January 26
CBSSports.com
columnist Michael Hurcomb
"
Is Zdeno Chara no longer a must-start Fantasy option? This question was posed to me by one of our loyal Fantasy Hockey players, and while I understand his concerns, I just can't see the logic in pulling Chara out of lineups. It all stems from the off-month Boston is enduring in January. The Bruins are averaging 2.00 goals per game through 12 contests, and their struggles show up in Chara's stat line. He has one goal, four points and a minus-5 rating in that span. It is by far his worst month since he had no goals, three assists and a minus-2 rating in 11 October games to kick off the 2008-09 season. I sense the frustration from Fantasy owners, but it's not like this is anything new with ..."
January 25
CBSSports.com
columnist Michael Hurcomb
"
Week 17 (Jan. 25-31) Teams playing four games: Calgary, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, N.Y. Islanders, N.Y. Rangers, Phoenix, St. Louis, Washington Teams playing three games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver Teams playing two games: Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose Atlantic Division New Jersey Devils: Niclas Bergfors has hit a rookie wall in January. He has not scored in 11 games and has one point in that span. He is also minus-1 and has been spending time as a fourth-line winger while he tries to break out of his slump. N.Y. Islanders: Kyle ..."
January 23
CBSSports.com
columnist Michael Hurcomb
"
I saw something on Saturday I never thought imaginable. There I was sitting in my seat in Section 114 at the Bank Atlantic Center watching the Florida Panthers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was late in the third period with Florida holding a 5-2 advantage. Tampa Bay was still pushing hard toward the net, peppering Tomas Vokoun with shots. The Lightning showed no quit despite the significant scoring disadvantage, and it was no more evident than in the play of Steve Downie. He was still mixing it up near the net and becoming a nuisance for the Panthers, especially defenseman Bryan Allen. It got to the point where Allen started a shoving match with Downie. I was almost assured a fight was ..."
January 20
ESPN.com
columnist Victoria Matiash
"
After focusing on several underappreciated fantasy defensemen in this space last week, this strikes as the appropriate occasion to highlight a small group of those owned in far too many leagues. Even after accounting for the estimated amount of inactive ESPN.com fantasy team owners, these percentages are way too plump. Remember the dead weight alluded to in the last edition of this column? Well, here are some solid examples: Why is the Vancouver Canucks' Shane O'Brien owned in 70 percent of ESPN.com leagues? With five points on the season, it can't be due to his scoring abilities. And it's not like the guy has a history of lighting it up. His ice-time isn't overwhelming either, so the ..."
January 20
CBSSports.com
columnist Michael Hurcomb
"
What to make of Marty Turco's Fantasy value the rest of the season? All signs point to Dallas moving the 34-year-old netminder at the trade deadline. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 and clearly he is trending downward. Turco is 14-13-8 with a 2.84 goals-against-average and .905 save percentage in 35 appearances. He has won only 10 times in his last 26 appearances. There is further writing on the wall as Dallas is willing to give backup Alex Auld more playing time as it assesses its future. The real question remains will a trade positively or negatively impact Turco's Fantasy value? Our best guess would be negatively since he will likely be dealt to a contender and ..."