Picking up from where we left off on Monday, the Calgary Flames completed their own busy weekend with a second trade, this time sending forwards Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers for Chris Higgins and Alex Kotalik.
So we'll pick up where we left off in our fantasy assessments.
Calgary Flames
Chris Higgins, C: His return to his hometown State was supposed to be what got Higgins going again, but the former 50-point performer seemingly regressed, as he's now on pace for a career low (19) in points.
Like Darryl Sutter's other acquisition Matt Stajan, Higgins could have an ideal opportunity if the Flames decide to try him with Jarome Iginla or Rene Bourque.
Or they could leave the Iginlas, Bourques, and Hagmans to play with the likes of Daymond Langkow, and let him figure it out alongside a host of underachievers.
The Verdict: This move won't do much to boost Higgins' worth. Don't expect him to be this year's post-trade virtuoso, although a small hot-streak wouldn't be out of the question.
The suspension to Patrice Cormier is no laughing matter. The hit on Mikael Tam was inexcusable, and every game that Cormier has to sit out is worth of the horriffic act.
That's two suspensions that the CHL has gotten right this season. Good for them.
Sidenote: The reason these suspensions are "right" is because of the fact that they're proving that they want to protect their players. While I think the Michael Liambis hit was deserving, others don't. However, we're not getting in to that here.
But while Cormier and Liambis will be forced to sit out the remainder of their CHL seasons, there are a few players out there who should be suspended from Fantasy Hockey until next year.
Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins
The Case: For the first time in our careers, Lucic and I were finally allowed to cross paths when he hit free agency during his first injury earlier this season. Needless to say, I subsequently released him when he was injured again. Lucic is currently on pace for the lowest totals of his career (5 goals, 13 assists, minus-6 rating and 50 games played).
Is he worth it this year? If you're in a keeper league the answer is definitely, but we'll get to that later. Keep in mind that Lucic has had two separate injuries this year (finger and ankle) that kept him out of a combined 32 games. The nine games he's played since coming back from the ankle injury are the most this season he's playd consecutively (six off the top of the season, four in between injuries) so he may hit his stride down the stretch. Then again the Olympic Break may hurt him if he does get hot.
Add at your own risk this year, but don't risk a reliable producer.
What about next year? Yes. Lucic is big, tough, and if he was healthy he may have been named to Canada's Olympic roster. He's also 21 and both injuries were ones he was able to come back from. I wouldn't be deterred by this off year.
Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames Dion Phaneuf AND Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames
The Case: After a "down" year last year (the 49 points are nothing to dismiss but the minus-11 hurts), some were down on Phaneuf and his status slipped a little because of it. Now, even with the addition of Jay Bouwmeester, things seem to have regressed further for Phaneuf. Actually, both have regressed.
J-Bo is on pace for the second-fewest goals of his NHL career (3) and his third-lowest point total, while Phaneuf may just barely surpass last year's career-low in goals with 11 (He's on pace for 12). While the plus/minus is better this year (minus-2) Phaneuf still has a long way to go, on pace for just 31 points.
Are they worth it this year? It depends how patient you want to be and what they're worth in your league. If you could get a trade for a mid-level forward to offer scoring help up front, I'd do it. The problem is not wanting to let Phaneuf or Bouwmeester go for too little and then watching them rebound big.
If you're willing to wait, there's nothing wrong with that, but trading them isn't a bad option either so long as you get fair value.
What about next year? If they both stay with Calgary, I'm inclined to say yes. Yes Phaneuf has declined over the past two seasons, but he's also 24 and his quick success may be catching up with him. Bouwmeester meanwhile has a track record of performing in weaker environments as he put up three 40+ point years in his last four in Florida. Maybe it's an adjustment period for him, but with both under Calgary control next season they should rebound.
Dan Hamhuis, Nashville Predators
The Case: If you're a Predators fan, then the team always seems to be dealing in riches from the back-end. This year rookie Cody Franson has stepped up in a big way from the back-end with 15 points (making him a quietly consistent keeper pickup), but it's come at the expense of Dan Hamhuis.
Hamhuis has gone from a defender who threatened the 30-point plateau, to a guy who could be luck to crack 20 this season with just 12 points in 47 games.
Is he worth it this year? No. Hamhuis is a free agent this offseason and Franson's performance could slide Hamhuis back a bit on the depth chart (he's currently logging 7 minutes more per game than the rookie). Also, consider that you're talking about a team that still has Alexander Sulzer, Jonathan Blum, and Ryan Ellis all waiting in the wings. Offensive defensemen aren't a problem.
What about next year? Yes, but moreso as a sleeper. Keep in mind this is a guy who has topped 30-points once in his career and he's only topped five goals twice—but also consider he's playing behind Ryan Suter and Shea Weber. He's also not a plus/minus dynamo, but if he gets picked up by a team needing a power play quarterback Hamhauis could thrive, finally getting out of the towering twosome's shadow.
Joffrey Lupl, Anaheim Ducks
The Case: Over the past few seasons, Lupul has been a travelling circus of an NHL forward: Two seasons in Anaheim, one in Edmonton, and two in Philadelphia before coming back in the Chris Pronger trade. Oddly enough, Lupul's actually beent traded for Pronger twice.
That aside, after a down year in Edmonton where he only scored 16 goals following a 28 goal season with the Ducks, Lupul went to Philadelphia where he netted 20 and then 26 goals. All seemed promising when he was moved back to Anaheim this offseason as well as the likes of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf awaited him.
Then injuries struck. Lupul missed seven games in November, came back for three, and has been down ever since with a back injury which proceded to get infected and could keep him out until March.
Is he worth it this year? I have him on I/R but I wouldn't recommend it. For most he'll be taking up the valuable injury spot (especially if someone like Nathan Horton goes down for you), and by the time he gets back it'll be late in the regular season and almost too late in the fantasy season.
What about next year? He wouldn't be the first player to come back from an injury plagued season and strike it rich, but unlike some of his predecessors, Lupul had fairly good health before. So long as he recovers 100% over the course of this season and the offseason, he could be a sleeper. Esepcially seeing as he was on pace for 23 goals before the second injury.
Mattias Ohlund, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Case: Ohlund is in his first year with the Lightning, and at 33 is the oldest player on this list. This year however, Ohlund has played the role of mentor with young Victor Hedman and alongside the offensively declining Andrej Meszaros.
Currently Ohlund has yet to score a goal on the season and has just 10 assists—a far cry from the six goals and 25 points he had last year. The 17 points he's on pace for would be the worst of his NHL career (previous low: 20) and the zero goals? He's only ever done that in the Olympics.
Is he worth it this year? No. On a defense where Kurtis Foster is the leading scorer, the only one worthy of a pick-up right now would be Hedman in keeper league's. Don't expect anyone to soar to any new heights and give you a fantasy boost come the final months of the season.
What about next year? Yes. Surprised? Me too. Now I'm not saying make Ohlund a first, second, or third round pick, but I think he'll have some quiet value. Remeber that Hedman will be a year older and that Ohlund has been giving up on shots over the past few years.
If the Swede starts to shoot the puck again next year and continues to get paired with Hedman (They spend more than 30% of their ice time together) and can translate into power play time alongside his countryman both of their numbers could go up.
Questions? Comments? Complains? E-mail Bryan at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
to find out more. And be sure to join us as we go 'Around the NHL with BT' on Mondays!
With the Olympics replacing the All-Star festivities in the NHL this year, the players are facing an entirely new schedule.
Some players will be enduring a longer-than-normal mid season break, while others will be suiting up for more games than necessary as they don their country's colours.
And for those teams, some of the rosters have already been announced.
Defending champion Sweden has named it's roster, including 13 players who were with them when they won gold in 2006. Along with that, the Russians have identified the players representing their entrant, which will feature a few familiar faces.
Beating them all to the punch though, was Belarus, who named it's roster (including all four of it's NHL'ers) first, offering the least surprises from a team full of Internationally tested players.
But as always, there are snubs: Some big, and some small. Whenever a player who feels he should have made a team gets snubbed however, they usually get fired up to prove their worth.
So with three teams already named and more than a few set to take shape this week, here are a few players that may (or will) miss their Oympic shot, but may be fired up to show off their country's mistake.
Sweden—Mikael Samuelsson: Having told his country to "(expletive) off" after being snubbed by the Swedes, I can't see anyone who might be more fired up to prove them wrong. In the midst of a career season, Samuelsson may be available after having cooled off from his 12 points in 13 games start to 4 in his last 9.
Sweden—Johan Franzen: Granted Franzen isn't making the team because of the fact that he's just slightly hampered by that torn ACL, but if he's available when he makes his comeback, you better swipe hime up quickly. It may take a few games for him to get back up to full speed, but he's a useful goal-scorer to have on the right side.
Russia—Alexander Frolov: Frolov is currently seventh in scoring in the NHL amongst Russians, but thanks to a combination of NHL superstars (You know: Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin, and Pavel Datsyuk—guys like that) and KHL stars like Sergei Fedorov and Alexei Morozov, there just wasn't enough room for Frolov. If you own him in your league, you're fortunate. If not, you may want to look at trying to get him, especially with the recent injury to the Kings' Jason Williams.
Russia—Alexei Kovalev: Something has to get him started eventually doesn't it? Another frustrating season from the skilled forward has him on pace for 47 points—the same disappointing total he posted in 2006/07. Perhaps an international ignoring is enough to get his fire lighted?
U.S.A.—Ryan Whitney: I honestly couldn't tell you whether or not Whitney will be making Team USA but he should be. He's on pace for his third 40-point season in four seasons (remember last year was injury-shortened), and he gets overlooked now that he's out of Pittsburgh. If he's available in your league and you need a puck-mover, make the move. U.S.A.—Erik Johnson: Another "should be" for Team America (World Police) but if he isn't this time around, expect him to be next time (That is, if NHL'ers are allowed to be there). Another defenseman undergoing an outstanding season coming off of an injury-shortened 2008/09.
Czech Republic—David Krejci: The Bruins' forward is behind 13 other Czech forwards in NHL scoring, and just ahead of a few names who may get consideration based on who they are. If available however, Krejci is a solid scorer who could just eclipse the 40-point plateau this year (he's got 19 right now), and is winning 50% of his faceoffs.
Germany—Dennis Seidenberg: Seideinberg is going through a fairly average season for the Florida Panthers this year (13 points in 40 games), but he does have a 30-point year to his credit last year, and repeating that isn't really out of the question. Seidenberg played for Germany at the last Olympics, so his omission there is unlikely, but he could be good down the Fantasy Stretch.
Slovakia—Peter Budaj: Shrouded by Craig Anderson in Colorado and sure to be overlooked in favor of Jaroslav Halak on the International stage, Budaj has yet to earn his shot back at a major level. While he's no hot pickup on the Fantasy Waiver Wire, if something happens to Halak at the Olympics, a few quality starts could get Budaj back on track—I mean one terrible goal took Tommy Salo right off the track in 2002. Anything is possible.
Finalnd—Antti Niemi/Tuuka Rask: With Niklas Backstrom and Miikka Kiprusoff ahead of them on the Finish depth chart, it's improbable that both make the team. However, both rookie tenders have had outstanding seasons so far, losing a combined four games, and winning 18. That doesn't even begin to tell you the whole story as each had a goals-against average below 2.00 and a save percentage above .925.
Canada—Dwayne Roloson: Did you know that Rolo is fourth amongst Canadian goalies with 13 wins this year? Not blow-you-out-of-the-water impressive, but that along with a .910 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against average for a 13th-place team may make him a worthwhile pickup. If you've got goalie troubles, it certainly can't hurt.
Canada—Matt Stajan: He gets no mention among hopefuls for Team Canada, but he's got the same amount of points as Jonathan Toews (29), more goals than Vincent Lecavalier (11 to 9), and more assists than Mike Richards (18 to 15). Whether Stajan would be more favorable in a situation with those three in a better circumstance (Let's face it: Stajan has lacked a Kane/St. Louis/Carter type player to play with in Toronto until the arrival of Phil Kessel), he's done the job for the Leafs this season and is a great second or third scoring option for your team if available.
Hard to come by: Latvia, Norway, Switzerland, and Belarus have no one that you won't really hear about in your pools. The top Swiss skaters are Mark Streit (New York Islanders) and Yannick Weber. If Streit isn't owned, then there must be some sort of strange caveat in your league outlawing 55-point defenders. I don't envy you. Jonas Hiller is also the Swiss option between the pipes, and chances are you a) Know him and b) He's owned.
As far as Belarus goes, the Kostitsyns (Andrei and Sergei) and Mikhail Grabovski are the known names fantasy-wise. If you're picking up Ruslan Salei, you're probably in the same league the outlaws Streit, while Norway's Ole-Kritian Toellefsen is injured, but won't be your first choice even if he's healthy. Then again, you won't be relying on Latvians Karlis Skrastins, Oskars Bartulis, or Raitis Ivanans. .
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Send them to Bryan at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Join him every Monday as we go 'Around the NHL with BT'.
Alright, I did have an outstanding idea planned for today, but Brian Burke had to go and ruin it by trading for Dion Phaneuf and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
So I guess we'll save it for next week.
Either way, we've still got two blockbusters to deal with and a potential one on the way. That's three different trades, and the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs taking part in two deals each. So let's do this the easy way:
In the fantasy sports world, big games and big slumps can mean big things for certain players.
If you've got someone taking up a spot on your roster and he drags himself through the mud putting up a big zero in the points column and minus-5, not only does that make him an immediate release candidate, but it puts you behind the eight ball in terms of finding someone to fill that spot as effectively and quickly as possible.
Normally, when you look for someone to replaced those on a big slump though, you look for those coming off of a huge game.
So, who's coming off of a big game or moment that could be of some service to you? Let's find out:
Devin Setoguchi, San Jose Sharks: Coming off of a 30-goal, 65-point season last year, there were mixed expectations for Setoguchi. The Sharks' acquisition of Dany Heatley would obviously limit his opportunities alongside Patrick Marleau or Joe Thornton, but not many expected him to fall off to the 12-goal, 18-point level he currently sits at.
While he's a minus-five over his past 10 games, Setoguchi's biggest success of the season came in his last game, as it was his first two-goal game since October 19th.
While Setoguchi has had trouble stringing together point streaks (only two three game streaks this season), he's available in a handful of leagues and may be worth the investment.
Over the past week alone we've learned the value of a quality back-up goaltender.
In New York, the Rangers' Stephen Valiquette—one of the best back-up goalies over the past two years—has struggled this year and earned himself a trip to the American Hockey League.
Then on Satuday, we sat and watched as the former future between the pipes for the Toronto Maple Leafs shut down a stunted offensive attack as Tuukka Rask added another quality start to what's beginning to turn into a sparkling NHL career.
If you were to poll most fantasy GMs and ask which positions were hte most difficult to fill with qualities players, you'll probably hear two consistent answers: Goaltenders and Right Wingers.
Last week we looked at players who were performing well below where they were drafted. This week we will look at ten players who are performing well above their average draft slot.
1. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings: 14G, 19A +6 in 25 games. With superstar Centers like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, and Joe Thornton on top of everyone’s draft list it’s easy to see why Kopitar might have slipped further down your draft. The fact that the Kings were expected to be another season or two away from contention couldn’t have helped any either, but free agent addition Ryan Smyth has seemed to bring both the Kings and Kopitar’s game to the next level. Decision: Buy
It seems that as soon as someone gets healthy this year, another four players go out with an injury.
The Washington Capitals got Alexander Ovechkin back this past week, but it means more to them than you might think. Sure they got back one of the most dangerous snipers in the league, but when Quintin Lang, Alexander Semin, Boyd Gordon, and Mike Knuble are all out up front (along with Milan Jurcina out on the blue line) are all on injured-reserve, his return is important.
Usually listed right alongside the Caps, the Pittsburgh Penguins have their own slew of injuries. Tyler Kennedy and Chris Kunitz are out long-term, while their defense has taken hits with the losses of Jay McKee, Alex Goligoski, and Kris Letang.
Some of the biggest injuries this year have struck up front this year, taking away a number of prominent forwards.
Phil Kessel and Marian Hossa weren't healthy enough to start the year, while Johan Franzen, Alexander Ovechkin, Eric Staal, and Simon Gagne have all fallen due to injury over the first month and a half of the season.
But what about the rest of the league?
Fortunately on defense, teams seem to be chock-full of offensive-minded defenseman. If a puck-mover goes down, it's simply an opportunity to call-up a defender looking for an opportunity, and then have them prove themselves at the NHL level.
For that, look no farther than Cody Franson of the Nashville Predators.
Like other sports though, when injury strikes it strikes all positions, and the NHL is no different. So while those 40-goal scorers and 100-point setup men are falling, while the premier puck-moving d-men are waiting to get healthy, some of the top puck-stoppers are sitting out as well.
In Anaheim, Jean-Sebastien Giguere wasn't doing much to endear himself to fans or the coaching staff before he was hurt, and the only thing the injury seemed to compound was trade rumors. Now, Giguere may be prepared to at least back-up Ducks' starter Jonas Hiller (for the time being), and act as a solution for some of you in fantasy trouble.
The Vancouver Canucks have gotten by with Andrew Raycroft over the past few games, and now that Roberto Luongo is getting ready to come back, any fantasy assistance he could've offered you may have been shot.
Johan Hedberg of the Atlanta Thrashers may be an option for those lacking in the crease, especially with the way Ondrej Pavelec has played. Pavelec has given up 13 goals over his past two games, while Hedberg came in on Saturday night and gave up just one goal in a single period and made 30 saves in a 3-2 shootout win Sunday.
With the recent injury to Cam Ward over the weekend Carolina fans are looking for hope and Fantasy owners a leader. While Hurricanes' backup Michael Leighton may be worth monitoring, going out and picking him up immediately—especially when the team is still trying to sort itself out—may be a bit too risky.
On the off chance he's available, Montreal's Jaroslav Halak has won five times in his past six games. Despite an escalating goals-against average and a declining save percentage, Halak's stats should rebound to a respectable plateau.
Backup goalies such as Ty Conklin, Antti Niemi, and Tuukka Rask may also be part-time solutions, but Chris Mason, Christobel Huet, and Tim Thomas are their biggest road blocks to extended progress, while Jeff Deslauriers may be worth a watch if Nikolai Khabibulin slips up.
Of course, there are always going to be a few players who haven't latched on to a team in your league, and could give you a good couple of games now that they've settled down.
Any combination of Nashville's two 'tenders Pekka Rinne or Dan Ellis should be a welcome addition to your team, while people may still be discounting Chris Osgood after last year. While he probably won't be a top-ten goalie stats-wise, he's playing on a team that's going to win games, which is really all you need.
Questions? Comments? Complaint? E-mail Bryan at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
and join him every Monday as we go Around the NHL with BT.
With the Olympics replacing the All-Star festivities in the NHL this year, the players are facing an entirely new schedule.
In the fantasy sports world, big games and big slumps can mean big things for certain players.
If you were to poll most fantasy GMs and ask which positions were hte most difficult to fill with qualities players, you'll probably hear two consistent answers: Goaltenders and Right Wingers.
1. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings: 14G, 19A +6 in 25 games. With superstar Centers like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, and Joe Thornton on top of everyone’s draft list it’s easy to see why Kopitar might have slipped further down your draft. The fact that the Kings were expected to be another season or two away from contention couldn’t have helped any either, but free agent addition Ryan Smyth has seemed to bring both the Kings and Kopitar’s game to the next level.
It seems that as soon as someone gets healthy this year, another four players go out with an injury.
In Anaheim, Jean-Sebastien Giguere wasn't doing much to endear himself to fans or the coaching staff before he was hurt, and the only thing the injury seemed to compound was trade rumors. Now, Giguere may be prepared to at least back-up Ducks' starter Jonas Hiller (for the time being), and act as a solution for some of you in fantasy trouble.