year.
Joni Pitkanen
D, Car
Ouch. Pitkanen, already having a rough start, was injured in this weekends game against the Islanders (who talk about futility put 60 shots on Cam Ward and still lost). He is going to miss a month or so. Drop him or IR him.
Jay Bouwmeester
D, Fla
DO NOT DROP HIM. Just bench him. Jay seems unmotivated this season, contrary to the theory of contract years, and has really yet to click with any of his teammates. Maybe it was the offseason drama, maybe he just lost his taste for it, or maybe he hasn't snapped into season shape yet. Regardless, he's a solid player just... see if there's someone else you can play for right now.
That's all for this week. Check back later for more thoughts and observations on the NHL.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Ice Fishing: Keepers and Tossers of the Week
Let me come right out and apologize for not getting this up yesterday. I sustained a severe Rock Band 2 injury(my GM has asked me not to disclose the specifics but I am allowed to say that it is an upper left hand injury) and my typing was suffering as a result. I'm still not at 100% but the swelling has subsided enough that I've been cleared to surf the net and engage in some short article typing. I'm a gamer though so I'm going to bring it to you today until I literally cannot do it anymore.
You'll notice the title of the add/drop column has changed to a slightly more creative and undeniably more fanciful title. I like it. The content is the same however. Let's have a look at which players are good pickups this week in your fantasy hockey league, and which you should just throw back.
Grab 'em:
Todd Bertuzzi
LW, Calgary
Don't look now but big Bert is scoring goals again. His shot totals and +/- are ugly but his 10 PIM and 5 goals in 5 games make up for it. He's also seeing significant powerplay time. I'm not sure if this is going to keep up but for now Bert's a good add.
Milan Hejduk
RW, Colorado
Holy crap is it 2001 in here this week? Well, looking at Hejduk's career this WOULD be the time for him to have a 70+ point season. Hejduk is also seeing powerplay time, 3 PP goals in 6 games, and has been the biggest beneficiary of a healthy Paul Stasny so far this season. The Stasny/Hejduk/Smyth line is red hot and Hejduk is probably the only one on it who MIGHT have gone undrafted. If you are in need of a RW, or if you just want to bench Selanne for a while, he's worth a look.
Mikko Koivu
C, Minnesota
Minny is red hot right now as well, undefeated through their first four. They are scoring an uncharacteristic number of goals without Marian Gaborik's services. This won't last but I suspect that Koivu is the real deal. Think of him as a short term addition or a bench player for now, but if this keeps up you don't want to be the guy who passed on him.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
Kessel was the Bruins 5th overall pick in 2006. Translation he's supposed to be good. Kessel had some early setbacks in his career when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Translation he's overcome adversity. Despite all of that Kessel continued to play a gritty game upon his return. This season he is logging more ice time and has moved up to the second line with Marc Savard, who, we can all agree, dishesthe puck like few others. When I recommend guys I like to recommend guys that are supposed to be as good as they look. Kessel was always supposed to be THIS good. Enjoy him, even if he is from Boston.
Alexander Edler
D, Vancouver
He's doing a little bit of everything for the Canucks right now. In the last game he logged 20:34 of ice time. That was second only to Sami Salo. He leads the team with a +6, which is spectacular when you consider that the Canucks have only won three of their six games, giving up 20 goals and only scoring 21. Edler is playing solid D, taking shots, getting PIM and seeing powerplay time. If you are short a D-man Edler is worth a roster spot. Its only going to get better in Vancouver.
Weigh 'em:
Aaron Voros
LW, New York Rangers
9 points in 9 games is nothing to sneeze at, particularly from a big guy that will get you some PIM as well. That said he owes all of that to Dubinsky and Zherdev. Also all of those points were scored at a time when the Gomez line and the Naslund line were not clicking. Voros will slow down. (crosses fingers) Another thing to remember... the numbers may look impressive but the Rangers have played almost twice as many games as everyone in the league.
Mike Modano
C, Dallas
Modano has 6 points through Dallas' first six games. He is also playing point on Dallas' number 1 power play unit (at least until Zubov comes back) and looks comfortable in that role. Its hard to hate on a guy that literally put USA hockey on the map but Modano's time is coming to a close. He will have several bursts like this throughout the season but he is, now, a glorified third line center.
Ales Kotalik
RW, Buffalo
Buffalo is red hot. No one is hotter then Thomas Vanek. But a close second to Vanek is Ales Kotalik who has 4 goals, 3 assists, and 6 PPP to start the season. Kotalik's success is underscored by the relatively quiet seasons that are being had by Jason Pominville and Derek Roy, Buffalo's 80 point players of a year ago. Maybe Buffalo is going to trade that mantle back and forth between lines each year, but more likely Buffalo's second line is stepping up while the first line adjusts to new defenses.
Annti Miehtinen
RW, Minnesota
I'm Anti-Miehtinen. Now that I've got that out of the way... I said above that I like to recommend players that are supposed to be as good as they look. I was looking squarely at Annti here when I said that. Minnesota is not a high scoring team, but their stars will obviously do fairly well. Mikko Koivu is one of their stars. Annti Miehtinen... used to play for the Stars. He was drafted in the 7th round. In three seasons he has never put up more then 35 points and that was on Stars teams that needed wingers as badly as Minnesota does. Also, while Miehtinen is receiving top line minutes and powerplay time now, he is usually third on the depth chart to the injured Pierre Marc Bouchard and Marian Gaborik. This too will pass.
Toss 'em Back:
Chris Drury
LW/C New York Rangers
Yes its time to panic. Through nine games Drury has 2 assists. Ouch. He's still a great hockey player and is bound to have a streak or two here and there but Chris is settling into the second half of his career. He's a 60 point player at best now and its starting to look like breaking 50 might be a stretch.
David Booth
LW, Florida
Mea Culpa. Maybe I got carried away on this one. My bad.
Steven Stamkos
C, Tampa Bay
Unless you are in a keeper league, Stamkos looks like he isn't going to have much value this year. Melrose is barely playing the young center, who frequently looks like the best player on the ice and relegating him to third line duty with no ice time on the powerplay. Whether this is a wise move or a foolish one it does seem to be the direction the Mullet is going. So long as that stays as is, Stamkos will be a "keep in mind for next year" kinda guy. Put him back in the pond. Let him grow.
That's all for this week. The BTT injury report and some other random news and notes will be coming your way later on today.
You'll notice the title of the add/drop column has changed to a slightly more creative and undeniably more fanciful title. I like it. The content is the same however. Let's have a look at which players are good pickups this week in your fantasy hockey league, and which you should just throw back.
Grab 'em:
Todd Bertuzzi
LW, Calgary
Don't look now but big Bert is scoring goals again. His shot totals and +/- are ugly but his 10 PIM and 5 goals in 5 games make up for it. He's also seeing significant powerplay time. I'm not sure if this is going to keep up but for now Bert's a good add.
Milan Hejduk
RW, Colorado
Holy crap is it 2001 in here this week? Well, looking at Hejduk's career this WOULD be the time for him to have a 70+ point season. Hejduk is also seeing powerplay time, 3 PP goals in 6 games, and has been the biggest beneficiary of a healthy Paul Stasny so far this season. The Stasny/Hejduk/Smyth line is red hot and Hejduk is probably the only one on it who MIGHT have gone undrafted. If you are in need of a RW, or if you just want to bench Selanne for a while, he's worth a look.
Mikko Koivu
C, Minnesota
Minny is red hot right now as well, undefeated through their first four. They are scoring an uncharacteristic number of goals without Marian Gaborik's services. This won't last but I suspect that Koivu is the real deal. Think of him as a short term addition or a bench player for now, but if this keeps up you don't want to be the guy who passed on him.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
Kessel was the Bruins 5th overall pick in 2006. Translation he's supposed to be good. Kessel had some early setbacks in his career when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Translation he's overcome adversity. Despite all of that Kessel continued to play a gritty game upon his return. This season he is logging more ice time and has moved up to the second line with Marc Savard, who, we can all agree, dishesthe puck like few others. When I recommend guys I like to recommend guys that are supposed to be as good as they look. Kessel was always supposed to be THIS good. Enjoy him, even if he is from Boston.
Alexander Edler
D, Vancouver
He's doing a little bit of everything for the Canucks right now. In the last game he logged 20:34 of ice time. That was second only to Sami Salo. He leads the team with a +6, which is spectacular when you consider that the Canucks have only won three of their six games, giving up 20 goals and only scoring 21. Edler is playing solid D, taking shots, getting PIM and seeing powerplay time. If you are short a D-man Edler is worth a roster spot. Its only going to get better in Vancouver.
Weigh 'em:
Aaron Voros
LW, New York Rangers
9 points in 9 games is nothing to sneeze at, particularly from a big guy that will get you some PIM as well. That said he owes all of that to Dubinsky and Zherdev. Also all of those points were scored at a time when the Gomez line and the Naslund line were not clicking. Voros will slow down. (crosses fingers) Another thing to remember... the numbers may look impressive but the Rangers have played almost twice as many games as everyone in the league.
Mike Modano
C, Dallas
Modano has 6 points through Dallas' first six games. He is also playing point on Dallas' number 1 power play unit (at least until Zubov comes back) and looks comfortable in that role. Its hard to hate on a guy that literally put USA hockey on the map but Modano's time is coming to a close. He will have several bursts like this throughout the season but he is, now, a glorified third line center.
Ales Kotalik
RW, Buffalo
Buffalo is red hot. No one is hotter then Thomas Vanek. But a close second to Vanek is Ales Kotalik who has 4 goals, 3 assists, and 6 PPP to start the season. Kotalik's success is underscored by the relatively quiet seasons that are being had by Jason Pominville and Derek Roy, Buffalo's 80 point players of a year ago. Maybe Buffalo is going to trade that mantle back and forth between lines each year, but more likely Buffalo's second line is stepping up while the first line adjusts to new defenses.
Annti Miehtinen
RW, Minnesota
I'm Anti-Miehtinen. Now that I've got that out of the way... I said above that I like to recommend players that are supposed to be as good as they look. I was looking squarely at Annti here when I said that. Minnesota is not a high scoring team, but their stars will obviously do fairly well. Mikko Koivu is one of their stars. Annti Miehtinen... used to play for the Stars. He was drafted in the 7th round. In three seasons he has never put up more then 35 points and that was on Stars teams that needed wingers as badly as Minnesota does. Also, while Miehtinen is receiving top line minutes and powerplay time now, he is usually third on the depth chart to the injured Pierre Marc Bouchard and Marian Gaborik. This too will pass.
Toss 'em Back:
Chris Drury
LW/C New York Rangers
Yes its time to panic. Through nine games Drury has 2 assists. Ouch. He's still a great hockey player and is bound to have a streak or two here and there but Chris is settling into the second half of his career. He's a 60 point player at best now and its starting to look like breaking 50 might be a stretch.
David Booth
LW, Florida
Mea Culpa. Maybe I got carried away on this one. My bad.
Steven Stamkos
C, Tampa Bay
Unless you are in a keeper league, Stamkos looks like he isn't going to have much value this year. Melrose is barely playing the young center, who frequently looks like the best player on the ice and relegating him to third line duty with no ice time on the powerplay. Whether this is a wise move or a foolish one it does seem to be the direction the Mullet is going. So long as that stays as is, Stamkos will be a "keep in mind for next year" kinda guy. Put him back in the pond. Let him grow.
That's all for this week. The BTT injury report and some other random news and notes will be coming your way later on today.
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