Hello all,
I'm still playing catch up with myself but the good news is that I'm only around two weeks behind. As always, I've gone through the column and weeded anything out that may NOT be timely. If you find that to be otherwise at any point, feel free to bring it up.
Fantasy Faceoff: Getting Your Goalie On
Netminding Surprises, DL Debuts and Waiver Wire Flyers
By Dave Gil de Rubio
In fantasy football, teams’ fortunes are oftentimes linked with how good or bad the running backs on that roster are. So it goes with fantasy hockey and goaltending. Good or bad, at this point people are stuck with whatever draft choices they’ve made. And while the obvious names continue to perform at a high level year in and year out, (Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Evgeni Nabokov), there are a number of heretofore overlooked netminders who’ve made some of their own noise. Highlighted below is a quintet whose numbers and circumstances merit potential trade inquiries or if you’re lucky, the opportunity to pluck them off the waiver wire if they’re still there.
NETMINDING SURPRISES
Dwayne Roloson (NYI) – Much mocked for awarding Rick DiPietro that ridiculously lengthy 15-year contract, New York Islanders GM Garth Snow earned back a great degree of credit when he signed the veteran netminding duo of Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron. With DiPietro rumored to be back between the pipes before year’s end, Roloson is making it difficult to be removed from the starter’s role given his high level of play. Through December 3, the 40-year-old Roli has lost only twice in regulation in 15 starts (9-2-5) this season including a stellar 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 23rd when he turned aside 58 shots.
Jon Quick (LA) – Caught in a bit of a goaltending controversy last year against Erik Ersberg, Jon Quick grabbed the reins firmly for a Los Angeles Kings squad that many are convinced will make the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-2002 season. Even though Quick went through a recent nine-game span where he posted a 3-6-0 record and a 3.00 GAA, his numbers this season are still impressive: 15-9-2/.900 SV % /2.67 GAA.
Ondrej Pavelec (ATL) – Woe unto anyone who ignored Finnish goalie Kari Lehtonen’s checkered injury past and insisted on drafting him. Even though his skills merit Lehtonen being a potentially borderline elite player, he’s been far too brittle to merit taking a chance on. Enter Czech goalie Ondrej Pavelec, who’s relegated the competition, (in this instance veteran Johan Hedberg), to the bench all while compiling an 8-5-3 record, 2.84 GAA and a sick .921 SV % to go with 2 shutouts.
Antti Niemi (CHI) – Even though Cristobal Huet is the incumbent starter for the Chicago Blackhawks, Antti Niemi bears watching given the success he’s accrued despite being used on a limited basis. In only six starts, the young Finn is 4-1-1 with a .921 SV%, 1.85 GAA and two goose eggs. Niemi is worth stashing if you have the room but if not, look for him in next year’s draft as he could very well end up transitioning into a starting position not unlike peers Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov.
Antero Niittymaki (TB) – Coming over from the Philadelphia Flyers after spending the first five years of his career sporting the orange and black, Antero Niittymaki was expected to be the number two behind Mike Smith. Lo and behold, yet another Finn comes in and upsets the depth chart. As a result, Niittymaki and Smith have been splitting time for the past ten games. For the time being, the former Dallas Star appears to be the 1A option behind Niittymaki’s front-running position. Then again, if I had a goalie toting a 6-3-3 record, .931 SV% and a 2.18 GAA, I’d probably lean more towards using him as well.
DL DEBUTS
David Clarkson (RW, NJ) – The rough and rowdy Devils forward was felled by a Zdeno Chara slapshot during a 2-1 November 27 New Jersey win over the Boston Bruins. The end result was a laceration, a non-displaced fracture above the ankle, an overnight stay at a Beantown hospital and a stint on the IR that’s slated to run 4-6 weeks.
Milan Lucic (LW, BOS) – Just as he started to get on a roll after missing 14 games with a fractured finger earlier in the season, Milan Lucic is back on the DL after suffering what was thought to be a severe knee injury during a November 25 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Boston Bruins management was relieved to find out it was a high ankle sprain that while it was diagnosed to keep Lucic out of action for a month, he very well may end up returning to the Bruins lineup during the weekend of December 19 & 20.
Dainius Zubrus (C, NJ) – Always a streaky player, Dainius Zubrus seemed to finally be achieving some level of consistency given the amount of time Coach Jacques Lemaire was giving him on the top lines alongside Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise. Alas, a Kevin Klein slapshot that broke Zubrus’ shin guard also caused a hairline fracture in his patella. As a result of this broken kneecap, the thirty-one year old Soviet is going to be out between four to six weeks.
Jonas Gustavsson (G, TOR) – Prior to coming to his rookie training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, Swedish phenom Jonas Gustavsson underwent minor heart surgery to correct arrhythmia. After the first period of a December 1st tilt against the rival Montreal Canadians, Gustavsson pulled himself from the game with an elevated heart rate. He has since underwent a second ablation procedure and should be back by Christmas. although word is he might play in one of the back-to-back games the Leafs will be playing on 18 & 19. For the short time, Joey MacDonald gets the starting nod over Vesa Toskala, who is still coping with groin problems.
Darroll Powe (C, PHI) – Even as Claude Giroux continues to underperform through a maddening sophomore slump and fellow rookie James van Riemsdyk enjoys a pleasantly surprising first season in the NHL, Darroll Powe was thought to be a compliment to the latter given the six goals he’s already scored through 19 games this year matches the total he put in the net during 60 games last season. Instead, Powe is on the shelf for the next four to six weeks with a severe shoulder strain.
Ales Hemsky (RW, EDM) – The Edmonton Oilers currently lead the league with 146 man games lost to injury. That total was added to with the news that leading team scorer Ales Hemsky will be laid up with a season-ending shoulder injury caused by a check from behind into the boards by Los Angeles Kings center Michal Handzus.
Cory Stillman (LW, FLA) – With David Booth on the IR indefinitely with a concussion, teammate Cory Stillman was picking up the offensive slack for the Florida Panthers, tallying six goals and four assists in an eight-game span. Unfortunately, during a 2-1 November 20th win over the Detroit Red Wings, got sidelined with a knee injury that Panthers management initially feared would require surgery. Instead, a strained knee ligament was diagnosed and Stillman is expected to be out until Christmas.
Chris Neil (RW, OTT) – A bona fide PIMS machine, Ottawa Senator Chris Neil was carrying 76 through 22 games before getting run down by Andrew Peters during a November 25th 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. The resulting knee injury will have Neil sidelined at least until late December.
Pascal Leclaire (G, OTT) – If ever there was a magnet for injury, it’s Pascal Leclaire. When he landed on the disabled list while playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, backup Steve Mason stole the starting job, won the Calder Cup as Rookie of the Year and made Leclaire the NHL’s answer to Wally Pipp. Signing with the Ottawa Senators this year was supposed to be a fresh start and just as Leclaire was recovering from a recent lower body injury, he had the misfortune of being getting his cheekbone fractured by a wayward puck while sitting on the bench as a backup during a November 23 game against the Washington Capitols. The former Blue Jacket underwent surgery and is not expected back until Christmas.
WAIVER WIRE FLYERS
Mike Rupp (C, PIT) – Scooped up by the Pittsburgh Penguins over the summer, Mike Rupp has fit in nicely on the fourth line. Rupp has already equaled his career high for goals with eight to go with +5 plus/minus rating and 34 PIMS. Bumped up to the third line after Matt Cooke was suspended for a pair of games, the former New Jersey Devil managed to collect four points including his first career hat trick, making it very difficult to end up pushing him back down the depth chart.
Joey MacDonald (G, TOR) – As mentioned above, Toronto Maple Leafs starter Jonas Gustavsson is recovering from minor heart surgery while Vesa Toskala is still battling through groin ailments. Into the void steps former Islander backup Joey MacDonald, who kicked his current starting stint off with a shared 3-0 shutout with Gustavsson on December 1st after the latter left the game early. MacDonald promptly followed this up by backstopping a solid 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets two days later. Owners desperate for goaltending help should pick up the Nova Scotia resident and ride him until either Gustavsson returns or Toskala starts getting the lion's share of starts.
Brian Elliott (G, OTT) – Like Joey MacDonald over in Toronto, Brian Elliott will be racking up some starts for the Ottawa Senators thanks to Pascal Leclaire’s misfortune. Leclaire’s recovery from facial surgery means he’ll be out until Christmas and with the Sens’ high-powered offense, expect Elliott to notch more than a few W’s in the win column.
Steve Downie (C-RW, TB) – I touted Steve Downie way back in my first column despite his rep as an agitator who was seemingly serving a 20-game suspension every other week. So while I’m suffering arm strain while patting myself on the back, understand that Downie stepped up for the Tampa Bay Lightning and played the role Sean Avery once had a copyright on—someone who plays on the edge of the rules while still contributing on the scoresheet. Bolts coach Rick Tocchet has been rewarded for the faith he’s had in his fellow former Flyer with the 3 goals and 7 assists Downie has accrued while playing on the third line. In addition, the Ontario native’s inclusion on the second power-play unit has yielded 5 points to go with the expected 50 PIMS you’d expect from someone with his kind of temperament.
Byron Bitz (RW, BOS) – Normally a fourth line player, Byron Bitz has caught the eye of Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien, who loves Bitz’s hard-nosed style of play and tenacity. As a result, Julien kicked Bitz up to the top line alongside recently returned playmaking stud Marc Savard and Marco Sturm. Far from a longtime play, Bitz’s relevancy is obviously linked to his station on the depth chart. As such, monitor the situation and act accordingly when the time comes.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
FANTASY FACEOFF/LOCK & LOAD/11.20.2009
Hello fellow puckheads,
Still playing that endless game of catchup with my columns. Despite being a couple of weeks out of the loop, the below should still hold true. And if not, lemme know.
Fantasy Faceoff: Lock & Load
Sick Shooters, DL Debuts and Waiver Wire Flyers
By Dave Gil de Rubio
Along with the old hockey adage that goes if you head to the net, good things will happen is the one that says the more you shoot, the better chance you’ve got of putting the biscuit in the basket. Certain players tend to be better at this than others and while Europeans are usually the ones to shoot first and ask questions later, (Alexander Ovechkin, Petr Sykora), there are more than a few Canadians who cleave to this philosophy (Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis). If shots-on-goal are a category that’s counted in your league, here are a few skaters with itchy trigger fingers who still might be available.
SICK SHOOTERS
Patric Hornqvist (LW, NAS) – Currently toiling away on the fourth line, Patric Hornqvist is making the most of his time putting 74 pucks on the net through 22 games. One of the Preds’ potentially big stars set to slide into the slot filled by current snipers Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan once they’ve moved on, Hornqvist’s value in considerably higher in the future, although those in need of a SOG quick fix are encouraged to take a flyer on the 22-year-old Swede.
Rotislav Olesz (LW, FLA) – Currently leading his team in the SOG category with 66, there’s lots to like about Rotislav Olesz beyond how much he’s letting the puck fly. He’s skating on the second line alongside Radek Dvorak and the red-hot and rejuvenated Steven Reinprecht in addition to skating up front with his linemates on the second power play unit.
Lee Stempniak (RW, TOR) – A year ago, Lee Stempniak was with the St. Louis Blues skating on one of the league’s youngest lines alongside David Backes and Jay McClement. After becoming a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs following a trade for Alexander Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo, the product of Dartmouth College is playing his first full season for the Leafs as a third liner who is second on the team with 71 SOGs to go with his eleven points and one game-winning goal.
Richard Park (RW, NYI) – Even though his -11 plus/minus is a bit of a liability, Richard Park is the kind of scrappy player with a nose for the net that’s yielded him 50 SOGs. Park’s value is at an all-time high as he’s currently skating on the first line alongside the Islanders’ team-leading goal scoring pair of Matt Moulson and John Tavares. Hold onto the former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick until he gets demoted.
Jochen Hecht (LW, BUF) – Currently leading a very winning Buffalo Sabres squad with 57 SOGs, Jochen Hecht has still only managed to pot a pair of goals with one being a game-winner. That said, Hecht is a fixture on the second line alongside Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly in addition to being on the second power-play unit. So for anyone with a deep roster, the West German native is worth a gamble as the points will start flowing given how many pucks he’s putting on net.
DL DEBUTS
Niklas Kronwall (D, DET) – The latest casualty to land on the Detroit Red Wings disabled list, Niklas Kronwall’s trip to the IR was courtesy of a knee-on-knee hit delivered by Montreal Canadians goon Georges Laraque. And while Laraque ends up serving a five-game suspension, Kronwall will be out up to eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee.
Brent Burns (D, MIN) – The Minnesota Wild lost its best defenseman when what was initially thought to be a mere illness instead ended up being diagnosed as a concussion. Thought to have happened during a November 18th tilt against the Phoenix Coyotes, Burns joins teammates Petr Sykora and Pierre-Marc Bouchard on the IR, all of who have concussions and are out indefinitely.
Denis Grebeshkov (D, EDM) – The Edmonton Oilers’ scoring takes a major hit after mobile blue-liner Denis Grebeshkov went down with a torn MCL in his left knee during the waning minutes of a 3-1 November 11th loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The Oilers will miss Grebeshkov’s offensive skills, (he put up 10 points in 19 games), and the 2002 Los Angeles Kings first-round draft pick won’t be back until mid-December.
Ryan Smyth (LW, LA) – Speaking of the Los Angeles Kings, they possessed one of the league’s hottest lines this season. But now Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams will have to make do with Alexander Frolov as veteran winger Ryan Smyth will be out for a month with an undisclosed upper body injury. Up until that point, Smyth had been lighting it up with nine goals and 23 points in 22 games.
Brian Gionta (RW, MON) – In addition to R1N1, the injury du jour for this current hockey season seems to be the broken foot. The Montreal Canadians were dealt quite a blow when a recent X-ray and MRI revealed a shot Brian Gionta blocked during the third period of a November 3rd game against the Atlanta Thrashers had fractured hiss foot. The former New Jersey Devil thought it was a bruise and tried skating through the pain until it became too much. He’s ended up with indefinite stay on the IR.
WAIVER WIRE FLYERS
Anton Stralman (D, CLS) – Even though Anton Stralman and partner Fedor Tyutin are buried on the depth chart as the third defensive pairing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the twosome are manning the blueline on the second powerplay unit. Stralman has responded with nine of his thirteen points coming on the PP.
Dan Cleary (RW, DET) – One of my perennial favorites, Dan Cleary always seems to find his way into the Top 6 mix despite not being a household name a la Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk. Currently sharing a line with Zetterberg and Ville Leino, Cleary is making the most of his opportunity to shine by recently heating up and snaring three goals, six points, a +5 plus/minus and four PIMS in a recent six-game stretch.
Owen Nolan (LW, MIN) – The product of Belfast, Ireland, Owen Nolan continues to provide leadership for a Minnesota Wild squad looking to emerge from the defensive team mindset cast by former coach Jacques Lemaire. A Special Teams fixture, the top six winger is on a five-point tear in a recent six-game span where he’s scored four goals and an assist including a pair against the New York Islanders on November 20th, one of which was the game-winner.
Mason Raymond (LW, VAN) – When Daniel Sedin went down with a fractured foot earlier this season, Mason Raymond picked up the offensive slack after he was promoted to the first line by tickling the twine five times and putting up 10 points in an eight-game stretch. And while Sedin’s recent return could mean either a demotion to the second line or find the 2005 second round draft pick taking Ryan Kesler’s slot alongside the Sedin twins, Raymond remains a very solid fantasy option.
Still playing that endless game of catchup with my columns. Despite being a couple of weeks out of the loop, the below should still hold true. And if not, lemme know.
Fantasy Faceoff: Lock & Load
Sick Shooters, DL Debuts and Waiver Wire Flyers
By Dave Gil de Rubio
Along with the old hockey adage that goes if you head to the net, good things will happen is the one that says the more you shoot, the better chance you’ve got of putting the biscuit in the basket. Certain players tend to be better at this than others and while Europeans are usually the ones to shoot first and ask questions later, (Alexander Ovechkin, Petr Sykora), there are more than a few Canadians who cleave to this philosophy (Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis). If shots-on-goal are a category that’s counted in your league, here are a few skaters with itchy trigger fingers who still might be available.
SICK SHOOTERS
Patric Hornqvist (LW, NAS) – Currently toiling away on the fourth line, Patric Hornqvist is making the most of his time putting 74 pucks on the net through 22 games. One of the Preds’ potentially big stars set to slide into the slot filled by current snipers Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan once they’ve moved on, Hornqvist’s value in considerably higher in the future, although those in need of a SOG quick fix are encouraged to take a flyer on the 22-year-old Swede.
Rotislav Olesz (LW, FLA) – Currently leading his team in the SOG category with 66, there’s lots to like about Rotislav Olesz beyond how much he’s letting the puck fly. He’s skating on the second line alongside Radek Dvorak and the red-hot and rejuvenated Steven Reinprecht in addition to skating up front with his linemates on the second power play unit.
Lee Stempniak (RW, TOR) – A year ago, Lee Stempniak was with the St. Louis Blues skating on one of the league’s youngest lines alongside David Backes and Jay McClement. After becoming a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs following a trade for Alexander Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo, the product of Dartmouth College is playing his first full season for the Leafs as a third liner who is second on the team with 71 SOGs to go with his eleven points and one game-winning goal.
Richard Park (RW, NYI) – Even though his -11 plus/minus is a bit of a liability, Richard Park is the kind of scrappy player with a nose for the net that’s yielded him 50 SOGs. Park’s value is at an all-time high as he’s currently skating on the first line alongside the Islanders’ team-leading goal scoring pair of Matt Moulson and John Tavares. Hold onto the former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick until he gets demoted.
Jochen Hecht (LW, BUF) – Currently leading a very winning Buffalo Sabres squad with 57 SOGs, Jochen Hecht has still only managed to pot a pair of goals with one being a game-winner. That said, Hecht is a fixture on the second line alongside Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly in addition to being on the second power-play unit. So for anyone with a deep roster, the West German native is worth a gamble as the points will start flowing given how many pucks he’s putting on net.
DL DEBUTS
Niklas Kronwall (D, DET) – The latest casualty to land on the Detroit Red Wings disabled list, Niklas Kronwall’s trip to the IR was courtesy of a knee-on-knee hit delivered by Montreal Canadians goon Georges Laraque. And while Laraque ends up serving a five-game suspension, Kronwall will be out up to eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee.
Brent Burns (D, MIN) – The Minnesota Wild lost its best defenseman when what was initially thought to be a mere illness instead ended up being diagnosed as a concussion. Thought to have happened during a November 18th tilt against the Phoenix Coyotes, Burns joins teammates Petr Sykora and Pierre-Marc Bouchard on the IR, all of who have concussions and are out indefinitely.
Denis Grebeshkov (D, EDM) – The Edmonton Oilers’ scoring takes a major hit after mobile blue-liner Denis Grebeshkov went down with a torn MCL in his left knee during the waning minutes of a 3-1 November 11th loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The Oilers will miss Grebeshkov’s offensive skills, (he put up 10 points in 19 games), and the 2002 Los Angeles Kings first-round draft pick won’t be back until mid-December.
Ryan Smyth (LW, LA) – Speaking of the Los Angeles Kings, they possessed one of the league’s hottest lines this season. But now Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams will have to make do with Alexander Frolov as veteran winger Ryan Smyth will be out for a month with an undisclosed upper body injury. Up until that point, Smyth had been lighting it up with nine goals and 23 points in 22 games.
Brian Gionta (RW, MON) – In addition to R1N1, the injury du jour for this current hockey season seems to be the broken foot. The Montreal Canadians were dealt quite a blow when a recent X-ray and MRI revealed a shot Brian Gionta blocked during the third period of a November 3rd game against the Atlanta Thrashers had fractured hiss foot. The former New Jersey Devil thought it was a bruise and tried skating through the pain until it became too much. He’s ended up with indefinite stay on the IR.
WAIVER WIRE FLYERS
Anton Stralman (D, CLS) – Even though Anton Stralman and partner Fedor Tyutin are buried on the depth chart as the third defensive pairing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the twosome are manning the blueline on the second powerplay unit. Stralman has responded with nine of his thirteen points coming on the PP.
Dan Cleary (RW, DET) – One of my perennial favorites, Dan Cleary always seems to find his way into the Top 6 mix despite not being a household name a la Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk. Currently sharing a line with Zetterberg and Ville Leino, Cleary is making the most of his opportunity to shine by recently heating up and snaring three goals, six points, a +5 plus/minus and four PIMS in a recent six-game stretch.
Owen Nolan (LW, MIN) – The product of Belfast, Ireland, Owen Nolan continues to provide leadership for a Minnesota Wild squad looking to emerge from the defensive team mindset cast by former coach Jacques Lemaire. A Special Teams fixture, the top six winger is on a five-point tear in a recent six-game span where he’s scored four goals and an assist including a pair against the New York Islanders on November 20th, one of which was the game-winner.
Mason Raymond (LW, VAN) – When Daniel Sedin went down with a fractured foot earlier this season, Mason Raymond picked up the offensive slack after he was promoted to the first line by tickling the twine five times and putting up 10 points in an eight-game stretch. And while Sedin’s recent return could mean either a demotion to the second line or find the 2005 second round draft pick taking Ryan Kesler’s slot alongside the Sedin twins, Raymond remains a very solid fantasy option.
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