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2010-04-29T17:38:00.001-07:00

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Olympic Champs too Hot to Pass on!

2010-02-21T13:09:00.001-08:00

Look for the leaders of the Gold medal winners to comeback stronger than ever. No matter who comes away with gold, they will be playing for their respective NHL team with more confidence than they've ever had before. Sure, more games means more fatigue, but don't expect to see that. In fact, the opposite will be true.

The Olympics can be even more important to the players representing their respective countries. Remember, Mario Lemieux had a chance to play in the Canada Cup with Gretzky and other greats? Lemieux dominated the tournament and came back to the NHL with a confirmed belief that he was the best player in the world.

Shortly after, Mario scored nearly 200 points in a season and captured back to back Stanley Cups for the Pittsburgh Penguins. If Canada gets gold, Crosby will come back with the same fire.

The Russians? While gold isn't likely, if the Russians are able to pull it off Ovechkin and Malkin will be the two reasons why they do so. If this happens it will be hard denying Ovechkin his shot at the Stanley Cup and another scoring title.

Olympic Champs too Hot to Pass on!

2010-02-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

Defenseman on the Rise

2009-10-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Alex Goligoski’s stock has risen greatly with the news of Gonchar’s injury. Goligoski had been making his way on to the fantasy radar even before Gonchar got hurt.

With Gonchar in the lineup, Alex Goligoski saw over 20 minutes of ice time a night and is among the league’s top scoring defenseman with 7 points (2goals, 5 assists) in 9 games.

Pittsburgh will have to rely on some of their young defenseman to quarter back the power play unit in the 4-6 week absence of Gonchar.

Kris Letang and Goligoski will be asked to burden the responsibility of more production from the blue line in Pittsburgh. Goligoski has a great opportunity to add to his offense of numbers via the power play.

With Gonchar being the center piece of the Penguins’ power play, none of Goligoski’s 9 points this season have come by way the power play.

Can Gaborik Remain Healthy?

2009-10-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Marian Gaborik was a wild card coming into this season for fantasy owners. The Rangers have a rich history of signing high profile free agents who don’t produce on the ice.

So far, Gaborik is answering the bell for Ranger fans and fantasy owners. We are only seven games into the season, but there is reason to be excited about Gaborik’s play.

Here are the numbers: 7 games, 4 goals, 6 assists, +/- 7

Gaborik’s health seems to be the obstacle he’ll face. There isn’t much in his past that suggests he will in 76 plus games in a season. Since the 2003 – 2004 season, Gaborik has only once suited up for more than 65 games in a season.

The season, in which he did play in 77 games, he also earned a career high in goals (42), assists (41), and points (83).

Waiver Wire Adds: March 29th Edition

2009-03-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

The Fantasy Hockey Playoffs have started in most if not all leagues by now, so finding productive players has never been more important. Here are some of the hottest players from the last month to help you on your quest for a title:

RW Kyle Okopso: Owned in 8% of Yahoo Leagues. Last Month: 14 points (5G, 9A, +3) In just his first full season, Okposo is starting to play like the star he seems certain to become. He’s scored at least 1 point in 9 of his last 10 games, and should continue to be a great source of points down the stretch.

C Mikhail Grabovski: Owned in 8% of Yahoo Leagues. Last Month 15 points (5 G, 10 A, 0+/-) Grabovski has been on fire lately scoring in 5 straight and tallying 13 points in his last 7 games. He’s worth a pick up if you’re in need at center.

C Matthew Lombardi: Owned in 5% of Yahoo Leagues: Last Month 11 points (5 G, 6A, +4) Since coming to Phoenix in the deadline deal with Calgary, Lombardi has been very productive for the Coyotes. Since the trade, he’s scored 9 points in 12 games, is logging more ice time, and is taking more shots. He could be a solid contributor for the remainder of the season.

LW Nick Foligno: Owned in 3% of Yahoo Leagues: Last Month 11 points (6G, 5A, +7) Foligno has at least 1 point in 5 straight games skating with Ottawa’s second line. As if that weren’t good enough, Foligno was recently moved up to the first line. Skating with Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson will only help to ensure that his solid play continues.

D Sami Salo: Owned in 11% of Yahoo Leagues: Last Month 7 points (1G 6 A, +7) Salo has played well enough over the last month to be useful in many leagues. If you’re lacking a 3rd or 4th defenseman, you could do worse than Salo.

PIM specialist: RW Colton Orr: Owned in 1% of Yahoo Leagues. Last Month 0 points, -2, 46 PIMs. Orr's been a brusier all season, and is currently second in the NHL penalty minutes season with 191. He should continue to be a good source of PIMS, but only PIMS, down the stretch.

Good Luck in the Week Ahead!

Waiver Wire Adds: March 15th Edition

2009-03-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Beware the Ides of March! Not so much because members of the Roman senate are plotting your demise, but because we’re about a month away from the end of the NHL regular season. Time is short for you to make improvements. For those of you in head to head leagues, the playoffs will be starting soon (Playoffs in my league start Monday the 16th). For those of you in Roto leagues, it’s not too late to improve your standing in the…umm… standings. Without further adieu, here are some of the hottest players that are also available in most leagues:

RW Jason Williams (owned in 7% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month: 12 Points (4 G, 8 A, +4, 10 PIMS). Williams has played well (19 points in 26 games) since coming to Columbus from Atlanta in Mid January. He’s been particularly hot lately with 7 points (3 G, 4A) in his last 6, and seems comfortable playing on a line with Antoine Vermette and R.J. Umberger. Expect his solid play to continue.

LW Alexander Ponikarovsky (owned in 17% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month: 13 points (3 G, 10 A, +3) Ponikarovsky has been a solid but unspectacular contributor so far this season. However, after exploding for 4 points (4 assists) in Saturday’s game against Calgary, he seems poised to finish the season strong. With 48 points, Ponikarvosky has already surpassed his career high in points for a season, and could offer even more in his final 12 games.

C Patrice Bergeron (owned in 18% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month: 11 points (3 G, 8 A, +3) Thought Bergeron has struggled to stay on the ice, he continues to show that when fully healthy, he is a very productive player. Bergeron is skating with Boston’s 3rd line, but has points in 6 of his last 8 games. He could be a productive add for the last weeks of the season.

D Anton Babchuk (owned in 10% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month 10 points (5 G, 5 A, +12) Babchuk only has 22 points on the season, but 10 of those points have come in his last 15 games. In addition, he’s a +12 in his last 15 games to boot. If you’re desperate for a defenseman, Babchuk would be a nice addition.

PIM specialist: D Jim Vandermeer (owned in 1% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month 2 points (0G, 2 A, +6, 48 PIMS) Vandermeer has earned PIMs in 6 of his last 9 games, including 17 PIMs in March 6th, and 14 on March 12th. He won’t help anywhere else, but if you’re in need, Vandermeer could give a late boost to your PIM totals.

Best of Luck in the week to come!

Waiver Wire Adds: March 7th Edition

2009-03-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

The big news in the NHL this week wasn’t quite as big as many had hoped. Several deals were made that could be important, but the big names that had been mentioned in trade talks ended up staying put. Many NHL teams may have missed an important opportunity to improve. Of course, the fantasy trade deadline in many leagues has passed as well, but that doesn’t mean that you also missed a chance to improve. Here are some of the hottest players on the free agent wire that can help your team right now:

C David Legwand (owned in 7% of Yahoo Leagues): Last Month-13 points (8G, 5A, +5) Legwand has picked up his scoring, with 7 points (5 G, 2A) in his last 5 games along with a fantastic +8. He’d been pretty disappointing up until this recent stretch, but could be a good source of points down the stretch.

C Todd White (owned in 35% of Yahoo Leagues): Last Month- 13 points (3 G, 10 A, +4) White has been steady all season, but has been very productive of late with points in 8 of his last 9 games. Of course, skating on a line with Ilya Kovalchuk has a lot to do with that success, but White has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity. A poor plus minus rating hurt White’s value earlier in the season, but even that number has improved of late. White’s a great player to add if you’re in need.

C Andy McDonald (owned in 27% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 12 points (4 G, 8 A, +1). McDonald has been hot lately with 12 points 12 games since returning from an ankle injury. Prior to the injury, McDonald had 18 points in 16 games, so it’s not out of the question that he could sustain his point per game pace.

C Rich Pevereley (owned in 5% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 11 points (6 G, 5 A, +9) Peverley started the season with Nashville, but was put on waivers and picked up by Atlanta in early January. Since joining the Thrashers, Peverley has 22 points (9 G, 13 A) in 22 games. He’s scored 6 points in his last 5, and should continue his strong play through the end of the season.

C Manny Malholtra (owned in 2% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 13 points (4 G, 9 A, +2). Malholtra has been playing very well on Colombus’s top line along side Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius. He has 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in his last 10 games to go along with a +2 rating.

RW David Moss (owned in 5% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 10 points (4 G, 6 A, 0+/-). Moss was playing pretty well in his own right of late (he had a hat trick on March 3rd), but would get a nice bump in value if he ends up on the same line as the recently acquired Olli Jokinen .

LW Curtis Glencross (owned in 4% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 9 points (2 G, 7 A, +5). Like David Moss, Glencross was also playing fairly well lately, and he too may get a bump in value if he makes up the other side of the potential Moss-Jokinen line.

D Cory Sarich (owned in 5% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 9 points (1 G, 8 A, +7). Sarich has played well lately, with 7 points in 10 games. With just 19 points on the season, this is by far the best scoring stretch of the season for Sarich.

G Martin Gerber (owned in 37% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month- 1-0, .947 Sv %). With Vesa Toskala out, Gerber could be in line for most of the starts in Toronto. He’s had a wild ride this season-going from a starter in Ottawa, losing his starting job because of poor play, being sent to the AHL, and now back to an NHL starter. He’s not consistent enough to carry fantasy team, but could be an option as a #2 goalie if you’re in need.

PIM specialist- Derek Dorsett (owned in 1% of Yahoo Leagues) Last Month 0 points (0 G, 0 A, 0+/-) 49 PIMs. Dorsett has earned 5 or more PIMs in 7 of 10 games (10, 5, 7, 5, 5, 12, 0, 5, 0, 0). He doesn’t offer help in any other category, but if it’s PIM’s your after, Dorsett can help.

Free Agents For the Stretch Run

2009-02-26T19:02:00.000-08:00

With under 7 weeks left in the NHL regular season, it's time for fantasy owners to examine their team and shore up any weaknesses for the stretch run. Below are some of the hottest players from the last month that are also available in most leagues.

C Tomas Plekanec-Last Month 12 points (7 G, 5 A, -1, 10 PIM) Plekanec has picked up his play over the last month. Big things were expected after scoring 69 points last year (29 G, 40 A). Plekanec is skating with the first power play unit, and playing much better than he did in the first part of the season. If he's still available Grab him because he won't be for much longer.

C Tim Connolly Last Month 16 points (6G, 10A) Connolly’s been on fire since recovering from a broken rib. He’s been outstanding with 26 points (11G, 15A) in 27 games so far this season. His next injury always seems to be just around the corner, but if he’s available grab him, and enjoy his great play.

C Sergi Federov- Last Month 9 points (1 G, 8 A, +4, 8 PIM) Fedorov has been hot over the last 2 weeks, scoring 6 points (1 G, 5 A) in his last 7 games with a 6+ rating. Fedorov is always a risk due to injury and age, but his play of late is tempting.

C Dominic Moore-Last Month 14 points (2G, 12 A, +1 28 PIM) Playing on a line with Jason Blake and Nik Hagman, Moore, has picked up his scoring of late. He hasn’t scored a goal since January 29th, but does have 10 assists in his last 12 games, and of late, has been a good source of PIM.

RW Eric Fehr Last Month 11 points (6 G, 5A, +7). The youngster has played much better of late. He’s scored 9 points (5G, 5A) in his last 10 games, and should remain on the second line for the remainder of the season. Fehr could be a good source of points from here on out.

LW Antoine Vermette: Last Month 11 points (4 G, 7A 0+/-) A disappointment after last season’s 53 point campaign, Vermette’s been hot lately, scoring 10 points (3G, 7A) in his last 9 games. Also Vermette’s mentioned in several trade rumors, so keep an ear open as the trade deadline approaches.

LW/RW Steve Sullivan-Sullivan has recorded points in 6 of his last 8 games (3G, 5A) and seems to be regaining his form. It’s hard to expect the point per game pace he had put up in previous seasons, but something just below that is reasonable. Sullivan could be a nice option for the remainder of the season.

LW/RW Eric Cole-Cole has been a huge disappointment for Edmonton this season, scoring just 25 points in 60 games (after averaging 57 points his previous three seasons). Rumors have been swirling for weeks that he will be moved before the deadline. Watch the situation closely, because a trade to a contender (he’s been linked to the Bruins) could help to rejuvenate Cole for the stretch run.

LW Riley Cote-If you’re in need of Penalty Minutes-and only Penalty Minutes, Cote’s your man. He ranks third in the NHL with 148 PIMs on the season, and racked up 51 PIM last month-more than anyone else in the game. The drawback: Cote offers no help in any other category (he has 3 points and is a -4 on the season). Deploy with caution.

D Roman Hamrlik- Hamrlik has 7 points in his last 10 games (1 G, 9A) along with 8 PIM. Hamrlik is a decent option if you’re desperate for a defenseman.

Penguins Ducks Trade, Whitney Gone

2009-02-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Penguins and the Ducks have struck a deal as the NHL trade deadline fastly approaches. Defenseman, Ryan Whitney was sent to the Ducks in exchange for winger Chris Kunitz and prospect Chris Tangradi.

Bottom line....If Whitney doesn't remember how to play defense, he won't be seeing the ice on the powerplay. He's holding no real value at this time as a fantasy player.

Kunitz has 16 goals and 35 points. If he plays with Crosby he may have some worth. Keep an eye out to see how the Penguins use him.

Young Star!

2009-02-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

James Neal is a young forward skating very well in Dallas and starting to show up on the score sheet as a result. The 21 year old has 9 points in the last 8 games. Lehtinen, Ribeiro, and Ott provide the Stars with and excellent first line. However, playoff teams need those second tier players to produce goals in order to win late in the season. That is exactly what Neal is providing for the Stars in mid-February. The kid also has 7 power play goals on this year's rookie campaign. If you have room pick him now.

Kesler not Kessel, Another American Youngster

2009-02-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ryan Kesler has moved over to RW recently during his fourth season for the Canucks and is producing at a high level. Kesler has 10 points in the last 4 games. In that stretch he's netted 6 goals while picking up 4 assists. If you are need for a free agent pick up to start at right wing or forward, Kesler is an option. Toronto and Ottawa are both on the slate for Vancouver in the next 3 games, so the streak may continue. He got six power play goals and is currently a plus 6, which is a career high.

Dallas Stars Shining

2009-02-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Steve Ott is rolling along with the rest of his teammates. In the last six games he's tallied 5 goals and 5 assists. Dallas has been winning games even with key injuries such as Zubov.

Jere Lehtinen has managed 4 goals and 4 assists in the same time frame. Both of these guys are must starts while the Stars keep rolling in February.

Finally Producing?

2009-02-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Letang has mustered up two goal games twice in the last six games. That's not the only upside here. The Penguins are finally winning games at home and there is still no Gonchar on the blue line for Pittsburgh. On Saturday, Pittsburgh sent down their leading scorer on the blue line, rookie Alex Goligoski.

Pittsburgh will host the best the Western Conference has to offer in Detroit and San Jose. If they even split this series look for a playoff push and solid numbers from their young blueliner who will be quarterbacking the point on a powerplay unit that has started to produce after the all-star break.

Value in St. Louis

2008-10-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Blues' Keith Tkachuk and Pual Kariya are two veterans who are putting up fantastic fantasy numbers. Both players were under most people's radars when it came to drafting either one, at least if your league isn't very deep. However, Kariya has 1 goal and 9 assists while Tkachuk has 7 goals in s7 games. Tkachuk has yet to register an assist, but I don't see that being a problem for very long.

There are two other guys to keep an eye on here. Andy McDonald has already tallied 9 points in 6 games. McDonald has registered 1 goal and 8 assists through 6 games. McDonald has only twice managed over 70 points and three times has he skated in over 70 games in a season.

Boyes has delivered the most balanced attack of all the aforementioned forwards in St. Louis with 5 goals, 4 assists and 9 points through the first 6 games. The 26 year old has managed plus 60 points twice in his short career, but out four seasons in the NHL he has only managed twice to skate in more than 62 games.

If the Blues can stay healthy all four of these guys could be great waiver pickups.

Business as Usual for Brodeur

2008-10-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

He's up to it again. I posted in this year's player previews, Mary Brodeur is my choice for number one goalie in fantasy hockey until someone proves to be better. The 36 year old net minder has let up 8 goals in six games. Brodeur is first in goals against average and has already posted 2 shutouts. With those numbers, the Devils have earned 5 wins with Brodeur's six starts.

This is a year the Devils were supposed to take a dip down in the Eastern Conference. While Brodeur continues to play as if he's in the prime of his career, the Devils continue to be a major contender in the conference.

Red Wings Trim Roster

2008-10-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ville Leino has been sent to the Griffins, the Wings Ahl affiliate. Obviously, not the most promising news for fantasy owners who were seeking a great steal in this year's draft, however don't be alarmed if you are in a deep keeper league.

The Wings are stacked with offense and playoff experience. It's tough going for any caliber of player to penetrate their lineup. I believe Leino we'll see substantial ice time before the season is over and he will make it difficult for coach Babcock to keep him out of the lineup.

The latest batch of Red Wing forwards play both ends of the ice very aggressively, including the latest superstar, Marion Hossa. This style will promise to lead to injuries and the chance for Leino to crack the lineup. Keep your eyes on

Finnish Star Still Shining

2008-09-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

Teemu Selanne skated in his first preseason game since signing on with the Ducks for another season. Last year, I had Selanne ranked rather high with a note because he had not signed. He eventually signed late into the season therefore wasn't going to be drafted.

Well, he's back now and in his first game he scored twice. Selanne is pure goal scorer who tore it up two years ago and contributed nicely for the Ducks once he signed.

I'd be shocked if Selanne didn't get 70 points this season and wouldn't be surprised if he tallies 80 plus. If you could get him in the third round or even fourth you'll get great value from the pick.

Schneider Dealt to Thrashers

2008-09-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

Verteran defenseman Matthew Schneider was traded by the Anaheim Ducks to the Atlanta Thrashers in an effort to cut salary on Friday.

Last season Schneider tallied 12 goals and 27 assists for the Ducks and should improve the Thrashers' defense corp, despite his age.

The 39-year-old Schneider will be called upson to mentor 18-year-old Zach Bogosian, who was drafted third overall by Atlanta in April's draft.

The Thrashers aren't exactly a fantasy hockey goldmine but both Schneider and Bogosian are worth a look. The plus/minus numbers probably won't be pretty, however, their other stats should merit a roster spot.

Atlanta's Christensen On The Fantasy Radar

2008-09-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Erik Christensen may make a lot of noise this year for the Thrashers and fantasy owners. He has great hands and an unbelievable wrist shot that rivals that of Alexei Kovalev. Christensen was sent to Atlanta late last season during the Hossa trade and this year will be skating alongside Ilya Kovalchuk who is immensely talented on the offensive of side of the puck. Christensen was low on the totem pole of talent in Pittsburgh, but may really shine in Atlanta where the talent pool is much lower. The downside to Christensen for fantasy owners is that he's soft. Playing in the South, he may be able to mask that a little bit better than he could skating on the third line for Pittsburgh. The other downside may his plus/minus. Kovalchuk, and most Thrashers, are on the ice for lots of goals!

Lightning Quick

2008-09-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Steven Stamkos wastes no time getting his first goal at the NHL level. Of course, it's preseason , but the folks in Tampa are very pleased and so should fantasy owners. Stamkos is hands down the favorite to win the Calder award as the leagues top rookie, going into the season. Tampa Bay has made plenty off season moves that do and don't include the beloved mullet. Melrose is behind the bench and they picked up veterans Mark Rechi and Gary Roberts. Ryan Malone was snagged from Pittsburgh for a $30 million plus price tag. You add veterans, new coach, sensational rookie to the already gifted forwards of Lecavalier and St. Louis, you may have something good on your hands. There are a lot of guys in Tampa that have on the Cup before and their aiming to get back now not later.

Gonchar Out, Letang In

2008-09-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was already high on the second year defenseman's ability to put the puck in the net this year and now it's no brainer. Sergei Gonchar suffered a shoulder injury against the Lightning and is out indefinitely. Fantasy owners may be able to draft Letang in the mid to late rounds which would be a steal. Ryan Whitney is already on the shelf with a foot injury that will keep him off the ice until at least January. He was Pittsburgh's other top scoring defensemen. Letang was used quite a bit in shootouts last season and definitely knows how to find the back of the net. He also possesses good vision with the puck which means lots of power play points when your skating in Pittsburgh.

Penguins' Pick-ups

2008-07-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Penguins' Pick-ups

The Pittsburgh Penguins have tried to replace gritty forward Ryan Malone and superstar Marion Hossa. This off-season, the Penguins lost both players to free agency. To fill the void of toughness and finesse lost with the departure of those players the organization went out and poached players from the Isles. Miroslav Satan was signed in hopes of providing more scoring power for the already high powered offense of the Penguins. Ruslan Fedetenko was added to the squad to provide toughness while still being able to put the puck in the net. Satan,s reputation isn’t exactly an ideal match for coach Michelle Therien. Satan sometimes has a bit of the Kovalev-itus. He tends to pick and choose when he is going to give maximum effort on the ice. I expect the work ethic, of both the players, starting with captain Sydney Crosby, and coach, will have Satan playing with a stronger desire than we have seen in recent years. Satan has the ability to have a career year playing alongside Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. It is easy to say any player who ends up playing with either of these guys has the potential for a career year and the same holds true for Fedetenko. Last year, Ryan Malone had a career year playing on the power play and doing the dirty work for Crosby and Malkin while playing the wing. Fedetenko is another strong physical player who will use the body and create room for his linemates. Don’t be surprised to see him flanking center Jordan Staal on the wing. Staal had gone through his sophomore slump last year, not coming close to matching his rookie numbers. However, in the playoffs he bounced back and showed he has the ability to have a real impact in this league. I expect Staal to be an asset for fantasy owners this year. Staying healthy is always the key and if the Penguins stay healthy Satan will be a great steal for fantasy owners in the third or fourth rounds.