February 13, 2009
|
by Steven Ovadia
|
Comments
(2)
Former first rounder Eric Fehr (right) is suddenly looking like a dangerous scorer for the Caps. (UPI Photo/ Mark Goldman)
In the NHL, players will suddenly go very hot. In the fantasy world, the big question is always, how long will they stay hot?
Take Eric Fehr from the Washington Capitals. He’s got seven goals on the season, but four in his last five (plus two assists). Has the former first-round pick suddenly found his game? The Capitals have to be hoping so. He’s only got three goals in the previous three seasons, much of that spent in the minors. So is Fehr worth the risk? He’s certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Also, look for some great players to return to their lineups. A lot of times, players get injured and dumped out of fantasy lineups, and former owners forget to go pick them up. It’s like free money!
Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar has been cleared to play, meaning he should appear in the Penguin lineup soon. While Gonchar will have to ease himself in (he hasn’t played all season), he’s a fixture on the Penguin power play — a unit that has really suffered without him. Look for Gonchar to see special teams time, if not regular even-strength minutes.
Also consider Andy McDonald from the Blues, who returned to the St. Louis roster Tuesday night. McDonald played on the wing instead of centre, but things still worked out, as he scored a goal and added an assist. Not bad, considering he hadn’t played since November 2008. The Blues just signed McDonald to a four-year extension, so if he’s good enough for them, he’s certainly good enough for your fantasy team.
The Blues also recently sent goalie Manny Legace down to the minors, so if he’s somehow on your roster, you might want to dump him. If New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur is available, grab him. He’s been cleared to practice and he could be back relatively soon.
If you’re looking for a slightly damaged goalie, Steve Mason from Columbus could be back Friday. He was out with mono. Don’t ask how he got it. Don’t even let your mind wander to the situations that could have caused it. Just think about his .923 save percentage and his 2.09 goals against. And in case you’re wondering, you can’t get mono through a waiver transaction.
And New York Islander Doug Weight is expected to be out six weeks with an MCL sprain. Weight’s numbers haven’t been great, but he seemed to be prime trade bait, and if he had been dealt, his numbers would presumably would have improved. I don’t see a team trading for him unless they really want to say “Wow. We really gained Weight this season.” And none of my uncles run NHL teams, so that’s not going to happen.
The Week Ahead
- Saturday, the Wild looks to get back on track against Ottawa. Minny is clinging to the final playoff spot in the West, but unfortunately the team has a date in Detroit next weekend — and that spells doom for the Wild. After Thursday’s 4-2 loss to Detroit, Minnesota is now 0-10-2 in its last dozen tries against the Wings. On the plus side, Brent Burns potted his first goal in almost a month. He’s been a real disappointment this season after enjoying a breakout campaign last year. He’s no longer a must-own fantasy defenceman.
- Sunday, the Sharks play the Devils in what could be a Stanley Cup Finals preview.
- Sunday, Colorado plays Detroit. For Detroit, it’s like when you see an old girlfriend on the street and she’s kind of let herself go, and you tell her she looks great, but she can tell you’re lying, and you just kind of stand there and then she bursts into tears.
- Monday the Rangers play the Blues. You have to hope the Rangers will tell John Davidson to stop running the team and go back to simply calling the games.
By Steven Ovadia
Tags: Andy McDonald, Brent Burns, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Doug Weight, Eric Fehr, Fantasy Hockey, HOCKEY, John Davidson, Manny Legace, Martin Brodeur, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, Pittsbu, San Jose Sharks, Sergei Gonchar, St. Louis Blues, Stanley Cup, Steve Mason, Steven Ovadia, Washington Capitals
Posted in HOCKEY, Ice Chips, Steven Ovadia | 2 Comments »
February 6, 2009
|
by Mike Chen
|
Comments
(2)
We promise not to go on any Christian Bale-type rants when we dispense hockey advice. While the NHL trade deadline is just under a month away, fantasy leagues all over are getting to the point where rosters have to be frozen. If you find you’re lacking in a specific category, we’re here to help — […]
more
By Mike Chen
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar, Atlanta Thrashers, Bill Guerin, Boston, Brendan Shanahan, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Black Hawks, Christian Bale, Colin White, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Dustin Brown, Eastern Conference, Edmonton Oilers, Eric Staal, Fantasy Hockey, HOCKEY, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jason Blake, Kris Versteeg, Kyle Wellwood, Los Angeles Kings, Marek Zidlicky, Martin Brodeur, Mike Chen, Mike Mottau, Mike Richards, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, NHL, Owen Nolan, Patrick Marleau, Paul Stastny, Phoenix Coyotes, Richard Park, Rod Brind'Amour, San Jose Sharks, Scott Clemmenson, Shane Doan, Simon Gagne, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tomas Holmstrom, Travis Zajac, Vincent Lecavalier, Western Conference, Zach Parise
Posted in HOCKEY, Ice Chips, Mike Chen | 2 Comments »
January 23, 2009
|
by Mike Chen
|
Comments
(0)
Derick Brassard headlines a great crop of Blue Jacket rooks, but unfortunately a shoulder injury will keep him out for the rest of the season. While it’s officially past the halfway point of the schedule, the All-Star break is the symbolic tipping point NHL year. Let’s take a look back and a look ahead at […]
more
By Mike Chen
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Cory Murphy, Derick Brassard, Devin Setoguchi, Eastern Conference, Enver Lisin, Eric Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Fantasy Hockey, Florida Panthers, Gregory Campbell, HOCKEY, Ice Chips, Jeff Carter, Kristian Huselius, Michael Frolik, Miikka Kiprusoff, Mike Chen, Mike Smith, Mikko Koivu, New York Islanders, NHL, NHL All-Star Game, NHL trade deadline, Nikita Filitov, Nikolai Zherdev, Olli Jokinen, Pascal Leclaire, Patrick Marleau, Peter Mueller, Phoenix Coyotes, Rick Tocchet, San Jose Sharks, Shane Doan, Simon Gagne, St. Louis Blues, Steve Mason, Tampa Bay Lightning, Teemu Selanne, Versus, Washington Capitals, YoungStars Game
Posted in HOCKEY, Ice Chips, Mike Chen | No Comments »
August 9, 2006
|
by Mike Chen
|
Comments Comments Off on NHL Eastern Conference Transactions
Denis might not be a show-stealer, but he’ll be consistent, and maybe even great. And the good thing is that a lot of people forget about him, so you can use a later pick on him in your Fantasy draft.
more
By Mike Chen
Tags: Andrew Raycroft, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Brad Richards, Bryan McCabe, Colby Armstrong, Evgeni Malkin, Filip Kuba, Florida Panthers, Glen Murray, Hal Gill, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Corvo, John Ferguson Jr., John Grahame, Marc Denis, Marc Savard, Martin St. Louis, Mats Sundin, Matt Cullen, Mike Keenan, Nathan Horton, New York Rangers, Olli Jokinen, Ottawa Senators, Paul Ranger, Pavel Kubina, Russia, San Jose Sharks, Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay Lightning, Todd Bertuzzi, Tom Preissing, Tomas Kaberle, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vincent Lecavalier, Wade Redden
Posted in HOCKEY, Mike Chen, Transactional analysis | Comments Off on NHL Eastern Conference Transactions
August 2, 2006
|
by Mike Chen
|
Comments
(0)
Just call it a hunch, but we think
Jeremy Roenick will actually have a decent (50-to- 60 points) season. How can we tell? He’s not playing in the annual Lake Tahoe golf tourney, so he must be training out in the Phoenix sun.
more
By Mike Chen
Tags: Alex Tanguay, Andy MacDonald, Brian Burke, Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Osgood, Chris Pronger, Colorado Avalanche, Corey Perry, Darryl Sutter, Denver, Detroit Red Wings, Dominik Hasek, Jarome Iginla, Jeremy Roenick, Jim Carey, Joe Thornton, Joffrey Lupul, Jonathan Cheechoo, Jose Theodore, Lake Tahoe golf tourney, Marian Gaborik, Mark Bell, Minnesota Wild, NHL, Paris Hilton, Pavol Demitra, Phoenix, Ryan Getzlaf, San Jose Sharks, Teemu Selanne, The Battle of California, Western Conference
Posted in HOCKEY, Mike Chen, Transactional analysis | No Comments »